In this episode, the storyteller, Kathy Shimpock, shares a Scottish story about the changing seasons. It comes as we reach winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere. This is a story of the Cailleach Beira, the Queen of Winter. She may be frightening but she has much to tell us about our role as elders and how we should best approach the winter season. She’s a very wise crone indeed!
Story: Donald Alexander MacKenzie, "Beira, Queen of Winter," in Wonder Tales from Scottish Myth and Legend (London, Blackie & Son, 1917).
Illustration: "Beira" from a drawing by John Duncan (from book).
Sound effects from my finch "Tweedles."
This podcast is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
Copyright 2025 Kathy Shimpock.
For more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).
