Once We Were GiantsA Poem by Rick Puetter …Homage to Irish Folklore and the Tuatha Dé Danann …
Image of Cernunnos, the horned god, from the Pillar of the Boatmen, Museum of the Middle Ages, Paris. Licensed for use under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. Uploaded by ChrisO, June 4, 2004. The original image can be seen at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cernunnos.jpg. Once We Were Giants ”…Homage to Irish Folklore and the Tuatha Dé Danann …” Hear me now, oh Sons of hEireann1 Hear a story brave and true! This a tale of Fate and Fortune Hear me Sons of bless’d Danu2 Hear the words of I, Morfesa3 Druid Lord o’er Lia Fáil 4 Stand, I, here, in RaIth na Riogh5 On Tara6 High, in lightning gale This stormy night, come feel the wind blow! Through thunder claps, flow mists of Time! As steam from Dagda’s Cauldron7 rises Hear my tale--come heed my rhyme! For I have danced with antlered spirits!8 In fevered trance, in pale moon light And I have supped with ram-head serpents9 In moldy fens on drug-numbed nights! And through these bonds, I see the future-- See through Time’s mists to what shall be Look, I, now down generations-- See the acts the Fates decree. In future years there stands a Hero10-- Stands strong this issue of Danu! Nuada’s sword again shall Answer11-- Freagarthach again swing true! Oh, from the storm swept shores of Ulaid12 To Tara High near River Boyne Though seen through fog, our hist’ry rises! Immortal in Ledgers of Time! From cool, clean glen, so filled with flow’r! With singing brook and buzz of bee With call of hawk and blaze of sunset Hear my tale of what shall be! ‘Tis not a story that is gentle-- ‘Tis story of a warrior’s life ‘Tis story of sword, death, and glory ‘Tis story of a time of strife Oh can you feel the swell of Fortune!? Feel the Hand of High Danu? All Tuatha ‘ Danann listen! Hear this tale--not old, but new! **** **** Now from the times of The Beginning13-- Before our people claimed this land-- Then gods and savage giants ruled And blood did flow and stain the sands Brave Partholón14 sailed from the East And met Cichol at sad Magh Ithe15 And there he put Fomoiri16 down Their blood and life spilled on the heath Came Nemed17 from the Caspian In forty ships in neigh two years And sons would fall to Fomoiri And women cry, lakes burst18 with tears! Then Fir Bolg19 conquered fair Ériu20 And they were here when ‘ Danann came At Cath Magh Tuired21 foe was met A hand was lost--a kingly shame! Oh sing Our song, My People! Lift fife and voice--let whistle blow We burned our ships and sharpened sword22 What fate we faced, we didn’t know! **** **** ...about 250 AD... It was the dawn of Imbolc23-- The Cailleach24 ‘ never seen The springtime would be early With fragrant flow’r and hills of green The mists were in the meadows, Clouds’ shadow o’er the hills The sun was rising slowly The wind in forest ‘ still It was at this kind moment That boy discovered sword Blade flashing through brook’s waters A mighty boon from ‘ Ancient Lord In disbelief he stood there Upon the waters’ bank The water cold and painful As boy gripped weapon’s shank This was the Sword of Power Bore markings of his line The sword last held in hand of Lugh25 Then lost until this time The sword unmarred by weather The blade still held its sheen Imbued with godly powers Its edge still fresh and keen He’d take the sword to Luachra26 She’d train him in its arts He’d add this skill to what he knows As warrior leave these parts Oh can you see a purpose? This not some idle chance! The boy fulfills a destiny This not Fate’s random dance! **** **** The Child-King’s name was Cormac27 His seat was Tura28 High He held his trust in Cu Chulainn29 The Hound30 with sky-blue eyes! The challenge came from Lochlin31 The northern army near The call to Finn, it had been made The weather cold and clear Oh, see His ships with wind filled Oh, see their white, fair as His hair!32 He sails to preserve freedom-- To save Eirinn, the fair! The sons Éiru33 met Lochlin Upon the battle field The mid-day sun watched over head And glinted off their shields ‘ Chulainn did show so bravely Fierce Master of the Car34 His face was grim, his spear was sharp His name known well afar Oh, ships from Caledonia35 White dots on azure blue You sail to save our people-- May winds be fast and true The battle would go badly As prophesy decreed The ghost of Crugal36 warned our Lord Advice he wouldn’t heed The sons Éiru were routed Lords falling as they fled The Noble Hound forced underground To watch while others bled Oh, see the ships of Fingal37 They land upon the shore! As Lochlin turns to meet Him The hopes of Éiru soar The Spear of Trenmor38 in his hand The sword of Lugh39 held high The sun was blinding off his helm The sight brought tear to eye This was the end of Lochlin They wouldn’t last the day But gracious Lord would spare their King And send him on his way40 Oh, see His ships with wind filled Oh, see their white, fair as His hair! Brave Finn sails home to Caledon’ He saved Eirinn, the fair! **** **** Some years had passed and Cormac grew ‘Though still a lad was he And though kind peace did seem at hand Such peace just wouldn’t be As Finn was home in Caledon’ The time it seemed was right So Cairbar41, son of Fir Bolg King Killed Cormac Samhain42 night Oh, hear this tale, my gentle son, Be quiet and be still Finn sleeps, He sleeps so peacefully Beneath Sidhe’s43 verdant Hills But Cormac’s line was Finn’s line44 And Cormac rightful King So Fingal called his men to war To Eirinn order bring On Beltaine45 Day, Finn sailed his ships At nightfall he arrived But Cairbar had prepared for him Had Cathmor46 at his side In forests deep, on Western Isles Under the mists, He sleeps And cloud and storm pass over Him No knowledge of world keeps And Cairbar called to Oscar47 fair The son of Ossian To join him in a Beltaine feast But planned to murder him And Oscar came and feasted there An argument ensued And knifes were drawn and floor was cleared As warriors now would feud Finn sleeps, He sleeps so peacefully In ’ land of the Faery48 And there remains forever young49 In ‘ land of the Banshee50 When Finn arrived, grandson was dead And Ossian enraged Son’s body charged to Chief of Bards To take to Morven51 grave And Cairbar, too, was lying dead Was slain by Oscar’s blade The Fir Bolg forces now dropped back To Lubar52 river’s glades And there He waits, my gentle