• About
  • Books
  • Events
  • Rutger Hauer Starfish Association

Author Roberta Trahan

~ Murder, Mayhem, and Mystical Mystery

Author Roberta Trahan

Tag Archives: celtic traditions

Faith & Fantasy – Twelve Days of Deliberation

02 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by robertatrahan in Guest Blogs

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

12 Days of Deliberation, 47North, Amazon Publishing, celtic traditions, Dead Spots, Faith and Fantasy fiction, Lambs Wool, Melissa F. Olson, religion in fantasy books, The Well of Tears, Wassail

Let the Yule Tide begin! Starting today, fellow 47North fantasy author Melissa F. Olson (Dead Spots) is hosting a series of twelve guest posts on the subject of religion and speculative fiction. Click the logo to visit Melissa’s blog, and the kick off feature – my article on the role of faith in fantasy fiction:

Faith & Fantasy Blog Series

The Week in Review – Book News & Upcoming Events (and a review reward program)

03 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by robertatrahan in Book News

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

47North, Amazon Publishing, Arthurian Fantasy, Author Branding, celtic traditions, Denise Grover Swank, epic fantasy, Fantasy, historical fiction, Jeff Wheeler, Muirwood, Novel Writing, Roberta Trahan, The Curse Keepers, The Dream Stewards, The Keys to the Realms, The Naked Truth About Self-Publishing, The Well of Tears

wine 3

I’m about to sit down with a glass of wine and a bit of stinky cheese, to celebrate an awesome week. Care to join me? I’m pouring a lovely Washington State Shiraz…

And now for the news!

COMING SOON!

First up is something I’ve been waiting weeks to reveal – the publication date for the long awaited sequel to THE WELL OF TEARS (The Dream Stewards #1) is officially set in stone!

THE KEYS TO THE REALMS (The Dream Stewards #2) will be released via 47North on May 6, 2014. More info coming soon – including a cover reveal blog party and all sorts of good stuff.

If you haven’t already read the first book in the series, now’s the time to catch up. Get your copy of THE WELL OF TEARS here or here or here. As a little added incentive, I’m offering a little giveaway.

FREE GIFTS WITH PURCHASE (yes, there is a string attached)

If you buy the book, read the book, post an honest review (good or not so good) on Amazon.com , BarnesandNoble.com, or GoodReads.com and then let me know by posting a comment in this thread, I will send you a limited edition bookmark, signed custom book plate, and a 47North temporary tattoo sticker.

Already read the book? All you have to do is post your review and claim your reward! Quantities are limited, so don’t delay!

RECENT HAPPENINGS & SPECIAL GUESTS

Next, I’m thrilled to announce a series of guest author posts starting next month. A group of my fellow 47North authors will be hosting and posting news and features for each other. My first special guest will be the brilliant Jeff Wheeler. His Muirwood series is one my favorites. More details when I have them.

~

Just today I had the great pleasure of meeting in person another of my 47North cohorts. Author Denise Grover Swank was in Seattle today taking part in a panel presentation given by the best-selling authors of THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING, an event sponsored by Writer.ly to benefit Seattle Free Lances, a long-standing writers organization of which I have been a member (and board officer) for many years. Denise’s urban fantasy The Curse Keepers will be released in November. Check it out! 

~

With that, I raise my glass and bid you all a wonderful weekend!

Awen á bendithion…
(inspiration and blessings)…

Marketing Monday – It’s All About Me!

13 Monday May 2013

Posted by robertatrahan in Book News, Marketing Monday

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

47North, Amazon, Arthurian Legend, author marketing, Celtic Folklore, celtic traditions, Cornwall, Ebook, Epic Fantasy series, historical fantasy, Kindle Daily Deal, Roberta Trahan, The Well of Tears, Wales

It’s true – book marketing requires shameless self-promotion on the part of the author. What that means, really, is that a person who spends the majority of any given day alone in the confines of her own mind must shout out her name at the top of her lungs while holding up a sign that says “LOOK AT ME!”.

