#I GET TO SEE THE BRU NA BOINN!

[cinnamon-stccs]

Only nine more days till IRELAND

[calamity-bean]

Hi !! In your post about "Mad Sweeney through the ages" you noted in the tags that you restrained yourself from going into tangents... I'm super interested about what you mentionned though ! Would you mind wiritng a little bit on the relationship between the Tuatha de and the fairies and the dead ?? Sorry, i'm very curious and I love history and mythology a lot !! (Also sorry for any mistakes, I'm not a native speaker !!) Thank you ! :)

Hello! Sorry it took me all day to answer this; it’s just that, well… this got a bit long, even though I tried to be brief. XD 

Basically, what I was referring to is the same thing Sweeney talks about in the show: the way his identity has changed SIGNIFICANTLY over the centuries because the stories about him have mutated over time. People gradually conflated stories about certain types of beings (such as the Tuatha De Danann) with stories about other types of beings (such as fairies), or allowed elements of certain stories to influence others, and as a result, the very essence of what Sweeney IS evolved along with the folklore.

The cool thing, though — and I guess this is really the crux of what I was getting at in my tags — is that Sweeney’s particular evolutionary path isn’t a concept that’s unique to American Gods. I mean, to SOME extent, it’s AG’s invention; after all, the traditional figure of Mad Sweeney as portrayed in the Buile Suibhne is not a leprechaun or Lugh. He’s cursed, but he’s still just a mortal dude. But I think AG’s decision to MAKE him into those other things makes perfect sense in light of the fact that in certain areas that historically retained a strong Celtic influence (including much of the British Isles as well as Brittany), there really are a lot of intriguing similarities, overlaps, and parallels between the way folklore portrays fairies and the way it portrays the spirits of dead mortals. In Irish mythology specifically, the Tuatha De Danann get wrapped up in the relationship as well. These similarities have inspired a theory that elements of Celtic folklore about fairies might have evolved out of ancient superstitions about the dead and the places the dead were believed to inhabit. Which isn’t to say that it’s a direct evolution, nor that these three types of being are all exactly the same thing — simply that they seem to be related and to have influenced one another over time.

Unnecessarily detailed discussion under the cut, along with more of my thoughts on why I think this whole concept works out really well with regard to Mad Sweeney and lends a lot of weight to his backstory’s arc.

The People of the Mounds

One of the most familiar narratives in a classic fairy story is the human traveler who accidentally wanders into the fairy realm. It’s a story with innumerable variations. Perhaps the traveler simply follows the wrong path, or perhaps they enter a doorway in the side of a hill — either way, they end up in Faerie. It is a liminal space inhabited by beings that, because they are immortal or non-mortal, are not DEAD, exactly, but aren’t quite ALIVE, either, not in the way that mortal human beings are alive. And in many stories, it is also inhabited by dead humans. There are many versions of this story in which the traveler in Faerie is shocked to encounter a neighbor or loved one whom they know for a fact died years ago — like, actually physically DIED. And yet here their spirit is, trapped in this other world! The realm of Faerie is thus a place of great wonder, yes, but also great peril. It’s a place into which a person’s soul might be tragically stolen, though also a place from which they can sometimes be rescued. One such tale of rescue is the medieval poem Sir Orfeo, which is straight-up a Breton/English reimagining of Orpheus and Eurydice — except it’s set in Faerie instead of in the realm of the dead.

In short, Celtic stories often handle fairies and Faerie in a way that strongly evokes death, the realm of the dead, and the spirits of the dead. But for me, perhaps the most interesting aspect goes back to what I mentioned about WHERE these stories often take place. Where do the aos si dwell? Underground, of course — specifically, in hollow hills. It’s right there in the name: “aos si” means “people of the mounds.” Hence the stories in which a traveler enters Faerie through a door in the side of a hill. Coincidentally, where do the Tuatha de Danann dwell? Also underground — not originally, but they were driven underground by the Milesians, who took the above-ground world as their half of the earth in their truce.

But what kind of hill would be hollow? What kind of hill might have a doorway set into the side…?

Well… A hill like Newgrange, perhaps. Or like other hills within the Bru na Boinne complex. Or a hill like Bryn Celli Ddu in Wales, or Maes Howe in Orkney, or the Mound of the Hostages at Tara, or any number of other ancient barrows/tumuli: burial mounds built in prehistoric times as tombs for the human dead. Because the answer to “What other kind of creature dwells underground?” is, of course, dead people, at least in cultures which have tended to bury them.

