Course Overview
Many may have forgotten the old ways, though gratefully there are those still keeping the skills and songs alive, and others of us who are relearning them.
Through the songs and sounds shared by our guest teachers, may the living reality of earth and ancestral belonging be rekindled within you.
Part 1
Finnish Lullabies
Eeva Maria Leino invites us to discover Finnish lullabies, passed through generations and sang in their traditional melodical and poetic structures even today. Eeva accompanies the class with Finnish traditional instrument – the kantele – and introduces us to the abundance of forgotten protective symbolism of Finnish poem-singing culture.
Part 2
Irish Lullabies
Nóirín Ní Riain depicts Irish lullabies as musical forms that interweave the mundane and spiritual realms together, contained within ages-old mythical story. She teaches us traditional Irish ornamentation techniques and guides us through a selection of lullabies she gathered directly from elders of her community, facilitating a sense of profound encounter with the sacred embedded in everyday song.
Part 3
Estonian Lullabies
Agne Nelk and her daughter introduce us to the world of Imemaa – mythical Dreamland of Estonian folklore, inhabited by sleep fairies and oneiric creatures. Upon learning about the provenience of Finno-Ugric cultures and encountering traditional instrumentation of Estonia, we sing our way to the land of Sleep and Wonder.
Part 4
Basque Lullabies
Amaia Gabantxo shares pieces of children lore and music culture of one of the oldest ethnic group in Europe. She teaches us old Basque lullabies – both those inspired by movement of the seawaves with lyrics bursting with love as well as ones filled with fearsome themes commonly found in songs for children.
Part 5
Portuguese Lullabies
Joining us during her final weeks of pregnancy, Mariana Root shares her deep connection to song, land, and motherhood. She introduces the adufe, a traditional square drum from her northern roots, and teaches us a lullaby of comfort and blessing. Through breath, movement, and melody, Mariana leads exercises to awaken the “honey” in each voice and connect with the nurturing essence of the mother and spirit of the land.
Part 6
Sápmi Lullabies
Elin Kåven shares with us the old Sami singing technique called “joik” and explains the philosophy of this way of channeling the essence of all living creatures, all in the context of the painful history of Nordic colonization. Through practical exercises Elin guides us in this singing technique and teaches us the old ways of soothing babies through channeling their own joiks for them.
PART 7
Create Your Own Lullaby
Through simple exercises, Hanna Leigh, founderess of Weaving Remembrance, helps us create our own lullaby, easing us into our intuitive soothing abilities. The lullaby, enriched with words of Proto-Celtic origin, forms into a nourishing, ephemeral and intuitive practice.