son-- Until that Time, He sleeps ‘Till Ireland shall call His name Our Land, its peace to keep The morning comes, command is passed To Gaul, son of Morni And Finn will watch the battle fray ‘Neath high-hill willow tree53 The battle was so furious It lasted all the day On both the sides strong heroes fell No army giving sway And on that day, my gentle son Finn and ‘ Gods shall arise Fianna54 ride from under Hill And Sidhe fill countryside The second day, battle begins But Gaul has wounded hand Because by random arrow pierced Lead goes to Fillian55 So fearsome is his princely rage He puts Fir Bolg to flight So Cathmor does descend his hill This Kingly youth to fight And They’ll fulfill, then, all our needs And bless us with Their aid And Ireland, again, my son Shall stand strong, unafraid Finn seeing this, he gives the call Dispatches Ossian But he can’t reach the lad in time So sadly loses son Finn mourns that night o’er his grandson At the rock of Cormul56 And grandson’s spirit comes to him Now Cathmor he must duel But till that day, He’ll sleep, my son Yet be you not afraid For Finn still guards all Ireland And always will give aid The next day Finn, he crashes shield57 With cries, he shakes his spear Lord Finn, his screams with fury spit In Cathmor raising fear On Lubar’s banks the two Kings fight In mist, obscured to eye58 Their weapons clash, the warriors grunt And then a final sigh Finn sleeps, He sleeps, my gentle son Beneath Sidhe’s verdant Hills And there He sleeps, forever young Awaiting Ireland’s will And from the mists, Finn walked forth weak Still whole, but with spear raised “Oh, take the spear of Trenmor, son No more I’ll seek such praise”59 And Ossian took Finn’s strong arm And pulled his father near The field was won that happy day Now Eirinn freed from fear **** **** ...present day... Oh yes, my son, once we were Giants A race of Gods--Giants of Men And long before the Christians landed We lived and prayed in cool, clean glen With very soul of world within us We heard the talking of the trees We heard the spirits of the waters And heard gods speak in buzz of bees We relished life, but fought wars bravely We honored skill and poetry We knew our lives could end so quickly We held friends close like family And all our names we’ve passed down bravely-- We’ve passed them down through centuries And all our stories like life cherished Bold tales once whispered in the breeze So sleep, my son, and dream of glory! Go dream of Finn and the Faery And when you wake on morrow’s morning I’ll sing more song of what shall be…
Picture of the Lia Fáil (©2012 Richard Puetter, All rights reserved), The Stone of Destiny--see notes below--on Tara Hill, the seat of the High Kings of Ireland. Photographer: Rick Puetter. The Lia Fáil is at the center of the hill and Raith na Riogh, the Royal Enclosure, the ditch fortifying the hill. In the poem, through his rituals with antlered spirits, ram-headed serpents, and the Lia Fáil, the Druid Lord Morfesa was able to see the coming of Finn McCool as a champion of his people in the 2nd century AD, nearly two millennia in the future. I was lucky enough to visit Tara in September of 2012. What a pleasure! ©2011 Richard Puetter All rights reserved
Notes: First, one must realize that Irish mythology is very complicated in that it is varied and inconsistent. It is not at all like Greek mythology, for example. This is probably because of Ireland's violent early history with invasion after invasion, and the loss of written records. So this is much “looser stuff”. That being said, it is a wonderful place to play around with stories, and I will take some liberties with what is commonly held to be so. However, this is in the finest tradition of Irish folklore. The Poetical works of Ossian (Oisin), for example, which was Fionn Mac Cumhaill’s son, was most likely completely made up by James MacPherson, the person who supposedly “discovered” this work. And this is in keeping with the Christians that later came to Ireland and attempted to undermine the Irish folk beliefs by providing a genealogy of the Irish people, showing how they are direct descendants of Noah--see the Annals of the Fours Masters. So I’m picking and choosing, too, and making things up here and there--reader be warned. I’ll try to point this out when I do so, but I’m sure those versed in the history of ancient Ireland will not have trouble seeing through this. In writing the poem, I could have chosen from a wealth of surviving texts from the time of the Tuatha Dé Danann--see below, or the time of Finn McCool, the hero of this piece. However, here is what I have done. The beginning of the piece is based on general myths of Ireland. The second section is based on The Book of Invasions, and The Annals of the Four Masters. The third section is completely made up by me. The central fourth and fifth sections are based on “The Book of Fengal” and “The Book of Tremora” in “The Poetical Work of Ossian”, which is also probably all made up, this time by MacPherson. These are the longest sections of the poem. They are probably also the most heroic, and hence the attraction in using this material. The last, sixth section, is again made up by me. I will let the reader judge for himself/herself if I have hit the mark and held the standard high enough to do honor to these wonderful legends. Now to the notes, I hope you find this topic as interesting as I do. Best regards, Rick 1hEireann--Ancient Ireland, later written as “Erin” in nineteenth century poetry and by Irish nationalists, the later being derived from “Eirinn”, the dative case of the Irish word for Ireland , "Éire”, which comes from Eriu, a descendant of Nuada. 2Danu--The Goddess of the “Tuatha Dé Danann”, the People of Danu, the fifth group of people recorded in the “Annals of the Four Masters” to have invaded Ireland. Danu is a River Goddess, and was brought with the Proto-Indo-European people that invaded Ireland. Indeed, there is a water Goddess by the name of Danu mentioned in the Rig Veda. The river names the Danube (Latin: Danuvius), Dniestr, Dniepr and Don probably all derive from the name of this Goddess, as these people migrated from India, moved across Europe, and finally arrived in Ireland. The following is a chronology from the Annals of the Four Masters, based on reign-lengths given in Seathrún Céitinn's Forus Feasa ar Erinn. Nuada's original reign lacks a precise start date.
