Gaia

A very wet, very windy and very dark day. Useful stuff accomplished in the morning, then a bracing yomp around the circuit - accompanied by the roar of the sea.

A bit of fartnarkling in the garden for Abstract Thursday  - well the blip was taken outside but the fartnarkling was inside! - in gratitude for our much abused and astonishingly beautiful planet. 

Oh boy, the Celtic myth class was so fascinating yesterday as we were regaled with the exploits of  Cuchulainn (spelled so many different ways). He is the chief hero in the Ulster Cycle, half man half god - ferocious to his enemies, respectful to women, kind to children and animals and a man of honour. But - do no mess with him! We heard the story of his birth - he had three conceptions and three births, twice by the God Lugh who once appeared as a mayfly in his mother's drink and was swallowed!  Only one birth was successful, obviously. 

We then fast forwarded to when he was 16 and starting to flex his muscles (at some point, like Achilles he had been given the choice of have a short but glorious life, or  along but boring one - no guesses which he chose) . He wanted to become a warrior and was taken out in a chariot by the best charioteer in the best chariot with the best pair of horses. All sort  weird and wonderful things start to happen as he goes further and further from home until he rocks up in the bad boys' patch. The bad boys come out one at a time, laugh at the callow youth and are swiftly and suitably dispatched - one with a sling and shot , the shot going right through his head, and the sling apparently given to him by David - yes him of Goliath fame.  The father of the bad boys comes out to take on the whippersnapper and is also duly despatched. Heads now adorning his chariot Cuchulainn  returns home, enroute  capturing a flock of swans which he  attaches to his chariot with string,  and also a trio of stags who run by his side. Nearly home and in sheer excitement the warp spasm comes upon him! This is like a berserker on acid  = his eyes pop out, his limbs dislocate and a plume of blood spurts from his head - and I'm leaving out a lot of details here!!  As he approaches the palace, the King sees him and decides the only way to cool him down is to bring forward 16 maidens (some accounts say 150) who bare their breasts and other bits but because Cuchulainn is only 16 and a shy boy (!) , he is embarrassed as he comes to a stop he looks away. He is then put in three huge vats of water to calm him down and order is resumed! Yes, dear readers, we are only warming up!  I reckon the Irish myths can give the Greeks a run for their money.. And in the middle of all this mayhem a corncrake and a cuckoo make an appearance. Why? I need to find out.   Fascinating