Hello Friends!
I've recently returned from Ireland, where I've stood in the footsteps of Giants! One of Ireland's biggest legends is Finn McCool or Fionn mac Cumhaill, a bigger than life hero! Fionn has left his mark all over the Causeway! There's a camel that
was given to him to ride home from a visit in the middle east, you can
see his dear old Granny who is said to look out for Fionn (or scold him
or drink a bit too much whiskey) and the chimney stacks of Fionn's
house! Fionn also plays the pipe organ, they say if you stand alone at 6 AM on Christmas Day you might be able to hear Fionn play!
But the greatest mark Fionn left was the Giant's Causeway itself, a bridge of basalt columns that stretched all the way to Scotland. Finn built it to challange the Scottish giant Benandonner (in some versions of the tale in America say it's Cucullin and some say he's Scottish while some say he's Irish but to the people and literature in Ireland it's Benandonner and he's definitely Scottish). Benandonner had a magic finger and kept a lightning-bolt that he'd flattened like a pancake in his back pocket! Legend has it, Fionn challenged and challenged
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| Fionn's Shoe! |
Benandonner but as Fionn got closer to Scotland and realized how big Benandonner was he high-tailed it back to Ireland and his home on Knockmany Hill. He went so fast that he left his shoe behind!
Fionn took his troubles to his wife, Oona (Oonagh, Leona). Oona consulted her fairy connections and came up with a plan. She made Fionn get into the baby's bed and began making cakes, slipping some skillets into half of the cakes. In the meantime, Benandonner had made his way to Knockmanny to challenge Fionn! When he banged on the door Oona answered and told Benandonner that Fionn was out and wouldn't he have tea with her and the baby until he got back? Benandonner agrees and Oona gives him some of the cakes she made. As soon as Benandonner bit down, he screamed in pain (for he'd bitten into the skillets!). What kind of cakes were these? Benandonner demanded to know. Oona gave a the rest of the cakes (without skillets) to Fionn in the baby's bed, who swallowed them happily. Now Benandonner got a good look at the baby, wondering nervously how big the father must be if the baby could be that big! And what mighty teeth a baby must have to eat those tough cakes! Benandonner wanted to get a look at those teeth so he peeked into the baby's mouth with his magic finger and Fionn bit down, pulling off the finger and robbing Benandonner of his magic! Benandonner was so scared that he high-tailed it back to Scotland ripping up the causeway behind him.
The Giant's Causeway is still considered magic to this day! In the Giant's Gate you'll see many an old, worn and corroded coin embedded in the crags of the rocks. People make wishes on the coins and then embed them in the rocks! It's truly amazing, you can feel the magic in the air and the power of the wishes all lodged in the stones of the Giant's Gate. I left two there, here's to seeing them come true!
Resources:
Jacobs, Joseph. "A Legend of Knockmany". Celtic Fairy Tales. Collector's Library: London, 2011. Print.
Pritchard, David. Haunted Ireland. Real Ireland Design: Kilcoole, Ireland, 2014. Print.
The first time I heard about the Morríghan was in college, World Civilization. My professor used the Morríghan, Faery Queen and Goddess of War as an example of women as instigators of battle. What my World Civ Professor didn't have time to mention in her lecture was how amazingly magnificent women are in Celtic Lore!
All for one and one for all...
The
Morríghan is just one in a three part set of War Goddesses, a "triplication of a single deity" much akin to the Three Fates in Greek mythology, the Weird Sisters of Shakespeare or even the Holy Trinity of Christianity. The Morríghan is the Phantom Queen, while Badhbh was the Hooded Crow or Raven often accompanied by Nemhain (Frenzy) or Macha. Sometimes the trio itself is referred to as Badhbh or Morrígna. None of the Morrígna participated physically in the wars the Morríghan instigated. Their weapons were magic, shape-shifting and prophecy. The Morríghan's very
presence would strike fear into the hearts of the bravest of warriors, depriving them of their courage, some warriors threw down their weapons and fled while others died of terror right on the spot!
Her favorite color is red, she likes long walks by the river...
