Celtic symbols, arts and culture
Posts tagged When
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.
Happy Celtic New Year’s
Nov 2nd
Samhain, or Halloween marks the end of the light half of the year and the beginning of the dark half in the Celtic calendar. It may seem odd to think of November 1 as New Year’s Day, but perhaps no stranger than January 1, which is, after all, the heart of winter. A more intuitive New Year’s Day would probably be the start of Spring, around March 21. However, it’s interesting to contemplate why the Celts chose the time of year when winter was approaching to mark the New Year.
Samhain, which was the largest celebration in medieval Ireland, lasting for three days, is also the name of the month of November in Irish and Scottish. It marks the final harvest, as well as being a time to honor the dead. It is also believed to be a time when the “veil” between worlds -the world of the living and the world of the dead- is thinnest. This is the origin of modern Halloween ghosts, witches and so forth.
Wiccan and Celtic Re-constructionist pagans also honor Samhain as the highest holy day. They generally follow the Celtic Wheel of the Year, which is marked by the four seasonal changes (the solstices and equinoxes) and four festivals, Beltane, Samhain, Lughnasa and Imbolc. While the ancient and medieval Celts probably did not follow this calendar precisely, it is based on some of the traditional Celtic festivals and honors the Celtic practice of following the cycles of nature.
Some religious fundamentalists, meanwhile, see Halloween or Samhain as satanic or a celebration of heathen gods. While the latter may be true from a Christian (or monotheistic) point of view, the notion that pagan beliefs are satanic is not accurate. The fact is, paganism originates from a world view that did not recognize a single malevolent entity such as Satan or the Devil, so such an entity was neither worshipped nor feared or hated.
Many Celtic Christians have integrated the traditions of their pagan ancestors with Christian beliefs. For example, November 1 is also All Saints Day. The other pagan festivals have been similarly “updated” with Christian interpretations.
Whatever path you follow, Happy Celtic New Year!
