Kilkenny storyteller Jim Maher is reminding us not to neglect traditional tales during Holy Week
Jim Maher says that comfort can be drawn from Irish folk stories in these difficult times
A local storyteller is reminding us not to neglect traditional tales during Holy Week.
Kilkenny’s Jim Maher says that comfort can be drawn from Irish folk stories in these difficult times.
He claims that it’s important to maintain a cultural element to Easter celebrations this year, despite the current pandemic.
Speaking to KCLR, Jim said that this time of year has long been the subject of Irish myths.
He said “People are searching for words of wisdom and they’re latching onto it too, sharing snippets that help to either to make sense of it or even to get some humour from it to get them through it”.
“April and the Easter time, it’s very strong in the lore anyway, and locally and regionally Good Friday was a day of fasting and mourning up until relatively recently” he added.
According to Jim, it’s common place in old Ireland that if you cut your hair on Good Friday that you will be free from headaches for the next 12 months.
The local seanachai says that Holy Week and good Friday have more customs and superstitions attached to them than any other week in Ireland.
He said “It was considered lucky to sow grain or seed potatoes on that day, and eggs that were said to hatch would produce healthy birds, also eggs laid on the day were marked with a sign of the cross and they were eaten then on Easter Sunday, they were in my living memory, people would do things like that”.
