You’ve heard of the “Harvest moon”, but did you realize that many cultures had names for the moon each month, through the seasons?
Of course, the Native American tribes counted time with lunar cycles and had descriptive names,many people are aware of that. But so did most agricultural societies.
Even if their calender was ruled by the sun, the months -with their planting and husbandry cycles- were ruled by the moon. Today, we only use vestiges of those old designations when we speak of a “Harvest moon”,etc.
Once though, all the months had specific names for their full moons. It can tell you something of the culture and occupations of these older societies.
Ancient Cultures
ancient cave painting
Why did People Name Moons?
National Geographic explains it this way:
“For millennia, humans have used the movement of the moon to keep track of the passing year and set schedules for hunting, planting, and harvesting. Ancient cultures the world over have given these full moons names based on the behavior of the plants, animals, or weather during that month.”
It is easy to understand that concept as one reads through the monthly names, but did you know that some cultures had lunar time keeping while in the West we have a solar calendar? How did that happen?
The commonly used calendar today is one based on those of the Romans. We use the Gregorian one, introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. The intent was to improve on the Julian calendar. The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar.
Trivia Facts About Lunar Time
Muslims use a lunar calendar of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days.
Calculating Easter Sunday for Christians requires the knowledge of the full moon cycle. Easter Sunday is on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox.
What might be the oldest known lunar calendar :
“What could be the oldest lunar calendar ever created has been identified on the walls of the famous, prehistoric caves at Lascaux in France.
The interpretation that symbolic paintings, dating back 15,000 years, show the Moon going through its different phases comes from Dr Michael Rappenglueck, of the University of Munich. ” -Read more from the article, ‘Oldest lunar calendar identified’
Full Moon: Why Does It Happen? How Does It Affect Us? | Video What happens when the Sun Earth and Moon line up (in that order)? Do people (or animals) get crazy? Commit more crimes? The Moon always shows us the same face, but there’s only one instant when the Moon is truly “Full.”
We are no longer as in touch with natural rhythms as when more of our lives were centered around agricultural occupations of earlier times.
Even the more recent agricultural practices had distanced themselves from the need to forage and hunt wild animals for existence. So, when familiarizing oneself with the names that cultures attached to the full moons it becomes easy to imagine what it may have been like to be close to nature and observe the animals like buffalo or deer. Or to know which months were best for gathering berries important to the diet.
Not only imagining, but becoming more observant and in tune with how nature’s cycles can teach us.
How we may better garden, or eat fresh locally, the moon names can provide a guide to ancient rhythms of planting and harvesting.
We can eat strawberries any time of year if we don’t mind buying our supply from something grown halfway around the world, but if you want to gather wild from the woods, or buy locally produced berries…. which month do you expect to find them?
The Algonquin Indian culture could have told you when to find wild strawberries in the Northeastern USA .
Perhaps this knowledge is more fun than useful, but isn’t there a connection between how poorly we have husbanded the earth and our disconnect from it through modern lives and cultures?
Blue Moon
What is it? An extra moon in a season, a fourth full moon instead of the usual three.
When Is The Wolf Moon?
The Native Americans named a certain time of year after the wolf. Guess which month.
Trivia Pursuit of Moon Name Facts
The moon month names follow the type of society in which they are celled. Many of the old names are from hunter gatherer societies, as in the case of the Native Americans, while others are after the agrarian society concerns of seedtime and harvest.
In all cases there is a tie between the phases of nature and the procession of full moons throughout the year.
Some Appellations Coincide
January’s wolf moon is medieval English. The North Eastern American Indian also called the January full moon “wolf moon”. It was a time when the hungry wolves could be heard outside the camp.
February’s ice moon is of Celtic origin.
November: Snow or beaver moon?
“Snow moon” is a Medieval English label for this month.
While the name “Beaver moon” is Colonial American and Eastern Native American marking the best time to set beaver traps for the prized pelts.
For Some, Cultures Took Opposite Views
The Chinese called it the white moon,
To the Celts it was the dark moon.
Lunar Names
The Native American peoples tribes kept track of time by observing the seasons and lunar months. When dependent upon certain crops or animals, the full moon in that season might reflect such practices or observations. Consequently, for many people groups the names reflect important food information.
December: The Celts called this moon the cold moon…
…It was the Christmas moon to the Colonial Americans,
Bitter moon to the Chinese…
Every Algonquin tribe called the June full moon the “Strawberry Moon”.
Celts referred to the moon as ‘queen of the night’.
Moons of Native American Tribes
Tribes with Moon Clans include the Mohave, Ottawa, and Pueblo tribes. The North Eastern tribes marked the time through lunar months, and many of the names we know as Native American Moon names comes from these tribes.
