Táin Bó Regamna

    This is my first attempt at translating an entire story. I chose the TBR both because it is one of my favorites and because it is fairly short. I will give the full Irish text^ first then follow with my translation of it; normally I'd go with a rather literal version but I'm going to try to find a balance between staying true to the language and staying true to the intent of the phrasing. Unlike the previously translated versions I could find I did tackle the Morrigan's satire poem but I will say upfront that the wording is obscure and it was given in the Irish text I have as a single block which I had to break down into lines at my own discretion; the translation should be taken as a suggestion rather than definitive. It does however include what appear to be intriguing  references to the Tain Bo Cuilgne and I think it deserves inclusion even if it is difficult. Also it explains why Cu Chulain's reaction to hearing it is to leap back....

Táin Bó Regamna

A mbuí Cú Chuluinn i nDún Imrid gu gcúala ní an géim. Co ndíuchrustar triana chotlad conid corustar asa imda go riacht ind aridin ina suidiu for lár. Íar sin immach do suidiu ar les. Cu mbu hí a ben bertho a étach ocus a armb ina diaig. Co n-facco ní Láeg aro chinn ina charpat inneltai oc Ferta Læig intúaig.
‘Cid dot-ugai?’ ol Cú Chuluinn fri Lóeg.
‘Géim ro-chúalai issin maigh’, ol Lóeg.
‘Cid leth?’ ol Cú Chuluinn.
 ‘Aníarthúaig amne’, ol Lóeg.
‘Ina ndiaig’, ol Cú Chuluinn.
Tíaguit ass íarum gu hÁth da Ferta. In tan mbátar ann íarum gu gcúalatar culguiri in charpuit hi toíb Grellchui Culguiri. Tíaguit fóe co n-faccatar ní in carpat ara cinn no reimib. Óenech derg foa ocus óenchoss fo suidiu ocus síthbe in charpuit sethnu ind eich co ndechuid geinn trít fri fosad a étain anair. Bean derg hissin charpat ocus bratt derg impi ocus di braí dergai lé ocus a brat eter di feirt in charpuit síar co sliged lár ina diaig ocus fer mór hi comuir in charpuit. Fúan forbbthai imme ocus gaballorg finnchuill fria aiss og immáin na bó.
 ‘Ní fóelid in bó lib oga himmuáin’, ol Cú Chuluinn.
‘Ní dír duit éim a hetercert na bó so’, ol in ben. ‘Ní bó charat na choigcéliu duit.’
‘Is dír dam-so éim baí hUlad huili’, ol Cú Chuluinn.
‘Eter-certar so in ba, a Chú’, ol in ben.
‘Ced arndid i in ben atum-gládathar?’ ol Cú Chuluinn. ‘Cid nach é in fer atom-gládathar?’
‘In fer sin at-gládaigther-su’, ol in ben.
‘Ia’, ol Cú Chuluinn, ‘ol is tusso ara-labrathar.’
‘hÚargóeth sceo lúachuir sgeo. . .ainm in fir sin’, olsí.
 ‘Amae, is amru fot in anmu’, ol Cú Chului nn. ‘Ba tusa trá atom glátathar in fecht so ol nim acalladar in fer. Cía do chomainm-siu féin?’ ol Cú Chuluinn.
‘Ní ansa. In ben sin at-gládaither-su’, ol in fer, ‘fóebar beo béoil, coim diúir, foltt sgeanb, gairitt sgeo úath hí a hainm’, olse.
‘Meraigi do-gníth-siu dim-so’, ol Cú Chuluinn, ‘fon innus sin.’
Lingid Cú Chuluinn la soduin issin charpat ocus fo-rrumai a da chois fora dib glúinib-siu ocus a chleitíni fora mullach.
‘Na himbir imrinniu éim formb’, ol Cú Chuluinn.
‘Scuith dim didiu’, olsi. ‘Am bancháinti-siu ém’, olsí, ‘ocus is ó  Dáiriu mac Fiachno a cCúailgniu tuccus in mbuin si a ndúais n-airchetail.'
‘Cluinium th'airchetal didiu’, ol Cú Chuluinn.
‘Scuith dim nammá’, ol in ben. ‘Ní ferdo duitt amin na chrothai húas mo chinn’, olsí.
Tét didiu Cú Chuluinn íarum co mbuí eter di feirt in charpuit.
Gaibid-se in laíd si: Doermais nomgaib
gaib eti eblatar
tairichta muirtemniu
morochrat romlec dianedim
fiach amainsi nachach
toarbair adomling
airddhe oenmairb
maige sainb croí chengach
cocbith mestin-
glinne let leiss
finn frithoiss dobeoib
brectith reth tuasailg
osdum arai
airdd cechlastair
cuailngne a chuchuluinn...

...arindlindsi arsoegaul de antuaith .i. cluas indairmgretha. 
   Fo-ceird Cú Chuluinn bedg ina charpat feissin íarum. Naicc ní i nneoch íarum in mnaí nach in carpat nach in n-ech nach in fer nach in mbuin ocus co n-faco-sium íarum ba hén-si dub forsin chroíb ina farrud.
‘Doltach ben atat-chomnaic’, ol Cú Chuluinn.
‘Is Dollud dono bias forsinn greallaig si co bráth’, ol in ben. Grellach Dolluid íarum a hainm ó hoin ille.
 ‘Ochti ro-feisind bed tú ní samluid no-scarfamais’, ol Cú Chuluinn.
‘Cid donrignis’, olsí, ‘bieith olec de.’
‘Ni chumgai olc dam’, ol Cú Chuluinn.
‘Cumgaim écin’, olsin ben. ‘Is oc do ditin do báis-siu atáu-so ocus bia’, ollsí. ‘Do-ucus-sa in mboin si éim’, olsí, ‘a síd Crúachan condo rodart in Donn Cúailgni lem .i. tarb Dáre maic Fiachnui ocus is é aret bia-so i mbetho gu rab dartaid in lóeg fil ina bruinn ina bó so ocus is hé consaídfe Táin Bé Cúailgni.’
‘Bíam airdirciu-sa di din Táin hí sin’, ol Cú Chuluinn.
‘‘Géna a n-ánrado. 

 Brisfe a mérchatho.
Bia tigba na Táno.’’
‘Cinnus con-igfa-sa anní sin’, ol in ben. ‘Ar in tain no-mbia-sa oc comrac fri fer comthrén comchroda comchliss comfobaith coméscaith comchiníuil comgaiscid comméti friut .i. bam esccung-so ocus fo-chichiur curu immot chossa issinn áth gu mba héccomlunn mór.’
‘For-tonga do día tuingthe Ulaid’, ol Cú Chuluinn, ‘fortat-naesab­ su fri glaisslecta ind átho ocus nicot bia ícc húaim-siu de gu bráth manim derguis-so.’
‘Bia sod-sa dono glass duit-si’, olsí, ‘ocus géba bréit dot dóidind deiss conicci do rigid clí.’
‘Tongu-sa do día tuingti hUlaid’, ol Cú Chuluinn, ‘not-benabsi secham gom chletíne gu mbeba do súil it chinn ocus nocot bia ícc húaim-siu de go bráth manim dergais-si.’
‘Biam samuiscc-siu finn áuoderg dono’, olsissiu, ‘ocus do-rag issinn linn hi fail inn áthu in n-atan ro-mbia-so oc comrucc fri fer buss choimchliss duitt ocus cét noud finn n-óbrecc imm diaig ocus membuis inn ét huili im diaig-siu issin n-áth ocus con-bibustar fír fer fort-so a llaa sin ocus géttair do chenn ditt issinn áth sin.’
‘Tungu et reliqua, fo-chichiur-sa hurchur asmo thábaill fortt­ sa co memba do gerr gara foat ocus nico mbia ícc húaim-si de co bráth manim dergais-si ocus nicom géntar-so a llá sin etir’, ol Cú Chuluinn.
Scarsait íar sin ocus luid Cú Chuluinn for cúlo dorithisiu do Dún Imrith ocus luithi in Morrígan cona buin hi síd Crúachan la Connachta.

 - Irische Texte mit Übersetzugen und Wörterbuch by Stokes

These cows are Christmas and Tricia. They belong to my sister, and have never been involved in a táin...that I know of.

