Monday, November 19, 2018

Storytime: The Irish Myth of Sadhbh

The Irish Myth of Sadhbh


Sometimes a travel destination can be understood through its heroes (or sheroes), myths or legends.  Ireland's pre-Christian history survived as myths. Gods and Goddesses become heroes and warriors become the subject of songs that the bards wrote poems and sang songs about.  These myths are connected to the land and to place, bridging the past to the present.  One such tale is that of Sadhbh...


Gather round the turf fire all cozy like; for the Seanchaí has arrived. 

Gathering around the seanchai an ancient Irish tradition of story telling
Gathering Around The Seanchai
What is a Seanchaí?  Well in English the word is pronounced like "Shawn-na-key," and in Old Irish, it is  Seanchaidhean, which means "bearer of old lore."  In the Celtic tradition, history and myth were not written down. Instead, history was memoried in a series of long lyric poems.  In the time of the Clans, the Seanchaí had a place of honour keeping track of valuable information for their Chieftan.  As the power of the Clans dwindled, the Seanchaí set out travelling the countryside with their select repertoire of legends, myths and stories and would be invited into homes to recount their sagas in exchange for room and short-term board.





So then, pour the Seanchaí a wee glass of poitín and listen to the tale of Sadhbh...

1910 Painting of ancient Irish legend Sadhbh by Arthur Rackham
Sadhbh by Arthur Rackham 1910


Sadhbh (pronounced S-eye-v and rhymes with hive) was the daughter of the High King of the Síd of Munster.  The Síd (pronounced Shee) were a race of indigenous people that disappeared from history, and Irish myth has them as what we would call the Faerie People.  Sadhbh was a beautiful young girl and had gained the attention of a mighty Druid named Fer Doirich, The Dark Druid of the Tuatha Dé Danann.  The Tuatha Dé Danann (or the people of the Goddess Danu) are the pantheon of Celtic Gods and Goddesses of the pre-Christian era in Ireland, sort of like the Olympians in Greek mythology.  Fer Doirich wanted Sadhbh as his bride, but she was still a maiden and refused his advances. This refusal enraged The Dark Sorcerer who cursed Sadhbh, turning her into a doe leaving her to the wild to be hunted by wolves and ripped apart!



Poor young Sadhbh ran terrified, into the forest.  There, she survived for three years in the form of a deer until she came upon the lands of the mythical warrior king of the Fianna; Fionn mac Cumhaill (or Finn MacCool in English).


Woodcut of ancient Irish myth of Turiren with Bran and Sceolan
Tuiren With Bran And Sceolan

Now, Fionn mac Cumhaill was out hunting on his lands with his men and his two enchanted Celtic Hounds Bran and Sceolan (pronounced Shkih-oh-lawn).  These giant Celtic Hounds were similar to Irish Wolfhounds but bigger. These two dogs had a human mother; Tuiren who happened to be Fionn's Aunt who had been turned into a hound by a jealous Síd woman.  Tuiren was pregnant at the time of her enchantment, and she gave birth to the twin hounds Bran and Sceolan. Fionn vowed to take care of his canine cousins, and the twin brother and sister became his loyal companions that never left his side.  




Ringfort at Cahersiveen, county Kerry Ireland
Ring Fort at Cahersiveen

When Bran and Sceolan came across Sadhbh in the form a doe, they could recognize that she was a human caught in animal form.  Instead of trapping or killing her, the great dogs lay down beside her and protected her from the Fianna hunters.  When Fionn saw this, he knew there was something special about this little doe, so he softly spoke to the deer, telling her he was taking her back to his Fort called Almhuin (pronounced AL-whin) for protection.  To Fionn's surprise, the deer got up and followed him all the way back to the ring fort!  
That night Fionn and the rest of the Fianna arrived back at Almhuin.  As soon Sadhbh entered the fort she shed her deerskin and stood up tall and once again assumed her human form as a beautiful young woman!



