24. January 2012 by admin.

January 25th marks the celebration of a birth that occurred 252 years ago. This person came into the world before America was its own country; before the regency and Victorian eras swept England; before my ancestors had any inkling how the world would turn out.

The dry facts go like this: Robert Burns was born in Alloway, Ayreshire, in Scotland, in a farmer’s cottage. Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect was his first published work. Burns’ poem To a Haggis, is recited across the world during the annual Burns Night celebrations every January. His tongue-in-cheek exaggeration of his love for this oatmeal, onions, heart and liver concoction boiled inside a sheep’s stomach has elevated the simple sausage to a national icon.

Still wondering what all the hoopla about a guy long dead is all about? Do the English host a party on Shakespeare’s birthday? Do the Americans honor Longfellow? Not to this extent. The world has celebrated this poet’s life since a few years after his death when a group of Burns’ friends got together to read his poems and drink a little Scotch Whisky.

But, why has this January celebration evolved to include over 200 countries, hosting over 3000 separate celebrations in the dreary month of January? A friend of mine, David Bruce, wrote “Robert Burns lived and worked during the time of the great Scottish Enlightenment, that period in the eighteenth century when Scotland produced more men of letters, more men of learning and more men of science than any other nation on earth.”

Some of us idolize the man for his poetry and songs. Today, he is remembered in Scotland where a beautiful museum has been erected, dedicated to Robert Burns. This modern facility is located in his birthplace of Alloway.

January is here, again, and I miss the annual Robert Burns Night held by the St. Andrews Society of New Hampshire. My husband and I are lifetime members of the organization and attended the festivities many years running, but we moved to North Carolina to be near family and so I can write fulltime. I miss those gatherings. Upwards of 200 people attended dressed in Scottish attire to enjoy music, Highland dancers, fine whisky, great food, and a story about Robert Burns. The evening ended with everyone joining hands to sing one of Robert Burns’ songs, a very familiar song…Auld Lang Syne.

Happy Birthday, Robert.
Nancy Lee Badger
www.nancyleebadger.com

About the author: Nancy loves chocolate-chip shortbread, wool plaids wrapped around the trim waist of a Scottish Highlander, the clang of dirks and broadswords, and the sound of bagpipes in the air. She and family volunteer at Highland Games while Nancy writes romantic stories with a light paranormal flavor. Whether its a time-traveling witch who meets the Highlander of her dreams, or a cursed dragon-shifter who hides from the beautiful seer on a lonely Scottish island, Nancy lives the dream. Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Sisters In Crime, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, and Celtic Heart Romance Writers. She lives and writes in North Carolina. DRAGON’S CURSE is available for download from www.WhispersHome.com and Amazon and NOOK.

This article was first posted by Nancy Lee Badger on 19 January, 2011 on The Celtic Rose Blog

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31. October 2011 by admin.

What are YOU going to be for Halloween?

Samhain is to the Celts like All Hallow’s Eve is to us…a night before the 1st of November, a time to celebrate the end of the harvest and the coming of winter. Winter came early to much of the northeast, this weekend, so we dedicate this post to everyone without power…may your candles flame on and your trick or treaters carry flashlights.

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23. September 2011 by admin.

You bet! The Lincoln, New Hampshire police department became supporters of the New Hampshire Highland Games long ago. In fact, through donations and fund-raisers, any patrol officer who wishes to work during the three day annual event MUST wear a New Hampshire Tartan kilt!

This year’s event ended last Sunday. My family and I again volunteered our time under the Information Tent. Besides selling official programs, explaining where visitors can find haggis, sheepdogs, Piper’s Ale, and hunky athletes tossing the caber, we were also in charge of the raffle. Our fantastic group sold all the tickets that were printed (2nd year in a row) and three lovely prizes were awarded, including a trip for two to Scotland. (No, I did not win)

And, if you think these cute cops (one female included, this year) have an easy job, just think again: The bridge to the venue collapsed after Hurricane Irene (see me in photo and notice the broken end on left) and then a fire in a nearby condominium broke out while thousands gathered at the event.

Along with the Loon Mountain and NH Highland Games crews, the police did a great job keeping the people safe. Fire engines and other emergency vehicles zoomed by as pedestrians attempted to enter the grounds over the temporary pedestrian bridge. After a rainy start, the weekend was a success. We are all looking forward to next year, September 23-25, 2012 

Nancy

DRAGON IN THE MIST, a Loch Ness romance,

available at Amazon and Barnes&Noble

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25. August 2011 by admin.

On Tuesday, an earthquke shook along the east coast of America, from North Carolina up to the New England area. Now, Hurricane Irene is headed for the same coastal areas, with category three strength. I live in North Carolina, about three hours inland from the Outer Banks, but we might get some of the wind and rain. Here’s a handy reminder of what you should have JUST IN CASE.