3Morefesa was one of the four “Druids of Danu”, each associated with one of the four cities of the “Tuatha Dé Danann”, the people of Danu. Morfesa was from the city of Falias. The other druids were Esras from Gorias, Semias from Murias, and Uiscias from Findias. Each of the cities in turn were associated with one of the four treasures of the Tuatha Dé: (1) the Lia Fáil, the “Stone of Truth”, or the “Stone of Destiny”, from Falias, (2) The “Gáe Assail” (Spear of Lugh) from Gorias, (3) the “Cauldron of Dagda”, from Murias, and (4) the sword “Freagarthach” or "Answerer", which was the sword of Nuada, which was also wielded by the sea god Manannán Mac Lir and the god of light, Lugh or Lug. Lugh was the new champion of the Tuatha Dé Dannan, taking Nuada’s place and sword since Nuada had lost his hand/arm. When Nuada fell in the battle to Balor of the Evil (or Poisonous) Eye in the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh, Lugh took kingship over the Tuatha Dé Dannan after he killed Balor in single combat. 4Lia Fáil--The “Stone of Truth” or the “Stone of Destiny”. This stone was moved to the Hill of Tara, the seat of the High Kings (Árd Rib a hEireann), a hill near the River Boyne, until the 6th century. Legend has it that if a person being proclaimed King was worthy of the office, the stone would scream out his name for all of Ireland to hear. 5RaIth na Riogh--The fort of the High Kings on the Hill of Tara. This is also known as the “Royal Enclosure”. 6Tara, or the Hill of Tara, situated near the River Boyne in County Meath, was the seat of the High Kings of Ireland, with lordship over all of Ireland. This was unusual in early time since Ireland’s Kings very generally regional, despite what one might read in the Irish tradition, which was probably made up in the 8th century AD to suit the needs of special interest groups. The early Kings in Ireland were sacral in nature, i.e., the Kings were considered to have “married the land”, were expected to enforce symbolic duties and avoid taboos, and it is now thought that Tara was really a site of sacral Kingship ritual rather than the seat of High Kings. The Kings of the Ulster Cycle were sacral Kings, and most of the current poem centers in Ulster (northeast Ireland), Tory Island (northwest Ireland), and Caledonia (southwest Scotland, northeast across the sea from Ulster). There is archeological evidence that the Hill of Tara had significance even before the Celtic period. For example, the “Mound of the Hostages” on Tara seems to date at least to the Neolithic period 5000 years ago and has short passages that are aligned with sunset on the true astronomical cross-quarter days of November 8 and February 4, the Celtic festivals of Samhain and Imbolc--see below. 7Dagda’s Cauldron was one of four relics of the Tuatha Dé Dannan"see note 3. It never was empty of food. Dagda, or “The Dagda”, was one of the most powerful of the early Lords of the Tuatha Dé Dannan. He was also called the “Good God” (he is also known as Eochaid Ollathair, or "All-father"). At least according to some genealogies he was the son of Danu and Blié (in some genealogies his father is Elatha, in others his mother is Ethlinn), and brother to Nuada and Dian Créht. He became a High King of Ireland after his brother, Nuada, lost his hand--see below. He was father of the goddess Brigit (also Brigid, Brighid, Bridget, and Bride). The name means the “exalted one”. Brigit was a goddess of light"can you see the root of the word “bright” in her name? More on her below. Her name is also at the root of the word “bride”. 8Antlered Spirits are a common theme in Celtic artifacts. The famous Gundestrup Cauldron (Denmark, 1st century CE), for example, prominently displays an antlered spirit (holding a ram-head serpent--see below) as does the Pillar of the Boatmen (discovered near Paris, early 1st century CE). The name of Cernunnos is the Celtic name given to this commonly depicted antlered god. 9Ram-head serpents appear three times on the Gundestrup Cauldron and commonly appear together with Cernunnos, the antlered god, in Romano-Celtic Gaul. Interestingly, the horned serpent is also found in North American Indian art. 10The future hero, as the reader shall discover, is Finn McCool (modern spelling) or Fionn Mac Cumhaill (ancient spelling), also Fingal in “The Poetical Works of Ossian”. Finn (or Fionn), actually is not his real name, but a nickname that means “fair”, “white” or “bright”. It is thought that Finn might have had prematurely white hair. I think you can see the root of the word “fine” in Finn’s name. Finn was the son of Cumhaill Mac Baiscne, the leader of a band of fighting men, The Fianna, and Muirne, daughter of the druid Tadg Mac Nuadat, and the great granddaughter of Nuada"not the Nuada that was the first King of the Tuatha Dé Dannan. Finn lived in the 2nd century AD, about 250 before the arrival of St. Patrick and the Christians (~5th century AD). This is a different Nuada, named after the first one. So this is many, many generations later. The first Nuada died around 1800 BC to 1400 BC, depending on the chronology used, i.e., at least 1600 years before Finn lived. Tadg was against a marriage to Cumhaill. But the couple was in love and Cumhaill swept Muirne away. Angered, Tadg appealed to the High King, Conn of the hundred Battles. Conn outlawed Cumhaill and a battle was fought at Cnucha, and Goll Mac Morna, a rival of Cumhaill’s, was able to kill Cumhaill as Cumhaill had been magically weakened by Tadg. However, Muirne was already pregnant with Finn, whom she named Deimne at birth. Tadg enraged by Muirne’s pregnancy, wanted his daughter burned, but Conn would not allow it and put Muirne under the protection of Fiacal Mac Conchinn, whose wife, Bodhmall, the druidess, was Cumhall's sister. Bodhmal and Liath Luachra, a warrior woman, raised Finn in his youth in the forest of Sliabh Bladma. Note that there are two people with this name prominent