Handmade relief carved ceramic thistle tile

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~Happy Robert Burns Day~
I mind it weel, in early date,


When I was beardless, young, and blate,

An' first could thresh the barn,

Or haud a yokin' at the pleugh;

An' tho' forfoughten sair eneugh,

Yet unco proud to learn;

When first amang the yellow corn

A man I reckon'd was,

An' wi' the lave ilk merry morn

Could rank my rig and lass,

Still shearing, and clearing

The tither stooked raw,

Wi' claivers, an' haivers,

Wearing the day awa.



Ev'n then a wish (I mind it's pow'r),

A wish, that to my latest hour

Shall strongly heave my breast -

That I for poor auld Scotland's sake

Some usefu' plan or beuk could make,

Or sing a sang at least.

The rough burr-thistle, spreading wide

Amang the bearded bear,

I turn'd the weeding-heuk aside,

An' spar'd the symbol dear:

No nation, no station

My envy e'er could raise,

A Scot still, but blot still,

I knew nae higher praise.







Decorative handmade ceramic dragon tile set

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 Trying to identify the dragon of myth and legend is a virtually impossible task, as they have taken so many forms in various cultures during many time periods. They appear in the mythologies of Greece, Rome, other parts of Europe, Africa, the near east, in China, Japan, pre-Columbian America and the Pacific Islands Later they became an essential feature in tales of European chivalry. Many of these fearsome beasts were clearly composites, made up of combinations of known animals. A classical European dragon would typically have a snake like body, claws like a lion and bats wings. Others were more clearly serpentine with embellishments. The word dragon comes from the Greek drakon, meaning serpent or great worm. Many early reports of dragon sightings occurring in distant lands were almost certainly giant snakes such as the Indian Python. In the Bible the dragon was the serpent of evil, which explains why the mythical beast had ever after to be sought out and killed as a simple matter of duty by Knights and local heroes.  Although the dragons’ most typical form seemed to be derived from a variety of animals, it is also likely that some of them came from the distorted reports brought back by venturesome travelers of actual living beasts. Animals such as Crocodiles and monitor lizards that were rarely seen outside of Africa and the Komodo dragon of Indonesia may have been suitable subjects for a story teller to work with. One rather intriguing behavior of lizards and snakes of all sizes is that they constantly flick their often bright red, forked tongues in and out to test the air. To the more fancifully inclined, observed from a respectful distance this could very well look like a flickering flame, possibly sparking the origin of the mythical dragons fire breathing aspect.


Handmade, relief carved Decorative Fairy ceramic tile.

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Relief carved and hand painted 6x6 fairy tile available to order from http://earthsongtiles.com

Known as daughters of the moon, the Lele of Romanian mythology are described as beautiful virgin fairies with great seductive powers and magic skills. They inhabit remote forests, caves and marshes, mostly appearing by moonlight in groups of three or seven to dance in secluded glades, ponds, marshes, and the top of maple or walnut trees, they will also dance at crossroads and in abandoned fireplaces. Much like the elf and fairy mythology of many other cultures the Lele cast spells with their circle dances which typically leave a ring of mushrooms called ‘fairy rings’ behind. The Hora, a popular traditional Romanian folk dance done in a spinning circle, is said to come from the dance of the Lele. Though they are not generally considered evil, they will inflict terrible punishment when provoked by sleeping under a tree belonging to them or refusing an invitation to dance and if one should randomly hear one of their songs they will become instantly mute. To please the Lele, festival days were dedicated to them. Anyone not respecting these days by working or not participating in the dancing were said to suffer the revenge of the Lele with mysterious death or crippling. Lack of respect for the Lede could also cause hail, floods, withered trees and houses to catch on fire.



Decorative relief carved handmade ceramic fairy tile

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I thought the earth remembered me,


she took me back so tenderly,

arranging her dark skirts,

her pockets full of lichens and seeds.

I slept as never before, a stone on the river bed,

nothing between me and the white fire of the stars

but my thoughts and they floated

light as moths along the branches of perfect trees.

All night I heard the small kingdoms breathing around me,

the insects and the birds who do their work in the darkness.

All night I rose and fell,

as if in water grappling with a luminous doom.

By morning I had vanished at least a dozen times

into something new.

- Mary Oliver

Decorative handmade, relief carved ceramic frog and salamander tiles

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Water was considered sacred by the Druids, and every river, spring and well had its guardian spirit or deity. Frogs and salamanders, because of their connection with both water and land they were often believed to be representatives of water spirits. As an ally to the healer and seer, amphibians were considered the ones to bring the blessings of rain and purification from the water spirits. Frog was also seen as a healing messenger of the Mother Goddess. In more modern traditions the frog and salamander symbolize purification, renewal, sensitivity and hidden beauty.

