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TheMythologyofAncientBritainandIreland 10009222
TheMythologyofAncientBritainandIreland 10009222
TheMythologyofAncientBritainandIreland 10009222
TH E M Y T H OL O GY OF A N C IE N T
B R IT A IN AN D IR E L A N D
R E L IG ION S : AN C IE NT AN D MO D E R N .
ANIM I S M .
By E D W AR D C LO DD Aut h or of TI n S t y of C ,
or rea lz on .
PAN TH E I S M .
By J A ME S ALL A NS O N P IC T O N A uth or of Tb ,
e R elzgz on
0
f tire
o
Um v e rse
I I O N S O F AN C I E N T C H IN A
.
TH E R E L G .
es s . . e n i e si
.
of C ambr d g i e
TH E R E L I G I O N OF ANCI E N T G R E E C E
.
By J AN E HA RR I S O N Le ct r r t N wn h am Coll g C ambr dg
.
, u e a e e e, i e,
A t h or of P / g m t S t dy qf G k R lig
u ro e o en a o u re e e z on .
I S L AM
By A ME E R AL ' S Y E D M A C I E l t of H M H i gh Co r t
.
‘
, . . . . a e . . s u
of J d ic t r i Be g l A t h or of Th S pirit qfl l m a d TI
u a u e n n a , u e s a n n
E t / ucs ofIs la m .
MAG IC AN D F E T S I HI M
S .
By Dr A .C HA
D DO N ,. F R S L c tu re r o n E th ology at Cam
. . . . . e n
ri
b d ge Un ive rs it
TH E R E L G I ION F A NCI E N T E GY PT
By Profess or W M F L I ND E R S P e r ms F R S
.
TH E R E L I G I O N OF B A BY L O N I A AN D A S S Y R I A
. . , . . .
By T H E O PH I L US G P I NC H E S l t of t h e Bri t i h M e um
.
. , a e s us .
EAR L Y B U D D H I S M
By Prof ssor R HYS D AV l L L D late S e cre tary of Th e R oyal
.
e , .
As i t ic S oci e ty
a .
H IN D U I S M .
S C AN D I NA V I A N R E L I G I O N
. . .
C E L T IC R E IG ION .
By C H AR L E S S ' U I R E A u t h or of Ti mMy t h l gy f t h B rz t i lz
.
, o o o e s
I l d
s an s.
J U DA I S M
By ISRAE L AB R A H A MS L e cture r i Talmud ic L i t r t r in , n e a u e
C amb ri d g U iv r i A u t h or of J w i h L if i 11 'Mid dle Ag
TH E R E L I G I O N O F t yN C IE N T R O M E
e n e s e s e n 2: t s.
By CYR I L B A I L E Y M A
.
S H I N TO TH E AN C I E N T RE L I G I O N O F J APAN
.
, .
By W G Asro rx C M O
. .
. .
TH E R E L I G I O N OF ANCI E N T M E ' I C O AN D P E R U
. . . .
By L e w rs S p e n ce M A
.
. . .
E AR L Y CH R I S T I AN I TY .
L IG IO N By Pro f s or J H L E UBA
. e s . . .
TH E R E L I G I O N OF A NCI E N T PA L E S TI N E
By S TA NL E Y A C OO K
.
. .
TH E MY TH O L O G Y OF
AN C IE N T B R IT A IN
AN D IR E L A N D
By
C H A R L ES S ' U IR E
O OO O OO O O
‘
TR E M Y T H O L OG Y o r T H E m '
u r rs n TSL AN DS
’
L O ND O N
C O N ST A B L E 69
’
C O M PA N Y LTD
10 O R AN GE S TR EET L E IC ESTER S' U AR E
FOREWORD
I TH E C E L Ts
. AN D TH IR
E MY T H O L O GY ,
I I TH E GODs
. OF TH E C NT I NE NTA
O L CE L Ts
IV . TH E MY TH ICAI H I S T O R
. Y OF IR E L A N D,
V . TH E MY TH IOAL H I S T O R Y OF B R I TA I N,
VI . TH E H E ROIO CY C LE o r ANCI E NT UL S T E R,
V I I I TH E ART H UR I A N L E GEN D,
.