   When Cu Chulain was in Dun Imrid he heard something; it was the roaring of cattle. So that he woke up and was thrown out of bed and reached the bench that was sitting on the floor. After that he went outside into the yard. And it was his wife, following behind him, who brought his clothing and his armor. And he saw something in front of him, Laeg in his chariot, harnessed at Ferta Laeg in the north. 
  "What brings you?" said Cu Chulain to Laeg.
   "The roaring of cattle that I heard in the field," said Laeg.
    "What direction?" said Cu Chulain.
  "In the north-west, thus," said Laeg. 
   "Follow on them," said Cu Chulain.
 After this they went out to Ath de Ferta. After, while they were there, they heard a noise of the chariot in the side of Grellach Culgairi. They went down and saw a chariot before them. One red horse with a single leg was pulling it, and the shaft of the chariot went through the horse to the front of it's forehead. A red-haired woman with red eyebrows was in the chariot with a red cloak around her shoulders; the cloak hung down at the back of the chariot and dragged on the ground behind her. There was a big man in front of the chariot wearing a tunic carrying a forked white hazel stick that he used to drive the cow.
  "The cow is not pleased with her driving," said Cu Chulain. 
  "Indeed it is not necessary to you to judge this cow," said the woman. "It is not a friend's nor a companion's cow to you."
  "Indeed, the cows of all the Ulstermen are necessary to me," said Cu Chulain
  "You decide much, oh, Cu Chulain," said the woman.
   "Why is it that the woman speaks to me?" said Cu Chulain. "Why not him, the man, who speaks to me?"
  "It's not the man that you shouted to", said the woman.
   "Ha!", said Cu Chulain, "Speak and you speak in his voice."
   "Cold wind-conflict-brightness-strife is his name" she said
    "Indeed, that name is wonderful throughout", said Cu Chulain. "Then you are bound to speaking the course of this conversation for the man. What do you name yourself?" said Cu Chulain.
     "Not difficult. The woman who you are speaking to," said the man, "is Keen edged-small lipped-plain cloaked-hair-sharp shouting-fierceness-a phantom."
   "You give me an idiot's counsel"*, said Cu Chulain, "based in this."
Cu Chulain jumped beside her in the chariot and set his two feet on her knees and his dart** against the crown of her head.
  "Who puts this point indeed?", said Cu Chulain.
   "A small something then", said she. "I am a woman satirist indeed", said she, "and it is from  Dáire mac Fiachnai of Cuilgne that I bring the cow; she is a poet's reward for a poem"'
   "I'll hear the poem then", said Cu Chulain.
   "A small something only", said the woman. "Not manly to you thus while brandishing over my head", said she.
  Then after that Cu Chulain went so that he was between the two poles of the chariot.
She gave this poem: "Low-born-foundation you grab,
Take a herd driven,
Eastward-blown Muirrthemne,
Great misery, chief stone, hurrier,
Raven fierce but not
Bringing floods of terror
Peak of fame unique death
great greedy heart, every start
World-warring judgment
Half a glen severed
Bright wild place, your life
Deceitful arrival runs
Over poet's-demands
Over mound's messenger
Your direction, every burning
Cuailigne, oh Cu Chulainn.." 

   Cuchulain sprang onto his own chariot after that. Then nothing was there of all of them not the woman, not the chariot, not the horse, not the man, not the cow and he saw that she was a black bird on a branch near him.
"A hurtful woman you are," said Cuchulain.
"It is Dollud [distress] then that will be on this bog until Doomsday," said the woman. Bog of Distress was its name from that time afterwards.
"If only I had known it was you," said Cuchulain, "not this way would we have separated."
"Whatever you would have done," said she, "misfortune would result from it."
"You cannot bring misfortune to me," said Cuchulain.
"I am able indeed," said the woman; "It is bring about your death I am and shall be," said she.
 "I brought this cow then," she said, "from the fairy mound of Cruachan so that she was mounted by the Brown Bull of Cuilgne by me, that is the bull of Daire mac Fiachnai. And it is that interval you be in life, until the calf in the womb of this cow is a young bull, and it is this that stirs up the cattle raid of Cuilgne." 
  "I will be renowned through this aforementioned cattle raid," said Cu Chulain. "I will kill their champions. Defeat their big battles. I will survive the cattle raid."
  "How will you do this aforementioned?" said the woman. "For at the time of your combat with a man of similar strength, similar form, similar skill, similar quickness, similar alertness, similar tribe, similar weapons, similar greatness, against you I will be an eel throwing twists about your feet in the ford until it will be greatly unfair odds."
  "I swear to a God Ulstermen swear to," said Cu Chulain, "I will kick you against blue-grey** stones of the ford and there will be no cure for you from me for it until Doomsday if you don't ask my forgiveness."
  "I will be a blue-grey** wolf-bitch then against you," she said. "and I will take a strip from your wrist on the right up to your forearm on the left."
   "I swear to a God Ulstermen swear to," said Cu Chulain,"I will wound you myself with my dart until your eye bursts in your head and there will be no cure for you from me for it until Doomsday if you don't ask my forgiveness."
  "I will be a red-eared white heifer then," said she, "and I will come in the water in a place of the ford another time you will be at combat with a man as skilled as you and a hundred red-eared white cows after me; all the cows behind me will burst into the ford and violate fair combat**** against you. And your head will be taken away off you in that very ford."
   "I will swear by others, I will throw a cast out of my sling at you­ and with it break the lower part of your leg shortly and by no means will there be a cure for you from me for it until Doomsday if you don't ask my forgiveness and that will not be done any day at all’, said Cu Chulain.
   They separated and Cu Chulain went back along his course to Dún Imrith and the Morrigan went with the cow to the fairy hill of Cruachan in Connacht.

^ The majority of the Irish material here is from the Yellow Book of Lecan version, however the Morrigan's satire poem is the von Egerton version, both found in Windisch's Irische Texte mit Ubersetzugen and Worterbuchen

* this may be better relayed in English as "You must think I'm an idiot to tell me this" ie he thinks they are intentionally playing with him.

** literally cleittíne a small dart or javelin which was one of Cu Chulain's particular weapons.

*** for those who are interested in the use of color in Irish material its given here as glas, or literally green, but green which can be anything from a light green or blue to a blue grey.

**** in Old Irish "fír fer" literally "men's truth". This concept is the bases of honorable combat in Irish warfare and hinges on the idea of one-on-one fighting of equal opponents. It is fír fer that allows Cu Chulain to hold the ford and hold back Connacht's army during the Tain Bo Cuilgne.

