Chris’ Rambles – Story Archaeology
by Chris Thompson and Isolde Carmody · 33 episodes
SocietyCultureDocumentary
Conversations on Irish Mythology
Latest episodes
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33 min
Sinann ~ The Journey of a Story
The story of Sinann, who gave her name to the river Shannon, was first recorded, in written form, in the Metrical Dindshenchas, ‘the Lore of Prominent Places’. Such tales morph and…
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35 min
Chris’ Ramble 24 ~ Welcome to the Otherworld
The Irish Otherworld goes by many names, Tír na mBeo, the Land of the Living, or Emhain Abhlach, the Plain of Apples, for example. It is a world that, in Irish mythology, lies unse…
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29 min
Chris’ Ramble 23 ~ Animal Companions in Early Irish Law and Folklore
Animal companions have played a variety of important roles in human societies over the millenia. Join Chris as she explores how dogs, cats and even the occasional crane, have been…
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15 min
Chris’ Ramble 22: Concerning Animal Companions
Recent DNA testing on a long ignored jawbone fragment has opened a viewpoint on the distant past to when and how animal companions began to alter the everyday lives of human commun…
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Chris’ Rambles 21: Sheebeg and Other Cairns
Dolmens, Barrows, Cairn ? They were built millennia ago to transport the human memory and imagination from one world to another and, in so many different ways, they still do. Join…
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29 min
Chris Ramble 20 ~ What is so special about the Cath Maige Tuired?
The settling of the The Tuatha Dé Danann in Ireland and their struggle against the mysterious Fomoire, form the central strand of the ancient Irish Mythological Story Cycle. Join C…
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29 min
Chris Ramble 19: Hidden in Plain Sight
Stories in the landscape of Uzbekistan .One of the best travel experiences is to have all your preconceived perceptions overthrown without having time to gathered them up again. Jo…
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34 min
Chris’Ramble 18: Then The Morrigan said…
Storytelling in changing times It is always exciting when new scientific research is able to throw a new light on ancient stories. Join Chris in a new and wide-ranging ramble as sh…
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42 min
Chris’ Ramble 17: Once Upon a Myth
What makes a story mythic? Why have so many cultures gathered, protected and passed on mythological stories? And, why do they matter today? Join Chris as she takes a personal look…
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27 min
Chris’ Ramble 16: Oíche na Gaoithe Móire ~The Night of the Big Wind
Stories of The Big Wind of 1839 have been told and retold in Ireland for all of 186 years. Join Chris as she explores what makes weather events such as Oíche na Gaoithe Móire so me…
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24 min
Chris’ Ramble 15 ~ Lament for the Ash
The effects of the die-back disease are slowly destroying most of Ireland’s beautiful ash trees. Join Chris as she explores the sad story of this tree-tragedy that began in Leitrim…
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26 min
Chris’s Ramble 14: Introducing Banbha
Banbha is one of the three Dé Danann sisters, daughters of Ernmas, who gave their names to the land of Ireland, Ériu is the best known of the the three but Banbha has another, olde…
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38 min
Exploring Samhain: A glimpse into the past
The festival of Samhain, is one that has been celebrated, in one form or another, for a very long time. In the early Irish stories it was a time for gatherings and feasting. But ho…
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42 min
Chris’ Ramble 12: The Rider on the River
This ‘Ramble’ is inpired by the silver rider on the River Seine at the Paris 24 Olympics. So join Chris as she explores the history and mythology of three great rivers, the Seine,…
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21 min
Chris’ Ramble 11: Romancing the Neolithic Stone
New Scientific evidence supporting the origin of the altar stone at Stonhenge supports a better understanding of the of societal connections and collaborative co-operation to be fo…
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31 min
Chris’ Ramble 10 ~ Stories to Remember
The National Folklore Schools Collection was compiled in 1937 with stories and memories collected with the support of schools from all over Ireland. Itis one of Ireland’s unique an…
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48 min
Chris Ramble 9: An Irish Winter Solstice Journey
Grianstad an Gheimhridh, the winter solstice is that special moment when the year turns and the hours of daylight, begin slowly to increase. This time of year has long been a cause…
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43 min
Chris’ Ramble 8: A Story for our Times
The Táin Bó Cúailnge is an dramatic epic well worth the telling but with some challenging themes including broken loyalties and friendships with destruction laid on the land, for t…
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28 min
Chris’ Ramble 7: What’s in a Name?
Culture heroes, ancestor figures, genii loci, gods and godesses … Can all, or indeed, any of these terms be useful in defining some favourite characters in Irish mythology, Join Ch…
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23 min
Chris’ Ramble 6: Just how old are Irish Stories?
So how old are the Irish stories? Come to think of it what exactly is meant by old, or medieval or any of the other terms so frequently used to describe mythological stories, and……