Glossary in TUY (Celtic)

Here is a glossary of mythology Celtic : Tailtiu, Taliesin, Tara, Taranis, Teutates (Toutatis), Tristan and Isolde, Tuan Mac Cairill, Tuatha Dé Danann, Uiscias (and the Sword of Nuada), Ys, Yspaddaden

Celtic Glossary

Tailtiu, in Irish Celtic mythology, is the daughter of Mag Mor, "King of Spain" and the wife of the last king of the Fir Bolg, Eochaid Mac Eirc, whose reign is renowned for its justice and prosperity. It is present in the mythical text Lebor Gabála Érenn (Book of the Conquests of Ireland). She clears the forest of Breg, to make it a cultivable plain, which causes her to die of exhaustion. The Breg forest gives way to a field of clover, now an emblematic plant. The etymology of its name is common with that of the land, it also left its name to a town in the province of Meath, Teltown (between Navan and Kells). She is one of the incarnations of Ireland.

Having survived the “First Battle of Mag Tured” which saw the defeat of the Fir Bolg by the Tuatha Dé Danann, she became the adoptive mother of the god Lug. When he died, he organized ceremonies in his honor (Áenach Tailteann) during the Lugnasad festival.

Taliesin serait né vers 534 et serait mort vers 599, il serait le fils de saint Henwg de Llanhennock. Il fait partie des Cynfeirdd, c’est-à-dire les premiers bardes, certains ont émis l’idée selon laquelle son œuvre aurait été composée en Cambrien. Selon l’Historia Brittonum attribuée à Nennius, c’est un contemporain d’Aneirin et l’un des plus grands poètes de Brittany.

A dozen poems from the Book of Taliesin are authenticated and attributed to him, they are praises of the different kings to whose service he was attached. Around 555 he was the bard of the king of Powys Brochfael, then of his successor, Kynan Garwyn and finally of the king of Rheged (present-day Cumberland) Urien and his son Owain mab Urien. The poet Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892), in his collection Idylls of the King, incorporates it into the legend Arthurian and in fact a bard of the mythical King Arthur.

In the 16th century, Elis Gruffydd, a soldier Welsh garrisoned in Calais (then an English city) composed Hanes Taliesin: the tale of Taliesin. This text which recounts the mythical birth of the bard and explains his magical powers was translated into English in the 19th century by Lady Charlotte Guest and published with the Mabinogion.

*The story of Gwion Bach:

Tegid Voel (the “bald one”) lives in Wales During Arthur's reign, his wife's name is Ceridwenn, she is an expert in magic, divination and witchcraft. They have a hideous son with odious behavior, named Morvran but who is nicknamed Avangddu (i.e. the Black Monster, because of the color of his skin) – they also have a daughter Creirfyw, the oldest beautiful from that era. The son is rejected by everyone and for him to be accepted, his mother decides to give him the gift of prophetic inspiration. To do this, he needs plants collected at specific times, then put them in a cauldron filled with water and boil the mixture for a year and a day. After this time, we obtain three drops which make the person on whom they fall wise and soothsayer. The rest of the broth is a powerful poison. An old blind man, whose name we do not know, is responsible for watching the cauldron, he has a guide named Gwion Bach who takes care of the fire under the cauldron, Ceridwenn maintains the water level. The monstrous son is placed near the cauldron, to receive the three drops when the time comes. While the mother has fallen asleep, the drops jump and fall on Gwion Bach who nimbly takes Morvran's place. The cauldron explodes under the effect of the poison, Ceridwenn wakes up and Gwion Bach instantly guesses that she will decide to kill him. He fled taking the appearance of a hare. It is the episode of different metamorphoses: a blue salmon, a dog, a deer, a roe deer, a post, a rope, an axe, etc. In the pursuit, Ceridwenn transforms as many times. In a barn, he transforms into a grain of wheat, Ceridwenn takes the appearance of a black hen, she swallows the grain of wheat and gives birth to Gwion Bach. Unable to bring herself to kill him, she places the child in a coracle and abandons him on the sea.

