Celtic Totem Animals
The Boar & The
Sow
In considering the boar as a totem animal I shall also be looking
at the symbolism of the pig, which is closely linked to that of the
boar. The strong, wild boar is one of the most important totem
animals of the Gaelic Celts. Many bronze statues of boars have been
discovered and there are numerous references to be found in the
legends that bear testimony to the importance of this fierce,
untamed beast. The boar is also the totem animal of the kingdom of
Dalriada. There is a carving of a boar on a rock at the fort of
Dunadd, in Argyll, the ancient inauguration site of the High Kings
of Dalriada.
In the ancient Celtic system the boar is associated with the South
and the element of Fire. It is connected with the life giving power
of the sun. At the festival of Beltaine pigs bladders used to be
carried by the Fool. To our ancestors the wild boar was highly
prized in the hunt and this importance applies on all three levels.
On the physical level the hunt, if successful, provided nourishment
for the clan. The Celts were particularly fond of pork, and valued
it above all other flesh. The communal feast was an important
occasion for social bonding, at which the 'Champion's Portion', the
biggest and choicest cut, was always reserved for the bravest
warrior. On the mental level, the importance of the hunt is shown
by the courage and bravery of the hunter, who in seeking the wild
boar must face the fiercest and most dangerous beast of all. On a
spiritual level the boar acts as a guide that leads the warrior-
hunter on a quest to the Otherworld. In the voyage of Maeldun,
found in 'The Book of the Dun Cow', the tenth otherworld island the
voyagers reach is described as 'The Island of the Fiery Swine',
inhabited by red pigs that feed on apples (a very Otherworldly food
source). The boar is also the traditional food of the Samhain
feast, a time when the two worlds meet.
There are many other links between pigs and the Otherworld. The
magical pigs of Manannan were killed and cooked each day for the
Feast of Age, the Otherworldly feast which the gods partake of.
These same pigs were found alive and whole again the next day,
symbolising their spiritual nourishment and life-renewing powers.
Whosoever ate at this feast would gain the gift of immortality.
Manannan's pigs were also known as the 'pigs of Assal', which the
sons of Tuirenn had to fetch for Lugh from the King of the Golden
Pillars. Another treasure that they were obliged to procure in
order to fulfill their eric-fine was the pig skin of Tuis. This pig
skin had magical properties; it could turn water into wine for nine
days, and it could also cure wounds and restore the sick to health.
Here we find another reference to the life giving properties of the
pig.
The legend of king Cormac's visit to Manannan's land illustrates
further important principles of the pig as a totem animal. King
Cormac was welcomed as a guest in the house of Manannan. A fire was
kindled and a pig was placed in the cauldron to boil. Manannan told
Cormac that he possessed seven pigs, with which he could feed the
whole world. These seven pigs represent the seven planes of
creation; to the Celts the pig is a symbol of nourishment not only
on a physical level, but on all the levels of being. Manannan also
explained that the pig would not boil in the cauldron until a truth
was spoken for every quarter of it. This is a very important Celtic
philosophy worthy of explanation. Truth is a principle held in high
esteem through-out all the levels or planes of existence in the
Universe. The pig being cooked signifies the receiving of
nourishment on all levels. What the legend shows us is that those
who speak falsely under oath are not fit to receive the gifts of
spiritual nourishment on any level.
In addition to Manannan, several other deities kept pigs. In Celtic
times a swineherd held a very elevated social status. At Brugh na
Boyne the Dagda kept one pig always alive and one always roasted,
ready to eat. Angus Og kept a herd of enchanted pigs, and Bodb
Dearg had a swineherd that could provoke bloodshed at whichever
feast his pigs went to. This is very interesting for one of the
well known shapes that the ancient Goddess of Ireland, Scotland and
Wales takes is that of a sow. In this shape she is the hag and also
the devourer. Scathach, the Shadowy One, took this shape upon
herself when she appeared to Fionn MacCumhal. This does not
contradict the totemic significance of the pig as a life giving
provider of nourishment, both physical and spiritual, for She who
gives life also claims it back at the point of death.
A well known legend that concerns the boar as a personal totem
animal is the story of Diarmaid and the Earless Green Boar of Ben
Gulbain, which is obviously an Otherworld boar. (This tale is also
found in Argyll). Diarmaid had possessed a link since childhood
with this boar, which had been charged to one day bring him to his
death. When Diarmaid set out to hunt this boar, Fionn told him that
he was under geiss (sacred prohibition) not to hunt pigs. Diarmaid
then knew that in breaking his geiss he would meet his end soon
afterwards. Diarmaid succeeded in killing the boar, but Fionn then
ordered him to measure out the length of its skin with his paces.
In carrying out this task Diarmaid pierced his heel (his weak
point) with one of the bristles, inflicting a fatal poisonous
wound.
In this legend we are shown an important shamanistic ritual,
undertaken by shamans all over the world in different forms, but
retaining the same core element. In shamanism you are required to
overcome and 'kill' your totem animal in order to gain its spirit
as an ally. However, the spirit of the totem animal will maim,
dismember and finally devour you before the link can be forged.
This represents a ritual death and rebirth that the shaman must
undergo in the Otherworld, but which also includes self inflicted
wounding in this world, too. The Tuatha De Danaans were adept at
'shape shifting', a shamanistic practise that consists of the
ability to transform into the spirit shape of a totem animal at
will. One story that illustrates this concerns a chase between the
enchanted pigs of Angus Og and the hounds of Fionn MacCumhal. Angus
was holding a feast for the Fianna, and during this time he boasted
that the best hunting hounds of the Fianna could not kill even one
of his pigs. The Fianna, who could never resist a challenge,
assembled their hounds together. They saw coming towards them
across the plain a terrible herd of pigs, the size of deer, their
leader as black as coal. The hounds killed many pigs and wounded
others, but many of the hounds and the Fianna went missing. Fionn
realised that they were enchanted pigs. He said they could not
leave the corpses of the pigs for they would come to life again the
next day. They then tried to burn the pigs but were unable to.
Eventually Bran, the Otherworld hound of Fionn, fetched three logs
of wood (three types of wood that could combat enchantments) and
the pigs were burned on the fire from these logs. Then there was a
great sorrow on Angus, for the pigs had been his people, one of
them his own son.
Another legend that shows a connection between pigs and the deity
Angus Og concerns the foster children of a woman named Derbrenn,
who were put under enchantment into the shape of pigs and were
sought after for their tasty flesh. They went to Brugh na Boyne,
the fairy palace of Angus, to seek his assistance. However, Angus
told them that he could not help them until they had: "shaken the
Tree of Tarbga and eaten of the salmon of Inver Umaill", meaning
that they first had to become like the Tuatha De Danaans, by
seeking in the correct manner the magical knowledge that the Tuatha
de Danaans had gained. This story indicates that magical knowledge,
when used for the wrong reasons, can have damaging results.
Equally, the advice of Angus was that we should seek knowledge for
ourselves, which we can then use for our own protection, rather
than rely on others to come to our aid. It also shows that the
learning of knowledge always requires certain challenges and tests
to be undertaken.
The connection of the boar with the solar cycle, and the sow with
the Goddess and the lunar cycle, has already been noted. One legend
that demonstrates this well is known as 'Fionn and the Red Woman'.
