!! WINNERS OF THE 2007 IMBOLC/LUGHNASADH EISTEDDFOD !!

[Amethyst]

And the winners of the beautiful golden harps are: (The envelope please...)


CRAFTS
"Ogham Staves" -- OakWyse

DIGITAL ART
"The Gold Circle Dragon" -- Merlyn

LONG POEM
"Spirit Gift" -- wyeuro

MUSIC
"The Lament of the Old Woman of Beare" -- Abhaill    
"Shaman's Night" -- Hengist

PHOTOGRAPHY
"Mists" -- drakonaria

PERFORMING ARTS
"The Writer" -- Azrienoch

PHYSICAL ART
"Holly King" -- fedelmia

PROSE
"A Spook at Bedtime" -- zorro

RECIPES
"Imbolc Oil Blend" -- Claer

RITUALS
"Imbolc Ritual – Solo" -- Piastra

SHORT POEMS
"Brigid the Weaver" -- Fitheach

TRIADS
"Three Calls Home" -- Abhaill

A hearty congratulations to all the winners and to all the entrants!

Until next time,
The 'Fod Mods,

Amethyst and Dair Ciúin

[Dair Ciúin]

Congratulations to all winners, and a big thank you to everybody who entered for making this competition so enjoyable!

Winning entries will be added to the Order's Eisteddfod page during the coming weekend.

[Crow]

Congratulations and thanks to all who entered the Eisteddfod, and a big thanks also to the voters and especially to the Moderators who work so hard to bring it all together.

[Selene]

Congratulations, everyone, winners and entrants alike! Our competitions just seem to keep getting better and better!

[Seeker]

Congrats to the winners and all who entered...

[Donata]

Congratulations to the winners! wear your harps with pride!

Congratulations to all who entered. It was so hard to choose when I voted! You are all winners!

BB
Donata

[Fox]

Thanks to all who voted for my entries, and I deeply and humbly honour all the contestants. I stand in awe of the inspiration that wells up every cross-quarter day

[Lorraine]

Great work everyone, congratulations to the winners and thanks to the Eisteddfod mods!  

Lorraine

[Kat Lady]

Congratulations to all the participants and to the winners! Kat pads off to string some harps....

[Hengist]

Thank you to all who organised and to our feline harp stringer  :)

This event really is a wonderful forum for us all to show our work and appreciate eachother's creations.

Congratulations to all who entered, it really is an honour to share a stage in cyberspace with some of the wonderful talent that is here. I spent a whole day and half a night voting, the standard being so high made decision making a real challenge. So thank you to everyone who voted, and for sparing some time to view, read, and listen to the work. That's what gives it life.

Thank you Abhaill, for sharing your new harp with me, it is an honour.

With Peace and Blessings,

Hengist

[wyeuro]

another amazing eistedfodd. i'm really thrilled my long poem won.  thank you everyone who voted for me.  i found the voting incredibly difficult this time too, it took me all morning, but it was time well spent with so much inspiration throughout!  i'm shouldering my brand new golden harp and i'm off to celebrate.
blessed be
wyverne /|\

[Aurora]

Congrats to all the winners and to all the other contestants for making the competition so enjoyable!

[Earthwoman]

Congratulations, as well as a big hug,  :hug: to the winners.  

BB,

Earthwoman

[OakWyse]

Congratulations to all the entrants, and many thanks for the votes for my Ogham staves.  Good to see so many entries!

Blessings,
OakWyse/|\

[Abhaill]

Hooray!  Congratulations, everyone!  What a wonderful competition!  Thank you to everyone who participated in the process - this is such an enjoyable experience.  So many close races, what fun!

Hengist - I too am honoured to share this harp with you.  From one musician to another, I will always treasure this category's harp most of all.

I can hardly wait til Bealtaine, now!  Thank you for all these lovely votes.  I am so thrilled to be one of the many here who has been so graciously supported.  And thank you, fellow entrants, for making all of your artistic visions so humbly and lovingly vulnerable to scrutiny.  

We are well and truly blessed!
~ Abhaill

[Lisebethea]

Congrats to everyone who participated in this in any way! I loved so much of what was posted; so much that was inspriring. May you all be proud of such an awesome competition!