* A battery-powered radio (check the batteries!)

* flashlights with fresh batteries, lamps or candles; matches

* packaged food, non-perishible types, that you can eat without having to cook or keep cold. If the power goes out, you might need to use an outdoor gas grill or a propane or sterno@ type stove for heating food. Sandwiches are easy and filling.

* plenty of fresh bottled water for drinking; tubs & buckets of water for cleaning and toilet flushing.

* a basic first-aid kit. In the middle of a storm, emergency personnel will not be able to respond.

* a full tank of gas in family vehicles. Again, if the power is out for days, no gas pumps will work.

* have extra cash on hand. No power? No ATMs

Before the storm, simple precautions will save your personal property as well, so make sure you store any lawn or deck furniture that could blow away in a hurricane. This includes lawn ornaments like birdfeeders and birdbaths. Flags, too.

Watch television or listen to the radio. Be ready! Know where you raingear is. Any communities that are told to evacuate should heed these warnings. If you have to evacuate, bring plenty of prescription medicines.

Place important papers in waterproof containers and take them with you. If you are in a zone prone to flooding, move valuables to a higher level.

Don’t forget your pets! Have extra water and food available for them, too. For small pets, have a carrier ready in case you must leave your home due to loss of part of the structure, a lightning hit, or other calamity.

As a writer, my next step is to back up my computers so I don’t lose everything I work on as well as all my photos. My sister reminded me I can use the AC adapter I bought to recharge my laptop by plugging it into my car’s ac outlet. Which reminds me…I had better go charge my cell phone.

Keep safe, stay aware, and good luck!

Nancy

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29. July 2011 by admin.

  Myths are often considered an aspect of folklore, but not all. Mythology might include the belief in the supernatural, where as folklore and folk tales derived when people had the need to explain mysterious events. Pre-Christianity might have had a hand in old world myths and folklore. A people’s yearning to believe in the hereafter, or in some type of entity, lived on through stories passed generation to generation. Once Christianity became widespread, mythological creatures, such as the “Fairies”, faded away.

Scotland has a rich Celtic History going back over 2,000 years, at a time when superstition was rife and where unusual events were ‘explained’ by legends and whimsical stories. It is therefore not surprising that Scotland has an extensive heritage of myths and folklore. Many objects, including castles, have accumulated their share of myths and legends, such as circles of stones or cairns. These standing stones, and megalithic remains, highlight these reminders of the ancient inhabitants of Scotland.

Some believe that religion was an adaption from stories and memoires or evolutionary biology. In other words, religion evolved as byproduct of psychological mechanisms that evolved for other reasons. These mechanisms might have told early people how to watch for things that could cause them harm (omens). This morphed into an ability to come up with causal narratives for natural events (folk tales) while other people had minds of their own with their own beliefs, desires and intentions (mythology and the precursors of organized religion).

Unexplained observations (thunder, lightning, movement of planets, and other complicated events of nature) were the basis of stories. These word-of-mouth explanations changed with the frequency of their telling which is why one myth could have many different descriptions or endings.

.

The distinctive features of Scottish Folklore are filled with the characteristics of Scotland’s varied scenery. The serene lap of the deep mountain loch, the trickling of a tiny creek, the harsh splendor of the mountains, the solitude of the moor, reflect in their folk tales and myths. The fairies, the brownies, and the bogles of Scotland are similar to those the Irish believe live in their own hills. Their Irish nooks and crags, streams and meadows might be different, but many legends are told with similar aspects except, maybe, for how they dress.

An example of the similarity between the land of the Highlands and the land of the four-leaf clover is the legend of the Selkie. In Scotland, this mythical Selkies are shy marine creatures in the shape of a seal, usually found near the islands of Orkney and Shetland. A female can shed her skin and come ashore as a beautiful woman. If found, a man could force her to be his wife. Of course, as the legend goes, if she recovered the skin, off she’d go. Male Selkies are said to be responsible for storms. What better explanation for the sinking of a ship?

Selkies of Irish lore are said to come from Co. Donegal in Ireland, which happens to be where many people made their living from the sea. Living by the sea might cause people to craft stories as a way to explain its mysteries. The Irish considered the Selkies to have the same characteristics as those of Scotland, even though they considered other sea creatures more malevolent. Most scholars believe the seals and sea lions from which these myths evolved had sweet, non-threatening dispositions. This might have allowed them to easily be transformed by myth into non-threatening Selkies. At least, the females!

Religion changed much of the thinking of the people who listened or read the more popular beliefs which were often rammed down their throats by the hierarchy of a given land. Myths and folklore slipped to the back burner, but never disappeared. Many tales are quite popular today and have thousands of followers. Think of the legend surrounding the Blarney Stone in Ireland or the Loch Ness Monster. Even Girl Scout troops around the world call their youngest recruits ‘Brownies’ after helpful creatures that do good deeds.

