CLCS 233S17 TEST 2 REVIEW

CELTS

European Celtic Culture FEATURES • relative absence of political centralization • lack of urbanization • writing not acquired until Christian evangelization (> ca. 250 CE) EVIDENCE • archaeological • accounts by Greek and Roman authors • Irish and Welsh mythological texts

Continental Celts archaeological • social stratification (warrior aristocracy) • loose tribal culture; lack of political centralization • absence of permanent shrines/altars • cult of warfare (fortifications, weapons) • ritual violence (head-hunting, human sacrifice) • local male deities • pan-tribal female deities 3rd-party accounts • demonization • assimilation (interpretatio Romana) Irish myths • preserved by monks from 11th century onward

Celtic Themes Religious animism theriomorphism transmigration head-hunting human sacrifice druidism Mythic triplism local (solar) male deities pan-tribal female deities cauldrons

druid • tasked with maintenance of tradition, religious rites, divination, law, poetry, education • belief in natural magic, reincarnation, transmigration

Continental Celtic Male Deities Teutates “God of Folk” drowning Taranis “Thunderer” immolation Esus “Master” hanging

sídhe • sídhe subterranean or aquatic • Tir na nOg (Land of Youth) / Mag Mell (Meadow of Joy) • located at bottom of lakes or wells, or on distant islands • land of continual regeneration • feasting of the gods • music, board games, horse racing • cauldron of inextinguishable red ale • cauldron of inextinguishable pork • opening of sídhe at regular times of year • humans lured into sídhe return unchanged years later

Celtic Calendar Samhain 1 November • lighting of winter fires • gates of sídh open • disappearances and deaths • sex between giant and goddess Imbolc 1 February FORGET IMBOLC • ewes come into milk • Brigit fire-goddess FORGET IMBOLC • Christian St. Brigid’s Day Beltaine 1 May • beginning of planting season • return of lost individuals • weddings Lugnasadh 1 August • summer harvest • markets • horse-racing

Lebhor Gabala Erenn (Book of the Takings of Ireland) • 12th century compilation • aims: (a) preserve traditional Irish foundation myths (b) synchronize Irish and Christian myths (c) provide Irish myths with Biblical authority • migration myth • divine/destined migration • narrative of invader • encounter with indigenous Other

Waves of Invaders 1. Cesair 2. Partholón (Bartholomew) 3. Nemed 4. Fir Bholg (“Men of the Bag”? “Belgians”?) 5. Tuatha Dé Danann (“People of the Goddess Danu”) 6. Sons of Mil Espaine (“Soldier of Spain”) (Milesians)

Lebhor Gabala Erenn IMPORTANT DETAILS IN RED 1 Cesair • all die in Biblical Flood except Fintan, who survives for the next 5500 years in a variety of animal shapes 2 Partholón • clear plains, divide Ireland into 4 parts, establish agriculture, law, cauldron-making, ale-brewing, hospitality, fosterage 3 Nemed • clear plains and form lakes • defeated by Fomoire and subjected to tribute of corn, milk, and children 4 Fir Bholg • sacral kingship: reign of Eochaid mac Eirc = "golden age”

Fomoire / Fomorians • < fo [under] + mor [phantom] / muir [sea]? • malevolent beings • misshapen: goat- and horse-headed • one eye, one hand, one foot/leg • gigantic / elvish • plague and famine • control of agricultural fertility

glám dícenn • < glám [satire] + díchen [destroy] • uttered while standing on one leg, one arm behind back, one eye shut • blisters face of victim, causes withering

Lebhor Gabala Erenn 5 Tuatha Dé Danann • arrival on Beltaine • four talismans: Lia Fáil (Stone of Destiny), Sword of Nuadu, Gáe Assail (Spear of Assail), Cauldron of Dagda • defeat of Fir Bholg • maiming of King Nuadu forces abdication; succeeded by King Bres • revolt of Tuatha; Bres cursed; Lugh defeats Balor in 2nd Battle of Mag Tuired • Bres spared death after teaching times for plowing