in history at this time with this name. The other was a man and a member of the Fianna. There are lots of stories involving Finn, including different versions of his death. The Annals of the Four Masters say that Finn was killed by Aichleach using darts. In some of the stories he never died, but merely sleeps in Sidhe (pronounced “Shee”), awaiting to awake and come to Ireland’s aid in its hour of need. This is the part of the legend that I have adopted here. Indeed, this idea is not unique to me, and in regards to James Joyce’s novel, “Finnegan’s Wake”, it has been speculated that the title is an allusion to the phrase “Finn Again Wakes”, and Fionn Mac Cumhaill appears in the novel several times. Finally I should also mention that there are lots of stories about Finn as a Giant. For example, there is the story of how Finn built the Giant’s Causeway (Clochán an Aifir or Clochán na bhFómharach) to reach Scotland on foot to battle with his counterpart Scottish Giant Benandonner. If you’re not familiar with the Giant’s Causeway, I encourage you to look it up. It is an amazing natural wonder of hexagonal columns of Basalt from the Paleogene era, covering 0.7 square km in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Ireland. It is now an UNESCO World Heritage Site. “Fingal's Cave” is a structure from the same ancient lava flow that formed the Giant’s Causeway and has similar hexagonal columns. It is located on the uninhabited island of Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, part of a National Nature Reserve owned by the National Trust for Scotland. 11Nuada’s sword, Freagarthach, or Answerer (also the “Sword of Light”, probably more associated with when Lugh wielded the sword since he was the God of Light) was one of the Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Dannan, coming from the city of Findias. There is so much to explain here. At least according to one genealogy, Nuada Airgetlám (silver hand/arm), was the son of Danu and Blié, and brother to The Dagda and Dian Créht. Nuada was the King of the Tuatha Dé Dannan when they came to Ireland and fought with the Fir Bolg--see below. In that first battle, Cath Maige Tuired, Nuada lost his hand (perhaps even a more significant portion of his arm) to Sreng, the Fir Bolg champion. Because at the time High Kings could only be King if there were perfect in body, Nuada had to give up his Kingship. Bres, a half-Fomorian, took over the kingship. While Bres was known for his physical beauty and intelligence, he was a horrible King with strong allegiances to the Fomorians. Bres (husband to Brigid) imposed tributes on the Tuatha Dé Dannan to the Fomorians and disrespected the lords of the Tuatha Dé Dannan, forcing Ogma (son of The Dagda and Danu) to carry firewood and The Dagda (note: according to this genealogy, Dagda slept with his mother to produce Ogma) to dig trenches. With all these indignities, the people were very upset with Bres. So the great healer Dian Créht, Nuada’s brother, and the Wright Creidhne, made a silver hand (arm) for Nuada. Being now “perfect” in body, Nuada could once again be King. Later, Dian Créht’s son, Miach, would magically grow skin over the silver hand. Nuada ruled for an additional 20 years, an amazingly long time for Kings of this time, a few years being typical. Nuada’s death came because of Bres. He finally persuaded the Fomorian King, Balor of the Evil Eye to attack Nuada. Not having a hand, Nuada’s champion was Lugh (son of Danu and Dian Créht, i.e., he was Nuada’s nephew, but you know Danu cannot really be the mother of all these people). In the second battle of Magh Tuired, Nuada was beheaded by Balor, who was in turn killed by Lugh Lamfada (Lugh of the “Long Arms”, also Lugh Samildánach--“Skilled in all Arts”) and the battle was finally won by the Tuatha Dé Dannan and Lugh became King. Much of this story, as in most of the early chronology of Ireland comes from the Annals of the Four Masters. Here is the entry that deals with the first battle of Magh Tuired: From the translation of the Annals of the Four Masters (http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100005A/) with some of my notes in italic: “The Age of the World, 3303 (This time is supposedly since the creation of the world and was added by the “Four Masters” who were Monks). M3303.1 The tenth year of the reign of Eochaidh, son of Erc; and this was the last year of his reign, for the Tuatha De Dananns came to invade Ireland against the Firbolgs; and they gave battle to each other at Magh Tuireadh, in Conmaicne Cuile Toladh, in Connaught, so that the King Eochaidh, son of Erc, was killed, by the three sons of Neimhidh, son of Badhrai, of the Tuatha De Dananns; Ceasarb, Luamh, and Luachra, their names. The Firbolgs were vanquished and slaughtered in this battle. Moreover, the hand of Nuadhat (this is Nuada), son of Eochaidh, son of Edarlamh (the king who was over the Tuatha De Dananns), was cut off in the same battle. The aforesaid Eochaidh was the last king of the Firbolgs. Nine of them had assumed kingship, and thirty seven years was the length of their sway over Ireland.” 12Ulaid is the ancient name for Ulster. 13I made the beginning chronology fuzzy in my poem since the early chronology in the Annals of the Fours Masters, was written by Christian monks with a strong motivation to dismiss the Irish people’s belief in the Celtic gods. So consequently they gave the Irish people a genealogy that comes directly from Noah before the big flood. So unfortunately, their true early history if ever records was lost. Indeed, it is uncertain just how much of the early chronology (and genealogy) was made up by these Christian monks. 