CH R O NO L OG ICA L S Y L L AE US ,
S EL E C T E D Bo o x s BE A R I NG ON C E L T IC MY T H O LOGY , 79
TH E MY T H OL OGY OF AN CIE N T
BRITAIN AN D IR E L AND
CHAPTER I
TH E C E LTS AND TH E I R MY TH L GY O O
TH EMythology of Ancient Britain and Ireland
‘ ’
.
A
MYTHOLOGY O F ANCIENT BRITAIN
logy the tr adition of which thou gh obsc u red has
, , ,
‘
L u dgate called after a legendary good kin g
,
’ ‘
, ,
, , ,
akin l
.In physiqu e as well as in langu age there , ,
1
c
R h ys , Ce lt i B rit a in , 19 04 , an d R h ys an d B ryn mo r J -
on es ,
1
Ta c it u s , Agr icola , c h a x i p . .
2
It is , h ow e v e r , h e ld b y o t h e rs t h a t t h e Go id e ls of S co t lan d
d id n ot r e a c h t h a t co un t r y ( from Ir e la n d ) b e fore t h e h ris t ian C
e ra .
M YTH O LOGY O F AN CIENT BRITAI N
race being still fou nd in certain portions of Ireland
and of West Bri tain and in Sc otland north of the
,
Grampian Hills .
of the Celts .
8
MYTHOLOGY O F ANCIENT BRITAI N
merchants . Next comes Apollo the divine ,
IO
THE G OD S OF THE CONTINENTAL CELTS
Arverni u pon the s u mmit of the Pu y d e DOme is ,
‘
Apollo To u t iOrix ( Lord of the People ) has
,
’ ‘
‘ ’
1
lx x vn I5 . .
9
R h ys , H ibbe r t L e ct u r es for 18 86 , pp . 30 3 2
-
.
1 1
MYTHOL O GY O F ANCIENT BRITAIN
trea te d in th is series far more competently than
1
’
man eloq u ent whose varied experience made his
,
1
Celt ic R eligion , b y Prof e s s or E An w yl, t o W h om t h e wr it e r
.
p
h e r e t a k es t h e O por t un it y of gr a te fu lly a c k n ow le d gin g h is in
p
d e b te d n ess for v alu able h e l to w a r ds t h e m ak in g of t h is b oo k .
12
THE GOD S OF THE CONTINENTAL CELTS
not yet qu ite forgotten by the Celt In the .
1
1
R h ys , H ibbe r t L e ctu r es , 13 2 0 pp .
-
.
2
CRmtIIu s s e e m s t o h a v e b e e n a mor e im or t a n t go d t h an h is
‘
p
R om an e q u at io n w it h M a r s ( p
1 0) s u gge s t s. Profe s s or R h ys .
ca lls h im a M ar s J u it e r Cf
‘ -
p’
. .pp
2 1 , an d 6 3 of t his b oo k
.
-
.
1 3
CHAPTER III
TH E GO DS OF TH E I N S UL AR C E LTS
Irish glossa ry 2
T u rning to the British myt h o
.
1
Coir An ma n n Th e Ch i e .
‘
a es o c of N m
T an s la t e d b y Dr
.
’
r .
W i o
h t le y S t k e s in Ir is clt e Te x te .
2 Corm ca s Gl ssa ry
’
o .
’
r
T an s la t e d b y O D o n o van an d e d it e d
o
by S t k e s .
D e B ella Ga lli , vi 1 8 co . .
IS
MYTHOLOGY OF ANCIEN T BRITAIN
shado wy pairs Bile and Danu Beli and D OD
, , ,
’
become Shakespeare s King Lear and is fo u nd ‘
,
’
’
in voked by them as The Lord of Headlands
‘
,
18
THE GO D S O F THE INSULAR CELTS
O ne of his achievements was the b u ilding in the ,
’
Chair was called D o n s Co u rt ( L lys Don ) the ,
( C a
t er G w yd ion ) Taken
. as a whole they d o not ,
’
ing of the Silver Hand What it signified we
‘
.
