As … Read Full Bio ↴Orthodox Celts is an irish folk rock band from Belgrade, Serbia.
As a popular band playing Irish music, Orthodox Celts are practically unique not only in Serbia but in the whole of Southeastern Europe and further afield. Despite their unusual music, since their founding in 1993 they have been one of the most popular bands in Serbia. Their music led to a popularisation of Irish and Celtic music and other aspects of Irish and Celtic culture in Serbia, especially Guinness beer. The band members are fans of the Celtic F.C., and some of the band's fans are too.
The band started their career with traditional Irish songs and, gradually, introduced more and more of their own material (lyrics mostly by Aleksandar, music mostly by Ana). All their songs are in the English language (or as they say, in the Irish language), but the group has composed some purely instrumental songs as well. In addition, the band has released several videos.
The Orthodox Celts have had several tours and numerous concerts inside and outside of the country (including in the Sava Center, one of the largest concert halls in Serbia). It is already a tradition of theirs to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a large concert in Belgrade.
In all of the band's interviews, they state that their greatest desire is to tour Ireland!
Members:
* Aleksandar Petrović (aka Aca Seltik) - lead vocal
* Nikola Stanojević - violin
* Dejan Lalić - Irish tenor banjo, mandolin, octave mandola, guitar, Scottish bagpipes, jew's harp, back vocals
* Dusan Živanović - drums, percussion, bodhran, accordion, back vocals
* Dejan Grujić - bass, back vocals
* Vladan Jovković - guitar, back vocals
* Bojan Petrović - tin whistle, low whistle, back vocals
Bean Na Shi
Orthodox Celts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's never been young and she'll never grow old
She lives by the Shannon, the Liffey and the Lee
The sweet, swift, elusive Bean Na Shi
She rides a red roan when the moon winds are blowin'
Glides like a zephyr and sings like a harp
Beware of her anger, as sharp as a dagger
Chorus:
Bean Na Shi - my living fairytale
Bean Na Shi - my dream will never end
She lives in a bower, surrounded by flowers
Guarded around by wild bramble trees
I'm anxious to find her as I want to remind her
Of promise she made to me when I was three
Her name could be Aine, Blahin or Grainne
Nobody knows what her real name might be
But I'll take a gamble and brave the wild brambles
To come face-to-face with the Bean Na Sh
The lyrics of Orthodox Celts' song "Bean Na Shi" speak of a mystical woman who possesses an eternal youth and rides a red roan horse. She is said to live by the Shannon, the Liffey, and the Lee rivers and is known to have a fiery temper that can cause chaos and destruction. Despite her unpredictable nature, the singer of the song is entranced by her beauty and seeks to find her, reminding her of a promise she made to him when he was just three years old.
The song is a search for the elusive Bean Na Shi, who represents something mystical and unattainable. Her silver hair and golden eyes suggest a figure of great beauty, while the fact that she can never grow old gives her an otherworldly quality. The red roan she rides on a moonlit night and her ability to sing like a harp add to her sense of magic. However, the warning of her sharp temper and the danger it poses to the singer reiterates the sense that she is not entirely safe or predictable.
Overall, "Bean Na Shi" is a song of longing for something unattainable and mysterious. The woman in question is a figure of great beauty and enchantment, but her unpredictable nature suggests that she is not entirely benevolent. The song's lyrics evoke the otherworldly nature of Irish folklore and mythology, suggesting that the Bean Na Shi is a part of this rich tradition.
Line by Line Meaning
Her hair is like silver, her eyes are like gold
Describing the beauty of Bean Na Shi with her silver hair and golden eyes.
She's never been young and she'll never grow old
Bean Na Shi is an eternal being who doesn't age.
She lives by the Shannon, the Liffey and the Lee
Bean Na Shi resides by the three famous rivers of Ireland.
The sweet, swift, elusive Bean Na Shi
Bean Na Shi is a charming, fast, and hard-to-catch creature.
She rides a red roan when the moon winds are blowin'
Bean Na Shi travels on a red roan horse during windy nights.
Glides like a zephyr and sings like a harp
Bean Na Shi moves smoothly and sings delightfully.
Beware of her anger, as sharp as a dagger
Bean Na Shi's wrath can be as painful as a sharpened knife.
Splintering icicles into your heart
Her anger can hurt you deeply, even like cold ice.
Chorus:
The repetitive section of the song.
Bean Na Shi - my living fairytale
Bean Na Shi is a fairy-like creature, a magical being that feels very alive to the singer.
Bean Na Shi - my dream will never end
The singer's fascination with Bean Na Shi will never fade away.
She lives in a bower, surrounded by flowers
Bean Na Shi lives in a shelter adorned with flowers.
Guarded around by wild bramble trees
Her dwelling is protected by thorny vegetation.
I'm anxious to find her as I want to remind her
The singer desires to locate Bean Na Shi so he can remind her of a promise she made when he was a child.
Of promise she made to me when I was three
Bean Na Shi vowed something to the singer when he was only three years old.
Her name could be Aine, Blahin or Grainne
Bean Na Shi could be identified by any of these three names.
Nobody knows what her real name might be
Her true name remains a mystery to everyone.
But I'll take a gamble and brave the wild brambles
Despite the danger, the singer will take the risk and face the thorny thickets to search for Bean Na Shi.
To come face-to-face with the Bean Na Shi
The ultimate goal is to meet Bean Na Shi in person.
Contributed by Skyler T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
William Dusty
love getting down to my roots and this song is a good example plus it reminds me of my fiancé. thanks for posting
Jenn Lonhon
Njihov koncert u Podgorici mi je jadan od najboljih na koje sam bila <3 love em....
Gespenstergewitter
It's quite funny. As far as I know the Banshee is nothing different but she is the one that starts to show up if someone dies.
john Haughton
ok here it is as far as i know. Firstly the Sí are the little people, of the tuatha de Danann who were driven underground at a particular period in irish History by invaders. . The Lios Sí are the mounds where they live and you could find yourself there sometime if they invite you in. The Banshee is a keening woman. in the irish context she is associated with certain families and she is an individual who tells of a death about to happen in that family. In the Irish traditional wakes originally there were keening women who went to the wakes and provided keening for a dead person. They were professional keening women and the catholic church banned them as they wanted to control everything. So that happened after the death and not before hand in the case of the Beanshee. So the Banshee warned a family to which she was in some way connected of of a death. She was an individual being and diffferent from the Sí or the fairies of which there are many
RVM451
Well, according to the internet: Bean Sidhe; Bean Na Shi; Banshee and Bean Nighe all pretty much the same creature—though there are some differences in the Tales. I'm interested in knowing if this is an old song, or one written in modern times? It is a Remarkably Compact Fairy Tale set to a wonderful tune... And it sure could use a wee bit more exposition, or better yet, a sequel... What DID she Promise him? Did he ever find her? Then What happaned? .....RVM45
Lazar Gavrilović
Sorry for such an late reply. This is not an traditional song, Ortodox Celts writted it in the 90's, released 1999.
DaniloThePopa
Bean na sí, nema h u toj reci!
Admiral Mortig
You're thinking of a Bean Sidhe, Bean Na Shi is something else
Brother Relomi
you dont speak Irish, it's Bean Na Shi as well. It just means "Woman of Fairies." Bean Si is "Fairy Woman" and Bean Sidhe is "Hill Woman" as in the hills or tumuli that dot the Eire where the fairies are said to live. You should learn Irish, it's the real language of our people
Marvin the Maniac
How do Serbians know how to pronounce Gaelic??