Fionn mac Cumhaill fell immediately in love with the gentle Sadhbh, for "Sadhbh" means "sweet and lovely" in Irish.  For months Fionn and Sadhbh were in the throughs of passion and Fionn gave up hunting, sport and all other pleasures; rarely did the couple stray far from the bedchamber.  Sadhbh became pregnant and refused to leave the walls of the fort, fearing the Dark Druids magic would find her.  For close to one year, Fionn and Sadhbh lived in a bubble of love and bliss revelling in each other's company.


And they lived happily ever after?  Not a chance lads and lasses!


Painting of ancient Irish myth of Fionn mac Cumhaill by Stephen Reid
Fionn mac Cumhaill by Stephen Reid

But their bliss was not to last.  Vikings were raiding the Kerry coastline, and Fionn mac Cumhaill and the Fianna went to defend Ireland from the Northern invaders.  Fionn was saddened to leave Sadhbh knowing she carried his child, and he assured her that he would hurry back to Almhuin.  Sadhbh anxiously waited for Fionn, every day the expectant mother walked along the walls of the stone fort watching for Fionn to return from battle.  On the fourth night after Fionn had left for the coast,  Sadhbh was on top of the walls surrounding the fort when she saw the figure of Fionn approaching under the full moon.  Sadhbh was overjoyed to see her beloved returning to her, and heavy with child now, she ran out to greet Fionn mac Cumhaill and take him into her arms.  
But it was not Fionn.
It was the Dark Druid Fer Doirich cloaked in a magical glamour appearing to all as Fion mac Cumhaill.  The Dark One had learned of "the deer that turned into a maiden" and came to seek revenge on Sadhbh.  Pulling a hazel wand from beneath his cloak as Sadhbh approached, Fer Doirich touched her with his wand and Sadhbh immediately turned back into a doe.  The Sorcerer put a rope around Sadhbh's neck and led her off into the night. 


Painting of Irish myth of Fion mac Cumhill searching for Sadhbh
Fionn Searched For His Beloved


After seven days of battle with the Vikings, Fionn mac Cumhaill returned to Almhuin only to learn that his beloved Sadhbh was missing.   Fionn searched the grounds of the Fort and the surrounding settlement, but all he found was her night shift on the ground outside the stone walls of the dún or fort.  Fionn knew that Sadhbh's disappearance must have been the work of the Tuatha Dé Danann's dark magic and set off immediately with Bran and Sceolan and a handful of the best Fianna hunters to find his beloved mate.

For seven years Fionn mac Cumhaill roamed the countryside in search of his beloved, but every day ended in a fruitless search.  Fionn's heart became heavier and heavier with grief as each passing year went by, but Fionn refused to give up looking for Sadhbh.  
The Irish Myth of Sadhbh
Sadhbh and Oisín






Then after seven years Fionn and his Fianna hunters came across a child in the nearby mountains.  Fionn's enchanted Celtic hounds Bran and Secolan approached the young boy and laid down at his feet, astonishing the group of hunters.  The boy did not know how to speak and was apparently a wildling living in the forest.  Upon closer inspection, Fionn saw that the boy had the same features as his lost love Sadhbh and he decided to take the boy back to Almhuin.


Painting of the ancient Irish Myth of Sadhbh; the maiden who turned into a deer


As the months passed the wild boy learned how to speak, and he told Fionn about how he was raised by a gentle deer in the forest.  Fionn realized this was his son named him Oisín (pronounced 0h-SHEEN) which means "young deer" in Irish, in honour of his mother Sadhbh who was never seen from again.  Oisín grew to become one of Irelands greatest poets and a fierce warrior of the Fianna.  Stories and myths of Oisín are still told in Ireland to this day, many of the poems are attributed to the writings of Oisín himself.

