An Súil Éile ar an Blian Anuas agus an Súil Éile ar an Blian Amárach

Remembering the Past and Looking to the Future From out of the earth, the well pours forth the waters of life which cut a path forward to the seas to return back by air and cloud so that the magickal journey will continue anew. Another year has passed and it hasn’t really been much kind

Draíocht na Síoga na Samhna

Faerie Magick at Samhain Lá agus Oíche Leanaí ag súgradh Amuigh sa ghairdín- Déan deifir abhaile! Tá an ghrian dula luí. Sióga ag damhsa Amuigh sa ghairdín- Déan deifir abhaile! Tá an ghrian ag éirí. (“Oíche Mhaith” , Céim 1 Leabhar B, Duilleoga, An Comhlacht Oideachais Éireann.) I circle the ancient stones clockwise from the

Ag Damhsa ag an gCrosbhóthar i mí Lúnasa

Dancing at the crossroads in August In olden times (yes, I did attend such a chéileadh as a child with my grandparents. I’m middle-aged not old), rural Ireland had a small gathering celebration at August weekends in the evening at crossroads. It was a tradition where families would meet with other ones at crossroads that

An Gréine, an Tarbh, an Foladh, agus an Fómhair.

The Sun, the Bull, the Blood, and the Harvest. It is generally accepted as a common belief that Lughnasadh is the beginning of the Harvest and the festivities associated with this time of year. Andrew Gibbons already posted this today especially on Lugh Lamhfáda’s foster mother, an Tailitú, which is in nearly everyone of the

An Scéal a Trí Sliabh

A Tale of Three Mountains “Some paths are easier than others, but if you take the mountain path you get a better view.” Filtiarn the Druid. Sliabh a hAon I recently took up the challenge for cycling 300km within the month of July for Vision Sports which is a division of the National Council for

Irish Pseudohistory and Lore of the Master Poets Part 6

As a form of hangover of the outmoded idea that the filid were ‘Christian druids’, a phrase to guarantee so called experts to come out of the woodwork, there is a tendency to imagine that the order of professional poets and men of learning remained basically the same between the 6th and 11th Centuries. Scholars

Irish Pseudohistory and Lore of Master Poets Part 5

Many of the Tuatha Dé bear names that explicity connect them with the arts with one very obvious example being Credne, the divine bronze-crafter, whose name etymologically means the ‘skilled one’ and is related to cerd meaning ‘art’, ‘skill’ and/or ‘artisan’ (‘Iddánach, Ildírech:A Festschrift for Proinsias Mac Cana’ JT Koch, J Carey & PY Lambert).

Irish Pseudohistory and Lore of the Master Poets Part 4

The second section of the Tuatha Dé interlude in the ‘Book of Invasions’ is a chronological list of their rulers/kings with the length of their reigns; Núada 7 years, Brés 7 years, Núada (2nd reign with silver arm) 20 years, Lugh 40 years, an Dagda 80 years, Delbaeth 10 years, Fíachu mac Delbaeth 10 years,

Irish Pseudohistory and Lore of the Master Poets Part 3

When we turn to what the ‘Lebór Gabála’ actually says about the reign of the Tuatha Dé, the account of their soveignity over the Island falls into 3 sections. The 1st is of their invasion and defeat of the Fir Bolg (the first battle of Moytura). The 2nd provides a list of their kings, and

Irish Pseudohistory and Lore of the Master Poets Part 2

The Irish pseudohistorical tradition is quite plainly a rat’s nest but, the stages of it’s growth can be reconstructed (‘Leabhar Gabhála, Part 1’ Snowcroft). The point may not need labouring, but the story of successive invasions is demonstrably not pre-Christian as it developed gradually in early Christian Ireland (‘Native Elements in Irish Pseudohistory’ J Carey