Celtic Otherworld

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The 'Land of the Ever Young' depicted by Arthur Rackham in Irish Fairy Tales (1920). Irishfairytales01step 0137.jpg
The 'Land of the Ever Young' depicted by Arthur Rackham in Irish Fairy Tales (1920).

In Celtic mythology, the Otherworld is the realm of the deities and possibly also the dead. In Gaelic and Brittonic myth it is usually a supernatural realm of everlasting youth, beauty, health, abundance and joy. [1] It is described either as a parallel world that exists alongside our own, or as a heavenly land beyond the sea or under the earth. [1] The Otherworld is usually elusive, but various mythical heroes visit it either through chance or after being invited by one of its residents. They often reach it by entering ancient burial mounds or caves, or by going under water or across the western sea. [1] Sometimes, they suddenly find themselves in the Otherworld with the appearance of a magic mist, supernatural beings or unusual animals. [2] [3] An otherworldly woman may invite the hero into the Otherworld by offering an apple or a silver apple branch, or a ball of thread to follow as it unwinds. [3] [4]

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The Otherworld is usually called Annwn in Welsh mythology and Avalon in Arthurian legend. In Irish mythology it has several names, including Tír na nÓg, Mag Mell and Emain Ablach . In Irish myth there is also Tech Duinn , where the souls of the dead gather.

Irish mythology

Oisin and Niamh approaching a palace in Tir na nOg, illustration by Stephen Reid in T. W. Rolleston's The High Deeds of Finn (1910) 15 They rode up to a stately palace.jpg
Oisín and Niamh approaching a palace in Tír na nÓg, illustration by Stephen Reid in T. W. Rolleston's The High Deeds of Finn (1910)

In Irish mythology, the Otherworld has various names. Names of the Otherworld, or places within it, include Tír nAill ("the other land"), [5] Tír Tairngire ("land of promise/promised land"), [1] Tír na nÓg ("land of the young/land of youth"), Tír fo Thuinn ("land under the wave"), [1] Tír na mBeo ("land of the living"), [5] Mag Mell ("plain of delight"), Mag Findargat ("the white-silver plain"), [6] Mag Argatnél ("the silver-cloud plain"), [6] Mag Ildathach ("the multicoloured plain"), [6] Mag Cíuin ("the gentle plain"), [6] and Emain Ablach (possibly "isle of apples").

It is described as a supernatural realm where there is everlasting youth, beauty, health, abundance and joy, and where time moves differently. [1] It is the dwelling place of the gods (the Tuatha Dé Danann) as well as certain heroes and ancestors. It was probably similar to the Elysium of Greek mythology and both may have a shared origin in ancient Proto-Indo-European religion. The Otherworld is elusive, but various mythical heroes—such as Cúchulainn, Fionn and Bran—visit it either through chance or after being invited by one of its residents. In Irish myth and later folklore, the festivals of Samhain and Beltane(Bealtaine) are liminal times, when contact with the Otherworld was more likely. [1]

In the tales, the Otherworld is often reached by entering ancient burial mounds, such as those at Brú na Bóinne and Cnoc Meadha. These were known as sídhe ("Otherworld dwellings") and were the dwellings of the gods, later called the aos sí or daoine sí ("Otherworld folk"). [1] Irish mythology says the gods retreated into the sídhe when the Gaels (Milesians) took Ireland from them. In some tales, the Otherworld is reached by going under the waters of pools, lakes, or the sea, or else by crossing the western sea. [1] In Irish Immrama ("voyage") tales, a beautiful young Otherworld woman often approaches the hero and sings to him of this happy land. Sometimes she offers him an apple, or the promise of her love in exchange for his help in battle. He follows her, and they journey over the sea together and are seen no more. Their journey may be in a boat of glass, in a chariot, or on horseback (usually on a white horse, as in the case of the goddess Niamh of the Golden Hair).

