I like this time of year; the winding down towards Christmas and a well-earned break for those of us who work for a living. The chance to spend time with family and friends far away; mostly family.

Everything seems to slow down gradually, much to the indignation of demanding bosses who have projects to complete; but they gradually get into the spirit as well. Not so for retail businessmen; they become busy little bees, and will sting you with their prices if you’re too much in the spirit, or if you’re too much into the spirits, as the case may be. And except around shopping malls, even traffic becomes easier. What a joy to drive to work and back, this time of year.

However, even crass commercialization has some appeal; a visual feast for the senses with christmas decorations nearly everywhere, feel-good christmassy music coming from shops and malls, fake fir trees in windows and aisles, multi-coloured lights flashing, and most importantly, people seeming more cheerful than at any other time of year. And what about the kids? They tend to become more manageable, although a slightly heavier burden on the wallet.

For us non-believers, all this hoo-ha over what was once a pagan festival, is supposed to be exasperating, but I find it all rather charming; amusing perhaps. I really enjoy the christmas carols, even if the words have no appeal or meaning for me. However, like most normal people, I do find Boney M slightly annoying, but Andrea Bocelli or Frank Sinatra singing carols, is a real delight for the senses.

And somehow, people become more generous too at this time of year. Those beggars standing at the traffic intersections usually get something extra, and even other less fortunate adults and children from miscellaneous charitable organizations, benefit. A real pity that Christmas doesn’t come at least once a month. Imagine how different the world could be, if Christmas was about people, rather than gods.

It’s really convenient for us all that the early Christians chose to commemorate Christmas around the time of the winter solstice, incorporating it with pagan festivals such as the Celtic Yule, the Roman Saturnalia and the solstice feast of Mithras, the Roman god of light which falls on 25 December,  just before New Year’s Eve, a traditional celebration for the Roman god, Janus. And not forgetting New Years Day, the traditional day for hang-overs. Yes, a wise decision to fit it in with happy, festive times.

Sorteggiati oggi ad Hampden Park gli accoppiamenti per il quarto turno della Scottish Cup. Il Celtic affronterà in trasferta la vincente della gara tra Greenock Morton e Dumbarton. Le due squadre dovranno giocare il replay in quanto la gara, giocata nel fine settimana scorso, è finita 0-0. Le gare del quarto turno si giocheranno il 9-10 Gennaio 2010.

Before the arrival of  Druidic , Hindu and Buddhist Aryan beliefs , mankind worshipped the Bear and the Snake. These beliefs are OLDER THAN MODERN MAN!

NEANDERTAL MAN CREATES GOD THE BEAR AND HOMO ERECTUS/SAPIENS CREATES GOD THE SNAKE
Archeological evidence from Middle Paleolithic caves,shows that a widespread Middle Paleolithic Neanderthal bear cult existed (Wunn, 2000, p. 434-435).
78,000BC: About 1962, French archaeologists at Regourdou find the remains of what might have been a “bear cult” conducted by Neandertals. The bones of a brown bear have been carefully arranged. (Shreeve, Neandertal) 
Bear worship (also known as the Bear Cult or Arctolatry) is the religious practice of the worshiping of bears found in many North American and North Eurasian ethnic circumpolar religions such as the Sami, Nivkhs, Ainu, and pre-christian Finns. There are also a number of deities from Celtic Gaul and Britain associated with the bear and the bear is featured on many totems throughout northern cultures that carve them. Bear worship may have been practiced as far back as the Middle paleolithic period amongst Neanderthal societies c.300,000 to 30,000 BC
Additional evidence in support of Middle Paleolithic animal worship originates from the Tsodilo Hills (c 70,000BCE) in the African Kalahari desert where a giant rock resembling a python that is accompanied by large amounts of colored broken spear points and a secret chamber has been discovered inside a cave. The Broken spear points were most likely sacrificial offerings and the python is also important to and worshipped by contemporary Bushmen Hunter-gatherers who are the descendants of the of the people who devised the ritual at the Tsodilo Hills and may have inherited their worship of the python from their distant Middle Paleolithic ancestors.

 THE CELTIC/DRUIDIC VEDIC/INDIAN PERSIAN/ARYAN LINK
There is some strong evidence linking the Indo-European Celtic peoples with the Aryans of the Indus Valley and the Persian people(The name Iran is a cognate of Aryan, and means “Land of the Aryans”.)
The first such study dates back to 1999 and was conducted by the Estonian biologist Toomas Kivisild, a pioneer in the field, with fourteen co-authors from various nationalities (including M. J. Bamshad). It relied on 550 samples of mtDNA and identified a haplogroup called “U” as indicating a deep connection between Indian and Western-Eurasian populations.In other words, there is a genetic connection between India and Europe, but a far more ancient one than was thought and the flow was out of, not into, India.
“indeed, nearly all Europeans — and by extension, many Americans — can trace their ancestors to only four mtDNA lines, which appeared between 10,000 and 50,000 years ago and originated from South Asia.”
The most basic division of the Indian society is of Aryans and Dravidians. According to this division, nearly 72% of Indians are Aryans and 28% are Dravidians. The north Indians are the descendants of Aryans and the south Indians are Dravidians. The languages spoken in five states of south India are considered Dravidian languages and most of the languages spoken in the north are considered Aryan languages.
The Vedic Period (or Vedic Age) is the period during which the Vedas, the oldest sacred texts of Indo-Iranians, were being composed. Scholars place the Vedic period in the second and first millennia BCE continuing up to the 6th century BCE based on literary evidence.Texts starting c.2000BC!!! That is alot earlier than any Torah/Old Testament story.

The existence of similarities among the deities and religious practices of the Indo-European (IE) peoples allows glimpses of a common Proto-Indo-European (PIE) religion and mythology. Reconstruction is based on the comparative method. Archaeological evidence is difficult to match to any specific culture in the period of early Indo-European culture in the Chalcolithic

*Dyēus Ph₂tēr is the god of the day-lit sky and the chief god of the Indo-European pantheon. The name survives (p. 409, 431, Oxford Intro.) in Greek Zeus with a vocative form Zeu patēr; Latin Jūpiter (from the archaic Latin Iovis pater), Dispater, Sanskrit Dyáus Pitā, and Illyrian Dei-pátrous.Today God the Father

*Deh₂nu- ‘River goddess’ is reconstructed (p. 434, Oxford Intro.) from Sanskrit Danu, Irish Danu; Welsh Dôn, and a masc. form Ossetic Donbettys. The name has been connected with the Dan rivers which run into the Black Sea (Dnieper, Dniester, Don, and Danube) and other river names in Celtic areas.

*H₂eusos is the name of certain specific gods, usually the sun, the stars, especially the planet Venus or hearth fires; a class of gods (`those that shine with a golden light’); and a general word for `a god, any god’. These gods are also general to the Indo-Europeans.

• *H₂eus(os), is believed to have been the goddess of dawn (p. 409, 410, 432, Oxford Intro.), continued in Greek mythology as Eos, in Rome as Aurora, in Vedic as Ushas, in Lithuanian mythology as Aušra ‘dawn’ or Auštaras (Auštra) ‘the god (goddess) of the northeast wind’, Latvian Auseklis, the morning star (Lithuanian Aušrinė, ‘morning star’); Ausera, and Ausrina, goddesses of dawn or of the planet Venus; Hittite, assu ‘lord, god’; Gallic Esus, Today Jesus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-European_religion

This is the ROOT belief of ALL European and Middle Eastern belief sysytems. Judaism ,and other forms of monotheism, is just stolen from the Sumerian and Egyptian versions of this Indo-European religion.

The religion of the Vedic period (also known as Vedism or Vedic Brahmanism or, in a context of Indian antiquity, simply Brahmanism^[1]) is the historical predecessor of Hinduism.^[2] Its liturgy is reflected in the Mantra portion of the four Vedas, which are compiled in Sanskrit. The religious practices centered on a clergy administering rites that often involved sacrifices. This mode of worship is largely unchanged today within Hinduism; however, only a small fraction of conservative Shrautins continue the tradition of oral recitation of hymns learned solely through the oral tradition.
The associated culture, sometimes referred to as Vedic civilization, was centered in the northern and northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent. Its early phase saw the formation of various kingdoms of ancient India.

