Maire (41 page)

N
ow this isn’t THE END, dear friends, but THE BEGINNING…

For so was lit the Pentecostal fire in me own heart and soul, turning sword land to saint land. ’Tis an eternal flame that spread like a wildfire and burns in the heart of my children to this very day. Mind ye, it isn’t always understood, nor is it always tended faithfully. But there it shines, like a faithful candle in the darkest winds of time and turmoil, lighting the way for me dear sweet Maire, as will all the future daughters of Gleannmara.

B
elow is a wee list of words and phrases, legends and facts compiled for the sake of gettin’ to know me and my children—where we come from and what made us say and do the things ye’ve witnessed in these pages. From oaths to ogham and faeries to Hebrews, ’tis a rich mix of me heart and soul, me past and present, put in me own words, just for you and yer likes to share over a noggin o’ punch or cider by a friendly fire. So have at it—ponder, chuckle, and believe what ye will. May God bless, for only the good Lord Himself can truly separate me history from legend.

(A word in
italics
is one to look up for more o’ the story.)

aiccid:
heir apparent to kingship or clan chief

aire:
a noble, most often in literary reference, but can refer to a free man

ainfine:
kin descended from a common ancestor

anmchara:
soul friend, confessor, a soul mate

ard rí (righ):
high king

bard:
poet or historian of the druidic order; these good fellows recorded Erin’s history in verse and song
.
Their
literary license
is what makes the separation of history and legend so difficult for today’s scholars to discern
.

Interestin’ly enough, the Hebrews had no recorded history either, save in song or verse, until the Holy Scriptures. Not till the arrival of Christianity and the White Martyrs were Erin’s stories recorded for posterity.

Bethlehem, Star of:
see Star of the East for the druid legend regarding Christ’s birth

bóaire:
self-sufficient farmer/cattleman

brat:
outer cloak or wrap; the more colors, the higher the station of its wearer

Brichriu’s tongue, by:
Brichriu of the Poison Tongue was a satirist and cynic who hosted a grand feast of national importance, during which he deviously played upon the vanity of the wives of the heroes of the province. After readin’ this, ye’ll see plainly why the womenfolk often were
not
included in revelry.

With poet’s persuasion, he insinuated privately to each lady, just prior to a stroll about his beautiful yard and gardens, that not only was she the most beautiful and her husband the greatest hero of Ulster’s province, but that were she to arrive first at the hall of the festivities after the outing, she would become queen of the entire province. The result, according to a translation of the
Manuscript Materials of Irish History,
was a chaotic, full-fledged foot race, “like the rush of fifty chariots” which shook the entire hall. The champions, on hearing this mad approach, “started up for their arms, each striking his face against the other throughout the house.”

Brehon Law:
original Irish Celtic law as interpreted by the judges/lawyers, usually druids; was later altered to reflect Christian values and renamed the
Seanchus Mor
at the
Synod of Patrick
in the fifth century.

Take a peek at this further along, because that in itself is one of the key reasons why my children embraced the Light so quickly.

brain ball:
This grisly keepsake and/or weapon was a dried human brain, which was considered by the prehistoric Celts to be the essence of a man or of his knowledge. The brain usually came from exceptional heroes and men of knowledge, or as a battle trophy, having formerly belonged to a worthy foe. I’m thinkin’ it lends a whole new meanin’ to keeping your wits.

bride price:
the price paid by the groom to the bride’s family for the privilege and duration of his marriage to the lady.

Quite the opposite of the dowry, wouldn’t ye say?

by my mother’s gods (father’s gods, ancestor’s gods):
A comprehensive oath to cover all possible gods (which were ever changing in importance) that a person might swear by without insulting one by leaving him/her out. Me children believed better safe than sorry and took no chances with this one.

cloidem:
sword

Conor MacNessa:
High king and poet associated with the Knights of the Red Branch at time of Christ in Erin’s heroic period of chivalry; see
death of King of Kings,
also
Mebh crannóg,
an artificial, fortified lake dwelling

Crom; Crom Cruach; Crom Cruin:
Crom is thought to mean great—Cruach or Cruin, as thunderer. This god is most often symbolized as the golden center in a circle of twelve stones, it’s thought he is the great god in the sun, surrounded by the twelve signs of the Zodiac.

