Celtia's summer party, Lughnasadh, is just around the corner. The officially announced dates for Lughnasadh are July 29th through the 31st. A cornucopia of events are planned and are still being planned. Anyone wishing to submit ideas, help with the planning, or just read what's been gone on so far, see the Lughnasadh Planning thread on The Feis of Celtia board.

Tailtiu was Lugh Lamfada's foster mother and in whose honor the he founded the Tailtian Games. Celtia is following the mythological tradition of having Tailtian Games during Lughnasadh. This year, Tara is hosting Lughnasadh. Tara, the seat of the High King, is located in Eire's Meath.

To find out which Sidhe Queen you are, take the quiz! Feeling artistic? Participate in the Create A Celtic Avatar Contest. Watch the contest thread for more information on creating avatars of ancient Celts and their animals. Feeling poetic? Bardic College is sponsoring the ballad writing game The Bilberry Blues. For adventurous fun, enter King Cormac's Horse Race. The challenge is to drive a chariot through an obstacle course while performing amazing feats.

Other events in the works are a Meath hood tour, Moss Niall's Healing Tent, a Hurley Game, and a spear tossing contest. Please watch the Tailtian Games board for information and updates on all the events. Also, please keep in mind that some events may be dropped or changed between now and Lughnasadh.

A great role play opportunity is going on in Celtia this summer. All Celts - indeed, all AW members from other worlds who want to let their inner Celts run free - are invited to take part in The Summer of Blood. Raiding and warfare are roving across the open threads and neighborhoods of Celtia. The action began on the Magh Croimor thread located in the Hall of Clans and Tribes. The adveture has since migrated, first to An Caidreamh Suiri, also in the Hall of Clans and Tribes, and now to Brigid's Bruidean in the Leinster neighborhood of Cill Dara. Jump in and join the fun! Anyone having questions, there is an OOC - Summer of Blood thread on the Halls of Clans and Tribes or contact Nion Cumhaill or Fenian Niafer

We are having a splendid Summer at BC. We've been enjoying an energetic revival this season. If you're a member and it's been awhile since you visited, drop in and check out the latest activities. All of our discussions and topics are open for anyone to read. If you're not a member and have an interest in the bardic arts, take a look at our group. If you like what you see, please join us!

Here are a few links to what's happening at BC right now:

July's featured thread is Triplicities. Add your favorite to the ever-growing collection, make up your own, or compose a poem or story on this month's theme of Three.

The love story that has been in progress since April is still in the works, being written piece by piece by the hearthfire on the Storymakers' Thread.

Our game of Poetry Tag is always popular.

And we now have a Limerick thread in our Satire and Humor section.

Several interesting members have recently joined us, bringing with them a lot of refreshing new ideas for our continued exploration of the bardic arts. Outstanding among our newest members are Jacques Elliott Cruithni, Alti Cormac, Caoine Niall and Lonrach Niall. Each of them has received a well-deserved promotion for their unique and inspiring contributions to the group.

With Lughnasadh looming ahead, it's time again to come up with another bardic activity for Celtia's celebration. Fedelm Cruithni has suggested a ballad with Katlyne MacRoth suggesting the theme of "Bilberry Blues" to be composed, one stanza at a time. If anyone else has any ideas, please share them as soon as possible by posting to The Bardic Circle or to the Lughnasadh planning thread on Celtia's main page. Time flies.

This is all the news from the Bardic College for now. See you at Lughnasadh!

Hope you're having a fantastic Summer! Take care... Fenian Niafer

A Thousand Years Faire ran recently in Germania from June 8th through 13th. Fedelm Cruithni, Jacques Elliott Cruithni and Arianell Cruithni provided a wonderful, and wonderfully difficult, Up Your Kilt Quiz with beautiful graphics contributed by Arianell Cruithni. Bardic College hosted poetry at The Troubadour's Tent with wonderful graphics provided by Fedelm and by Hellas's Kallistos Alexandros. Thank you all for helping to make the event a success!

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Featured Articles:
LUGHNASADH: FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS
by Flidais Niafer
The Fennidh Way
by Odin Knudsson
Croabh Sgaith Glossary of Gaelic Terms
by Fedelm Cruithni

Group Spotlight:
The Bardic College is dedicated to the study, practice & preservation of traditional bardic forms, including but not limited to poetry, folk tales, legends, epics and literature of the ancient Celtic and Brythonic cultures. Its mission is to keep these arts alive through its research, exploration and creative inspirations.

Member Spotlight:
Fenian Niafer is a long time member of AW and one of Celtia's most active members. Fenian is often the first to step forward wishing to contribute, help, and take part. Celtia's World page would definately be the poorer without the many articles Fenian has submitted since the inception of the world pages. Fenian, a pat on the back is long overdue. Thank you for all you have done for Celtia!

Location Spotlight:
Tara may be considered as the "Mother City" of Eire. Although it did not become the Royal Seat of the High King until the third century AD, there is ample evidence that the site has seen almost continuous use since about 3,000 BC. From July 29-31, Tara will host the Lughnasadh Games.

Contributors:
Fenian Niafer