Alastair Kneale's blog

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged “war crimes”. The court said on Thursday that there were “reasonable grounds” to believe Netanyahu and Gallant “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival”. Predictably Netanyahu’s office rejected the decision and described the move as “anti-Semitic”.

A remarkably well preserved  2,600-year-old wooden Celtic burial chamber has been uncovered by archaeologists in southern Germany. The wooden burial chamber was revealed within a large burial mound with a diameter of 65 metres and a height of almost six metres dating from the early Celtic period. Its size led archaeologists to identify the entire complex as a mound that the Celts built in southwestern Germany for elite individuals dating between 620 and 450 B.C. The preserved wood will enable archaeologists to use tree-ring dating to determine the exact year of the chamber.

Information from The Archibald Knox Forum:

ISLE OF KNOX – Order and Beauty

We are delighted to announce a momentous celebration of one of the Isle of Man’s most renowned artistic luminaries: Archibald Knox. From April 5, 2025, to March 1, 2026, the Manx Museum will host KNOX: Order and Beauty, the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of Knox's work ever assembled in the world

Archibald Knox: A Pioneer of Modern Design

A hoard of 36 Viking age silver coins has been declared a treasure at Douglas Courthouse. A number of the pieces, dating between 1000 and 1065 AD, were discovered in a field by metal detectorists John Crowe and David O'Hare in January, with the remaining retrieved between February and late April. The coins marked the second find to be declared treasure this year on the Isle of Man where, as pointed out by Manx National Heritage curator of archaeology Alison Fox "more Viking Age silver has been discovered per square kilometre than in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales".

Isle of Man Post Office (Manx: Oik Postagh Ellan Vannin) have issued a set of six stamps celebrating corvids and the mythology surrounding them in Manx Celtic folklore. The collection of six stamps features original artworks by local Manx artist Julia Ashby Smyth, depicting a Raven, Jackdaw, Magpie, Chough, Rook and Crow. On each stamp the Manx Gaelic name for each bird is woven into the artwork. As the Post Ofice description points out “Corvids have long been associated with the darker side of events in mythology and are often linked with war and battlefields.

The annual Illiam Dhone commemoration is being held today at the site of his execution. Illiam Dhone (14 April 1608 - 02 January 1663) also known as William Christian was a Manx politician and patriot. For his part in the Manx rising of 1651 he was executed by firing squad at Hango Hill in the Isle of Man on 2nd January 1663. This poem by A. P. Graves was written 111 years ago in his honour and published in "A Book of Manx Poetry" by the Manx Language Society and the World Manx Society, 1913.

“ILLIAM DHONE

THE Scot to mighty Wallace

The Greek government is right to seek the return of the Parthenon Marbles, which were illegally removed by agents of Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin over 200 years ago. The Elgin Marbles are the Parthenon Marbles, a collection of Classical Greek marble sculptures that were originally part of the temple of the Parthenon and other buildings on the Acropolis of Athens. They were removed and shipped to England, in what the poet, peer and politician Lord Byron described as an act of vandalism or looting. 

Media Release Culture Vannin: 

Let’s celebrate Manx Gaelic! The Cooish Manx language festival will be taking place between

Wednesday 1 st – Sunday 5 th November, and whether you’re brand new to the language, or a

seasoned Manx speaker, there’ll be something for you!

The Cooish is a fun and friendly festival which takes place annually, and is organised by the

community for the community. This year’s festival features 21 events across the island, from a

family-friendly bingo night, through to cocktail making in Manx!

The Isle of Man is home to a remarkable number of carved crosses and monuments dating from the 5th century to the 12th century. Protected by the Manx National Heritage there are over 200 decorated stone crosses on the Island, most of which can be found in graveyards and churches. The earliest stones carry Celtic designs and inscriptions using an early Celtic script called Ogham. Later Norse sculptors decorated their crosses with both Christian icons and images from their own pagan mythology, along with Norse Runic inscriptions.

The name of the month of August in all three Gaelic languages is derived from the Celtic god Lugh (also known as Lug and in Modern Irish: Lú). In Modern Irish August is called Lúnasa, in Scottish Gaelic: Lùnastal, and in Manx: Luanistyn. At the beginning of the month Lughnasadh is celebrated. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals, along with Samhain, Imbolc and Beltane. The festival of Lughnasadh, Lughnasa or Lúnasa, like August is named after the god Lugh.