Latest news with #folklore
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- General
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on the summer solstice: your one wild and precious life
The period around the summer solstice, after which the daylight hours will diminish, has always been marked with ceremony and ritual to acknowledge the summer's peak. Whether embracing the legends and traditions of the Hill of Tara, or lighting bonfires in west Donegal to mark St John's Eve, the day before the feast day of St. John the Baptist, or undertaking solstice walks in Kerry, or finding a sunny soundtrack, those celebrating this time of year draw on the interplay of Ireland's pagan and Christian inheritances to pay homage to one of the distinct quarters of the year. Historically, the summer solstice was about the recording of the passage of time, festivals associated with agriculture and farming, fire ashes spread on crops to boost their yield, and for some, a belief that the soul would depart temporarily from the body as the sun stood still. Folklore records the widespread belief in rural Ireland that with every day after the solstice 'the shadows lengthened by a cock-step'. Marking the solstice is not just about giving structure to the year and its progression, but also the elemental need to embrace nature and the open air. It invites us to contemplate our fragilities and our need to be aware of the preciousness and power of what surrounds us. It should bolster a consciousness of our landscape, environment and the life forces running through them; of old creations facing new pressures and the solaces we can find and cherish. The American poet Mary Oliver reminded us of our need not to forget these things in her 1992 poem The Summer Day 'I don't know exactly what a prayer is. READ MORE I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?'
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tales and Folklore with Fran O'Boyle at Culley's Bar
Fermanagh Yarn Spinners is keeping the spoken storytelling tradition alive with another exciting night of tales and fables in Culley's Bar, Enniskillen, at 7.30pm on Monday, 23 June. Their next guest is Fran O'Boyle, a professional storyteller who has entertained audiences in schools, festivals, museums, and libraries all over Ireland and the United Kingdom. Mr. O'Boyle specialises in re-telling traditional stories from the Anglo and Welsh borders, where he lived for many years. He is currently based in Donegal with Glens of Antrim roots. Currently, Mr. O'Boyle is undertaking research into the rich folklore and captivating tales of northwest Donegal. He will bring his professional storytelling skills and deep knowledge of folklore to Fermanagh. Hosted by Fermanagh Yarn Spinners, this monthly storytelling evening offers a warm and creative space where people can listen, share, and enjoy spoken stories. If you are interested in attending this month's session, please contact Fermanagh Yarn Spinners as booking is required: fermanaghyarnspinners@
BBC News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
UCM student art show a chance for students to 'really excel'
Works inspired by folklore, the built environment and the human form have gone on display in an annual showcase of the talents of the island's aspiring together by University College Isle of Man (UCM) students over a 10-week period, the diverse collection of pieces represents the culmination of their art and design programme manager at UCM, Shelly Wernham, said it was a "a great opportunity for students to really excel in the areas they are interested in".The course was an "opportunity to try more specialist skills" and gave students "that confidence to make the right choice" about their futures, she said. Charlotte Micklefield said she developed a strong interest in costume design and created a folklore-inspired "giant monster suit" for her final said: "What helps with that as well is the fact that I can actually wear this and perform in it."Taking inspiration from the practical special effects in films such as Alien and The Thing for her work, she said: "I love horror, it's so much fun, yet it's so terrifying as well to be able to bring something like this to life."She said she was hoping to continue to explore costume design with a place at Middlesex University. Tom Darnill's final project centred on a model outlining the modern renovation and reinvention of a Manx said the derelict and often delipidated old Manx cottages lent themselves to the principles of the interior architecture industry he hoped to join, where existing spaces were "repurposed for continued use"."I like taking something that's already there and changing it," he just accepted a place at Leeds Beckett University, he said the wide scope of the course, which included drawing, photography and ceramics, turned out to be "invaluable" for completing his final project. Sophie Boyde said she had had "no interest" in going to university when she was at school, but had changed he mind while "working in a bank nine-to-five"."I love art, I've always loved art, and I wish I'd taken it earlier," she a place now secured Liverpool John Moores University, she is hoping to pursue an interest in interior said her Moroccan inspired household accessories, including curtains, tiles and a lampshade, were part of her plan to "incorporate a country's culture" into the she said carving out a place as an interior designer on the island could be "quite hard" she hoped social media would provide a platform to showcase her future ideas. Lula Thomas had focussed on painting at school, but experimented with sculpture for her showpiece, which was "about anthropomorphism and how it affects our understanding of abstract art"."I've always been really interested in portraiture and the figure, but I've always done more hyper realistic things," she said."I've sort of gone the opposite way to see how far I can push it away from realism to still make an impact... to demonstrate how quite simplistic forms can still convey emotions."She said she was now "really excited" about taking up a place at the Glasgow School of Art to study painting and printmaking. Ms Wernham said she was "overwhelmed by the personal journeys" those on the course had been on, adding: "I am incredibly proud of every single one of my students."The showcase of the students' work is open to the public at the UCM Homefield Road campus until Thursday. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
As Bolivia celebrates its main Andean festival, it feels the pain of mounting crises
LA PAZ, Bolivia — Bolivia's largest Andean religious festival has long inspired joyous revelry and offered a chance for the nation to forget about its perpetual political turmoil and escape into the world of its rich folklore. But this year on Saturday, Bolivians say the day of the Great Power, the beloved carnival dedicated to a 17th-century painting of Jesus Christ, reflects more than distracts from the country's spiraling economic and political crises .
The Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
As Bolivia celebrates its main Andean festival, it feels the pain of mounting crises
Bolivia's largest Andean religious festival has long inspired joyous revelry and offered a chance for the nation to forget about its perpetual political turmoil and escape into the world of its rich folklore. But this year on Saturday, Bolivians say the day of the Great Power, the beloved carnival dedicated to a 17th-century painting of Jesus Christ, reflects more than distracts from the country's spiraling economic and political crises. The typically exuberant crowd fell silent for a few moments on Saturday before the folk dance performance kicked off in the major city of La Paz, paying their respects to the victims of fierce clashes between protesters and police last Thursday that left six people dead, among them four police officers and two civilians. The second civilian, identified by protesters as a young student beaten by police, had been hospitalized and succumbed to his wounds on Saturday, just before the festival. After Bolivia's electoral tribunal disqualified former President Evo Morales, a leftist political titan who still wields influence in the country's tropical heartland, from running in Bolivia's August presidential election, his loyalists took to the streets to vent their outrage earlier this month. Many of them, both peaceful and violent, have reported being bruised and beaten by officers in recent days. The government sent military tanks to the streets of Llallagua, in central Bolivia. La Paz municipal authorities proposed postponing the festival, citing the 'pain of the Bolivian people." But organizers refused, pointing to the $68 million that was expected to be generated Saturday – a shot of stimulus into a sputtering economy now witnessing its worst crisis in 40 years. The annual festival, which takes place some eight weeks after Easter, was recognized by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for displaying the nation's unique mix of Roman Catholic belief and Indigenous heritage. The ceremony pays tribute to what is believed to be a miraculous rendering of Jesus Christ — El Señor del Gran Poder, or The Lord of the Great Power — that shows the Christian savior with Indigenous Andean features and outstretched arms. Dancing in the festival is a holy act of spiritual devotion as dancers pray for personal forgiveness and salvation. This year, however, many turned their prayers on a more immediate target. "Devotees are asking for economic recovery, as well as for peace and unity among Bolivians in this time,' said a priest leading the ceremony, Father Saul Mamani. Economic strain was visible at Saturday's giant party as participants pared down their usually elaborate costumes and masks and dancers traded their traditional gold jewelry for Chinese-made knock-offs. 'The price of my costume went up by 60%," said dancer Jorge Rodríguez, 37. 'Many haven't been able to dance, almost half of my group didn't come." Organizers could only afford to hire some 70,000 dancers — some 20,000 fewer than last year — and scrapped their usual plans to invite regionally renowned musicians. Every year, one of La Paz's wealthy merchants, or 'qamiris," gets the expensive honor of paying more than anyone else for Gran Poder. This year, the unlucky merchant, Edgar Apaza, said he had been saving all year and his budget was still tighter than ever before. 'The crisis is affecting everyone,' Apaza said. Inflation in Bolivia over the first five months of 2025 hit 9.81%, the highest rate in more than a decade, according to official figures, fueling public protests over President Luis Arce's handling of the economy and leaving many Bolivians struggling to buy even the basics. Plácida Quispe, 73, an embroiderer at the festival Saturday, said there wasn't enough demand to sell her colorful costumes this year. She said she would rent her handiwork to participants instead. 'There is no business,' she said. ' People want to celebrate, but they cannot afford to pay the price.'
