James Macgrigor encountered a Kelpie disguised as a stallion. Recognizing it, he stroke its nose with his claymore, severing its magical bridle bit. The Kelpie pleaded for its return, revealing its transformational powers and ability to reveal hidden beings: “If you look through the holes in the bit, you will see all manners of fairies and witches and devils.” Macgrigor lifted the bit to his eyes and peered through, and sure enough, the world he saw was bright with colour and full of beings invisible to the human eye. He was so enamoured by the contraption that he wanted to study it in more detail. He was also not deaf to the Kelpie’s claim that without the bit, he would die, and Macgrigor saw an opportunity to free the people of the surrounding area from the Kelpie’s reign of terror.
Macgrigor, captivated by the bit’s power, decided to study it further, leaving the Kelpie in a vulnerable state. Despite the Kelpie’s pleas and threats, Macgrigor cleverly kept the bit, learning about the #Otherworld. #Celtic
„Rarely is a Kelpie the victim of a trick, but after that day, no one went missing on the banks of Loch Ness ever again, all thanks to the cunning of James Macgrigor.“
Source: The Kelpie of Loch Ness - Folklore Scotland https://twitter.com/gonzalokenny/status/1790707801330688016?s=19
#Celtic#FairyTaleTuesday: Three soldiers deserted their army and each took a different path. The sergeant and corporal were tricked and imprisoned by a lady at her palace. The private, however, won her heart and they planed to marry. Repeatedly put to sleep by a tailor’s tricks, the soldier received gifts from his fiancée: a golden ring, a penknife and a golden pin. Despite the tailor’s efforts, the soldier set out to find his beloved in the Kingdom of the Green Mountains. An eagle from the kingdom agreed to carry him, but grew weak from hunger. The „eagle agreed to continue on her journey; but only if the soldier would let her have a bite from his thigh.
After eating from both of his thighs, soldier and eagle finally arrived at the kingdom of the Green Mountains.“ After his wounds had healed, the private reunited with his beloved after showing her the tokens of their past. They married, and he freed his old friends imprisoned in the lady’s castle. Each found their own happily ever after.
Source: The Kingdom of the Green Mountains - Folklore Scotland
#Celtic#FairyTaleTuesday: "The Swans Swim Sae Bonnie" tells of two sisters, one dark and one fair, who were inseparable in their childhood. Over time, however, the dark sister developed jealousy of her fair sister, who was favoured by others. This jealousy grew into hatred as both sisters competed for the love of the same man. In an act of desperation, the dark sister drowned her fair sister in the river. Later, three fiddlers used parts of the fair sister's body to improve their musical instruments, leading to a ghostly revelation that exposed the dark sister:
“It’s yonder he sits ma aul-man the king,
It’s yonder she sits ma mither the queen.
It’s yonder she sits ma fause sester Jean
An sae lightly she pushed me inta the stream.”
The dark sister was burnt as punishment. John fell into madness. The king, however, now had no children at all.
Source: https://folklorescotland.com/the-swans-swim-sae-bonnie/
#Celtic#FairyTaleTuesday: One night, a group of merfolk shed their seal skins to play on the shore. A Shetlander found a skin and a beautiful mermaid lamenting its loss. He refused to return it, offering marriage instead. They lived together for years and had children. One day, a child found the hidden skin. The mermaid bid her children goodbye, returned to the sea, and left the human world forever. She confessed to her second husband, who stood miserably on the shore: “I always loved my first husband best.”
Source: The Mermaid Wife - Folklore Scotland
#MythologyMonday: Geali Dianvir was the eldest son of the king of the Fir Bolg, #Irish invaders who may be mythological memories of early #Celtic arrivals; his people were defeated by Balor, king of the evil Fomorians, who similarly may reflect historical indigenous peoples. After the battle, the defeated Fir Bolg sailed away from #Ireland, returning to the mysterious land of Gallowna, where they attempted to recoup their strength.
From Gallowna, Geali Dianvir was sent back to repair the damage to his people’s reputation that Balor had dealt. When he arrived in Bantry, in western Co. Cork in the southwestern province of Munster, Geali Dianvir found the Formorian queen surrounded by Balor’s men, who every night applied venom to their swords so that they were unbeatable in battle. The venom was obtained from a well into which the warriors plunged their weapons; the Fir Bolg hero decided to eliminate their advantage by turning it from poison to clear water. To do this, he poured 20 measures of the milk of the magical cow of abundance, the glas ghaibhleann, into the well. The Fir Bolg hero was then able to gain the advantage over Balor’s men and drive them to the outer reaches of the land.
