DOCSLIB.ORG

The One Who Is Many, the Many Who Power and Potentiality in the Sacred Females

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The One Who Is Many, the Many Who Power and Potentiality in the Sacred Females The One Who is Many, the Many Who Power and Potentiality in the Sacred Females by sherry ROWIS) Indeed, she comprises three separate sacred females, each with her own multiplicity of attributes. A brief examina- L huteure examine h dtcsses a% dIrhndc, ces Triadrsdivines tion of the triple goddesses of Ireland will demonstrate composkes & troh personnages ftminins, chacune avec sa that divine triads, while manifestations of sacred females multipi&titi&dons, quimcrcenten mime temps unpouvoir often uniting to perform a specific role, resist analyses that unique et multiph. draw upon a maiden/mother/crone model and defy all attempts to define them strictly by function. The triad form exemplifies the manifold possibility and multiplicity within the sacredness ofthe female. Triple goddesses attest The best known of the triadicforms offemale that pre-Christian and early Christian Irish religion has a divinity in Ireland is that in which the three sacred complex perception of female deity which embodies all of the potentiality of divinity. females have separate and distinct names and Triadic female forms in Ireland are comprised, not identities, but appear together as a single unit. surprisingly, in at least three different ways. Perhaps the best known of these forms is that of the Badhb or the Morrfgan, the triple form of the war goddess. This triad is Because of the insular nature of Ireland, Celtic religion is composed of three females who each have separate and believed by many scholars to have survived there for much distinct names and traits. The combinations are generally: longer than anywhere on the continent. Ireland had not Nemain, Macha, and the Morrigan, together referred to as been subject to Roman occupation and remained rela- the Badhb; Anann, Badhb, and Macha, together called the tively untouched by outside forces until the coming of the Badhb; Nemain, Badhb, and Macha as the Morrtgan; or Vikings in the ninth century. Christian missionary work Badhb, Macha, and the Morrigan, together called the did not begin in Ireland until the fourth or fif'iy~enturyc~ Morrigan. The separate and fourth name identifies the (Common Era, same as AD). We know that some of the three females when they have come together and taken on Celtic Irish material is different from similar material of their war aspect. The women in this triad may manifest the continent, but whether that is a reflection ofthe purity themselves as birds or other animals. They may also appear of the insular material or whether the difference actually as an old crone or hag, and sometimes they have been reveals a strong assimilation of native pre-Celtic with called the Crones in place of their triadic title. The Celtic material remains open for discussion. What we do members of this triad often appear interchangeably in the have is a tradition that had a longer and more peaceful literature, probably because they reflect different aspects period of growth than those of Continental Celtic cul- or manifestations of the same (triple) goddess. This triple tures, and one that preserved pre-Christian myth and goddess will be discussed more completely in a later ritual until a relatively late period. This tradition is rich section of this paper. with tales about the ancient goddesses-the sacred fe- Although the Badhb or the Morrigan is the best known males---of Ireland and may well reflect elements of pre- of the triadic forms of female divinity in Ireland, perhaps Celtic indigenous sacred belief. the most common form is that in which the three sacred One of the features common to the Irish, British, and females have separate and distinct names and identities, continental Celtic religion is the predominance of divine but appear together as a single unit, for instance, Clindna, triads. Sacred groups of three appear frequently in the pre- Aeife, and Edaein Fair-hair, who are the "three treasures of Christian and early Christian Irish materials, and the spinsterhood and chastity" of the Tuatha dC Danann (the extensive appearance of triple forms, iconographically and deities of pre-Christian Ireland). Frequently the group are in design elements, further reflects and reinforces the sisters, as is the case with Caechne, D6e, and Fadat, who importance of these triads to the culture. An individual battle against a male enemy of their family; and triadic goddess of pre-Christian Irish religion possesses multiple, groups ofwives are also to be found, such as the three wives sometimes contrasting attributes, revealing her to be too of Celtchair mac Uithechar: Findabair, Daruamna, and complex to be narrowly defined by asingle rolesuch as that Bribethach. The most well known manifestation of this of sovereignty goddess, war goddess, fertility goddess, or