Anyone who knows me in the real world will tell you that I am neither shy nor introverted – I enjoy talking to people and I love working a room. However, I am totally out of my comfort zone when it comes to stepping up onto a platform and drawing attention to myself – except when it comes to my book!!

So here it is, my Marketing Monday tip for this week: BUY MY BOOK – and do it today while you can get the Ebook for .99 – because THE WELL OF TEARS is the SciFi/Fantasy Kindle Daily Deal on Amazon!!

The Folklore of Cornwall: Piskies & Spriggans & Browneys, Oh My!

03 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by robertatrahan in The Goddess In Me

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

47North, Browneys, celtic traditions, Cornish Faeries, Cornish Folklore, Cornwall, Faeries, Fairies, Fantasy, Giants, Knockers, Piskeys, Roberta Trahan, Spriggans, The Fairy Room, The Well of Tears, Wee Folk

The week my novel THE WELL OF TEARS (Book One of the Dream Stewards) was released, a new and growing E-zine called The Fairy Room featured the book and an excerpt from my blog post “For the Love of Lore: Why I Write Fantasy” on their site. It was an unexpected and delightful surprise – the support for the book, but also the discovery of this incredible web space devoted to magic and mysticism and faeries and folklore.

Today, the lovely people at The Fairy Room are featuring an original article on Cornish faerie folk that I wrote just for them! Come on over and take a peek:

The Faerie Folk of Cornwall 

featured-badge

Celebrating with Spirits – Medieval Ales & Wines

19 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by robertatrahan in The Dream Stewards

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

47North, aleberry, Alwen, Arthurian Legend, celtic traditions, Dream Stewards, Fantasy, historical fiction, holiday traditions., Hywel Dda, Lambs Wool, lambswool, Lily of the Nile, medieval beverages, medieval drink, mulled wine, pagan traditions, paganism, recipe, ritual, ritual ales, ritual wines, Roberta Trahan, Song of the Nile, spiced ale, Stephanie Dray, The Well of Tears, Wales, Wassail, Wassailing, Writing

It wasn’t until the book was in print that I realized that my heroine is a bit of a lush. Alwen, the noble and determined sorceress at the center of THE WELL OF TEARS, has a tendency to turn to a particular medicinal concoction in times of great stress. And sorrow. And celebration. And worship. And when entertaining. And, well, pretty much every time anything at all happens in her world.

THE WELL OF TEARS is set in early 10th century Wales, and centers on the rise to power of a medieval king whose legacy has persisted to modern day.  As was true of  the ancient agrarian based religions of the time, food and drink are essential elements in both social tradition and spiritual practice in my novel.

HippocrasHistorically speaking, the ritual consumption of ales and wines at all sorts of occasions is well documented. This is especially true in observing important seasonal events. Mulled wines and spiced ales have been on the holiday menu for centuries. References to celebratory spirits such as pimen and hippocras date to the early days of the Roman Empire, often also attributed with medicinal and aphrodisiacal properties.

Although pagan traditions in Britain began to disappear or become absorbed into Christian practice after the 3rd century, recipes for ritual beverages continued to appear in descriptions of ancient rites through the Dark Ages and beyond. Spirits have also long been noted as recommended treatment for everyday ailments from the common cold to gout and depression. A nip now and then has been a part of the human experience since the beginning of recorded history.

Early mentions of aleberry (ale + bree [broth]) in my research, a domestic remedy for cold or flu, were so intriguing to me that I made the brew the favorite guilty pleasure of my heroine.

Including this drink in a story taking place in the early 10th century seemed appropriate, but a true and historically accurate recipe for the drink has never been discovered. Known to have been made by boiling ale with nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar and bread sops, strained and then drunk hot, aleberry is not unlike other beverages referred to in Medieval texts. So, to be as authentic as I could, I decided to ’borrow’ a recipe from a similar beverage that still is used today.