Copyright Morgan Daimler

Reconstructionism - What It Is, What It Isn't, and Why I Love It

   I've said it before but it bears repeating: Reconstructionism is a very misunderstood thing. There are many reasons for why that is and why some of those misunderstandings keep being perpetuated, but mostly it comes down to assumptions and stereotypes. So today let's take a look at what reconstruction is and what it isn't. 
   Disclaimer (because I don't enjoy the sensation of being flayed): This article is meant as a general commentary on the methodology of reconstruction when applied to polytheist religion. As with anything there will be exceptions to any statement or cases where specific styles of Recon differ. I am writing it from the base of my own experience, which is primarily in Celtic Reconstructionism* and Heathenry, however I wouldn't presume to speak for all recons everywhere.
 ~ What is Reconstructionism?
     This seems like a good place to start. Reconstruction is a methodology that uses a variety of sources including archaeology, anthropology, mythology, folklore, and historical texts to reconstruct what an ancient belief or practice most likely would have been. Using this reconstruction of the old the belief or practice can then be adapted for modern practice. Or, as I like to say, reconstruction is understanding the old pagan religion so that we can envision what it would have been like if it had never been interrupted and still existed today. 
   Reconstructionism is most often applied to spirituality but it can be used for a variety of related practices including traditional non-religious witchcraft. It can also be for mystic practices used in conjunction with spiritual practices, such as the reconstruction of seership methods within Celtic Reconstruction, or of seidhr within Heathenry. 
    Reconstruction is a method that is applied to a wide array of different ancient pagan faiths including Norse, Anglo-Saxon, Minoan, Egyptian, Irish, Gaulish, and Indo-European** to name just a few. It is a method which is both sound and flexible, but which also requires personal engagement and imagination. Because of this the end result of different people's reconstruction of the same culture's religion will not be identical, although it should be similar. 
   ~ What is Reconstructionism *NOT*
   1) Recons are not mean. Well, they aren't any meaner, generally speaking, than any other community can seem to outsiders. I see this one all the time, and it is usually rooted in two things: a difference in communication style and a difference in paradigm. People within reconstructionist communities tend to have a communication style - in my experience - that is rather blunt and straightforward. In contrast people within non-Recon communities tend, again in my experience, to have communication styles that favor friendly language and more passive aggressive approaches. Recons tend to operate from a paradigm of earned respect, skepticism, and where any statement requires hard evidence to support it, while non-recons have a paradigm of immediate intimacy, trust, and acceptance of people's assertions on face value. Neither of these is inherently better or worse than the other, but they create very different cultures and expectations of behavior for the people within them. It should be obvious that these communication styles and paradigms are in many ways antithetical and it is almost inevitable that people interacting between the two groups will have issues with each other. 
   2) Recons are not re-enactors. This is another very common one, usually expressed through the criticism that Reconstructionism is flawed because "there are things that should be left in the past". Well, yes, clearly. No one is advocating the return of human sacrifice or slavery - although we are honest about the fact that these were historic practices and that understanding them is important to understanding the culture. Reconstruction is not about recreating ancient religion exactly as it was and practicing it that way, but about understanding how it was in order to make it viable today.
   I for one love indoor plumbing and refrigeration, and I'm not about to give up all modern amenities to build a roundhouse and pretend I'm living in the Iron Age. I might not mind a round house with wifi and solar panels though. Obviously just like the rest of the population there are some recons who do favor sustainable living, off the grid living, and even a rejection of many aspects of modern technology but that isn't an aspect of reconstruction itself, anymore than belonging to the SCA or going to Renn Faires is. 
   3) Recons are not books only. There is a bit of a hesitance in reconstructionist groups - or at least the ones I have experience with - to discuss actual practice and experience. I think there are several reasons for this, including that we tend to get very tangential about minutia in discussions and we get sidetracked when someone else starts disagreeing and saying their research supports a different approach. However just because we don't talk all the time about what we actually do in our daily lives doesn't mean we aren't doing anything. Just like just because a non-recon talks a lot about what they do and not much about what they read doesn't mean that they don't read anything (I like to assume anyway). Recons do like their source material, but the entire point of the source material is using it to create a viable practice. 
  4)  Recons don't hate "upg"***. This one is also often expressed as "Recons are obsessed with lore" or "Recons are pagan fundamentalists". However you say it it simply isn't true. And that's just not my opinion, I'll quote the CR FAQs here, under What Is Celtic Reconstruction (CR): " By studying the old manuscript sources and the regional folklore, combining this information with mystical and ecstatic practice, and working together to weed out the non-Celtic elements that can arise, we are nurturing what still lives and helping the polytheistic Celtic traditions grow strong and whole again." (emphasis mine). Incorporating personal experience and mystical practice is part of reconstruction, so recons obviously do not hate personal gnosis. However we do apply the same critical thinking and discernment to mystical experiences as we do to any source of information and I suspect this is where the problem comes in. Recons question everything to ascertain its veracity including spiritual experiences and that is often unpopular especially in communities that do not share the same approach. 
   But seriously people recons don't hate mystical experiences, nor do we reject anything that isn't straight out of a book. We just place a lot of value on the vast amount of combined experience and belief that is the culture we are reconstructing and we use that as a measure for the credibility of new information. 
 ~ So why do I love it? Well, honestly Reconstruction is a part of who I am. It fits my nature, my personality, and so it is something I apply to everything: my religion, my witchcraft, my fairy faith. I was always that kid who asked why and who dreamed about what something could have been. I love studying the evidence we have and asking myself what if? What if it had never stopped? What if the Old gods, the old ways, had been continuously worshiped, continuously kept? What would that look like today? I find it a fascinating puzzle and one that I am compelled to sort out. 

  Reconstruction is not a methodology for everyone, just like any other path it is simply one option among many. It appeals to certain people for a variety of reasons, and leaves other people uninterested, and that's okay. Many people who don't practice Reconstruction, and even some who do, misunderstand what it is and sometimes perpetuate stereotypes about it, and I hope this blog helped at least a little bit to shed some light on a few of them. Recons aren't out to make people cry, aren't trying to recreate the Iron Age, aren't only about reading books, and aren't against personal ecstatic experiences or gnosis. What we are about is using solid academic evidence and personal inspiration to envision what that polytheism would have looked like today if it had existed without interruption. We are about honoring our ancestors, spirits of diverse types, and Gods. We are about respecting and helping to preserve the living culture today. 
   Reconstruction isn't about living looking backwards. Its about walking forward with the past a firm path beneath our feet, guiding our steps. 

 Further reading:
http://www.paganachd.com/faq/index.html
http://moon-books.net/blogs/moonbooks/how-to-be-an-irish-reconstructionist-polytheist/
http://www.tairis.co.uk/introduction/gaelic-reconstructionist-polytheism
http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/2004/08/Our-Gods-And-Goddesses-Are-Closer-To-Us.aspx#

*I identify publicly as a practitioner of Celtic Reconstructionist Polytheism, however I am specifically endeavoring to reconstruct Irish polytheism. 
** Ceisiwr Serith has an interesting book called 'Back to the Beginnings: Re-inventing Wicca' which is, to all intents and purposes, an attempt to reconstruct Indo-European religious witchcraft.
***upg - unverified personal gnosis, or as Lora O'Brien puts it (and I like better) unique personal gnosis. I've also been known to refer to this as personal numinous experience, but PNE isn't as catchy of an acronym.

Copyright Morgan Daimler

Sexuality in Ancient Ireland

  This falls into the category of "frequently asked questions", because I regularly see people wondering what the ancient Irish or Celtic view of homosexuality was. The short answer seems to be that prior to Christianity it was not remarkable. Let's take a look at the long answer:
     There is very little direct mention of homosexuality in the ancient Irish mythology or stories (Power, 1976). Some people might decide this is indicative of a lack of homosexuality in general but it appears that in fact the opposite was the case, that it may have been seen as accepted and unremarkable. Partially we can draw this conclusion because we know that societies that did strongly prohibit same sex pairings for any reason tended to be very vocal about that fact and we find references to being the submissive sexual partner frequently used as an insult against men in such cultures, such as the Norse. However that is lacking in the Irish* and the Celts more generally, indicating that same sex relations were not viewed as shameful or, one may assume abnormal. We can also draw this conclusion using evidence from secondary sources, in this case Greek observers.
    One indicator of the acceptance of homosexuality in Celtic culture is a comment by Aristotle in his "Politics" where he mentions the way that the Celts openly approved of sexual relationships between men (Freeman, 2002). Similarly Diodorus also describes the open way that Celtic men had sexual relations with each other, in a way that seemed to baffle the Greeks because the Celts favored relationships between equals and were not concerned with beauty or age (Freeman, 2002). This is noteworthy because this Mediterranean culture itself engaged in forms of homosexual practice so they would not have included mention of it among the Celts as propaganda implying moral judgment; rather it was mentioned because the classical historians found the Celts lack of discernment concerning partners** and lack of concern about social order - reflected in taking partners among equals instead of younger men - to reflect barbarism. Although this evidence relates to the Gaulish Celts and not the Irish Celts it is indicative of the wider cultural views that seemed to be held within Celtic society.
   We do have some indication within Irish mythology that same sex pairings were accepted and not seen as unusual and this comes from the Tain Bo Cuiligne and the relationship of Ferdiad and Cu Chulain. During the fighting Cu Chulain has set himself up to block the attacking army and is taking on challengers one by one. Queen Medb convinces his foster brother Ferdiad to fight against him, much to Cu Chulain's dismay. When the two first meet on the battle field Cu Chulain says  to Ferdiad "We were heart-companions once; We were comrades in the woods; We were men that shared a bed"; Ferdiad responds that that time was long ago and insists on fighting (Windsch, 1905). We can further see the closeness of their relationship by looking at the mourning poem of Cu Chulain after he kills Ferdiad. He laments Ferdiad's death with these words: "I loved the noble way you blushed, and loved your fine, perfect form. I loved your blue clear eye, your way of speech, your skillfulness." (Kinsella, 1969). He goes on to praise Ferdiad's beauty further as well as his weapon's skill and lament that Feridiad was led to his death by the promise of marriage to Medb's daughter. Many people see in this passage the lament of one lover for another, something that is consistent with the practices discussed by Aristotle and Diodorus of Celtic warriors taking each other as lovers, and with Cu Chulain's own comment that they were "heart-companions" and "men who shared a bed".
   There is a post-Christian reference in the Life of Colum Cille that also mentions a homosexual relationship. In this case it occurs between an Irishman named Áed Dub and a British priest named Findchán, who were said to have a 'carnal love' for each other (O Cathasaigh, 2014). Áed Dub had killed the man who was king of Ireland and many others besides but Findchán has him ordained in the monastery, putting his own hand on Áed's head when the bishop initially refuses to. When Colum Cille finds out that Findchán had Áed ordained as a priest he curses them both, Findchán to lose his right hand and Áed to go back to his murderous ways and to die by spear, falling, and drowning (O Cathasaigh, 2014).
   There is also mention of homosexuality in the Brehon Laws. One reason that a woman may lawfully divorce her husband is if he refuses her bed in favor of a male lover (Kelly, 2005). Although this is often taken as prohibitions against homosexuality it is important to understand the passage in context and to realize that it is not homosexuality as a practice that is being spoken against but the denial of a potential child to the wife. It specifies that it is only acceptable grounds for divorce if the husband denies his wife's bed in favor of his male lover's, and this is listed along with infertility, and being too fat for intercourse, making it clear that it is not the sexual preference per se but the lack of fulfilling marriage terms - i.e. providing a child. Additionally it is worth considering that there is a story in the book of Leinster which references two woman who are lovers; one woman becomes pregnant after lying with the other who had just had sex with a male partner (Bitel, 1996). What is most important about this story is that neither woman was punished or shamed in any way for their actions, indicating that women taking female lovers was not seen in a negative way (Bitel, 1996).
    In conclusion what evidence we do have seems to make it clear that sexual preference was not noteworthy until Christian mores took over. Warriors in Celtic Gaul were noted by the Greeks to take male lovers and there are at least echos of this practice in the relationship between Cu Chulain and Ferdiad. The law texts also address this in a way that does not condemn the act itself but only the nullification of a contract as a result of denying a female partner. Looking at the evidence in its entirety, scanty as it may be, I think its safe to conclude that bisexuality was not considered remarkable nor were homosexual relationships.  Marriage was a complex contractual affair regulated by law and intended to produce heirs, but love and sexual relations did not seem to necessarily always share this focus, nor an emphasis on heterosexuality.