HOW ANCIENT IS THE DRUIDIC/HINDU/BUDDIST RELIGION ….18,000 YEARS ?
Recent archeological work on the Chang Tang plateau finds evidence of an Iron Age culture which some have tentatively identified as the Zhangzhung. This culture is notable for the following characteristics:
a system of hilltop stone forts or citadels, likely used as a defense against the steppe tribes of Central Asia, such as the Scythians
burial complexes which use vertical tombstones, occasionally in large arrays, and including up to 10,000 graves in one location
stone temples located in the mountains adjacent to the plains, characterized by windowless rooms, corbelled stone roofs, and round walls
evidence of a stratified social structure, as indicated by royal or princely tombs
petroglyphs which shows the culture was a warrior horse culture
These characteristics more closely match the Iron Age cultures of Europe and the Asian steppes.
In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Shambhala (also spelled Shambala or Shamballa; Tibetan: bde ‘byung, pron. De-jung) is a mythical kingdom hidden somewhere in Tibet. It is mentioned in various ancient texts, including the Kalachakra Tantra and the ancient texts of the Zhang Zhung culture which predated Tibetan Buddhism in western Tibet. The Bön scriptures speak of a closely related land called Olmolungring.
Bön (Tibetan: ????; Wylie: bon; Lhasa dialect IPA: [p?ø~`(n)]) is the oldest spiritual tradition of Tibet.
The Bön canon comprises more than two hundred volumes, classified in four categories: the Sutras (mdo), the Perfection of Wisdom Teachings (‘bum), the Tantras (rgyud) and Knowledge (mdzod). Besides these, the Bön canon includes material on rituals, arts and crafts, logic, medicine, poetry and narrative. It is interesting to note that the “Knowledge” section concerning cosmogony and cosmology, though in some respects unique to Bön, shares a more than passing resemblance to Nyingma (rnying ma) doctrines.
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism (the other three being the Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug). “Nyingma” literally means “ancient,” and is often referred to as the “school of the ancient translations” or the “old school” because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan
It is noteworthy that the Bönpo tradition was founded by a buddha like figure named Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche whose teachings are similar in scope to the teaching espoused by the historical Buddha. Bönpos claim that Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche lived some 18,000 years ago, and visited Tibet from the land of Tagzig Olmo Lung Ring, or Shambhala. Bönpos also suggest that during this time Lord Shenrab Miwoche’s teaching permeated the entire subcontinent and was in part responsible for the development of the Vedic religion. An example of this link is that Mount Kailash, as the center of Zhang Zhung culture, is also the most sacred mountain to Hindus. In turn, Buddhism evolved from the spiritual teachings of the Vedic religion. As a result, the Bönpos claim that the much later teaching at least indirectly owes its origin to Tonpa Shenrab Miwoche.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyingma
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonpa_Shenrab_Miwoche
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shambhala
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhang_Zhung
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagzig_Olmo_Lung_Ring

Druid – The Druids were suppressed in Gaul by the Romans under Tiberius (reigned AD 14-37) and probably in Britain a little later. In Ireland they lost their priestly functions after the coming of Christianity and survived as poets, historians, and judges (filid, senchaidi, and brithemain). Many scholars believe that the Hindu Brahman in the East and the Celtic Druid in the West were lateral survivals of an ancient Indo-European priesthood.” – Britannica.com
The easiest of parallels to be drawn between the Celtic and Vedic peoples must be that of the Druids and the Brahmins. The Druids and the Brahmins were both the priests and philosophers of their respective cultures. Both orders of priests were the wise ones of their lands, the seers and teachers, to whom warriors and kings turned for counsel and advice. They were free to wander the lands, as many of India’s holy men still do, and, according to Caesar’s writings, the Druids were “held with great honour by the people”.
The name ‘Druid’ is considered by some to have originated the mediterranean and the East. The first syllable of the word ‘Druid’, according to Pliny the Elder (1 CE), is related to the Greek word for the Oak tree, ‘drus’. The root of which is ‘dr’ and it is to be found in several Aryan languages. More likely its the Celtic root dru which means “immersion”,which also appears in Sanskrit.(the Greek word drus, a later reference to the oak and Druids)The second syllable is thought to have originated from the sanskrit word ‘vid’, meaning ‘knowledge’, which is also the root of the term ‘Vedas’. If this is accurate then the Druids would have been those who possess the ‘knowledge of the Oak tree’ to a Greek. The Oak tree in Celtic myth and legend was closely associated with knowledge and wisdom, or more correctly, a Druid was one “immersed in knowledge.”
The scholars of the Greek Alexandrian school clearly described them as a parallel caste to the brahmins of Vedic society.Tacitus, a Greek historian, commented on the striking similarity of the bathing Druids to the Brahmins, suggesting they were “so emblematic of the brahmins.”
If the Celtic Druidic and Indus Vedic share the same root, these myths must of been in the cultures before the split of these people,as later different cultures would seperate them and we would expect a see this beleif spread through these cultures as well .If these stories are found in Scottish ,Irish and Welsh Western European Celtic cultures.That means they must be from c.10,000 BC at very latest if these peoples DNA is going to cross the land bridge still joining Britian to Continental Europe!!! This would make this belief system at leat 12,000 years old but probably much older.But this is nothing compared to the Northern Bear Cults and Southern Snakes Cults which would be at least over 70,000 years old. Even older than man.
The Druids & the Brahmins
Interestingly the term for soul (I use the term soul for reasons of simplicity) in Vedic literature is ‘atman’, whereas the Celtic term for soul is ‘anam’.”Due to the cessation of the Druids a vast wealth of knowledge and wisdom has been lost. As part of an oral tradition, like the Brahmins of old, nothing was ever wrote down, all myths, laws and teachings were held to memory.The Celts had a large pantheon of which about 300 to 400 names are known to us today.This also stands true for the Vedic pantheon.It is interesting to note that the Celtic term for the Gods is ‘Deuos’ and the Vedic term is ‘Devas’, both terms meaning “Shining Ones”.
Danu in Celtic & Vedic Myth
One of the most striking comparisons to be found between the Celtic and Vedic pantheon is that of a Goddess named Danu and the myths surrounding her (also known in Celtic traditions as Don, Dana and possibly also Anu or Ana). A Goddess named Danu appears both in Celtic and Vedic mythology. She features heavily in Celtic mythology as the Mother Goddess (and a river Goddess). She is one of the most ancient known of all Celtic Goddesses, from whom the hierarchy of Gods received it’s name of Tuatha De Danann, “Folk of the Goddess Danu” Among the ancient Celts, Danu was regarded as the “Mother Goddess.” The Irish Gods and Goddesses were the Tuatha De Danaan (“Children of Danu”). Danu was the “divine waters” falling from heaven and nurturing Bíle, the sacred oak from whose acorns their children sprang. Moreover, the waters of Danu went on to create the great Celtic sacred river–Danuvius, today called the Danube.
Not only is the story of Danu and the Danube a parallel to that of Ganga and the Ganges but a Hindu Danu appears in the Vedic story “The Churning of the Oceans,” a story with parallels in Irish and Welsh mytholgy. Danu in Sanskrit also means “divine waters” and “moisture.”.
Whereas in Vedic mythology the Goddess Danu ,a red headed goddess ,who gives birth to the seven Danvanas, the dark ones of the ocean.
Surrounding the Goddess Danu in each culture’s mythology is a similar tale of battle,
SIMILAR TO THE MESOPOTAMIAN CREATION MYTH ,CREATION FROM DEEP DARK WATERS ,BUT POSSIBLY c.10,000 YEARS OLDER
In the earliest of Celtic documents there is the battle of Moytur fought between the people of the Goddess Danu and the Fomors. The Fomors being Celtic deities of death, darkness and the sea. They were the offspring of “Chaos and Old Night”, their name being derived from two Gaelic words meaning “under sea”. The Fomers were born from another Mother Goddess called Domnu whose name seems to have signified the abyss or deep sea. The battle between the Fomors and the Tuatha De Danann began at the end of summer and the beginning of winter, on the eve of Samhain (the Celtic festival of the dead or Halloween as its called today). During the course of the bloody battle many were killed, including many of the chieftains. Of all the Fomors the deadliest was Balor, with his eye that could slay by merely looking upon an individual. However during the later stages of the war Lugh shouted on him and before Balor could look upon Lugh, Lugh had thrown a magickal stone at Balor. the stone struck Balor, forcing his deadly eye out through the back of his head. On falling to the ground the eye then gazed on many of the Fomors, killing them, and turning the tide of the battle toward the Tuatha De Danann. Eventually the Fomors were driven away and the people of Danu were victorious.
A similar struggle between opposing forces is to be found in Vedic mythology. This struggle was between the Adityas, the children of the Goddess Aditi, and the Danavas, the children of the Goddess Danu. The Danavas where the antithesis of all that is symbolised by the earth, the sky and the sun. This myth is referred to throughout the Rig Veda and focuses primarily on the God Indra in his victory over the Danavan God Vrtra. In the Rig Veda Vrtra is described as being a limbless dragon and the source of a great drought. When Indra slays him (Vrtra) with his thunder bolt the seven waters are released. It reads in the Rig Veda (Griffith Translation) “He slew the Dragon, then disclosed the waters, and cleft the channels of the mountain torrents.” (Rig I.32.1)”Then humbled was the strength of Vrtra’s mother: Indra hath cast his deadly bolt against her. The mother was above, the son under, and like a cow beside her calf lay Danu.” (Rig I.32.9)
Danu in the Vedic myth is bondage and restraint and her son Vrtra is the constrictor. Whereas the Goddess Aditi is the Boundless and the Infinite, and Indra by using his tapas, which is represented by his lightening bolt, becomes the “winner of the light”.It is the macrocosmic struggle between light and dark, order and chaos. While on the microcosmic level it is knowledge over ignorance.
In the Celtic myth the Goddess Domnu is regarded as being of “Chaos and Old Night”, the abyss, from whence came the Fomors the deities of the dark waters who were conquered by Lug, the Celtic Sun God, and the Tuatha De Danann. Again it is the light conquering the darkness. The two myths are fundamentally the same, both tell of the primordial waters, that undifferentiated state of being before the time of creation, and light emerging in triumph over darkness to allow life to flow. This theme seems to be repeated in a rather abstract creation hymn in the Rig Veda, “Darkness there was: at first concealed in darkness this All was indiscrimated chaos. All that existed then was void and formless: by the great power of Warmth was born that unit” (X.129).
Here we also find a possible root of the mesotopamian creation myth, creation from a chaotic deep watery abyss.
Is it also possible that the Celtic Vedic split was caused by a socio/religious disputes? In this case the role of women in society.Danu is a Good goddess in Celtic myths and female Druids and Warriors and Queens are common in Celtic society ,not so in Hinduism where Danu is the Mother of chaos and women tend to be subserviant in society.