The Phantom Queen's name is derived from the words for "Queen" ("Rigan") and "Nightmare". She wasn't above "making mischief by promising victory to both sides" in a battle although her intended champions always won (Green 44). The Morríghan is usually associated with the color red to show her other-worldly status. She's known as the "Washer at the Ford" the Morríghan would wash the bloody armor, weapons and even body parts of those about to die in battle (much like the Scottish bean-nighe). The Morríghan could appear as a young maid, a mature woman or a crow like hag - representing the three stages or faces of womanhood. While primarily a goddess of war the Morríghan was also seen as a goddess of sexuality and fertility. She often appears to heroes with one or more cattle (always red cattle), a sign of fertility in Celtic lore. The Morríghan possessed a herd of magical cattle the she guarded fiercely. According to one story the Morríghan transformed a mortal girl into a pool of water because the girl dared to let her regular bull mate with one of the Morríghan's magical cows (Green). In some traditions the Morríghan made love to the Daghdha, King/God of the Tuatha De Dannan, ever year to ensure prosperity (Chaline).
She's a Man Eater...
According to legend, the Tuatha De Dannan ("The People of Danu", an early tribe/divine race of ancient Ireland) were granted victory in the battle of Magh Tuiredh because Daghdha, won favor with the Morríghan. Before the battle of Magh Tuiredh, Daghdha came upon the Morríghan standing astride in a river washing the bloody amor of those about to die. In spite of the intimidating visage before him the Daghdha made love to the Morríghan and after their tête-à-tête the Morríghan offered to aid the Daghdha in battle. According to MacCana, the Daghdha's "tryst" with the Morríghan is a significant testimony to his father-like leadership as "she is the the goddess of slaughter who prefigures and in certain measures decides the outcome of battle, and by his physical union with her he ensures victory and security for his people" (67). The Morríghan's assistance to Daghdha involved "depriving the leader of the Fomhoire of 'the blood of his heart and the kidneys of his courage'" and that's before the battle even begins! (MacCana 86). The Morríghan is not someone you want to mess around with, The Morríghan
cuts quite the foreboding figure thus her presence inspires terror and
dread in those that oppose her chosen champions, although her she could be "fickle and capricious in her allegiances" (Green 43). Just ask the great Irish hero Cu Chulainn, who had an interesting "love-hate" relationship with the Morríghan...
One day a young beautiful woman approached Cu Chulainn and professed her love for him. The woman offered Cu Chulainn all her wealth and cattle along with her heart. But Cu Chulainn wasn't interested in getting help from a woman. Cu Cuthlainn rudely and impatiently refused the woman's proposal, saying that fighting was more important than making love. At this rejection the young woman revealed her true form as the fierce Morríghan! She swore she would attack Cu Chulainn while he was in combat. When Cu Cuthlainn was fighting the warrior Loch the Morríghan attacked as a eel, then as a reddish-grey wolf and finally as a hornless red heifer. Cu Chulainn barely made it away with his life and learned a very valuable lesson: Hell Hath no Fury like a Woman Scorned especially if that woman is the Morríghan.
Thus the next time Cu Cuthlainn encounters the Morríghan, as a hag milking a cow with three teats, he's polite to her and she grants him a cup of milk to heal his wounds and make him strong again. The Morríghan followed Cu Chulainn even to his death, where she (and her sisters) alighted on Cu Chulainn's dead body in the form of hooded crows.
Special Thanks to Mandee Rose Photography! Please show her your love and support here: http://www.gofundme.com/omnsjc
https://mandeerosephotography.wordpress.com/
Resources:
Chaline, Eric. Book of Gods and Goddesses. New York: Harper, 2004. Print.
Green, Miranda. Celtic Goddesses. New York: GeorgeBraziller, Inc., 1996. Print.
Hooded Crow. birdwatchireland. web. 22 March 2015. http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/IrelandsBirds/Crows/HoodedCrow/tabid/1051/Default.aspx
MacCana, Proinsias. Celtic Mythology. New York: Hamlyn, 1973. Print.