Thus, the familiar trope of entering Faerie through a door in a hill very much evokes the idea of entering a tomb. This concept is reinforced by the fact that some specific fairy legends are anchored to specific tumuli. Newgrange is said to be the home of the Dagda and other Tuatha De; Cnoc Maedha is home to the fairy king Finvarra. Glastonbury Tor is associated with Gwyn ap Nudd of the Tylwyth Teg, ruler of the underworld of Annwn. Willy Howe is proposed to be the location of a specific version of one of those tales about a traveler wandering into a hill.

Not every fairy legend is associated with a specific hill, not every tumulus is associated with a fairy legend, and not every hill associated with a fairy legend has been confirmed to actually be a tomb. It’s more of a general association based on the tumulus shape. Also, some of these associations seem to have originated much later than others; they might be fairly recent inventions rather than old, traditional myths. But that’s kind of the point in AG, isn’t it: traditions evolve. Over time, they gather new associations and take on new meaning as the stories change. Did the idea that the aos si live in hollow hills evolve directly out of a superstition that specific hills — specific burial mounds — were home to the spirits of the dead? Perhaps! Perhaps not! Perhaps it’s more a case of stories mutually influencing each other, or maybe it’s convergent evolution, or maybe it’s sheer coincidence. But I think that the amount of similarity and overlap in these legends is enough to suggest roots in a common tradition, or at least to suggest that beliefs about these three categories of being have, over time, become intimately associated with each other.

Suibhne, the Dead King?

Which FINALLY brings us back to Sweeney.

I think the idea that the aos si evolved out of the Tuatha De Danann is pretty well known; I don’t think it’s entirely clear-cut from a historical standpoint, but it’s a theory I see mentioned quite often, and I feel like it intuitively makes sense. A transition from one supernatural, subterranean creature to another feels natural; it’s easy to grasp how those legends could be related. So it’s no surprise that American Gods would have a character who starts out as one of them and evolves into the other, especially since it’s been theorized that the concept of leprechauns in general might have evolved specifically out of Lugh. (The names share a possible etymology, and the characters share an association with luck.)

But the primary inspiration for Mad Sweeney — Suibhne, son of Colman Cuar, of the Buile Suibhne — feels, at first, like more of an outlier. Sure, Suibhne was under a curse, but he wasn’t, like, any type of supernatural creature… He was just a mortal human. The whole legend at least purports to be based on a real-life historical man. How does a mortal human get turned into a god or a fairy? How does that stage of Sweeney’s evolution fit in with leprechauns and Lugh?

To me, the key lies in the Annals of Tigernach. As I mentioned in my Mad Sweeney Through the Ages post, these annals record that Suibhne didn’t FLEE from the battle of Magh Rath… he DIED in it. And I don’t know whether AG is doing this on purpose, but in my opinion, this death really fits with the way AG has chosen to tell Suibhne’s story? In the Buile Suibhne, Suibhne flees the battlefield simply because the frenzy and St. Ronan’s curse overwhelm him. The idea that he fled because he foresaw his own death is AG’s own particular twist on the legend. AG’s Sweeney is a character who is haunted, throughout the different versions of himself, by near-deaths and foreseen-deaths and deaths that may or may not have actually happened. By choosing to reference the fact that Sweeney should have died at Magh Rath — possibly even did die at Magh Rath, heck, he supposedly died that night with the seer, too! — American Gods makes the critical decision to recast Suibhne mac Colmain as not merely the story of a king, but of a dead king.

And if you view the Buile Suibhne as the story of someone whose life, historically, ended at Magh Rath, but who through the power of mythology has been given an existence beyond Magh Rath, it becomes a story of undeath: of a mortal who becomes trapped in a strange, supernatural form of existence that is not exactly death but not really life as he knew it, either — sort of like a spirit trapped in Faerie. For me, AG’s decision to connect Suibhne’s legend with leprechauns and Lugh makes the most sense when I view Suibhne as a figure who kind of escaped death, but also kind of didn’t escape death, and always has this specter of death hanging over him for the rest of his cursed ���life” after Magh Rath. If Suibhne is, essentially, a spirit persisting in a type of pseudo-life beyond death, then I can contextualize his role in Sweeney’s evolution within this whole theory of how the dead, the fae, and the Tuatha De Danann are intimately entwined.

Conclusion???

…WOW, this got long! Thanks for listening to me ramble. I hope it was interesting to you and that I’ve explained myself in a way that makes sense.

