Getting off the last couple of threads, however interesting they are, lets have something lighter. What are your Celtic roots & connections? I'll begin:
by Heritage: Scots & Welsh
by Experience: I attended Univ. Wales, Swansea for a year and I lived in Fife for nearly four.
by Choice: I'm a folkie.... Robert Burns and all those depressing Scots-Irish songs (and, of course, Little Boxes)
by Heritage: Scots & Welsh
by Experience: I attended Univ. Wales, Swansea for a year and I lived in Fife for nearly four.
by Choice: I'm a folkie.... Robert Burns and all those depressing Scots-Irish songs (and, of course, Little Boxes)
posted by:
|
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Fri, May 16, 2008 - 6:11 PMHeritage: My mum is a Scot (born in Dundee) and I'm English (I couldn't help it)
Experience: I lived in the British Isles for five years (1983 to 1988)
Choice: I revel in my Celtic heritage I try to do what I can. -
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Fri, May 16, 2008 - 6:47 PMWell, since Scottish culture and kindness extends well beyond the border you don't have to apologize. Also, the Cornish are Celtic and English too! I went to Dundee College for a while too.
-
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Fri, May 16, 2008 - 7:48 PMby Heritage: Canadian Irish ..My family comes from the County Mayo Ireland and can be traced back to atleast the 1200's !
by Experience: ( do you mean occupation ? ) Artist / Tattoo artist.
by Choice: ( again ..I don't know how to answer this one ) I just know that I am ! -
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Fri, May 16, 2008 - 11:07 PMThanks for lightening up the tone with this thread: I spent too much time outdoors in the California Sunshine today rescuing a neglected tree in my front yard. I am all mushy-headed. But in a good way. (I have skin like the underside of a newborn gosling, and must ration my outdoors time carefully.
By heritage: Both sides of the family hail from County Clare, Dad's side arriving after the potato famine, Mom's turn of the century through Ellis Island. Between one Johnson, one McKnight and shipload of McMahan's I am 3/4 Irish, 1/8 Welsh, and 1/8 Scots.
By Experience: I have spent only two weeks in the UK so far - as a tourist! - but from the moment I landed at Heathrow I felt at home. And the farther West we traveled (By barge along the Kennet & Avon) the MORE I felt at home. By the time we got to Glastonbury (the apogee of our trip) I could FEEL Ireland and Clare calling to me.
By Choice: I love Celtic knotwork and have several tapestries hanging about my house. I hear the grotesque inhalation that signals an incoming bagpipe song, and my blood stirs. After about three songs of course my bile starts to stir, but still! -
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Sat, May 17, 2008 - 12:34 AMBy Heritage: Nowegian, English, and German on my mom's side... Native American with a splash of Creole French on my Dad's side...
By Experience: I have never spent ANY time outside of the U.S. ,but NOT for lack of wanting to... The pictures I've seen of Scotland and Ireland are absolutely beautiful!
By Choice: I have always felt a kinship to celtic people, their music and their customs... Probably much like my Norwegian/Viking ancestors that ended up settling in the UK, did! : D
-
-
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Sat, May 17, 2008 - 3:30 PMBy heritage: English, Scotch-Irish, Danish, Polish, German from my mother and Austro-Hungarian from my dad.
By experience: Well it just feels right.
By choice: well yes! Celtic identity has always rang true to me ever since i was a wee little lass.
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Sat, May 17, 2008 - 5:52 PMHeritage: Irish, German, English
My great grandfather and grandmother on my dad's side is from County Monaghan and Armagh Ireland. They worked on the railroads and canals. My grandmother on my dad's side-her parents were from Germany.
My grandmother's grandparents on my mom's side are from Derbyshire, England. My grandfather's grandparents are from somewhere in England as well. The name is Bailey.
It's really difficult to find information on your ancestral roots. I have alot of information on my Irish grandparents (even pictures). They were servants at some castle called Castleblaney, near Lake Mucko(sp?). I'm also related to the man who played Uncle Fester on the Adams family. He's part of that side of the family.