Myths and folk tales live on because people need to believe in them. There are hundreds of wonderful stories out there about kelpies, fairies, banshees, and the like. I recommend the following websites if you would like a taste. You might even recognize one or two stories!

www.compassrose.org/folklore/scottish/Scottish-Folktales.html
http://www.sacred-texts.com/

Portions of this article by me were posted Sept. 2, 2009 on History Undressed

Nancy

Portions of this article by me were posted Sept. 2, 2009 on History Undressed

Nancy

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1. May 2011 by admin.

On the eve of Beltane, what we now consider May Day, the Celts built large fires. These fires were fed with the nine sacred woods to honor the coming of summer. These woods were Rowan, Apple, Dogwood, Poplar, Juniper, Cedar, Pine, Holly and Oak. (Other writings call for Alder, Ash, Birch, Hathorn, Hazel, Holly, Oak, Rowan, and the lovely Willow. Depends on who you talk to.)

Animals were then herded between the two blazing bonfires in order purify and protect them in the upcoming year. It is also said that these fires celebrated the return of life and fruitfulness to the earth after the long winter months, especially in the Highlands of old Scotland.

The annual celebration included joyous dancing, beverage-downing, traipsing across the countryside, a sensuous ballet around the Maypole by young maidens, and leaping over fires by young warriors. It was customary for young lovers to spend the night in the forest.

Hmmm…how many new bairn were born each winter following this annual May Day celebration?Have a lovely Beltane.

Nancy

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14. April 2011 by admin.

Myths are often considered an aspect of folklore. Even so, mythology might include the belief in the supernatural, where as folklore and folk tales derived when people had the need to explain mysterious events. Pre-Christianity might have had a hand in old world myths and folklore. A people’s yearning to believe in the hereafter, or in some type of entity, lived on through stories passed generation to generation. Once Christianity became widespread, faeries, brownies, and even the belief in the Loch Ness monster faded away.

With a rich Celtic History going back over 2,000 years, it is not surprising that Scotland has an extensive heritage of myths and folklore. Many objects have accumulated their share of myths and legends; circles of stones, cairns, and even castles.

Some believe that religion was an adaption from stories and memoires or evolutionary biology. In other words, religion evolved as byproduct of psychological mechanisms that evolved for other reasons. These mechanisms might have told early people how to watch for things that could cause them harm (omens). This morphed into an ability to come up with causal narratives for natural events (folk tales) while other people had minds of their own with their own beliefs, desires and intentions (mythology and the precursors of organized religion).

Some scholars concluded that unexplained observations like thunder or lightning were the basis of stories. These word-of-mouth explanations changed with the frequency of their telling which is why one myth could have many different descriptions or endings. Even the distinctive features of Scotland’s varied scenery fuels these beliefs. Deep mountain lochs, creeks, mountain peaks, and the moor, reflect in their folk tales and myths.

Scotland and Ireland share some basic land similarities. In Scotland, mythical Selkies are shy marine creatures in the shape of a seal, usually found near the islands of Orkney and Shetland. A female can shed her skin and come ashore as a beautiful woman. If found, a man could force her to be his wife. Of course, as the legend goes, if she recovered the skin, off she’d go. Male Selkies are said to be responsible for storms. What better explanation for the sinking of a ship?
Selkies of Irish lore are said to come from Co. Donegal in Ireland, which happens to be where many people made their living from the sea. Living by the sea might cause people to craft stories as a way to explain its mysteries. The Irish considered the Selkies to have the same characteristics as those of Scotland, even though they considered other sea creatures more malevolent. Most scholars believe the seals and sea lions from which these myths evolved had sweet, non-threatening dispositions. This might have allowed them to easily be transformed by myth into non-threatening Selkies. At least, the females!

Religion changed everything. Popular Christian beliefs were the norm. Myths and folklore slipped to the back burner, but never disappeared. Many tales are quite popular today. Think of the legend surrounding the Blarney Stone in Ireland or the Loch Ness Monster. Even Girl Scout troops around the world call their youngest recruits ‘Brownies’ after helpful creatures that do good deeds.

Myths and folk tales live on because people need to believe in them. There are hundreds of wonderful stories out there about kelpies, fairies, banshees, and the like. I recommend the following websites if you would like a taste. You might even recognize one or two stories!

www.compassrose.org/folklore/scottish/Scottish-Folktales.html

http://www.sacred-texts.com/

Interested in reading my take on dead witches, a heroine with the secret gift of premonitions and a hero cursed to turn into a dragon at inopportune times?
Check out my book DRAGON’S CURSE by Whispers Publishing & Amazon for Kindle. Learn more by visiting my website: www.nancyleebadger.com and my blog: www.RescuingRomance.nancyleebadger.com

 
 This article by Nancy Lee Badger was recently posted on the Dec. 3, 2010 blog, History Undressed.