Lamb’s Wool is ale mulled with spices and sugar mixed with the pulp of roasted apples. The fruity pulp creates a lumpy froth that is said to resemble the wool of a lamb. A traditional beverage still today enjoyed on Halloween, Christmas Eve and Twelfth Night, Lamb’sWassailing Wool was first a pagan ritual beverage used for ‘apple howling’ or wassailing.

In the ceremonial blessing of the orchard, which occurred during the winter solstice, the drink was poured on the ground and on the trunks of trees to awaken the first stirrings of life in the land and chase away evils spirits. Thus, the next season’s bountiful harvest was ensured. The ritual pouring took place amidst the chant of ‘waes hael’, (OE., ‘be well’ or ‘good health‘)–today recognized as wassail.

Below is a contemporary, Americanized version of a more traditional Old English recipe that is quick and easy to make. If you’d like to try your hand at the more authentic old-world brew, click here:  http://recipewise.co.uk/lambswool

Lamb’s Wool (Wassail)

Ingredients: 

  • 3 apples, peeled, cored & finely choppedLambswool-Wassail-6
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 (12 ounce) bottles dark beer
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a casserole dish, bake apples and butter for 30 minutes, or until the apples are soft. Then, in a large saucepan, combine the roasted apples, beer, brown sugar and spices. Heat until hot, and serve (unstrained) in large mugs.

—

Song-of-the-Nile-680x1024

An earlier version of this article appeared last year on the blog of celebrated historical author Stephanie Dray.  Stephanie’s novels LILY OF THE NILE and SONG OF THE NILE are tales of Cleopatra’s daughter Selene. She has recently completed the third and final installment in the series. You can learn more about Stephanie, Selene and the Roman era at http://www.stephaniedray.com

 

Soul Cakes (recipe)

31 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by robertatrahan in The Dream Stewards, The Goddess In Me

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

all hallows eve, Celt Lore, celtic traditions, Fantasy, historical fiction, mystic origins, Novel Writing, publishing, Roberta Trahan, Soul Cakes. All Saint's Day, souling, The Well of Tears, Wales

In many European countries, the idea of “Souling” became an acceptable alternative to pagan Samhain rituals for Christians.  Souling was a visiting custom carried out in the 19th and 20th centuries. The soulers visited houses, sang a song and collected money, food, and/or drink.

A common ‘treat’ for soulers were Soul Cakes. Traditionally a gift for the spirits of the dead, they became a tithe paid to soulers who then pledged to pray for the souls of those who had passed to the Otherworld.

The cakes took many different names and shapes – from simple shortbread to fruit-filled tarts. Generally, a soul cake was made with whatever grain the community had available. Here is a modernized version of an old recipe:

Soul Cakes

You’ll need:

Two sticks butter, softened

3 1/2 C flour, sifted

1 C sugar

1/2 tsp. nutmeg & saffron

1 tsp each cinnamon & allspice

2 eggs

2 tsp malt vinegar

Powdered sugar

Cut the butter into the flour with a large fork. Mix in the sugar, nutmeg, saffron, cinammon and allspice. Lightly beat eggs, and add to flour mixture. Add malt vinegar. Mix until you have a stiff dough. Knead for a while, then roll out until 1/4″ thick. Use a floured glass to cut out 3″ circles. Place on greased baking sheet and bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with powdered sugar while the cakes are still warm.

Soul Cakes

31 Saturday Oct 2009

Posted by robertatrahan in The Goddess In Me

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

all hallows eve, celtic traditions, mystic origins, Roberta Trahan, samhain, soul cakes, souling, Writing

In many European countries, the idea of “Souling” became an acceptable alternative to pagan Samhain rituals for Christians.  Souling was a visiting custom carried out in the 19th and 20th centuries. The soulers visited houses, sang a song and collected money, food, drink.

A common ‘treat’ for soulers were Soul Cakes. Traditionally a gift for the spirits of the dead, they became a tithe paid to soulers who then pledged to pray for the souls of those who had passed to the Otherworld.

The cakes took many different names and shapes – from simple shortbread to fruit-filled tarts. Generally, a soul cake was made with whatever grain the community had available.

