Pagan Ireland | How the Ancient Irish Lived as Pagans

[Music] the story of ancient irish civilization by p.w joyce chapter 4 how the ancient irish lived as pagans when ireland was pagan the people were taught their religions such as it was by druids these druids were the only learned men of the time and they had in their hands all the learned professions they were not only druids but judges prophets poets and even physicians they were the only teachers and they were employed to instruct the sons and daughters of kings and chiefs in whatever learning was then known they were also advisors to kings and people on all important occasions so they were as we can well understand held in high estimation and had great influence they had the reputation of being mighty magicians and could do many wonderful things as our romantic stories tell and as the people firmly believed they could raise a druidical or magic fog which hid things from view or bring on darkness in the day like the blackest night they could bring down showers of fire or blood cause a snowfall even in summer till the ground was covered half a yard deep and bring on storms and tempests on sea or land they could drive a man mad by their sorcery a power which was dreaded most of all by the people in general for this purpose the druid prepared what was called a mad man's wisp that is a little wisp of straw or grass into which he pronounced some foul beautiful verses and watching his opportunity he flung it into the face of the poor victim who straight away became a madman or what was just as bad and idiot all beyond cure many other instances of the power of their spells are related in old irish tales they were often employed in divination that is foretelling the future sometimes they forecast it by observing the clouds or the stars sometimes by means of a rod of you with ogum letters cut into it often by interpreting dreams or from sneezing or by the voices of birds especially the croaking of the raven or by the chirping of the wren by some or all of these means they profess to be able to tell the issue of a coming battle or whether a man's life was to be long or short and what were the lucky or unlucky days for beginning any work or for undertaking any enterprise besides many other matters lying in the future the greeks and romans of old had as we know their augers or soothsayers who forecasted the future like our druids and by much the same observations signs and tokens we must not judge those old people whether greek roman or irish too severely for believing in these prophets for although there are no druids or sayers now we have among us plenty of palmists and fortune tellers of various kinds who make a good living out of those people who are simple enough to believe in them there were druids in every part of ireland but tara as being the residents of the over kings was their chief seat where they were most powerful and those who have read the early history of ireland will recollect saint patrick's contest with them in the presence of king lairy and his court and how he put them down in argument pagan irish had many gods and many idols among other things they worshipped the fairies who were and are still called an irish she the fairies dwelt under pleasant green little hills and there they built themselves palaces all ablaze with light and glittering with gems and gold these residences as well as the elves or fairies themselves were called shea many of the old fairy hills all over the country are still well known and to this day there is a superstition among many of the people that the fairies still remain in them and that they also dwell in the old lisses wraths or forts that are found everywhere in ireland the fairies were not always confined to their dwellings they often got out but they were generally invisible whenever they made themselves visible to mortals and that was only seldom they were seen to be very small hardly the height of a man's knee people had to be careful of them for they often did mischief when interfered with manananan macclear was the irish sea god like neptune of the greeks and romans he generally lived on the sea riding in his chariot at the head of his followers he is in his glory on a stormy night and on such a night when you look over the waist of waters there before your eyes in the dim gloom are thousands of mana nuns white steeds careering along after their great chiefs chariot angus mcenog was a mighty magician who had his glorious palace under the great mound of brew in the boing now called new grange a little below slain in myrth there were many other gods and there were goddesses also poets physicians and smiths had three goddesses whom they severally worshipped three sisters all named bridget there were also many fairy queens who were considered as goddesses and worshipped in their several districts all living in their palaces under fairy mountains or rocks many of these residences are still well known such as cariclina a circle of gray rocks near mallow where lived clearna the fairy queen of south munster and craigly near kilauea where irvin or irville the guardian fairy queen of the dakashans of tommen resided the people of several