ST MAUGHOLD ON ST PATRICK'S DAY - MY WORLD

The Irish Sea really is that green

My World

Click to enlarge.

As the Isle of Man is situated amid the the Irish Sea and has a strong Irish connections present and historical then A Happy St Patrick's Day post with a Manx twist it had to be. The image is kept plain and simple but it's the greenest one I had to hand. Nothing but the calm serenity of the Irish Sea lilting gently with hints of orange and white light light seemed somehow most appropriate. Who is St Maughold though and what's he got to do with St Patrick.

Saint Maughold ( 488 AD) is the Patron Saint of The Isle of Man Yes even we have our own Saint. Rumour has it he was an Irish Prince, captain of a band of robbers, drunk, wife beater and all round bad boy. Not very saintly you might say. Here is one version of the tale of the bad 'ole boy coming over all sinner to saint. There are many as always with myths and legends you take one and I write it my way.

Patrick punished Maughold after he tried to make a fool out of him, silly boy. Not a good idea. Maughold placed a living man, yes still alive, in a shroud and called for Patrick to revive the dead man. Patrick came, placed a hand on the shroud, and left thinking job done, miracle ensuing. No! When Maughold opened the shroud, they found the man had died in the shroud. Oops!

Patrick criticized Maughold, saying he should have been helping his band of merry men towards leading good and honest clean wholesome lives, and told him he must repent setting him adrift in a oar less coracle.

Maughold drifted to this isle, where two of Patrick's disciples, Romulus and Conindrus, were already settled welcomed him.

For a time he lived as a hermit to show remorse. Long before ipods remember. It worked! The Manx people really liked this new good guy Maughold and chose him as their next Bishop.

He is remembered on the Isle of Man for his kindness toward the Manx People. He now has his own Saint's day. Cool eh! Several places on the island have Maughold in the name and I have shown you those. Ok, not all of them as Maughold is another place, but you have seen it in the distance on those skywatch and other My world images. By the way Maughold is pronounced Makold just in case you decide to name you next offspring a really crazy way out there name. Can't say I have ever come across one before.

So a little Celt instead of the Vikings for St Patricks Day. Many a Guiness will be sunk tonight on the island and many will be feeling as green as this image the next day.


Klaus, Imac, Fishing Guy, Ivar, Tom, Louise, Wren, Sandy and others are to thank for the My World neme. Click here for more my world's just for fun again of course.

Babooshka ramsey daily photo dailyphotoisleofman.blogspot.com/

HOP TU NAA OR HALLOWEEN - SKYWATCH

I'm posting pre posting so the date will be Halloween when this goes live. Yes we celebrate Halloween on the island, although it goes by a different name - "Hop Tu Naa. " So is Halloween or Hop Tu Naa we celebrate and what is the difference?

Hop Tu Naa is a corruption of "Shogh Ta'n Oie" meaning this is the night. What night though? That would be the Celtic New Year - "Oie Houney." The Celtic new year of course has since been moved to Jan. the Celtic year was separated in to 4 and Sauin- "New Year" was celebrated in "Mee Houney" the Manx for November. As Halloween is Oct 31th the new celebrations have become intergrated as one, although younger Manxies now assume "Hop Tu Naa" and Halloween is one in the same and is celebrated thus so.

Pumpkins are halloween, where as true Hop Ta Naa goer should be seen swinging a hollowed out turnip lantern and singing old manx folk songs, not trick or treating. Trick or treating is an American custom which has been adopted in the UK Halloween celebrations, and yes into Manx ones too.

So Hop Tu Naa like a lot of traditions has been swallowed up with a more commercial celebration and has less to to with celebrating the old New Year, and more to do with rotting kids teeth on sweets. Ramsey though and many parts of the island do try and uphold many of the Hop Tu Naa traditions and there is no finer sight than a group of Manxies, swinging those turnip lanterns and singing a manx song. It's also a little creepy to in a Wicker Man sense, but we won't go into that.

To join skywatch go to SKYWATCH
The concept was Dot's, the next host WIGGERS WORLD the guardians of skywatch now are Tom, Imac and Sandy.

THE CALF OF MAN

The land to the top left is known as the Calf of Man. A tiny island seperated from the Isle Of Man by the stretch of water known as "The Sound Of Man." Calf derives from the Scandinavian word "Kalif", literally meaning, smaller island lying near a larger one.

Prior to 1939 it had several owners, icluding, norman, danes, and celts.It 1939 it came under the ownership of The National Trust. Subsequently it is now owned By Manx National Trust and now a bird sanctury which, weather permiting can be visited by boat excursion, at certain times of the year.The Manx Museum in Peel is now home to of one of the islands great historical finds a stone panel, possibly from an alter. It dates back to the 1st half of the 9th century, celtic but with a byzantium style, of which similar are to be found in Ireland.

Worthy of more than one visit, this tranquil and rugged area is home to passing seals, basking sharks, the odd minke whale, dolphins a and a variety of shorebirds. In recent years a great place for experienced sucba divers to explore, tourists and obviously photographers.