Heroes
of
Celtic Legend
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Amergin White-knee was
the chief Bard of the Sons of Mil (the Milesians) who invaded Ireland during the reign of
the Tuatha Dé Danann. Amergin was instrumental in the
taking of Ireland, because he petitioned the three major
Goddesses of Ireland and gained their support. He
promised Banba and Fotla that their names
would be known as names of Ireland. To Eire (Eriu) he made the
promise of immortality - that her name would be the name
of Ireland forever. When the kings of Ireland raised a
magical storm against them, it was Amergin who quieted
the elements, and overcame the kings' druidry with this
song:
I
seek the land of Ireland.
Forceful is the fruitful sea,
Fruitful the serried mountains,
Serried the showery woods,
Showery the cascade of rivers,
Cascaded the tributaries of lakes,
Tributaried the well of hills,
Welling the people of gatherings,
Gathering of Tara's king,
Tara, hill of tribes,
Tribes of Mil's people,
Mil's ships and galleys,
Galleys of mighty Eire,
Eire, mighty and green.
A crafty incantation,
Craftiness of Bres's wives,
Bres, of Buaigne's wives,
Great Lady Eire:
Eremon harried her,
Ir and Eber sought for her -
I seek the land of Ireland.
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Thus the Milesians were able to overcome
the magic of the Tuatha Dé Danann and successfully
invade and conquer Ireland.
Cuchulainn was born
Setanta, but changed his name after killing Conchobair
Mac Neasa's favorite guard dog as it attacked him. He
vowed to take the place of the dog, guarding the pass
into Ulster, and thus became known as the Hound of
Cualainn. Its unclear who his mother was, as several
women in Celtic myth are mentioned, depending on the
story. The god Lugh is sometimes also mentioned as his father,
but this relationship appears to be more of a spiritual
link than a biological one. Cuchulainn's human father is
Sualtam.
Cuchulainn studied under
the warrior goddess Scathach on the Isle of Shadow and returned to
Ulster to be a great warrior and leader of the Red
Branch, a semi-chivalrous order of warriors of Ulster
whose exploits are told in Irish mythology. He became
semi-divine himself through his adventures and was later
honored as a pagan god.
Many of his stories are
recorded at length in The Book of the Dun Cow. He was
killed in battle when he single-handedly held off Maeve's
armies after tying himself to a tree so that he could
remain standing.
Fionn mac
Cumhail
Fionn mac Cumhail, also
known as Finn mac Coul, was the legendary Irish
hero and leader of the Fianna. Tales of Finn and the
Fianna were widely documented in the 3rd century AD
during what is now referred to as the Fenian
Cycle, although
much earlier written accounts have also been found in
ancient Irish manuscripts.
Finn's father Cumhail, a
Fianna chieftain, was mortally wounded and killed in
battle by Goal mac Morn, the leader of a rival clan,
before Finn's birth. Terrified for her new baby's
survival, Finn's mother sent him away intrusting him to
two of her closest colleagues - a druidess named Bodbal
and a woman warrior named Fiachel. Together these women
successfully raised Finn in secret hiding place deep
within the mountains of Erie (Ireland). During this time
they taught him all the lessons and skills he would need
to survive he set out to avenge his father's murder.
Finn took service under
several kings, but was immediately sent away in fear of a
retaliation from mac Morna, when they discovered who he
was. Discouraged, Finn wandered throughout Ireland until
he met an old poet living near the river Boyne whom he
studied under for seven years.
At the end of these seven
years Finn fulfilled a prophecy when he ate the Salmon of
Knowledge and gained the wisdom he would need to
challenge mac Morna. Gathering 150 of the bravest and
best of the Fianna, Finn challenged Goll mac Morna in
battle. The battle was long, lasting a few days, but in
the end mac Morna's men were no match for the Fianna and
Goll mac Morna died on Finn's sword.
Finn and the Fianna
continued to fight in great battles and were acknowledged
figures in Celtic history. It was said that in the fields
of daring, courageousness, and skill the Fianna were
unequaled and that no man could hope to be better in
magic, poetry, or wisdom then Finn mac Cumhail.
A young boy
named Gwion Back was left to watch over a cauldron
prepared by the Goddess Ceridwen. The liquid brewing inside the
cauldron was intended for her horribly ugly son, Afagddu
(Utter Darkness.) The liquid would give anyone that drank
of it all knowledge and wisdom.
While
Ceridwen was away, the boy Gwion fell asleep. He awoke to
find that the fire was burning too hotly, and three drops
of the precious liquid splashed out of the cauldron onto
Gwion's finger. Sucking his finger to alleviate the pain,
he absorbed all of the wisdom that had been intended for
Afagddu.
When
Ceridwen found out, she was furious, and set off after
Gwion. Armed with his new knowledge, he turned himself
into various animals, only to be pursued by Ceridwen who
would turn herself into the animal's natural predator.
Finally after a long chase, Gwion turned himself into a
grain of wheat in a huge mound of grain and chaff.
Ceridwen turned herself into a hen and ate every last
grain, including Gwion. Nine months later she gave birth
to a beautiful boy. Unwilling to kill the child, she set
him adrift in a leather bag on the open sea.
Eventually
the bag washed up on the shore near a fisherman's hut,
and was discovered by the son of the fisherman, a boy
named Elffin. When he opened the bag and saw the bright
forehead of the child inside, he proclaimed "Behold
the radiant brow!," whereupon the child answered
"Taliesin be he called!" (Taliesin means
'shining brow.') He then spewed forth an endless stream
of poetry, prophesy and wisdom. Elffin took him back to
the hut and he there grew up into a famous bard and
shaman, later serving at the court of King Arthur
himself.
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