districts had local gods also such as dunn the king of the munster fairies who had his airy home at the top of canuck fierna near croom in limerick john mcinante of shkrebo khan newtowner and tyrna the powerful and kindly very lord who lived in his bright palace under the great carn and the hill carntina over fear my besides those that were acknowledged and worshiped as gods or goddesses there were battle furies who delighted in blood and slaughter also loathsome looking witch hags and plenty of goblins spirits inspectors some harmless some malignant who will be found enumerated and described in either of my two social histories the idols worshiped by the pagan irish were nearly all of them stones mostly pillar stones which were sometimes covered over with gold silver or bronze the people also worshipped the elements that is to say water fire the sun the wind and such like the worship of wells was very general most of those old pagan fountains were taken possession of by saint patrick saint column q and other early missionaries who blessed them and devoted them to baptism and other christian uses so that they came to be called holy whales and though they were no longer worshiped they were as much venerated by the christians as they had been by the pagans it must not be supposed that each of the objects mentioned above was worshiped by all the people of ireland each person in fact worshipped whichever he pleased and it was usual for individuals or a tribe to choose some idol or element or pagan divinity which they held in veneration as their special guardian god there was a belief in pagan heaven a land of everlasting youth peace and happiness beautiful beyond conception called by various names tierna noga moymer ibrasso which is often described as being situated far out in the western ocean it was inhabited by fairies but it was not for human beings except a few individuals who were brought through there by the fairies there is a pretty story more than a thousand years old in the book of duncal which tells how prince cogna of the golden hair son of the great king cone the hundred fighter was carried off by a fairy in a crystal boat to moy mel one day as the story relates while the king and kona and many nobles were standing on a western seashore a boat of shining crystal was seen moving towards them and when it had touched the land a fairy like a human being and richly dressed came forth from it and addressing conla tried to entice him into it no one saw this strange being safe kona alone though all heard the conversation and the king and the nobles marveled and were greatly troubled at last the fairy chanted the following words in a very sweet voice and the moment the chant was ended the poor young prince stepped into the crystal boat which in a moment glided swiftly away to the west and prince kona was never again seen in his native land the fairy maidens chant to prince kona a land of youth a land of rest a land from sorrow free it lies far off in the golden west on the verge of the azure sea a swift canoe of crystal bright that never met mortal view we shall reach the land or fall of night in that strong and swift canoe we shall reach the strand of that sunny land from druids and demons free the land of rest in the golden west on the verge of the azure sea a pleasant land of winding veils bright streams and virtuous planes where summer all the live long year in changeless splendor reigns a peaceful land of calm delight of everlasting bloom of age and death we never know no sickness care or gloom the land of youth of love and truth from pain and sorrow free the land of rest in the golden west on the verge of the azure sea there are strange delights for mortal men in that island of the west the sun comes down each evening in its lovely veils to rest and though far in dim on the ocean's rim it seems to mortal view we shall reach its halls every evening falls in my strong and swift canoe and evermore that verdant shore our happy home shall be the land of rest in the golden west on the verge of the azure sea it will guard the gentle cornella of the flowing golden hair it will guard thee from the druids from the demons of the air my crystal boat will guard thee till we reach the western shore where thou and i in joy and love shall live forevermore from the druid's incantation from his black and deadly snare from the withering imprecation of the demon of the air it will guard the gentle cornrow of the flowing golden hair my crystal boat will guard thee till we reach that silver strand where thou shalt reign in endless joy the king of the fairy land [Music] you

Channel: Brehon Academy

Views: 16,304

Keywords: Brehon Law, Early Irish Law, Ancient Ireland, Irish Mythology, Irish History, Kevin Flanagan, Irish Folklore, Gaelic Culture, Gaelic Heritage, Celtic Mythology, Celtic Gods, Celtic Goddesses, Celtic Gods and Goddesses, Gaelic Gods and Goddesses, Irish Gods, Irish Goddesses, Irish Gods and Goddesses, Celtic Culture, Irish Manuscripts, Medieval Manuscripts, Medieval Ireland, Celtic Society, Irish Fairy Tales, Irish Legends

Id: anzWnroMups

Length: 12min 54sec (774 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 14 2022