Decorative handmade ceramic Celtic owl tile set

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Owls and humans the world over have forever had a strong connection to one another. The very ancient goddess of death, Lilith is depicted with talons as feet, a horned head dress and flanked by owls. She was likely the inspiration for Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare able to assume the shape of an Owl. The many ‘Little Owls’ that inhabit the rock crevices of Athens and the Acropolis were believed to be embodiments of Athena. The Romans, who appropriated many of the Greeks beliefs, associated Owls with Minerva, goddess of prophesy and wisdom. Representations of Owls were used in Rome to ward off the evil eye and feathers as well as other Owl parts were found in many magical potions and pharmaceutical remedies. The Ainu of Northern Japan placed carved Eagle Owls on houses as protection from famine and disease. Although they revered the Eagle Owl and Screech Owl, who warned against danger, the Barn and Horned Owl were considered demonic.


The Owl was the emblem of a royal clan of Chinese masters of the thunderbolt and was also a symbol of too much Yang.

In the Middle East, a person who nags and complains too much is compared to an owl. There was a belief there that Owls represented the souls of people who died un-avenged.

The hoot of an Owl in Southern India was interpreted by number:

1) Impending death. 2) Success in anything started soon after. 3) A woman marring into the family. 4) A disturbance. 5) Travel. 6) Guests on the way. 7) Mental distress. 8) Sudden death. 9) Good fortune.

In Polish folklore women who die un married turn into Doves and Married women into Owls.

The Ojibwa of North America, along with many other indigenous tribes consider the Owl a guide to the life beyond for the spirit of the dead. The Pawnee people have a beautiful ritual involving the decoration of the ceremonial pipe with Owl feathers based on the following visionary instructions:

“Put me upon the feathered stem, for I have power to help the Children. The night season is mine. I wake when others sleep. I can see in the darkness and discern coming danger. The human race must be able to care for its young during the night. The warrior must be alert and ready to protect his home against prowlers in the dark. I have the power to help the people so that they may not forget their young in sleep. I have power to help the people to be watchful against enemies while darkness is on the earth. I have power to help the people keep awake and perform these ceremonies in the night as well as the day.” (Fletcher, 1900-1901)

Whether perceived as power possessing beings or harbingers of death, Owls, throughout history, wherever they are found, have inspired humans who continue to celebrate their aesthetic beauty, sense of mystery and sharp sensory awareness, much superior to ours.

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Relief carved and hand painted 21 x 29 ceramic tile set available to order from http://earthsongtiles.com.
The north wind blasts cold and rude,


boldly bearing down from snow capped peaks,

hurling icy fragments of discontent,

from a host of laden clouds.



The earth sighs a quiet requiem to the impotent sun

and drifts into slumber.

No creature dares wander the hills bleak and drear,

nor linger near the wild swell of the sea,

to be swept away

or pierced by sharp arrows of cold,

hissing through barren boughs

.

At length, fury spent,

wind, fog and mist gather in retreat,

leaving the pallid moon to luminate,

a frigid blanket of glittering splendor.



Snug in cranny and crevice,

life curls supine,

awaiting the docile Zephyr to return with spring.

~Shannon Gresham~

Decorative relief carved Celtic dragon ceramic tile set

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Relief carved dragon tile set with a Celtic knot border, available to order in a variety of colors and finishes from http://earthsongtiles.com/


Few human beings throughout history have cared to discover any more about dragons than how to av...oid them, or failing that, kill them. Yet humankind was always curious, and dragons eventually became a subject for scholars. Studying them was a daunting task, for the nature of dragons was confusing. The creatures seemed to defy sensible cataloguing and some were a monstrous rebuke to the idea that nature had organization. But later, dragons became somewhat more consistent in behavior and appearance, and various schemes arose for classifying them. In the west, dragons were described more by body type and defined by habitat. In China however, long a center for scholarship, distinguished lines of scholars devoted much systematic attention to the dragons that lived among them. They not only defined what a dragon was, but developed ways for categorizing the age, position in evolution, physical attributes, functions, idiosyncrasies, and where each existed in the hierarchy of the dragon world.

Carving decorative Celtic Boar ceramic tile

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Starting the carving for a bookmatched pair of 8x8 Celtic Boar tiles...

Decorative, custom handmade, Celtic ceramic tile set

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~In Memory of the Story Teller, Padraic O’Conaire~


They’ll miss his heavy stick and stride in Wicklow-

His story talking down Wine Tavern street,

where old men sitting in the wizened daylight

have kept an edge upon his gentle wit;

While women on the grassy streets of Galway,

will harken for his passing- but in vain,

shall hardly tell his step as shadows vanish

through archways of forgotten Spain.

Ah, they’ll say; Padric’s gone again exploring;

But now down glens of brightness, O he’ll find

An alehouse overflowing with wise Gaelic,

that’s braced in vigour by the bardic mind,

And there his thoughts shall find his own fore fathers-

In minds to whom our heights of race belong,

In crafty men, who ribbed a ship or turned

the secret joinery of song.