14According to the Lebor Gabala (The Book of Invasions), Partholón and his people were the second group of people to arrive in Ireland. Before him, supposedly, was Cessair, the first leader of Ireland’s people. She was the daughter of Noah’s (from the Old Testament Bible) son, Bith. When Noah denied Bith a place in the Arc, Bith and his people escaped the flood in a ship and supposedly arrived in Ireland. All of these people died in the flood except for Fintan, who turned into a salmon. Later he eventually returned to human form and was able to tell his people’s story. In another story Fintan is the name of the “Salmon of Knowledge” that druid and poet Finn Eces (or Finnegas) was trying to catch and eat in the river Boyne. Finn Eces was one of the Finn’s teachers, and when Finn Eces finally caught the salmon and Finn cooked it, Finn burnt he thumb on the fish and instinctively put his thumb in his mouth. From thereafter Finn could always tap into great knowledge by sucking on his thumb. After Partholón, came Nemed, then the Fir Bolgs, and finally the Tuatha Dé Danann, which would eventually come to be the gods and goddesses of the ancient Celts. According to the Lebor Gabala, Partholón arrived in Ireland about 300 years after the flood. The Partholónians brought the plough and oxen to Ireland and brewed the first beer. Unfortunately they were all wiped out by a plague after 300 years in Ireland. 15Cichol was a Fomorian King that battled with Partholón and was defeated in the battle Magh Ithe, the first recorded battle in Ireland dated to 2071 BC FFE in Seathrún Céitinn's chronology Forus Feasa ar Erinn. From the Annals of the Four Masters: “In this year the first battle was fought in Ireland; i.e. Cíocal Grigenchosach, son of Goll, son of Garbh, of the Fomorians, and his mother, came into Ireland, eight hundred in number, so that a battle was fought between them and Partholón's people at Sleamhnai Maighe Ithe, where the Fomorians were defeated by Partholón, so that they were all slain. This is called the battle of Magh Ithe.” 16Fomoiri, Fomorians, or Fomoire, are ancient Irish people that lived in Tory Island, i.e., the north-west portion of Ireland, directly west of Ulster (north-east Ireland). It is thought that they were resident in Ireland when both the Partholónians and the Nemedians arrived in Ireland. They are considered semi-divine and to have preceded the gods. One curiosity is that while both Partholón and Nemed encountered the Fomorians when they came to Ireland, they apparently were not there when the Fir Bolg invaded. They appear again later, however. 17Nemed (which means “holy” or “Blessed”) came from the Caspian and his story is described in the Book of Invasions. He was the son of Agnoman, a Scythian, arriving in Ireland 2350 BC AFM (Annals of the Four Masters), or 1731 BC FFE (Seathrún Céitinn's Forus Feasa ar Erinn) with his four sons and his wife who would die shortly (12 days) after landing. Several of his sons would also fall to the Fomorians. Ireland was empty for 30 years after the plague killed all the Partholónians when the Nemedians landed. They had sailed for a year and a half in 44 ships, but supposedly lost all of the ships but one. 18Lakes Bursting, is a puzzling event reported numerous times in the early history of Ireland. It basically means a lake appearing suddenly and out of nowhere. It often happened when someone died"hence my “lakes burst with tears” reference. It happened, for example, supposedly at the burial of Annind, one of Nemed’s sons. Nemed, himself, finally died of the plague nine years after arriving in Ireland. Two hundred and seven years after Nemed’s death, a battle between the Fomorians and the Nemedians occurred on Tory Island, where the Nemedians attacked Conand, a Fomorian King, with 60,000 men, destroying Conand’s Tower and killing all his family. But Morc, another Fomorian King, retaliated in a great battle and the sea swallowed all of the Nemedians except a single ship, which then fled Ireland. 19The Fir Bolg arrived after the Nemedians and they were the dominant group when the Tuatha Dé Dannan arrived in Ireland. Why there are no reported encounters/battles with the Fomorians at this time is a bit of a mystery. The Fir Bolg probably came from England and/or Gaul, although there is some dispute about this, with some saying they descended from the Nemedians. 20Ériu is an ancient name for Ireland. Ériu was goddess of Ireland and the daughter of Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann. 21Cath Magh Tuired refers here to the first battle between the Fir Bolg and the Tuatha Dé Danann. In this first battle the Tuatha Dé Danann were victorious over the Fir Bolg because of their technologically superior weapons, but their King, Nuada, lost his right hand (perhaps his arm). 22The Tuatha Dé Danann burned their ships when they arrived in Ireland so they would be forced to face the challenges that lay ahead. 23Imbolc (also St. Brigid’s Day) is a feast day celebrated on February 1st (the original date) or 2nd (the Christian church changed this to the celebration of Candlemass on this date) to commemorate the coming of spring. It falls halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. It is also associated with Groundhog Day, with related superstitions--see note 24, below. Imbolc is one of the cross-quarter days, signifying the change of season, which was so important in Celtic culture. The other three cross-quarter days are Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain. Beltane and Samhain are also mentioned in this poem--see below. As mention above (St. Brigid’s Day), this day is associated with the Irish goddess Brigid, Brigit, Brighid, Bridget, and/or Bride. This is where the English word “Bride” comes from. Bride is the goddess of the white wand. She breathes life into dead winter. She is the “Exalted one”. She is the daughter of The Dagda, but some scholars trace her name back to the Vedic Sanskrit word brihati as being associated with the divine. This would be consistent with the goddess Danu being mentioned in the Rig Veda. There are many stories dealing with Imbolc (also see note 24). In one story on the eve of Imbolc, the Cailleach journeys