’
two Tritons 1
The M of the inscription m ay
.
‘
1
A mon ograp h on th e s ub e j ct , en t it le d R oma n An t iq u it ies
at L yd n ey Pa rk, Glou c es tershire , b y t h e R e v . W H Ba t h ur st
. .
,
p
w as u blis h e d in 1 8 7 9 .
7
Profe s so r R h ys , fo llow in g Dr H u b n e r . .
20
THE GO D S OF THE INS ULAR CELTS
warrior he appears as in Irish legend With .
(g e n G o i
.b n e n n
) The Gaelic deity
. appears in
1
Th e t w o are id e n t i fi e d b y t h F re ch s ch o l r M
e n a , . Gaid o z ,
bu t t h e o
e q u at i n is n ot e ve r yw h e r e u p h e ld .
2
Rh ys , S t ud ies in t h e Arth ur ia n L ege n d , p . 16 9 .
3 A ls oc
a lle d in e ls h ,
‘
W
Go vyn io n H an
’
. 11 61; me a n s
’
Th e
An c ie n t ’
.
2 1
MYTHOLOG Y OF ANCIENT BRI TAIN
mythical literat u re as the forger of the weapons
of h is divine companions and the brewer of an
ale of im mortality ; and in folk tales as the -
2 2
THE GO D S OF THE INSULAR CELTS
at the service of mankin d This is represen ted
on the Ce ltic side by the poetical ins piration
which Gwydion acqu ired throu gh his su fferings
wh ile in the power of the gods of Hades and ,
2 3
MYTH O LOGY OF ANCIENT BRITAI N
Gwydion in Brita in are a few stories connected
with certain pl ace names in the Welsh co u nties
-
e volve d b y pp
o u la r e t ymology u n d e r t h e in fl u e n ce of a r i n a
( s ilv e r ) .
3
L le u is om e t im es t reate d as t h e so n of Gw y dio n an d
s
W e ls h lite r at u r an d t h e po in t h as b
e , la b or ate d b y Prof ss or
een e e
2 4
MYTHOLOGY OF ANCIENT BRITAIN
i t seemed lik e the s un and none cou ld gaze ,
Th e Rig V e d a , -
for in s t an ce , t e lls us t h at ‘
Agn i ( F ire ) is
S ti ry a ( th e S u n ) in t h e mor n r
in g, S u ya is A gn i a t n igh t .
’
2 6
THE GODS OF THE I NSULAR CELTS
for similar names and myths among kindred
races of the same stock Whatever may be .
‘
good god whose cau ldron called the Un dry
,
’
,
‘
,
’
1
Dwyn w e n me a n s t h e Ble s se d D w yn .
’
Th e c h urch of t h is
go d d e s s s a in t is L lan d d w yn in A n gle s e y
-
.
2 7
M Y THOLOGY OF A NCIENT BRITAIN
who was even by the later Welsh bards hymn e d as
, ,
,
’
, ,
2 9
MYTH O LOGY OF ANCIEN T BRITAI N
tion h as as sociated Caer Gai in Merioneths hire
.
30
CHA PTER I V
TH E M Y TH ICAL H IS TORY o r IR E L AN D
her s u ccessors .
c r ta in
R h ys , Celt i B i , Th ir d e d it i on p
, . 2 88 .
31
MYTHOLOGY OF ANCIENT BRITAIN
landed wi th twenty fou r males and twenty fou r
-
-
1
R h ys, H ibbe rt L e t u res , c p . 59 4 .
7
Ibid .
,
p . 5 98 .
32
M Y THOLOG Y OF ANC I ENT BR I TAIN
worship At any rate we never find them in con
.
,
, ,
‘
Stone of D estiny which wo u ld cry o u t with a
,
’
1
S e e The Coron at io n S to n e . A mo n ogr a p h by W . F Sken e. .
34
THE M Y TH ICAL HISTOR Y OF IRELAN D
in occ u pation of the co u n try before their presen ce
was discover e d by the race in possession After .