* Taliesin's story:

Squire Gwyddno Garanhir runs a fishery at Caer Ddegannwy, in the Coonwy estuary. Every November 1st brings him a large quantity of salmon. He has a son Elffin who is a servant in the court of King Maelgwn. On November 1, Elffin, helped by his friends, goes to collect the usual catch, but the trap is empty except for a coracle. He cuts the leather cords and a white forehead (tal-iesin) appears. It is the infant Gwion Bach who has been wandering the sea for forty years. Elffin puts the bag on a horse to take it home and Taliesin begins a song which should console the unfortunate sinner: his find is much more valuable than the salmon. From that day on, Elffin's fortune increased considerably, as did his reputation at the king's court. Also, he boasts of having a bard more learned than all the king's bards and that his wife is the most estimable in the kingdom; which led to his being imprisoned. The king sends his son Rhun to Elffin Castle so that he can seduce the impudent man's wife. Taliesin, who knows the future, replaces the woman with one of his servants whom Rhun puts to sleep with a potion, he takes control of her and cuts off her finger, carrying a ring. The king summons Elffin and presents him with the finger, Elffin demonstrates to him by three arguments that this finger is not that of his wife, furious the king sends him back to prison. Taliesin explains to Elffin's wife how he is going to free his master. The bard arrives at the king's court, in the great hall, he sits aside. The bards of the court pass in front of Taliesin who casts a spell on them, arriving before the king to pay him homage, they only know how to say “blub, blub”. Tancé, Heinin their leader, explains to the king that they are victims of a spell and he names the person responsible who is summoned to explain. Taliesin speaks and introduces himself by reciting a poem, affirming his biblical origins and his exploits during Antiquity. Then he sings another song in which he predicts the release of Elffin and another which triggers a formidable storm; the king frees Elffin. Taliesin asks Elffin to make a bet with the king, he claims to have a horse faster than all the king's. A date for the competition is set, the king arrives with 24 horses but it is Elffin's that wins the race. Taliesin then has a hole dug and a cauldron full of gold is discovered, this is the reward for saving the child from the coracle.

Tara is the mythical capital of Ireland, located in the fifth province of Meath, in the center; in Irish, c’est « Teamhair na Rí », la colline des rois. Le récit Suidigud Tellach Temra (Fondation du domaine de Tara) expose la suprématie de la ville sur le reste de l’île.

Les textes médiévaux relatifs à la tradition mythique de l’Irlande nous apprennent qu’elle est divisée en quatre provinces (ou quatre royaumes) : l’Ulster (Ulaidh, en irlandais), le Connaught (Connachta), le Leinster (Laighin) et le Munster (Mumhain) auxquelles s’ajoute celle de Meath (Midhe) qui est constituée d’une partie des autres. Elle est située au centre et on y trouve la ville de Tara, résidence des « ard ri Érenn », les rois suprêmes, conseillés par les druides. Elle est le lieu de toutes les assemblées religieuses, politiques et judiciaires ainsi que de l’intronisation du roi qui est l’occasion du fameux « Festin de Tara ».

In the historical period, the kingship on Tara would have been assumed by the kings of Leinster in the 4th and 5th centuries, then by those of Ulster, to be finally monopolized by the dynasty of Ui Néill in the 7th century and which would become the ri Erenn (the king of Ireland).

C’est à Tara qu’a lieu la confrontation entre saint Patrick et Loegaire, c’est aussi à cet endroit que se trouve le talisman de la Pierre de Fal (Lia Fâil – voir Morfessa), symbole de la Souveraineté.

Taranis est, avec Esus et Teutatès, un des Dieux d’une prétendue triade celtique attestée par le poète latin Lucain. C’est un dieu des plus importants du panthéon Gallic. His name means “the thundering” (tarann in Breton and Welsh).

Taranis would mainly be the god of the sky, lightning and thunder.

Son culte est attesté en Grande-Bretagne, en Rhénanie, en Dalmatie, en Provence, en Auvergne, en Bretagne et en Hongrie. Ses premières représentations prennent forme peu avant la conquête romaine. Époque mouvementée alors que, sous l’influence de ses voisins, la Gaul commence à représenter ses Dieux sous formes de statues et leur élève des autels et des lieux de cultes plus importants que jadis. On a retrouvé sept autels consacrés à Taranis, tous portants des inscriptions en grec ou en latin à travers l’Europe continentale. On peut aussi mentionner le magnifique chaudron de Gundestrup (200 ou 100 avant Jésus Christ) retrouvé au Danemark. Ce chaudron est une des plus belles pièces que nous possédons illustrant, entre autres, le grand Taranis.

Ce Dieu serait le plus souvent représenté comme un homme d’âge mûr, barbu et viril dont les attributs distinctifs sont la roue solaire, un sceptre et des esses (éclairs). Il est parfois accompagné d’animaux : cheval (animal au rôle psychopompe), aigle ou serpent.