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29. March 2011 by admin.

Every citizen should be a soldier. This was the case with the Greeks and Romans, and must be that of every free state—Thomas Jefferson

The south is drenched in history, and I found this out when my husband and I visited Mordecai Historic Park in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Besides preserving the house that was the birthplace of our 17th president, Andrew Johnson, it seems that the Wake Volunteer Guards, a local Militia reenactment group, planned to hold a demonstration.

My husband is a history buff, and this sounded right up his alley. The group, who venture to many reenactments in different states, have four uniforms depending on which military conflict they are commemorating.

Today, we were welcomed to witness the War of 1812. Their simple, homemade uniforms were hardy wool. Their tall hats were felt, and some wore feathers. Their guns and bayonnets looked deadly. The day was blustery, with rain in the forecast, but they looked warm.

We talked with the members who range in age from the early thirties to their seventies, and learned a lot about the group. Next month, most of the south will commemorate the Civil War which began in April 1851. The 150th anniversary will find over 150 events taking place in North Carolina, alone. They are spreading them out over four years, the length of the war.

We watched these men form their ranks and fire their flint-locks. The powder flashed and filled the air with their acrid smoke while the loud crack was deafening. Can you imagine a field of thousands of men firing at once? And cannons? Scary, but awesome.

With ancestors that have fought in every war except the Gulf War, going back to the French & Indian War, we are happy to see that the War of 1812 was still being commemorated. Great, great, great, grandfather Samuel Badger would be proud.

For more information on the park: http://www.raleighnc.gov/mordecai

For more information of the Wake Volunteer Guards please contact: Carl Barnette, carlbcnu@bellsouth.net

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23. February 2011 by admin.

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25. January 2011 by admin.

January 25th marks the celebration of a birth that occurred 252 years ago. This person came into the world before America was its own country; before the regency and Victorian eras swept England; before my ancestors had any inkling how the world would turn out.

The dry facts go like this: Robert Burns was born in Alloway, Ayreshire, in Scotland, in a farmer’s cottage. Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect was his first published work. Burns’ poem To a Haggis, is recited across the world during the annual Burns Night celebrations every January. His tongue-in-cheek exaggeration of his love for this oatmeal, onions, heart and liver concoction boiled inside a sheep’s stomach has elevated the simple sausage to a national icon.

Still wondering what all the hoopla about a guy long dead is all about? Do the English host a party on Shakespeare’s birthday? Do the Americans honor Longfellow? Not to this extent. The world has celebrated this poet’s life since a few years after his death when a group of Burns’ friends got together to read his poems and drink a little Scotch Whisky.

But, why has this January celebration evolved to include over 200 countries, hosting over 3000 separate celebrations in the dreary month of January? A friend of mine, David Bruce, wrote “Robert Burns lived and worked during the time of the great Scottish Enlightenment, that period in the eighteenth century when Scotland produced more men of letters, more men of learning and more men of science than any other nation on earth.”

Some of us idolize the man for his poetry and songs. Today, he is remembered in Scotland where a beautiful museum has been erected, dedicated to Robert Burns. This modern facility is located in his birthplace of Alloway.

January is here, again, and I miss the annual Robert Burns Night held by the St. Andrews Society of New Hampshire. My husband and I are lifetime members of the organization and attended the festivities many years running, but we moved to North Carolina to be near family and so I can write fulltime. I miss those gatherings. Upwards of 200 people attended dressed in Scottish attire to enjoy music, Highland dancers, fine whisky, great food, and a story about Robert Burns. The evening ended with everyone joining hands to sing one of Robert Burns’ songs, a very familiar song…Auld Lang Syne.

Happy Birthday, Robert.
Nancy Lee Badger
www.nancyleebadger.com

About the author: Nancy loves chocolate-chip shortbread, wool plaids wrapped around the trim waist of a Scottish Highlander, the clang of dirks and broadswords, and the sound of bagpipes in the air. She and family volunteer at Highland Games while Nancy writes romantic stories with a light paranormal flavor. Whether its a time-traveling witch who meets the Highlander of her dreams, or a cursed dragon-shifter who hides from the beautiful seer on a lonely Scottish island, Nancy lives the dream. Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Sisters In Crime, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, and Celtic Heart Romance Writers. She lives and writes in North Carolina. DRAGON’S CURSE is available for download from www.WhispersHome.com

This article was first posted by Nancy Lee Badger on 19 January, 2011 on The Celtic Rose Blog

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