Soul Cakes

You’ll need:

Two sticks butter, softened

3 1/2 C flour, sifted

1 C sugar

1/2 tsp. nutmeg & saffron

1 tsp each cinnamon & allspice

2 eggs

2 tsp malt vinegar

Powdered sugar

Cut the butter into the flour with a large fork. Mix in the sugar, nutmeg, saffron, cinammon and allspice. Lightly beat eggs, and add to flour mixture. Add malt vinegar. Mix until you have a stiff dough. Knead for a while, then roll out until 1/4″ thick. Use a floured glass to cut out 3″ circles. Place on greased baking sheet and bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with powdered sugar while the cakes are still warm.

 

Origins of All Hallows Eve

31 Saturday Oct 2009

Posted by robertatrahan in The Goddess In Me

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

all hallows eve, celtic traditions, mystic origins, Roberta Trahan, samhain, Writing

Samhain (Scots Gaelic: Samhuinn) literally means “summer’s end.” In Scotland and Ireland, Halloween is known as Oíche Shamhna, while in Wales it is Nos Calan Gaeaf, the eve of the winter’s calendar.

The origin of Halloween lies in the ancient Celtic religious celebration of Samhain (summer’s end). One of the two greatest Druidic festivals (Beltane is the other), Samhain marked the end of the light half of the year and the beginning of the dark half.

As with other holidays of the Celtic year, October 31 marked a mystical time when the usual barriers between our world and the Otherworld thinned and stretched allowing contact between human beings and the fairy folk and/or the spirits of the dead.        

Throughout the centuries, pagan and Christian beliefs intertwine in a gallimaufry of celebrations from Oct 31st through November 5th, all of which appear both to challenge the ascendancy of the dark and to revel in its mystery.

With the rise of Christianity, Samhain was changed to Hallowmas, or All Saints’ Day, to commemorate the souls of the blessed dead who had been canonized that year, so the night before became popularly known as Halloween, All Hallows Eve, or Hollantide. November 2nd became All Souls Day, when prayers were to be offered to the souls of all who the departed and those who were waiting in Purgatory for entry into Heaven.

Samhain is the Celtic new year celebration. Beginning on the evening of October 31 (the Celts counted their days from sunset to sunset, just as the bible does), the festival would last three days (perhaps longer).

In the country year, Samhain marked the first day of winter, when the herders led the cattle and sheep down from their summer hillside pastures to the shelter of stable and byre. The hay that would feed them during the winter must be stored in sturdy thatched ricks, tied down securely against storms.

 Those destined for the table were slaughtered, after being ritually devoted to the gods in pagan times. All the harvest must be gathered in — barley, oats, wheat, turnips, and apples — for come November, the faeries would blast every growing plant with their breath, blighting any nuts and berries remaining on the hedgerows.

Peat and wood for winter fires were stacked high by the hearth. It was a joyous time of family reunion, when all members of the household worked together baking, salting meat, and making preserves for the winter feasts to come. The endless horizons of summer gave way to a warm, dim and often smoky room; the symphony of summer sounds was replaced by a counterpoint of voices, young and old, human and animal.

Fire is a central element in all the Druidic celebrations. All hearth fires were put out and new fires lit from the great bonfires. In Scotland, men lit torches in the bonfires and circled their homes and lands with them to obtain protection for the coming year.

In early Ireland, people gathered at the ritual centers of the tribes, for Samhain was the principal calendar feast of the year. The greatest assembly was the ‘Feast of Tara,’ focusing on the royal seat of the High King as the heart of the sacred land, the point of conception for the new year. In every household throughout the country, hearth-fires were extinguished. All waited for the Druids to light the new fire of the year — not at Tara, but at Tlachtga, a hill twelve miles to the north-west. It marked the burial-place of Tlachtga, daughter of the great druid Mogh Ruith, who may once have been a goddess in her own right in a former age. 