I love celtic artwork and celtic tattoos (I have three celtic pieces). I also enjoy celtic music. Unfortunately, I have never been overseas to explore my celtic roots. I am drawn to it definately!:) -
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Sat, May 17, 2008 - 10:47 PMI think believing in the little people / fairies / good neighbors qualifies as having a Celtic heart, no matter where you are. Acknowledging the unseen people is such a big part of Celtic culture to this day. I've found that if you scratch a devout person from a Celtic place you will find a firm believer in this Fairy Faith.
-
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Sun, May 18, 2008 - 2:18 AMBy Heritage? I was adopted at birth, but re-united with both parents 7 years ago, thanks to the detective work of my original father... turns out they couldn't be more welsh... I always new my original mother was welsh and Jones, which is why I never bothered searching myself :-), but my father was a Thomas
By Experience? I was brought up in a good English family, High Anglican (we may as well have been catholic for the bells and smells and little altars with candles dedicated to the virgin mother). But as a child I always had a strong draw to matters mystic and occult and preferred the creation myths of other cultures over the bible, with a particular interest in the myths of the British Isles, particularly Wales. Recently, I have come to discover that the experience of a presence I have always had is the accumulated presence of my ancestors.
By Choice? I am a citizen of earth. My flavour is celtic but the earth is my temple. -
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Sun, May 18, 2008 - 4:31 PMWell, I shall try to answer this as best I can.
By heritage I am half Anglo-Irish, half German. My German grandfather taught me alot about runes and Germanic myths, as my family comes from the most magical place in Germany, where the Nibelungen Saga was supposed to have taken place. On the Celtic side I have grown up with all the myths and legends, learning more each year.
By experience: We moved to the Welsh border when I was 11, and from the age of 14 onward I was in training to become a Dryad. I was accepted into the coven at 17 years and 3 weeks, which is the coming of age for my kind. I tend to avoid organised covens, as I often have the role of coven leader thrust upon me, and I feel it is my nature to share knowledge, not tell others what they should think and feel. So I have always felt uncomfortable when leadership is forced on me. I was told by a wise man in Wales that I was a leader, whether I wanted it or not, and that those that lead often do not seek to be leaders. I sometimes think that is true. With my background I have alot of ancient knowledge available to me that is not widely available to others, and I never stop learning. I get my joy from learing and helping others. I prefer to teach others about old ways, learn from them new ways which may be beneficial to us all. I am not done learning and hopefully never will be.
By choice: Did I ever have that choice? I don't know. I was recognised for what I am at the age of 8 and grew up knowing, if that makes any sense. I am what I am, I don't think I ever chose it consciously, it is so much a part of who I am to be a priestess of nature. Do any of us really have a choice, or do we go where our heart and soul leads us anyway? Now THAT is a question I wish I knew the answer to! -
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Mon, May 19, 2008 - 12:30 AMI am Scottish/Irish from my father's side, who was born in Scotland and moved to the US to better his life at the tender age of 18. My Mother was American, but had, Goddess rest her soul, she passed two years ago, 50% Swedish from her Mother's side and 25% Irish from her Father's side. So, being a Celtic Pagan today, I'm proud to say that my Celtic interest and studies are of my blood ancestry as well. I did not know this at first, for I studied Wicca originally and learned about Celtic Culture from there at first. Being raised with the Christian doctrine, I had no clue that my unique interest and love of Nature, animals, and the magickal realms were definitely and indeed 'Pagan'. But it took lots of reading and discovering to find this path. I feel so very blessed that I have. I never felt like Christianity was truth. It felt it to be propaganda and another way to control us as a society through fear. The Pagan path seemed right for me. I feel that life is an adventure and truly is what you make of it. I like to keep a positive outlook on life and know we are all connected through the energy of Nature and Mother Earth. Blessed Be!!!
-
-
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Tue, May 20, 2008 - 9:11 AMPaternally Scottish and my mother's family is a mix of Scottish and Irish from various places and directions. The Eachdaoine have been here since the 1750's so we've also picked up a lot of French, English and German, but I won't go into those.
The more prominent names are Connors, Stewart, MacBeth, Seton, MacLean and Duncan. My surname is a little attested Anglicisation of a Galeic Hebrides name that usually came into English as Hector (Hector Boethius or Hector Boece is a sixteenth century example).