Lisebethea

[Piastra]

i also wish to thank everyone who voted for my entry. nuinn said that ritual is poetry in motion and i try to portray that in every step of my own rituals. i hope that any who use it will find its beat and meter within.

my heartfelt thanx to all the moderators for their tireless efforts to present the eisteddfod everytime, making something so wonderful a reality.

and of course, my deepest appreciation goes to those voters who took the time to go through all those entries and struggle with the whole decision making process. it IS time consuming, it DOES call for effort, and it CAN be very frustrating to choose. but the dedication and perseverance of all involved is what keeps the eisteddfod alive, season after season.

all that being so politely said, i would like to add:

JUST GO FECKIN' CELEBRATE, ALREADY!!!

[Piastra]

for all the new harp owners, i just copied this article from the irish newspaper, an online newsletter:

SYMBOLS OF IRELAND: THE HARP  by Bridget Haggerty
============================

It once graced the flag of the Republic, it still
appears on official government documents as well
as the Presidential flag, and it is displayed on
Irish coins. For centuries, the harp has been a
beloved emblem of Ireland. In fact, it is said
that the Irish concentrated so much of their
musical ability into playing the harp, that for
many years, the development of music in Ireland
was brought to a relative standstill.

Folklore says that the first harp was owned by
Dagda, a chief among the Tuatha De Danaan. The
De Danaan were at war with the Fomorians and the
harp was taken from Dagda by the gods of cold and
darkness. Two other gods, Lugh representing
light, and Ogma representing art, penetrated the
Fomorian fortress, recovered the harp and restored
it to Dagda. The gods in returning the harp to
him, pronounced two secret names for the
instrument and, at the same time, called forth
summer and winter. From that point on, when Dagda
played, he could produce a melody so poignant, it
would make his audience weep, an air so jubilant
it would make everyone smile, or a sound so
tranquil, it would lull all who listened to sleep.
Thus, with its secret or magical names, the
instrument became the dispenser of Sorrow,
Gladness and Rest.

Whichever way the harp became Ireland's own unique
instrument, and subsequently, its national emblem,
history tells us that the people who played it were
highly trained professionals who usually performed
for the nobility. They were held in very high
regard and were often asked to accompany a bardic
poet who was giving a reading. However, with the
emigration of Ireland's leading families in the
17th and early 18th century, there was a steep
decline in the harping tradition and the last
traditionally-trained harpist died in the
mid-19th century. Interestingly, these
superb musicians played with their fingernails
and not with the flesh of the fingertips as is
done today. It's also interesting to note that new
families of English descent were hospitable to
well-known harpists such as O'Carolan, and it was
a man from the north, Dr. Michael MacDonnell,
and an Englishman, Edward Bunting, who assembled
the last harpers in Belfast in 1792. Even though
very generous fees were offered, they were able
to attract only 11 players from the whole country.
Bunting attempted to write down as much of the
music as he could and his collection is incredibly
important because it contains the only remaining
remnants of what the ancient tradition must have
been like.

So, while this oldest emblem of Ireland is still
very much apparent - even to appearing on the
Guinness label - most of the ancient airs and
melodies it once produced are long gone. Perhaps
the first verse of a famous poem by Thomas Moore
says it best:

The harp that once through Tara's halls
The soul of music shed,
Now hangs as mute on Tara's walls,
as if that soul were fled.
So sleeps the pride of former days,
So glory's thrill is o'er,
And hearts that once beat high for praise,
Now feel that pulse no more.  

Bridget Haggerty

About the Author: Bridget Haggerty is the author
of 'The Traditional Irish Wedding' - see here:

http://www.ireland-information.com/arti ... itions.htm

[Rhodonit]

Congrats everyone!  :yay:

(Looking forward to the next Eisteddfod.  :D  :wink: )

Rhodo

[Crow]

Piastra, thank you for such an enlightening post, and thank you also for your tireless work to promote the Eisteddfod, and especially your get-out-the-vote pushes.

To everyone: Whether your harp is silver or gold, you have done a good thing and you should be proud of yourself!