At all the turning points of the Celtic year, the gods drew near to Earth at Samhain, so many sacrifices and gifts were offered up in thanksgiving for the harvest. Personal prayers in the form of objects symbolizing the wishes of supplicants or ailments to be healed were cast into the fire, and at the end of the ceremonies, brands were lit from the great fire of Tara to re-kindle all the home fires of the tribe, as at Beltane. As they received the flame that marked this time of beginnings, people surely felt a sense of the kindling of new dreams, projects and hopes for the year to come. 

The Samhain fires continued to blaze down the centuries.  In the 1860s the Halloween bonfires were still so popular in Scotland that one traveler reported seeing thirty fires lighting up the hillsides all on one night, each surrounded by rings of dancing figures, a practice which continued up to the first World War. Young people and servants lit brands from the fire and ran around the fields and hedges of house and farm, while community leaders surrounded parish boundaries with a magic circle of light. Afterwards, ashes from the fires were sprinkled over the fields to protect them during the winter months — and of course, they also improved the soil. The bonfire provided an island of light within the oncoming tide of winter darkness, keeping away cold, discomfort, and evil spirits long before electricity illumined our nights. When the last flame sank down, it was time to run as fast as you could for home, raising the cry, “The black sow without a tail take the hindmost!”

Even today, bonfires light up the skies in many parts of the British Isles and Ireland at this season, although in many areas of Britain their significance has been co-opted by Guy Fawkes Day, which falls on November 5th, and commemorates an unsuccessful attempt to blow up the English Houses of Parliament in the 17th century. In one Devonshire village, the extraordinary sight of both men and women running through the streets with blazing tar barrels on their backs can still be seen! Whatever the reason, there will probably always be a human need to make fires against the winter’s dark.

Samhain was also a significant time for divination, perhaps even more so than May or Midsummer’s Eve, because this was the chief of the three Spirit Nights. Divination customs and games frequently featured apples and nuts from the recent harvest, and candles played an important part in adding atmosphere to the mysteries. In Scotland, a child born at Samhain was said to be gifted with an dà shealladh, “The Two Sights” commonly known as “second sight,” or clairvoyance. 

At the heart of the Celtic Otherworld grows an apple tree whose fruit has magical properties. Old sagas tell of heroes crossing the western sea to find this wondrous country, known in Ireland as Emhain Abhlach, (Evan Avlach) and in Britain, Avalon. At Samhain, the apple harvest is in, and old hearthside games, such as apple-bobbing, called apple-dookin’ in Scotland, reflect the journey across water to obtain the magic apple.

Later, Christian elements came into play, as All Hallows’ Day (all Saints’ Day) and All Souls’ Day contributed their own unique traditions to the core, such as trick or treating (collecting “soul cakes” on All Souls’ Day) and dressing up in frightening costumes as protection against evil spirits. It bears noting that at no time, either in the druid religion nor in the Christian, was Halloween connected with the devil or devil worship.

(from Holiday Traditions by Mara Freeman, www.celticcallings.com)

Best-selling author of the quasi-historical epic fantasy and post-apocalyptic science fiction. Dragon Seeker, Myth Maker, Coffeechocoholic & Antique Jewelry Hoarder.

THE KEYS TO THE REALMS (The Dream Stewards #2)

THE WELL OF TEARS (The Dream Stewards #1)

AFTERSHOCK (A Short Story)

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Roberta’s FB Fan Page

Roberta’s FB Fan Page

Previous Posts

  • 47North Authors (19)
  • Blooded (3)
  • Book News (31)
  • Book Reviews (2)
  • Conferences & Workshops (2)
  • Creature Features (4)
  • Deadlines & Other Demons (29)
  • Guest Blogs (15)
  • Life in A Coffee Cup (27)
  • Marketing Monday (34)
  • Miscellaneous (16)
  • The Dream Stewards (11)
  • The Goddess In Me (18)
  • The Power of Prose (19)
  • The Realm Wraith Trilogy (2)
  • The Week in Review (4)

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 806 other followers

RSS Feed RSS - Posts

RSS Feed RSS - Comments

Search

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Author Roberta Trahan
    • Join 806 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Author Roberta Trahan
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...