St Patricks Parade

19th March 2023

 

Lamplighter Arts are delighted to be involved in Bristol St Patricks Parade, here’s a guide to what you will see in the parade

 

Leading and closing the parade we are celebrating the changing of the seasons with a reference to early Ireland with the

 

The Faerie Birds of Spring

 

In ancient times when there was little understanding of bird migration it was commonly believed that when swallows, swifts and other seasonally appearing birds arrived they were actually faeries who brought in the spring. Whilst we haven’t got swifts and swallows to share with you this year we are capturing the bird spirits with our Doves of Peace which were made for the opening ceremony of the 50th Glastonbury Festival

 

Also bringing in the spring we have

 

Eostre the Hare

 

The Hare has long been revered in Irish folklore. In early Irish tales,. Oisin the hunter shot a hare in the leg followed it to the door of the underworld. When Oisin opreded the door he found, not as hare, a woman with a bleeding leg. This old legend is likely the root of the belief that witches were often said to shape shift into hares. The Celtic peoples forbade the eating of Hares and Rabbits.

 In olden days what we know as Easter was a celebration of the lengthening days and the return of fertility to the land. Eostre was the Moon Goddess worshipped at that time, it is said she took the form of a hare at the time of the full Moon. When Christianity came along, this time became Easter and the Hare became the Easter Bunny. The Hare was discarded because of its witchy associations.

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Next you will see

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The Children Of Lir

Manannán Mac Lir  is an Irish Sea god. Translated his name meas Son Of The Sea.  There are many tales told of Mac Lir, he crops up over and over again in Irish folk tales. 'The Children of Lir' is a particularly well known tale where his four children who are turned into swans by his jealous second wife .