Deity of the Week
Week of September 1, 2003
Senua Britain's unknown goddess unearthed Maev Kennedy, arts and heritage correspondent Monday September 1, 2003
She is faceless and armless, but she has a name: Senua. A previously unknown Romano-British goddess has been resurrected at the British Museum, patiently prised from soil-encrusted clumps of gold and corroded silver which have buried her identity for more than 1,600 years. Her name is published for the first time today. The 26 pieces of gold and silver, found in a Hertfordshire field last year, are believed to be the treasures of a shrine in her honour, carefully hidden as some disaster loomed in the late 3rd century. The fact that they were never recovered suggests the protection of the goddess did nothing to save her conscientious devotee.
"This is a hugely significant find, of national and international importance," Ralph Jackson, Roman curator at the British Museum, said. "Personal hoards, hidden in some crisis, are reasonably common. To find a hoard of a temple treasure, such as this one, is incredibly rare, not just in Britain but anywhere. To give Britain a new goddess is extraordinary."
He believes Senua was probably an older Celtic goddess, worshipped at a spring on the site, who was then adopted and Romanised - twinned with their goddess Minerva - by the invaders. There is a direct parallel at Bath, where the Romans seamlessly absorbed the Celtic god Sulis, and a much older shrine, into their religion.
Senua's shrine may have been a ritual spring, into which offerings were thrown, surrounded by a complex of buildings including workshops and accommodation for pilgrims.
It was certainly no humble crossroads shrine. The offerings include silver plaques with gold highlights, seven gold plaques and a superb set of jewellery, including a brooch and cloak clasps. The plaques still have the metal tabs which allowed them to be set upright, and are so thin that they would then have shivered and glittered in any draught.
Mr Jackson spent months poring over the faint inscriptions on the votive plaques, some incised, some punched out in tiny holes. He could make out some of the names of the donors, including Cariata, Celsus, Firmanus and Lucilia, and one complete inscription recording that Servandus from Spain was well pleased with the favours the goddess had done him, and was paying her back: "Servandus Hispani willingly fulfilled his vow to the goddess".
The jewellery incorporated older gems and glass beads, including a superb carved cameo of a lion trampling an ox skull - a classical allegory of all conquering death - which was already old and worn before it was set into the brooch. All of the jewellery shared intricate decoration in minutely coiled wire, and the set may have been specially made as an offering.
But who was the obliging goddess? Several of the plaques showed a classic image of Minerva, with spear, shield and owl but Dr Jackson could not make the letters spell her name. Only when the plaques were x-rayed did he realise that he was looking at the name of a wholly unknown goddess.
"It was an extraordinary moment," he said, "Like seeing her reborn before my eyes."
The hoard comes from a unique find a year ago by an amateur using a metal detector, in a field near Baldock in Hertfordshire. Though other scraps of ancient metal had been found, there was nothing to suggest the site was of major significance. It was immediately recognised as legally treasure, which must be reported. Local and British Museum archaeologists joined the search. The finder and the landowner shared the £35,000 reward, which the British Museum paid with grants from their friends group and the Art Fund charity.
When the field was excavated the broken-off base of the small silver statuette was found, and it identified the figure as Senua. She remains teasingly elusive. Only the back view, of a graceful woman with hair coiled in a bun, remains intact. The breast, arms and face of the goddess rotted away in the soil centuries ago. Much work remains to be done on the finds and at the site. A bundle of gold plaques remains clumped together with mud, like trampled autumn leaves.
The field may still hold bronze plaques, not considered valuable enough to hide, and it may even eventually yield some clue as to the catastrophe which overwhelmed Senua's shrine, and the faithful guardian of her treasures.
· The Baldock find is included in Hidden Treasures, a documentary series on the British Museum and recent treasure finds, which begins tomorrow night at 8.30pm on BBC2.
The finds will be on display at the British Museum later this month, and will also be in a major exhibition, Buried Treasure, which opens at the Museum in November. Full story...
Deities of past weeks
Feb 11, 2001
Cormac was the son of the Ulster king Conchobhar Mac Nessa. An Irish myth tells of his distaste at his father’s treachery in killin Naoise, the husband of Deirdre, and of his going into voluntary exile with the deposed Ulster ruler Fergus Mac Roth. Not until he received an invitation from his father Conchobhar, when the dying king had nominated Cormac as his successor, did he consider returning home. However, a druidess had warned Cormac that if he went back to Ulster he would be killed, but he set out anyway and on the journey he fell into a deep magic sleep and was slain by a group of warriors. The attack was said to have been arranged by a jealous husband, whose wife had fallen in love with Cormac.
The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology
By Arthur Cotterell & Rachel Storm
Feb 18, 2001
Conlai sometimes known as Connla, was the doomed son of the great Ulster hero Cu Chulainn. According to one Irish tradition, Cu Chulainn had visited the Land of Shadows in order to challenge the warrior woman Aoifa to single combat. After the fight, which the just managed to win by the use of cunning, they became lovers and Conlai was conceived. When he left, Cu Chulainn gave Aoifa a gold ring. Years later Conlai wore this ring on a vistit to Ulster, where he challenged the local heroes to combat. Just like his father, Conlai was quick to anger and soon overcame Conall, Cu Chulainn’s foster brother. Despite the misgivings of his wife Emer, Cu Chulainn could not resist fighting the young stranger himself. Too proud to announce his own identity when challenged by Cu Chulainn, Conlai accepted the possibility of death and drew his sword. Although Cu Chulainn was impressed by sword-play that matched his own, he lost his temper when Conlai cut off one of his locks of hair. The terrible combat ended when Cu Chulainn drove his spear through Conlai’s stomach. Only then did Cu Chulainn notice on his young opponent’s finger the ring he had given to Aoifa. Cu Chulainn, overwhelmed with remorse and grief, carried the dying Conlai to his house and afterwards buried his forgotten son.
