Rowan writes: Before our trip up north, I read what I could about the Hebrides and the Isle of Eigg. These islands hold a fascinating collective story, where so many facets of life converge: nature, religion, language, ecology, poetry, mythology, tradition, change, land, politics and people. This song was nesting quietly in my head before we arrived on Eigg, where it took flight and soared under the imaginative and sensitive wings of the group. The woman in the mountain is inspired by some hills on the Isle of Lewis which look like the figure of a woman lying down. They're known locally as 'Cailleach na Mointich' or 'Old Woman of the Moors', which reminded me of the old legend of the 'Big Women of Eigg'. There are stories waiting to be noticed again and uncovered in the physical and social landscapes we inhabit, and, in doing so, there's rich learning to be done about our shifting relationships to land, nature and community. The song's title is inspired by the thought-provoking Alastair McIntosh book of the same name.
credits
from Songs of Separation,
released January 29, 2016
Music and lyrics by Rowan Rheingans
a friend introduced me to this album two winters ago, and it's very quickly become a staple in my household (it isn't the holiday season until sing we all merrily plays).
the tracks that particularly strike me though are heading for home, the bear song, and the old churchyard - the way the world cycles on, the turning of the wheel, life and death in a beautiful dance. we could despair that our time is short, but we seek joy and love again and again.
I love this album. sophie
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