Legend has it the little town of Cahersiveen located on the Ring of Kerry is named after Sadhbh.  In Irish Cahersiveen is Cathair Saidhbhín; Cathair = stone ringfort and Saidhbhín = little Sadhbh.  In other words, Little Sadhbh's Ringfort.  This name captured my imagination, as there are two ancient stone ringforts on the outskirts of the town of Cahersiveen.  Were these ringforts part of Almhuin, legendary home of Fionn mac Cumhaill and the Fianna?  


I went to Leacainabuaile ringfort and its sister ringfort Cahergall on the Ring of Kerry, and the myth of Sadhbh came alive for me.   Standing on the ancient stone walls looking out towards the sea, I could almost FEEL the angst the pregnant Sadhbh endured while waiting for her beloved to return to her from battle.  The ringforts have a heavy and forlorn feeling to them that emotes heartache throughout the centuries; this feeling is echoed by the hauntingly beautiful landscape of Cahersiveen. 
In this place, Fionn and Sadhbh's love will live on forever.


Have you ever deepened your travel experience through a myth?  I would love to hear about it in the comments below...




Leacanabuaile ring fort near the village of Cahersiveen county Kerry, Ireland
Leacanabuaile Ring Fort Near Cahersiveen


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7 comments:

  1. The ringforts are serpent temples. Fionn represents the new religion. Sadhbh shed her skin- an ancient but almost world wide symbol of renewal and rebirth. serpent mound in Ohio has egg in the mouth. Hill of Tara has the egg outside the structure.
    Christianity hijacked this symbol and turned it into a negative one. I often wonder what the original story was. I visited that temple in Kerry recently. to say my shadow revealed itself would be an understatement. there are hundreds of these temples in Ireland just like there are hundreds of churches today.
    best untampered example is Edin Hall broch in scotland. look it up on G-images and note the two headed serpent. it lies close to the white ADDER river. the auroboro is an ancient symbol. you might have noticed the double helix design of the 'ringfort' you visited. 😉 none of it really matters ... we are stuck with Roman history regardless of what actually happened. one religion wrote the stories down but they most likely changed them to suit their narrative.

    Oisín
    young deer

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  2. Yes, thank you, Oisin! The ringforts are such evocative places; so much of the history lost with oral traditions as well. I hope to go back to North West Ireland (hopefully next year) and learn more about the pre-Celtic religion.
    BB

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  3. Hi Monika,
    I came across your blog while researching Sadhbh. I live in Cahersiveen and a couple of years ago they built a replica of the original ringfort in the town park beside the mound where it was located.
    I find it fascinating to think that there are links to the old stories which could be the actual history of a place. Because Ireland had always had an oral tradition we unfortunately have to rely on the Christianised and Anglicised versions of things.
    If you ever get back to Kerry can I recommend a visit to Staigue ringfort, a much more isolated and atmospheric place :)
    Dawn

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  4. I will be visiting there next week with my just turned 7 year old Sadhbh. Glad I read this piece. It'll add a bit of mystery to the visit. Wondering if this was the actual place from this wonderful story.. . Just because it isn't in the his-story books it doesn't mean it isn't true.
    Thank you

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  5. Hope you had a great trip! Sorry I didn't reply to your comment earlier. two great places to explore the myth of Sadhbh are in the town of Cahersiveen and also Staigue Fort. Both of these ring forts are on the Ring of Kerry.
    Happy exploring!
    Monika

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  6. Hello Monika
    We had a daughter 3/3/23 and named her sadhbh,we researched the name and knew it meant sweet and lovely and that sadhbh was the daughter of brian boru and also there was some connection to a small town in Kerry area!
    Had no idea of the mythology behind the name,absolutely loved reading it and it gives the name a whole new dimension for me!
    Thank you for sharing and I will be saving it for her
    Bob mclaughlin
    Derry city

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  7. Hello Bob,
    Congratulations on the birth of your daughter; Sadhbh is such a pretty name! I am happy you liked the blog post and hope you and your Sadhbh make it down to Cahersiveen to explore the ring forts someday.

    Slainte😊

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