Source: P. Monaghan Encyclopedia of #Celtic #Mythology and #Folklore https://x.com/dublinmacker/status/1271541748863508480?t=VlZCYYhpw-KLu22YntMnsw&s=09
#Celtic#MythologyMonday for #MuseumDay: „In #Irish#mythology, the #TuathaDéDanann were said to have played hurling with their enemies, the Fir Bolg, before the Battle of Moytura commenced.
According to Lady Gregory in her book, Of Gods and Fighting Men, this is what happened:
“It was on a Midsummer day they began the battle. Three times nine hurlers of the Tuatha de Danaan went out against three times nine hurlers of the Firbolgs, and they were beaten, and every one of them was killed.”
So the Fir Bolg won the game, but unfortunately for them, went on to lose the battle. In some versions, they actually played with the heads of their enemies, instead of a ball.“
Source: Ali Isaac
#Culann, the smith, who was also a Divine and Prophet, is said to have lived for a time on the Isle of Man, where he manufactured sword, spear, and shield of such transcendent excellence for Conchobar, that he was invited by him to dwell in his realm.
Source: https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/fim/fim04.htm#Celtic
`While awaiting the completion of his weapons on the Isle of Man, Conchobar was able to overpower a mermaid. To induce him to liberate her, she informed him that she was Teeval, the Princess of the Ocean; and promised that if he caused the smith Culann to form her representation on the shield surrounded with this inscription, 'Teeval, Princess of the Ocean,' it would possess such extraordinary powers that when ever he was about engaging his enemy in battle, and looked upon her figure on the shield, read the legend, and invoked her name, his enemies would diminish in strength, while he and his people would acquire a proportionate increase in theirs. Conchobar had the shield made according to the advice of Teeval, and, on his return to Ireland, such extraordinary success attended his arms, that he won the kingdom of Ulster.
Source: https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/fim/fim04.htm#Celtic
After Culan had crafted weapons of transcendent excellence for Conchobar on the Isle of Man, he accepted the offer of the ambitious young man from #Ulster, to dwell in his realm, and settled on the plain of Murthemne, which was fabled to have been formerly situated beneath the sea. It was here that he was visited by Conchobar, accompanied by his Court and Setanta. Culann was the possessor of a terrible hound, which was slain by the youthful Setanta; who was in consequence called #CúChulainn, i.e., Culann's hound.`
Source: https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/fim/fim04.htm#Celtic
Each Fenian warrior was equipped by the smiths working in the caves of Keshcorran with a sword and spear of superlative quality. „Each sword had a different name, details of which were related in the tale. Fionn’s sword was called Mac an Luin. The happy warriors were also provided with accommodation and when they awoke next morning,
they found themselves back on Slieve Luachra still bearing their new weapons.“
Source: Antiquarian Research in Co. Sligo as a Background to the #Mythology and Archaeology of Moytura by Eamonn P. Kelly #Celtic
Fergus delayed the host until such time as the men of Ulster should have gathered together an army. Because of love and affection for his kindred of the men of Ulster he did so.
„Medb perceived this and she upbraided him for it, and chanted the lay:—
Medb:
"Fergus, speak, what shall we say?
What may mean this devious way?
For we wander north and south;
Over other lands we stray!"
Fergus:
"Medb, why art thou so perturbed?
There's no treacherous purpose here.
Ulster's land it is, O queen,
Over which I've led thy host!"
Medb:
"Ailill, splendid with his hosts,
Fears thee lest thou should'st betray.
Thou hast not bent all thy mind
To direct us on our way!"
Fergus:
"Not to bring the host to harm
Make these changing circuits I.
Haply could I now avoid
Sualtach's son, the Blacksmith's Hound!"
Medb:
"Ill of thee to wrong our host,
Fergus, son of Ross the Red;
Much good hast thou found with us,
Fergus, in thy banishment!"
"If thou showest our foemen love,
No more shalt thou lead our troops;
Haply someone else we'll find
To direct us on our way!"
Source: The Project Gutenberg eBook of TÁIN BÓ CÚALNGE, by Joseph Dunn. #Celtic
#Fergus Mac Roich was obliged to fight to the death against his own foster son #CúChulainn so that Queen #Medb's army could invade #Ulster. To save face and the life of a hero, they agreed that this time the younger CúChulainn would give way, but next time Fergus would. And so it came to pass. #nonviolence
#Celtic#FolkloreThursday: The lay of Fergus explains how Queen Maeve's army was prevented from entering Ulster by #CúChullinn for one night: ---
"What bespeaks this withe to us,
What purports its secret rede?