Lebhor Gabala Erenn 6 Milesians • defeat of Tuatha • poet Amairgin receives authority from triple goddesses of Ireland (Ériu, Banba, Fodla) • division of Ireland into upper and lower: Milesians rule upper world; Tuatha rule Other-world, below ground in síde

Euhemerism : theory that myths are originally accounts of historical figures and events that over the course of time become inflated, with the result that originally human beings are represented as deities Reverse Euhemerism : process by which mythic/religious accounts become deliberately historicized, with the result that originally divine beings are represented as human

Celtic Social Classes CLASS DEITY ATTRIBUTE king/priest Nuadu Airgetlam (“silver arm”) lia fáil and sword warrior Lugh Lamfhada (“long arm”) gae assail producer The Dagda (“good god”) cauldron

The Dagda (“Good God,” “God of Goods”) • potbelly, horsehair boots, short tunic, exposed rump • club kills 9 with one end, resurrects 9 at other • cauldron inexhaustibly full of stewed pork • emerges from sídh at Samhain for hieros gamos

Mercury ~ Lugus = Lugh CONTINENTAL OLD IRISH Lugus Lugh

Machas 1 : Macha (“Meadow”) gives birth (and name) to Emain Macha (“Twins of Macha”); inflicts noínden on men of Ulaid Macha Macha Badb Nemain Mórrígan Badb Mórrígan

Machas 2 : Badb (“Crow”) Machas 2 Badb black crow of battle eel, wolf, red crow ----------------------------------------------------------- pregnant hag (cailleach) young bride (be find) with red ale of kingship Macha Macha Badb Nemain Mórrígan Badb Mórrígan

Machas 2 : Badb (“Crow”) Machas 2 Badb black crow of battle eel, wolf, red crow ----------------------------------------------------------- pregnant hag (cailleach) young bride (be find) with red ale of kingship cailleach (“Veiled One”) • approaches young king-to-be for sex • transforms into be find (beautiful woman) after sex • confers kingship (flaith) with gold cup of red ale (laith) • Sovereignty Goddess

Machas 3: Mórrígan (“Great Queen,” “Nightmare Queen”) Nemain ------------- Badb magically causes battlefield panic ---------------------------------------- eel, wolf, crow perches above the dead or dying pregnant hag (cailleach) young bride (be find) mates with Dagda at Samhain Washer at Ford (bean nighe )

The Washer at the Ford (bean nighe / bean sídh /) • spirit of woman who died in childbirth • ugly hag • washes grave-clothes/armor of those about to die • bean sídh (“woman from the sídh”)  banshee • prophesies upcoming deaths

Sheela-na-gig • =“old cunt hag”? • territorial / war / sovereignty / fertility / sexuality goddess ? • positioning over doorways and other entrances

Myth of Étain

Triangles in Étaín (NOTE: highlighted details important; others not.) YOUNG LOVER SPOUSE YOUNG WOMAN COMMENT T1 Echu Ollathir (=Dagda) Elcmar Boand 9 months = 1 day T2 Oengus mac Oc Bruig na Boinde 1 day = eternity T3 Mider Fuamnach Étaín E. = butterfly T4 E. rescued T5 Aillil Angubae (=Mider) Echu Airem E. reborn 1012 years later; 1000 years pass T6 E. = swan T7 Étaín 1 (mother) E. = 2 (and 3) T8 ??? Eterscélae Étaín 3 Mes (child)

Transformations of Étaín wife/mother Étaín 2 (Étaín Óg) young pregnant woman Étaín 3 (Étaín Mes) child, fosterling

EPISODE 1 EPISODE 2 Pwyll violates custom (his dogs steal catch of otherworldly dogs) Pwyll encounters otherworldly male (Arawn) at end of summer Pwyll encounters otherworldly female (Rhiannon) on Mayday Arawn seeks Pwyll's aid against rival Hafgan ("Summer White") Rhainnon seeks Pwyll's aid against marriage to Gwawl Pwyll travels to (otherworldly) kingdom of Arawn Pwyll travels to (otherworldly) kingdom of Heveyyd (“Summer Old”) on Mayday Pwyll stupidly offers Rhiannon to Gwawl Pwyll kills Hafgan with a single blow one year later One year later, Pwyll beats Gwawl in a game of "badger in the bag” Pwyll marries Rhiannon on Mayday Pwyll returns to Dyfed Pwyll = Arawn

