The Shadow of Morrigan

Every year, in Santa Maria da Feira, a very nice city near Porto where I live, there is the greatest renaissance fair in Europe... the "Medieval Voyage In Lands of Santa Maria". This year's subject was the wars and times that led to the formation of Portugal in 1143. I wanted to make a video with images I caught at the event, but I was having some trouble on what it should be about...there was just so much to cover...and then I came across Morrigan of Irish Mythologies, a fascinating goddess of battle, strife and fertility...and, sure enough, it was easy to see she had been at work here in Hiberia during the 12th century, when everyone was fighting everyone else and nations were being born like mushrooms . She became the ideal background for my video...

Intro text:
"During the mid 12th century, in the Hiberian Peninsula, where Europe Ends and the Atlantic begins, War raged across the land. Afonso Henriques, the men who would become the first king of Portugal was fighting the kingdom of Léon for independence, to the north, and trying to conquer land from the moors, to the south. It was thus that a new European nation would have a violent and bloody birth, under The Shadow of Morrigan. "

If you want to know more about this bit of space\time we call Hiberia in the 12th century:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Portugal_%281112%E2%80%931279%29

More about The Morrigan:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Morr%C3%ADgan

The musics used are (in order of appearance):

"Marching Tune" from :
http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=85102

"Morrigan" (by Omnia)

The day images were taken by me, but the night footage was used with the kind permission of Antoniocorreiasantos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2sxFT48uaU
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTmAEQ32rF0&feature=related

Except for the final close-ups that came from a news report from RTP (the Portuguese public television):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbAG-vn1fxg&feature=related

Also if someone who reads Portuguese happens to come across this video and stop by here's an interesting blog with book reviews amongst many other fascinating texts, where I first came across the concept of The Morrigan and the music of Omnia, go check it out, it is worth it:
http://branmorrighan.blogspot.com/

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• War
• Midle
• Ages
• Renaissance
• Fair
• The
• Morrigan
• Omnia

[TheRavenOfPoe]

Fantastic footage, Rui! Thank you so much for taking it to share with us :) The festival looked amazing with so many activities and beautiful costumes. I was particularly fond of the horses of course, hehe ;) It was fun to see some archery with fire too!

[flan984]

Hi Jennifer! :)

I'm so glad you liked this...

Yes, that festival is quite fantastic...they always excel in the activities and costumes... During a week that city really goes back to the middle ages...

And the horses truly are very beautiful...Wile I'm there I'm in constant awe with the talent of the riders.. it is very impressive.... :)

[JoSieLove2Sing4u]

Ah Rui...........*another masterpiece* from you.

We waited long time, however, very much worth the wait for you to present this wonderful video and look into medieval times. Your videos are always so well put together, thought out and interesting.

[flan984]

Oh Jo... thank you so much for your kind comment...

I really had a lot of fun putting all this together, figuring out what might go where...

I'm really glad you liked it... :)

[TheFaustianMan]

You guys have the real thing over there! Here we have well...more showmanship. America is all about showmanship, and sometimes, unfortunately, little substance.

So you guys had to fight off the Moors as well? Interesting. I was unclear on one part of your history. Does Portugal, as Spain does, claim to have existed before the Moorish civilization? Or is Portugal founded after Moorish rule?

Great song. And The Morrigan is one of my favorite concepts in Celtic pagan history.

[flan984]

Hi Faust!

Well there is also a fair amount of showmanship here but there is always a nice care to balance that with some historical accuracy...

Yes, we also fought the Moors... in fact, Portugal, in a way, was founded because of that fight, our first king was the son a a french knight who came here to help the Christian kings in their fight, he then got a county (the Portucalense County) as a reward and spent his life trying to make that county an independent country...

[UKGLfemaddict]

@flan984

the shit faced christians and jews obeyed greek pagan rule for 2000 years, killed us for a short while, killed each other christian and muslim into endanger-ment, then we pagans rise again but this time, we don't tell the christians and jews to obey us pagans so we stay in power since the year now: 2012 at the time 12:14pm and we pagans are to stay in power forever more : )

the question is, when are we going to rid the world of MALE RULE and not suffer a defeat after victory ?

[SunnySunKansas]

It is very fantastic ,informative and interesting channel.

[flan984]

Hi Jane! :)

Thank you for your comment...

Yes, this fair is absolutely amazing... so big and filled with so many details... in fact one of the things I find most incredible is the way the entire town enters so well in the spirit of things and everyone there seems to want to collaborate in some way... History really does come alive. :)

[flan984]

(...) And the food...well it is one of the highlights of the fair... you can't go without at least tasting a boar sandwich (yes, sandwiches are a bit of an anachronism, but I think it is forgiveable...like the use of cutlery) they are delicious...and gruel (believe it or not) is still highly appreciated here by many people in northern Portugal (we call it Papas de Sarrabulho)...not particularly by me, though... but those who like it say that the ones served here are amongst the very best... ;)

[flan984]

Brian! Thank you so much for your kind comment. Yes, this is a brilliant Fair, they try very hard to be authentic...and I do think it shows...

I love the spirit in which it is done and there are so many amazing and well achieved details... for example...if you found the executioner scary (and he was) you should see last years reenactment of a public execution...at night... it was so meticulously done (I was particularly impressed by the make up) as to the point of almost being disturbing...(...)

[flan984]

MorrighanBran...mais uma vez muito obrigado pelo teu feedback...

Fico bastante contente por teres gostado... Um abraço. :)