Obviously, I don’t know whether Gaiman / the showrunners of American Gods had any of these same concepts in mind when they were creating the book or the show. And I want to reiterate that the proposed relationship between these types of folklore is more of a theory than a concrete historical fact. It’s a theory that I find very compelling and very inspiring, but it’s difficult to really prove that traditional beliefs evolved in this way. Also, much of the actual scholarship I’ve found on this subject is older than I’d like, and I’m not sure whether different interpretations have since gained more traction in the field. Still, the work of Katharine Mary Briggs is a good place to start if you’re interested in reading more on this subject, especially her article “The Fairies and the Realms of the Dead.”

Regardless of whether it’s provable, though, I think it’s a theory that works beautifully with what we see in “Treasure of the Sun” and that fits really well with the mechanics of American Gods. And when it comes to AG, it doesn’t really matter, anyway, whether the dead and the fae and the gods were originally related or not — all that matters is that we humans believe that they are.

[oaklheart-blog]

Tochmarc Étaíne - The Wooing of Etain - Passage 1

This was written for use as study material for Thistle Protogrove of Ár nDraíocht Féin, a Druid Fellowship. That isn't to say that it cannot be used for study outside of this group, but please let me know if you are using it. Insight is welcome, discussion is encouraged. Using this well-known story, I hope to help folks become better acquainted with some of the Gods of Irish Religion. The writing in the notes is informal, in hopes of holding the attention of some very distracted readers. You know who you are--I still love you.

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There was a famous king of Ireland of the race of the Tuatha De Danann [Tua-dey-Dan-ann], Eochaid Ollathair [OH-hay-d ALLA-hay] his name. He was also named the Dagda [DAG-dha], for it was he that worked wonders for them and controlled the weather and the crops. Wherefore men said he was called The Good God. Elcmar of the Brug [BRU] had a wife whose name was Eithne [En-Ya] and another name for her was Boand [BO-an] . The Dagda desired her in carnal union. The woman would have yielded to the Dagda had it not been for fear of Elcmar [elk-MER] , so great was his power. Thereupon the Dagda sent Elcmar away on a journey to Bres [BUR-as: Beautiful] son of Elatha in Mag nInis [ALE-ah-hah-in-Mag-Nin-ISH] , and the Dagda worked great spells upon Elcmar as he set out, that he might not return betimes (that is, early) and he dispelled the darkness of night for him, and he kept hunger and thirst from him.  He sent him on long errands, so that nine months went by as one day, for he had said that he would return home again between day and night. Meanwhile the Dagda went in upon Elcmar's wife, and she bore him a son, Aengus, and the woman was whole of her sickness when Elcmar returned, and he perceived not her offense, that is, that she had lain with the Dagda.

The Dagda meanwhile brought his son to Midir's [MID-ir] house in Bri Leith in Tethba [BRUH-ley / TEY-buh] , to be fostered. There Aengus was reared for the space of nine years. Midir had a great playing-field in Bri Leith [BRUH-ley]. Thrice fifty lads of the young nobles of Ireland were there and thrice fifty maidens of the land of Ireland [150 boys + 150 girls = 300]. Aengus was the leader of them all, because of Midir's great love for him, and the beauty of his form and the nobility of his people. He was also called Mac Og (the Young Son), for his mother said: "Young is the son who was begotten at the break of day and born betwixt it and evening."

****1: NOTES****

This passage serves several purposes. Not only is it terribly important in Irish mythology to establish the lineage of a God or Goddess, but it is also terribly crucial, especially in earlier literature (of which sort this is) to highlight the parents' merits, abilities, and so on. This foreshadows those of the child, while adding bulk to the narrative in general; and as we know, this was important because they didn't have television, computers, and smart-phones back then. Initially, we see the very typical and oft-mentioned 'praises' to the Dagda for his abilities "for it was he that worked wonders for them and controlled the weather and crops". The next half of this section highlights his other abilities, which include magic and control over nature and time. The Dagda is sometimes referred to as "King of the Sidhe", for it is he who is accredited with building the Sidhe mounds, and who keeps the sacred magic of the Druids. Hence his title as Father of the Druids. These traits are highlighted by the rather potent spell he works on Elcmar. Furthermore, his deception here shows his cunning, a trait that is highlighted in Angus as something of a trickster.

After Angus Og's birth, he is transported by his father to Midir's house in Tethba, who one of his older sons. This section has a few of those ever-present homages to the Druidic fixation with the number three. The first is, of course, the statement of the length of time of the pregnancy and the passage of days. Nine months in a pregnancy, and as we know if you divide nine by three you get, well . . . three. Elcmar is gone for the span of the pregnancy, but experiences time differently thanks to An Dagda's spell, which causes him to perceive nine months as one day. Nine divided by three is three, three divided by three is one. I may be losing some of you. In Irish myths, Gods are often three in one, and I have long assumed these numerical clues to be hints at that theme.

