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The Morrigan Volume XLIV, No. 8 • October (Deireadh Fómhair), 2018 The Irish Goddesses – The Morrigan .........................................................................................................As we meet the tenth month, we think be one of three sisters known as 'the three birth would be called Emain Macha, or of things autumnal: the smell of fallen Morrígna'. Like other sovereignty god- "Macha's twins". leaves, the early arrival of the darkening desses, Macha is associated with the land, This Macha is particularly associated sky, harvest bounties. And of course, fertility, kingship, war and horses. The with horses—it is perhaps significant that Halloween. name is presumably derived from Proto- twin colts were born on the same day as Celtic word denoting "a plain." Halloween, or Samhain, the most Irish of Cuchulainn, and that one of his chariot- ancient holidays, was the new year in the Macha was the wife of Cruinniuc, an horses was called Liath Macha or ancient Celtic calendar. The end of harvest Ulster farmer. Sometime after the death of "Macha's Grey." and the beginning of winter brought the Cruinniuc's first wife, Macha appears at Macha’s sister, Clíodhna, (pronounced darkest time of the year, and it was also his house. Without speaking, she begins Cleena), is a Queen of the Banshees of the when the veil between the two worlds, of keeping the house and acting as his wife. Tuatha Dé Danann. Clíodna of Carrig- the living and the dead, was the thinnest. It Soon she becomes pregnant by him. As cleena is the potent banshee that rules as was when things that went bump in the long as they were together, Cruinniuc's queen over the sidheog (fairy women of night might have been your long-dead wealth grew. When he leaves to attend a the hills) of South Munster, or Desmond. relatives. festival organized by the king of Ulster, Clíodhna is a goddess of love and beauty, she warns him that she will only stay with And Ireland is the home of many of the and the patron of County Cork. She is said him so long as he does not speak of her to spooky and eerie creatures that have oc- to have three brightly colored birds who anyone, and he promises to say nothing. cupied Irish mythology as well. The Far eat apples from an otherworldly tree and However, during a chariot race, he boasts Liath, the Gray Man; the bean sidhe, or whose sweet song heals the sick. She that his wife can run faster than the king's banshee, the harbinger of impending death leaves the otherworldly island of Tir Tairn- horses. for those of the Gaelic Order. (Sorry, for gire ("the land of promise") to be with her you of Norman blood. She doesn’t visit The king orders Cruinniuc be held on mortal lover, Ciabhán, but is taken by a your families.) The shape-changing puca. pain of death unless he can make good on wave as she sleeps due to the music played Then there are those goddesses of ancient his claim. Although she is heavily preg- by a minstrel of Manannan mac Lir in Ireland. Many had multiple personalities. nant, Macha is brought to the gathering Glandore harbour in County Cork: the tide They covered the gamut from fertility to and the king forces her to race the horses. there is known as Tonn Chlíodhna, love to war. They could be the source of She wins the race, but then cries out in "Clíodhna's Wave". Whether she drowns kindness and famine and unspeakable acts. pain as she gives birth to twins on the fin- or not depends on the version being told, Three sisters, the Morrigan, are famed for ish line; a boy named Fír ("True") and a along with many other details of the story. their passions. They were Macha, girl named Fial ("Modest"). For disre- She had her palace in the heart of a pile of Clíodhna, and Babd. Or they were Badb, specting and humiliating her, she curses rocks, five miles from Mallow, which is Macha and Nemain, while elsewhere it is the men of Ulster to be overcome with still commonly known by the name of given as Badb, Macha and Anand. Or weakness, as weak "as a woman in child- Carrig-Cleena, and numerous legends maybe it was Badb, Macha and Aine, or birth," at the time of their greatest need. about her are told among the Munster Anu. It seemed to have been a sorority of This weakness would last for five days and peasantry. complex women, and women you did not the curse would last for nine generations. continued on page 3 wish to anger. Thereafter, the place where Macha gave The first, Macha, is, from ancient Irish times, associated with the province of Ul- OCTOBER 4, 2018 • 7:00 PM ster, particularly with the sites of Navan MILWAUKEE MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP MEETING Fort (Eamhain Mhacha) and Armagh (Ard Irish Cultural and Heritage Center (2133 W. Wisconsin Avenue) Mhacha), which are named after her. Sev- eral figures called Macha appear in Irish T T T mythology and folklore, all believed to de- Sub Sandwich Night. Please bring side dishes or desserts to share! rive from the same goddess. She is said to T Milwaukee Calendar of Events T Publisher Needed The Shamrock Club is in need of For More Information visit http://shamrockclubwis.com a volunteer to take over the publication of our monthly OCTOBER newsletter, the 4 Shamrock Club Monthly Meeting; ICHC; 7 pm; Dinner at 6:30 Emerald Reflections. 