Christy Moore started in the music business in the mid-sixties, when his life as a bank clerk was interrupted by a bank strike, and he moved to England. There he became involved in the folk music scene at the time, and spent a few years playing pubs and clubs around the country.
His return to Ireland was marked by the album 'Prosperous', which proved to be a milestone in the rapprochement of Irish music to the popular mainstream. This album benefited from a collaboration of the leading talents of contemporary folk music, musicians such as Andy Irvine, Donal Lunny and Liam O'Flynn, and this one-off was to lead to the formation of Planxty, a band who were soon to be at the leading edge of the revival of Irish traditional music.
Over the following years the musical status of Planxty became legendary both in Ireland, Britain and throughout Europe. However in 1974 the band split up to pursue solo projects. It was during this period that Christy continued to explore new ground as a solo artist recording a number of solo albums including 'The Iron Behind the Velvet' (TARACD2002) which featured Andy Irvine and 'Live in Dublin' (TARACD2005) with Donal Lunny.
The original Planxty lineup of Christy, Andy, Liam and Donal then reformed in 1979. They recorded two further albums with Tara Records 'After the Break' (TARACD3001) and 'The Woman I Loved So Well' (TARACD3005). There were several additions and changes to their lineup most notably the addition of Matt Molloy, flautist from The Bothy Band, who later joined The Chieftains, and Bill Whelan.
In 1981 Planxty performed a Bill Whelan arrangement called 'Timedance' as the intermission piece for the Eurovision song contest, held that year in Ireland. Later it was released as a single and is now included on Bill's CD of 'The Seville Suite' (TARACD3030) released by Tara in 1992.
In the eighties Christy again teamed up with Donal Lunny to form Moving Hearts, another ambitious and innovative Irish band which sought to mix jazz into the folk-rock fusion. Ever the wanderer, Christy was soon breaking out on his own again, and it was in the eighties that he began to establish himself as one of Ireland's leading solo artists with a string of acclaimed albums and high profile tours.
In the mid-nineties Christy decided to take a break from the music for a few years. In the year 2000 Christy return to live performances with a series of Dublin concerts. Over the last few years he has released a number of solo projects including a television series, a live album and a 6 CD boxset.
Burning Times
Christy Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Neath the stars in the meadow, circled near the old oak tree.
At the times appointed.. by the seasons..
of the earth, and the phases of the moon.
In the center, often stood a woman,
equal with the others, respected for her worth.
One of the many.. we call the witches,
the healers, the teachers, of the wisdom of the earth.
And the people grew in the knowledge she gave them,
herbs to heal their bodies, smells to make their spirits whole.
Hear them chanting healing incantations,
calling for the wise ones, celebrating in dance and song...
(...Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali... Inanna... repeat x2)
There were those that came to power, through domination.
They were bonded in their worship of a dead man on a cross.
They sought control of the common people,
by demanding allegiance to the church of Rome.
And the Pope, he commenced the inquisition,
As a war against the women, whose powers they feared.
In this holocaust, in this age of evil,
Nine million European women, they died.
And the tale is told, of those who by the hundreds,
holding hands together, chose their deaths in the sea.
While chanting the praises of the Mother Goddess,
a refusal of betrayal, women were dying to be free.
(...Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali... Inanna... repeat x2)
Now the earth is a witch, and we still burn her.
Stripping her down with mining, and the poison of our wars.
Still to us, the earth is a healer, a teacher, and a mother.
A weaver of a web of light, that keeps us all alive.
She gives us the vision to see through the chaos.
She gives us the courage, it is our will to survive.
(Repeat Goddess chant x4)
The song "Burning Times" by Christy Moore speaks about the persecution of the witchcraft followers in the Middle Ages by the Christian church in Europe. The lyrics begin by describing the ancient practice of gathering under the stars near the old oak tree during a particular season or a phase of the moon. There, women of equal social status, respected for their knowledge of the land, stood at the center and shared their healing wisdom with the people. They used herbs and scents to heal people's physical and spiritual ailments. The people would celebrate by dancing and chanting the names of various goddesses such as Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, and Kali, giving thanks to the mother earth for her bounties.
The next verse speaks of organized religion, which sought to exert control over the masses. The song points to the Catholic Church, which began the inquisition to terrorize and eliminate women who offered an alternate path of faith. The church feared the knowledge that women held- wisdom that put them on equal footing with men. The church saw this as a challenge to male authority and sought to eradicate it. The holocaust was retold aiming at how nine million women, who refused to bow down to a patriarchal society, were brutally executed. The song concludes with asserting that Mother Earth remains the ultimate healer and the giver of life whose resources the modern world exploits to an unparalleled degree.
