In this episode, we explore how communities may have prepared for the coming summer with rituals that hint at something darker. From the preserved body of Lindow Man, to 18th century Beltane customs recorded by John Ramsay, to the later May Day figure of Jack in the Green, a pattern begins to emerge.

While separated by centuries, these traditions reflect a shared human response to uncertainty, and the question of what must be given in return.

For more Celtic-inspired stories, check out Wild Kin Studio on Substack

Resources

- Julius Caesar’s Account of the Gallic Wars

- The British Museum’s Archive on The Lindow Man

- James Frazer’s recordings from John Ramsay in The Golden Bough

- Library of Congress Folklore Blog on Jack in the Green

In this episode of Wild Kin, we step into the world of early Ireland through the story of Medb, a queen remembered for her ambition, her strategy, and the war she waged to secure her place as an equal ruler.

But beneath the drama of cattle raids and battlefield tactics lies something deeper. Medb’s story opens a window into a society where wealth, land, and authority were closely intertwined- and where power within marriage, leadership, and even the land itself followed a very different logic than what we know today.

From early Irish law to sovereignty traditions and later reinterpretations, we explore how Medb’s story has endured, evolved, and continues to resonate.

If you'd like more Celtic stories & resources, check out Wild Kin Studio on Substack

Resources:

Primary texts are drawn from the CELT (Corpus of Electronic Texts) archive at University College Cork.

Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley) via CELT

Cáin Lánamna (Brehon Law Text)

Medb of Connaught

Mention of Medb’s Tomb in the Metrical Dindschenchas

Resources:

*National Museum Wales: Christmas Traditions: The Mari Lwyd

*English Heritage: Uffington White Horse

*Journal of the Royal Anthropoligical Institute: Rethinking ritual: how rituals made our world and how they could save it

For more Celtic stories and traditions, check out Wild Kin Studio on Substack.

In this episode of Wild Kin, we step into the deep history of midwinter to explore why hospitality, gift-giving, and communal care have carried such moral weight across time.

From Neolithic stone monuments aligned to the returning sun, to Celtic laws that mandated hosting as a sacred duty, to Christian stories that reframed generosity as divine obligation, we trace how winter has always demanded answers.

Resources

Winter Solstice at Newgrange — World Heritage Ireland

Hospitality and the Law in Early Medieval Ireland — RTÉ Brainstorm

Togail Bruidne Dá Derga (The Destruction of Da Derga’s Hostel) — CELT, University College Cork

For more Celtic stories and traditions, check out Wild Kin Studio on Substack.

Resources & Further Reading

Ilex aquifolium (Holly) — University College Cork

Auraicept na n-Éces — CELT Edition

Bríatharogam (Ogham Kennings) — Wikipedia

Celtic Tree Alphabets — Nigel Pennick

Trees in Early Ireland — Fergus Kelly (PDF)

To hear more, check out The Artio Journal on Substack

Resources and References

Blackie, Sharon: If Women Rose Rooted. September Publishing, 2016.

Jones, Mary: Cailleach Bérri: The Lament of the Old Woman of Beare. (Primary text translation.)

Martin, B. K.: Lament of the Old Woman of Beare: A Critical Evaluation. Medium Ævum, 38(3), 1969.

PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences). Post-reproductive Lifespan in Humans and Whales. 2019 (Grandmother Hypothesis reference)

Ritari, Kati. Images of Ageing in the Early Irish Poem Caillech Bérri.Studia Celtica Fennica, 19, 2022.

Whyte, A. C. The Cailleach in Scottish Place-Lore and Place-Names. Journal of Scottish Name Studies, 14, 2020.

Check out Wild Kin Studio on Substack for more Celtic-inspired stories.

From Neolithic monuments aligned to the autumn sun, to Iron Age bonfires, and medieval tales of spirits and heroes crossing between worlds, this episode follows how Samhain evolved through the centuries into the Halloween we know today.

Resources & References

National Museum of Ireland – Rites of Passage at Tara

Mound of the Hostages, Hill of Tara

Excavations at Tlachtga, Hill of Ward, Co. Meath – The Past Magazine Review

Daniel Kirkpatrick – Etymology of Irish Festivals

The Secret History of Bonfire – Merriam-Webster

CNN Feature: All Saints’ Day Explained

The Stingy Jack Story: The Jack-o’-Lantern Origin in Irish Folklore

Soul Cake (Wikipedia)

The History of Trick-or-Treating – Smithsonian Magazine

How the Irish Famine Brought Halloween to America – The Irish Post

Halloween Spending Reaches Record $13.1 Billion – National Retail Federation

For more Celtic-inspired stories, check out Wild Kin Studio on Substack

We follow how this worldview evolved through Christianization, the Victorian spiritualist revival, and into the modern fascination with ghosts and consciousness studies, showing how our oldest beliefs in the unseen still echo today.

Resources & References

Julius Caesar, De Bello Gallico: Perseus Digital Library

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Book 5: University of Chicago Penelope Project

“Feasts for the Dead in Iron Age Europe:” Folklore Studies Journal Archive

Pew Research Center: “Spirituality Among Americans” (2023)

Division of Perceptual Studies, University of Virginia: “Mediumship Under Controlled Conditions” (2011)

PubMed: “Anomalous Information Reception by Mediums” (2021)

The Society for Psychical Research: spr.ac.uk

Check out Wild Kin Studio on Substack for more Celtic-inspired stories, rituals, and seasonal reflections.

Resources & References

Topographia Hibernica — Gerald of Wales (analysis via Praxis of Social Imaginaries)

The Werewolves of Ossory — Kilkenny Castle Archives

St Patrick and the Werewolves of Ossory — Medievalists.net

“The Wonders of Ireland” — Maynooth University Research Archive

The Curse of Cromwell and Ireland’s Wolves — Irish Times

The Kóryos: Indo-European Wolf-Bands — Historic Mysteries

The Curious History of the Irish Wolfhound — Irish Post

Want to Explore More?

- Highly recommend watching WolfWalkers — a gorgeous animated film inspired by the Irish legends.

- Though wolves vanished from Ireland in the 18th century, conservation groups are still debating their potential reintroduction to the Irish wilderness. You can learn more through Rewilding Europe.

Check out Wild Kin Studio for more Celtic-inspired stories!

In this episode of Wild Kin, we trace the origins of the banshee from these ancient traditions of early Ireland and how this ancient act of mourning is being revived today as a powerful expression of grief and connection.

Resources & References:

BBC: The Women Reviving Ireland’s Ancient Keening Tradition (2023)

Six authentic recordings from Ireland and Scotland (1955-1965)

Ulster University 2023 Study on Mourning Practices — exploring how traditional Irish rituals help process grief.

If you’d like to learn more about preserving Irish oral traditions, consider exploring:

The Irish Traditional Music Archive

The National Folklore Collection at University College Dublin

For more Celtic inspired stories and resources, check out Wild Kin Studio on Substack.

Resources & References:

The bronze statue of Artio from Bern, Switzerland

UNESCO: Białowieża Forest

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)

🌲 If you’d like to support bear conservation, consider looking into:

Yellowstone Forever

Vital Ground Foundation

Want more Celtic-inspired stories and seasonal resources?Subscribe to Wild Kin Studio on Substack.

Each season, Wild Kin follows the Celtic calendar, with episodes dropping around Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh. Every week during these festivals, you’ll hear an original immersive story followed by the history and modern meaning of the goddesses, gods, and traditions they honor.

Subscribe now so you don’t miss the first episode on October 1. And if you’d like to dive deeper, check out The Artio Journal on Substack.