*rather in the Irish we see insults aimed at people's ancestry, youth/inexperience, courage, and skill at arms.
** As Diodorus puts it ""The oddest part about the whole business is that young men don't care at all about appearance and will gladly give their bodies to anyone." (Freeman, 2002).

References:
Kinsella, T., (1969) The Tain
Freeman, P., (2002). War, Women, and Druids
Kelly, F., (2005). A Guide To Early Irish Law
Bitel, L., (1996) Land of Women
Power, P., (1976). Sex and Marriage in Ancient Ireland
Windisch, E., (1905). Tain Bo Cualgne
O Cathasaigh, T., (2014) Coire Sois


edited to add content Oct 2016
  Copyright Morgan Daimler

Beauty Among the Irish Celts

  Beauty is such a wonderfully subjective thing. In our modern times what is considered beautiful has changed from one decade to another, as fashions shift and with it our ideas of what is attractive. In January there was a fascinating video that became popular called "Women's Ideal Body Types Throughout History" which looked at different perceptions of female beauty in a variety of cultures over the last 3,000 years. It included the ideal body type from ancient Egypt to Renaissance Italy to modern America, and noted the increased rate at which our perception of beauty has begun shifting with modern technology and communication. As I watched it I began to wonder about the ancient Celtic and Irish standards of beauty, and so I decided to explore those a bit here.
   In general we know that a broad forehead and small chin were considered attractive, as was fair skin and blond hair (Joyce, 1906). Blond hair was so strongly favored that it was a practice among the Gauls and British Celts to bleach their hair with lime, something that we know about from the writings of Diodorus (Wilcox, 1985). Irish women were also known to color their eyebrows black using berry juice (Joyce, 1906). From this we can see that the Irish were not opposed to creating the look they desired though artificial means, preferring light hair and dark eyebrows even if they were achieved cosmetically.
   Both men and women wore their hair long and loose, although warriors were noted to sometimes plait their hair on either side of their faces (Thomson, 2011). The hair was brushed every day after the person bathed, and curling the hair was noted among the Irish nobility with elaborate hair styles seen in most early Irish artwork and illuminations (Joyce, 1906). Long hair was seen as a mark of great beauty and conversely to have the hair cut short, unless required by the person's particular job, was a mark of great shame (Thomson, 2011). In this case the length of a person's hair was quite literally a measure of their beauty by societal standards.
  The hands were also a feature that was focused on as a measure of beauty with pale hands that were fine with tapering fingers being preferred (Joyce, 1906). The fingernails were rounded and painted red on women, and for men to have rough fingernails was seen as disgraceful (Joyce, 1906). This tells us that the state of the hands was important for both men and women, and was a universal measure of beauty, although men were not noted to color their nails as women did. Facial makeup however including painting the eyelids and cheeks was noted on both genders (Joyce, 1906).
  In many of the tales a strong physical form is described as attractive, but other than that we don't see much focus on physical descriptions - rather clothing is emphasized, as we see in the description of Fedelm from the Tain Bo Cuiligne: "She had yellow hair. She wore a vari- coloured cloak with a golden pin in it and a hooded tunic with red embroidery. She had shoes with golden fastenings. Her face was oval, narrow below, broad above. Her eyebrows were dark and black. Her beautiful black eyelashes cast a shadow on to the middle of her cheeks. Her lips seemed to be made of partaing. Her teeth were like a shower of pearls between her lips. She had three plaits of hair: two plaits wound around her head, the third hanging down her back, touching her calves behind..." (O'Rahilly, n.d.)
  From this we see that Fedelm fits the usual mold of beauty, having "yellow" hair, dark eyebrows, a broad forehead and narrow chin, and long hair, but we are given very little description of her body type. We see a similar description in the Tochmarche Ferb: "Very beautiful and splendid was the young prince whom they accompanied; long were his cheeks, radiant and broad was his countenance. Long, curling, and golden was his hair, and it fell to his shoulders; proud and glowing were his eyes, blue, and clear as the crystal. Like to the tops of the woods in May, or to the foxglove of the mountain, was each of his cheeks. You might fancy that a rain of pearls had fallen into his mouth, and that his lips were twin branches of coral. White as the new-fallen snow of the night was his neck, and such was the fashion of his skin" (Jones, n.d.)
 Once again we see an attractive person described by hair color and length, facial shape, and fairness of complexion but no mention of physical body type. Even Cu Chulain who is often said to be the fairest man in Ireland is described in the Tochmarch Emire mostly by his clothing and chariot, with only his fair and flushed cheeks, dark eyebrows, and white teeth mentioned as personal descriptors of his beauty. From this we may, perhaps, conclude that how well one dressed was in fact a significant factor of personal beauty among the ancient Irish, along with the aforementioned facial shape, hair and eyebrow color, and hair length. 
   Beauty is often in the eye of the beholder, but it is also a matter of cultural views. What our culture finds beautiful will influence the formation of what we find beautiful as well. For the ancient Irish that meant being well dressed, having a broad forehead and narrow chin, dark eyebrows and blond hair, fair skin, and long hair - the longer the better. Very different, perhaps, from our modern standards. 


Reference:
Joyce, P., (1906) A Smaller Social History of Ancient Ireland
Wilcox, P., (1985) Rome's Enemies
Thomson, C., (2011) All About That Celtic Hair
O'Rahilly, C., (n.d.) Tain Bo Cualnge
Jones, M., (n.d.) Tochmarch Ferb

Spiritual Masochism or Why I Translate Ancient Texts Into Modern English

  Some of my regular readers have undoubtedly noticed that in the last several months I've begun posting more blog entries featuring translations of pieces of the old mythic texts. Some of you may be wondering why - or I may just be boring you to tears. A friend suggested this morning that I may want to explain why I've been doing the translations and how they relate to my spirituality and I thought it was a smashing idea so hear you go. It's a convoluted story, but maybe you'll understand a bit better how my head works and why I feel its so important to share this particular hobby.