EPISODE 3 Infant Pryderi is mysteriously abducted one day after birth (Mayday) Teyrnon Twrf Liant's mare foals every Mayday, but the colt disappears Rhiannon is falsely accused of infanticide Rhiannon is punished by treatment as horse for seven years Teyrnon attacks clawed creature (=boar?= badger?) as it attempts to steal colt Teyrnon discovers abandoned child Teyrnon and wife raise child as Gwri Golden Hair; child is given colt Pryderi is returned to Pwyll and Rhiannon Rhiannon is acquitted Households of Pwyll and Teyrnon are united Pwyll = Teyrnon Teyrnon = Pwyll

Tale of Mabon Mabon, son of Modrun, born Beltaine infant Pryderi, Teyrnon’s colt born Mayday Mabon disappears 3 days after birth Pryderi and colt disappear 3 days later hero seeks Mabon to help capture a boar hero finds aged Mabon in fortress Mabon captures boar on Samhain Teyrnon fights boar (badger?) Mabon gives hero boar’s comb hero marries woman on Beltaine hero = Mabon?

Cú Chulainn Pattern BIRTH Mixed Status (b) Deichtine swallows homunculus (=Lugh?) while drinking water before marrying Sualtam. She crushes fetus. Sualtam impregnates her, and she gives birth to Sétanta

Cú Chulainn Pattern CHILDHOOD Signs of Election appearance defeat of 50 Ulaid boys at hurley onset of riastrad defeat of hound of Culann defeat of sons of Nectan Scéne  attack on Emain Macha averted by nudity immersion in three vats of water

Cú Chulainn Pattern DEPARTURE Exploits beheading contest with giant bachlach murder of son Connla journey to Otherworld single-handedly defends Ulaid against army from Connacht defeat of one-eyed giant Goll mac Carbada defeat of Cailitin and 27 children

gessa Cú Chulainn Connla stop all trespass refuse no hospitality eat no dog meat yield to no one refuse no combat conceal name

Synopsis of Táin (1) Conchobar mac Nessa becomes king of Ulaid. (2) Crunniuc boasts that even though pregnant, his wife Macha can outrun Conchobor's horses. (3) She wins, but then dies as she delivers twins and the curse of the noínden. (4) Cú Chulainn born. (5) Cú Chulainn trained by Scáthach. (6) Cú Chulainn kills his own son Connla. (7) Queen Medb of Connaught invades Ulaid to steal the finest bull in Ireland. (8) The Ulaid men are stricken with the noínden. (9) Cú Chulainn single-handedly defends Ulaid against Connaught’s best men. (10) Cú Chulainn fights and kills his foster-brother Ferdiad. (11) Cú Chulainn successfully beats back army of Connaught.

Death of Ferdiad (1) Ferdiad and Cú Chulainn evenly matched: Ferdiad covered with impenetrable bone armor/skin; Cú Chulainn armed with gae Bolga, which pierces everything. (2) Ferdiad shamed into fighting Cú Chulainn, and vice-versa. (3) Ferdiad and Cú Chulainn fight chivalrous duels on three days. (4) Cú Chulainn kills Ferdiad with gae Bolga.

Death of Cú Chulainn (1) Cú Chulainn kills Fomoire Cailitin (2) Wife of Cailitin bears 3 daughters and 3 sons. (3) Medb mutilates children and trains them in druidic magic. (4) 3 hags offer Cú Chulainn meal of dog meat; hand that touches it withers. (5) Lugaid mac con Roí tricks Cú Chulainn into giving up his weapons. (6) Lugaid mac con Roí beheads Cú Chulainn to avenge death of Cú Roi. (7) Conall Cernach beheads Lugaid mac con Roí to avenge death of Cú Chulainn.