Bard of Cumberland

Stephen G. Rae

Stephen G. Rae, contemporary artist and poet; performance artist; co-founder of Bardsea-Green Films and Land of Lore Films; writer and folklorist as the Bard of Cumberland. I’m a Druid and Bard. The Bard within Druidry is the poet; the keeper of tradition; the keeper of historical record; the storyteller. One must never offend a Bard, this writing from Lady Wilde explains why :

“Bards possessed strange and mystic powers of wisdom. It was therefore very dangerous to offend a poet. If anyone refused him a request he would take the lobe of the person’s ear and grind it between his fingers, and the man would die.”

My interest in storytelling and folklore started in my youth, in Ayrshire. Tales of the sea people, boggles, kelpies, and sea-witches from my grandfather, William Rae; and tales of the Ancient Folk (faeries), leprechauns, and banshees from my grandmother, Cicely Anderson.

Blending characters from British folklore; world mythology – Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Tibetan; Druid philosophy; alchemy and the occult sciences; I create paintings in gouache, mixed media and oil. I also create contemporary folk art sculptures, and these are on permanent display in folklore museums.

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