~FR Higgins 1933~

Decorative relief carved half round ceramic dragon tiles

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Somewhere in the mountainous region of Snowdonia in Wales lies the remains of the ancient city of Emrys, home of the Druid alchemists known as the Pheryllt. In the Welsh tradition, this city was also known as Dinas Affaraon- ‘City of the higher powers.’ There are many stories and legends surrounding this archaeological site dating back to the Iron age and inhabited during several different time periods after. It was at Emrys, the Mabinogion tells, where Ludd Llaw Eveint, Celtic god of healing and health buried two fighting dragons. Centuries later the famous exchange from the legends of King Arthur between the warlord Vortigern and a youthful Merlin took place there. The story has it that when Vortigern fled into Wales to escape Anglo-Saxon invaders he chose this lofty hill fort as a royal retreat. He began work in earnest on the first of many proposed towers, only to find each day’s labor mysteriously destroyed over night. This continued for some time until Vortigern was advised to seek the help of a young boy born of a virgin mother. The boy they eventually found was Myrddin Emerys (Merlin), who explained that Vortigerns tower could not stand because of two battling dragons trapped in a hidden pool beneath the fort. Merlin then went on to prophesize, that though the white dragon representing the Saxons was winning at present, upon their release from the pool, the red dragon representing Wales would defeat the white, and the British would be driven from Wales. Marlins prophesy eventually came true and it has long been thought by some that the connection of Wales to the red dragon, as depicted on their flag stems from this Arthurian tale.

Handmade relief carved Celtic dragon ceramic tile

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Relief carved 6x6 ceramic Celtic dragon tile, available to order in a variety of colors and finishes from http://earthsongtiles.com
Legend has it that Uther, father of King Arther, once had a vision of a flaming dragon. Upon inquiring of his Druids to explain the meaning of this striking vision he was told that seeing such a thing meant he would become a king. Because of this prophesy Uther took the name Pendragon, "Head of the Dragon" and the Dragon became the heraldic symbol and totem beast of the greatest line of British Kings, the Pendragons.
Fire Dragon energy was believed to be connected to leadership, rulership and mastery and the fire dragon still continues to be a symbol of authority and power, as well as vitality, enthusiasm and courage.

Decorative relief carved ceramic cat tile/plaque

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18 x12 ceramic tile set featuring our 14x7 relief carved cat tile, the set or the cat on it's own are available to order in a variety of colors and finishes from http://earthsongtiles.com.
Rathcroghan is a complex of archaeological sites in Ireland that were the historical center of many ritual gatherings as well as being an important cemetery location. It’s a very significant site in Irish mythology and has major associations with the feast of Samhain. It was believed that on the last night of October graves would open to allow all manner of both good and destructive spirits to walk the earth. There was much ritual revolving around both the honoring of dead ancestors and protection against malicious spirits.


One of the most unique sites of Rathcroghan is Owenynagat, ‘Cave of cats’, known traditionally as a place of power and a portal to the underworld When Christianity took hold in Ireland it became known as ‘a gateway to hell ‘which had the most pronounced power near Samhain, when the veil between worlds is said to be thin. Legends told that the goddess of the underworld, Morrigan would emerge from the cave every Samhain in a chariot pulled by a one legged chestnut horse along with various other creatures. The name “Cave of Cats’ is thought to come from either the story of magical wildcats that emerged from the cave to attack three Ulster warriors before being tamed by the mythical Irish hero, Chuchulainn; Or from Iruson a Cat king that lived in a cave (possibly Owenynagat) and featured in many Irish fairy tales. Many modern practices and beliefs from folk tradition in Celtic countries still revolve around the significance of the dead or ancestors; and the vast subject of fairy realms and second sight cannot be separated from the worship of the dead.

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Relief carved 12x12 ceramic Celtic knot tile, available to order in an assortment of colors from http://earthsongtiles.com
~the Celts~ by Thomas D'Arcy McGee 1958
Great were their deeds,
their passions and their sports,
with clay and stone
They piled on strath
and shore those mystic forts,
not yet o'er thrown;
On carin crowned hills
they held their council courts;
While youths alone,
with giant dogs explored the elk resorts,
and brought them down.
Of these was Finn, the father of the bard,
whose ancient song
over the clamour of all change is heard,
sweet voiced and strong.
Finn once o'er took Grainia,
the golden haired,
the fleet and young;
From her the lovely and from him the feared,
the primal poet sprung.
Ossian! Two thousand years of mist and change,
surround thy name-
The Fenian heroes now no longer range
the hills of fame-
The very names of Finn and Goll sound strange-
Yet thine the same-
By miscalled lake and desecrated grange-
Remains and shall remain!


