| “Once burst, the Well of Segais could not be retained. Its waters gushed out in great torrents and rushed across the land to empty at last in the sea. Though the sides of the well can no longer be found, you can still see the waters as they sweep across Ireland in the River Boyne named after the Goddess Boand. The first stretch of water is still called Segais and flows from Carbery Hill to this day, to enter into the Boyne River and flow to the eastern sea. “As to Boand, she lived on to give birth to Oengas Mac Oc, the Handsome God of Letters; Fand of perfect form and face, the Goddess of Poetry and Brigit the Goddess of the Hearth, and she herself, still lives today. Someday, if you ever get the chance to walk the shores along the River Boyne after the fall of night, listen closely for her laughter in the lapping water, sniff the air for the hazel scent of her and watch closely for her cloaked form. Just perhaps, if you have the true luck of the Irish, you will feel the brush of her hair against your cheek as she glides by on her appointed rounds along the River of Knowledge that was her gift to Ireland.” (41) In this last myth we read about crimson hazelnuts, gifted with knowledge, which were eaten readily by salmon who became the salmon of knowledge. Boand was not supposed to approach the well without Nechtain, but she did anyways and ended up with one eye for the trouble of gaining knowledge. Towards the end we see the use of the term “luck of the Irish” associated with this myth. The “luck” is the good fortune brought to those who seek knowledge and wisdom. This is also the reason for the clover and horseshoe, which we find on Christmas cards along with A. muscaria mushrooms from the early 1900’s. In this next poem, titled Connla’s Well, we read again about the “magical hazel tree” dropping “berry fruit” to the blessed. Connla’s Well A cabin on the mountain-side hid in a grassy nook, With door and window open wide, where friendly stars may look, The rabbit shy can patter in, the winds may enter free— Who throng around the mountain throne in living ecstasy. And when the sun sets dimmed in eve, and purple fills the air, I think the sacred hazel-tree is dropping berries there, From starry fruitage waved aloft where Connla's well o'er-flows; For, sure, the immortal waters run through every wind that blows. I think, when night towers up aloft and shakes the trembling dew, How every high and lonely thought that thrills my spirit through Is but a shining berry dropped down through the purple air, And from the magic tree of life the fruit falls everywhere. (42) |
The rest of the story is not featured in this particular poem but a quote from Douglas Hyde, in a Literary History of Ireland, reveals the rest: “… hazelnuts drop off the tree into the well and create red shining bubbles. The salmon at the sound of the falling nuts darted forward to eat them and afterwards made their way down the river, their lower side covered with beautiful crimson spots from the effect of the crimson nuts. Whoever could catch and eat these salmon were in their turn filled with knowledge of literature and art, for the power of nuts had to some extent passed into the fish that eat them. These were the salmon of knowledge frequently alluded to by poets.” (43) Magic Cauldrons Ceridwen was a Welsh goddess, whose animal was the wolf and whose sacred object was the “Cauldron of Transformation” or “Poetic Inspiration.” She is a Celtic goddess of rebirth, transformation and inspiration. Her arrival in Britain occurred between 2500 and 2000 BC. (44) The “Cauldron of Revonation” in Irish and some of the Welsh Mabinogion mythology, relates to the god of healing Dian Cecht. He was the father of Cu, Cethen and Cian. (45) Through Cian, he is also Lugh's paternal grandfather. The Cauldron is mentioned in the story of Branwen: “The Irish kindled a fire under the cauldron of renovation until it was full, and the next day they came forth fighting-men as good as before, except that they were not able to speak.” (46) It was equivalent to the Cauldron of Dagda in Irish mythologies. It was one of the four mysterious “Treasures of Eirean” brought by the Tuatha de danann when they came to Ireland and consisted of Nuada’s Sword of Light, Lugh’s Spear, the Lia Fail, and Dagda’s Cauldron. In the tale of Taliesin, there is another cauldron, this time one of “Inspiration and Science.” Here is an extract quote from the tale of Taliesin: “So, she (Caridwen) resolved, according to the arts of the books of the Fferyllt, to boil a cauldron of Inspiration and Science for her son, that his reception might be honourable because of his knowledge of the mysteries of the future state of the world. Then she began to boil the cauldron, which from the beginning of its boiling might not cease to boil for a year and a day, until three blessed drops were obtained of the grace of Inspiration. … And she herself, according to the books of the astronomers, and in planetary hours, gathered every day of all charm-bearing herbs. And one day, towards the end of the year, as Caridwen was culling plants and making incantations, it chanced that three drops of the charmed liquor flew out of the cauldron and fell upon the finger of Gwion Bach. And by reason of their great heat he put his finger to his mouth, and the instant he put those marvel-working drops into his mouth, he foresaw everything that was to come…” (41) https://www.deborahcourt.com/fun-stuff/celtic-mythology/ (42) Irish Literature, Vol. 8 by Justin McCarthy, et. al. (1904) (43) A Literary History of Ireland, Douglas Hyde, 1980 (44) White Goddess, p. 222 (45) Reidling, Kisma (3 November 2004). Faery-Faith Traditional Wisdom. Irish Cosmology & Faery Glamoury. AuthorHouse (46) Healing Gods, p. 510; Mabinogion Branwen Daughter of Llyr |