to a magical isle and to the Well of Youth. At dawn, she drinks its waters and is transformed into Bride, whose white wand turns the earth green with spring. Another tells how Bride is girl kept prisoner by the Cailleach all winter only to be rescued by the Cailleach’s son who elopes with her. 24The Cailleach is the “old hag” of Celtic tradition. She is the “Old Woman of Winter”. On the day of Imbolc if see is seen wandering the land, looking for firewood, then the winter will be long and she will need the firewood to keep warm. However if she is not seen wandering the land, then she is asleep, knowing that winter will be short and she will not need firewood. So this is very similar to our Groundhog Day myth. 25Lugh was the hero selected by Nuada and inherited Nuada’s sword, Freagarthach. After Nuada was beheaded by Balor of the Evil Eye, the Fomorian King at the second battle of Magh Tuired, Lugh killed Balor. Lugh is known by many epithets: Lámhfhada (long arm"we was an expert with the sling and spear), putting out Balor’s Evil Eye, Ildánach (skilled in many arts), Samhildánach (equally skilled in many arts), Lonnbeimnech (fierce striker) and Macni (boy hero). Lugh's father is Dian Créht of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and his mother is Ethniu, daughter of Balor, of the Fomorians--yes, Lugh would eventually kill his grandfather, Balor, and there is a long story wrapped around this as Balor heard a prophesy that a grandson would kill him and he took strong measures to assure this wouldn’t happen. He failed, of course. In the Ulster Cycle, Lugh is also father to Cu Chulainn--see below, who is probably the most famous and revered hero of Ireland. Note, however, that Lugh’s time and Cu Chulainn’s time are over 1000 years apart. But then again, Gods can do anything, can’t they! Lugh’s sling rod (“Lugh’s chain”) was the rainbow and the Milky Way. He also had a magic spear, Areadbhar was alive with blood lust and could only be controlled by keeping its head in an opiate draught of poppy seeds. Lugh is the god of light, and words containing Lu have been associated with the sun and sun gods for thousands of years. Here I should also discuss Finn’s sword. In my poem I am suggesting that he finds and will use Nuada’s sword, Freagarthach, or Answerer. However this is made up by me to give extra romance to the tale. Finn had his own sword, which in its own right was famous. His sword was mac Luinn, meaning the “son of Lon”, which through Ossianic stories is the name of the smith who served the King of Lochlin (Norway / Scandinavia). There are other names for Finn’s sword as well, e.g., Craeb glasach, Craebghlasach, and Craobh. 26Luachra, or more completely Liath Luachra, meaning the “Gray of Luachra” is actually the name of two people mentioned in the Fenian Cycle. One is a warrior woman. The other is a member of the Fianna, Finn’s group of fighting men. This reference is to the Amazon-like female. Luachra, was the person that trained Finn in the fighting arts when he was a boy--see note 10. 27This section of the poem deals with the happenings in the “Book of Fingal” in “The Poetical Works of Ossian” by MacPherson. In this poem, Cormac was the child High King of Ireland. Also note that in this poem Finn has been renamed to Fingal. 28Tura High was the castle of Cormac in Ulster. Do not confuse this with Tara, which is not in Ulster. 29Cu Chulainn was the leader of Cormac’s armies. He is probably the most famous of all Irish heroes, even more famous than Finn. However, in MacPherson’s book, Cu Chulainn takes a reduced roll and fame relative to Finn. Also note that he has been renamed again as well, and goes by the name of Cuthullin. He was the son of Lugh. 30The word “Hound” refers directly to Cu Chulainn as the word “Cu” means “hound”. His real name is Setanta. He gained his more well know name when as a youth he killed the giant guard dog of Chulainn and offered to take its place until the dog could be replaced. So Cu Chulainn literally means the “Hound of Chulainn”. Using “Cu” as a name was rather common in early Ireland, presumable because of Cu Chulainn’s fame. 31Lochlin refers to Norway. 32As you may recall from above, perhaps Finn had prematurely white hair. This is a reference to this, i.e., that the sails of his ships are as white as his hair. 33Eiru is another name for Ireland. 34Car is the word for chariot in ancient Ireland, and Cu Chulainn was supposedly a master at warfare from a chariot. The history of the chariot is in itself fascinating. Simple ox carts were the precursors to chariots and date from 3000 BC in Mesopotamia, and were used for warfare in the Bronze and Iron Ages, with armor being provided by shields. A chariot of war or of triumph was called a “car”. The earliest, fully developed chariots come from the Proto-Indo-Iranian culture in modern Russia and Kazakhstan circa 2000 BC. According to Wikipedia, “The word "chariot" comes from Latin carrus, which itself was a loan from Gaulish. The Celts were famous for their chariots and the English word “car” is most likely derived, via Latin carrum, from Gaulish karros. Celtic chariots were probably drawn by two horses. Chariots play an important role in Irish mythology and are particularly associated with Cu Chulainn. 35Caledonia is the south-west portion of Scotland. There was tremendous trade and travel between Caledonia and Ulster throughout the history of Ireland. In “The Poetical Works of Ossian”, Finn lived in Caledonia. 36Crugal is one of the Irish heroes kill in battle that appears to Connal, a minor King, but a trusted friend of Cu Chulainn. Crugal foretold of the defeat of the Irish armies by Swaran, King of Lochlin. However, as a matter of principle Cu Chulainn would not make the first offer of peace. Even in defeat, Cu Chulainn would not yield, but stated that he would rather die. And Swaran in victory did not give the Irish, or Cu Chulainn an easy surrender, offering unacceptable terms, i.e., Cu Chulainn must give up his dog and wife to Swaran’s pleasure. 