Now join me in takin’ this one step further, given the druidic belief of the one God who lived in the sun, it is not too farfetched to consider this an early name of God. In other cultures, however, Crom was simply a sun god and human sacrifices were made to him.

Crom’s toes!:
an oath reflecting the importance of the least part of the great god in the Celtic mind.

So I’m thinkin’… here’s this Crom, big in me children’s mind as all get out, his altars made of stone, not to mention all the following words associating him with stone, something hard and enduring. Does that make his
toes
the pebbles at the foot of such reverent places?

cromleac:
altar of the Great God

cromlech:
a cap stone resting on two upright pillar stones, sometimes forming a passage; usually marks the grave of a giant, a hero, or a saint

cumal:
female slave; a monetary unit equal to one female slave

Death of King of kings:
The druid/magi legend passed down
about Conor MacNessa, a high king of early Ireland at the time of Christ. He summoned his druid astrologers for explanation upon seeing darkness in the middle of the day. His magi interpreted the sign, telling him that the King of all kings, the Son of the one God, had been killed by His own people on a tree. Outraged and in terrible grief that such a horrible thing could happen, the beloved king took an ax and began chopping down the sacred grove of oaks. Having been gravely wounded in a battle by a brain ball lodged in his head, he was warned by his physician Faith Liag that any exertion might kill him. But the distraught Conor continued hacking at the trees, demanding to know who the wretches were that killed such a noble, loving man, until he collapsed in death.

His legend, and that of the star of the East marking the birth of the King of kings, made druids who sought truth eager to accept the rest of the story of Christ. It was said that a representative of every race of mankind was on the hill of Calvary to witness Christ’s death, and that Conal Cearnah represented the Gael. (See Ethna Carbery’s book,
From the Celtic Past,
for the poignant story of Conal at the Crucifixion.)

druid:
a term covering a number of an elevated Celtic learned class—spiritual leaders, teachers, lawyers, poets, bards, historians, magicians; often called
magi;
see
Star of the East (Bethlehem), Death of King of kings.
St. Columba wrote, “My druid is Christ.” Substitute
teacher
or
spiritual leader
for
druid
to catch the drift of his meaning.

Here I must add that these people were not just the black-robed sacrificers reported by Julius Caesar and other foreign observers of this secretive order. In fact, there’s not a shred of evidence that human sacrifice was ever done on Erin’s green shores, as was done in Gaul and Briton. Erin’s druids sought the truth, the light. They believed in an afterlife and a form of regeneration or rebirth, with each rebirth resulting in a soul more highly evolved than the last. This soul was helped in its refinement throughout its lives by spiritual beings—like our
angels, perhaps. They worshiped the one God, who lived in the sun, the Creator of Stars and the Five Elements—but they kept the secret of this supreme spiritual being among themselves, fearing the common man incapable of spiritual pursuits and understanding. They let the common man worship whatever earthly symbol he might understand, such as the sun for the farmer, the sea god for the fisherman, or the forest god for the hunter. They knew that man worshiped the creation, rather than the Creator, and saw no harm since the common man, in their learned opinion, could do no better.

All that changed with the coming of Christianity and the teaching of a one-on-one relationship with the one God for all men. Those who truly sought truth and light embraced it, giving up their preferential and revered status as druids to become humble servants of God as priests. So did many Irish kings and princes. Why? See
Star of the East (Bethlehem)
and
Death of King of kings.

dun:
a round tower fortification

Fianna:
the legendary warrior-band associated with Finn MacCool, a prehistoric Leinsterman

Now these men were known for their stamina, their fighting abilities, and their love of the outdoors: they were much like mercenaries, often for hire, dashing with the ladies, and the subject of many a song and verse in Irish folklore.

fine:
a kindred group, a basic social unit of early Irish society.