Celtic People Followed a Lunar Calendar
Celtic peoples used the lunar calendar. The Gaelic word for month is Mios relating to the moon’s disk shape.
Autumn Months
September
Tribe name in parentheses when known.
Corn Moon
Harvest Moon
Song-time
Wine Moon
Autumn Moon (Cree)
Falling Leaves Moon (Ojibwe)
Leaves Turning Moon (Anishinaabe)
Moon of Brown Leaves (Lakota)
Yellow Leaf Moon (Assiniboine)
Gourd Moon (Catawba)
Nut Month (Cherokee, Eastern Band)
October
Hunter’s Moon
Travel Moon
Dying Grass Moon
Blood Moon
Seed-fall
Drying Rice Moon (Dakota)
Someone Stores Food Moon (Oneida)
November
Snow Moon
Dark Moon
Fog Moon
Beaver Moon
Mourning Moon
Blotmonath (Sacrifice Month)
Herbistmanoth (Harvest Month)
Mad Moon
Moon of Storms
Moon When Deer Shed Antlers
Trading
Falling Leaves
Early Farming Societies and Lunar Phases
Dating back to the Neolithic times, when farming became the prevailing mode to replace the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, the basic phases of the moon, especially relating to full and new moons, helped calculate seedtime and harvests.
Gaelic, a language of the Celts, is rooted in hearth and home, observing nature, including the features of each month’s full moon.
Winter Months
December
Cold Moon
Oak Moon
Wolf Moon
Long Night’s Moon
Aerra Geola (Month Before Yule)
Wintermonat (Winter Month)
Heilagmanoth (Holy Month)
Big Winter Moon
Moon of Popping Trees
Deer Shed Their Horns
January
Chaste Moon
Cold Moon
Disting Moon
Moon of Little Winter
Quiet Moon
Snow Moon
Wolf Moon
Strong Cold
February
Big Winter Moon
Horning Moon
Hunger Moon
Ice Moon
Red Cleansing Moon
Storm Moon
Sun Moon
Quickening Moon
Wild Moon
Chaste Moon Dark Red Calves
Trapper’s Moon
Midsummer Night Moon | Source: Larisa-K on Pixabay
The Spring Months
Full Moon Names
March
Sap Moon
Lenten Moon
Crow Moon
Crust Moon
Sugar Moon
Chaste Moon
Death Moon
Plow Moon
April
Sprouting Grass Moon
Fish Moon
Pink Moon
Seed Moon
Waking Moon
Budding Moon
May
Flower Moon
Corn Planting Moon
Milk Moon
Hare’s Moon
Mother’s Moon
Summer Months
June
Strawberry Moon
Rose Moon
Honey Moon
Hot Moon
Flower Moon
Bright time
July
Buck Moon
Thunder Moon
Hay Moon
Mead Moon
Horse-time
August
Full Red Moon
Green Corn Moon
Lightning Moon
Dog Moon
Fruit Moon
Arbitration-time
Phases Of The Moon
The BeautIful Face of a Fullmoon
“The moon was but a chin of gold
A night or two ago,
And now she turns her perfect face
Upon the world below.”
Emily Dickinson.
Moon Related Links – Moon names, facts, and inspirations
The Irish hand drum creates the rhythm of an Irish jig… is it hard to play?
The Bodhrán, Ireland’s Unique Sound
Do you have a heritage of Celtic roots like I have? Or do you just love the blood-stirring music driven with the thrumming of an Irish drum?
Connect with the history, and maybe discover a part of your own talent, marching to the beat of your own drum.
Playing my Irish drum
A Bit O’ History
These were originally drums of war, and not used in instrumental performances until fairly recently in time.
As a warfare noisemaker it is quite ancient. The Gaelic word is said to mean “thunderous” according to sources I found. It certainly would be an apt description of the sound of the larger drums which have a distinctive and powerful tone.
Others say the name translates as “deafâ€. For “deafening” power of the sound, maybe?
I found it interesting that in the development of this type of percussion instrument, the original purposes may have been as agricultural tools that were sifters used for winnowing grain. People have often borrowed from common objects to make into makeshift musical accompaniment. The beginnings of the Bodhrán may have been just that.
Construction
Underside of the drum, showing the crossbars
The Irish drum is considered unique because of the use of a two sided stick (the tipper) which is used in a one handed method to produce the rhythmic sound. This striking style is different from the myriads of drums that are found worldwide, and makes it purely Irish.
The modern instruments made today are often “tunable” with tuning screws and a ring. Some have crossbars and some don’t. And thus, the instrument is changing, as is usual when musicians wish to gain more sounds and improve techniques.