The Cailleach

; Crone of Beare. Great Goddess in her Destroyer aspect; called “Veiled One”. Another name is , from which Scotland comes. Originally Scotland was called Caledonia, or land given by Caillech ,Cali’s Domain and Ireland was refered to as Scotland.
In parts of Britain she is the Goddess of Winter. Depicted as a blue-faced hag, who is reborn October 31 (Samhain) She brings the snow until the Goddess Brigit deposes her and she eventually turns to stone April 30 (Beltaine). In later times the mythical witch like figure of “Black Annis” is believed to have derived from her.
She was an ancient Goddess of the pre-Celtiberian peoples of Ireland. She controlled the seasons and the weather; and was the goddess of earth and sky, moon and sun.
She is a Tutelary Goddess to southwest Munster, and appears in tales describing a knight being importuned by an old hag for love, acceptance of which transforms her into a beautiful maiden.

Kali Hindu

, also known as Kalika (Bengali: কালী, Kālī / কালিকা Kālikā ; Sanskrit: काली), is a Hindu goddess associated with eternal energy. The name Kali means “black”, but has by folk etymology come to mean “force of time (kala)”. Despite her negative connotations, she is today considered the goddess of time and change. Although sometimes presented as dark and violent, her earliest incarnation as a figure of annihilation still has some influence.

She is the foremost among the Dasa-Mahavidyas, ten fierce Tantric goddesses

According to David Kinsley, Kali is first mentioned in Hinduism as a distinct goddess, related to war, around 600 CE. Scriptures like Agni Purana and Garuda Purana describe her terrible appearance and associate her with corpses and war.

Kālī is the feminine of kāla “black, dark coloured” (per Panini 4.1.42). It appears as the name of a form of Durga in Mahabharata 4.195, and as the name of an evil female spirit in Harivamsa 11552.

The Horned God Pashupati
Mythological reference to the Horned God Pashupati can be found in ancient Indian and Nepalese scriptural texts. The legend of Pashupati can be found in reference to the Indian God Shiva, of whom Pashupati is referred to as being the proto-type. In the Skanda Purana it tells how the God Shiva used to love a great forest called the ‘Sleshmantaka Forest’ . It was here that Shiva spent so much time being emersed in ‘the wilderness of this forest in merry-making assuming Himself the form of a deer’ . It reads in the Skanda Purana -
As I reside here in the forest of Sleshmanta in the form of a beast,
My name will hence be known as the Pashupati the world over.
To this day the Sleshmantaka forest remains sacred and is known as ‘Mrigasthali’, ‘the abode of deers’. The name Pashupati means ‘ Lord of Animals’ (Pashu – animal, Pati -Lord) and was later taken to mean (Lorrd of Souls).
In the Indus Valley many seals have been found which show images of the Horned God with many animals surrounding him the figure is sitting in a traditional cross-legged yoga pose with its hands resting on its knees.On the seals is what has became known as the Indus script. This is a written language which looks similar to runes and other ancient scripts, however academics have been struggling for many years to correctly decipher it. Although several decipherings have been made in the last 50 years none have gained complete approval by scholars and academics.
What the Indus Valley seals of the horned God suggest is that there is an undeniable connection between the horned God Pashupati and the horned God of the Celts,

The Horned God Cernunnos.

Cernunnos (also Cernenus) is a pagan Celtic god whose representations were widespread in the ancient Celtic lands of western Europe. As a horned god, Cernunnos is associated with horned male animals, especially stags and the ram-horned snake; this and other attributes associate him with produce and fertility.He is usually portrayed seated and cross-legged, in a position which some have interpreted as meditative or shamanic This connection between the two is best illustrated by comparing a couple of the Indus Valley seals to the depiction of Cernunnos on the Gundestrup Cauldron (dated between 4th – 1st Century BCE).
http://www.geocities.com/indianpaganism/celticvedic.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cernunnos
CELTIC LUG AND VEDIC INDRA THE SUN GODS
Successful comparisons may also be drawn between Lug and Indra.Throughout the Rig Veda there are many hymns to Indra (more than any other God or Goddess) and many of these contain references that associate Indra with the Sun and light. Another parallel between Lug and Indra is that they were both not the original leaders of their respective groups.Indra has also been connected with the Celtic myth of Tain Bo Cuailgne. Here Indra’s symbolic animal representation, the bull, is compared with the Celtic bull of Quelgny. Again what is found is a solar association in both Celtic and Vedic myth.
Places of Worship
Some of the most auspicious places of worship for the Celtic and Vedic peoples were rivers.Many European rivers bear the name of Danu–the Rhône (ro- Dhanu, “Great Danu”) and several rivers called Don. Rivers were sacred in the Celtic world, and places where votive offerings were deposited and burials often conducted. The Thames, which flows through London, still bears its Celtic name, from Tamesis, the dark river, which is the same name as Tamesa, a tributary of the Ganges.In both Celtic and Vedic cultures offerings were often placed in rivers and those of the Celts were especially elaborate.
Another of the sacred dwellings was that of specific areas of woods and groves. According to Tacitus the “Woods and groves are the sacred depositories; and the spot being consecrated to those pious uses, they give to that sacred recess the name of the divinity that fills the place, which is never profaned by the steps of man. The gloom fills every mind with awe; revered at a distance and never seen but with the eye of contemplation.” The Druids and their daily activities of bathing in rivers is a mirror image of the Vedic Brahmins, who bathe during the first hours of sun rise in rivers such as the Ganges Similarly there are many Indian tales of Brahmans and holy men who lived in forests of which some were especially sacred spaces A selection of Vedic texts written after the four main Samhitas (the Rig, Sama, Yajur and Artharva Vedas) are the Aranyakas, meaning ‘forest treatise’. Indicating that these were composed in the reclusive depths of the forests.
Celtic & Vedic Fairies
Celtic stories are well known for their fairy folk, the little people who inhabit trees and hills. Sometimes they were the source of mischief or misfortune, other times the were advantageous and benevolent. The stories tell us that they delight in music and loved to dance. The Celtic fairies (also called Sidhes) often blended in myth with the Gods and like the Gods the fairies knew magick, fought wars and married amongst themselves.
Vedic nature spirits are yaksas, the favourite of the yaksas’ locations is in a rural village’s sacred tree. Here they would be safe from harms way and it was believed that having the yaksas there was prosperous for the village. Offerings and tiny gifts would be laid at the trunk of the tree, while flower garlands would be hung from the branches. There was also a fertility association with the yaksas in the sacred tree. As were there also associations of treasure buried at the tree roots, again like some of the Celtic fairies.
CELTIC AND VEDIC LANGUAGE AND CUSTOMS
Professor Calvert Watkins of Harvard, one of the leading linguistic experts in his field, has pointed out that of all the Celtic linguistic remains, Old Irish represents an extraordinarily archaic and conservative tradition within the Indo-European family.
Its nominal and verbal systems are a far truer reflection of the hypothesized parent tongue, from which all Indo-European languages developed, than are Classical Greek or Latin. The structure of Old Irish/Gaelic, says Professor Watkins, can be compared only with that of Vedic Sanskrit or Hittite of the Old Kingdom.
The vocabulary is amazingly similar. The following are just a few examples:
Gaelic- arya (freeman),Sanskrit – aire (noble)
Gaelic – naib (good), Sanskrit – noeib (holy)
Gaelic – badhira (deaf), Sanskrit – bodhar (deaf)
Gaelic – names (respect), Sanskrit – nemed (respect)
Gaelic – righ (king), Sanskrit – raja (king)
This applies not only in the field of linguistics but in law and social custom, in mythology, in folk custom and in traditional musical form. The ancient Irish law system, the Laws of the Fénechus, is closely parallel to the Laws of Manu. Many surviving Irish myths, and some Welsh ones, show remarkable resemblances to the themes, stories and even names in the sagas of the Indian Vedas.
For some time, especially through the work of D. A. Binchy, the laws were held to be conservative and useful primarily for reconstructing the laws and customs of the Proto-Indo-Europeans just as linguists had reconstructed the Proto-Indo-European language. For instance, Historians have seen comparisons between Irish and Indian customs of fasting as a method of shaming a wrongdoer, in order to recover a debt or to demand the righting of a wrong.[3] Other legal institutions prominent in early Irish law but foreign to most contemporary legal systems, such as the use of sureties have been considered as survivals from earlier periods.[4]. There is still the possibility to suggest a past for a certain legal topic based on Irish legal terms being cognate with terms in other Celtic languages, although that information does not mandate that the practice described by the legal term has not changed.There is, however, one area where scholars have found material that is clearly old. A number of legal terms have been shown to have originated in the period before the Celtic Languages split up because they are preserved in both Old Irish and in the Welsh legal texts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brehon_Laws

