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Next Event:
Friday, April 14, 2023
7 PM
A Visit from an Irish Storyteller!
at the German-American Club
4821 Menaul NE
No doubt many of you have heard of the Irish seanchaí (shan-a-key) or storyteller. Without a written language, the seanchaithe (plural form) of ancient Ireland carried the history, genealogies, myths, and legends of their society. From generation to generation, they passed the stories down by memorizing long lyric poems and reciting them to their audiences. In the 20th century, seanchaí and Tony Award-winning actor Éamon Kelly wrote, “The storyteller was the local historian and genealogist—a walking library, the repository of folk wisdom and culture.” Well guess what—we have our own seanchai right here in New Mexico!
His name is Morris Peterkin and he tells us, “I am originally from Cherokee, NC. My mother was a Cherokee and my father's bloodline is Egyptian. My grandfather from four generations past was an Irishman from Co. Kerry. I lived in Ireland for many years studying Irish Gaelic and collecting folk stories, as well as learning the Irish sagas. I lived on the Dingle Peninsula for a few years, and that is where I met my wife, who is German. We moved to Bavaria and lived in a village with a strong Celtic history. My work has moved me since to New Mexico and we currently reside in Placitas.”
Morris plans to tell two to three stories regarding real life experiences from folks in the countryside in and around Co. Kerry. He will also have a sort of show and tell, as he will bring some authentic Celtic artifacts and tell the stories of how he obtained them.
This should be a most educational and enlightening presentation and you don’t want to miss it!
We hope to see you there and we hope you will bring a sweet or salty snack to share.