Over 3,000 stones rise from the fields of Carnac. They stand silent, waiting, like the trees of Fangorn Forest, patient and alive beneath their stillness. In this episode of Quest & Chorus, we walk among ancient alignments, uncover old legends, and listen to what endures. Featuring music from The Irish Lassies, Dublin Gulch, and Brobdingnagian Bards.

This is Quest & Chorus #310

0:27 - The Irish Lassies "Hammer Up Whisky Down" from Immigration Stories

5:20 - WELCOME TO QUEST & CHORUS

Welcome to Quest & Chorus, where ancient stones still speak and songs remember what trees never forget. I'm your bard, Marc Gunn, also host of the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast, and typically host of this show as Folk Songs & Stories, but today, we call it Quest & Chorus.

Quest & Chorus is a 6-part podcast series. I fuse Celtic and folk music, science fiction and fantasy, and travel into a podcast with a quest. In each episode, you will get a clue to unlock a secret reward. And at the end of the season, you will combine all of those clues to unlock an even bigger amazing reward.

And today we walk not into a forest—but into a field that feels like one. The Alignments of Carnac stretch across the land like rows of rooted giants. They are silent. But not still. And if you listen… they speak in echoes. Today we talk of nature, of memory, and also of what I learned about food waste.

WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR FOOD

1. Freezing fruit
2. Composting
3. Planting
4. Pickling vs fermenting
5. Soups
6. Granola

You don't have to do it in one day. It's taking me several years. And it doesn't have to be perfect. You just have to be open to learning.

Check out Sustainable Jungle and One5C. They have a lot of real, practical and non-judgemental tips on how to be more eco-friendly with your food and your life.

If you're new to the show, please follow us. You can do that at PubSong.com.

UPCOMING SHOWS

• NOV 8: IrishFest Atlanta, Roswell, GA with Inara
• NOV 14-16: CONjuration, Duluth, GA
• NOV 22: Georgia Renaissance Festival Fall Fling, Fairburn, GA
• DEC 6: Georgia Renaissance Festival Fall Fling, Fairburn, GA
• DEC 7: Nerdy Wonderland at The Lost Druid, Avondale Estates, GA @ 12 - 5 PM.

15:37 - Dublin Gulch "Sarah Daly/The Copper King's Daughter" from Tap 'Er Light

Please leave a comment on the podcast show notes at pubsong.com or wherever you listen. Email pictures of where you're listening to follow@celtfather . I'll send you a free gift and you can learn more about how to follow this podcast.

19:59 - NEWS

• Celtic Christmas Music releases the first official episode of the season.
• Looking for volunteers to work the Nerdy Wonderland table and promote the event. It takes place Dec 7.
• New Band with Inara–May Bloom. Planning to release an Album Pin and Single

A big thanks to my…

GUNN RUNNERS ON PATREON

If you enjoy this podcast or you love listening to my music, please follow my Celtfather Patreon page. You can sign up for free and get updates on what's new and you can get an ad-free edition of this podcast before public listeners.

But you get so much more when you become a Patron of the Arts. Patreon is one of the ways modern musicians and podcasters make a living. For just $5 per month, you'll get exclusive, unreleased songs, podcasts, video concerts, bootleg concerts, and so much more. Email follow@celtfather to get more details!

TODAY'S SHOW IS BROUGHT TO BY CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS

Every year, I take a small group of people on a relaxing adventure to one of the Celtic nations. We don't see everything. Instead we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join me with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts, blogs, videos, and photos.

Sign to the Celtic Invasion Vacations mailing list at CelticInvasion.com.

In 2017, I led a Celtic Invasion of Brittany. You can read about our search for the Holy Grail in France. In the meantime, it's time for the…

QUEST & CHORUS of ALIGNMENTS OF CARNAC

Over 3,000 standing stones stretch in careful lines through the fields of Carnac. No one knows exactly why they're here. Were they a celestial map? Some say they mark burial grounds. But walking by them, I didn't feel like I was in a graveyard. I felt like I was among the elders. It reminded me of Fangorn Forest, home of the Ents.

In The Lord of the Rings, Fangorn is a place where time moves slowly. Trees remember battles that men have forgotten. Carnac is a lot like that. The stones are not dead. They're just waiting.

I can't help but wonder who placed them here, so careful and deliberate. The stones of Carnac weren't raised by elves or Ents, but by real people. Neolithic builders, thousands of years before written history. Here's what we know about them.

HISTORY OF THE ALIGNMENTS OF CARNAC

The Alignments of Carnac in Brittany, France, are one of the most remarkable prehistoric monuments in Europe. They consist of long rows of standing stones (menhirs) and other megalithic features that stretch across the landscape.

Archaeological studies show that many of the stones date from between about 4,800 and 3,500 BC — some recent research suggests parts were erected as early as 4,600 BC.

The site is not a single line but a complex of alignments: four major groups (for example, Ménec, Kermario, Kerlescan, Petit Ménec) that lie in the commune of Carnac and its surroundings.

Originally, these stones were erected by Neolithic peoples who lived in what we now call Brittany. Their purpose remains a subject of debate: some propose they were ritual or ceremonial, others suggest funerary meaning, or perhaps linked to astronomical patterns or seasonal calendars.

Over the millennia, many stones were removed, toppled, or reused in local buildings, especially in historic times. The word "alignments" refers to the visible rows of standing stones that still remain.

Today, the Alignments of Carnac are protected as important heritage sites. Research continues to refine their dating and function, and the monuments remain a remarkable testimony to the ambition and organisation of prehistoric communities.

References:

• Musee de Prehistoire:The Carnac Alignments
• Göteborgs universite: Menhirs of Carnac
• Alignments of Carnac Wikipedia
• Carnac Tourism: The World Famous Standing Stones
• Internet Sacred Text Archive: Menhirs and Dolmens
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