Claudia Chapman
Author - Musician - Mystic
Claudia Chapman Switchback Trail
The Winter Book
I invite you to take part in the time honored Celtic tradition of telling
stories and sharing songs as the nights grow long with winter. This collection
of stories, songs and essays grew out of my yearly ritual of creating an advent
calendar for family and friends. Participants receive one message a day to open,
just like the door of an advent calendar.
Interspersed between the stories, poetry and mummers play are seven brand new
Yuletide carols, written in the language of nature. Virtually any piece is
suitable for universal sharing, whether in a Montessori or Waldorf setting, or
at a seasonal celebration. They express the spirit of waiting in darkness,
anticipating both the nativity of Christmas and the rebirth of light at the
Winter Solstice. The songs are filled with spirit. Around a bonfire or at a
winter concert, people grow quiet when they hear them. Fully notated, they can
be sung or simply enjoyed as poetry.
The stories and essays reflect my interest in Anglo-Celtic folklore. Many of
them were influenced by my years as a Morris Dancer and liturgical musician.
Rudolph’s Mark was written for my son, Bran. One Christmas Day, Bran
discovered the apple we had left out for Rudolph remained uneaten. When I picked
the apple up and examined it very closely I “discovered” a small bite mark.
The story is my explanation of how that bite came to be.
I won’t give any more away, except to say that the collection is arranged
as an advent calendar,
with something new to read each day. Begin your advent journey by looking
beneath the cover.
Contents
| Welcome | 1 |
Decembertide
The trees are bare. The harvest in. The daylight fades. The nights draw in. In to Decembertide we go. We journey to’rd the winter snow. The sky is black. The stars shine bright. The air is clear, this advent night In to Decembertide we go. We journey to’rd the winter snow. The candle’s lit. The earth lies still. The loaf is baked. The cup is filled. In to Decembertide we go. We journey to’rd the winter snow.
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| Definition of Advent and Yuletide | 2 | ||
| Enter the Darkness | 5 | ||
| Summer’s End | 6 | ||
| Jack O’ The Lantern and Jack Frost | 8 | ||
| Song: Jack Frost | 10 | ||
| Song: Autumntide | 12 | ||
| Martinmas | 14 | ||
| The Tao Of Turkey | 15 | ||
| Let’s Talk About Christmas | 17 | ||
| Song: Crows | 19 | ||
| Crow Poem | 24 | ||
| Song: Welcome Is The Season | 25 | ||
| Long Journey Home | 28 | ||
| Saint Nicholas Day | 33 | ||
| First Snow | 32 | ||
| Song: Cloister Carol | 33 | ||
| Song: Decembertide | 37 | ||
| Christmas Cards | 40 | ||
| The Encyclopedia of Mysteries | 42 | ||
| Dog In A Manger | 44 | ||
| Song: The Fire’s Kyrie | 47 | ||
| Forgetting | 50 | ||
| Santa Claus | 52 | ||
| Hopi Katsinas | 54 | ||
| Katsinas and Father Frost | 56 | ||
| Savor The Darkness | 58 | ||
| Keep Saturn in Saturnalia | 59 | ||
| Zen and the Art of Tree Lighting | 60 | ||
| Brighid and Herne | 62 | ||
| Winter Solstice | 63 | ||
| Song: Midwinter’s Eve | 64 | ||
| Ice Lanterns | 66 | ||
| Rudolph’s Mark | 68 | ||
| The Christmas Tree | 70 | ||
| Chicken and Stars | 72 | ||
| The Hat City Mummer’s Play | 74 | ||
| Song: The Celtic Epiphany Carol | 80 | ||
| Plough Monday | 86 | ||
| Douglas Fir Christmas Tree | 87 | ||
| Song: Return of the Light | 92 | ||
| Bran’s Original Advent Calendar | 93 |
Order The Winter Book
$22.00 plus CT Tax and shipping. We will email you the invoice. email us