Scrivener
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Religion: Gaelic Polytheist
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Post by Scrivener on Mar 5, 2016 3:26:23 GMT -6
I am looking for more information about the Cailleach. Most of what I have found about her have been mostly neo-pagan/wiccan in source, which is something I'm definitely trying to stay away from. I'm not looking for a maiden/mother/crone and I'm frustrated because this feels to be what I have mostly been able to find on her.
Does anyone know of any good sources on her? I feel at a loss as where to look. Thank you in advance.
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Post by Allec on Mar 5, 2016 21:03:28 GMT -6
I need to write up about her on the Guide to Gaelic Polytheism, but what I do know so far is that there are many Cailleachs, mostly because "Cailleach" translates roughly to "Hag" or "Witch." There is one in Scotland and one in Ireland, and from what I remember hearing from other devotees, she's very different depending on where you are. Actually, the Wikipedia entry on Cailleach may help. There are some books and sources at the bottom that you may have or could look into. So my advice is to read the Wikipedia page, get a grasp on which Cailleach you are trying to research, and focus searches on that--eg: "Irish Cailleach" or "Scottish Cailleach".
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Scrivener
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Post by Scrivener on Mar 6, 2016 1:11:55 GMT -6
Maybe that's part of the problem I was running in to. I figured that if I could find any information about her before the books I'm waiting for show up, I'd be ahead. I'm just impatient. My problem is that I keep running in to websites that have information with multiple versions, so I've been a bit at a loss.
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fiabeag
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Post by fiabeag on Mar 8, 2016 18:56:30 GMT -6
I have a couple of sources I like, but I'm not sure whether you would consider them reliable, since one is half research and half UPG (and also posits a theory about the Cailleach and Sheela-na-Gigs being the same entity), and the other is a personal recounting of a pilgrimage to commune with her on land sacred to her, but I've found them valuable sources of insight as to her nature and how to honor her best. The first one in question is an essay by Kathryn Price NicDhàna, found here, and the second one is an article by Hilaire Wood, found here. I also recall there being some helpful posts on Tumblr about her, and I could share those if you're interested. Honestly I'm just glad to find that there are more GaelPols showing interest in her!
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Scrivener
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Post by Scrivener on Mar 9, 2016 3:42:39 GMT -6
fiabeag I would love to have your other recommendations. I am open to all sources to at least take a peek at. I can always cull sources if I don't like them or find them unreliable!
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fiabeag
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Post by fiabeag on Mar 9, 2016 6:47:25 GMT -6
Okay, here you are! x / x / x / x / x / xI know that second link is to only a little blurb of helpful information, but I felt it important because it directly debunks a more new age-y interpretation of her. As for the rest, a few are UPG (which I find valuable nonetheless), but most claim to be informational, though they don't list sources, which is why I was hesitant to share them.
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Post by Allec on Mar 9, 2016 15:29:51 GMT -6
Thanks for those sources Fiabeag!
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fiabeag
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Post by fiabeag on Mar 9, 2016 19:49:29 GMT -6
My pleasure -- I just hope they're useful!
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Scrivener
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Post by Scrivener on Mar 10, 2016 3:58:14 GMT -6
Everything is useful in some shape or form!
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Scrivener
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Post by Scrivener on Mar 23, 2016 4:14:53 GMT -6
fiabeag I have been finding that the sources you gave me have led me to some great information. Thank you so much and I appreciate your help!
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leithincluan
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Post by leithincluan on Jul 12, 2016 6:02:43 GMT -6
I honour Cailleach Bhearra specifically in her form as a tuterlary deity of Beara, an area on the west coast of Ireland. In my UPG, each Cailleach is very different, even further than between Scottish and Irish. There really aren't that many resources on the Cailleachean, but Have you read 'The Book of the Cailleach' by Ó Crualaoich? He looks at a lot of local legends. You have to carefully look at his references to see where each story comes from, as he conflates all the Irish Cailleachean, but the folklore he has collected is just wonderful. See here. The Irish Cailleachean don't usually have the Scottish associations with winter or with ruling half the year. In Beara, Cailleach Bhearra awakes in November after having been turned to stone for a period (sometimes said to be a thousand years). There are various different legends about how she was turned into stone and why. She has fertility and land associations, and is married to Manannan mac Lir, after whom she gazes over the sea in her rock form. My favourite modern work on her is 'Cailleach: Hag of Beara', a beautiful collection of poetry based on local stories. It highlights the myth of the marriage to Manannan mac Lir, and other wonderful stories. If you want to read about my experiences with Cailleach Bhearra, I have a blog tag here (although some of the entries are only tangentially related to Her - posts from longer ago have more info. I've tried to mark things as UPG or non-, although it gets difficult when talking about your own experiences, and when local stories are vague and contradictory! Love the stuff you shared on the Scottish and Manx Cailleachean, fiabeag! Amazing research - thank you. Edited to add: This is the post from my blog with the pictures of the landscape of Beara and the Hag Stone that is associated with Cailleach Bhearra.
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aondeug
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Post by aondeug on Jul 14, 2016 0:47:36 GMT -6
oh my gods thank you all for these things
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