Re: The Cailleach, Blodeuwedd and Connections Searles Tue May 12 12:41:39 1998 CNOGBA*br*(from _The Metrical Dindshenchas by Edward Gwynn)*p*"Búa. daughter of Ruadri Ruad,*br*wife of Lug mac Cein of the red spears,*br*it is there her body was hidden;*br*over her was a great hill built up.*p*A hill had Búa in the midst of Bregia,*br*where the noble woman was laid,*br*in that spot yonder...*br*the name of that hill is Cnogba.*p*But though easiest to utter*br*of its names be perfect Cnogba,*br*yet its more proper style is Cnocc Buí*br*down from Búa daughter of Ruadri.*p*Elcmar's daughter dwelt there:*br*Mider was the woman's darling:*br*a darling of her own was the prince,*br*the man from great and noble Sid Midir."*p*[the tale goes in the story of how Angus mac N'og found out that The Dagda was his father. It also includes a story of how Bressal bo Dibad had the hill built in a "night and a day," while the sun stood still. The spell on the sun was broken when he mated with his sister (also a Druid) and it ends with:*p*"From that day forth the hill remains*br*without addition to its height: *br*it shall not grow greater from this time onward*br*till the Doom of destruction and judgement.*p*It is Fland here - bright his art -*br*who tells this tale - no deceptive speech:*br*a choice story - spread itabroad, men and women!*br*lips, make mention of it among excellences!"*p*All of this has relevence to myself, The Cailleach and Druids. Cnogba is also known as Knowth and is one of the three great brughs along the Boyne river (Brugh na Bóinne and Dowth are the other two). Itis also the ancestral home of the O'Dubhains. My imbas tells me that male and female Druids performed sexual communions within this mound on the Equinoxes (its two chambers are aligned on sunrise and sunset on those days). I see this as a way for the Cailleach to become young again throug the release of fertility energy within the earth (which is followed by public rituals and festivities at Bealtaine on the surface of the Land. I also get chills thinking about the day of Doom and the fact that the hill will *THEN* gain in stature.*p*Searles*p*TopazOwl wrote,*br*: *br*: Searles wrote,*br*:*br*: : There is also "Slieve na Cailleach" which is *br*: : amountaine with a passage grave on it that has many *br*: : important solar and lunar orientations. I'll research this *br*: : and post more another day.*br*:*br*: I look forward to your insights in this matter, as I'm *br*: sure it will be of great value to my research. The mere *br*: mention of Red Rury, the King of the Dead, being the father *br*: of Bui' has already set more wheels to spinning.*br*:*br*: : Maybe we *br*: : could all take a lesson from the Cailleach in how to *br*: : experience seven periods of rejuvination from our miseries?*br*:*br*: Good lessons She imparts, indeed.*br*: *br*: You know (going into thoughtful mode here)...each time *br*: I am visited in the night by Cailleach Oi/che, I am reminded *br*: of this proclaimation:*br*:*br*: "It was bequeathed to the Corco Duibne '...that *br*: they shall never be without some wonderful cailleach among *br*: them...' "*br*:*br*: And She is among us. We have only to listen in the *br*: stillness of night to hear Her voice float to us on the wind *br*: from the depths of time. It is no wonder that sometimes what *br*: She has to say frightens people, because Her lessons cannot *br*: be learned in the comfortable light of day. Yet, we must *br*: come through the night to reach the morning... *br*:*br*: The Topaz Owl*br* Re: The Cailleach, Blodeuwedd and Connections TopazOwl 34 Tue May 12 08:44:45 1998