The Fianna were out hunting on Gleann na Smol one misty morning -
mist represents the veil between the worlds and immediately tells
us that they are about to embark on an Otherworld journey. On the
edge of a wood the Fianna saw a strange beast; it had the head of
a boar and the body of a deer. A red woman was following behind the
beast and there was a shining crescent moon on each of its sides.
Both these factors show its connection with the Goddess.
The Fianna followed after the beast during the day, and during the
night, the realm of the Goddess, the moons on its sides shone
brightly. At dawn (a magical in-between time, neither day nor
night) the beast went into a sidhe mound, Cnoc na Righ (the hill of
the king). They saw the red woman again, who struck the hill with
her druid rod and a door opened. On entering they found themselves
in a great hall "where there was the brightness of the sun and of
the moon on every side." In a golden chair sat a king, dressed in
gold and green, with a great feast before him. The beast then came
in and stood before the king, saying: "I am going on towards my own
country now...and the sea is the same to me as the land." This
statement brings to mind the magical horse of Manannan that could
travel equally on land or sea.
The beast was gone in that instant, and the Fianna made haste after
it. At midday, (the mid point of the sun) the beast began to
weaken, until finally with the setting of the sun it fell down
dead. This clearly shows the boar's connection with the solar
cycle, and also with ancient kingship. The red woman told the
Fianna that the beast was the king of the Firbolgs (a pre-Gaelic
race of aboriginal people who are native to Ireland). The boar and
the sow are therefore very ancient totem animals that pre-date the
arrival of the Gaels into Ireland. When the first Gaels, the sons
of Mil, came close to landing in Ireland, it is said that all they
could see of the land was something in the shape of a pig.
It can clearly be seen, then, that the pig and its wild relative,
the boar, are probably the most important totem animals of the
Gaelic Celts, particularly in terms of their connections with the
Otherworld, as providers of spiritual nourishment. When we consider
that the Celtic / Gaelic system is in fact two systems,
incorporating the 'realms of the moon' and the 'realms of the sun',
that have over time merged into one system, we begin to realise why
the boar and the sow have become the totem animals par excellence
of the Gaelic Celts. They represent the twin forces of masculinity
and femininity - the wild, untamed boar, the warrior's challenge,
and the sow as the giver of Life and Death.
Dalriada Celtic Heritage Trust: Wild Cat of
Alba
Celtic Folklore
The Great Wild Cat of
Alba
Cats fascinate me. They always have done and I must confess, I find
it hard to live without them. From an early age I can recall that
I began to 'see' cats, just out of the corner of my eye, even
though they were not really there. Or were they? At any rate, they
would disappear as soon as I turned my head.
The most exciting encounters I have had with the cat totem have all
been since moving to Arran, for this island really is her domain.
There are many places here that seem to me to emanate cat energy,
the Huntress of the night. A few people have sighted a large, black
wild cat about the size of a labrador dog, roaming on the edge of
the moor. I myself caught a fleeting glimpse of one such cat last
winter, before it disappeared into the forest. I even went over to
the spot where I sighted her, on the opposite side of the burn, and
discovered some interesting paw prints, the likes of which I had
never seen before! I find it really exciting to think that I live
on an island where there is still enough wilderness left for such
cats to roam freely undisturbed.
Since living on Arran and attuning myself to the natural flow of
the land here, I feel intuitively that there were two totem animals
of great importance to the ancient people of this island - one is
the stag, the other is the cat. There are many references to "Arran
of the many stags" in legends and poetry. In particular Arran is
famous for its extremely rare white stag. With regard to the cat,
however, this is a personal feeling of mine. Even so, cats are to
be found in a few important place names here, especially Glen
Catacol, a large glen on the North West side of the island.
The reverence and worship of the cat as a tribal totem animal has
a long history in Alba. At one time, most of the clans of Alba were
of either the boar tribe or the cat tribe. The most important
"children of the cat" were the Chattens, MacKintoshes, MacPhersons
and MacGillavrays. We can go back even further in time, to the Pre-
Gaelic era, where we find that the older races of this land, that
we know of as the Fir Bolgs and who some call the Picts, were great
cat worshippers. It is in the North of Alba where we find the
kingdom of the Caledonii, within which there were many tribes, all
of whom were united by an allegiance to the cat. We also have the
cat mentioned in the place name Caithness. The Isle of Skye was one
of the strongholds of the Caledonii. Here on this island of mist
and magic reigned the formidable Celtic Goddess Scatha, whose name
means "Shadowy One". She is the Cat Faced Goddess and her clans of
old were matriarchal, ruled by women warriors with an apparent
cruelty that would shock many of us today.
It is important to point out that the tribes of people I am
referring to are Celtic peoples. They are not Gaels, being of a
much older, aboriginal racial stock, however they amalgamated with
the incoming Gaels from 200 BCE onwards, reaching a culmination in
the fifth century CE (Common Era). The main reason for this
amalgamation was that both 'races' had similar language, customs,
social organisation and religious beliefs, hence we can justifiably
call them Celtic.
To return to our cats, there have been many reported sightings of
large, catlike creatures the length and breadth of Britain.
However, these sightings usually only receive media coverage when
the case involves the killing of livestock. Several theories have
been put forward to explain them. The most common explanation given
is that these cats are former pets of individuals who have released
them into the wild when the beasts have become too difficult to
manage. The problem with this theory is twofold; firstly, there
must surely be only a limited number of people who could keep such
pets, for which they would need a licence, and it would be
difficult to keep a large, wild cat without drawing the attention
of neighbours and so on. Secondly, these large cats have been
sighted regularly in remote areas of Britain over the last 400
years - it is difficult to imagine them being kept as pets over
such a long period of time.
Another popular theory is that these cats have escaped from zoos
and wildlife parks at one time or another, and have survived long
enough to breed in the wild. However, if this theory is the case it
seems strange that no reports that such presumably highly dangerous
animals are missing have been issued to the Authorities. In
addition, sightings of large cats have occurred all over Britain,
mostly in remote places. Given such large distances involved it
seems unlikely that all these cats could have escaped from Wildlife
Parks.
A number of people hold to the belief that the great wild cats of
Alba do not have a physical existence at all, but are "astral
images" retained from long ago in our Celtic racial memory. Such
images have been built up over centuries of tribal worship of the
cat, and although the tribal ways have long since been abandoned by
most, the images remain and can be perceived by those with the
"Second Sight". Such astral images are strengthened by clan crests
bearing cats, and by our national symbol of the Lion Rampant,
associated with the Scottish nation and the Spirit of Her people.
The great cat lives on in the hearts and minds of the Celts!
While I find the latter theory the most attractive in the sense
that it takes into consideration levels of being other than solely
the physical, yet even this cannot offer a full explanation of the
cat mystery. In the case of the "Skerray Beast" (The Scots
Magazine, April 1979) a great many sightings of a catlike animal
were reported in this remote area of North Scotland between 1973
and 1979. Many of these sightings were in broad daylight and always
close to the site of a mysterious sheep killing. A number of
veterinary 'experts' who examined the kills concluded that they
were more than likely the work of a member of the cat family, due
to the neatness, swiftness and efficiency of the kill. There was no
sign of any struggle on the part of the victim, and the skin had
been cleanly removed. A whole assembly of locals gathered to track
down this animal, and they all spotted it seated on a hill staring
back at them. Could all these sightings really have been just
astral images? I think not. And then we have the case of the lynx
that was found dead in a fox snare in Orbliston Forest, Moray, in
1975. Where did this cat come from?
And so the mystery of the great wild cat of Alba lives on. My own
thoughts on this subject are that while some sightings may indeed
be images in the racial memory, the majority of sightings are of
real, live cats. For despite all the statements from the
established wildlife organisations claiming that the native lynx
became extinct centuries ago, I believe that up in those remote
glens of Alba the great pulag is still at large.
