Festivals, Deaths, and the Sacred Landscape of Ancient Ireland
2003; Volume: 31; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
0092-2323
AutoresRonald Hicks, Laura Ward Elder,
Tópico(s)Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
ResumoThis analysis of those Irish placename tales in the compilation known as the dindshenchas that mention one of the four seasonal festivals and death finds that only the two festivals marking the beginning and end of harvest are associated with deaths. Further, deaths associated with the first of the two, Lughnasa, are nearly all female and non-violent while those associated with the second, Samhain, are predominantly violent and involve warriors. Lughnasa sites are in four clusters, distributed in as many provinces, and in a configuration hinting at a planned sacred landscape. The characters most frequently mentioned are Eochaid, Lugh, Midir, and Oengus in the Lughnasa tales and Cu Chulainn in those concerning Samhain.
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