Round the Herne

Listening to this brief clip of Stephen Fry talking about God on the Gay Byrne Show reminded me (at approximately the halfway mark) of a very similar sentiment presented the equally dazzling ~ though much less avuncular ~ intellect of the late Gore Vidal. Messrs Fry and Vidal share a number of traits in common, not least their avowed atheism - both in the sense of doubting there is any evidence for a deity but also in the notion that the monotheist vision of Him is so unappetising and hypocritical that both men preferred to eschew the idea of having to crook their knee to Him. Both men also made the same claim in favour of the Ancient Greeks (was Mr Fry influenced by Mr Gore here?) The American author once stated that, if he were obliged to choose a religion, it would be that of the Olympian Gods - and for much the same reasons as advocated by our erudite Englishman in the above interview. Regardless of whether we look at the deities of Olympus, Asgard, Tian, Aaru, or most other po

A Welsh poem in tawddgyrch cadwynog metre written originally for a ritual dedicated to Gwynn app Nudd, the Welsh king of the fairies and leader of the Wild Hunt. The poem is inspired the story of St Collen who encounters Gwynn atop Glastonbury Tor (though this version is told from the King's viewpoint and not the saint's). The recording is a small thank-you to Lorna Smithers for her help in publicising this blog and (as a result) my books. My throat is still a bit ropey, so I may well re-record this later when I'm feeling healthier.

Apologies for the long silence. Between a heavy work load and ill health, I haven't been in a position to add any blog posts or recordings. I still have the lurgy, so this is a very short upload of a new and suitably wintery poem inspired by the myths of the goddess Cailleach - who spreads winter as she walks about the land. I hope you all have had a good winter, however you may celebrate it, and enjoyed the New Year. I really do hope that 2015 is an improvement on 2014!