Handcrafted relief carved Celtic ceramic tile

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Custom tile panels featuring our relief carved thistle, Celtic knot border and Celtic dragon tiles for a antique Scottish fireplace.

~Beside the Fire~ Author Unknown

Where glows the Irish hearth with peat

there lives a subtle spell,

the faint blue smoke, the gentle heat,

the moorland odors tell

of white roads winding to the edge

of bare untamed land

where dry stone wall or ragged hedge

runs wide on either hand.

The cottage lights that lure you in

from rainy western skies;

And by the friendly glow within

of simple talk and wise,

and tales of magic, love or arms

from days when princes met

to listen to the lay that charms

the Connacht peasant yet.

There honor shines through passion dire,

there beauty blends with mirth,

wild hearts ye never did aspire

wholly for things of earth!

Cold, cold this thousand years- yet still

on many a time stained page

you pride, your truth, your dauntless will,

burn on from age to age.

And still around the fires of peat

live on the ancient days;

There still do living lips repeat

the old and deathless lays

And when the wavering wreaths ascend

blue in the evening air

the soul of Ireland seems to bend

above her children there.



Decorative handmade, relief carved Celtic fairy ceramic tile

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8x10 relief carved and hand painted ceramic Celtic fairy tile available to order from http://earthsongtiles.com.

~Happy full 'Hunter's' moon~

American Natives named this bright October moon for obvious reasons; The leaves have fallen, the deer are fattened and it's time to begin storing meat for the long winter ahead. Because the fields were traditionally reaped in late September hunters could easily spot animals that came to glean left overs from the fallen grain. With the threat of winter looming close, the hunter's moon was given special honor and historically an important feast day in both Western Europe and among many Native American tribes.



Decorative handmade tile fireplace

A fireplace done in decorative tiles from http://earthsongtiles.com

Hestia was a Greek goddess of the hearth and home, and as such presided over the cooking of bread and preparation of the family meal. She was also a goddess of the sacrificial flame and the communal cooking of sacrificial meat was another part of her domain. In Greek myth Zeus allowed Hestia to remain an eternal virgin and gave her a place at his Royal hearth.

Decorative relief carved and hand painted Ibis and fish ceramic tile

4x6 relief carved Ibis and fish tile, available to order in a variety of colors and finishes from http://earthsongtiles.com

~ Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!~

As the morning sun brightens the earth and sky

May my soul shine bright with gratitude.

As all the living plants and creatures sing their song of life

May my soul sing the song of my heart gladly

whether in joy or sorrow

As the sun crosses the sky to the west

May I keep the vision of my life before me

having faith it has meaning

As the earth spreads out from the glowing horizon

May my soul expand to embrace it

May I speak the truth of the land

and take responsibility for my life.

Decorative hand crafted, relief carved ceramic sunflower tile

4x4 relief carved and hand painted sunflower tile available to order in a variety of colors from http://earthsongtiles.com
Originally from Mexico and Peru, evidence suggests, the wild sunflower has been used as food and medicine by Native Americans for at least 8000 years. Cultivation of the sunflower began as early as 2300 BC possibly pre dating the earliest cultivated food in the Americas known as the 'Three sisters', corn, beans and squash. A fine meal for baking and thickening was made from the roasted seeds and balls of sunflower butter, much like peanut butter were a convenient food for travel. The roasted hulls steeped in boiling water produced a coffee like beverage. Dye was extracted from hulls and petals while face paint was made from a mix of dried petals and pollen. The ground seeds also provided oil for cooking and hair treatment. Medicinally the sunflower was used extensively for many maladies including lung issues, wart removal and as a treatment for snake bite and sunstroke. When the sunflower reached Europe it was mainly treated as a curiosity and garden flower. It wasn't considered an edible crop until it made it's way to Russia where it was enthusiastically accepted as an oil source that could be eaten during Lent and Advent without breaking Orthodox Church laws. Hybrid sunflowers now dominate commercial production and unfortunately many of the early open pollinated varieties have been lost and are likely extinct.

Decorative handmade, relief carved ceramic gnome tiles.

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Relief carved and hand painted 4x4 ceramic Gnome tiles.
Wheat, along with rice has been a primary source of nourishment for the human race since pre-historic times. The history and evolution of humans and that of wheat are closely related, the ability to sew and reap cereal such as wheat and barley is thought to be one of the main reasons man largely gave up the nomadic life of hunting and gathering to live together in communities. Ancient Egyptians produced the earliest risen loaves of  bread from wheat and yeast, 5000 year old loaves from Egypt have been found in archaeological sites. In 168 BC the Roman Bakers guild was created, due to the great importance of bread to the population Bakers unlike all other craftsmen were recognized as free men instead of slaves. In Turkey where it is speculated wheat originated from, wheat bread is still considered sacred as is wheat itself in parts of China.
Today, close to one third of the worlds population depends on wheat for sustenance.