WHY DID DRUIDS PAINT THIER WARRIORS BLUE FOR PROTECTION AND USE RELIGIOUS PICTOGRAMS IN BATTLE.IS IT COINCIDENCE THAT THE HEAD DEITIES IN HINDUISM ARE ALSO BLUE WITH PICTOGRAMS?
Vishnu (IAST vi??u, Devanagari ??????), (honorific: Bhagavan Vishnu), is the Supreme God in Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God,and his supreme status is declared in the Hindu sacred texts like Yajurveda, the Rigveda and the Bhagavad Gita
According to various Purana, Vishnu is the ultimate omnipresent reality, is shapeless and omnipresent. However, a strict iconography governs his representation, whether in pictures, icons, or idols:
He is to be depicted as a four-armed male-form: The four arms indicate his all-powerful and all-pervasive nature. The physical existence of Vishnu is represented by the two arms in the front while the two arms at the back represent his presence in the spiritual world. The Upanishad titled Gopal Uttartapani describes the four arms of Vishnu. THE CELTIC HAVE A HEAD DEITY AS WELL
The color of his skin has to be new-cloud-like-blue: The blue color indicates his all-pervasive nature, blue being the color of the infinite space as well as the infinite ocean on which he resides. THE CELTS WEAR BLUE WOAD
He has the mark of sage Bhrigu’s feet on his chest. AND PICTOGRAMS
Around his neck, he wears the auspicious “Kaustubha” jewel, and a garland of flowers (vanamaalaa). It is in this jewel, on Vishnu’s chest that Lakshmi dwells. AND THE CELTIC TORQUE REPRESENTS THE DIVENE FEMALE Depictions of the gods and goddesses of Celtic mythology frequently show them wearing torcs The famous Roman copy of the original Greek sculpture The Dying Gaul depicts a wounded Gallic warrior naked except for a torc
Also on his chest is the srivatsa mark, symbolising his consort Lakshmi. It is on the chest of Vishnu, where Lakshmi resides.AND MORE PICTOGRAMS
A crown should adorn his head: The crown symbolizes his supreme authority. OLDEST CROWN IN EUROPE IS SCOTTISH
He is to shown wearing two earrings: The earrings represent inherent opposites in creation — knowledge and ignorance; happiness and unhappiness; pleasure and pain. CELTS ARE REKNOWN FOR THIER JEWELRY
He rests on Ananta: the immortal and infinite snake THE SNAKE AGAIN
Krishna (????? in Devanagari, k???a in IAST, pronounced ['kr????] in classical Sanskrit) is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism in a variety of different perspectives. While many Vaishnava groups recognize him as an avatar of Vishnu, other traditions within Krishnaism consider Krishna to be svayam bhagavan, or the supreme being
The Sanskrit word k???a has the literal meaning of “black”, “dark” or “dark-blue” and is used as a name to describe someone with dark skin. Krishna is often depicted in murtis (images) as black, and is generally shown in paintings with a blue skin THE BLUE CELTIC PICTS
In the Brahmasambandha mantra of the Vallabha sampradaya, the syllables of the name Krishna are assigned the power to destroy sin relating to material, self and divine causes

THE CELTS ARE THE INDIGINOUS EUROPEANS.THEY ARE AN ANCIENT PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD GREAT INFLUNCES ON CIVILISATION
There is absolutely no evidence of war or of any conquest of an earlier, pre Celtic people at the time the Druids supposedly arrived in Western Europe, making it difficult for archaeologists to explain how they could have peacefully imposed their language, religion, and culture on this hypothetical earlier people. Even more embarrassing is the fact that geneticists claim that modern British people are related to the Spanish, and DNA from human remains of supposedly pre-Celtic times in Britain have shown that many modern British people are related to these early people as well. More and more it is beginning to appear that the Celts (and their Druid priests) may have been in the West all along, and may, indeed, have built Stonehenge after all.

James Wilson and Prof David Goldstein of University College London, with colleagues at Oxford University and the University of California, “The findings provide the first direct evidence of a close relationship between the people known as Celts and the Basques. The gene patterns of three races passed down through the male line are all strikingly similar, researchers concluded. Basques can trace their roots back to the Stone Age and are one of Europe’s most distinct people, fiercely proud of their ancestry and traditions.
The team looked for similarities between the Y chromosomes (which are only carried by men) they sampled DNA from; 88 “Celtic fringe” individuals from Anglesey, North Wales, 146 from Ireland with Irish Gaelic surnames, and 150 Basques, revealing “remarkable’ similarities. On the other hand, he and his colleagues compared Celtic and Norwegian populations and found them to be quite different.
The Celts carried the early Y chromosome, which provides the first clear evidence of a close relationship in the paternal heritage of Basque and Celtic speaking populations. “They were statistically indistinguishable’, we also noticed that there’s something quite striking about the Celtic populations, and that is that there’s not a lot of genetic variation on the male Y-chromosome, We conclude that both the Basques and Celts are reflecting pre-farming Europe. Somehow these people have remained in isolation from the rest of Europe up until the Bronze age where their genes begin to indicate an influx of female genes from mainland Europe” said Prof Goldstein.
Geneticist Prof Steve Jones, who recently published a book called Y – The Descent of Man, said;
“Genetics provided more reliable clues to the distant past than language did”. He and colleagues at University College, London, have spent years creating a genetic map of the Y chromosome, which is passed by males from generation to generation. The results show that the Welsh are related to the Basques of northern Spain and southern France and to native Americans. He said: “There has been much less interbreeding in Wales than you might expect. Wales and Ireland have the most homogenous group of males of anywhere in the world, from the research that’s been done so far”.
He said; “The Y chromosome common among Welsh males was an ancient one. Most native Americans have the same one
CELTS ARRIVE IN THE AMERICA’S c.18,000 BC
Recent studies of the tool kits of the first Americans suggest an entry from Spain and not from Siberia. Not only this, but paleolithic Caucasian genes appear to form the basal layer of the genetic makeup of many native Americans, helping to confirm a trans-Atlantic entry into Central America between 18,000 and 12,000 years ago. Recent discoveries of three 13,000 year old Cro magnon man skeletons in an underwater cave in the Bahamas suggests that the above is true and correct.
Almost all archaeology to date has been based on the discovery of sites that are above sea level. Sea levels rose to present day levels about 6,000 years ago, therefore there has to be a great deal hidden underwater prior to this event,
During the most recent ice age (at its maximum about 20,000 years ago) the world’s sea level was about 130 m lower than today, due to the large amount of sea water that had evaporated and been deposited as snow and ice, mostly in the Laurentide ice sheet. The majority of this had melted by about 10,000 years ago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_level#Changes_through_geologic_time
The Solutreans of Spain are now believed to have crossed the Atlantic using the southern Equatorial current and the edge of the Ice age glaciers, and entered the Caribbean and Central America between 18,000 and 12,000 years ago to become known as the Clovis hunters of America, when they meet the Ainu – an isolated ethnic group in northern Japan who look quite unlike modern Japanese. . Recent genetic findings suggest that the people now known as Gaelic speaking Celts (including Irish, Welsh, Scots, Basques and Berbers) are a remnant of a group of people who also left Spain between 1,8000 and 12,000 years ago

ANCIENT CELTIC INFLUENCES INCLUDE ANCIENT CELTIC MUMMIES IN CHINA c.2000BC CELTS ENTER CHINA c.3500BC
At their peak, the influence of the Celts stretched from Ireland in the west to the south of Spain and across to Italy’s Po Valley, and probably extended to parts of Poland and Ukraine and the central plain of Turkey in the east. These mummies seem to suggest, however, that the Celts penetrated well into central Asia, nearly making it as far as Tibet (and probably much further)
Solid as a warrior of the Caledonii tribe, the man’s hair is reddish brown flecked with grey, framing high cheekbones, a long nose, full lips and a ginger beard. When he lived three thousand years ago, he stood six feet tall, and was buried wearing a red twill tunic and tartan leggings. He looks like a Bronze Age European. In fact, he’s every inch a Celt. Even his DNA says so.
But this is no early Celt from central Scotland. This is the mummified corpse of Cherchen Man, unearthed from the scorched sands of the Taklamakan Desert in the far-flung region of Xinjiang in western China,
The burial sites of Cherchen Man and his fellow people were marked with stone structures that look like dolmens from Britain, ringed by round-faced, Celtic figures, or standing stones. Among their icons were figures reminiscent of the sheela-na-gigs, wild females who flaunted their bodies and can still be found in mediaeval churches in Britain. A female mummy wears a long, conical hat which has to be a witch or a wizard’s hat. Or a druid’s, perhaps? The wooden combs they used to fan their tresses are familiar to students of ancient Celtic art.
Even older than the Cherchen find is that of the 4,000-year-old Loulan Beauty, who has long flowing fair hair and is one of a number of mummies discovered near the town of Loulan. One of these mummies was an eight-year-old child wrapped in a piece of patterned wool cloth, closed with bone pegs.
The Loulan Beauty’s features are Nordic. She was 45 when she died, and was buried with a basket of food for the next life, including domesticated wheat, combs and a feather.
The new finds are also forcing a reexamination of old Chinese books that describe historical or legendary figures of great height, with deep-set blue or green eyes, long noses, full beards, and red or blond hair. Scholars have traditionally scoffed at these accounts, but it now seems that they may be accurate
The Tocharians were the Tocharian-speaking inhabitants of the Tarim Basin, making them the easternmost speakers of an Indo-European language in antiquity
The Tocharians, living along the Silk Road, had contacts with the Chinese, Persians, Indian and Turkic tribesThe Tocharians who remained in the Tarim Basin adopted Buddhism, which, like their alphabet, came from northern India(Aryan) .Commonalities between the Tocharian languages and various other Indo-European language families (as with Celtic) are suggested but are still “controversial”.
.In the 6th century AD fresco, Qizil, Tarim Basin.
“Tocharian donors”, possibly the “Knights with Long Swords” of Chinese accounts, depicted with light hair and light eye color. Graphical analysis reveals that the third donor from left is performing a Buddhist Vitarka Mudra gesture. These frescoes are associated with annotations in Tocharian and Sanskrit made by their painters.
The Tarim mummies suggest that precursors of these easternmost speakers of an Indo-European language may have lived in the region of the Tarim Basin from around 1800 BC until finally they were assimilated by Uyghur Turks in the 9th century AD
Afanasevo (or Afanasievo) culture, 3500—2500 BC, an archaeological culture of the late copper and early Bronze Age
It became known from excavations in the Minusinsk area of the Krasnoyarsk Krai, southern Siberia, but the culture was also widespread in western Mongolia, northern Xinjiang, and eastern and central Kazakhstan, with connections or extensions in Tajikistan and the Aral area.
The economy seems to have been semi-nomadic pastoralism, with cattle, ovicaprids and horse remains being documented, along with those of wild game
This early extreme outlier of presumably Indo-European culture makes it an automatic candidate for being the earliest attested representative for speakers of the Tocharian stock.
CELTS CROSS INTO EUROPE OVER THE DANUBE AS THE GLACIERS MELT c.11,000BC
The Danube,East Europe, is the longest river in the European Union .Its name is Celtic.( Celtic *danu, meaning “to flow, run”,)
Both Homer (Odyss. XII. 1) and Hesiod ,(Theogonia, v.242. 959) in their theogonic legends exclusively refer to the lower Danube as the Okeanos Potamos(Great Ocean River God).At the end of the Okeanos Potamos, is the holy island of Alba (Leuke, Pytho Nisi, Isle of Snakes). sacred to the Pelasgian. (and later, the Greek) Apollo, greeting the sun rising in the east.,Alba is the Gaelic name of Scotland