Dalriada Celtic Heritage Trust:
Horse
Celtic Totem Animals
THE HORSE
One of the Celtic totem animals that is inextricably linked with
Goddess worship in ancient times is the horse. This fine, majestic
beast has been an important totem throughout Europe for many
centuries. A considerable number of horse carvings have been found
on Pictish stones, featuring the Goddess seated side saddle,
holding mirror and comb, two objects that are sacred to the horse
Goddess. We find the same symbolism mentioned with the Gaelic
Goddess Etain. Her full title is Etain Echraidhe (echraidhe means
horse riding).
The horse Goddess is known and worshipped under many different
names, each tribe having its own special title for Her. She is
Rhiannon to the Cymric Celts, and Epona to the Gauls. There is
evidence of the existence of specific horse cults, such as the
'Epidii', the horse tribe of the Mull of Kintyre. The Isle of
Arran, lying just a few miles East of the Mull, in the Firth of
Clyde, bears surviving traits of this horse cult in many of its
place names, such as: Glen Iorsa - glen of the horses; Glen Shurrig
(searrach) - glen of the colts; Coire nan Larach - hollow of the
mares; Allt a'Chapuill - glen of the mare; Doire nan Each - grove
of the horses.
There are several Goddesses in the Gaelic tradition associated with
horses. We have already mentioned Etain. When Niamh of the Golden
Hair comes to take Oissin away to the Land of Promise, it is upon
a white steed that she rides. Rhian Gabhra is the Rhiannon of the
Gaels, also associated with the white mare of the Otherworldly
realms. One of the foremost horse Goddesses of Ireland is Macha.
She was forced to run a race against the king's horses while
pregnant. This represents the ancient ritual of sovereignty,
whereby the king claimed the right to rule the land with the
consent of the Goddess in her aspect as the white mare. In both the
Welsh and Irish traditions the white mare is representative of the
Goddess in the Otherworld, She who is the source of the king's
sovereign authority and may accept or reject his rule. If she
accepts his rule, as the white mare she symbolises the bestowal of
divine kingship, meaning that kingship was a sacred office that had
to be operative not only in this world, but in the Otherworld
too.
When the Tuatha De Danaans arrived in Ireland, they made a great
show of comparing their horses and hounds with those of the
Fomorians. The beasts of the De Danaans were found to be better.
This illustrates the importance that the people of the Goddess Danu
attributed to their horses and hounds. Horse racing is to this day
still a very popular pastime in Ireland, and horse races take place
on the Plain of Fal, which is associated with the Tuatha De
Danaans.
The Gaelic sun God Lugh is often credited with being the first to
introduce into Ireland the craft of Horsemanship. However, it was
from his father Cian that he received his training. Lugh also
instituted the festival of Lughnassadh, in honour of his foster
mother, the Fir Bolg Queen Tailltu. Horse racing and horse fairs
are traditionally associated with this festival. The annual
'Marymass' horse fair, held at Irvine in Ayrshire, is just one of
these surviving fairs that are reminiscent of the Lughnassadh
festival.
The society of 'Horse Whisperers' is one of a number of ancient
crafts or guilds that has survived virtually down to the present
day amongst those that work exclusively with horses. This craft is
said to have originated amongst the Pictish tribes of North East
Scotland. It has retained many elements of the Pre-Christian nature
religion, including its own esoteric lore and initiation rites
which are not revealed to outsiders. Until very recent times, with
the rapid introduction of technological innovations in farming,
horses were an integral part of agriculture. They worked with the
land and therefore are linked with many of its fertility aspects.
One folk custom that embodies this connection with fertility is the
practise of rubbing some earth from the plough onto the neck and
shoulders of the farm horses. The harness, plough and horses' ears
were then sprinkled with water for purification.
The most important association that the horse embodies as a totem
animal is that of a magical transporter to the Otherworld. The
horse travels freely between the worlds. Around the legendary isle
of Emhain Abhlach are the shining horses of the son of Lir. The
most famous horse in Irish mythology is the magical horse of
Manannan, 'Aonbharr of the Splendid Mane'. This wonderful mare was
swifter than the spring wind and could travel equally well on
either land or sea. Lugh was riding Aonbharr when the Fomorians
first caught sight of him. Any rider of this magical beast would be
invulnerable whilst on her back. However, riding this mare was most
difficult for mortals. In the Fianna legends we meet up with this
mare as the horse of the 'Gille Decair', the Bad Servant, who is
Manannan himself in disguise. None of the Fianna succeeded in even
getting the mare to move, until eventually she took off at an
alarming rate with Conan on her back, whom she took away to the
Otherworld. He later had to be rescued by the Fianna. The Gille
Decair himself is the only one who can control his horse, for
rather than dominating it as the master, he is infact its servant,
the servant of the Goddess.
In another legend Ciabhan of the Curling Locks made to depart from
Ireland in his curragh. He saw a rider on a grey horse with a
golden bridle riding on the waves. He would be under the sea for
the length of nine waves and rise above it on the tenth. This was
Manannan and he took Ciabhan away to his lands. There are many folk
tales of supernatural horses that carry mortals off to the
Otherworld. The most famous legend is of Thomas the Rhymer, 'True
Thomas', who was carried away to fairyland by the Elf Queen on her
white horse:
"She's mounted on her milk-white steed,
She's ta'en True Thomas up behind,
And aye, whene'er her bridle rang,
Her steed gaed swifter than the wind"
As a totem animal the horse is also linked with the Goddess of
prophecy and oracular knowledge, as in the well known saying:
"straight from the horse's mouth". Macha, the horse Goddess and
warrior queen is also strongly associated with prophecy;
Cuchulain's horse was named the Grey of Macha. In the legend of the
Tain, the chariot of the prophetess Fedelm is drawn by two black
horses. She foresees the destruction Cuchulain will cause on the
armies of Connaught. At Cuchulain's death, the Grey of Macha came
to him and laid its head in his lap.
In Scottish folklore there are numerous tales of supernatural
creatures that appear in animal form. With regard to the horse we
have the 'cailleach', the old hag of the night who takes the form
of the night mare, the horse that is bringer of bad dreams and ill
omen. There is also the kelpie (each uisge), a water spirit usually
seen in the shape of a young horse around lochs and pools. It would
willingly allow mortals to ride upon its back, but would then
attempt to drag its rider down below the water. The kelpie
possesses a magic bridle, and if you look through the holes in the
bridle-bit you will gain the gift of Second Sight. In the mid
nineteenth century the Clan MacGregor were said to have such a
kelpie bridle in their possession. One Seumas MacGregor, of an
earlier generation, was on his way home at dusk from Inverness to
Glenlivet, and he sat down to rest on the edge of Loch Slochd. He
was just wishing he had his 'auld nag' to carry him home when to
his surprise the very beast appeared. He mounted and rode for a
while when suddenly the horse took off, heading straight for the
loch. Seumas realised then that it was a kelpie and jumped off as
the horse plunged into the water, however he managed to retain hold
of its bridle.
