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Discover more about Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches in the blogs published here, which cover a wide range of fascinating subjects from the website. We also publish information about our events, projects and resources in this section. Blogs are added on a regular basis so please re-visit this section to view the latest ones and keep up to date with what we’re doing.

Oidhche Challainn: No Admission Without A Rhyme

It is a pitch-black night in a west coast village 150 years ago, the night of the 12 January: New Year according to the Julian calendar still followed by older people in the community.

Turn the quern always sunwise

A line from a Skye song, Cuir an car deiseal am feasda den bhràth, should remind us that moving or circulating ourselves or things must be done clockwise and following the sun. The right action is recommended in the proverb Deiseal air gach nì or ‘Sunwise with everything’. In our case here, the advice relates to setting the ancient hand mill or quern to work, and the song was sung as you worked.

Halloweens Past: Gìsearachd, Cabbage Stalks and Egg Whites

Oidhche Shamhna or Halloween is one of the most important and longstanding celebrations of the Celtic festival calendar. Its original significance – centred on themes of fertility and harvest, the protection from evil through the appeasement of gods.