Sox Hiberionacum: Year View Mirror

186c9496a7e5de5f6963cb00b8db97dds_8

Inishdaff, Co. Mayo (Image: Author)

Forgive the pedestrian nature of this post, but I feel compelled to undergo the annual ritualistic Rear View, Year Review Mirror escapade – if nothing else – at least in the hope that it will help hurry the end, underline, and perhaps cement, what will surely be remembered worldwide as an annus horriblis.

Despite having a relatively quiet year here on Vox Hib, my little niche blog has somehow managed to continue breaking previous records. 2016 was my most widely received year so far. I am, as always, most grateful. Thanks a million for reading and/or sharing.

For what its worth, here’s some boring stats. The previous majority European readership for the blog has, for the first time, been eclipsed by North America. Top five regions for 2016 were: The US, Ireland, The UK, Canada and Australia. Highest number of non-English speaking regions were Germany, France, Netherlands, Spain and Belgium.  A special shout out to those peeps in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Côte d’Ivoire and Guam.

Continue reading

Star Wars: Archaeology of the Jedi

DSC_0469.jpg

Image: Abarta Audioguides / Copyright (Used with permission)

*Warning* Although there is no major plot spoilers included, there is some discussion of the characters and location of a particular scene in Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens. If you have not seen the film and are sensitive towards knowing anything more about it, feel free to take the hint.

———-

Long term readers will surely be aware of my ongoing interest in the use of Skellig Michael as a location for Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens. Having now watched it twice since it opened (very enjoyable, back to old form, fan pleasing etc) I would like to record some initial thoughts on the cinematic depiction of the island, including to my mind, some echos of early Irish Christian iconography as well as the use of actual medieval archaeology to portray the fictional archaeology of the Jedi. In a small way, it is an attempt to direct attention for anyone interested towards what they were actually seeing on the screen. After all, its not everyday that millions of people around the world are exposed to a little bit of Early Medieval Ireland.

Continue reading

An Archaeology of Star Wars: A Long Time Ago On An Island Far Far Away

IMG_2509 copy

View from Skellig Michael – Image: regienbb / flickr (CC BY 2.0)

Rumours abound that this Thanksgiving weekend in the States will see the release of the first teaser trailer/preview of the new Star Wars (7) film – scenes for which were shot on the early medieval monastic island of Skellig Michael, Co. Kerry. In anticipation, here’s a little something on the early history and archaeology of Skellig Michael itself – and why its perhaps appropriate that ‘an unearthly corner of planet earth, left behind on an island far, far away’ continues to be (re)used as the setting for a re-booted mythical blockbuster. Or something.

What better place to depict an ancient, mystical, martial asceticism in a galaxy far, far away than an actual ancient, eremitic, settlement dripping with stone-cold monastic austerity, located at what was for centuries the very ends of the earth, seven miles off the very tip of a western Irish peninsula?

Continue reading