Loch na Dubhrachan, on the isle of Skye, is famous for having a
kelpie. A few kelpie songs have survived, such as the 'Cumha an
Each Uisge' (Lament of the Water Horse). A kelpie went into human
shape and married an island girl. However, one day she saw sand on
his breast and discovering his secret, she fled in horror.
A wonderful Irish tale called 'The Red Pony' from the West coast
contains a great deal of symbolism, showing that the links with the
horse are far from being forgotten in the hearts of the Gaels. We
shall therefore look at it in some detail below:
THE RED PONY
A poor man had so many sons that he could not maintain them all; so
the last one at the door coming home from school he decided to shut
out. The lad went away and walked on until he came to a house on
the side of a hill, where he was offered shelter for the night. In
the morning the man of the house gave him a present, a red mare,
with a saddle and bridle. It was a magic pony that could talk and
travel over the sea (meaning it was an Otherworldly horse that
could travel between the worlds). As he was riding along, the pony
advised the boy not to touch anything he saw before him. Along the
road the boy saw a box with a light in it and a lock of hair.
Despite the warning, the boy took the box with him. (The light
signifies illumination gained from knowledge; the lock of hair
belongs to a beautiful woman. The story goes on to show that
seeking knowledge has consequences that you must be prepared to
follow through).
The boy went to work as a stable lad, with eleven other boys. While
going out to the stables at night the boys noticed the bright light
coming from the lad's stable, and told the king. The king had the
box brought to him and found the lock of hair within, and said the
lad must bring to him the woman to whom the hair belongs. (The king
was always a Druid; he is setting the boy a magical task. It
signifies that he must seek the Goddess in the Otherworld
first).
So the boy and the red pony went over the sea. They saw the
beautiful woman of the lock of hair, who asked for a ride on the
pony, and the pony brought her back and took her to the king. Then
the woman herself set a task for the boy (his second task, set by
the Goddess this time). She told him that she would not marry any
man unless he could fetch the bottle of healing water that was in
the Eastern world. The pony told the boy that he must kill her in
order to carry out the task. So the boy cut the pony open and out
flew three ravens. (Three is a very symbolic number, signifying the
three levels of body, mind and spirit, and also the Celtic number
of completion. The story retains a sort of 'folk memory' of the
ancient practises of divination from the entrails of animals and
also from the flight patterns of certain birds). Two of the ravens
went into the body of the pony and drank its blood, then flew out.
When the third raven went in, the boy closed up the pony, and told
the ravens he would not set their companion free until they brought
the bottle of healing water for him. They came back that evening
with the bottle and he let the other raven out. He poured the
healing water over the pony and she became well again. (This
signifies the Goddess ruling over Life, Death and Rebirth as she
continually renews Herself each new moon).
The third task for the boy was to jump in and out of a barrel of
boiling pitch without harming himself. He rubbed himself first with
the healing water, and was then able to perform the task unharmed.
He jumped in and out three times. Then he and the beautiful woman
were married, and the wedding lasted three days and three nights.
(This test shows the bravery of the warrior who must face Death on
three levels and only then was accepted into Manhood). After the
wedding, the lad found the bones of the mare and was rather
distressed at first. However, it was explained to him that the
woman and the mare were one and the same. This echoes the well
known theme in legends and folk tales of the transformational
nature of the Goddess, from an old hag in the evening who asks the
warrior to take her to his bed, and in the morning has become a
beautiful maiden.
Dalriada Celtic Heritage Trust:
Hound
Celtic Totem Animals
THE HOUND
Dogs have been faithful guardians, workers and companions for
humankind since ancient times. It comes as no surprise, then, to
find the dog as an important totem animal in many traditions world-
wide, the Celtic tradition being no exception.
The two aspects of the dog that are most frequently encountered in
our native traditions are the wolf and the hunting hound. The wolf
is one of the shapes of the fearful Morrigan, Gaelic Goddess of war
and destruction. She appeared to Cuchulain in the shape of a wolf
in order to torment him in battle. February is traditionally known
as the 'wolf month' (faoilleach), when the last death throes of
winter still retain their grip. In the following Irish folk tale
'The Wolf Maids' we can see that traces of this totem animal,
though hunted to extinction in Britain, still survives in popular
folk memory. The tale is clearly based on the legend of the three
wolves from the cave of Cruachan.
There were once three werewolves that in their human shape had been
the three daughters of the 'Lord of the White Fort'. They had been
seen coming out of a cave at the shore and were causing a great
deal of destruction in the district, and so Cascarach, the elven
harper who had the gift of charming, was called upon. If only he
would use his magic in some way to rid the village of this
terror...Since the three daughters were triplets, born of one
birth, they had to be slain with one blow, and in their human
shape. Now Caoilte possessed a spear with magical properties. While
Cascarach sat at the opening of the cave, luring the wolves with
his enchanted playing, Caoilte lay in wait, spear in hand.
Cascarach wove a spell that was soothing, calming, lulling the
wolves to come forward. As they did so, Cascarach mocked them for
being in wolf shape, saying that they would surely appreciate the
full beauty of his music in their own human form. The wolves
agreed, by this time spellbound by the delightful music, and they
shed their wolfskins. In that moment Caoilte acted, throwing his
spear through the heart of all three, and thus they were slain.
We move on now to consider the Celtic hunting hounds. These fine
dogs are revered in both the Cymric and Gaelic traditions alike. In
the Welsh legends of the Mabinogion Pwyll, prince of Dyfed,
encounters strange white, red eared hounds chasing a stag, while
the Irish Fianna are always accompanied by their hounds on hunting
expeditions.
In the Gaelic language the word for dog is 'cu'. The dog is the
totem animal of the greatest hero of Ulster, Cuchulain, whose name
means 'Hound of Culain'. Culain the Smith was holding a great feast
to entertain king Conchobar. The boy Setanta (Cuchulain's childhood
name) had gained such a reputation for his incredulous deeds that
Conchobar invited him along to the feast. Setanta was busy playing
hurley when the party left, but intended to follow on later.
Conchobar arrived at the feast but in the midst of the festivities
he forgot to tell his host that the boy was arriving later. Culain
ordered the enclosure gates to be shut, and his savage hound was
put on guard, which was as strong and as fierce as a hundred
dogs.
The boy arrived and the hound sprang at him, but the boy grasped
the hound by the throat and smashed it against a pillar. Culain was
in despair, for there was no other hound like his in the world.
Setanta promised to rear for him a pup, and in the meantime he
himself would act as his hound and guard his household.
Such an event caught the attention of the druid, Cathbad, who named
him Cuchulain and foretold that one day his name would be on the
lips of everyone. In this legend we find another example of how a
hero is fated to face and overpower his totem animal before it will
become his guardian and ally. (See article on the boar).
In the legend of the Tain we find that Cuchulain is known by other
names, all of which point to his close totemic link with his
namesake, the dog. The prophetess Fedelm calls him the 'Forge
Hound' for he serves Culain the Smith. His close friend Ferdia
refers to him poetically as the 'Hound of the Bright Deeds', the
'Hound of Ulster', and the 'Hound of the Sweet Discipline'. In
battle Cuchulain was likened to a fierce hound, as the 'Cu Roich',
the mad dog battle frenzy took him over completely.
The hound is particularly sacred to the Goddess, for it is the
guardian of the realms of her Mysteries that only the worthy may
enter. Hence we often find dogs featured on examples of Celtic
knotwork. It is interesting to note that the Hound of Culain is the
only Ulsterman who is not afflicted with the 'pangs of Ulster', the
mysterious sickness that periodically overcame the Ulster male
warriors as a result of the curse of the Goddess Macha.
We can find many references in our legends to hounds with
extraordinary abilities. One of Lugh's famous possessions was a
magic hound, brought for him from the king of Ioruaidhe by the sons
of Tuirenn. This fierce hound was unconquerable in combat. If it
bathed in spring water, it would change it into wine. The hound of
Lugh also had power over wild animals, for it was said that: "all
the wild beasts of the world would fall down at the sight of
her."
A certain Ulsterman named mac Datho owned an incredible hound that
could outrun every other hound. Both Queen Medb of Connaught and
King Conchobar of Ulster offered a high price of six hundred cows
for this hound, and also a chariot and two horses, so great was its
value. However, neither of them succeeded in gaining the hound, for
such Otherworldly creatures cannot be bought and sold in material
goods.
The Gaelic sea god Manannan also kept hounds. They went hunting one
time after a pig that was destroying the whole country. When the
hounds came upon a lake the legend tells us they were all drowned,
and the lake thereafter became known as the Lake of the Hounds.
So why did all the dogs drown? The legend contains deeper meanings
that I will briefly outline here. As stated earlier, the hound is
a sacred animal of the Goddess. The sea, lakes, pools and so on are
all places that epitomize the Feminine principle, they are
containers of the waters of Life. Such places are also entrances to
the Otherworld, the realms of the Goddess. The dogs 'drowning ' in
the lake symbolizes their return to the Otherworld from where they
came. In another tale, Fionn's hounds lead him to Slieve Cuillin,
where he encounters a woman of the sidhe sitting on the edge of a
lake.
The Goddess Aine is strongly associated with hounds. At her stone,
Cathair Aine, all the mad dogs of Ireland would gather before going
into the sea, to 'Aine's Country'. Again, we find a direct link
with water, the Goddess and the hound as her servant.
Fionn MacCumhal, the Captain of the Fianna, kept five hounds called
Bran, Sceolan, Lomaire, Brod and Lomluath. The two hounds we hear
most of are Bran and Sceolan, who are the children of Tuiren, the
sister of Fionn's mother. These white, red eared hounds of the
sidhe are Otherworld beasts that guard the Mysteries, but are also
guides to the souls of the dead. They are encountered on the
journey to the Celtic Lands of Youth. When Fionn's son Oissin goes
to the Land of Promise with Niamh he sees many wonders, including
a fawn being chased by pure white red eared hounds as their horse
rides over the waves.
The men of the Fianna were often being helped by the sidhe folk in
one way or another. One time Fionn was given a special hound: "and
there was not a colour in the world but was on that hound, and it
was bigger than any other." Three young men from Iruath came with
the hound, who would get provisions for the Fianna every second
night, so long as no mortal men approached their camp after
nightfall. The three young men spoke to Fionn, saying:
"It is our wish, Fionn, to send the hound that is with us to
go around you three times in every day, and however many may
be trying to hurt or to rob you, they will not have power to
do it after that. But let there be neither fire nor arms nor
any other dog in the house he goes into."
Here we see the hound acting in the role as guardian of Fionn
MacCumhal, leader of the Wild Hunt who comes to take the souls of
the dead through the veil between the worlds. The reference to the
fire and arms show clearly that the hound is of the sidhe, for
traditionally the sidhe will not enter a house where there is iron
within or where there is a fire that has not been kindled from the
sacred hearth flame.
After a year, however, two sons of the king of Ulster became
curious and approached the camp of the three young men and the
hound during the night. They saw one of the young men watching over
the dog, while another held a vessel of white silver to the mouth
of the dog. Any drink they asked for, the dog would put into the
vessel.
The vessel of silver is obviously connected with the moon and the
Goddess, silver being the colour of the moon and the drinking cup
being associated with the feminine qualities of nourishment,
bounty, inspiration and refreshment for the body, mind and
spirit.
The Otherworld hound of the sidhe, servant of the Goddess and
guardian of the mysteries, is also associated with death, for the
Celts saw death as merely a transition from one dimension or world
of existence to that of another. In the chase of Diarmaid and
Grania, it is Fionn's hound Bran that warns Diarmaid of Fionn's
approach. On the last night of the year (that is, Samhain), the
night before Diarmaid met his death, he was kept awake by the eerie
sound of hounds howling in the dark. Grania advised him not to
follow that sound, for it was unwise to follow after hounds in the
night. There are many tales in folklore of supernatural dogs; they
are more often heard than seen, especially on stormy nights. These
are the 'Cu Sith', the fairy dogs that are the size of a young bull
and are considered very dangerous if crossed.
Finally, to return to our hero the Hound of Ulster, we discover the
impact his totem animal has on his life, even to the point of being
instrumental in his death. Cuchulain meets three old hags by the
roadside, each of them blind in one eye. They are roasting a dog on
spits of rowan, and they ask him to share their humble feast. At
first Cuchulain is overcome by their hideousness and declines the
invitation. In doing so he forgets that he is under geis not to
refuse a feast. Then Cuchulain takes a share of the meat, but as he
bites into it his fighting arm immediately loses all its strength,
for his second geis is never to eat of his totem animal. As soon as
a warrior has broken his geissa his death will follow shortly
after. At Cuchulain's death his blood runs down in a stream, and an
otter, a water dog, comes to lap it up.
We can see, then, that the dog is an important totem animal capable
of displaying diverse aspects. It is a loyal servant of humankind,
guardian of the household and fierce in battle. It is also the
servant of the Goddess that guards the entrance to her realms, and
the messenger of death that guides us to the Celtic Lands of the
Otherworld.
Dalriada Celtic Heritage Trust:
Salmon
Celtic Totem Animals
The Salmon
The salmon has always been a symbol of great wisdom in the minds of
the Celts. In Scottish folklore we find the 'ceasg', the mermaid
who has the body of a maiden and the tail of a salmon. If captured
by a mortal she would have the power to grant three wishes. In
Irish folklore the salmon, trout and eel are all considered to be
guardian spirits of wells, pools, streams and so on.
In one Irish folk tale a white trout appears in a village stream,
the likes of which had not been seen before. Most people were in
awe of it (showing the reverence they still held for the salmon and
trout as sacred fish). However, there was a soldier who laughed at
them and said he would catch it and eat it for his dinner. (Note
the similarity here with the legend of Fionn and the salmon of the
Boyne, below).
However, when he had caught the fish, he could not manage to cook
it (for it was a sacred fish from the Otherworld). He took out his
knife and went to cut it and at that moment it leapt out of the pan
and onto the floor, whereupon it transformed into a beautiful
woman. She told him that he must throw her back into the river, for
she was waiting for her loved one to come by, and if he came while
she was away he would hunt the soldier for evermore. The soldier,
who was obviously not going to receive the wisdom that Fionn did on
account of his thoughtlessness, was so taken aback by all this that
he duly obliged and threw her back into the water.