Two musicians often mentioned are Sean O’Riada and Johnny ‘Ringo’ McDonough, who popularized the use and extended the scope of the originally more humble bodrhán.
Learning How To Play
To answer the beginning question… is it hard to learn how to play? No, it is quite easy. The hard part -as with many things- is learning to play well, but that is helped with lots of practice and some instruction along the way. Bodhrán Instruction Series If you already have a drum, but need some instruction in how to play it, consider getting a DVD to play along and learn.
Not everyone likes this style of teaching, but this is the method I have seen in the Celtic festivals group lessons and the one the man, who sold me my drum, used. It consists of showing you the very basic way to beat the drum and then having you play along.
Basically if you wanted to, you could play along with any Celtic song. A DVD has the additional advantage that you can see the technique of an expert and copy visually. Always a time honored way to learn.
There Are Styles!
Not just in the construction or decoration, but in the manner in which the sound is made.
Kerry Style. This most common one is the one I learned. A rhythmic swing of the wrist uses both ends of the stick to produce sound, the left hand can be used under the skin to mute or modulate the “voicing” of the drum. A short guide to this style.
Limerick. Using one end of the stick with the speed of striking producing the triplets. The “end of the stick is swung across the head to strike once in each direction”
Roscommon. The knuckles of the hand are employed in making sound. Making a softer sound than a stick, the hand is curved so that the back of it hits the drum. It has a loose wrist just as if using a tipper. Clare style is a variation on this one.
A complete description of the many styles and variations of playing, which I found fairly clear to follow, included in the ceolas site.
Goatskin Gives A Mellow Tone
18-Inch Bodhran With Goat Skin Head, African Brown Goat skin will be a traditional drumhead material, and though it doesn’t come with the nice Celtic decoration that mine did, you could use inks and a stencil to give it your own design.
This type of drum will produce a good sound with its generous size and traditional materials.
Irish Fest Group Lessons
Group lessons at a Celtic festival- look at all those drummers drumming!
Once Upon A Time, At A Celtic Gathering
The biggest Irish festival in the world
It wasn’t always so… long, long ago the Irish Festival in Dublin, Ohio was a wee little local festival arrayed along a creek in a small park. But it was so interesting and lively – with Celtic bands, wares to buy, refreshments to try, and lots of Irish step dancing, that it rapidly grew into one of the premier Celtic festivals in America.
It was one of my favorite festivals to attend, and apparently lots of others felt the same. Soon it was growing out of its small venue, until it took up over a large portion of grounds, with crowds , top name Celtic music bands, and all sorts of features and entertainments.
But back in mists of time and place, when the festival was still a wee one, I bought my first traditional Irish hand drum. It happened this way… I went to the Dublin, Ohio Irish Festival – held annually. It was held the weekend of Aug. 4th, on a soggy Friday… appropriate for the celebration of Ireland. We had rain, mists, and green surroundings with a huge turnout of people seeking the good times to be found to the strains of Celtic music, and a county fair-like atmosphere. And guess what?!! I bought a bodhrán!
Yes, I am let loose upon the countryside with my very own Irish drum now. Heh, heh, hee, hee! A sad sounding player I may be, but am practicing with hope and faith.
Many of the craftsmen at this festival are exceptionally fine. Beautifully carved wood, finely crafted musical instruments including dulcimers and harps, well-made flutes and pipes. It was a great opportunity to learn about, and obtain the drum that has become an important part of modern Celtic music.
What Creates The Driving Backbeat Of Irish Music?
Why, the Bodhrán, of course. Perhaps not a “driving backbeat”, exactly, but this is the typical hand drum that accompanies the flute, the viol, and the other instruments in an Irish band.
While I love to hear the fiddle, it was the drum that I decided to buy- for reasons of cost, and because who doesn’t like to bang on a drum?
I was to learn that there is a lot more to playing the Bodhrán than just banging on it with the little stick (knob tipper) that comes with it. I wish I had more skill, but I did learn a bit about the playing of this percussion instrument that adds the heartbeat to the Irish music I love to hear.
I’ll admit to you that I am not a musician, and for much of the year my drums (eventually, yes, I bought another) remain as wall decorations. On occasion I take them down and enjoy trying my hand at creating rhythms and accompanying Celtic music just as if I was sitting in a pub with the rest of the band. Ready for an impromptu drumming session, whenever the muse should inspire. Perhaps someday I will be brave enough to actually do it publicly, in front of an audience! As of now, my daughter is the family drummer and she is pictured with my instrument in hand.