37Fingal, as already explained, was the name of Finn in “The Poetical Works of Ossian”, by MacPherson. 38Trenmor was the great-grandfather of Finn and the spear of Trenmor and the shield of Trenmor are mentioned repeatedly in “The Poetical Words of Ossian” by MacPherson. At the end of the book of Temora, in “The Poetical Works of Ossian”, Finn gives up Trenmor’s mighty spear to Ossian, thus passing the power of rule to his son as he now intends to rest out the remainder of his days, being so tired of warfare. 39The sword of Lugh is, as you’ll recall, really the sword of Nuada. It was passed onto Lugh after Nuada lost his hand in the First battle of Magh Tuired. Lugh being a god of light, the sword of Nuada, wielded by Lugh took on the name “The sword of Light”. Also see note 25. 40Finn spared Swaran, the King of Lochlin after Finn’s bard, Ullin, sings "The Song of Peace”. Sparring Swaran’s life came partly because his great-grandfather had numerous exploits in Lochlin (Norway) and had married Inibaca, the daughter of the King of Lochlin, who was an ancestor to Swaran. This, plus the fact that Swaran was the brother to Agandecca, with who Finn was in love as a youth, made Finn have mercy. So Finn let Swaran leave provided he never returned to Ireland with a mind towards war. 41This portion of the poem deals with the happenings of the “Book of Temora” from “The Poetical Works of Ossian”. Cairbar, was the son of one of the dominant Fir Bolg Kings of the time, Borbar-duthul, lord of Atha, in Connaught. 42Samhain is the cross-quarter holiday celebrated on November 1st. It is the entry into the darkness of winter. It is for this reason that I picked Samhain for the time of the murder of Cormac. It is also an opportune time for Cairbar because the weather conditions would be likely to prevent a crossing from Caledonia to Ulster. So Cairbar would have the winter to plan for what Finn might do in response to the murder of Cormac. In Celtic, the word “samhain” literally means “summer’s end”. It is the time of Halloween, the day of the dead--another good reason to have the murder take place on this day. There is also the idea of “Apple Magic” associated with samhain, and most will recognize in this our customs of Halloween. In the Celtic “otherworld”, known in Ireland as Emhain Abhlach and in Britain, Avalonthere (Avalon) there is a magical apple tree. And this is the origin for dunking for apples (Dookin' for Apples in Scotland). 43Sidhe (pronounced “Shee”) is the land of the Feary and home to all the Gods. It is the “Land of the Young”, where no one grows old. There Finn sleeps until Ireland will have a need for him and call his name. Sidhe is a place as well as commonly being used for its inhabitants, e.g., the Gods and heroes. In some tales the location of Sidhe is on some unspecified “Western Isles” off Ireland. In others stories Sidhe lies beneath the Hills of Ireland. 44Cormac and Finn had a common ancestry. Both descended from Trenmor, Finn’s great grandfather. In “The Poetical Works of Ossian”, Finn was the possessor of Trenmor’s spear and shield. 45Beltaine is one of the four cross-quarter days important in Celtic culture. Beltaine is a festival of fire when huge bonfires are lit on May 1st (May Day). Beltaine is a celebration of the Rites of Spring and the fires symbolically bring the light and warmth of the sun down to earth. At this time of the year the weather is getting better and Finn has been waiting to sail to revenge Cormac since Samhain (Day of the Dead), the day on which Cormac was murdered. It is also symbolic in that Samhain is symbolic of the end of summer and the entry of the world (and Ireland with Cormac’s death) into darkness and Beltaine is a festival of fire and light in which the world (and Ireland) emerges from darkness. 46Cathmor is a Fir Bolg King and Cairbar’s brother. Cathmor is the one that will lead the usurping Irish armies against Finn after Cairbar dies of the wounds received in his fight with Oscar (see note 47), Ossian’s son and Finn’s grandson. The death of Cathmor at the hands of Finn closes the Book of Temora in “The Poetical Works of Ossian”. 47Oscar is Ossian’s son and Finn’s grandson. Before Finn lands his ships in Ulster, Cairbar, aware of the imminent arrival of Finn, held a feast and invited Oscar. However Cairbar’s plan was to pick a fight with Oscar as an excuse for killing him. He did kill Oscar, however his plan did not go as well as he expected since he also died of the wounds received from Oscar. 48The Faery (also, of course, Fairy, Fey, Fay) are essentially the Tuatha Dé Dannan and live in the land of Sidhe (pronounced “Shee”), the “Land of the Young” where they never age--see note 43. The reduction of the Tuatha Dé Dannan to an imaginary race of people was done at the hands of the Christians in an attempt to supplant the “old gods”. It is interesting that while on the one hand they tried to make the Tuatha Dé Dannan imaginary, the Christians also gave them a direct ancestry that could be traced directly to Noah from before the Great Flood. 50A Banshee is a woman of Sidhe, i.e., one of the Faery and one of the Tuatha Dé Dannan. And here, in this more modern Irish word, can be seen the correct pronunciation of the word Sidhe, i.e., it is pronounced “Shee”. The root of the word “Banshee” comes from the Irish “Bean Sídhe”, or woman (Bean) of Sidhe (Faery Mounds). Seeing a Banshee or hearing the wailing of a Banshee is normally an omen of death, i.e., you are soon to join the Sidhe in the “Land of the Young”. 