In the next paragraph, we are given more numbers to think on. Again, we have the theme of nine leading back to one, with Angus being reared in the span of nine years. The next reference to the number three is a little more elusive, if you're just reading it at face value, but a sequence of equations leads to an infinite progression of the sacred number three.

"Thrice fifty lads of the young nobles of Ireland were there and thrice fifty maidens of the land of Ireland."

3x50 = 150x2 = 300

300/3 = 100

100/3 = 33.3r

What does the infinite nature of the number three here indicate? Well, the number is in regard to those whom Angus is leader of, perhaps indicating his connection to the eternal and divine. Likely as well is this as a reference to his link with the royalty and kingship of the Tuatha De Dannan. Whatever the case,  it is clear that numbers were hugely important in Irish, considering the nature of Ogam and the Druids' calenders of the phases of the moon and other celestial bodies. Figures such as The Morrigan and The Dagda, who are primordial mother and father archetypes each have a significant link to the triadic theme. The former having 6-9 Goddesses in her conclave, and the latter being referred to as a God of "Druidic sciences", and who is referenced as being of "multi-formed triads". Three is ever-present in Druidic writing, and surrounds the origins and stories of the Gods, seeming to hint at their divine qualities; and Angus the Young is no exception.

Names, phrases, and words in this section:

Tuatha De Danann - Tua-day-Dan-ann - There is some debate on the proper pronunciation and spelling of this phrase, mainly over the usage of "De", or "of". I won't get into that too much here, but wanted to make it apparent, if anyone ever sees it spelled sans "De", not to be alarmed or confused. It means the same thing either way, and that is "The Tribe/People of Danu". Danu being, of course, the ever-present but rarely heard from mother-deity in Irish mythology.

Eochaid Ollathair - OH-hay-d ALLA-hay - This is the Dagda's "true" name, which is handy to know seeing as how he has about a dozen or so monikers, many of which indicating his red nature.The color red is associated with magic and otherworldly forces in Irish mythology. Here, though, his name means "Horseman Allfather".

Dagda - DAG-dha - The Dagda, when translated quite literally and simply, means "The Good God", though there are other translations that have its meaning as "God of All" or "God of the World".

Brugh - BREW - This word refers to a dwelling or a house, though is sometimes translated as "mansion" or "palace". Brughs are where the Aes Sidhe [Ays-Shee] in Irish mythology dwell. An Dagda's Brugh na Boinne - The House at the River Boinne, which brings us to . . .

Boan - BO-an - Also spelled Boinne, the River Boinne is named for her, and in Irish mythology she is the Goddess associated with this body of water. The mother of Angus Og, her name means "White Cow".

Elcmar - ELK-mer - His name means "spiteful/envious one", from the proto-Irish "Ealcmhar". He serves as steward to the Dagda, and is husband to Boan. He is killed by Angus Og, and is clearly an ill-fated character from the start of things.

Bres - BUR-as - Bres the Beautiful appears in several legends, most notably the Silver Hand of Nuadu. Outwardly, he is considered to be the most beautiful and intelligent man in Ireland, but inwardly his heart is small and tarnished, full of ego and selfish vanity. Think the Beast in Beauty and the Beast before he turned all big and gnarly. Bres is made defacto King of the Tuatha De Danann due to Nuada's incapacity as King, and he drives the kingdom into the ground. Eventually, you have the God of Speech doing back-breaking labor and An Dagda being starved near to dying. He ends up being ousted as King, though, and everything is okay.

Elatha in Mag nInis - ALE-ah-hah-in-Mag-Nin-ISH - Often billed simply as Elatha, for reasons that should be quite obvious, though his name isn't as intimidating as it at first appears. He is a prince of the Formorians, considered to be the "bad guys" in several fables, never-minding that Irish mythology doesn't always have traditional concepts of 'good' and 'bad'. Before you go writing off the Fomorians as 'bad guys', bear in mind that one of the greatest heros of Irish oral tradition was half-Fomorian: That is, the shining one, Lugh. Anyways, Elatha is most likely the namesake remnant of a long-forgotten moon deity, as he is said to have visited Eriu [UR-you], the matron Goddess of Ireland, at night by way of a shining, silver boat.

Bri Leith / Tethba - BRUH-ley / TEY-buh -  In this passage, it states that "the Dagda meanwhile brought his son to Midir's house in Bri Leith in Tethba, to be fostered". Bri Leith was a place in Tethba, which was a kingdom, the location of which is still up for question. Most can agree that it encompassed parts of Westmeath and most of County Longford--the North-West of the Province of Leinster. If you don't know what I'm talking about, look at a Map of Ireland and find Dublin. You'll be in roughly the correct region.