   About a year ago while re-reading the Tain Bo Cuiligne I ran across a particular line that really stuck out to me, where Fergus swears on the point of his sword and calls it a "halidom of Macha". As I contemplated that line I found myself wondering if he had really said that in the Irish or if the translator had shifted the meaning in some way and on a whim I found a copy of the Tain as Gaeilge (in Irish) and checked. Indeed the phrase in question - "Mache mind" does mean halidom of Macha, but mind also has some fascinating layers of meaning including blade and oath. It was an intriguing thing to contemplate. 
  More time went by and I found myself, rather unexpectedly, writing a book on the Morrigan. As I worked with the quotes and translations of the source material for that I found myself once again wondering how well the translation reflected the original. Some people may not realize that the vast majority of translations we have access to for the Irish myths were done a hundred years or more ago, and during a time period when certain subjects where not always handled well and others were, shall we say, treated poetically? An example of this can be seen in Hennessey's approach to the line from Cath Magh Rath about the Morrigan where he translates "Caillech lom, luath ag leimnig" as a lean hag, swiftly leaping - but lom doesn't mean lean it means bare or naked. So properly this line says "a naked hag, swiftly leaping" and there is a significant difference, I think, in the imagery created between these two translations. And to me this matters a great deal. It also means that all the translations we have come to us through a specific filter which does, for good or ill, affect the meaning of what we are reading and change our understanding of it.
   So we've established that I am a stickler for semantics and that I am rather obsessed about what the original language actually said, as opposed to what the popular translations say. In Irish - modern Irish that is - there is a saying, tír gan teanga, tír gan anam, a nation without a language, a nation without a soul. I think this reflects a core truth, that our language is not only a basic means of communication but an expression of how we relate to and perceive reality. In psychology we call this linguistic relativity*, the idea that language effects how we think about the world. What this means in practical terms is that to truly understand a culture you must understand the language of that culture. 
   More time went by and the subject of the Morrigan as a battle goddess came up, and specifically of her inciting battle. The section in the Cath Maige Tuired (CMT) where the Morrigan incites Lugh to rise up and overthrow Bres was mentioned and I realized that although a small initial portion was translated the majority was not. In fact significant portions of the Cath Maige Tuired have not been translated due to the difficulty of the text and possibly the subject matter in those sections**. I decided to try translating the passage myself and found that what it said was profoundly meaningful to my understanding of the Morrigan as a goddess and as a deity of war. Over time I started taking on the project of translating more sections of the CMT, because I believe that it is important to read the sections previously untranslated and think about what they say. I made the decision to share these attempts here, even though I am at best a base amateur, because I wanted to offer other people who have no Irish or Old Irish at all a chance to see alternatives to the common translations and possible versions of the untranslated sections. I truly believe these portions of text are worth the effort to understand, and I also realize not everyone can read them. 
   As an Irish polytheist there is much insight and truth to be gained from reading the old myths, but there is a catch, because the translations that are available are written through a very specific lens. That lens distorts and changes what it reflects in ways that we are often not aware of. Reading the original language gives us a more direct understanding of the story as it would have been understood originally, but then presents a new challenge of taking that and putting it into a new language without losing too much of the meaning. There is a certain masochism, spiritually driven, that drives me to do this, to keep seeking to understand the old stories and to translate them. And I want to share whatever I can of it, with anyone who may be interested.

* commonly known, somewhat inaccurately, as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
** what this means for us as Irish pagans is profound, as the CMT is a very important mythic text and we are in effect relying on translations that are at best piecemeal.
 

Copyright Morgan Daimler

A Look at the Names in the Tain Bo Regamna

""Why is it the woman who answers me?" said Cuchulain, "why was it not the man?" 

"It was not the man whom you addressed," said the woman.

 "Ay," said Cuchulain, "(I did address him), though thyself hath answered for him:" 

"h-Uar-gaeth-sceo-luachair-sceo is his name," said she. 

"Alas! his name is a wondrous one," said Cuchulain. "Let it be thyself who answers, since the man answers not. What is thine own name?" said Cuchulain. 

"The woman to whom thou speakest," said the man, "is Faebor-begbeoil-cuimdiuir-folt-scenbgairit-sceo-uath."

 "Do ye make a fool of me?" cried Cuchulain..."

   - Tain Bo Regamna, (Leahy, 1906). 

  This scene occurs in the Tain Bo Regamna after Cu Chulain confronts a woman whom he believes is stealing a cow from Ulster - she isn't, as it happens, but he doesn't know that, nor does he realize she is the Morrigan until much later in their conversation. He comes upon her, a fierce looking woman dressed in red with red hair riding in a chariot pulled by a one legged horse hitched by a pole that passes through it's body. She is leading a cow and accompanied by a man who speaks for her initially as she speaks for him, much to Cu Chulain's consternation.

  In the versions I have seen the names of the man and woman are not translated but are given in the Irish, however I was recently asked to translate them and found the experience quite enlightening so I decided to share what I found here.

"‘hÚargóeth sceo lúachuir sceo. . .ainm in fir sin’, olsí" (Stokes, 1887). 

 "Cold wind-conflict-brightness-strife is his name" she said

Let's break that down word by word and look at each individual meaning: 

Uar - cold, cool, bleak, unfriendly

gaeth - wise, wind, stream, estuary

sceo - strife, conflict, fierceness, and

luachair - marsh, brightness, brilliance

 Note that sceo can also be used as a copula so it's possible alternately to translate the name as "Cold wind-and-brightness-strife" or possibly as "Unfriendly stream-and-marsh-strife". Either way Cu Chulain finds the name "wondrous".

"‘In ben sin at-gládaither-su’, ol in fer, ‘fóebar begbéoil, coimdiúir, folt, scenbgairit, sceo úath hí a hainm’, olse" (Stokes, 1887)

"The woman who you are speaking to," said the man, "is Keen edged-small lipped-plain cloaked-hair-sharp shouting-fierceness-a phantom."

Let's look at each of these one at a time as well: 

 fáebar given here as fóebar - sharp edge, skillful with weapons - an epithet for javelins meaning keen edged

bec - small, little

beoil - bel - lips, mouth
= becbel, given here as begbeoil*, would therefore mean small lipped or little mouthed

cuim - coim - protection, cloak, cover, breast, waist

diuir - petty, mean, plain, ugly
= cuimdiuir as a compound of these two words is a bit tricky and may have several possible interpretations, however since the next immediate word is "folt" (hair) it is logical to look at a combination that makes sense in that context, in this case "plain cloaked" however petty protection or ugly breast and such are possible

folt - hair, locks, tresses

scenb - point, spike, thorn, sharp, prickly

garid - destroys or shouts, calls, laughs
= scenbgarid, given here as scenbgairit, sharp shouting, prickly laugh, thorny call, and so on

sceo - strife, conflict, fierceness, and

uath - spectre, phantom, horror, Hawthorn

  It's interesting to note that both names contain "sceo". Also the interpretation I've given has a certain continuity between the two names, although I will note that I have seen other people translate the woman's name in a way that emphasizes physical ugliness. I believe this version is more accurate and fitting with her nature however as it emphasizes physical prowess and battle. For those who honor or study the Morrigan at the very least this can be food for thought.

* I have seen an alternate version of this which gives it as beo beoil which would mean lively mouth or quick lips. I have also found a version where the words are divided differently - fóebar beo béoil, coim diúir, foltt sgeanb, gairitt sgeo úath  - giving something like "Keen-edged, lively mouthed, plain cloaked, thorn haired, strife shouting a phantom" I don't feel this offers a significant difference in meaning though, but wanted to mention it. 

References:
 Stokes, W (1887) Tain Bo Regamna
  Leahy, A., (1906). Heroic Romances of Ireland, volume II


Copyright Morgan Daimler

The Obligatory Pantheacon Post

 I attended my first Pantheacon this year, so here is the obligatory re-cap of my experience:
Day one - travel. Who'd have thought I actually enjoy airplanes? Airports however are a form of elaborate torture. I arrived in California and was hit with immediate culture shock - you can get alcohol everywhere and it feels like early summer, and this is so not Connecticut. It was great to travel with a good friend and reconnect with other friends I had made at the Morrigan Retreat last June. I also had fun setting up a communal altar in the hotel room I was sharing with these three friends.
    Horse omens started immediately. No really, in the airport and then everywhere afterwards, horses, horses, horses. I have witnesses! Also crows everywhere. I really should have understood where this would be going but I can be slow on the uptake.
  It was a great experience setting up the traveling altars in the hotel room with my roommates. Although I am very open minded about sharing space with people of other religious persuasions and approaches I must admit staying with other polytheists was nice because there was never any need to explain anything. We all understood that altars were needed, that offerings were required, and we all had the same basic respect for those spaces and things. The communal Morrigan altar was especially powerful as all four of us are devoted to her in different ways, and since there was another Odin's woman there as well he got his space and offerings without any issue as well. There were space for other Gods being honored as well, and several jokes about the number of altars and the amount of alcohol around the room but the overall feeling was friendly and pleasant. I also set up a small space for the land spirits and Fay, as it was important to me to try to connect to the local wights.
  Later on Thursday we went to the Doubletree, the hotel where the con actually takes place, and poked around a bit, met some people including a friend from an online group that I really enjoyed spending the weekend hanging out with (we dubbed her the unofficial mayor of P-con). And then jet-lag of doom set in. Later in the evening I met the Coru Cathobouda crew at their meet and greet event which I attended with the rest of the Tuatha De Morrigan contingent (my roommates at the hotel).