THE LEGEND OF ALBA, THULE AND HYPERBORIA

ARE THE BRITISH ISLES OR SCOTLAND, ALBA? THE HYPERBOREAN THE HIBERNIAN?
Pious legend credits Patrick with banishing snakes from the island of Ireland, though all evidence suggests that post-glacial Ireland never had snakes;one suggestion is that snakes referred to the serpent symbolism of the Druids of that time and place, as shown for instance on coins minted in Gaul (see Carnutes),
Historically,the Island of Anglesey(Wales) has long been associated with the Druids.Anglesey is rich in prehistoric remains. The first evidence of humans on the island comes from the Mesolithic period, about 7000 BC
As the only poisonous snake in the British Isles the adder has a reputation for wisdom and sly cunning. The amulets said to have been carried by the druids, ‘gloine nathair’ (the glass of the serpent), were really adder stones.
It was an adder which caused the Battle of Camlan; while the armies of Mordred and Arthur were drawn up during a parley in which the battle might have been averted, an adder darted out from the scrub, so startling one of Arthur’s men that he drew his sword to slay it. Taking the flash of his sword as an instance of Arthur’s treachery, Mordred’s army attacked.
In the Highlands of Scotland, the adder or serpent is supposed to represent the CAILLEACH’S power,. See: SAMHAIN, and OIMELC
In partnership with the goddess Brìghde, the Cailleach is seen as a seasonal deity or spirit, ruling the winter months between Samhuinn (November 1) and Bealltainn (May 1), while Brìghde rules the summer months between Bealltainn and Samhuinn
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cailleach

THE CELTIC GREEK CONNECTION
Or that it could have referred to beliefs such as Pelagianism,(the Pre-Greek barbarian belief) symbolized as “serpents”
“Pelasgian” has come to mean more broadly all the autochthonous inhabitants of the Aegean lands and their culture before the advent of the Greek language the Pelasgians used to speak a Barbarian language.There are, indeed, various names affirmed to designate the ante-Hellenic inhabitants of many parts of Greece — many seem similar to known Celtic names.
the Pelasgi, the Leleges,(Vellavi -from Ruessium) the Curetes, the Kaukones,(The Carnutes (Latin Carnuti), a powerful Celtic people in the heart of independent Gaul, in the P-Celtic form Picts where “Cruithne”,Welsh Cymru) the Aones,(Aryans) the Temmikes, the Telchines,(Tocharians or Tuatha De Danann) the Boeotian Thracians,(Hyperborean)
Hecateus Abderitas refers to Apollo’s island from the region of the Hyperboreans, in the Okeanos.(Great Ocean)
Alone among the Twelve Olympians, Apollo was venerated among the Hyperboreans, the Hellenes thought: he spent his winter amongst them(CAILLEACH with the power of the snake?).In Greek mythology, according to tradition, the Hyperboreans were a mythical people who lived far to the north of Thrace. The Greeks thought that Boreas, the North Wind,lived in Thrace, and that therefore Hyperborea was an unspecified region in the northern lands that lay beyond Scythia. Their land, called Hyperborea or Hyperboria — “beyond the Boreas” Hesiod mentioned the Hyperboreans, Herodotus reported, though the text is now lost, “and Homer also in the Epigoni, if that be really a work of his”.
Also, the sun was supposed to rise and set only once a year in Hyperborea, which would place it at or near the North Pole. i.e. North of Scotland Alba ,Orkney? (Could the flooding of the North Sea basin c.7000-4000 BC be a flood myth or Atlantis sinking?)
For their part the Hyperboreans sent mysterious gifts, packed in straw, which came first to Dodona
Dodona (from Doric Greek ??d??a, Ionic Greek: ??d???,Dòdònè) in Epirus in northwestern Greece, was a prehistoric oracle devoted to the Mother Goddess identified at other sites with Rhea or Gaia, but here called Dione and later, in historical times also to the Greek god Zeus.The shrine of Dodona was the oldest Hellenic oracle, according to the fifth-century historian Herodotus and in fact dates to pre-Hellenic times, perhaps as early as the second millennium BCE.(eariler in my opinion) Aristotle considered the region to have been the most ancient part of Greece and where the Hellenes originated.Priestesses and priests in the sacred grove interpreted the rustling of the oak (or beech) leaves to determine the correct actions to be taken.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodona
and then were passed from people to people until they came to Apollo’s temple on Delos (Pausanias). Abaris, Hyperborean priest of Apollo, was a legendary wandering healer and seer.(Druid?)
Abaris the Hyperborean (Greek: ?ßa??? ?pe?ß??e???, Abaris Hyperboreios),was a legendary sage, healer, and priest of Apollo known to the Ancient Greeks. He was supposed to have learned his skills in his homeland of Hyperborea,
As the patron of Delphi (Pythian Apollo), Apollo was an oracular god — the prophetic deity of the Delphic Oracle. Medicine and healing were associated with Apollo, when it was a major site for the worship of the god Apollo after he slew the Python, a deity who lived there and protected the navel of the Earth.
HERE WE FIND THE SNAKE GOD AND HEALER AGAIN PYTHIA APOLLO AND HE APPEARS TO BE A CELT!!

WE ALSO SEE CELTIC SCOTLAND REFERED TO AS THULE. AN ANCIENT SEAT OF LEARNING EVEN IN ANTIQUITY! 
Early in the fifth century AD Claudian, in his poem, On the Fourth Consulship of the Emperor Honorius, Book VIII, rhapsodizes on the conquests of the emperor Theodosius I, declaring that the “Orcades [Orkney Islands] ran red with Saxon slaughter; Thule was warm with the blood of Picts; ice-bound Hibernia [Ireland] wept for the heaps of slain Scots.” This implies that Thule was Scotland. But in Against Rufinias, the Second Poem, Claudian writes of “Thule lying icebound beneath the pole-star.”
Thule (pronounced /’?u?li/, us: thoo’·le; Greek T????, Thoule; also spelled in various sources Thile, Tile, Tilla, Toolee, Tylen, Thula, Thyle, Thylee, Thila, and Tila) is, in classical literature, a place, usually an island. Ancient European descriptions and maps locate it either in the far north, often Iceland, possibly the Orkney Islands or Shetland Islands or Scandinavia, or in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance Iceland or Greenland.
Thule as Tile on the Carta Marina of 1539 by Olaus Magnus, where it is shown located to the north west of the Orkney Islands,
Nearly a half century later, in 77, Pliny the Elder published his Natural History in which he also cites Pytheas’ claim (in Book II, Chapter 75) that Thule is a six-day sail north of Britain. Then, when discussing the islands around Britain in Book IV, Chapter 16, he writes: “The farthest of all, which are known and spoke of, is Thule; in which there be no nights at all, as we have declared, about mid-summer, namely when the Sun passes through the sign Cancer; and contrariwise no days in mid-winter: and each of these times they suppose, do last six months, all day, or all night.” Finally, in refining the island’s location, he places it along the most northerly parallel of those he describes, writing in Book VI, Chapter 34,: “Last of all is the Scythian parallel, from the Rhiphean hills into Thule: wherein (as we said) it is day and night continually by turns (for six months).”

ANCIENT CELTIC MYTHS LIKE KING ARTHUR PENDRAGON
or KING “GUARDIAN OF THE BEAR” “CHIEF-WARRIOR DRAGON” SAVIOUR OF THE CELTS
The origin of the Welsh name Arthur a derivation from Welsh arth (earlier art), meaning “bear”, suggesting art-ur (earlier *Arto-uiros), “bear-man”, is the original form.An alternative theory links the name Arthur to Arcturus, the brightest star in the constellation Boötes, near Ursa Major or the Great Bear. The name means “guardian of the bear”or “bear guard”
Uther’s epithet Pendragon means “Chief Dragon” in a figurative sense, referring to his status as “foremost leader” or “chief of warriors”.Uther acquires the epithet when he witnesses a portentous dragon-shaped comet, which inspires him to use dragons on his standards. According to the Grail cycle, it was Uther’s older brother (elsewhere called Ambrosius Aurelianus) who sees the comet and receives the name “Pendragon”; Uther takes his epithet in his honor after his death.
The 12th-century French writer Chrétien de Troyes, who added Lancelot and the Holy Grail to the story, began the genre of Arthurian romance that became a significant strand of medieval literature. In these French stories, the narrative focus often shifts from King Arthur himself to other characters, such as various Knights of the Round Table
THE ARTHUR LEGEND IS ANCIENT.IT SEEMS TO EVEN PRE-DATE THE DRUIDIC BELIEFS.IT CELEBRATES THE BEAR AND THE SNAKE!!