triad is probably the group consisting of Banba, Eriu, and goddess oflove. She often embodies all ofthese aspects and Fodla. These are three queens of the Tuatha dk Danann, is just as likely to take a lover into her arms as she is to take and Ireland has, at one time or another, been called by each up arms against a lover. The triple goddess of pre-Chris- of their names. They merge their powers together in their tian Ireland is no less complicated than her singular sister. triad form, and in one famous battle they create a magical 10 CANADIAN WOMAN STUDIESILES CAHIERS DE LA FEMME Are One of Pre- Christian Ireland armywhich appears as an illusion to the enemy sons ofMil ways and that the triad itself takes on a multiplicity of and aids in the enemy's eventual defeat. These triads are manifestations. known by what unites them: they are sisters, maidens, Warrior triads often include sacred females who shape- wives, mothers, warriors. shift. Shape-shifting is not uncommon in the sacred Sacred females also appear in groups wherein each has figures of pre-Christian Ireland and early Christian Ire- thesame name, but they represent different identities. For land. Female deities often shape-shift into creatures that instance, Brigit in her triple form is goddess of smithcrafi, are directly linked with fertility and the earth. Such a goddess ofpoetry, andgoddess ofhealing. She also appears creature may be either a direct manifestation or a shape- at times as the mother of the Dagda (a god in the Tuatha shifred manifestation of a deity. For example, the triple d6 Danann), the mate of the Dagda, and the daughter of form of the Badhb often manifests herself as great black the Dagda. Another goddess who takes three forms is birds while on the battlefield. Individual members of Macha: Macha, wife of Nemed; Macha, wife of Crund; warrior triads are also known for their own particular and Macha, daughter of Aed the Red. She is the same exploits on the field of battle. Nemain takes the form of a Macha who figures as one of the triple forms of the war crow, and her primary hnction seems to be to confound goddess Badhb; thus Macha has the position of being armies with madness. Macha may be able to take on the twice a member of a form of a horse, as she is said to run faster than the swiftest triad. Findabair, in- of horses. The Morrigan herself appears in more forms troduced a moment than the bird shape associated with her in her triple form. ago as one of a triad of She has, in various stories, taken the form of a white wives, also appears to hornless red-eared heifer, a black eel, and a gray-red bitch- be twice a member of wolf. Thus, each triad is a dynamic interaction of multiple a triad. She is Fin- shape-shiftingforms emanatingfrom individual members dabair, daughter of as well as from the triad itself. Medb and Ailill; Aside from shape-shifting into a diversity of forms, the Findabair, daughter of divine triads of Ireland also embody multiplicities of Conor macNessa; and attributes. For instance, the function of the Morrigan in Findabair, daughter of the form ofthe triple war goddess seems primarily to incite Lugaid Liigde. people to deeds of valour or to plan strife and chaos; she It is clear that some often appears over the battlefield in the form of a raven or triads are more com- crow. The Morrfgan, however, is not exclusively related to plex and powerful war. Evidence suggests that she is also related to fertility than others, and it and has the power to grant sovereignty. In one tale, the may well be that tri- Morrigan meets with the Dagda a week before a great adic combinations are battle is to take place. When he comes upon her, she is so common to the pre- straddling the river, holding the tresses of her hair loose in Christian Irish tradi- her hands. He joins her in this position, and they have tion that some ofthem sexual intercourse. She then prophesies how she will have no significance herself destroy the enemy and deprive the enemy of his beyond the fact that blood. All that she foretells comes to pass, and she delivers there is a grouping of two handfuls of blood to the hosts of the Tuatha dd three. Among the Danann, proclaiming the great deeds of the battle with her most complex triads poetry. The act ofsexual intercourse reveals the Morrlgan's in pre-Christian Irish connection to fertility and sovereignty. She awards victory religion are those to the Dagda in the same way that a sovereignty goddess known predominan- awards victory and kingship to her mate, an arrangement tly as warrior goddes- sealed by an act of sex. Her role in this tale is not merely ses. Careful study of warrior; she is linked to the fertility of the earth and these triads, however, imparts victory to her mate.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Irish Children's Literature and the Poetics of Memory, 1892-2016