Day two - registered for the con. And so it begins. Today's theme was horse skulls. Everywhere.    
    I taught a Morrigan workshop in the ADF suite and it went so well I was asked to go back Sunday and do another. Met Lora O'Brien who is really wonderful and reconnected with some of my favorite ADF people. I can safely say the ADF hospitality suite is entirely full of awesome.
 I also was able to meet several other people I had previously only known on facebook which was great. I love putting a FB name to an actual face. I must admit even though I had been warned about the size of Pantheacon I wasn't prepared for the sheer scale of it. It was larger than anything I had ever been to by orders of magnitude and because of that I didn't end up seeing or doing nearly as much as I wold have liked to, although what I did see and do was amazing.
   I attended a class by Orion Foxwood where he talked a little bit about his Faery Seership approach and also his theory of the four types of witchcraft. He is a very engaging speaker and puts on an entertaining workshop. 

Day three - the horse skulls continue. Those of you who know my old LJ/yahoo group name will get the entertainment value of my being stalked by the Lair Bhan (although it was being called the Mari Lwyd here). I'll probably do a future blog post just on that topic, but suffice to say it became something of a running joke with the group I was with.
  Very early in the morning I went to a smashing class on the Irish sidhe by Lora O'Brien - if any of you ever have a chance to go to any of her classes, DO IT!
   Later that day we wandered in to relax a bit in the Sisters of Avalon suite, admire their artwork and connect with some great people who are helping with the Morrigan sacred sites pilgrimage I'm involved in next year*. Later we hung out with some Faery Seers and learned a bit about their approach - not my cuppa but always good to learn other ways. The hospitality suites were an interesting experience in themselves, and I have to admit I thought it was really fascinating to look at the approach each one took.
      There were some spiritual shenanigans on Saturday including making offerings on a rock in a small island of trees in the parking lot. Part of my personal experience as a polytheist and Reconstructionist is that you end up making a lot of offerings, and I was lucky enough to be bunking with other people who felt similarly although the actual lead up to making the offerings should probably be categorized as a misadventure.

Day four - very early Sunday morning I went to a class on working with skull spirits because at that point it felt like I needed to figure out what was going on with all the skulls I kept seeing. It was very interesting stuff (and the Mari Lwyd was discussed of course because at that point I was still being stalked by horse skulls). Went to a class about the Morrigan, Poetry, and Prophecy - interesting info on Irish poetics but there can't ever be enough rosc catha discussion for me.   smile emoticGot to have a good chat with Morpheus and Brennos Agrocunos over lunch with the Coru and Tuatha De Morrigan folks, sort of an east coast/west coast gnoshy thing.Went to Lora's Morrigan class which was amazing, even if there were a mad amount of people crammed into a little room for it (seriously should have been in a bigger room). 

  Lora O'Brien did a workshop on the Morrigan which was intriguing and had some great food for thought in it. Hearing her talk about her firsthand experiences with the Morrigan's sacred sites, especially Oweynagat, makes me even more eager to go visit them myself. She also had a guided meditation at the end of her workshop which I found very profound. 
 Later that day I taught my second workshop, "Morrigan 2.0" in the ADF suite - anyone else noticed a theme at P-con this year?  - and had a blast doing it. ADF Druids rock! The class went well and we ended up talking about a variety of things relating to Irish Gods and mythology with a bit of Boudicca thrown in. Afterwards I was as asked to invoke Macha at the ADF unity ritual Monday morning, as if I'd say no to that! 

 That night I was dragged up to a meet and greet in the Llewellyn suite. It was an interesting experience but by far the loudest hospitality suite which made conversation a bit difficult. I enjoyed meeting Jason and Ari Mankey though and seeing the new Llewellyn releases displayed around the room.

Day five - Up very early Monday morning for the ADF unity ritual, which went really well, even if my brain ceased functioning at this point. I think I was suffering from convention burn out. And as I was standing there getting ready to thank Macha at the end of the ritual I had a strong feeling that Herself wanted the thank you in Irish. I have no idea where I pulled the words from if not Her, because by that point my mind was pretty mushy, but the words came.
    Afterwards down in the lobby I had an awesome chat over coffee with Vyviane Armstrong, Lora O'Brien, and Stephanie Woodfield about the sacred sites tour that's being planned for next year which may be one of my favorite parts of the whole con, although its hard to pick any one favorite thing.
And then - the vendor room. Wow. Please take my money awesome pagan vendors. (And I got to meet Jen Delyth and talk about, what else?, the Mari Lwyd).

The less fun part was the Epic Quest Homeward which involved two airplanes, an overnight layover in Salt Lake City airport, and New England welcoming us back to her frigid arms with a snow storm.

That's the highlights anyway, I'm sure I'm leaving half of everything out. In short, met a ton of awesome people, the craic was mighty, and I had my priestess hat on, quite unexpectedly, the whole time. Because the Work never ends.

Since people seemed to really like it, here's the Macha invocation from the ADF ritual:
"Macha Mong-ruadh
Macha of the Red Hair
Great Queen, Mighty Lady,
Uniter of opposing forces
Who was queen by her own hand
and chose the king from the most deserving
You who brought unity
Where there had been opposition and strife
Be with us now."

The "thank you" (and anyone who can correct my Irish feel free to jump in, it was a spontaneous thing) was:
"Macha Mong-ruadh
Mór Ríoghain, Bean uasal,
go raibh maith agat as do bheannachtaí
imeann i síocháin
gach croí, do bhaile"
(Macha of the Red hair
Great Queen, noble woman,
Thank you for your blessings
Go in peace
Every heart, your home)


Copyright Morgan Daimler

Thoughts on The Morrigan, Service, and Diversity

    I read a blog the other day about the Morrigan and not proselytizing which I agree with, and there's really no need to re-hash here. But I mention it because a line in that blog stuck out to me: "spirituality is not a one size fits all concept."
  I think this is profoundly true and also something we all should give more thought to, not only in the general sense that each tradition won't be right for everyone - Gods know recon isn't everyone's cuppa - but also that even those who are dedicated to the same deity will find different expressions of that dedication. We each have our own niches within our service. Perhaps we can say that there are often themes within the things people who share a deity are drawn to, commonalities, but each of us finds our own expression. We are each filled with a different passion. Its easy to forget though that those who honor the same deity we honor do not necessarily share the calling that drives us.
   I have only rarely met other people dedicated to Macha, but I know many more generally dedicated to the Morrigan. I see the expression of the things that drive them and sometimes I nod in agreement and sometimes I shake my head or shrug. The things that they are so profoundly driven by may or may not be things that I understand or share. In the same way the things that drive me are not the things that drive them. I know many honorable Morrigan's peolpe who have taken up wonderful causes in Her name, including things like raising money to donate to charities like the Wounded Warrior Project. I admire that, but it is not my cause to carry forward.
     I have a deep concern for the welfare of children, especially infants and for the rights of parents to provide care. I'm a pretty outspoken against circumcision and strongly advocate breastfeeding rights*, for example. In fact the only social protest I've participated in was a "nurse-in" that came about after a woman was asked to stop nursing at a local restaurant. I have helped with fundraisers in my area to donate to the local women's shelter and to food pantries. I don't tie those things directly into my dedication to Macha, but I certainly have come to feel over the years that She is a deity who is very much about justice for women and children**. When I think of serving Macha I can't help but think as well of speaking up in defense of the helpless, especially children, and of defending mother's rights. I feel like that's part of my personal calling. But I have to remind myself that just because these things matter to me doesn't mean they matter to others, not even other people who serve Her. It would be unfair of me to judge others for not sharing in the drive I feel to fight for these things. Instead I try to see and appreciate the things they do want to fight for.
     Some of us are called to write and teach while others sing, or dance, or live quiet lives of devotion. Some of us feel very passionate about a cause, others don't. We are a diverse group, a wide array of people from different walks of life and places - in every sense - who all seek to honor the Morrigan. As tempting as it can be to want to measure everyone by our own standard, we need to let go of the idea of expecting everybody to be like us, to share our goals and ideals. Our service takes many different forms, and we should strive to appreciate the service offered by others, as much as we work at doing the best on our own path.