Sometimes the hero returns after what he believes is a short time, only to find that all his companions are dead and he has actually been away for hundreds of years. Sometimes the hero sets out on a quest, and a magic mist descends upon him. He may find himself before an unusual palace and enter to find a warrior or a beautiful woman who makes him welcome. The woman may be the goddess Fand, the warrior may be Manannán mac Lir or Lugh, and after strange adventures the hero may return successfully. However, even when the mortal manages to return to his own time and place, he is forever changed by his contact with the Otherworld. [3]

The Otherworld was also seen as a source of authority. In the tale Baile in Scáil ("the phantom's ecstatic vision"), Conn of the Hundred Battles visits an Otherworld hall, where the god Lugh legitimizes his kingship and that of his successors. [1]

In Irish myth there is another otherworldly realm called Tech Duinn ("House of Donn" or "House of the Dark One"). [7] It was believed that the souls of the dead travelled to Tech Duinn; perhaps to remain there forever, or perhaps before reaching their final destination in the Otherworld, [8] or before being reincarnated. [7] Donn is portrayed as a god of the dead and ancestor of the Gaels. Tech Duinn is commonly identified with Bull Rock, an islet off the west coast of Ireland which resembles a portal tomb. [9] In Ireland there was a belief that the souls of the dead departed westwards over the sea with the setting sun, [10] westward also being the direction in which the phantom island anglicised as Hy-Brasil was purported to be found.

Welsh mythology

In Welsh mythology, the Otherworld is usually called Annwn or Annwfn. The Welsh tale of Branwen, daughter of Llyr ends with the survivors of the great battle feasting in the Otherworld, in the presence of the severed head of Bran the Blessed, having forgotten all their suffering and sorrow, and having become unaware of the passage of time. [11] Annwn is ruled by the Otherworld kings Arawn and Gwyn ap Nudd. [12]

In the First Branch of the Welsh tales known as the Mabinogi, entitled Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed , the eponymous prince offends Arawn, ruler of Annwn, by baiting his hunting hounds on a stag that Arawn's dogs had brought down. In recompense, Pwyll swaps places with Arawn for a year and defeats Arawn's enemy Hafgan. Meanwhile, Arawn rules Dyfed. During this year, Pwyll does not sleep with Arawn's wife, earning himself gratitude from Arawn. On his return, Pwyll becomes known by the title Pen Annwn, "Head (or Ruler) of Annwn".

Continental Celtic mythology

The Gauls divided the universe into three parts: Albios ("heaven, white-world, upper-world"), Bitu ("world of the living beings"), and Dubnos ("hell, lower-world, black-world"). [13] ; [14] ; [15] According to Lucan, the Gaulish druids believed that the soul went to an Otherworld, which he calls by the Latin name Orbis alius, before being reincarnated. [16]

Greco-Roman geographers[ who? ] tell us about Celtic belief in islands consecrated to gods and heroes. Among them were Anglesey (Môn), off the north coast of Wales, which was the sacred isle of the druids of Britain; the Scilly isles, where archaeological remains of proto-historical temples have been found; and some of the Hebrides, which were, in the Gaelic tradition, home to ghosts and demons: on one of them, Skye, the Irish hero Cúchulainn was taught by the warrior woman Scathach.

Byzantine scholar Procopius of Caesarea described the Otherworld of the ancient Gauls. He said it was thought that the land of the dead lay west of Great Britain. The Continental Celtic myths told that once the souls of the dead had left their bodies, they traveled to the northwest coast of Gaul and took a boat toward Britain. When they crossed the Channel, the souls went to the homes of the fishermen, and knocked desperately at their doors. The fishermen then went out of their houses and led the souls to their destination in ghostly ships.

There are still remains of those beliefs in the folklore of Brittany, where the name Bag an Noz is used to denote those ships who carry the dead to their goal: Anatole Le Braz describes in his book La légende de la mort chez les Bretons armoricains the existence of souls' processions which make their way toward coastal places like Laoual, to start their last travel from there.

