Celtic Spirituality: Part 1 (A Shudder In The Loins)

Celtic Spirituality (c. 2001) is a recording of John Moriarty's presentation to a symposium on depths and meaning of his lyrical prose, rooted in Irish mythology, and its relevance to contemporary spiritual and ecological thought. Focusing on the analysis of two specific texts (A Shudder In The Loins and Ollamh Fódhla) first published in his book Dreamtime (1994), the talk was recorded live in Glendalough around the year 2000.

A Shudder in the Loins is a poetic meditation on the encounter between Crunncu, the solitary farmer, and the mysterious woman who enters his life, Macha, the horse goddess. The title comes from W.B. Yeats' poem "Leda and the Swan" (1923), metaphorically "a shudder in the loins" refers to the moment of conception. As the narrative evolves Crunncu becomes deeply bewitched by Machas' presence in his house. When she reveals her divinity to him he rejects her in his religious indignation. Moriarty reads the text to the audience in segments, providing commentary as the reading progresses, offering insights into the connection between mythology, sexuality and religion.