    Irish Children’s Literature and the Poetics of Memory, 1892-2016 A Thesis submitted to the School of English at the University of Dublin, Trinity College, for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. February 2019 Rebecca Ann Long I declare that this thesis has not been submitted as an exercise for a degree at this or any other university and it is entirely my own work. I agree to deposit this thesis in the University’s open access institutional repository or allow the Library to do so on my behalf, subject to Irish Copyright Legislation and Trinity College Library conditions of use and acknowledgement. _________________________________ Rebecca Long February 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY………………………………………………………………………………..i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………....iii INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………....4 CHAPTER ONE: RETRIEVING……………………………………………………………………………29 CHAPTER TWO: RE- TELLING……………………………………………………………………………...…64 CHAPTER THREE: REMEMBERING……………………………………………………………………....106 CHAPTER FOUR: RE- IMAGINING………………………………………………………………………........158 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………..……..210 WORKS CITED………………………….…………………………………………………….....226 Summary This thesis explores the recurring patterns of Irish mythological narratives that influence literature produced for children in Ireland following the Celtic Revival and into the twenty- first century. A selection of children’s books published between 1892 and 2016 are discussed with the aim of demonstrating the development of a pattern of retrieving, re-telling, remembering and re-imagining myths
    [Show full text]
  • The Death-Tales of the Ulster Heroes
    ffVJU*S )UjfáZt ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY TODD LECTURE SERIES VOLUME XIV KUNO MEYER, Ph.D. THE DEATH-TALES OF THE ULSTER HEROES DUBLIN HODGES, FIGGIS, & CO. LTD. LONDON: WILLIAMS & NORGATE 1906 (Reprinted 1937) cJ&íc+u. Ity* rs** "** ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY TODD LECTURE SERIES VOLUME XIV. KUNO MEYER THE DEATH-TALES OF THE ULSTER HEROES DUBLIN HODGES, FIGGIS, & CO., Ltd, LONDON : WILLIAMS & NORGATE 1906 °* s^ B ^N Made and Printed by the Replika Process in Great Britain by PERCY LUND, HUMPHRIES &f CO. LTD. 1 2 Bedford Square, London, W.C. i and at Bradford CONTENTS PAGE Peeface, ....... v-vii I. The Death of Conchobar, 2 II. The Death of Lóegaire Búadach . 22 III. The Death of Celtchar mac Uthechaib, 24 IV. The Death of Fergus mac Róich, . 32 V. The Death of Cet mac Magach, 36 Notes, ........ 48 Index Nominum, . ... 46 Index Locorum, . 47 Glossary, ....... 48 PREFACE It is a remarkable accident that, except in one instance, so very- few copies of the death-tales of the chief warriors attached to King Conchobar's court at Emain Macha should have come down to us. Indeed, if it were not for one comparatively late manu- script now preserved outside Ireland, in the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, we should have to rely for our knowledge of most of these stories almost entirely on Keating's History of Ireland. Under these circumstances it has seemed to me that I could hardly render a better service to Irish studies than to preserve these stories, by transcribing and publishing them, from the accidents and the natural decay to which they are exposed as long as they exist in a single manuscript copy only.
    [Show full text]
  • THE MYTHOLOGY, TRADITIONS and HISTORY of Macdhubhsith
    THE MYTHOLOGY, TRADITIONS and HISTORY OF MacDHUBHSITH ― MacDUFFIE CLAN (McAfie, McDuffie, MacFie, MacPhee, Duffy, etc.) VOLUME 2 THE LANDS OF OUR FATHERS PART 2 Earle Douglas MacPhee (1894 - 1982) M.M., M.A., M.Educ., LL.D., D.U.C., D.C.L. Emeritus Dean University of British Columbia This 2009 electronic edition Volume 2 is a scan of the 1975 Volume VII. Dr. MacPhee created Volume VII when he added supplemental data and errata to the original 1792 Volume II. This electronic edition has been amended for the errata noted by Dr. MacPhee. - i - THE LIVES OF OUR FATHERS PREFACE TO VOLUME II In Volume I the author has established the surnames of most of our Clan and has proposed the sources of the peculiar name by which our Gaelic compatriots defined us. In this examination we have examined alternate progenitors of the family. Any reader of Scottish history realizes that Highlanders like to move and like to set up small groups of people in which they can become heads of families or chieftains. This was true in Colonsay and there were almost a dozen areas in Scotland where the clansman and his children regard one of these as 'home'. The writer has tried to define the nature of these homes, and to study their growth. It will take some years to organize comparative material and we have indicated in Chapter III the areas which should require research. In Chapter IV the writer has prepared a list of possible chiefs of the clan over a thousand years. The books on our Clan give very little information on these chiefs but the writer has recorded some probable comments on his chiefship.