* every woman must feed her child in the way that is best for them, and I do not judge what way that is, but I am a strong proponent for the right of anyone to feed a child anywhere at any time, and in the support of a person's legal right's to nurse uncovered in public.
** This has grown out of my contemplation of her cursing the men of Ulster, although I do realize that story has a lot of other layers as well


Copyright Morgan Daimler

Excerpt from "Celebrating Imbolc with the Family" in Air n-Aithesc volume 1 issue 1

   Of the four Irish fire festivals Imbolc is the most family oriented, although it does also have wider community aspects. Celebrating Imbolc as a modern Irish polytheist, or indeed any Celtic polytheist drawn to this holiday, is an opportunity to involve the entire family, especially children, in the traditions. While we don’t have any surviving information about the ancient ways that this day was celebrated we do have a plethora of native traditions to draw on, with the role of saint Brigit and the pagan Goddess Brighid often blurred and easily shifted fully into paganism. With some slight alteration all of these traditions can be celebrated by any pagan family to honor Imbolc and the holiday’s main deity, Brighid.

A basic overview of the Irish traditions, most of which were actively practiced into the last century, is helpful in giving the reader both an understanding of the holiday and of ways that it can be adapted for modern family practice. There were often regional variations in practice and even in the tone of the celebrations, from solemn to comical, which created a wide array of different traditions associated with this holiday (Danaher, 1972). For the purposes of modern celebration by a pagan household it would be best to focus on specific traditions and choose one tone for the festival, rather than trying to include everything noted here.

    Generally it was the daughters of the household who played the main roles, although the mother might also be called to do so if there were no daughters. This is in contrast to other traditions which place the father as the main actor in any rituals, divination, or prayers, and establish the more domestic tone of Imbolc. The prominence of women and daughters also demonstrates the importance placed on Brighid at this holiday, with the women and girls often being the main intercessors between Brighid and the family in the ritual enacted or playing the role of Brighid herself. Imbolc also places a strong emphasis on children’s participation that is lacking at other holidays which tend to have a more adult tone.

    Weaving new Brighid’s crosses – symbols of protection, health, and blessing – was an important Imbolc tradition in many places. One ritual that was enacted in Connaught, Sligo, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon, and Ulster before the Brighid’s crosses were woven for the new year on the eve of the festival was for the eldest daughter to take the part of Brighid and wait outside carrying the material for the project (Danaher, 1972). She would then knock three times, proclaiming herself to be Brighid requesting entrance; she is warmly welcomed in and the family sits down to dinner with an elaborate blessing prayer (Danaher, 1972).  The meal often prominently featured dairy products, and if the family was wealthy might also include fresh mutton (Danaher, 1972). After eating the meal the family would sit and weave the new crosses, with the largest sprinkled with water and hung up on the wall until the next Imbolc (Danaher, 1972). In parts of Leitrim there was also a children’s practice to use a small rectangle of wood and with potato paste attach peeled rushes in shapes symbolizing the moon, sun, and stars which would be hung up alongside the woven crosses (Danaher, 1972).

    Another tradition was to create an effigy or doll, called a brideog (little Brighid), representing Brighid. The Brideog might be made of straw from the last sheaf of the harvest, leftover rushes from weaving the crosses, a re-purposed child’s doll, or the dash from the butter churn. The effigy would be decorated with a white dress and mask or carved turnip, and might be comical, grotesque, or beautiful in appearance (Danaher, 1972). In some parts of Ireland the Brideog was carefully and elaborately decorated with shells, crystals, and other natural adornments (Carmichael, 1900). In some places, including Ulster, Connaught, Leinstir and Munster, the children would process from house to house carrying the brideog and pronouncing Brighid’s blessing on each home (Danaher, 1972). At each home the people give gifts to the effigy, and the mother of the household gives food to the children in the procession, usually cheese, butter, or bread; this food would later be used by the children for a feast of their own (Carmichael, 1900). In other areas including Cork, Clare, Galway, Mayo, and Kildare a brideog might not be used but rather the unmarried girls would form the procession with one of their number chosen to represent Brighid (Danaher, 1972). In Ulster it was said that the chosen girl wore a crown of rushes, called a crothán Brighite, and carried a shield (sgaith Bhrighite) on her arm; she carried Brighid’s crosses to hand out telling each household that it was the sword of Brighid (Danaher, 1972). In other areas the procession might collect food from each house, and in some cases might be comprised entirely of men or boys who would play music at each house (Danaher, 1972). In these cases the procession was often referred to as ‘Biddy Boys’ (EstynEvans, 1957).

In those homes that used an effigy as a Brideog a small bed would be prepared, made of rushes or of birch twigs, on the eve of Imbolc (Estyn Evans, 1957). In some cases the older women in the home would prepare or shape a small cradle, the leaba Bride or bed of Brighid, for the effigy to sleep in (Carmichael, 1900). In this tradition the effigy is made with great care and a ritual is enacted, much like the one mentioned earlier with the reeds for the crosses, where the effigy is taken outside and invited in. In one tradition the women of the house prepare everything and then one goes and stands in the open door, bracing on the door jambs, and loudly invites Brighid in three times, telling her that her bed is ready (Carmichael, 1900). The brideog is placed in the bed with a small wand, the slat Brighid, which may be made of birch, hazel, willow or another white wood (Carmichael, 1900).  

   

  Read more in Issue one 2014 of Air n-Aithesc 

 

A Prayer to an Cailleach During Storms

Cailleach, Lady of Winter,
Winter of hard snow,
Snow driven by wind
Wind roaring, fierce,
Fierce Hag, I pray to you
You, who can be gentle
Be gentle to my home
My home and my family
My family and little children
Children who offer to you
You, Cailleach of Winter,
Winter hard and cold
Cold kept back by warmth
Warmth that we share
Share what we have with you
You, who can be gentle
Be gentle with those
Those who offer in your storm
May your storm pass us by
pass us by unharmed

The Morrigan and Plans for 2015

   I'm sure many of you would rather see more translation here, and don't worry I'll get some more done soon. I'm working on a new manuscript at the moment which is taking up some time, but hopefully next week I'll get to some of the other fun untranslated bits of the Cath Maige Tuired...
  I dreamed last night of the Morrigan, and this morning I was asked to do a workshop about her (them) next month so I thought it might be good to offer a short blog today just outlining some of this year's plans, where I'll be and what I'll be doing.
  I'm going to Pantheacon next month which is a very exciting first for me. I'll get to meet a lot of awesome people and spend time with some friends, including Stephanie Woodfield who is dragging me out there with her (I haven't been on a plane since I was 10 years old). It will be an adventure. While I'm at the con I'm going to be doing an informal workshop in the ADF hospitality suite, on Friday at 4, about the Morrigan in different myths. I'm really looking forward to it and think it will be a lot of fun, and I'm honored to have been asked to do it. So if you happen to be at Pantheacon and in the mood to hang with some Druids and talk Morrigan, come check it out.
  In June I'll be at the second annual Morrigan's Call Retreat teaching a workshop or two and helping with rituals. Last year was amazing and I'm sure this year will be even better. We have Jhenah Telyndru from the sisterhood of Avalon as a speaker and Mama Gina as a musical guest, as well as the usual suspects and some new faces.
   At the end of October I'll be participating in Seeking the Great Queens: a Sacred Sites Tour in Ireland. It is a sacred sites tour focusing on sites associated with the Morrigan and her mythology and includes celebrating Samhain at Tlachtga. There will be workshops, discussions, and rituals, and I have no doubt it will be a once in a lifetime experience.
   It's going to be a busy year, and very Morrigan-focused, but I'm excited about it.

Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015

  Last year was a very busy one for me. I had four books published - Fairy Witchcraft and Pagan Portals: the Morrigan through Moon Books and the first two in my urban fantasy series Murder Between the Worlds and Lost in Mist and Shadow (self published); I also had pieces in three anthologies this year. I wrote for the blog as well as guest blogging on Raise the Horns, and writing articles for journals and e-zines, including one for Goddess Pages on the Morrigan. I taught at ADF's Wellspring, at the Morrigan's Call retreat, CT Pagan Pride Day and the Changing Times, Changing Worlds convention. And I had the always fun experience of being a guest on the podshow the New Normal as well as appearing on another podcast, Main Street Universe, where I talked about Fairies. I ventured into the new and interesting world of translating older Irish manuscript material, which I've really been enjoying (and look for more of that soon). And of course in between all those shenanigans was Real Life with children and grocery shopping and bills.
   Now we are heading into to 2015. I had genuinely intended to make this year a quiet one, but it doesn't look like that is meant to be. My next novel, the third in my urban fantasy series, is coming out at the end of this month, and I have a piece I am writing for another anthology. I have several other book projects in the works as well as articles coming out in the next issues of Air n-Aithesc, Pagan Dawn, and Goddess Alive. I'm attending Pantheacon for the first time this year, and am already scheduled to teach workshops at a spiritualist church, at the second Morrigan Calls retreat, as well as on a Morrigan Sacred Sites tour of Ireland, and tentatively at CWPN's Harvest Gathering.
  I do plan to keep up with the blog, including continuing with my translation efforts. Hopefully I will be back to my regular blogging schedule now, but I wanted everyone to understand that as my non-blog writing has increased - and as real life demands have taken a lot of my attention - it has gotten harder to give the blog the attention I want. I'd rather not write at all than write when I don't have time to cite sources and give it the quality it deserves.
  As we move into the new year my goal here, for the blog, is to find a balance between more academic entries and more experiential entries. And to get back on my twice-a-week schedule. So happy new year to you all, and stay tuned. 

tolerance and acceptance

  Last weekend I attended the Changing Times, Changing Worlds conference, an annual regional conference on metaphysics in the northeast United States. I've done workshops at the conference 4 out of the 5 years its run and I really enjoy attending. This year was no exception, with many good workshops and panels as well as excellent conversations with both attendees and other presenters.

   One of the most interesting panels I saw was "When is it okay to tell someone they are wrong?". The five panelists discussed various scenarios within the pagan community where someone was either publicly lying or falsely claiming things, such as experience or titles, and how they might each deal with the situation. I was surprised by the number of responses that advocated kind private interventions and mentoring to handle people making such claims. There was also a strong emphasis on accepting that wrong didn't include different, and that we as a community needed to be more open and accepting of varieties within traditions and practices. In other words there is no one correct Wicca, no one true witchcraft, no exact Reconstruction, so it is foolish to have so-called witch wars over differences in approach and method. I found that while I didn't agree entirely with everything that was said I did walk away with a lot to consider.
   One of the nuances that I think is consistently missed in the wider community is the difference between tolerance and acceptance. Tolerance is simply being able to allow or endure the existence of something, including things we don't like and things we disagree with. I can tolerate a lot within the community because I do not expect everyone to practice, believe, and act the way I do. Acceptance on the other hand is agreeing that something is good or suitable. There are many, many things in the pagan community that I do not particularly accept. I do not accept them as either good or suitable beliefs or practices and given a chance I'll usually expound on why. However - and herein lies the crux - I can tolerate what I do not accept. More importantly I should and must tolerate what I don't accept because it is pure ego to think that every single pagan - or even every Irish recon - would or should think and do exactly as I think and do. And I fully expect others to tolerate my practices and beliefs which they do not accept.
   So then, if I am tolerating that which I don't accept when is it okay to tell someone they are wrong? Well, my short answer is usually always, at least in the sense that I think we should all be open to questioning and criticism of what we do. I don't see anything wrong with telling someone I disagree with them, nor I do think that voicing disagreement must always be condemnation or attack. It is entirely possible to say "I don't agree with doing that" in a civil manner.
     I do also think that as a wider community we do need to be willing to speak up about the things that matter, the big things like abuse and fraud, without feeling constrained by a false propriety. This idea that we don't want to rock the boat or be confrontational seems to be so misapplied to me, when we can have huge intergroup issues over someone blowing candles out instead of snuffing them but no one wants to accuse another person of an actual serious crime when they should. That kind of behavior we should never tolerate, and yet we do while simultaneously refusing to accept minor theological differences between traditions that shouldn't even be a concern. I mean why should I care that a group I don't belong to does something I find silly or pointless, or even offensive? Whereas I should obviously care if another group is hurting children or stealing money from people.
    When should we tell other people they are wrong? When they are publicly putting something out that opens up a discussion; when they are making statements of fact; when they are speaking as any kind of authority - then I think we should speak if what is being said is objectively wrong. When it is a question of personal belief and ideas, then it is less telling someone they are wrong and more about engaging in conversations and dialogue and expressing an alternate viewpoint. I'm sure there are many valid reasons for silence as well, especially when its wiser or more strategic not to speak, but I think there is too much of that in many areas. We argue over inconsequential things, but we stay silent over what really matters.
   Accept what you agree with; tolerate what does no harm and doesn't affect you; speak your truth

Dating the Holidays

    Probably the single most consistent debate you can count on seeing in the Celtic Pagan community is about the dating of the four Fire Festivals. Like all such debates each side tends to hold its own view quite passionately. There are three main arguments: the dates of the celebrations were set astronomically; the dates were set using a calendar; the dates were based on agricultural signs. Each side has merit, but the truth is there is not enough solid evidence to ever know with certainty how the ancients timed their celebrations. 

    The astrology argument is based on setting the dates exactly midway between the solstices and equinoxes. This usually puts them roughly six weeks after the previous holiday and six weeks before the next one. In some cases people suggest using a specific marker such as a constellation being at a certain point in the sky or a sign of the zodiac at a certain degree. The ancient stone circles and mounds which are aligned with certain times are also used, so that when the light of the sun hits a certain point or illuminates the interior of the mound it would indicate that the holiday should be celebrated. This argument naturally hinges on two premises: that the ancients celebrated the solar holidays as well, and that they were aware of the alignments of the ancient neolithic monuments. There is also a related argument that uses lunar dating, based from what I have seen on the second full moon after the solar event*.

    The calendar argument dates the celebration on the first day of the respective months they occur on: February, May, August, and November. We have references in the mythology dating back to the 11th century of Lughnasa, Bealtaine, and Samhain being on the 'kalends' (first day) of those months and we know historically they were celebrated on those days in folk practice. This is somewhat complicated by the fact that the calendar system switched from the Julian to the Gregorian and when that occurred the dates shifted. When the calendar shift occurred in the UK in 1752 it moved everything back 11 days, meaning what was the first of November is now the 12th. Even a hundred years ago in several areas people were still celebrating Imbolc and Lughnasa in particular on the 12th of February and August respectively because they were using the old dating. What this means in practice is that when we see older references to the days being celebrated on the first we need to understand that they are equivalent for us today to the 12th of that same month. Someone who wanted to use the calendar dates could, I think, choose to either go by the first of the month still or use the older dating and celebrate on the 12th. 

   The final method of dating the celebration of the holiday is based on observation of agricultural markers and the idea that each holiday is agrarian at heart and depends on certain conditions being met. Imbolc is a celebration of the return of fresh milk and would be celebrated when the lambs were born or the sheep came into milk. Bealtaine is the beginning of summer, a time when the herds are moved to summer pastures, and would have been celebrated when the people were confident winter had passed; this is often said to be marked by the blooming of the Hawthorn and indeed many Bealtaine traditions require flowers. Lughnasa was the beginning of the harvest - nothing could be harvested before the proper time by longstanding tradition - and of the harvest fairs, and would have been celebrated when the grain crops were ready to be gathered. Samhain was the beginning of winter, when the herds were brought back in from the summer pastures and extra stock was butchered. It also marked the end of the harvest and gathering anything after Samhain was prohibited as everything left belonged to the daoine sidhe. Many people say that Samhain would have been celebrated after the first hard frost; there is a certain logic to this as frost would ruin any crops left in the fields**.  This method of dating is the least rigid and most changeable of the three, and also can prove difficult for people who are far removed from the farming cycle.

   Each of these approaches has merit, and each has problems. No one is a perfect solution or can be proven beyond question to be the historical method. It is up to individuals to decide which method they prefer and learn how best to apply it within their own practice. 

*there may well be variations of this

**different crops have various tolerances to frost, and this is somewhat dependent on the severity and length of the frost as well, however it seems safe to say that our ancestors would be highly motivated to get all the crops in by the time they started seeing frost and would consider frost a sign of the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter.