Through their oral culture, the communities of the highlands and islands handed down their traditions of life and spirituality from generation to generation. The womenfolk, in their many different roles, were the guardians of power and wisdom in 'seeing', healing, blessing and cursing. Noragh Jones describes the centuries-old rhythms of work, living and dying through the chants, rites and traditions kept by women. She concludes that the rifts and strains in modern society are not to be resolved by escaping to the fringes, but by our conscious efforts to recover the old and deep insights of these womenfolk in our own lives. Their qualities of hospitality and conviviality, together with their daily celebration of the ordinary, have much to teach us in our modern urban communities.