    [Show full text]
  • Celtic Egyptians: Isis Priests of the Lineage of Scota
    Celtic Egyptians: Isis Priests of the Lineage of Scota Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers – the primary creative genius behind the famous British occult group, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn – and his wife Moina Mathers established a mystery religion of Isis in fin-de-siècle Paris. Lawrence Durdin-Robertson, his wife Pamela, and his sister Olivia created the Fellowship of Isis in Ireland in the early 1970s. Although separated by over half a century, and not directly associated with each other, both groups have several characteristics in common. Each combined their worship of an ancient Egyptian goddess with an interest in the Celtic Revival; both claimed that their priestly lineages derived directly from the Egyptian queen Scota, mythical foundress of Ireland and Scotland; and both groups used dramatic ritual and theatrical events as avenues for the promulgation of their Isis cults. The Parisian Isis movement and the Fellowship of Isis were (and are) historically-inaccurate syncretic constructions that utilised the tradition of an Egyptian origin of the peoples of Scotland and Ireland to legitimise their founders’ claims of lineal descent from an ancient Egyptian priesthood. To explore this contention, this chapter begins with brief overviews of Isis in antiquity, her later appeal for Enlightenment Freemasons, and her subsequent adoption by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. It then explores the Parisian cult of Isis, its relationship to the Celtic Revival, the myth of the Egyptian queen Scota, and examines the establishment of the Fellowship of Isis. The Parisian mysteries of Isis and the Fellowship of Isis have largely been overlooked by critical scholarship to date; the use of the medieval myth of Scota by the founders of these groups has hitherto been left unexplored.
    [Show full text]
  • Ogma's Tale: the Dagda and the Morrigan at the River Unius
    Ogma’s Tale: The Dagda and the Morrigan at the River Unius Presented to Whispering Lake Grove for Samhain, October 30, 2016 by Nathan Large A tale you’ve asked, and a tale you shall have, of the Dagda and his envoy to the Morrigan. I’ve been tasked with the telling: lore-keeper of the Tuatha de Danann, champion to two kings, brother to the Good God, and as tied up in the tale as any… Ogma am I, this Samhain night. It was on a day just before Samhain that my brother and the dark queen met, he on his duties to our king, Nuada, and Lugh his battle master (and our half-brother besides). But before I come to that, let me set the stage. The Fomorians were a torment upon Eireann and a misery to we Tuatha, despite our past victory over the Fir Bolg. Though we gained three-quarters of Eireann at that first battle of Maige Tuireadh, we did not cast off the Fomor who oppressed the land. Worse, we also lost our king, Nuada, when the loss of his hand disqualified him from ruling. Instead, we accepted the rule of the half-Fomorian king, Bres, through whom the Fomorians exerted their control. Bres ruined the court of the Tuatha, stilling its songs, emptying its tables, and banning all competitions of skill. None of the court could perform their duties. I alone was permitted to serve, and that only to haul firewood for the hearth at Tara. Our first rejection of the Fomor was to unseat Bres, once Nuada was whole again, his hand restored.
    [Show full text]
  • NAVAN FORT English Translation
    NAVAN FORT English Translation NAVAN FORT Emain Macha County Armagh The Site Navan Fort is a large circular earthwork enclosure 2 miles W. of Armagh city. It stands on a hill of glacial clay over limestone, and though from a distance this hill is not very prominent, from the top the view on a clear day is impressive. To the NW. are the Sperrins; Slieve Gallion is to the N. and Slemish to NE., while to the S. are the uplands of mid Armagh. Clearly visible to the E. is Armagh city with its two hilltop cathedrals. Only to the W. is the view less extensive. The small lake called Loughnashade is close to the NE. of the fort, and the road which runs S. of the earthwork was probably already old when it was shown on a map made in 1602. Navan in Legend and History Navan can be firmly identified with Emain Macha, ancient capital of the kings of Ulster. In leg- end Macha was a princess or goddess, and one explanation for the name Emain Macha (twins of Macha) was that she gave birth to twins after winning a race against the king’s fastest chariot. Another story was that she traced the outline of the earthwork with the pin of her brooch. The important body of Early Irish legend known as the Ulster Cycle centres round King Concho- bor, who ruled his kingdom from Emain Macha. Here were great halls for feasting, for weapons and for the spoils of war, and here was the king’s warrior troop, the Red Branch Knights.