DRUIDISM SEEMS TO BE WESTERN HINDUISM AT LEAST 18,000 YEARS OLD BUT IT HAS BEEN JOINED WITH THE EVEN MORE ANCIENT SNAKE AND BEAR RELIGIOUS CULTS THAT ARE OLDER THAN MODERN MAN.

NOW THAT’S AN OLD BELIEF AND AN EXTREMELY ANCIENT CULTURE!!!

While we’re on the subject of Brian O’Donovan’s great productions, I wanted make certain to mention his wonderful music program, A Celtic Sojourn, which airs Saturday afternoons from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. on WGBH radio. Tune in to 89.7 FM to enjoy folk and contemporary music of Celtic nations and Great Britain as well. O’Donovan is a native of Ireland and has gained such a following with his radio show that it has been expanded into the production of cds, DVDs, TV specials, and the very popular annual holiday concert event A Christmas Celtic Sojourn (see previous post).

There are also two more Celtic music programs on WGBH which air on a less regular basis. A Celtic Sojourn Presents: The Boston Sessions is designed to give the listener the impression of attending an informal jam session in a local pub. Featuring both local and international guest stars, this program airs in front of a live audience and entertains its listeners from a truly unique perspective. Celtic Performances: From Our Studios features live in house sessions with some of Celtic music’s top stars and includes interviews conducted by Brian O’Donovan.  

Visit WGBH’s website to view previous playlists and to listen to past shows. You can also get a heads-up on up-coming Celtic music events happening around town. At the top of the homepage, you will see an opportunity to submit your email in order to keep abreast of all the latest news concerning WGBH radio and, if your interested, you can even email O’Donovan himself at celtic@wgbh.org. Enjoy special benefits by either registering or becoming a member of WGBH. 

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Tredicesima giornata di SPL e il Celtic è impegnato al Paradise contro il St.Mirren. Mowbray recupera Zheng Zi, fermato la settimana scorsa per un leggero infortunio, e McManus che ritorna, almeno in panchina, dopo l’esclusione decisa dalla società. Mogga ripropone immediatamente Zheng a centrocampo insieme a Crosas, Nguemo e McGeady. In attacco McDonald e Samaras. Il Celtic parte subito bene avendo due nitide occasioni prima con Zheng, il cui tiro viene parato dal portiere dei Saints e poi con McDonaldche manda di poco a lato dopo una bell’azione. I saints tentano di rispondere ma non riescono ad impensierire Zaluska. Al 38′ il Celtic passa in vantaggio. Samaras prende palla all’inizio della metà campo avversaria, scende palla al piedi fino a poco prima dell’area di rigore per servire in profondità McDonald che riesce ad incrociare e mandare la palla in rete. Un gol importante per Skippy che potrebbe sbloccarlo definitivamente. Dopo il vantaggio dei Bhoys i Saints tentano di rispondere ma Nguemo, con una splendida scivolta, riesce a recuperare la palla e a servire McGeady che va in contropiede per poi servire Samaras che di piatto porta gli Hoops sul 2-0. Nei minuti di recupero del primo tempo il Celtic riesce a complicarsi la vita quando da un cross dalla destra Crosas sbaglia la respinta mettendo la palla sui piedi di Higdon che supera Zaluska e accorcia le distanze. Il primo tempo finisce con il Celtic in vantaggio per 2-1. Il secondo tempo inizia con i Saints che si spingono in avanti in cerca del pareggio ma il Celtic respinge sicuro gli attacchi. Al 61′ i Bhoys mettono al sicuro il risultato portandosi sul 3-1. Caldwell lancia lungo sulla fascia destra per Mcgeady che con un gran aggancio si porta la palla in avanti, arrivato in area di rigore mette sul primo palo per il taglio di McDonald che anticipa il proprio marcatore mandando la palla in rete. Doppietta per l’attaccante australiano che speriamo abbia ritrovato definitivamente la via del gol. Dopo il terzo gol il Celtic colleziona altre opportunità per allargare il proprio vantaggio, la più nitida con Fortunè, subentrato a Samaras, che manda alto. Allo scadere del tempo l’arbitro assegna un rigore agli Hoops per un fallo di mano della difesa dei Saints. Sul dischetto va McDonald  che vede prima il suo tiro respinto e successivamente sulla respinta vede parato anche il suo successivo tiro mancando così la possibilità di segnare la tripletta che gli avrebbe permesso di portare il pallone a casa. Vittoria importante per i Bhoys dopo la sconfitta in casa del Dundee Utd. Con questa vittoria gli Hoops ritornano in testa alla classifica, in virtù della sconfitta dei rangers per 1-0 in casa dell’Aberdeen, con due punti di vantaggio sugli Huns. Sarà proprio l’Aberdeen la prossima avversaria del Celtic sempre al Celtic Park sabato 5 dicembre 2009. Prima della gara di sabato il Celtic sarà impegnato al Paradise mercoledì 2 dicembre contro l’Hapoel Tel-Aviv per la quinta gara di Europa League.

CELTIC (4-4-2) Zaluska; Hinkel, Caldwell, Loovens, Fox; Zheng(86′Robson), Crosas, NGuemo, McGeady(85”McGinn); McDonald, Samaras(65′Fortune)
SUBS: Cervi, Thompson, McManus, Carey

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All we’ve heard this week is about that bloody handball, how hard done by Ireland are and that Henry is the anti-christ. Anyone else bored?

Sure, it was handball and yes it was ridiculous that they got away with it, but demanding a replay? Don’t be absurd. For starters, that’s a dangerous avenue of thinking that could open up so many doors that FIFA and the FA wouldn’t want to deal with. It’s similar to that Eduardo incident against Celtic, are we going to have replays for every game decided by a contentious goal? Forget a 39th game, we’d be playing a 75th before Christmas.

Then you get those saying that Henry should be banned for the entirety of the World Cup. Further hysterical lunacy. For starters, if he’d been caught then it would have been a yellow card at most – probably not even that. It wouldn’t even be worthy of a single game’s ban, let alone an entire tournament.

It has confused me how all the vitriol has been aimed at Henry rather than the incompetent buffoon linesman however. As difficult as it may be for me to defend a Frenchman, Henry made a reflex movement and benefited from it. The linesmen and referees are there to ensure this doesn’t happen and they failed in their duty. I’m aware it’s a hard job, but it was hardly a conspicuous action and the linesman on the far side had a grand view of the whole thing. He’s the scapegoat if you insist in having one.

Not that Henry’s helped the situation at all. He’s acting all high and mighty for having the good grace to admit the handball (about as useful as Drogba admitting he dives) and saying that he’d accept the replay if it was ordered, despite being entirely aware it was never ever going to reach fruition and knowing full well that he’d have no choice but to play if it did.

The bottom line is that this is football and the least deserving usually benefit at the most inopportune time. By all accounts, most of Ireland was decked out in Argentina shirts following the infamous ‘Hand of God’, so sympathy is a little short in my heart bhoys.

What comes to mind when you think of the polka? (If you’ve never really thought about the polka, this is your chance.) For me it conjures memories of barn dances in the tiny little town of Tripp, South Dakota. As a child I’d travel to Tripp every couple of years to visit my father’s family.

I remember playing gin rummy for pennies, meticulously working on paint-by-number canvases and hitting a nearby barn to dance with my father long into the night. (We took frequent breaks for authentic German sausages and Shirley Temples.) My father is a man of few compliments, but he sometimes lets it slip that he likes two things about my dancing: that I’m good at following a lead, and that I never tire out.

I thought of my grandparents from South Dakota, long ago deceased, when I discovered that the Phoenix Symphony is playing “Strauss: Waltzes and Polkas this weekend (November 27th and 28th at Phoenix Symphony Hall and November 29th at Mesa Arts Center). It’s a rare opportunity to enjoy the dance music of bygone days, and an especially good choice if you have grandparents visiting for the holidays.

If you prefer more traditional holiday fare, you can enjoy Frances Smith Cohen’s The Snow Queen presented by Center Dance Ensemble Saturdays and Sundays December 5^th-20^th at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix. Jennifer danced in the Snow Queen for many years, and we always found pure joy both backstage and in the audience.

It’s hard to understate the importance of keeping the joy in dance, which is something Susan Silverman and Frances Cohen do so beautifully during dance classes, recitals and summer camps with Dance Theater West in Phoenix. This is where my daughters first caught the joy of movement (although Jennifer seemed to have an inkling in utero).

When Jennifer and I last hit the Mesa Arts Center, we enjoyed African dance along with the music of Playing for Change. (I’ve never seen more boomers boogying in one place before!) Next month, we can hit MAC to enjoy two holiday dance performances…

First, Christmas Wishes presented by Arizona Desert Dance (December 11^th at 7pm), which features dancers age two through adult. Audience members two and under get in free. Second, Spirit of Christmas presented by The Christian Dance Company (December 17^th at 7:30pm), which features a cast of more than 100 dancers and singers.

If we just can’t wait that long, we can try the AZDance Group’s Christmas Dance Concert on December 7th at 6:30pm at the Tempe Center for the Arts. The event features guest dancer Astrit Zejnat from Ballet Arizona, the AZDance professional dance roster and the Movement E-Motion dance program for “individuals with different abilities.”

