Watch this full episode of After Dark with Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling where they chat about ancient Irish burial traditions, keening, Irish wakes, and funerary rites. Joined by special guest historian Dan Snow, they explore the lost Gaelic ritual of "keening" — a powerful, thousand-year-old performance of grief by women that was so transgressive, both the British government and the Catholic Church fought to erase it entirely.
The conversation also digs into the hidden history of the traditional Irish wake, from sitting with the body for days and drinking poitín to superstitions like covering mirrors and opening windows to free the soul. They discuss the folklore of "hungry grass," the significance of corpse roads, and how these ancient pagan practices clashed with modern ideas of control and civility.
Up Next in Latest Video Podcasts
-
Was Elizabeth I 'The Virgin Queen' Go...
Elizabeth I is often celebrated as one of the greatest English monarchs - but should she be? From her commanding portraits and grand speeches to her brutal suppression of dissent and controversial decisions, we explore whether Elizabeth’s legacy is one of power and stability or one marked by bloo...
-
Who Was The Faerie Witch Of Cornwall?...
Ann Jeffries's story of faeries and witchcraft in Cornwall is explored in this After Dark episode. Watch the full chat with Anthony Delaney and Maddy Pelling where they talk to Bodmin Jail manager Jess Marlton about this unbelievable 17th-century case of prophecy, imprisonment, and the English Ci...
-
The Explosive Impact Of The Industria...
Was the Industrial Revolution the most important event in human history? Dan Snow is joined by economist and journalist Duncan Weldon to explore why exactly the industrial revolution started on the soggy archipelago of Britain and the impact of its entrepreneurs, politics, and empire had on the c...
1 Comment