Ancestors
Latest Writing
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In the mountainous highlands and rugged borderlands of Scotland, the ancient belief in the evil eye, known as the “uncannie eye” or “ill eye” still lingers, casting a shadow over …
- CommodificationConservationFolk TalesOpinion piece
Deforestation and the Ghost Pines of Caledonia – How the Vikings burnt Scotland’s Forests
Deforestation is a global problem. One caused by human action – a tiny fraction of our native forests remain in Scotland. Human connection to the history of deforestation in Scotland …
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Fastern’s E’en or Fasterns Een is a festival in Scotland, held on the Tuesday before Lent, otherwise known as Shrove Tuesday. Fastern E’en comes from Scots. Fastern’s E’en is also …
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Scottish healing wells or stroopie wells hold a deep and long history. Stroopie comes from the Gaelic word tobar-shrùbaidh meaning healing well the last word shrùbaidh sounds like stroopie. We …
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Dàir na Coile is a fascinating tradition one we have very little written about. Dàir na coille I have come to love though. Its a counterpoint to consumerism – an …
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Introduction – Celtic cosmology To understand why Scottish folk practice includes a focus on nature – earth, sky and waters spirts and its animated world we need to understand the …