If you’re a fan of The Nutcracker ballet, you’ll have plenty of options this year. Consider taking in more than one so you can enjoy the variety of sets, costumes and talented performers. This piece never gets old.

First up is The Nutcracker presented by Ballet and Friends (November 27^th-29^th) at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix. These performances benefit the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve ‘Toys for Tots’ program.

This weekend you can also enjoy The Nutcracker presented by Ballet Etudes, which I’ve long admired for its mix of ethereal and whimsical costumes and sets. It runs Fridays through Sundays November 27^th –December 13^th at the Mesa Arts Center. Never mind about the missing theater seat—it’s the one I took home to install in my teen taxi because it was so comfy. Kidding!

Ballet Arizona performs Ib Andersen’s The Nutcracker December 11^th-27^th at Symphony Hall in Phoenix. Music will be performed by the Phoenix Symphony (except for performances on the 26^th and 27^th). The Ballet Arizona box office has special hours today and tomorrow for folks who want to get a jump on securing the best seats. (Ask them as well about their magical Nutcracker Party on December 5^th.)

Lizabeth has danced the roles of bon bon/Mother Ginger’s child, grandfather mouse and party girl—but will be appearing instead this year in a “darker, edgier” version of Oliver! with Greasepaint Youtheatre. (I had a great time working backstage for The Nutcracker but doubt I’ll miss picking all those stray bobby pins off the children’s rehearsal room floor.) Liz was an Arabian Dancer for The Nutcracker Children’s Party. Cute tummy!

An Irish Nutcracker will be presented by the Celtic Dance Academy on December 19^th and 20^th (at the Mesa Arts Center). Kids three and younger get in free for this gig (jig?). Yup—there’s pretty much always something fun going on at the MAC! (Today’s teaser: Think Tupperware meets theatrics.)

This will get you in the mood to see Riverdance when their tour hits Arizona in January. Or to hit Randy’s restaurant in Scottsdale for authentic Irish food come St. Patrick’s Day 2010. Wearers of the green (I married one) can never plan too far ahead.

Finally, you can enjoy the Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker Tuesday, December 22^nd at 7:30pm at the Dodge Theatre in Phoenix (a venue Lizabeth and I enjoyed for Riverdance when she was just a few years into violin studies).

Dancing our way in December are three non-holiday performances that sound seriously intriguing. There’s life beyond eggnog, so let’s talk about these too…

SCC Dance of Scottsdale Community College presents Instinct Dance Corps, SCC Moving Company and the Scottsdale Arizona Jazz Ensemble performing Muscle Memory Implications at 8pm on December 4^th and 5^th at the ASU Studio Theatre in Tempe.

Enjoy an entire weekend of dance by adding another performance to your calendar. Emerging Artists I Resite takes place December 4^th and 5^th from 8pm to midnight at two Phoenix locations. The first night is free, as part of Phoenix’s First Friday program. Tickets are $7-$20 for night number two, taking place at Bragg’s Pie Factory. The event features paint, sound and text created through the Tumbleweed Center for Youth Development.

An annual dance festival—Breaking Ground 2009—with CONDER/dance takes place at the Tempe Center for the Arts December 11^th and 12^th. According to event organizers, it features “diverse high caliber offerings from contemporary choreographers and film makers from across the country.” All I need to know is that I can enjoy the view of lights twinkling over the water from this venue. That pretty much stops me in my tracks.

You could choose just one. But why? Tickets are all reasonably priced, and you might stumble upon some deals if you pay careful attention (signing up for venue/company e-mail alerts is my tried-and-true method of learning about special ticket offers).

It’s not Tripp, South Dakota, of course. But maybe that’s a good thing…

–Lynn

Update:

Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) presents their Fall Dance Collection Dec. 4th and 5th at 7:30pm at PVCC’s Center for the Performing Arts featuring guest and student choreography, a fusion of modern and jazz dance, acrobatics and more.

Check out www.ticketmaster.com for upcoming holiday dance performances at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix, including The Gift of the Magi with DanceMotion (Dec. 12/13) and Nutcracker 2009 with Ballet Academy (Dec. 22/23).

Coming soon: Boys who ballet, Getting that good vibe during voice lessons

Note: For complete details about performance dates/times, ticket sales, etc. please contact the presenting company and/or venue. If you know of another 2009 dance performances for children, teens or families, please use the comment section below to share what you know. Thanks!

Almost certainly not. Almost certainly, he never actually existed. I say that since the edvidence for either of those notions is the same: none.

Yet that hasn’t stopped some Scots loon from going on about the notion that Jesus visited Britania at some point.

The loon in question talks about how it’s not out of the question that Jesus would’ve come to England, and I suppose it’s technically possible. But it’s highly unlikely. Most people even in Roman times, heck, even up until just a few decades ago, didn’t go more than a few miles from where they were born.

Favorite quote:

“He needed to go around to learn bits and pieces about ancient wisdom, and the druids in Britain went back hundreds if not thousands of years. He probably came here to meet the druids, to share his wisdom and gain theirs.”

Yes, because if there’s one thing that we know about the Romans, it’s that they just loved the druids. I seem to rememer Julius Caesar, in particular, was a great fan. Plus we all know how much Jews and Christians have loved learning wisdom from other religions.

This concept is not just bad history, it’s not even good theology.

This is without a doubt the worst Rangers and Celtic squads that I have seen in the entirety of the time that I have been old enough to have an opinion that counted! (at 30, that’s 15-20 years in case your wondering)

Gone are the days of who’s best. The winner of the SPL is now determined by who is worst! With the glory times over, Gone are the days of high profile signings and big big money getting thrown about for average players (Flo, Rothental, Bratback). The old firm can no longer even afford to simply buy out all the best players from their lesser competitors in order to maintain the gap (Caldwell, Brown, Boyd, Whittaker, Naismith, Hartley……….. This list could go on a while!).

In fact, during this time when both Rangers and Celtic are struggling domestically, and in Europe- I find the fact that they feel hard done by because of their Premiership rejection absolutely hilarious!

A successful strategy that I have enjoyed this year is to oppose whom ever is play the old firm in Europe – home or away!

We’re now more that a quarter of the way through the Scottish season, and we have 3 points separating the top four teams.

Rangers will struggle to dominate an Aberdeen side, who shall be up for this one (why can’t they raise their game against every other team? – this must frustrate reds fans!). Celtic would normally have their match against St Mirren in the books before kick-off, but such outcomes can no longer be banked upon! Neither side shall be on my coupon this weekend! Gone are the days that I am willing to take odds of 1/3, just to boost the winnings- NO THANK YOU! The bookies must be killing themselves laughing this season!

I fancy Hibs to stuff Falkirk this weekend, & the match up between Dundee Utd and Motherwell will keep both sides in touch of the Glasgow giants, regardless of the outcome. But can any of the teams outside the top 2 sustain a run that we are still talking about in May?

Will this be the year of the underdog- probably not. But my top tip in Scotland for the foreseeable future, is to keep clear of the old firm, because their opposition no longer fear them!!!

LOVE one. by Kana Nishino

1.) ＊Prologue＊～Kirari～
2.) 遠くても feat.WISE
3.) doll
4.) Girlfriend
5.) 君の声を feat.VERBAL(m-flo)
6.) Style.
7.) Life goes on…
8.) I
9.) candy
10.) MAKE UP
11.) glowly days
12.) celtic
13.) 君に会いたくなるから
14.) ＊Epilogue＊～LOVE one.～

Released: June 24th, 2009 ~ Highest Chart Position: #4 ~ First Week Sales: 34,218 ~ Total Sales: 135,215

LOVE one. is Kana’s debut single. The album collects 6 single tracks plus one B-side. The intro and outro both borrow from Kirari from the MAKE UP single. The album chart placement was quite the surprise since none of Kana’s singles before this album reached the top 10’s at all. But it’s good to see Kana chart so high =DD The album is still charting too! The singles released beforehand were I, glowly days, Style., MAKE UP, 遠くても feat.WISE and 君に会いたくなるから.

＊Prologue＊～Kirari～ is just a shorter version of Kirari from the MAKE UP single. As you can recall, I don’t really like how Kana is singing in the beginning of this song. But the rest of the song is alright.

Why if it isn’t 遠くても feat.WISE ;D The first pure R&B song that Kana has made. WISE isn’t that bad of a rapper, but he has to follow suit with American rappers and introduce himself every single damn time! It gets annoying after a while! Gosh. Kana sounds great in this song though, specially when she randomly semi-belts XD It’s great.

doll surprised me the first time I heard it xD This is a electronica-ish track with Kana’s vocals being filtered heavily (think September 1st, but even heavier). The verses aren’t anything interesting, but I love the chorus because Kana’s voice is full of life and gives energy to this already energized song.

The beginning of Girlfriend might turn off a few people xD I love it. It’s so unexpected sounding. The chorus is pretty damn amazing, Kana just carries amazing energy with all her songs. Pretty catchy song.

VERBAL strikes again! 君の声を feat.VERBAL(m-flo) is pretty nice. I like the introduction with VERBAL and Kana having a small conversation or whatever XD Kana’s vocals are strong in this song, and match the instrumentation. VERBAL sounds…different in this track. Not that bad of a song anyway.

Why if it isn’t Style. =D The pop song with that acoustic guitar I like <3 Nothing sticks out really in this song, but it’s still worth a listen because it’s cute.

Life goes on… is a calm track. Kana is singing low for the verse, and wow she has a nice low voice xD Amazing how J-Pop artists can make themselves sound squeaky yet deep. The instrumentation is a bit too simple for my likes, but Kana’s voice keeps the song going by.

