Reek Sunday and Lúnasa in Ireland

A week and a half ago, on Sunday, July 31, thousands of pilgrims climbed the holy mountain called "Croagh Patrick" in County Mayo, Ireland. This last Sunday in July is called "Reek Sunday," and the holy mountain is popularly called "The Reek." Untold thousands climbed the mountain that day (estimates go up to 20,000!)--some climbed barefoot or on their knees. Legend has it that St. Patrick himself fasted on this mountain in the fifth century. I will climb this mountain next summer.

The very next day in Ireland and throughout the Celtic world, Lúnasa was celebrated--a pagan feast named after the Celtic god Lugh. The festival is still celebrated in places with bonfires and dancing, and god knows what else!

The Irish (like many others throughout the world) can hold together both their modern religion alongside the ancient pagan religion. A good trick that we humans are capable of! I know the Austrians could do this too when they celebrated Sonnwendtag, summer solstice, with bonfires atop the alps. I was involved with this back in 1968 on a mountain top outside the village of Matrei-am-Brenner.

Serles: Great Mountain Guarding the Wipptal & Brenner

The image to the left is of the great mountain called "Serles," which lies just to the south of Innsbruck, Austria, and "guards," so to speak, the entrance to the Stubai Valley (Stubaital) and the Wipp Valley (Wipptal) and the Brenner Pass. About 20 miles to the south of Serles is the Italian-Austrian frontier.

Serles can be climbed without great difficulty, though the last stretch to the peak is a bit challenging. I climbed this mountain on Sonnwendtag (Summer Solstice) in June of 1968 with my Austrian friend Caecilia Werth and some of her companions from the neighboring village of Matrei-am-Brenner. The view from the peak of Serles is truly "herrlich," awesome. One can see the Inn River Valley, the city of Innsbruck, as well as the peaks of the Kalkkoegel, the fantastic limestone mountains by Axamer-Lizum, the ski area featured in the Innsbruck Olympics.