Teutates is a Gallic theonym that we only know from the epic Pharsalia of Lucan, a story of the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey; he is mentioned with Aesus and Taranis. It is an archaic form or variant of Toutatis, it comes from teutã which evolved into touta et totã. The meaning is “father of the tribe, of the nation”, he is the protective god of a community and its territory, with a warrior connotation. It is the same notion that we find in the Irish Celtic mythology of tuath (the tribe), with the Tuatha Dé Danann. Teutates can be compared to Dagda and compared to the Roman Mars. But given the weakness of the sources, it is hardly possible to say more.

Tlachtga, in Irish Celtic mythology, is a druid (bandrui, meaning “druid woman”), renowned for the power of her magic. His father is himself one of the most famous druids in Ireland, Mog Ruith.

During her initiation, she accompanied her father on his travels, this is how she learned the secrets of his magic. In particular, she discovered sacred stones in Italy. She is kidnapped and raped by the three sons of Simon the Magician. On his return to Ireland, she gives birth to triplets whose fathers are obviously different. Their names are Cumma, Doirb and Muach. The triple birth is a common theme in Celtic mythology, as is death brought on by grief.

The priestly class of Celts was open to women and more particularly the function of prophecy, assumed by the vates (see for example the Gallisenae of Île-de-Sein).

Tuan Mac Cairill (Tuan son of Cairill) is the only survivor of the cataclysm which decimated the mythical people of the Partholonians.

According to the Lebor Gabála Érenn (Book of the Conquests of Ireland), the Partholonians (named after their leader Partholon) arrived in Ireland, 312 years after the Flood, on the feast of Beltaine (May 1). Their reign will last 5000 years, they are credited with the invention of Druidry, agriculture, breeding, metallurgy. At the same time, they must fight against the Fomoires.

Tuan est à la fois l’Homme et le Druide primordial. Il ne doit sa survie qu’à des métamorphoses animales successives, pour finalement revenir à l’état humain, afin de transmettre sa science. Sous Partholon, c’est un homme durant cent ans ; puis à l’époque de Nemed, il est un cerf pendant trois cent ans ; il est un sanglier (ou un bouc) sous Senion pendant deux cents ans ; il est un rapace sous Beothach durant trois cents ans ; et encore cent années sous le règne de Mile, il a la forme d’un saumon. Sous cette forme il est attrapé par un pêcheur qui l’offre à la reine Cairill. Elle le mange et il redevient humain avec le nom de Tuan Mac Cairill.

The Tuatha Dé Dânann (people of the goddess Dana) are gods who come from four islands in the north of the world: Falias, Gorias, Findias and Murias; from these mythical cities they bring five talismans: the spear of Lug, the sword of Nuada, the cauldron and club of Dagda and the stone of Fal.

When the Tuatha Dé Dânann arrive in Ireland, on the day of the Beltaine festival, the island is occupied by the Fir Bolg who will be defeated during the "Cath Maighe Tuireadh" (the Battle of Mag Tuireadh) (this is the third conquest).

Les Tuatha Dé Dânann que l’on retrouve dans nombre de récits sont le peuple mythique de l’Irlande, mais pas exclusivement puisqu’ils se retrouvent, sous des formes différentes et généralement d’autres noms, dans tout le monde celtique. Ce sont des dieux, des déesses, des héros, des magiciennes (Bansidh). Ils maîtrisent le Druidisme, le Savoir et les Arts. Manannan Mac Lir leur fournit des cochons magiques qui confèrent l’immortalité. Mais face aux Milesiens, ils doivent se replier dans le Sidh. Il est à noter que les dieux s’effacent devant les humains, puisque les « fils de Mile » sont les Gaèls.

Their three primordial druids are Eoloas (Knowledge), Fiss (Knowledge) and Fochmarc (Research).

Uiscias, whose name relates to water, was the druid who governed the island of Findias (the meaning of the toponym is "the White"). This is where the Sword of Nuada talisman comes from, representing Sovereignty and War. This weapon is infallible, its wounds mortal.

Yspaddaden, in Welsh Celtic mythology, is the leader of the giants, who appears in the medieval tale, Kulhwch and Olwen. A curse dictates that he will lose his life when his daughter, the very beautiful Olwen (“white trace”), gets married. Inevitably, a suitor presents himself: Kulhwch. The reception is violent, the giant receives the suitor and the people of his entourage, throwing stones and poisoned spears at them. These three spears are thrown back at him, the first injures his knee, the second pierces his chest and the third penetrates his eye and exits through the back of his neck. Finally, he imposes a series of extremely difficult tests on Kulhwch, at the end of which he will have Olwen.