Finn MacCool (Finn mac Cumaill):
a prehistoric Leinster leader of the Fianna

Finn is oft referred to at Gleannmara. ’Twas him who first sucked his thumb after touchin’ the Salmon of Knowledge, and wisdom was revealed to him as a result to see him through a puzzlin’ situation. Sucking the thumb was thought to clear one’s thinking and perception, allowing one to see through illusion conjured by magic.

foolraide:
foolishness; insanity.

fosse:
a ditch or embankment

fosterage:
custom of placing children of noble families into the care of others in order to form political alliances. Like my Maire was fostered out to Erc and Maida of Drumkilly, allying the tuaths of Drumkilly and Gleannmara. Many times, these children were closer to their foster families than their own blood.

geis:
taboo, something forbidden; to break a geis was to invite certain death

grianán:
solarium, sun room; ’twas here the ladies liked to do their stitchery while the men swapped tall tales in the hall

hall:
the largest room or building in a fortification; used for dining, entertainment, administration, and often, sleeping quarters, at least for servants

Harp of Tara:
Pictures of this harp, the likes of which were used in Tara’s legendary halls, resemble Hebrew harps, like the one used by King David himself. ’Tis no small wonder, and that you’ll see plainly, if ye read about the Lia Fal.

Noah’s descendants in Ireland:
After the flood, descendants of Noah’s sons, Japheth and Shem, settled in Ireland. Japheth’s people were a reasonable lot, blendin’ in with all them that came, conquered, and ruled for a while, but Shem’s were a worrisome lot of pirates and brigands and became known later as the Fomorians.

hostage cimbid:
a person taken from a clan or tuath to guarantee a tribute or loyalty to his captors; some were treated as guests; others were treated as prisoners, depending on the disposition of the captors

leine:
tunic

Lia Falle [Fal]:
the sacred coronation stone of Ireland; Conn of a Hundred Battles discovered it when he stepped upon it and it shrieked. His druids explained after fifty-three days of consideration that the stone’s name was Fal, from the Island of Fal. It shrieks in recognition of the true high king and cries out each of his successors. Some claim it was taken to Scotland by the Dal Raidi kings where it became their coronation stone.

Later, the English thought they stole it and put it in Westminster Abbey for safe keeping. That’s the official story.

But there’s more to the Lia Faille than all that. Some say the original stone was smuggled into Ireland after the first destruction of Solomon’s temple and it’s no ordinary stone from the Holy Land, but the very one called Jacob’s Pillow! For it was this stone pillow upon which Jacob slept and from which he ascended into heaven. The prophet Jeremiah brought it along with other temple treasures, including, it’s said, the ark of the covenant. And all these treasures, them what haven’t been taken to Scotland, are still buried deep in the hill of Tara.

Logaire, King and druidic prophesy:
Logaire was the high king of Tara at the time of St. Patrick. It was his druids who foretold of the coming of Christianity and the end of the druidic as they knew it. Despite Patrick’s effort to give him the salvation message, Logaire died a pagan, struck by lightning. Makes a soul think, doesn’t it?

Maire:
a feminine Gaelic name, pronounced “MOY-ruh” (the first syllable sounds like the word
soy,
and the last a soft-sounding
uh).
At least that’s as close as a non-Gaelic soul can get to the root name, which means Mary, as in the mother of our Christ. And steppin’ back even more, ye’ll find the Hebrew name Miriam.

maithre:
mother

Mebhe: Queen of Connaught versus King of Ulster:
According to the
Tain Bo Cuailgne
or “Cattle Raid of Cuailgne,” Mebhe (Maeve), daughter of High King of early Ireland Eochaid Feidlech, married thrice: first to Conor MacNessa of Ulster; second, to the king of Connaught; and lastly, to Ailill of Ulster. She became involved with the latter in a match of counting worldly possessions.

The gist is that Ailill had one prize bull, the brown bull of Cuailgne, the likes of which none in Mebhe’s herds could match. What started out as a loan of said bull, evolved into a full-blown war with four-fifths of Ireland at Mebhe’s call to
arms. Aside from the senseless bloodshed over such a foolish thing, another marvelous legend was born—Cuchullain, foster son of Conor MacNessa, stood at the gap of Ulster and defended the fifth province of Ireland single-handed against Mebhe’s four. Mebhe was not often remembered or referred to with fondness, but Cuchullain’s victory has helped many a cold Celtic night pass more easily.

Milesians:
the last conquering race of Ireland and the ancestors of Irish nobility. The journey of these Celts from Iberia to Ireland was a feat in itself, but there’s even more to it than the original record in the Song of Amergin, which tells of the incredible voyage for that time period and the battle in which these brave people take Ireland as their own.