4 Chvrches; Riverside Theater; 8:00 pm 9 Celtic Women International Book Club; Rape of the Fair Country, by Alex Please contact Pam Canon for Cordell. Hostess: Barbara Fishbauer. more information. 11 Celtic Women International Book Club; Outside Mullingar, performance at [email protected] Next Act Theater; 1:30 pm. 13 Celtic Thunder; Riverside Theatre; 7:30 pm Jameson’s 20 Friends of St. Patrick Centre; “Ireland and the Potato” Event; Trinity Corner Cupboard Episcopal Church, 1717 Church St., Wauwatosa; 6:00-9 pm. 26-November 4 In Tandem Theatre Presents Bram Stoker's Drakula the Rock Opera; 628 N 10 Street; 414-271-1371 ..................................In preparation for all things fall and 27 Set Dance Milwaukee October Dance; ICHC; music by athas; 7 pm fun we will be doing a submarine sand- wich theme for our menu. The club will NOVEMBER provide the buns and meat. There were cards for people to select from for desig- 1 Shamrock Club Monthly Meeting; ICHC; 7 pm; Dinner at 6:30 pm nated items to bring. If you took one 13 Celtic Women International Book Club; Doll Face, by Dylan H. Jones. please be sure to bring that item, if you Hostess: Maureen Garry. didn’t, a dish or dessert to pass is always 16 Jimmy Keane and Dennis Cahill; Reelin in the Years; Irish Cultural and welcome. Looking forward to seeing you Heritage Center; 7:30 pm at the October general meeting. 16-18 International Holiday Folk Fair; State Fair Park 16 Celtic Boutique; Celtic MKE Center, 1532 N Wauwatosa; 9 am-3 pm - Jameson Fraters Sergeant-at-Arms DECEMBER 6 Shamrock Club Monthly Meeting & Christmas Party; ICHC; 7 pm; Dinner at 6:30 pm 11 Celtic Women International Book Club; Christmas Lunch, location TBD. ON GOING … Set dancing at the following: Set dancing Wednesdays, 7 PM at O’Donoghue’s T Craobh Curtin Conradh na Gaeilge meeting at O'Donoghue's Pub, 7 PM, last Tuesday each month T Irish Emigration Library in ICHC open every Wednesday 12–6 PM T Irish Sing-a-long, Irish Fest Center, First Sundays, (through May) 7 PM T Irish Fest Sing-a-long: O'Donoghue's Pub, second and fourth Sundays, 7-9 PM T Irish Music Sessions at the following: Session - O’Donoghue’s, Sundays 7 PM; Thursdays @ Paddy’s 7 PM; and The Pub in Oconomowoc, 7:30 PM Rent the ICHC for your next T Thursdays: Barry Dodd; County Clare Inn; 10 PM T Fridays: áthas and Myserk; County Clare Inn; 6 PM T Party Meeting Recital Wedding Spaces available for large or small events Email: [email protected] or call (414) 345-8800 2 Milwaukee and keeping a public presence were a Emerald Reflections President’s Message common theme. Copy Deadline I was honored, along with Irish Rose Jackie Konkol, to be a part of the Mass on ..................................Since my last message, Irish Fest has Sunday morning. We presented the gifts .................................Content for Emerald Reflections is due come and gone. The weather was perfect at the altar to Archbishop Jerome Listecki, on the 15th of the month (next deadline: for the festival. I remember fests in the Oct. 15th to appear in the November issue.) and he spoke very briefly with each of us. past where rain was a factor every day. I Copy received after that date will not That was quite an experience. bought a couple of shirts, one a hockey appear due to deadlines. While we try to jersey, with “Guinness” prominently dis- The next important event facing us is include every submission possible, due to space limitations, we cannot guarantee that played, front and rear, with the bright col- the International Holiday Folk Fair, com- every submission will be included imme- ors of a toucan. I bought another T-shirt ing in the middle of November. If the diately. E-mail submissions preferred, that is silly, but the price was right! I love Shamrock Club is to have a Café at the send to: the music, dancing, food, and the connec- HFF, we need a volunteer to take charge tion to my Irish heritage.
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