FUR, FEATHERS AND SCALES: CELTIC ANIMAL LORE

(This article is for older children and for parents.)

By Eva Gordon, FoDLA Youth Religious Education Coordinator

Do you have a favorite animal? Which animal, and why? Is it an animal that you keep as a pet, or admire, or feel is like you in some way? In ancient times, animals were very important in people’s lives. They were featured in many Irish and Scottish (Gaelic) myths and legends.

In modern times, animals are still used for food, clothing, service, as pets, and for other practical uses. Many wild animals are losing their habitat, or are endangered by overfishing, hunting or development. Animals are often the mascots for sports teams or schools. Several years ago, animal names were popular as names of cars—Mustang, Eagle, Jaguar, Thunderbird—though lately, initials and numbers seem to be more common! Does this mean people feel less connected to the world of nature?

Historically, clan names and symbols have been linked to animals in Scotland: Cataibh (“KAT-uv,” the Cat). MacEachearn (Each, “Ekh”-the Horse). Mac Mhathain (Mathan, “MA-hun,” the Bear). There are several Gaelic first names that have animal meanings: Conan-little dog, Calum-dove, Ronan-little seal.

How we think about animals and relate to them can tell us about who we are as people and as members of a group, and how we relate to the world. We can learn from myths and folktales how some of our ancestors might have viewed certain animals.

Here are some examples:

BOAR (Torc)— warrior, strength, Otherworld, food, feasting and hospitality. Several tales tell about warriors competing for the “champion’s portion” of pork at a feast. In the Otherworld, gods feast on pigs that are reborn the next day, giving an endless supply of food.

SALMON (Bràdan)—wisdom, knowledge The salmon lives in a deep pool. The nuts from nine hazel trees fall into the water, and the salmon eats them. This is how it gains its knowledge, and is able to live a very long life. The depth of the pool’s waters symbolize the deep wisdom of the Salmon.--Fionn MacCuill (Finn Mac Cool) became wise by tasting the juices of a magical salmon as it cooked.

DEER (Fiadh, “FEE-uh”)/STAG (Dàmh “Dahv”)—ruler of the forest; fertility; changing seasons; kinship between hunter and hunted. Oisin (“O-sheen”, or “Little Fawn”) was the son of Finn MacCool by Sadb (SAHV), a woman who had been changed into a deer.

EAGLE (Iolaire, “YO-lara”)—great age, wisdom, far-sighted vision.

HOUND (Cù, “Koo”)—Companions in hunting and in war, dogs meant protection, and loyalty Cù Chulainn got his name “Hound of Cullen” after killing the guard dog of a smith named Culann. He took the place of the hound, defending Culann’s house until a pup could be raised to replace the original hound. After that, Cù Chulainn had a special connection with dogs, and for the rest of his life, had a taboo (geas) against eating their flesh.

CRANE (Corra)—magic, secrets, sometimes ill-omen, robbing warriors of courage. Cranes live at the water’s edge, near rivers and streams, and are able to fly in the air. This shows a magical ability to travel between worlds. Manannán Mac Lir had a bag for his magical tools, made from the skin of a crane that had once been a jealous woman, named Aoife (“EE-fa”). In Scottish folklore, the crane is a symbol for unpleasant women, due to its harsh cries.

RAVEN (Fitheach, “FEE-yuk”)—battle, prophecy. Ravens and crows gather at battlefields, ready to feed on the bodies of the slain. The goddesses Morrigan, Badb Catha and Nemain are often in the form of ravens or crows, and are linked with great warriors like Cù Chulainn. But the raven is also a bird of prophecy, maybe because of its intelligence and its “speaking” ability, and is also a friend of the many-gifted god, Lùgh.

SWAN (Eala, “EL-la”)—love, Otherworld journeys, Angus Òg and his beloved Caer flew away together in the form of swans at Samhain.

HORSE (Each)/MARE (Làir)—Horses were very important for travel and war in ancient times. They allowed tribes to control the land. They represented rulership, and fertility. A goddess named Macha, who could run faster than horses, was probably the land goddess of the kingdom of Ulster in the North.

SHAPE-CHANGING is an important part of many Gaelic (and other Celtic) stories. Probably the oldest of these is the story of Tuan Mac Carrell, told in Ireland, Scotland and in Nova Scotia. Tuan was the nephew of Partholon, the leader of the first people to come to Ireland in ancient times. After a plague killed all the people of Partholon, Tuan went to sleep and woke up in the form of a young deer, living a full life during the time the people of Nemed settled in Ireland. He slept again and woke as a boar when the Firbolg people came, as an eagle when the Tuatha De Danaan came, and finally became a salmon during the time of the Milesian people. He was caught and eaten whole by the wife of a man named Carrell, and was born again to be a man named Tuan. In this form, as a very old man, he told his story—and the story of the peoples of Ireland—to the Christian monks who wrote it down for us. We don’t know for sure if the people of ancient Ireland believed in reincarnation, but some of these stories seem to be giving us a hint.

We should take these older ideas about animals to heart, and be aware of out kinship with them and the world of nature. During this Spring and Summer, plan to spend some time at your local parks, zoo, nature center, or aquarium, observing the animals, birds and fish. Check out Audubon Field Guides at the library and learn to identify birds and animals in your area.

References:

Green, Miranda, Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend. Thames and Hudson, Ltd., London, 1992.

MacKillop, James, Myths and Legends of the Celts. Penguin Books,Ltd., London, 2005.

Newton, Michael, A Handbook of the Scottish Gaelic World. Four Courts Press, Ltd., Dublin, 2000.

Rolleston, T. W., Celtic Myths and Legends, Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1917 (republished 1990).