51On the death of Oscar, Finn orders Ullin, the chief of his bards, to carry Oscar’s body away to be interred in Morven the place where the battle was being held. Finn mourned long over the loss of Oscar. Here are some words from the Book of Temora: “How long on Moi-lena shall we weep? How long pour in Erin our tears? The might will not return. Oscar shall not rise in his strength. The valiant must fall in their day, and be no more known on their hills. Where are our fathers, O warriors! The chiefs of the times of old? They have set like stars that have shown… Thus shall we pass away, in the day of our fall.” 52The final battle in the Book of Temora is fought along the banks of the Lubar river. Here, Ossian routs the Fir Bolg forces and Finn finally kills Cathmor, restoring the rightful line of Kingship to Ireland. 53It is a common practice of these times that the King would not enter into the battle until such a time as his greater leadership, courage, and skill were needed. In the battle on the heath of Moi-lena, both Finn and Cathmor watch the battle from removed hills. Cathmor enters the battle when Fillian, Ossian’s son and Finn’s grandson, is turning the tide of the battle against the Fir Bolg. Cathmor then confronts the young Fillian and kills him before Finn can send Ossian to support him in the fight. 54The Fianna are Finn’s band of fighting men. 55Fillian is Ossian’s son and Finn’s grandson. He took command of the Caledonia forces as Gaul had been wounded in the hand by a random arrow. He showed amazing and heroic skill in the battle and was winning the battle when Cathmor entered the fray, faced him and killed him--also see note 53. 56The rock of Cormul is where Fillian’s body is taken after his fall to Cathmor. This is where Finn speaks with Fillian’s ghost and becomes resolved to kill Cathmor. 57The crashing of a shield and loudly crying out was a common way of announcing that a King or Lord would be entering the battle. It is essentially getting the enemy’s attention that they now have a new and powerful advisory with which to contend. Here, of course, the shield of Trenmor was being clashed, which was supposed to be especially loud and frightening. 58The final battle between Finn and Cathmor occurs on the bank of the Lubar enshrouded in a thick mist. It is interesting since hiding battles was done a number of times in MacPherson’s “The Poetical Works of Ossian”. While the sound of the battle is evident, what is happening, who has the upper hand, cannot be seen. Finally, Finn is victorious. 59The final battle between Finn and Cathmor is Finn’s last battle. After the battle he talks of hiding himself in a cave and seeking serenity and peace. The handing off of the spear of Trenmore is symbolic of passing the leadership of the Caledonians to his son, Ossian. Now it is Ossian that shall be winning all the accolades of battle victories. Now, in some sense, Finn sleeps.
Web References and Resources:
General References: Chalice Centre: Celt Corpus of Electronic
Texts Celtnet http://www.celtnet.org.uk/celtic/ Library Ireland: http://www.libraryireland.com/ Timeless Myth--Celtic Mythology Annals
of the Four Masters, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annals_of_the_Four_Masters. Annals
of the Four Masters, translated text: http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100005A.html. Beltaine
Day, description from the Chalice Centre website: http://www.chalicecentre.net/beltaine.htm/ Bres, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bres. Brigit, Brigid, Brighid, Bride, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigid. Celtic Pantheon, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_pantheon. Cernunnos, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cernunnos. Chariots, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chariot. Cú Chulainn, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cú_Chulainn. The Dagda, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagda. Dannan genealogy from the timelessmyths website: http://www.timelessmyths.com/celtic/danufamily.html. Danu goddess, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danu_(Irish_goddess). Finn McCool article from Celtnet: http://www.celtnet.org.uk/gods_ff/ffin.html. Fionn Mac Cumhaill, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fionn_mac_Cumhaill. Fir Bolg, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fir_Bolg. Gaels, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaels. Giants Causeway, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant's_Causeway. High King of Ireland, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_King_of_Ireland. Hill of Tara, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_of_Tara. Imbolc, Chalice Centre article: http://www.chalicecentre.net/imbolc.htm. Imbolc, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imbolc. Irish mythology, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_mythology. James MacPherson, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Macpherson. Lia Fáil, Wikipedia
article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lia_Fáil. Lugh, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lugh. Mysterious World Ireland, a short, but very informative, book on Irish
myth: http://ireland.mysteriousworld.com/. Nemed, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemed. Nuada, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuada_Airgetlám. Ossian, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oisín. The Poetical Works of Ossian, by MacPherson: http://www.exclassics.com/ossian/ossintro.htm. Samhain, Chalice Centre article: http://www.chalicecentre.net/samhain.htm. Sindhe, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aos_Sí. The Mórrígan, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mórrígan. Tory Island, Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tory_Island. © 2012 Rick PuetterAuthor's Note
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Rick PuetterSan Diego, CAAboutSo what's the most important thing to say about myself? I guess the overarching aspect of my personality is that I am a scientist, an astrophysicist to be precise. Not that I am touting science.. more..Writing
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