#LegendaryWednesday for #MothersDay: New mothers on the Isle of Man made certain that a pair of their husband’s trousers was always in their bed, for the pants would scare fairy kidnappers away.
Source: P. Monaghan Encyclopedia of #Celtic #Mythology and #Folklore
#Celtic#LegendaryWednesday for #MothersDay: As a child, Lugh was fostered by Queen Tailtiu of the Fir Bolg, a race defeated by the Tuatha de Danann. It is said that Lugh held his foster mother in great esteem, and that when she died, he set up the festival of Lughnasadh on August 1st in her honour. This took place every year in what is now known as Teltown in Co Meath, and involved horse races, Irish martial arts contests, feats of sportsmanship, and all manner of feasting, trading and entertainment. As a result, Lúnasa become the Irish name for the month of August.
Source: Ali Isaac
#Celtic#LegendaryWednesday for #MothersDay: Over time a man had hit his wife three times. Thus the Sidhe had to go back to lake Llyn y Fan Fach. But the mother returned sometimes to help and instruct her sons, and in particular one called Rhiwallon. In due course Rhiwallon and the other sons went to the court of Rhys Gryg of Deheubarth, where they became famous doctors who are known today as the Physicians of Myddfai. A number of their medical formulae remain in the #Welsh manuscripts.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llyn_y_Fan_Fach
#LegendaryWednesday for #MothersDay: #Matres or #matronae are nature deities of a particular area. They are usually represented as three figures with the attributes of fertility. Typically the mothers are shown seated; often they appear to be of different ages (young maiden, fertile mother, and aging crone), but they are also sometimes depicted as identical triplets. They hold sacred objects: sacrificial knife, offering plate (patera), foodstuffs, bread, fish. Since many, if not most, Celtic divinities are connected to the fertility of the land and the people who depend upon it, it is not surprising that these goddesses are associated with food and abundance.
Source: P. Monaghan Encyclopedia of #Celtic #Mythology and #Folklore
#WyrdWednesday#LegendaryWednesday: `At #Beltane there were great bonfires everywhere, the most important being in Uisnech, where an oenach ("reunion") was held, which was one of the most important festivals in #Ireland. There were banquets with potlatch activities, races on foot and with chariots, as well as the assessment of taxes for the following year'.
Source: Helmut Birkhan „#Kelten“
#WyrdWednesday#LegendaryWednesday: The #druids used their great magic (chants) to make two beneficial fires with healing flames at #Beltane. The herds were brought to these fires every year against epidemics. They made the herds pass between them.
Source: Le Roux/Guyonvarc'h „Die #Druiden“
In early modern European folklore, witch's ointment is a salve by which witches could fly, rubbed on either their bodies or on objects like brooms. Made from the fat of children and various herbs, it is believed the real make of this is a hallucinogen. #LegendaryWednesday
#Celtic#LegendaryWednesday: „The #Cailleach was also possessed by a venomous temper that led the goddess to blast all vegetation with her magick wand as the year wanes.“
Source: Wade MacMorrighan „Rekindling the Rites of Imbolg“
#Celtic#LegendaryWednesday: According to the Book of Fermoy, #Manannan was changed through euhemerisation to "a pagan, a lawgiver among the Tuatha Dé Danann, and a necromancer possessed of power to envelope himself and others in a mist, so that they could not be seen by their enemies."
Source: https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/fim/fim04.htm
In the Middle Ages, many Christian Scandinavians believed that the Norse gods had actually been humans from Troy who had fled their burning city and immigrated to Scandinavia, where they had used magic to make the locals believe that they were gods.
#Celtic#Spring#Equinox for #LegendaryWednesday: „I call upon the Goddess as spring Maiden of vibrant new life in abundance; you are the golden dawn that brings with it a new day of possibilities and you are the hope of each new morning. You are the breezes of spring that freshen my mind and the boundless life and desire that fuels me. You are the egg of creation that birthed the world and you are the rising warmth and light of the sun, brought down to earth in the yellow of primrose, forsythia and broom; of daffodil and crocus.“
Source: https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/spring-equinox-alban-eilir
To drink from the Well of Wisdom, the Norse god Odin had to give one of his eyes to Mimir, the Well's guardian. In some versions, this is simply a general sacrifice, but in others it's a trade - the eye gives Mimir Odin's knowledge just as the drink gives Odin Mimir's.