    [Show full text]
  • Irish Pre-Christian Sagas
    IRISH PRE-CHRISTIAN SAGAS BRO. ATHANAS/US M. McLOUGHLIN, 0. P. ANY hundreds of years before the coming of Christ a vast empire stretched across the continent of Europe. It was formed by people Celtic in blood, in speech, and in customs, fl and it was a formidable power feared alike by Greeks and Romans. Once indeed, on the ill-omened "Dies Alliensis," July 18, 39o, B. c., it brought the mighty "Mistress of the World" to her knees in shame and terror, when the Celts, turning at one blow the flank of the Roman army, completely annihilated it, and pillaged and burned the Eternal City. Then with the gradually increasing pressure of the Roman legions, and the south and westward movements of the Teutons, little by little, this great empire disintegrated; one by one its nations were brought to bear the foreign yoke or fell before the fire and sword of the barbarian hordes. Where Celtic towns had flourished sprang up German villages or Roman provinces. Celtic civilization, which had reached a very high state, was submerged and absorbed by Roman and German colonizations until the very lan­ guage of the continental Celts was lost. So complete was this inter­ mingling of the various cultures that today it seems almost impossible to detern1ine just what is the Celtic element in European progress. But it is there, undeniably important, and it is the task of the student of modern civilization to sift out the Celtic leaven. There was one spot where the Roman never came and where the Teuton could gain no permanent foothold.
    [Show full text]
  • Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race by Thomas William Rolleston
    The Project Gutenberg EBook of Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race by Thomas William Rolleston This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license Title: Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race Author: Thomas William Rolleston Release Date: October 16, 2010 [Ebook 34081] Language: English ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE CELTIC RACE*** MYTHS & LEGENDS OF THE CELTIC RACE Queen Maev T. W. ROLLESTON MYTHS & LEGENDS OF THE CELTIC RACE CONSTABLE - LONDON [8] British edition published by Constable and Company Limited, London First published 1911 by George G. Harrap & Co., London [9] PREFACE The Past may be forgotten, but it never dies. The elements which in the most remote times have entered into a nation's composition endure through all its history, and help to mould that history, and to stamp the character and genius of the people. The examination, therefore, of these elements, and the recognition, as far as possible, of the part they have actually contributed to the warp and weft of a nation's life, must be a matter of no small interest and importance to those who realise that the present is the child of the past, and the future of the present; who will not regard themselves, their kinsfolk, and their fellow-citizens as mere transitory phantoms, hurrying from darkness into darkness, but who know that, in them, a vast historic stream of national life is passing from its distant and mysterious origin towards a future which is largely conditioned by all the past wanderings of that human stream, but which is also, in no small degree, what they, by their courage, their patriotism, their knowledge, and their understanding, choose to make it.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploring the Celtic Narrative in Advertising: Goddess Culture And
    This article was downloaded by: [University of Ulster at Coleraine] On: 10 August 2012, At: 09:01 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Strategic Marketing Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rjsm20 Exploring the Celtic narrative in advertising: goddess culture and the lexicon of perfumery Lorna Stevens a & Pauline Maclaran b a School of International Business, University of Ulster, Magee Campus, Londonderry, BT48 7JL b School of Economics & Management Studies, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG Version of record first published: 28 Feb 2007 To cite this article: Lorna Stevens & Pauline Maclaran (2007): Exploring the Celtic narrative in advertising: goddess culture and the lexicon of perfumery, Journal of Strategic Marketing, 15:1, 29-39 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09652540601129973 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and- conditions This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
    [Show full text]
  • The Mast of Macha: the Celtic Irish and the War Goddess of Ireland
    Catherine Mowat: Barbara Roberts Memorial Book Prize Winner, 2003 THE 'MAST' OF MACHA THE CELTIC IRISH AND THE WAR GODDESS OF IRELAND "There are rough places yonder Where men cut off the mast of Macha; Where they drive young calves into the fold; Where the raven-women instigate battle"1 "A hundred generous kings died there, - harsh, heaped provisions - with nine ungentle madmen, with nine thousand men-at-arms"2 Celtic mythology is a brilliant shouting turmoil of stories, and within it is found a singularly poignant myth, 'Macha's Curse'. Macha is one of the powerful Morrigna - the bloody Goddesses of War for the pagan Irish - but the story of her loss in Macha's Curse seems symbolic of betrayal on two scales. It speaks of betrayal on a human scale. It also speaks of betrayal on a mythological one: of ancient beliefs not represented. These 'losses' connect with a proposal made by Anne Baring and Jules Cashford, in The Myth of The Goddess: Evolution of an Image, that any Goddess's inherent nature as a War Goddess reflects the loss of a larger, more powerful, image of a Mother Goddess, and another culture.3 This essay attempts to describe Macha and assess the applicability of Baring and Cashford's argument in this particular case. Several problems have arisen in exploring this topic. First, there is less material about Macha than other Irish Goddesses. Second, the fertile and unique synergy of cultural beliefs created by the Celts4 cannot be dismissed and, in a short paper, a problem exists in balancing what Macha meant to her people with the broader implications of the proposal made by Baring and Cashford.