In the legend of Tuan mac Carell, Tuan recounts the history of the
invasions of Ireland, through his many incarnations. He goes
through many different shapes, the last one being in the form of a
salmon. He is captured and eaten while in this shape, and so reborn
as a man again. Another character that goes through different
shapes is Fintan, survivor of the Great Flood which wiped out
Cessair's people. Fintan hid in a cave in the form of a salmon. The
salmon of knowledge in Celtic legends is no other than Fintan, who
in the same way as Tuan mac Carell observed many different events
over the course of many centuries in this shape. Another reference
to the salmon of knowledge is to be found in the magical crane skin
bag of Manannan, that contains among other things 'the belt from
the skin of a great fish'.
The most famous legend of the salmon of knowledge is that of Fionn
MacCumhal on the banks of the river Boyne. Fionn had undertaken to
learn the arts of Druidism and Bardism from an old Druid named
Finnegas. Now Finnegas had sought for many years to capture the
salmon that swam in the Boyne, for whosoever ate of this salmon
would gain all knowledge and wisdom. The salmon fed on the magical
hazel-nuts that fell in the river. One day Finnegas managed to
catch the salmon, and ordered Fionn to cook it for him. Fionn
accidentally burnt his thumb on the hot fish and thrust it into his
mouth to cool it off, and so he immediately gained all
knowledge.
In the legends we are told that the Tuatha De Danaans had a well
below the sea where the nine hazels of inspiration grew:
"And their leaves and their blossoms would break out in the same
hour, and would fall on the well in a shower that raised a
purple wave. And then the five salmon that were waiting there
would eat the nuts, and their colour would come out in the red
spots of their skin, and any person that would eat one of
those salmon would know all wisdom and all poetry". What,
then, makes the salmon so special? Why is it so closely linked in
the minds of the Celts with wisdom and knowledge? The answers to
these questions lie in the characteristics of the salmon. Firstly,
in order to breed and survive, the salmon must swim upstream,
against the flow of the river. It must battle against the river's
currents or be swept back to the sea. This can be likened to the
path of the warrior as he struggles to overcome obstacles in his
quest to reach the Summerlands, the ultimate, eternal life. It is
the battle of the soul for life; for if we give up the fight, we
condemn ourselves to the downward spiral that can only lead back to
chaos and oblivion.
The Celts observed this struggle for life on all levels. The salmon
in the pool also represents the male sperm swimming against great
odds to reach the womb of the female. Only one out of millions will
survive to reach its goal and bring forth life. In the same way,
the salmon with red spots on its skin is about to spawn. Yet once
it has done so, it dies. Thus Life is born out of Death, and the
cycle of Life, Death and New Life continues. This is one of the
Mysteries that, like all Mysteries, can only be fully understood
through experience, for Death is the greatest initiator of all. It
would seem that, like the salmon, we must first embrace the gateway
of Death before we can become truly wise.
Dalriada Celtic Heritage Trust: Seal
Celtic Totem Animals
The Seal
In Caithness seals were believed to be fallen angels; this is the
Christianized version of much older folk beliefs concerning the
selkies, the seal people. Many folk stories recount how seals have
transformed into humans.
In the Hebrides it was believed that certain families were
descended from seals. One such family are the MacCodrums of North
Uist that Fiona MacLeod refers to in his story 'The Dan nan Ron'.
These families were known as the 'sliocha nan ron'. They were
believed to be under the enchantment of the seals and to carry the
seal blood within. Once such a person had taken on the form of a
seal, they could no longer return to live on the dry land. They
would be 'dead' to those that knew them before.
Sometimes mortal men managed to trap selkie women and make them
their wives, by hiding their seal skins from them. However, once
the selkies find their skins they return to the sea, never to be
seen again. Also, selkie men sometimes beget children on mortal
women, as in the folk song 'The Selkie of Sule Skerry'. After a
period of seven years, the selkie returned to the woman to claim
his son, but with tragic consequences.
Often in the Hebrides local people have heard strange, sorrowful
music out at sea that would move them deeply. This is the 'Dan nan
Ron', the song of the seals, which was greatly feared. And then
there is the One Eyed Watcher, who watches and waits for those who
are close to Death...
It is possible that these old folk beliefs are the remnants of our
ancient racial memory, from a time when Mankind had much stronger
empathy with animals. Perhaps we were able to communicate
telepathically with them. As the sea is where all Life first began,
we have a deep, primeval link with the realms of water and all who
dwell in her domain.
Michael Scott has collected many traditional tales from all over
Ireland. The following tale concerns a seal woman and her
misfortune at the hands of a mortal:
A man named Declan had been catching cockles and crabs all morning
on the beach, and lay down to rest for a while. When he awoke, he
heard strange music and saw twelve people, six couples, in a circle
on the beach, gently swaying and singing, with an old man in the
centre. The couples went off separately for their lovemaking,
taking off their shimmering cloaks and leaving them on a nearby
stone. Declan stole one of the cloaks and would have sold it in the
village, for it was very beautiful. He watched as one by one the
seal people picked up their cloaks and went back into the sea, all
except one young woman. She began searching for her cloak, and then
saw Declan, realising he had stolen it. She held out her webbed
hand and asked for the cloak in a gentle, lilting voice. He could
smell the salt of the sea on her. Declan was not going to give in
without getting something in return. He waved his knife in front of
her, but she showed no fear, saying that her people were from a
past age and had faced the hostility and weapons of his people for
generations. She said that they were the last of the Ron, the Seal
People who had been banished to the waves. But every hundred years
they came onto land to conceive children that would be able to move
freely both on land in the shape of humans and also be able to live
in the sea. Without her cloak, however, the seal woman could never
return to the sea.
Then Declan, a cruel man, decided he would take his pleasure with
the woman himself, and he lunged at her. She was struck with
terror. At that moment a huge bull-seal came to her aid, striking
at Declan with his flippers and sinking sharp teeth into his leg.
He was knocked unconscious. The following summer the Ron people got
their revenge. Declan went out too far at low tide in search of
crabs, slipped on some rocks and was drowned.
Dalriada Celtic Heritage Trust: Folk Tales - Honey of
the
Wild Bees
Scottish Folk Tales
HONEY OF THE WILD
BEES
(A Scottish folktale of Emhain Abhlach - The Isle of
Arran)
Three years after Bobaran the Druid poet, surnamed Bobaran Ban,
Bobaran the White left Innis Manainn for the isles of the north,
word came to him from the Sacred Isle that he was to beware of
three things: the thought in the brain of the swallow, the arrow in
the tongue of the fish, and the honey of the wild bees.
This word came to Bobaran in the island that was called Emhain
Abhlach, Emhain of the Apple Trees where he dwelled with his wards,
the two children of Naois and Deirdre: Gaer, a youth already tall,
comely and gracious, and lordly as a king's son; and Aevgrain, the
Sunlike. The loveliness of Aevgrain was so fair to look upon, that
she was held worthy to be the daughter of that Deirdre whose beauty
had set all the ancient world aflame.
When Bobaran the White received this message from Manannan mhic
Manainn, Lord of the Sacred Isle and of the Isles of the Gall, he
was troubled. That high king meant no juggling with words. Manannan
knew that the Druid poet had the old wisdom of the symbols; and
fearing lest any others might interpret his message, had sent
warning to him in this guise. That, he understood. Manannan Mac-
Athgno was old, and had knowledge of desires unaccomplished and of
things unfulfilled: doubtless, then, he had foreseen some peril or
other evil thing for Gaer or for Aevgrain, or for both the hapless
children of Naois mhic Uisneach and Deirdre.