And what number cast it here,
Was it one man or a host?
"If ye go past here this night,
And bide not one night in camp.
On ye'll come the tear-flesh Hound;
Yours the blame, if ye it scorn!
"Evil on the host he'll bring,
If ye go your way past this.
Find, ye druids, find out here,
For what cause this withe was made!"
A druid speaks:
"Cut by hero, cast by chief,
As a perfect trap for foes.
Stayer of lords—with hosts of men—
One man cast it with one hand!
"With fierce rage the battle 'gins
Of the Smith's Hound of Red Branch.
Bound to meet this madman's rage;
This the name that's on the withe!
"Would the king's host have its will—
Else they break the law of war—
Let some one man of ye cast,
As one man this withe did cast!
"Woes to bring with hundred fights
On four realms of Erin's land;
Naught I know 'less it be this
For what cause the withe was made!"
Source: Gutenberg‘s The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Táin Bó Cúalnge
When his son Conla had died in #CúChulainn‘s arms, „a burst of anguish like the breaking of a heart came from him. And he cried aloud:
“The end is come indeed for me:
“‘I am a man without son, without wife,
I am the Father who slew his own child,
I am a broken, rudderless bark,
Tossed from wave to wave in the tempest wild;
An apple blown loose from the garden wall,
I am over-ripe, and about to fall.’” #Celtic
Source: „Cuchulain, the Hound of Ulster“ by Eleanor Hull
Fergus began to sing praise of #Cuchulain, and he made a lay thereon:—
"Here behold the famous fork,
By which cruel Cuchulain stood.
Here he left, for hurt to all,
Four heads of his border-foes!
"Surely he'd not flee therefrom,
'Fore aught man, how brave or bold.
Though the scatheless Hound this left,
On its hard rind there is gore!
"To its hurt the host goes east,
Seeking Cualnge's wild Brown bull.
Warriors' cleaving there shall be,
'Neath Cuchulain's baneful sword!
"No gain will their stout bull be,
For which sharp-armed war will rage;
At the fall of each head's skull
Erin's every tribe shall weep!
"I have nothing to relate
As regards Dechtirè's son.
Men and women hear the tale
Of this fork, how it came here!" #Celtic
Source: Gutenberg‘s The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Táin Bó Cúalnge
A lay of Fergus:
"Grenca's ford shall change its name,
From the strong and fierce Hound's deed.
Here we see a four-pronged fork,
Set to prove all Erin's men!
"On two points—as sign of war—
Are Fraech's head and Fochnam's head;
On its other points are thrust
Err's head and Innell's withal!
"And yon ogam on its side,
Find, ye druids, in due form,
Who has set it upright there?
What host drove it in the ground?"
(A druid answers:)
"Yon forked pole—with fearful strength—
Which thou seest, Fergus, there,
One man cut, to welcome us,
With one perfect stroke of sword!
"Pointed it and shouldered it—
Though this was no light exploit—
After that he flung it down,
To uproot for one of you!
"Grenca was its name till now—
All will keep its memory—
Fork-ford be its name for aye,
From the fork that's in the ford!" #Celtic
Source: Gutenberg‘s The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Táin Bó Cúalnge
Highland folklore tells of an “Isle of Women,” located somewhere off the coast of #Scotland, on which a green well marked the edge of the world. This mysterious island represents a portal to the #Celtic#Otherworld. Sometimes the island is called Eilean nam Ban Móra, the Island of the Big Women, suggesting that the residents were giants. The name was sometimes applied to an actual island, the Isle of Eigg.
Source: P. Monaghan Encyclopedia of #Celtic #Mythology and #Folklore
#Celtic#LegendaryWednesday: „When people are desirous to know whether or not any day will rain, they look at the top of Knock Firinn, and if they see a vapour or mist there, they immediately conclude that rain will soon follow; believing that Donn of that mountain and his aerial assistants are collecting the clouds, and that he holds them there for some short time, to warn the people of the approaching rain. As the appearance of mist on the mountain in the morning is considered an infallible sign that that day will be rainy, Donn is called 'Donn Firinne,' Donn of Truth“."
In 'Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland' by Thomas Crofton Croker (1828).
Source: https://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/7901/knockfeerina.html