European Mythology

Myles Ferguson: Since I was a child my family always talked about the howl of the Banshee. The tales I( heard were often told at family gatherings at Saint Patrick"s day. Often an aunt or uncle would relate to us the story of how the heard a Banshee shriek and the neighbors was found dead the next day. Banshee comes from the Irish words "bean," woman, (ban) and "sidhe," fairy, (shee.) It is said that Banshees come to only those with a strong Celtic lineage. If your last name begins with Mac, Mc or O and your family originates from Ireland this could apply to you. In Irish legend, abanshee wails around a house if someone in the house is about to die.

There are particular families who are believed to have Banshees attached to them, and whose cries herald the death of a member of that family. I grew up in a strong Irish community in New York and the stories of Banshee"s and their activities were heard more then too, to often. Traditionally, when a citizen of an Irish village died, a woman would sing a lament at their funeral. These women singers are sometimes referred to as "keeners". Legend has it that, for five great Gaelic families: the O"Gradys, the O"Neills, the O"Briens, the O"Connors, and the Kavanaghs, the lament would be sung by a fairy woman; having foresight, shewould appear before the death and keen. When several banshees appeared at once, it indicated the death of someone great, powerful of respect and station in life or reknowned. Thestories told to ne sometimes recounted that the woman, though called a fairy, was a ghost, often of a specific murdered woman, or a woman who died in childbirth would or could become a Banshee if she did not recieve a good Catholic burial.

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Anthony North: Most people have heard of King Arthur, but how many really know what he really was? We know of a character half mythological in his existence, but is there more to King Arthur than meets the eye? Indeed, in understanding King Arthur, can we grasp a better understanding of other icons, such as those of the present day like Elvis Presley, or Marilyn Monroe, or Diana, Princess of Wales? I think the Arthurian Legend speaks volumes. Camelot and co: The story is a simple one. A questioning boy realises his destiny when he pulls a sword from a stone, guaranteeing him invincible powers. This is the beginning of the story of the greatest of British heroes, King Arthur. And what we see is a representation of spiritual action leading to a form of charisma, as if young Arthurhas transformed himself from a doubting wreck to a potentially great man.

It is the story of all mythological heroes. Arthur goes on to establish Camelot and his Knights of the Round Table, assisted by the magician Merlin, and wife Guinevere. Slowly, a deeper spiritual quest manifests, imbuing each knight to transform himself. This is the quest for the Holy Grail, which will bring purity. And the search consumes them, puts them all on their own heroic path. This form of transition is vital to Arthur and the Knights, but also to society as a whole. For as the quest for the Holy Grail continues, the story of Merlin, the great pagan wizard, fades into its final outcome, as he becomes entrapped by his own magic. This is not only a story of the mythological character, but also the story of the times. For the story narrates known history, with a tranformation during the Dark Ages from paganism toChristianity. Merlin is that paganism, guaranteed to die out, whilst the Holy Grail represents the purity of the new Christian ideals arising. Eventually, Arthur is killed, and in his death a transformation appears in society, changing from a wasteland to the Medieval world. Of folklore past: The story of Arthur has a folklorist beginning in the many tales in ancient Britain of the Fisher King, a wounded hero who transforms society by searching for his own cure - a cure that requires his death for society to change, thus encompassing all aspects of the modern icon, who changes society best if he dies young and tragically.

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Storms and gusting winds have chiseled away at this corner of southwestern England for centuries, but the legends that inhabit the area still loom large.The rocky headland near the village of Tintagel has become so entwined with the legend of King Arthur that its true history seems almost incidental, despite a collection of rough stone foundations and listing walls that hint at its rich past.According to various poems, stories and popular myths, it was here, at the fortress of a Cornish duke, that King Arthur was conceived. Later versions of the story say Arthur was born at the site and may have lived here for a time. There's no question a medieval castle was built at Tintagel by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, a younger brother of King Henry III.

Tantalizing remnants of that structure -- crumbling stone barriers and doorways -- are still visible. But regardless of its history, real or imagined, Tintagel offers remarkable glimpses of sheer cliffs that stand tall above the sea. The massive outcropping is almost an island, connected to land only by a narrow and deeply eroded passage. For travelers willing to hike dirt paths and climb long flights of wooden stairs that curl up the cliffs, the visual delights are many. Those who make the trip to Tintagel can wander the crags and dizzying cliff tops, stalk the ghost of King Arthur and soak up the salty air and scenery for its own sake. You canalso tour what is believed to be the inner courtyard of Richard's castle and peer down at a sandy inlet where ships once were loaded with cargo. Robert Tremain, a site supervisor for the preservation group English Heritage, which manages the site, explained that a mixture of lime and sand was occasionally applied to the walls of the ruins to protect them. "You can tell the way the weather has been beating at this," he said, pointing to pitted areas amid the slabs of slate. "The elements are always there. It's the natural erosion from the sea and the storms." Richard may have built the castle at the site because of the Arthurian legend, already well-known by the time he began erecting the structure in the 13th century, he said. "He wanted some of that glory to rub off on him," Tremainsaid.......

Romanian officials were embroiled in a battle yesterday over who has the right to buy the country's most popular tourist site, known as Dracula's Castle, after it went on the market late last year.Bran Castle, briefly home to Prince Vlad Tepes III, known as Vlad the Impaler and the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Count Dracula, was returned to the Habsburg family last year after being seized by the Communists in 1956. Within months, Dominic von Habsburg put the castle up for sale for £40 million.Yesterday councillors in Brasov, central Romania, said they had secured aloan to buy the 14th century Transylvanian castle.

But the culture minister, Adrian Iorgulescu, said his ministry had first refusal on the castle under terms agreed when it was returned. Mr von Habsburg's lawyer, Corin Trandafir, confirmed that his client had approached Brasov council three weeks ago and the lawyer had helped the council arrange a loan with a Vienna-based bank. Mr Iorgulescu countered: "The purchase offer is illegal as we have the first refusal. Brasov county council can think about buying the castle only after the culture ministry says it is not interested, and we have not yet even made our offer." He said, however, that his ministry was not prepared to pay the £40 million asking price as it was "indecently high and exaggerated compared to the real value of the castle". A proper evaluation needed to be madebefore any sale could be agreed, he added. Mr von Habsburg, 68, a US-based graphic designer, lived in the castle as a child when it was owned by his grandmother, Romania's Queen Marie, a grandchild of Queen Victoria. After the fortress was seized by the communists it was turned into a museum. It is the country's greatest tourist attraction despite the fact that its links to Prince Vlad Tepes III are tenuous. It is not known how long he stayed there and whether he was a guest or a prisoner in the castle's dungeons. He gained his grisly reputation because of his habit of executing opponents by impaling them on spikes and watching as they slowly bled to death.

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