*Note on Irish Writing*

"Young is the son who was begotten at the break of day and born betwixt  it and evening."

This is a very round about way of saying that Angus was born in the afternoon. It would seem rather pointless to us, nowadays, to be so particularly wordy about this, but to the Druids it was all about the number of syllables present in their sentences. This, of course, is utterly destroyed when translated to English, but you understand the objective, I hope. These numbers usually referred back to the number three, or were otherwise numbers divisible by three. Some part of this roundabout speech is also a product of the syntax of the old Irish language. You may have found some examples of that in the excerpt so far, such as:

". . . the woman was whole of her sickness when Elcmar returned, and he perceived not her offense, that is, that she had lain with the Dagda."

A modernized version would read:

" . . . she was no longer pregnant when Elcmar came back, and he had no idea that she had lain with the Dagda."

It is important to remember this syntax difference, and the numeric syllable importance whilst reading Irish myths, as it can be very easy to become confused in the esoteric style. Honesty is my way of conveyance, of this subject, I speak not untrue. See, it's easy once you get the hang of it, but until you do it can make your eyes glaze over.

[theboynevalley]

Top 5 Experiences to have on the Boyne Valley Greenway

So, you have decided! You want your next staycation to be the Boyne Valley Greenway.

You know it is all about walking and cycling, running even, if your fitness level allows it.

To make sure you make the most of your visit, we have created a Top 5 experiences you need to include on your itinerary!

#5. A visit to Slane Castle, County Meath

Slane Castle is located in the village of Slane, within the Boyne Valley of County Meath.

This spectacular location is full of history, with its doors being first open in 1785.

The Castle will particularly strike a chord with music enthusiasts, as it has been the spot for world famous musicians such as U2, Bruce Springsteen, Thin Lizzy, Queen, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and REM, to name but a few.

Book your private tour now!

https://www.slanecastle.ie/

#4. Stay at the An Tobar Retreat and Spirituality Centre

Yes, experiencing the Boyne Valley Greenway is indeed about being active and adventurous. However, you would absolutely be in the win with taking the time and space for a little mindfulness moment.

The perfect spot for that is the An Tobar Retreat and Spirituality Centre.

An Tobar Retreat & Spirituality Centre is nestled in the townland of Ardbraccan, approximately 3km from Navan town and is available for groups/individuals who can expect to find welcome, hospitality, healing & hope, woodlands & walkways. The centre offers Retreats/Workshops year-round.

http://antobar.ie

#3. Visit the Bective Abbey, County Meath

Bective Abbey is a Cistercian Abbey on the River Boyne in Bective, County Meath.

The abbey was founded in 1147, and the remaining structure and ruins primarily date to the 15th century.

Not only is this a place of legend, romance, and myths of it being haunted, the abbey is also a Hollywood movie set.

For all the movie buffs out there, I am going to paint this picture: you are casually strolling the grounds of Bective Abbey and you just happen to run into Matt Damon, or Ben Affleck. How is that for a memorable experience?

Check out this article to get your imagination going: https://www.meathchronicle.ie/2020/10/06/exclusive-pictures-matt-damon-filming-at-bective-abbey/

#2. Sail through the Boyne Valley on a boat from Game of Thrones

This is a bit more adventurous but still family friendly.

Take to the River Boyne and Boyne Canal for a paddling tour in handcrafted traditional Kerry Naomhog currachs that have starred in the TV show Game of Thrones. Expert crews guide you through 5,000 years of history in the Boyne Valley, the birthplace of Ireland’s Ancient East.

People of all ages paddle together and see what it was like to travel on the sacred River Boyne all those years ago. Hear about the battles that shaped Ireland and created legends. Connect, learn, and treasure stories of Ireland’s oldest canal, largest battle, and Europe’s largest collection of Neolithic art.

#1. Energize yourself at Newgrange, County Meath

A visit to Newgrange, is an absolutely mesmerising experience. Alongside Knowth and Dowth, Newgrange has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Archaeologists classified Newgrange as a passage tomb, however Newgrange is now recognised to be much more than a passage tomb. Ancient Temple is a more fitting classification, a place of astrological, spiritual, religious, and ceremonial importance, much as present day cathedrals are places of prestige and worship where dignitaries may be laid to rest.

Read more about it here: http://www.worldheritageireland.ie/bru-na-boinne/built-heritage/newgrange/