1. CLCS 233S17 TEST 2 REVIEW

2. CELTS

4. 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

5. 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

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

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

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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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)

13. Lebhor Gabala Erenn IMPORTANT DETAILS IN RED1
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”

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. Mercury ~ Lugus = Lugh
CONTINENTAL
OLD IRISH
Lugus
Lugh

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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 )

26. 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

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

28. Myth of Étain

29. 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)

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

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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?

34. 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

35. 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

36. 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

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

38. 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.

39. 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.

40. 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.