What this site is: (Hopefully) an accurate repository of things Celtic - language, song, music, story, history, archaeology, art, culture, traditions, and much more. It is to be a place for reflection of that which is and was good in the people who formed the Celtic culture. Likewise, it will allow the reader to reflect on that which was not so good, in the hope that we may learn from the past, and apply it to the present and future.
The Glen is dedicated to Celtic studies, including but not limited to, language, art, music, history, literature, and other fields that deal with the Celts, historic and modern.
We will follow the facts, no matter where they lead, and publish them as they come to our attention.
We will not be influenced by, nor will we propagate, sectarian bias. We will remain true to the culture as we have received it from our teachers and mentors - in the words of ancient Mac Mhuirich bardic oath; "gus an duisg' na Feinne" - "till the wakening of the Fianna."
What this site is not:
A political or sectarian site. Where politics are mentioned, it will be in the historic context. (For the record, I personally believe in the right to self-determination, freedom, justice, equality, and civil liberties for all people everywhere, of all ethnicities, beliefs, gender, cultures, etc. I also believe in leaving the world a better place, socially and environmentally, for the generations to come.)
A center for what I call "Celtic Miasma" - the pseudo-mystical and often totally incorrect attitudes and views of things Celtic which are not reflected in the language and culture of the people themselves, or the historic or archaeological records.
You'll find no would-be "druids" or "Celtic gurus" here, nor will you find "fusion" music or choreographed dance extravaganzas (though those who like that sort of thing are nevertheless welcome to visit). There are already plenty of sites for that material.
Last, it is most certainly NOT to promote or propagate any sort of racial, cultural, religious, or other "supremacy" theories. To paraphrase a great one-liner; "(Insert your choice here) supremacists are the best argument against the validity of their theories."
To summarize, this is a place for "an fíor bhlas" - Gaelic for "the true taste," meaning idiomatically "the right stuff" in the music or language. The final arbiter of this site and its contents will be the native Gaelic (and other Celtic-speaking) people, who alone are qualified to decide what is or isn't part of their culture, and whether it is or isn't "correct."
This does not mean that we will not explore areas such as folklore, ancient religious beliefs, and practices - far from it! But we will explore them in a scholarly fashion, from what is known, or can be deduced with some assurance, from the sources. (However, this doesn't preclude having some fun once in a while - like this!)