3S
MYTH O LOGY O F ANC I ENT BRITAIN
the dau ghter of a po werfu l prince of the Fo mo rach
na m e d Balor .
’
Balor s dau ghter was born a child call e d Lug who ,
1 an .
Atla n tis .
37
M YTHO LOG Y O F ANC I ENT BR I TA I N
of ru de s tone mon u ments in the world wi th the ,
38
THE MYTHICAL HISTORY O F IRELAN D
at las t I th on a clear winter s night descried it
,
’
, .
vengeance .
39
MYTHOLOGY OF ANCIENT BRITA I N
of Ame rgin the dr u id of the Milesians —as these
,
40
CHAPTER V
TH E M Y TH IC AL H IS TOR Y o r B R TA I IN
‘
W H E N Britain fi rst at Heaven s command aros e
,
’
‘
the Honey Isle of Beli 1
and it was not u ntil
,
’
1
Be li se e m s t o h a v e b e e n s om e t im es ass oc i te d
a in W e ls h
le ge n d w it h t h e s ea , w hic h w as c alle d t h e d r in k of Be li, an d
’
it s w a v es Be lis c a t t le
’ ’
.
42
THE M Y TH I CAL HISTOR Y OF BR I TAIN
histories Yet witho u t perhaps u sing more free
.
,
which the Welsh wri ter has fixed them they show ,
43
M YTHOLOG Y OF ANCIENT BR I TAI N
, ,
44
THE MYTH I CAL HISTORY OF BRITAIN
otherwise than by valou r a rash act of which the ,
’
’
and it is the spiriting away by magic of ‘
’
With the fo u rth Branch the Children of D o n
come into a prominence which they keep to the
end They are sho wn as dwelling together at
.
, ,
1
ently a marine deity who as soon as he was , ,
1
Profes s or Rh ys is in clin e d t o s ee in h im a de it y of Dar k
n ess , o pp
o s e d t o t h e god of L igh t , H ibbert L ect u r es , 38 7 p . .
S e e in t h is co n n e c t io n p 3 2 of t h e pr e se n t b oo k
. .
45
M Y THOLOG Y OF ANCI ENT BRITAIN
bo rn disappeared in to the sea where he swam as
, ,
well as any fish and Lle u who was fos tered and
, ,
46
T HE MYTH ICAL H I STOR Y OF BR I TAIN
We learn more of the details of Gwydion s ’
won for man — the dog the deer and some bird
, ,
47
MYTHOLOG Y OF ANCIENT BRITAIN
even existe nce have bee n involv e d in so m u ch
dou bt The word Arth u r of which several vary
.
,
(g w l eclig),
may be d u e as Profes sor Rhys has
,
48
M YTHOLOGY O F ANCIENT BR ITAIN
crafty as his predecessor When he had designs .
1 ‘
B ook of Talies in p oe m x x x
,
’
, Sken e, vo l. i
. p . 2 56 .
50
THE MYTH I CAL H I STOR Y OF BRITAIN
of Tu ire an n is a long one and the reader is
,
’
‘
saving the finest tales of the Arabian Nights '
,
'
’
u p to be the Pal u g Cat famou s as o n e of the
‘
,
’
2
Three Plagu es of the Isle of Mona .
1Mr Alfr e d N u t t
.
, in his n o te s t o h is e dit ion ( 1902 ) of Lady
Gu e st s M a bin o gimz
’
.
9
Th is cr e a t u r e is als o m e n t io n e d in an Art h u r ia n poe m in
the t w e lft h c e n t u r y B lack Bo ok of a rmar t h e n C .
SI
MYTHOLOG Y OF ANCIENT BRITA I N
’
Battles of Britain becau se d u ring it the two
,
’
the u s u al Three alone escaped from it tho ugh
‘
,
52
THE MYTHICAL H I STORY O F BRITAIN
and his to ry by the institu tion of bardism He ,
who gave her his name while the third was the
,
53
CHAPTE R VI
56
M Y THOLOG Y OF ANCIENT BR I TAI N
take u p the standing challenge After a thre e .