    [Show full text]
  • The Patriarchal Devaluation of the Irish Goddess, the Mor-Rioghan Kelley Flannery Rowan Florida International University, [email protected]
    Florida International University FIU Digital Commons FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations University Graduate School 1-19-2005 Monstrum in femine figura : the patriarchal devaluation of the Irish goddess, the Mor-rioghan Kelley Flannery Rowan Florida International University, [email protected] DOI: 10.25148/etd.FI14030210 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Rowan, Kelley Flannery, "Monstrum in femine figura : the patriarchal devaluation of the Irish goddess, the Mor-rioghan" (2005). FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1058. https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/1058 This work is brought to you for free and open access by the University Graduate School at FIU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of FIU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY Miami, Florida MONSTRUM IN FEMINE FIGURA: THE PATRIARCHAL DEVALUATION OF THE IRISH GODDESS, THE MOR-RIOGHAN A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in RELIGIOUS STUDIES by Kelley Flannery Rowan 2005 To: Dean R. Bruce Dunlap College of Arts and Sciences This thesis, written by Kelley Flannery Rowan, and entitled Monstrum in Femine Figura: The Patriarchal Devaluation of the Irish Goddess, The Mor-rioghan, having been approved in respect to style and intellectual content, is referred to you for judgment. We have read this thesis and recommend that it be approved. Lesley Northup Erik Larson Christine Gudorf ajor Professor Date of Defense: January 19, 2005 The thesis of Kelley Flannery Rowan is approved.
    [Show full text]
  • Following a Fork in the Text: the Dagda As Briugu in Cath Maige Tuired
    Following a Fork in the Text: the Dagda as briugu in Cath Maige Tuired Scott A. Martin, April 2012 The description of the Dagda in §93 of Cath Maige Tuired has become iconic: the giant, slovenly man in a too-short tunic and crude horsehide shoes, dragging a huge club behind him. Several aspects of this depiction are unique to this text, including the language used to describe the Dagda’s odd weapon. The text presents it as a gabol gicca rothach, which Gray translates as a “wheeled fork.” In every other mention of the Dagda’s club – including the other references in CMT (§93 and §119) – the term used is lorg. DIL gives significantly different fields of reference for the two terms: 2 lorg denotes a staff, rod, club, handle of an implement, or “the membrum virile” (thus enabling the scatological pun Slicht Loirge an Dagdai, “Track of the Dagda’s Club/Penis”), while gabul bears a variety of definitions generally attached to the concept of “forking.” The attested compounds for gabul include gabulgicce, “a pronged pole,” with references to both the CMT usage and staves held by Conaire’s swineherds in Togail Bruidne Da Derga. DIL also mentions several occurrences of gabullorc, “a forked or pronged pole or staff,” including an occurrence in TBDD (where an iron gabullorg is carried by the supernatural Fer Caille) and another in Bretha im Fuillema Gell (“Judgements on Pledge-Interests”). The context of this latter is a discussion of three types of persons who are not awarded interest should a weapon that they have given in pledge be damaged: these three are a briugu, a filed, and “a man whom his perpetual injunction has forbidden it” (fer do-airgair a bith-erchuiliud), because “their ‘supporting staves’ are more important than their weapons;” if a “walking-stick” (gabal- lorg) is pledged and damaged, in contrast, the pledger is awarded interest of three séts (Kelly 1988: 37; Ancient Laws V 420-421).
    [Show full text]