Hey, It’s I! <3 Love the song a lot. Kana’s English is adorable. Very adorable. I like the instrumentation with the little beeps and stuff. This is a really nice song =D

omg, candy is so fucking amazing. Like srsly amazing. Kana’s voice in this song is so cute! And the way she’s singing is amazing xD She’s comparing boys to candy and it’s just way too cute. I love the dialog sections that Kana has with herself. I love it. The song is insanely catchy. You WILL find yourself singing along at times randomly xD This track is just so amazing, I can’t get over how awesome it is. Good job on this Kana!

Ohai MAKE UP. This song is like a stronger Style. without a guitar. So while it is a nice listen, it’s not that memorable. But still worth a listen (:

Ohai glowly days, you’re back I see =D Anyway, This song is cute. But like everything else I reviewed, it doesn’t stand out. I just think that it’s totally worth a listen. I think that celtic is better than it though ;D

Yay! celtic! =D I love celtic <3 It’s pretty catchy without trying to be. Although I do wish it wasn’t on the album and was only on the glowly days single. Because I want another new album track damn it xD But great song either way ;D

Finally we’re at 君に会いたくなるから! I adore the instrumentation and Kana’s voice. It’s pure, soft, and saddening sounding. The lyrics are amazing (and all the lyrics on this album were penned by Kana! Amazing =DD). I love the chorus because it’s catchy XD Even though it’s not trying to be I presume. I love the voice that randomly goes “We never see each other”. Kana provided that voice and it sounds so sad ;-; I love this track.

＊Epilogue＊～LOVE one.～ takes Kirari’s instrumentation and has Kana speaking over it with some words of wisdom about being in love~ It’s a cute ending to the album, and Kana’s English is actually very good. Maybe she was learning over the years, which is why she doesn’t sound as awkward in this song.

Favorite Tracks:
1.) 君に会いたくなるから
2.) candy
3.) celtic

LOVE one. is an excellent debut album! All the tracks on here were pretty fun to listen to. Kana has energy and great tone. The instrumentation in all the songs kept me interested as well. There are maybe a few times where the album is a bit boring, but it picks right up again. Kana did right with this album, and deserves her chart placement (: Good job Kana

A

glowly days by Kana Nishino

1.) glowly days
2.) celtic
3.) Yami Yami Day

Released: April 23rd, 2008 ~ Highest Chart Position: #126

glowly days is Kana’s 2nd single. The title track was used as an ending theme for CDTV.

glowly days is a LOT cuter than I. Kana’s vocals are a lot cuter in this song to xD The instrumentation is a bit simple. The chorus is catchy to an extent, but not too bad of a song though (: Cute song. Although unmemorable compared to I.

celtic is a lot more interesting. The instrumentation is very R&B-ish (which is strange because I was expecting some fiddles or something). The chorus is catchy, even though there isn’t any English to make it stand out or anything XD Kana’s voice is really nice in this song.

Yami Yami Day takes the upbeat R&B route. Kana’s voice works pretty well in this song, although the lyrics just don’t match Kana’s voice XD The beat is happy sounding, which I like (: Although the song is really catchy either way.

glowly days was a decent single. I think it was as good as I. Although this time I found the B-sides to be more interesting than the A-side. Either way I enjoyed the single.

B

Step forward, Henrik Larsson. You are a wonderful man.

You may notice in the above photo that ol’ Henke adorns the colours of my beloved Celtic (not, for the record, “Glasgow Celtic”); I will admit that perhaps my reasons for nominating the super Swede are not entirely objective, but when it comes to the fanaticism of sport, where does objectivity fit in?

Henrik Larsson is a man very close to my heart. I once pinned a friend against a wall because he insisted Larsson was not world class. While this may have been a touch heavy-handed, I believe I was vindicated that very evening, the night of the 2006 Champions League final, when m’boy Henrik, a 61st minute substitute, provided both assists for his team’s goals as Barça triumphed came back from 1-0 down to beat Arsenal 2-1. After the game, Thierry Henry said, “Everyone was talking about Ronaldinho before the game. I didn’t see him today and I didn’t see Eto’o. Henrik Larsson made the difference.”

His spells at Barça and Man Utd proved that, even in the later stages of his career, he was a player of immense class, charisma and skill. I have never seen anyone make runs like Larsson. He is a football genius.

His goal-scoring record is simply phenomenal. He has scored goals consistently at every club he has played for, and at every level, from SPL games against Dunfermline to European finals against Porto and Arsenal to World Cup and European Championship matches.

But his iconic status is not due simply to his playing ability.  Henke encapsulated the true spirit of football; he was dedicated, committed, fair, honest and unselfish. He only picked up a handful of bookings throughout his long career, and was never emboiled in any controversy or scandal. As Rob Smyth said in the Guardian, “Larsson is one of football’s good guys, a consummate professional”.

I’m not saying he’s the best footballer of the decade. But, as an all-round athlete and ambassador for sport, there are few as iconic.

Take a look at the other candidates here:

Roger Federer by Josh Pettitt
Ryan Giggs by Alain Tolhurst
Usian Bolt by Mike Brown
Michael Schumacher by Tom Victor
Zinedine Zidane by Rob Goodman
Shane Warne by Thomas Mooney
David Beckham by Will Gilgrass
Cristiano Ronaldo by Joe Curtis
Adam Gilchrist by Nick Moore

What you missed while the Boston Aquarium was teaching kids to operate on squid (it’s not quite jellyfish, but we’re gonna use that tag anyways)…

• Your Champions League results: Rubin Kazan 0 – 0 Dynamo Kiev, Debreceni 0 – 1 Liverpool, Fiorentina 1 – 0 Lyon, Barcelona 2 – 0 Inter Milan, Rangers 0 – 2 Stuttgart, AZ Alkmaar 0 – 0 Olympiakos, Arsenal 2 – 0 Standard Liege, Unirea Urziceni 1 – 0 Sevilla
• Paul Hart’s been sacked by Portsmouth for not being able to win very many games after the team sold all of his players to pay the electric bill; early candidates for replacement are Darren Ferguson and Avram Grant. Hart may still accept a job with Portsmouth as technical director.
• Kieran Gibbs suffered a “horror foul” against Standard Liege, fracturing his metatarsal and leaving him sidelined for up to three months.
• Everton manager David Moyes (along with, presumably, ever other Premier League manager) doesn’t think Phil Brown should be sacked.
• Congratulations to Gamba Osaka midfielder Endo on winning the Asian Player of the Year award.
• The Dutch national team would like Edwin van der Sar to consider playing for them in the 2010 World Cup.
• Ajax has signed on to help coach the Chinese Football Association’s youth program.
• After numerous ankle injuries, DC United midfielder Ben Olsen retired yesterday. His kid presumably did not wear a Beckham jersey to the press conference.
• Celtic winger Aiden McGeady says that he wouldn’t pay to watch Celtic play.
• Bayern Munich have suspended Luca Toni after making comments critical of Louis van Gaal. That’ll help ‘em win more games, right?
• The Chicago Fire have sacked manager Denis Hamlett for…getting them to the semifinals?

WGBH’s Celtic extravaganza has been a Boston holiday family tradition for quite some time, boasting 7 continuous years of  sold out performances.  I am therefore posting this popular event as early as I can in order to give you plenty of opportunity to purchase your tickets in a timely fashion. Let WGBH’s Celtic radio personality Brian O’Donovan be your host for a special evening of music, dance, and holiday stories. A Christmas Celtic Sojourn is directed by Paula Plum, along with Seamus Egan and Kieran Jordan and features an all-star cast of performers which continues to grow as we speak. Go ahead and take a sneak peek at just who is currently scheduled to appear:

Karine Polwart / (Additional info)    

Christy O’Leary / (Additional info) 

Liz Caroll/John Doyle / (Additional info)          

Seamus Egan / (Additional info) 

Harney Academy of Irish Dance (with instrumental intro) / (Additional info)

Kieran Jordan (with Nick Yenson) / (Additional info)

Eamon Murray / (Additional info)

Sean Og Graham (on accordion with Boega) / (Additional info)

Chico Huff / (Additional info)

Event Details:

When: December 13th-20th (Check listing for exact dates & times)

Where: Cutler Majestic Theatre (Scroll down page for directions)

Tickets: $25, $45, $55, $65, & $75 (Additional fees apply as for orders via phone/800-233-3123 or online, including but not limited to $7 per ticket)

         Group discounts available for 20 or more at: 617-834-8000

         Special premier seating tickets are available for $100 

More Info: 617-824-8000 / 888-889-8587 (TTY)                                       

Area restaurants

Duineil Cabled Cardigan by Jenna H.

Well, LOTS of things have been happening!

Jenna H’s Duineil (Ravelry link — if you’re not a member, sign up — it’s free and gives you access to much fibery goodness!) has been published in the Fall 2009 Issue of Janet Szabo’s Twists and Turns Newletter.   Congratulations, Jenna!

Lasa Cadais Short-Sleeved Top by Jenna H.

Jenna has also just published the Lása series — a set of 3 patterns which includes:

Lása Cadáis (Ravelry link –) is the short-sleeved version

and the Lása Olann Pullover and Lása Olann Cardigan (Ravelry links) — you can also see pics and the story on Jenna’s Knits ‘n’ Wovens blog.

These beautiful patterns can be purchased individually or as a set through the Ravelry links above or from Jenna’s blog.

Lasa Olann Pullover by Jenna H.

(photos published here with permission of the designer)

Lasa Olann Cardigan by Jenna H.