In Asturian mythology, there are many stories which describe human encounters with xanas , fairies which are dancing around a chief fairy, the Xana Mega, or the "Queen of Fairies", known as xacias in Galicia. The castro of Altamira is said to hide an enormous underground realm which is ruled by a royal couple, and whose entrance is found some place on the hill.

Modern treatments

Modern authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien, [17] C. S. Lewis, and Jim Butcher have all drawn inspiration from various aspects of the Celtic Otherworld. In Tolkien's The Hobbit , the inspiration is seen when the narrative ventures into the otherworldly elven realm of the Mirkwood. In Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia , there exists a magical land called Narnia populated by magical beings, talking animals, and other supernatural elements. In Butcher's The Dresden Files , most supernatural beings come from another plane of existence called the "Nevernever," including the Sidhe (inspired by the Aos Sí) and Tuatha Dé Danann.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish mythology</span>

Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric era. In the early medieval era, myths were written down by Christian scribes, who Christianized them to some extent. Irish mythology is the best-preserved branch of Celtic mythology.

<i>Aos Sí</i> Supernatural race in Irish and Scottish mythology

Aos sí is the Irish name for a supernatural race in Gaelic folklore, similar to elves. They are said to descend from the Tuatha Dé Danann or the gods of Irish mythology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuatha Dé Danann</span> Pantheon of pre-Christian Ireland

The TuathaDé Danann, also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé, are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deities of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland.

In Welsh mythology, Amaethon was the god of agriculture, and the son of the goddess Dôn. His name means "labourer" or "ploughman", and he is cited as being responsible for the Cad Goddeu, or "Battle of Trees", between the lord of the otherworld, Arawn, and the Children of Dôn.

Annwn, Annwfn, or Annwfyn is the Otherworld in Welsh mythology. Ruled by Arawn, it was essentially a world of delights and eternal youth where disease was absent and food was ever-abundant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gwyn ap Nudd</span> Welsh mythological figure

Gwyn ap Nudd is a Welsh mythological figure, the king of the Tylwyth Teg or "fair folk" and ruler of the Welsh Otherworld, Annwn, and whose name means “Gwyn, son of Nudd”. Described later on as a great warrior with a "blackened face", Gwyn is intimately associated with the otherworld in medieval Welsh literature, and is associated with the international tradition of the Wild Hunt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arawn</span> King of the otherworld realm of Annwn in Welsh mythology

In Welsh mythology, Arawn was the king of the otherworld realm of Annwn who appears prominently in the first branch of the Mabinogi, and alluded to in the fourth. In later tradition, the role of the king of Annwn was largely attributed to the Welsh psychopomp, Gwyn ap Nudd - meaning "white" a possible kenning for his true name. However, Arawn's memory is retained in a traditional saying found in an old Cardigan folktale:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pwyll</span> Welsh hero

Pwyll Pen Annwn is a prominent figure in Welsh mythology and literature, the lord of Dyfed, husband of Rhiannon and father of the hero Pryderi. With a name meaning "wisdom", he is the eponymous hero of Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed, the first branch of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi, and also appears briefly as a member of Arthur's court in the medieval tale Culhwch ac Olwen. Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed also carries many similarities to the Mabinogi Branwen.

Hafgan is one of the kings of Annwn, the otherworld in Welsh mythology. He appears in the First Branch of the Mabinogi as the main rival of Arawn, the other king of Annwn. The dominions of the two kings sit side by side, and Hafgan is constantly warring against Arawn. In the story Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed, Pwyll, in order to gain Arawn's friendship, agrees to switch places with him for one year and one day and to battle against Hafgan in order to rid Arawn of his difficulty. Before they exchange places, Arawn gives specific instructions to Pwyll to kill him with one stroke and no more. In the past when Arawn had battled and had struck Hafgan nearly to his death, Hafgan had begged him to give another stroke, and when Arawn had done so, Hafgan recovered from his injuries and was in good health for battle again the next day."