L o n d on , 1 8 98 .
59
M Y THOLO G Y O F ANC I ENT BRITA I N
Probably its gro wth w as gr ad u al and spread ,
the same sou rce enti tled The Phan tom Chariot
, ,
’
THE F E N I AN , OR O S S I AN I C , S AGAS
6 :
M Y THOLOGY OF ANC I ENT BRITAIN
It may be well here to remove a few po ssible
misconceptions concerning these sagas and their
heroes The word Fenian in po p u lar parlance
.
‘
62
THE FE NIAN OR O SS I AN I C SAGAS
the High Kings of Tara to protect Ireland both , ,
‘
white or fair appea rs elsewhere as that of a
,
’ ‘
,
’
‘
White son of Sky who we have seen was a ’
, ,
( B as kin ) his tr
,
ibe u t u .
64
M YTHOLOG Y OF ANCIENT BR I TAIN
and is defeated by the j oint e fforts of the Fe n ian s
and the Tu ath a Dé Dan an n .
, ,
of the gods .
66
THE FENIAN O R OSSIANI C SAGAS
‘
I will tell yo u a little story abo u t Finn replies ,
’
no longer alive .
’
CHAPTER VIII
THE AR TH UR I AN LE G E N D
BUT the Gae lic myths vital as they are have yet
, ,
68
THE ARTHURIAN LEGEND
We find the names of its chief characters and ,
In W e ls h le ge n d , G w alc h m ai ( t h e ‘
Ha wk of May ) ’
h as a
7o
THE ARTHURIAN LEGEN D
Th e name of King Bran de go re may probably be
resolved in t o Br an of Gower and of Sir Bran dile s ,
71
M Y THOLOGY OF AN CIENT BRITAIN
Table Ro u nd In h is ro le of the lover of the
.
l Th e c h ie f au t h or it ie s for t h e st u d y of t h e Gra il le ge n d in
it s r e la t io n t o Ce lt ic m yt h a re Profe s or R h ys S tud ie s in t he
’
s s
of t he H oly Gra il .
72
M Y THOLOG Y OF ANC I EN T BR I TAIN
‘
I s it not the cau ldron of the Chief of Annwn ' ’
( C aer R ig )
o r the ,Glass Castle ( aer Wydyr ) and
C ,
1
A r t h uria n L egen d , pp . 315 3 17
-
.
75
MYTHOLOGY OF ANC I E NT BR I TA I N
place in which it was kept is b u t vag u ely pictu red
by Sir Thomas Malory the thirteenth cent u ry ,
to Greece .
1
Ed ite d an d t r a n sla t e d by t h e Re v R o be rt
. W lli m
i a s, MA
. .
Lo n d on , 1 87 6 .
CHRONOLOGICAL SYLLABUS
H I S T O R IC A L —Arriv al in B ritain of t h e e arlie st e lt s C
( G o id e ls ) a b o u t 1 000 500 B o- — B ry th on s an d B e lgae, comin g
. .
Ch r i tisity, in t rod u c e d un d e r t h e R om an
an r ule m ak es gr adu al ,
t h e N or th e r n Pic ts s ix t h c e n t u ry
,
.
C
eltiq u e en I rla n de , Pa ris, 1 8 9 2
( vo l
. v . of t h e C o u rs de Lit té rat u r e Ce lt iq u e )
’
an d in Mi ss
79
MYTHOLOG Y OF ANCIENT BRITAIN
W . .
’
C
L F araday s The at tle R a id of Cu aln ge, L o n don , 1904 .
th e Re v J G . . . C
ampbe ll s Th e F ia n s, Lo n don , 1 8 9 1 ( vol iv
’
. .
of ‘
W
aif s an d S t rays of e ltic C
Lad y ha rlo tt e C
Gu es t s Mabin o gio n can n o w be ob tain e d in se v e ral ch e ap
’
dorion S o cie ty .
i
Pr n te d by T . an d A Go s s m a n
.
,Pri t r t n e s o H is Maye st y
at th e E d in b urgh Un iv r i ty Pr
e s e ss