An interesting anecdote is that the eldest brother of my direct ancestor brought his surviving siblings to New Jersey in the early 1750's from Scotland after his father was killed in a certain battle in the middle of April, 1746. He was known as 'the Old Rebel' and on one occasion had to jump out a window during his evening prayers because British soldiers broke into the house to get a hold of him.
And my apologies if I took the last few threads to an unduly heavy place. I'll keep it lighter in the future. -
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Tue, May 20, 2008 - 9:19 AMI am Belgian with maybe a bit of french mixed in, probably some german, but I am not sure.
As far as I can go back it is all Belgian.
Altough I always feel as if my blood comes from Britain, the English countryside has a great pull on me.
And I have learned that I do need to listen to my intuition, so yes my intuition says Celtic, the South of France has his own little pull on me. -
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Tue, May 20, 2008 - 5:21 PMUntil the railway, it was faster to get to the Low Countries or France than to London from Edinburgh..... maybe you have Scots blood in the way back. -
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Tue, May 20, 2008 - 7:04 PMI wouldn't be surprised because I do like those lads in kilts!!!!lol
And beside Old Belgium was part of the Celtic lands thousands of years ago, so yes probably I am an authentic Celt.
-
-
-
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Tue, May 20, 2008 - 10:49 AMi live in america, and my heart has always been drawn to the celtic isles.. i've spent about a year total in ireland, scotland, wales [and england]. i would like to go to cornwall. the energy of ireland made my heart sing, the vibration of wales made me happy. my dads parents came to the us in the late 1800's, via ulster, from the scot highlands, clan mac laren.. my mothers ancestors came to new england from england [and the netherlands] circa 1620-1640. the info about my moms family i've just learned recently, and i've been following the genealogy path back and have thousands of names in a database..they were all just a jumble of words in my head, so i had to stop and start reading a lot of history books to figure it out... celtic, tho, oh yes, the songs, the poetry, the people everything feels so good and so right. and the fey! and the cursive celtic designs and rituals. the drumbeat. the pipes. the dance. they are like home -
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Wed, May 21, 2008 - 9:03 PMMy mom is Irish-american, her people are from Mayo and west Meath (sp?). They are Donohues and Lavelles and Dalys and McLaughlins.
My dad's mom was born and raised in Switzerland. His dad was Italian and Catholic, so I have an Italian surname but have come to discover that the surname is a Sephardic Jewish name. So I have been curious about the possiblity of having ancestors who were of the tribes of Israel.
But really, I don't think you have to have Celtic heritage to have affinity with Celtic culture.Truthfully I love Celtic mysticism, but I've never been terribly drawn Celtic music or dance, preferring African beats. My ex-husband was from Chile and he adored all things Irish. I came to discover that Chilean culture was kind of similar to what I think of as Irish culture. And he loved Irish music and dance, unlike me. Go figure.
I've never been to Ireland but would love to visit.
-
-
Re: Where are your roots?
Sun, May 25, 2008 - 6:58 PMI have Shields (O'Siadhail) from both sides of my family. My mother's maiden name is Shields, and her father's great greats came from Ulster, County Armagh and the Lough Neagh region. During the Cromwellian Invasion of Ulster (1600's) the Shields were one of the many families booted out of their homes and shipped to the New World to work in the sugar plantations in Barbados. From there they made their way to Virginia and eventually to Arkansas and Mississippi. My paternal grandmother's grandmother was a Shields, whose family emigrated to Canada in the 1800's.
I also have Irish blood from the McCann, Fitzpatrick, Kelly, and McGee lines. I have Scottish from the Pollack, Raymond, and Sharp lines.
I also have German, French (Canadian), English, Norman, Choctaw, and Dutch. :) I'm a bit of a mutt. Of course, genealogy is one of my hobbies, and the further I go back the more countries I find.
I haven't been to any 'Celtic' countries, yet. I've been to Canada, driving through to Buffalo, NY, but otherwise have not left the US. I want to visit Ireland, Ulster and Kildare, especially. England I must visit, Glastonbury and Avebury, as well as my family's hometown near York.
By choice, I am a Celt-inspired witch. I claim all of my bloodlines in my Workings.