In Welsh mythology and folklore, Cŵn Annwn, singular Ci Annwn, were the spectral hounds of Annwn, the otherworld of Welsh myth. They were associated with a form of the Wild Hunt, presided over by either Arawn, king of Annwn in Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed, the First Branch of the Mabinogi and alluded to in Math fab Mathonwy the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, or by Gwyn ap Nudd as the underworld king and king of the fair(y) folk is named in later medieval lore.

In Irish mythology, Mag Mell is one of the names for the Celtic Otherworld, a mythical realm achievable through death and/or glory. Unlike the underworld in some mythologies, Mag Mell was a pleasurable paradise, identified as either an island far to the west of Ireland or a kingdom beneath the ocean. However, Mag Mell was similar to the fields of Elysium in Greek mythology, and similarly was accessible only to a select few. Furthermore, Mag Mell, like the numerous other mystical islands said to be off the coast of Ireland, was never explicitly stated in any surviving mythological account to be an afterlife. Rather, it is usually portrayed as a paradise populated by deities, which is occasionally visited by some adventurous mortals. In its island guise, it was visited by various legendary Irish heroes and monks, forming the basis of the adventure myth or echtrae as defined by Myles Dillon in his book Early Irish Literature. This otherworld is a place where sickness and death do not exist, a place of eternal youth and beauty. Here, music, strength, life, and all pleasurable pursuits come together in a single place. Here, happiness lasts forever, and no one wants for food or drink. It is something of an Irish equivalent to the Valhalla of the Norse as well as the Elysium of the Greeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welsh mythology</span>

Welsh mythology consists of both folk traditions developed in Wales, and traditions developed by the Celtic Britons elsewhere before the end of the first millennium. As in most of the predominantly oral societies Celtic mythology and history were recorded orally by specialists such as druids. This oral record has been lost or altered as a result of outside contact and invasion over the years. Much of this altered mythology and history is preserved in medieval Welsh manuscripts, which include the Red Book of Hergest, the White Book of Rhydderch, the Book of Aneirin and the Book of Taliesin. Other works connected to Welsh mythology include the ninth-century Latin historical compilation Historia Brittonum and Geoffrey of Monmouth's twelfth-century Latin chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae, as well as later folklore, such as the materials collected in The Welsh Fairy Book by William Jenkyn Thomas (1908).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navan Fort</span> Ceremonial and possible royal site near Armagh, Northern Ireland

Navan Fort is an ancient ceremonial monument near Armagh, Northern Ireland. According to tradition it was one of the great royal sites of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland and the capital of the Ulaidh. It is a large circular hilltop enclosure—marked by a bank and ditch—inside which is a circular mound and the remains of a ring barrow. Archeological investigations show that there were once buildings on the site, including a huge roundhouse-like structure that has been likened to a temple. In a ritual act, this timber structure was filled with stones, deliberately burnt down and then covered with earth to create the mound which stands today. It is believed that Navan was a pagan ceremonial site and was regarded as a sacred space. It features prominently in Irish mythology, especially in the tales of the Ulster Cycle. According to the Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology, "the [Eamhain Mhacha] of myth and legend is a far grander and mysterious place than archeological excavation supports".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tír na nÓg</span> Otherworld realm in Irish mythology

In Irish mythology, Tír na nÓg or Tír na hÓige is one of the names for the Celtic Otherworld, or perhaps for a part of it. Tír na nÓg is best known from the tale of Oisín ("uh-sheen") and Niamh ("neev").

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immram</span> Mythical Irish voyage tales

An immram is a class of Old Irish tales concerning a hero's sea journey to the Otherworld. Written in the Christian era and essentially Christian in aspect, they preserve elements of Irish mythology.

An Echtra or Echtrae, is a type of pre-Christian Old Irish literature about a hero's adventures in the Otherworld or with otherworldly beings.

