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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.
A Prince on the run 275 years ago
On landing in Eriskay at the southern end of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, Bonnie Prince Charlie is said to have reached into his pocket and cast a handful of seed upon the ground at Coilleag a’ Phrionnsa. The beautiful flowers, a pink Convolvulus, took root and have grown on the dunes ever since.
A’ Ghrian a’ Dannsa – Will you watch the sun dance?
Early one Easter Sunday when I was about eight, my father came into the bedroom I shared with my sister and said: “Èirichibh, feuch am faic sibh a’ ghrian a’ dannsa!” – ‘Get up and see the sun dancing!’ As I sleepily got out of bed and tried looking at the sun as it rose over Beinn a’ Mhuilinn, it did appear to be dancing as I blinked to adjust my focus, the colours burning into my vision!
Fenian Mysteries
Reality, for many people just now is not easy to contend with, and for many in the past it was equally and perhaps more constantly difficult. That may explain why story-telling and mythology were so highly prized. They offered mental relief. One could escape into a fantastic world and forget current miseries. I have never played a computer game, but I suppose they partly fulfil the same function.
The journey of the swelling hag
Traditional tales and legends form a rich line of inquiry in folklore. In the Highlands and Islands, the rich collections of oral lore made from the 1850s to the present day present a valuable opportunity to consider how and why Gaelic folklore is passed down and adapted through time.
Landmark Anniversary for Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches
Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches (TAD) is celebrating ten years this week since the launch of its oral heritage website. There were 10,000 recordings available on the site when it was officially launched in Edinburgh on 8 December 2010 and this number has now risen to almost 45, 000.