Line by Line Meaning
In the cold of the evening, they used to gather.
Under the falling dark sky, they used to come together.
Neath the stars in the meadow, circled near the old oak tree.
Joining hands and surrounding the ancient oak tree, in the open fields dotted with shining stars.
At the times appointed.. by the seasons..
At the special occasions decided by the natural cycles of the planet.
of the earth, and the phases of the moon.
Based on the principles of the earth and the different stages of the moon.
In the center, often stood a woman,
In the middle, a woman of authority and significance was frequently present.
equal with the others, respected for her worth.
Judged based on merit and held in high esteem no less than anyone else.
One of the many.. we call the witches,
One of the many we know as witches.
the healers, the teachers, of the wisdom of the earth.
The masters of remedy and knowledge of the planet.
And the people grew in the knowledge she gave them,
And the people received and prospered through the enlightenment she offered.
herbs to heal their bodies, smells to make their spirits whole.
Herbs to cure their physical wounds, and fragrances to soothe their mental distress.
Hear them chanting healing incantations,
Listen to them singing enchantments for healing.
calling for the wise ones, celebrating in dance and song...
Requesting guidance from the sage ones and relishing in the music and steps.
(...Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali... Inanna... repeat x2)
(...The names of Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Hindu goddesses are being chanted... Repeat twice.)
There were those that came to power, through domination.
Some people established their reigns by controlling others.
They were bonded in their worship of a dead man on a cross.
They were united by their devotion to a human who died on a cross.
They sought control of the common people,
They aspired to govern the ordinary folks.
by demanding allegiance to the church of Rome.
By commanding loyalty to the Roman Catholic Church.
And the Pope, he commenced the inquisition,
The Pope launched the Inquisition.
As a war against the women, whose powers they feared.
As a battle against women, who they were frightened of because of their abilities.
In this holocaust, in this age of evil,
During this genocide, in this epoch of wickedness,
Nine million European women, they died.
9 million European women lost their lives.
And the tale is told, of those who by the hundreds,
And the story is recounted of those, who in hundreds,
holding hands together, chose their deaths in the sea.
Joining hands tightly, voluntarily preferred death by drowning.
While chanting the praises of the Mother Goddess,
Simultaneously, glorifying the Mother Goddess through songs.
a refusal of betrayal, women were dying to be free.
Rather than betraying their beliefs, women died to gain freedom.
(...Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Kali... Inanna... repeat x2)
(...The names of Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Hindu goddesses are being chanted... Repeat twice.)
Now the earth is a witch, and we still burn her.
Presently, we still burn the earth as if it is a witch.
Stripping her down with mining, and the poison of our wars.
Depleting her resources with mining and the pollution of our battles.
Still to us, the earth is a healer, a teacher, and a mother.
Yet still, for us, the earth is a doctor, educator, and parent.
A weaver of a web of light, that keeps us all alive.
A spinner of a beam of energy that keeps us all breathing.
She gives us the vision to see through the chaos.
She bestows within us the perception to see past confusion.
She gives us the courage, it is our will to survive.
She grants us the bravery, it is up to us to endure.
(Repeat Goddess chant x4)
(Repeat the singing of the names of female deities four times.)
Contributed by Kayla R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@nancydroll6523
My Dad used to say that people
Fear that which they do not understand, but that knowledge was power. He also cautioned me knowledge used without foresight was irresponsible and that we must always look to the mistakes of histories past to correct the mistakes in the path of our futures. To all my fellow Practitioners, Peace be with you and yours in this New Year and Blessed Be
@swampwitch6133
Sadly we are on a path to repeat our past because humanity is too foolish and stubborn to learn from it and the violence, hate and bigotry continue and spread. I pray every day that the world will wake up and see what is happening hoping things will change. I know sadly it will likely never happen but I do pray that one day this planet will find peace in all of humanity. ~Brother Absalom
@sherylmac40
I agree with your father.
@waynestansfield9837
My mom always said that I found out what she was telling me when I messed around with some of the more darker side of magic
@emeraldbandit
When I first heard this song I was very surprised that christy wrote this song being a christian himself as you dont hear this to often but he did a beautifull job with it. As for your comment Nancy of what your dad said about history ive always believed the same comment personally. You need to learn of the mistakes of the past to understand them and not make those mistakes in the future. Unfortunately its a lesson not well known or practiced in todays modern world
@ozzmiller1462
to all that follow the ancient pathways 'blessed be '
@emmccord398
Blessed Be
@Raven-vv8bl
Blessed Be )O(
@odaxbi
to all those who follow any pathway, be blessed (I do not discriminate :) )
@lulabelle7038
ozz miller blessed be