Yet of the message Bobaran could make nothing. After long thought,
he took his clarsach and went up through the ancient forest and out
upon the desert of the great mountain which towers above all others
in Emhain Abhlach.
He played gently upon his clarsach as he went, so that no wild
thing molested him. The brown wolves howled, and their fangs
whitened under their red snouts; but all leaped aside, and slid
snarling out of sight. The grey wolves stood silent, watching with
fierce red eyes, but did not follow. When Bobaran came to the last
tree of the forest, he looked behind him and saw an old white
wolf.
He stopped.
"Why do you follow me, O wolf?" he asked.
The wolf blinked at him, and sniffed idly the hillwind.
"Why do you follow me, O wolf?" Bobaran asked a second time. The
old white wolf raised his head and howled.
Bobaran took from the hollow at the top of his clarsach nine
shrunken red berries of the rowan. Three he threw at the white
wolf, and cried: "I put speech upon thine old wisdom". Three he
threw into the air above his head and cried: "Tear the mist, O
wind". And three he put into his mouth, muttering, "By him of the
Hazel Tree, and by the Salmon of Knowledge, let seeing be upon
me".
With that he asked for the third time, "Why do you follow me, O
wolf?" When the wolf spoke, it was with the tongue of men:
"The spring is come: the red fish is in the river again, the red
tassel is on the larch, and the secret thought is in the brain of
the swallow".
"There is no swallow yet on Emhain Abhlach, old wolf that has
wisdom".
"There is even now a swallow making three flights above your head,
and it will fall at your feet".
Bobaran saw a shadow circle thrice before his eyes, and before he
could stir a swallow fell dead at his feet.
While it was yet warm he looked into the brain of the bird. Because
of the three sacred berries he had swallowed, he saw. Then he was
troubled because in that seeing he saw a wild boar turning at bay,
and that Gaer the beautiful youth had fallen, and in his fall had
broken his spear, and that the boar blinked his red savage eyes and
churned the foam between his great tusks, and made ready to rush
upon him and slay Gaer the son of the Beautiful One, the king's son
who should yet rule the Gaels of Eire.
With that Bobaran struck three shrill cries from his clarsach, and
ran headlong westward through the forest. And where he lay upon the
ground, Gaer looked and saw a dancing flame before him, and before
the boar was a whirling sword that made a continuous bewildering
dazzle. And that dancing flame, and that rushing torrent, and that
whirling sword, were the three shrill cries from the clarsach of
Bobaran the White.
This happened then: that when the Druid ran into the glade where
Gaer lay, he took his clarsach and played a spell upon the boar, so
that the son of Naois rose, and lifted his broken spear, and
strongly bound the two fragments together, and then with a great
shout rushed upon the foam-clotted tusks and drove his spear
through the red throat, so that it came out beyond the bristling
fell, and passed the length of a handsbreadth into the bole of an
oak that was behind the boar.
That night, Bobaran and Gaer and Aevgrain had great joy over the
fires. Gaer played upon his clarsach, and sang the chant of the
death of the boar; and Bobaran sang the long tale of Naois, the
first of the three heroes of Alba, and of his great love of
Deirdre; and Aevgrain, when the stars were come, and none saw her
face in the shadow, sang the love songs of Deirdre, and the love
song that was in her own woman's heart.
The two men were troubled by the singing of Aevgrain; Bobaran the
White because of memory, Gaer because of desire. When she sang no
more, both sighed. "I hear the sound of the sea", said Gaer - "I
hear the song of a blind bird" said Bobaran - "I hear silence",
whispered Aevgrain to herself, the blood going to her face lest
even in that silence the secret thought in her heart should take
wing, as the quiet owlet in the dusk.
But Bobaran was well pleased that night when the youth and the girl
slept. For he had seen the thought in the brain of the swallow,
that of which Manannan of Manainn had warned him. For now belike
might the prophecy be fulfilled, that Gaer of the race of Usna and
of the womb of Deirdre should become the Ardrigh of the Gaels both
of Eire and of Alba. So he slept.
On the seventh day after that slaying of the boar, Bobaran the
White walked under the falling snow of the apple bloom, in the
shore glades behind the great conical isle that was then called
Inshroin, the Isle of the Seals.
He was looking idly seaward, when suddenly he stood as though
arrow-fixed. In the bay was a long galley, shaped like a great
fish, and with the bows disparted as the mouth of a speared salmon.
It was a birlinn of the Innse Gall, and the coming of the sea
rovers might well be for evil.
He heard a strange music, but ear could not tell whence it came,
for it was as a sweet perplexing swarm of delicate sounds; and was
in the spires of the grass, and the blown drift of the thistle
down, and the bells of the foxglove, and in all the murmurous
multitude of the little leaves.
So by that he knew it was a magic song. He took his clarsach, and
played an old rune of the sea, that Manannan of Manainn had taught
him: Manannan, the son of Athgno, of the sons of Manannan of the
Foam, son of Lir, the great god.
And when he had played, he took nine shrivelled berries of the
rowan from the top of his clarsach. Three he threw toward the
waves, and cried:
"O element that is older than the ancient earth!
O Element that was old when Age was young!
O second of the Sacred Three in whom the seed of Alldai
In whom the seed of the Unnameable became the spawn of the world,
Whence the old gods,and the fair Dedannans, and the sons of men, O
Element of the Elements, show me the fish of Manainn,
Show me the fish of Manannan with the arrow in the tongue!"
And when Bobaran had cried this incantation, he took three more of
the rowan berries and threw them on the ground, and they were swift
red tongues of hounds that bayed against a shadowy deer. Then, when
he had swallowed the three remaining rowan berries, he saw Gaer
standing by a rock on the shore, now looking toward the galley -
whence came, as a swarm of bees, the perplexing sweet murmurous
noise - and now back to the woodland where he heard the glad baying
of hounds lairing the deer.
But while Bobaran wondered, he saw a beautiful naked woman standing
the prow of the birlinn, and striking the strings of a small shell
harp, and singing. And when he looked at Gaer, the son of Naois was
in the sea, and swimming swiftly from wave to wave, crying the name
of her who bore him - Deirdre, flame of love.
But the druid saw that the beautiful woman was an evil Queen, and
that in the hollow of the fish mouth crouched a man of Lochlin,
with a stretched bow in his hands, and in that bow a great arrow.
So once more he cried :
" O element, in the name of Manannan, son of Lir!"
and then he lifted his clarsach, and struck three shrill cries from
the strings.
Thus it was that where Gaer swam against the sweet lust of his eyes
three great waves arose. The first wave bore him down into the
depths, so that the arrow that flew against his breast shot like a
shadow through the water. The second wave whirled him this way and
that, so that the arrow that flew against his back shot like a
spent mackerel through the spray. The third wave hurled him on the
shore, amid clouds of sand.
Bobaran flew to the place where he fell, and stood before him, and
played a wind against the arrows that now came from the birlinn
like rain. Then he played magic upon the sea, so that the three
tidal waves became one, and roared seaward in one high, terrible
crested, overpowering tumult, and lifted the birlinn, and hurled it
upon the rocks of Inshroin, so that all there were swept into the
sea and drowned.
Then Bobaran was glad, because he remembered what he had heard in
Inis Manainn - that a fair queen of the Innse Gall would seek to
lure Gaer the son of Deirdre to his death, because of what Naois
and the sons of Usnach had done to her kinsfolk of the far
isles.