🎨 Emil Doepler
#Celtic#Spring#Equinox for #LegendaryWednesday: „Life is quickening everywhere: catkins and pussy willow herald the greening of the trees; the nodding trumpets of daffodils – golden and sweet smelling – are the fanfare of the dawning year; their brightness kick-starts my sleepy senses, filling me with anticipation. The boundless energy and desire of the Goddess’ hare ignites my spirit and fuels my bodies with a new found enthusiasm.“
Source: https://druidry.org/druid-way/teaching-and-practice/druid-festivals/spring-equinox-alban-eilir
Welsh folk saying: "Guinevere, daughter of Ogrfan the Giant / Bad when little, worse when great."
Was her father simply a tall man and Guinevere got worse-tempered as she got older, or did King Arthur's wife have giant blood and grew in size when angry?
#Celtic#LegendaryWednesday: Mabon ap Modron was rescued from his captivity at Cáer Loyw, a synonym for the #Otherworld, where he had been since he was stolen from his mother three days after his birth. Mabon repayed Culhwch by helping him to fulfill the tasks required for Culhwch's marriage to Olwen, a princess that charmed all with her outstanding beauty.
Source: Helen Benigni/Barbara Carter/Eadhmonn Ua Cuinn „The Myth of the Year“
#Celtic#LegendaryWednesday: Branwen sent a drudwy (starling) to Bran in order that he may come rescue her over the seas. Bran, of course, rescued Branwen, and the story ended with a reference to Bran and the singing of birds.
Source: Helen Benigni/Barbara Carter/Eadhmonn Ua Cuinn „The Myth of the Year“
#Celtic#LegendaryWednesday: In the #CavesOfKesh powerful hags or goddesses, Camóg, Cuilleann and Iornach, described as members of the #TuathaDeDannan, held the great hero #Fionn Mac Cumhaill and the rest of the #Fianna captive. They were set to take revenge on Fionn on behalf of their father, who hated to see the wild things of his woods disturbed by the hunting of the Fianna.
Fionn’s archenemy Goll mac Morna rescued them. He was cleverer and experienced enough to not put one toe beyond the holly bush at the entrance to the enchanted place. He challenged the hags to battle and slaughtered them finally. Goll mac Morna was rewarded with the marriage to Fionns daughter Sgannlach. credit @EithneMassey Legendary #Ireland`
Though the Norse term "Jotun" often gets translated as "giant," the Jotnar could be many different sizes, and many of them (Loki, Skadi, etc.) were no taller than the Aesir. They often seemed less like giants and more like simply a competing faction of gods.
#Celtic#LegendaryWednesday#WyrdWednesday: The renewal of the earth and thus of fertility and wealth is especially expressed by the stag because of the annual renewal of its antlers beginning with spring.
Source: Helmut Birkhan #Kelten
Highland folklore tells of an “Isle of Women,” located somewhere off the coast of #Scotland, on which a green well marked the edge of the world. This mysterious island represents a portal to the #Celtic#Otherworld. Sometimes the island is called Eilean nam Ban Móra, the Island of the Big Women, suggesting that the residents were giants. The name was sometimes applied to an actual island, the Isle of Eigg.
Source: P. Monaghan Encyclopedia of #Celtic #Mythology and #Folklore
#Celtic#LegendaryWednesday: „When people are desirous to know whether or not any day will rain, they look at the top of Knock Firinn, and if they see a vapour or mist there, they immediately conclude that rain will soon follow; believing that Donn of that mountain and his aerial assistants are collecting the clouds, and that he holds them there for some short time, to warn the people of the approaching rain. As the appearance of mist on the mountain in the morning is considered an infallible sign that that day will be rainy, Donn is called 'Donn Firinne,' Donn of Truth“."
In 'Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland' by Thomas Crofton Croker (1828).
Source: https://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/7901/knockfeerina.html
#FolkloreThursday: The #Celtic summer began with the #Beltane (‘bright fire’ or ‘lucky fire’) festival on May 1. Beltane celebrates the start of summer, the crop and pasturing season. Although scholars are non-commital, many of us believe #Beltane honors the ancient continental #Celtic sun and healer God #Belenus.
Source: #OBOD, the Order of #Bards, #Ovates and #Druids
#WyrdWednesday#LegendaryWednesday: The meaning 'Bel-Fire' possibly refers to the god Belenus (Helmut Birkhan „#Kelten“).
After Epona, he was the #Celtic deity most frequently mentioned by ancient authors in Gaul, Noricum, Illyria, Britain and Ireland. #Beltane