Celtic symbols, arts and culture
Posts tagged Ones
Ondine: Ancient Celtic Myth in Modern Ireland
Nov 14th
Ondine is an unusual film that uses Celtic mythology as a background theme for a low key romantic tale. Director Neil Jordan, best known for The Crying Game, sets this movie in modern day Ireland, but in many ways there’s an old fashioned, even ancient ambiance to it. Of course, there are cars and cell phones, but the story centers on Syracuse, a Fisherman (Colin Farrell) living in a small village who pulls a woman (Alicja Bachleda) out of the water, and this theme could have been taken from a folk tale (Irish or otherwise) that dates back centuries.
The woman has no apparent memory and calls herself Ondine (which is a word for a kind of water nymph), and she may or may not be a supernatural creature. Like another film from 1995, The Secret of Roan Inish, this one deals with the legend of selkies, half woman-half seal creatures that are traditional to Celtic folklore. However, Ondine is quite original and deals with the subject in its own way.
Syracuse has a young daughter (Alison Barry) who is mostly confined to a wheelchair due to a kidney ailment, and has a contentious relationship with his ex-wife, which complicates his situation when he find Ondine. As you might expect, Syracuse and Ondine develop a relationship of sorts, but, unlike the way such a theme would be handled in a typical Hollywood movie, the characters are all quite complex and the story seems more interested in exploring archetypal themes than conforming to a formula plot.
Ondine is a movie that fans of indie movies, Celtic myth and compelling but quiet tales will enjoy. Netflix, somewhat incorrectly, categorizes this film as sci fi/fantasy. It remains uncertain for much of the movie whether or not Ondine is actually a selkie, but apart from this, if you’re looking for a movie with special effects or bizarre shapeshifting creatures, this isn’t it. If you have to put Ondine in a category, it would be an independent romantic drama.
Irish / Celtic Gods & Goddesses – The Ever Living Ones (Part 2)
Sep 30th
Irish / Celtic Gods and Goddesses (Part 1) – The Ever Living Ones The Celtic pantheon is known from a variety of sources, these include written Celtic mythology, ancient places of worship, statues, engravings, cult objects, and place or personal names. It should be understood that there are two main types of Celtic deities: general and local. General deities were known by Celts throughout large regions, and are the gods and goddesses they invoked for protection, healing, luck, honour, and many other needs. The local deities were the spirits of a particular feature of the landscape (such as particular mountains, trees, or rivers) and thus was generally only known by the locals in the surrounding areas.
Irish / Celtic Gods & Goddesses – The Ever Living Ones (part 1)
Nov 6th
Irish / Celtic Gods and Goddesses (Part 1) – The Ever Living Ones
The Celtic pantheon is known from a variety of sources, these include written Celtic mythology, ancient places of worship, statu…
Irish / Celtic Gods & Goddesses – The Ever Living Ones (part 1)
Oct 30th
Irish / Celtic Gods and Goddesses (Part 1) – The Ever Living Ones
The Celtic pantheon is known from a variety of sources, these include written Celtic mythology, ancient places of worship, statu…