Care And Maintenance
“conditioners used for treating drumhead skins are neetsfoot oil, lanolin (found in sheep’s wool), or even a good moisturizing hand cream (especially one with lanolin already in it). Neetsfoot oil is available at hardware stores or in tack shops, while lanolin can be purchased in pure form from a pharmacy.” — http://www.ceolas.org/
Accessories for your Drum
Knob Tipper, Sloped This is one type of beater for your drum. Rosewood, and better quality than the ones that come with a drum, usually.
With a smooth shaft, it could be customized with the “rubber band” tip wrapped at the center for greater control. If you are a beginner use a better tipper to start with.
There are plenty of shapes and sizes, this one is very much like an antique type found in Glasgow. It is the size and shape that I’ve been using.
Celtic Design and Symbolism
The particular instrument I bought is decorated with the Celtic design of wolfhounds. Representing the four seasons or four directions, and representing hopes of loyalty and intelligence.
Start Your Musical Journey
Notice the kit has a drum, tipper, and case (to keep the drumhead in good condition). PLUS a lesson CD to start off with the drumming techniques.These are the basics you need to launch your musical journey.
Nothing could be better than starting off with a beautifully decorated instrument along with a protective case and instructions on playing. I think this is ideal for anyone who doesn’t have access to a Celtic festival nearby, and maybe even if you do!
There is a knack to using the beater, and the main thing is to keep your wrist loose (at least those were the instructions I learned). The sound of a hand drum with a skin head is somewhat changed by the hand placement on the skin at the back of the drum.
Though a drum can be tuned I have never had that particular skill, since my drums aren’t equipped with tuning screws.
Perhaps you will  learn to tune yours, then play the tunes by beating with the graceful swinging action of up and down strokes.How to tune your bodhran If not, it will hang decoratively on the wall and then taken down for the occasional drumming expressions and exercises.
What Does The Bodhrán Sound Like? – Listen to this Irish Music
About Those Tippers
There are a number of variations that change the sound of a drum, and the tippers are one component. They are called different names, all pretty much the same thing:
cipin – the Irish word, which means “kindling”
beater -describes the motion used
tipper – name most players call the drumstick
Mostly made of turned wood, these sticks are sized according to the size of the drumhead. Some are thin and light which makes them fast and quiet, some are weighted in the middle.
The beaters come in different lengths and made of different woods, rosewood is very often a favorite material of practiced drummers. (Or bodhrán-stricker, bodhránner, drummer, and bodhrádóir , as they may be called) Waltons Bodhrán beater – Size 1 Walton’s makes some nice drums! Here is their version of a beater. Tip: A rubber band tied around the center of any tipper can help prevent slipping.
This style doesn’t need the rubber band, and its knobbed ends mimic the original beaters that were made of double-ended knuckle bones.
Expect to hear different sounds from the varied styles of tippers. Some players have an array of favorites.
Meeting A Marvelous Pair Of Charming Craftsmen
I have to write of the marvelous experience of buying from two most charming Irishmen, Michael and Paul Vignoles of Claddagh, Galway, Ireland. The beautiful bodhrán I purchased is most certainly a lasting reminder of the two lovely Irishmen, both kind and helpful, and expert in making a product that will give years of enjoyment.
These craftsmen create uillean pipes, as well as drums of differing sizes. They most graciously offered on-the-spot instruction in playing and information on the instruments, and there were some demonstrations on how to play at the festival as well.
How To Say It The Celtic Way
The modern Irish word bodhrán is sound like: bow-rawn. Usually emphasis on the second syllable.
Irish Bodhrán Links
Michael Vignoles Website Welcome To Michael Vignoles.com! Here you can purchase top quality Irish Bodhrán drums and Uilleann Pipes along with other items all made in Galway, Ireland. All Bodhrans and instrum
Drum Making Create your own drum, customized to you!! You design and decorate the drum. You tie-dye the goatskin head. You put the goatskin on the drum yourself and take home your new drum! Put your energy into your creation!
St. Patrick’s Day is coming up and that reminded me of the upbeat music of the Celts and how much I enjoy it. I enjoy it so much I actually bought a bodhrán some years ago. I just fool with it a little, I don’t really have the particular technique of a loose wrist swishing back and forth that is needed. But I love the sound and listening to Celtic music is just plain fun. Even the more melancholy melodies have an uplifting effect on me.
I tend to like the traditional Scottish or Irish tunes more than something by the Clancy Brothers, so my taste tends towards bands like ‘ Altan’ or albums like Craigie Dhu.
There is something soothing and comforting about the sad songs, and you can’t help wanting to jig a bit to the happy ones. The upcoming day of Shamrocks and “wearin’ of the green” is the perfect opportunity to hear some fine bands and acquaint yourself with some really great music and just plain good times.
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