That night, before the fires, he told of the hero wars of Naois and
the sons of Usnach, and of how the queen of the Innse Gall came in
her beauty to Naois, and of how Naoise looked at Deirdre, and bade
depart the yellow haired woman with the yellow crown. Then because
he was a poet he sang of her beauty,and of the infinite bitter
sweetness of desire, and of the long ache and continuous
unsatisfied longing that is called love.
When he ceased, he saw that neither Gaer nor Aevgrain listened to
his singing voice. But in the eyes of Gaer he saw the infinite
bitter sweetness of desire, and in the eyes of Aevgrain the ache
and longing of unawakened love.
On the morrow, Bobaran was walking, heavy with thought.
Peradventure the day was near when another evil would come to the
children of Naoise and Deirdre. He feared, too, lest he had lit a
fire in the mind of Gaer and in the heart of Aevgrain.
While he was yet pondering what thus perplexed him, he saw three
drawing near. One was Aevgrain, sunlike indeed in her lovely
beauty, but with strange, grave eyes; and one was Gaer coming as
Naois when he was seen of Deirdre in the woods of Conchobar,
laughing with delight; and one was a young man, the fairest and
comeliest Bobaran the White had ever seen. He was clad in green,
with a fillet of fold, with belt clasps of shining findruiney. His
hair was long and yellow, yet he was not of the men of Lochlin.
He bowed courteously as he drew near. Bobaran saw that he threw
three berries of the mistletoe on the ground, and asked him
concerning these, and that doing.
"It is my geas, my vow", said the stranger. "It is one of my geasan
that I throw three berries of the mistletoe on the ground before I
speak to an honourable one of the druids".
Bobaran accepted that saying, for it was in the manner of his
day.
And because that he himself was under geas not to ask a stranger
more than two questions, he spoke at once, lest idly he should ask
a vain thing.
"Are you of Emhain Abhlach, fair lord?" he asked.
"Yes, I am of the Isle of Apple Trees", answered the stranger, with
grave eyes.
"And your name and your father's name, are they known to me?"
"I am Rinn, the son of Eochaidh Iuil"
"Doubtless Eochaidh Iuil is a king in...in..."
"What of your geas, O Bobaran Ban?"
At this the druid bowed ashamedly, for he had broken his geas. He
stood amazed, too, that Rinn, the son of Eochaidh, should know what
that geas was.
"I am come here," said Rinn, slowly, "because I follow the shadow
of my dream". The druid thought he had heard no voice so sweet
since Deirdre sang low as she played at chess with Naois.
"That was when Gaer was asleep within her womb" said Rinn.
So, knowing that the stranger could read what was in his mind,
Bobaran feared the magic of spells. But when he put his hand to his
side, he found that his clarsach was gone; and when he looked, he
saw that Rinn had lifted it from the ground; and when he strove to
speak, he understood that by the third berry of the mistletoe the
stranger had put silence against his lips.
So, with a heavy heart, he turned and followed the three to the
pleasant lios which at that season was their home.
At dusk, before the fires, Rinn sang and told fair wonderful tales.
And when he had told one tale, Gaer that it was of him he spoke:
and of how on the morrow he would cross the sea to Eire and contest
with Conchobar, who had been the deathmaker for his love Deirdre
and for Naios and the sons of Usnach, for the sovereignty of the
Ultonians: and of how he would banish Conchobar to the far surf
swept Isles of Orcc: and of how, after a year of sovereignty, and
because of the longing of love and the dream of of all dreams, he
would return to Emhain Abhlach, and recall Conchobar to be Ardrigh:
and of how he would live there till he died, and of how he would
know love great as the love of Naois, and beauty great as the
beauty of Deirdre.
And in that dream sleep came upon him, and when Gaer slept, Rinn
took the clarsach again, and again played. He sang the song of
love. Bobaran saw a forest glade filled with moonshine, and in that
moonshine was a woman, white and beautiful, and the face was the
face of Alveen whom he had loved. His heart rose like a wave: his
life swung on the crest of that wave: and as a wave he broke in a
flood of longing and desire at the feet of Alveen whom he had loved
long, long ago.
And in that dream sleep came upon him, and he knew no more.
When Bobaran slept, Rinn looked at Aevgrain, whose eyes were
shining upon him as two stars.
"Play me no sweet songs, O Rinn," she murmured, "for already I love
you, O heart's desire, my delight!"
Rinn smiled, but he touched the strings of his harp.
" O heart's desire, my delight!" he whispered.
"O heart's desire!" she murmured, as sleep came upon her. Then her
white hands moved like swans through the shadowy flood that was her
hair, and she put sleep from her, and leaned forward, looking into
the eyes of Rinn.
"Tell me who you are, whence you are" she whispered.
"Will you love me if I tell this thing?"
"You are my heart's desire."
"Will you follow me if I tell this thing?"
Aevgrain rose. The firelight waved a rose of flame into her face.
Rinn laughed low, and he put his arms about her and led her deeper
into the shadow of the lios.
At sunrise Manannan stood on the shore, and when he looked along
the sun track he saw Gaer sailing into the west.
Then he went to the lios. There was no one there: there was no
single thing to be seen there save two pale blue shadows lying in
the sunway. Then he awoke Bobaran.
"Put that youth-dream from you", he said, "and answer me. Where is
Gaer? Where is Aevgrain?"
Bobaran bowed his head.
"What of the wild boar that was the peril of Gaer, that was the
thought in the brain of the swallow?"
"It is slain, O Manannan of Manainn."
"What of the white woman and the death shaft that was the arrow in
the tongue of the fish?"
"They are in the silence of the sea."
"What of the witching voice of Rinn, the Lord of Shadow, Rinn the
son of Eochaidh Iuil, of the Land of Heart's Desire? What of his
witching song, that is called Honey of the Wild Bees?"
Bobaran the Druid bowed his head.
"He put spells upon me and upon Gaer. I know no more."
"Gaer you shall see once more, for he will come again to Emhain
Abhlach, but he will not know you, for you shall be a grey wolf
howling in the waste. But Aevgrain we shall not see again.
Farewell, O daughter of Deirdre, desire of my desire!"
And with that Manannan turned, and was hidden in a sea mist, and
was in Manainn again, the Sacred Isle.
But already Bobaran had not waited for that going. His fell
bristled as he leaped past the lios, and his long howl rose and
sank till lost in the silence of the woods.
At sundown on the third day the two shadows in the lios stirred.
Sweet clay of the world was upon them again.
"Tell me what you are, whence you are", murmured Aevgrain, her eyes
shadowy with love.
"Will you love me if I tell this thing?"
"You are my heart's desire"
"Will you follow?"
Aevgrain strove to rise. The sunflood warmed a rose of flame in her
pale face.
"I love you, Aevgrain, because you are beautiful, and because in
you I see the shadow of beauty. Await here. It is my will".
"I have no love but you. You are my heart's desire."
Rinn sighed.
"So be it", he said. "I will take with me your love. Overlong have
I dreamed this dream. Hark to that great sighing!"
"I hear".
"It is the sighing of the world. It is for me."
"For you..........?"
"I am called Rinn, Honey of the Wild Bees. I am the Lord of Shadow.
But here, O Aevgrain, my name is Death".
(Fiona MacLeod, 1910)
[DALRIADA CELTIC HERITAGE TRUST, ISLE OF ARRAN]
[SCOTTISH CHARITY NO. SC023948]
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