If you would like to offer a song for the Order of the White Shell website:
Order of the White Shell, North Direction Order.
Songs are to be sung in one of your lineage's native tongues - European languages. If you can, do it in the oldest language possible if that is available that would be great, yet make sure that you can get the real pronunciation of the words down. Granted it may not be perfect but work at doing the best job you can. Proto-Celtic is a bit of a made up language. Don't just pronounce these languages any old way. If you don't know how it sounds, go to a later language where you can figure it out.
We are not accepting songs in English unless it is old English which is a totally different from current English. You can do those.
Do research to make sure the pronunciation as close as you can get it.
If you are Russian or part Russian, do songs in Russian or old Russian for example, or Finnish, etc do songs in Finnish. If you are part many things, feel free to run the Gamete doing songs from your different lineages. Just don't combine them into one song. One language per song.
Few of these songs will be placed on Ancestors Youtube Channel but rather they will instead be placed on the White Shell channel. We need to get sufficient representation from all directions before putting any more indigenous European songs on Ancestors as we need a balance of all the directions on Ancestors.
We are not currently accepting non-languaged glossalialia based improvisational songs on our Order of the White Shell youtube. All songs must be indigenous European language based.
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Ancestors of the 4 Directions / and South Direction Order - Native Order
If you are Native and doing a Native song, we will put those songs on either Ancestors or the Southern branch, rather than oder of the White Shell Northern Branch which is European focused. Languages are to be actual accepted researched languages Native Languages that are your own real lineage, not "light languages or glossalalia." Native song singing that uses specific non-languaged words is the one exception to this but it does not apply to the Order of the White Shell songs and is only applicable to Named Elders in Ancestors for the time being / and Auntie Deborah / and Ava or real traditional songs that are being used by your clan using said words already. Auntie Deborah and Ava are are exceptions to these rules in the Native Category. All others, you must be Native to sing your own lineage's Native songs on our website and Youtube channels as we are an indigenous organization and we need to be aware of others and their feelings about appropriation. Please communicate with me if you are starting to prepare a song so I can make sure it fits into the parameters for the channel. Talk to GM Mari if there is an issue on any of this.
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Are you African or Asian, talk to me. The above also applies to you.
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Also remember, this is not a performance.
This is not about a singing contest but rather a singing to spirit so don't worry if you "can't sing" or you aren't a great singer or even off key.
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Directions on How to make videos:
Introduce your self with one sentence, the song with second sentence. This should be very brief.
Total time on the Videos can not exceed 3 minutes total / prefer 2:45 or less with all of lyrics, your introduction and everything in it so basically that is the largest Youtube video we will put on unless you are a designated Elder in Ancestors. Because of that, when preparing a song, I usually cut out the choruses that repeat and do two choruses max, plus 2 verses. Sometimes I cut out additional verses and just put in 2 or 3 verses max. Use a stopwatch to gauge song and how long it is taking. Leave time for lyrics to scroll at end.
Template: One can talk this script or put this in captions.
Hello my name is _______________ (use your regular name or (if you use spirit name must be in your lineage's indigenous language only and translated correctly, not in English). Ask someone that speaks that language.
This is a song in Old Finish called _______________ (title in indigenous language)
honoring the 2nd fall harvest.
Start singing song: (song should be under 2:30 / prefer 2 minutes max or less. Keep backing instrumentation to original indigenous instruments for that culture. Like reed flute or sometimes a frame drum or no instruments. Honestly there is no evidence of Irish or Scottish using frame drums in the old days but sometimes people need a beat. If that is the case, keep frame drums out of the picture. This should be as traditional as you can get it. Usually I use no instruments. Less is more. Please refrain from use of instruments from other cultures. If you are singing a Finish song, don't bring in clay flutes from Mexico or any other countries example. Penny whistles in Irish / Scottish music only as an example. Please no electronic keyboards.
Also you can record easily on zoom and just sit and sing it.
You can put written lyrics in English as a translation into the video following the singing of your song so people can understand what was said in song. I put lyrics in rolling script or a slide of written lyrics. We are keeping our talking to only introduction and to the song singing or just song singing. The silence with rolling lyrics keeps the song focused on the song. Remember, the total video time listed above includes written and scrolling lyrics.
For White Shell videos: Please attempt to not sing war / military songs or soldier songs or songs of forlorned Irish / Scottish I lost a man love songs if possible and keep it to more indigenous pre-colonial topics. Also it is suggested not to generally sing about Gods like Oden, Loki, Lugh, the Morgan etc. Exception is Mother Earth names / Element and Nature names like in Lithuania. Wrathful Gods with personalities would be best avoided. If you find a song you just really want to sing about any of what I just mentioned, let me know and we will look over it together. The reason for this is Ancestors is a group that does not focus on specific Gods, and also we are not into war, rape and pillage. If it is a song with Christian lyrics like Jesus and Mother Mary, it would be preferable to convert them to nature lyrics or Earth Mother or Creator or such if you could re-write them but few of us are able to re-write languages accurately so we don't know how to change the lyrics so perhaps keep to indigenous type folk songs in general.
Google translate may have pronunciation of some of your words if they are not in Gaelic or Irish or Old Norse, and instead Lithuanian / Romanian / Russian / Polish etc. and more. so that may sometimes be a reference for you to check out to get pronunciation. Otherwise this will be a bit of a research project, but you will learn a lot from it.
We prefer also for the time being that you select your own songs that haven't been covered by others on the channel so you have your own presence. There are songs all over the place out there on the internet so there won't be a problem there. Also we aren't doing song videos at this time just so others who come in can listen and memorize the songs and do their own versions of the songs. It's about your new research and interests and what songs you are carrying and why. Select songs that give meaning to your walk.
Have a great time researching. You can use GM Mari's videos and Sister Cynthia's videos as a template for how to structure your videos. Go to - ORDER of the WHITE SHELL facebook page to watch examples of how it's done. Please refer to these if there is any confusion about how much talking to do or where to fit the lyrics in the video, etc.
Of course this all goes without saying. If you have photographic or video images you would like to use, please try to pull them from real life or from free footage sites. Lastly, indigenous ways are sensitive to other indigenous peoples, so we suggest always erring on the side of restrained. You wouldn't catch an indigenous person who really identifies as such wearing see-through clothes or plunging necklines, tight pants or short dresses or doing racy dancing or staring into the camera as we keep our attention inward on spirit, not attracting attention or on broadcasting out to get another's approval so keep all videos respectful of other people's cultures who will be seeing you through the lens of indigenousness. Keep it simple and humble. Think of, what would you bring to ceremony if you were attending another clan's ceremony? Probably nothing, and you would be well covered. Also please watch your use of feathers etc and work with them only according to indigenous protocol. Ask yourself, how would an Indigenous Elder feel watching it back if there is any question. Better to keep all feathers and especially died ones, new age items, new age fans, beaded items, smudging items, crystals, glitter, symbols and indigenous artifacts out of videos. If there is any question, just wear respectful plain colored clothing and sing Acapulco with either no background or just a nature scene that is not a sacred site. It is important to Ancestors that we keep our protocol clean and aware of others and their feelings.
Looking forward to seeing and hearing your songs.
Sincerely
Grandmother,
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Mari Fix McEwen
Seanmhair, Seinneadair Bogha-froise Coille den Tùs