<i>Preiddeu Annwfn</i> Medieval Welsh poem

Preiddeu Annwfn or Preiddeu Annwn is a cryptic poem of sixty lines in Middle Welsh, found in the Book of Taliesin. The text recounts an expedition with King Arthur to Annwfn or Annwn, the Otherworld in Welsh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celtic mythology</span>

Celtic mythology is the body of myths belonging to the Celtic peoples. Like other Iron Age Europeans, Celtic peoples followed a polytheistic religion, having many gods and goddesses. The mythologies of continental Celtic peoples, such as the Gauls and Celtiberians, did not survive their conquest by the Roman Empire, the loss of their Celtic languages and their subsequent conversion to Christianity. Only remnants are found in Greco-Roman sources and archaeology. Most surviving Celtic mythology belongs to the Insular Celtic peoples. They preserved some of their myths in oral lore, which were eventually written down by Christian scribes in the Middle Ages. Irish mythology has the largest written body of myths, followed by Welsh mythology.

<i>Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed</i>

Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed, "Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed," is a legendary tale from medieval Welsh literature and the first of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi. It tells of the friendship between Pwyll, prince of Dyfed, and Arawn, lord of Annwn, of the courting and marriage of Pwyll and Rhiannon and of the birth and disappearance of Pryderi. This branch introduces a number of storylines that reappear in later tales, including the alliance between Dyfed and Annwn, and the enmity between Pwyll and Gwawl. Along with the other branches, the tale can be found in the medieval Red Book of Hergest and White Book of Rhydderch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Branch</span> Symbol in Irish mythology and literature

The Silver Branch or Silver Bough is a symbol found in Irish mythology and literature.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Koch, John T. Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO, 2006. p.1671
  2. ↑ "The Celts: The People 'At The End Of The World'". Columbia Theological Seminary. 11 May 2017. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 MacKillop, James. Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Oxford University Press, 1998. pp.21, 205, 270, 322–3, 346, 359–60. ISBN   0-19-280120-1.
  4. ↑ Cf. Eleanor Hull, The Silver Bough in Irish Legend, in Folk-Lore, xii.
  5. 1 2 MacCulloch, J. A. (1911). The Religion of the Ancient Celts . p.362.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Byrne, Aisling. Otherworlds: Fantasy and History in Medieval Literature. Oxford University Press, 2015. p.34
  7. 1 2 Freitag, Barbara. Hy Brasil: The Metamorphosis of an Island. Rodopi, 2013. pp.98-99, 101
  8. ↑ MacKillop 1998, pp.147–9
  9. ↑ Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí. The Lore of Ireland. Boydell Press, 2006. p.179
  10. ↑ Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí. The Sacred Isle: Belief and Religion in Pre-Christian Ireland. Boydell & Brewer, 1999. pp.27, 58
  11. ↑ Patrick K. Ford (ed/trans), The Mabinogi and other Medieval Welsh Tales, University of California Press, Berkeley, 1977. ISBN   0-520-03414-7
  12. ↑ MacKillop 1998, pp.19–20
  13. ↑ X., Delamarre (2003). Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise : une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental (2e éd. rev. et augm ed.). Paris: Errance. pp. 37 & 76 & 151. ISBN   9782877723695. OCLC   354152038.
  14. ↑ Sterckx, Claude (12 March 2014). Mythologie du monde celte (in French). Marabout. p. 84. ISBN   9782501097178.
  15. ↑ Black, Ronald; Gillies, William; Maolalaigh, Roibeard Ó (1999). Celtic Connections: Language, literature, history, culture. Tuckwell Press. p. 521. ISBN   9781898410775.
  16. ↑ Lucani, M. Annaei (1740). Pharsalia. p. 52.
  17. ↑ Andoni Cossio (2021) Sir Orfeo as the Source for the Medieval Romance Topoi of Abduction and Otherworld Rampant within The Hobbit’s Mirkwood, ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews, DOI: 10.1080/0895769X.2021.1967105

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