The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology
By Arthur Cotterell & Rachel Storm
Feb 25, 2002
Cormac Mac Art was the High King of Ireland during the period that Finn Mac Cool led the Fenian warrior band. He was the most famous of the early rulers of Ireland, his reign being tentatively dated from 227 to 266. Cormac Mac Art was the Irish Solomon, a wise and powerful king, who was well served by the brave exploits of Finn Mac Cool. His wisdom seems to have impressed the Tuatha De Danann. Theses gods and goddesses invited Cormac Mac Art to their home in the otherworld, where they gave him wonderful presents. One of theses was a silver branch that bore golden apples, and when shaken produced music that could cure the sick and wounded. On his own death Cormac Mac Art had to hand back this incredible talisman. One of Cormac’s sons, Cellach, raped the niece of Aonghus of the Terrible Spear. In the ensuing fight, Cellach was slain and Cormac lost an eye. As a High King could have no imperfection Cormac had to step down and his son Cairbe took his place. The reputation of the High King remained so strong that the Irish Christians also adopted him. It was claimed that Cormac Mac Art learned ot the Christian faith before it was actually preached in Ireland by St. Patrick, with the result that he ordered that he should not be buried at the royal cemetery by the River Boyne because of its pagan associations.
The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology
By Arthur Cotterell & Rachel Storm
March 4, 2002
Cairbe or Cairbre Cinn Cait (of the Cat’s Head)
Last week I touched upon Cormac Mac Art and one of his sons Cairbe that became king, however he was a cruel king. There is a little ditty about him:
“Thus was Cairbre the cruel
who seized Ireland south and north
two cat’s ears on his fair head
a cat’s fur through his ears.”
Apparently Cairbre killed his own son because he had cat ears instead of normal ears. It is my belief that Cairbre was married, or at least lovers with a cat headed goddess. When she bore him a son that had cat ears Cairbre killed him. The goddess then cursed Cairbre to have the cat’s ears, which would disqualify Cairbre as king as well as caus him to lose face with his subjects.
March 11, 2002
Creidhne was the goldsmith of the Tuatha De Danann and the brother of Goibhniu, the smith god, and Luchtar, the carpenter. During the second battle of Magh Tuireadh, when the De Danann finally defeated the Fomorii, the three brothers could be seen on the battlefield making and repairing spears with magical speed. As Goibhniu fashioned a blade with three blows of his hammer. Luchtar carved a handle in a flash, and Creidhne crafted rivets that flew into place and bonded at once.
The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology
By Arthur Cotterell & Rachel Storm
March 18, 2002
Cu Chulainn, in Irish mythology, was the champion warrior of Ulster. His name means “the Hound of Culann”, although he was usually called the Hound of Ulster. Cu Chulainn was the Irish Achilles, a larger-than-life fighter whose bouts of temper often caused grief to himself and others. Anger certainly made him lay his son Conlai, when the young man traveled from the Land of Shadows to visit Ulster. The Fifteen-year-old warrior was Cu Chulainn’s son by the warrior woman Aoifa. Neither father nor son would identify themselves, so a tragic fight ensued. A gold ring on Conlai’s finger revealed to late that he was Cu Chulainn’s own offspring.
Cu Chulainn’s mother was Dechtire, the daughter of the Druid Cathbad, an advisor to the King Conchobhar Mac Nessa. It was Cathbad who foretold that Cu Chulainn would become a great warrior but die young. Shortly after her marriage to Sualtam Mac Roth, who was the brother of the deposed Ulster ruler Fergus Mac Roth, Dechtire along with fifty of her kinswomen flew to the otherworld in the form of a flock of birds. During the wedding feast she had swallowed a fly and dreamed as a result of the sun god Lugh, who told her to make this journey. Cathbad reassured his son-in-law by saying that Dechtire had merely gone to visit her otherworld relations, for her mother was a daughter of the god Aonghus. In fact, Lugh kept Dechtire there for his own pleasure for three years.
When Dechtire and her women returned to Emain Macha, the stronghold of the Ulster kings, in the form of brightly colored birds, Dechtire was expecting Lugh’s son, Setanta. Sualtam Mac Roth was so pleased to have his wife home again that when the boy was born he accepted him as his own child.
As a youth, Setanta quickly learned the ways of the warrior, but it was not obvious to everyone just how strong and brave he was until he killed an enormous hound with his bare hands. One day, arriving late at the gate of a house where King Cochobhar Mac Nessa was being entertained by the Ulster smith Culann, the young hero was attacked by a ferocious guard dog and only saved himself by dashing out its brains on one of the gate’s pillars. There host had now lost a faithful guardian, so Setanta offered to take the hound’s place while a replacement was found, it was decided that henceforth Setanta would be known ad Cu Chulainn.
Even though Cathbad warned that anyone going to battle for the first time on a certain day was destined for much fame but a short life, Cu Chulainn could not wait to deal with Ulster’s enemies and he soon took up arms against three semi-divine warriors named Foill, Fannell and Tuachell, as well as their numerous followers, all of whom he killed. In this comban Cu Chulainn displayed for the first time the dreadful shape of his battle-frenzy. His body trembled violently; his heels and calves appeared in front; one eye receded into his head, the other stood out huge and red on his cheek; a man’s head could fit into his jaw; his hair bristled like hawthorn, with a drop of blood at the end of each strand; and from the top of his head arose a thick column of dark blood like the mast of a ship. Returning to Emain Macha in his chariot, “graced with the bleeding heads of his enemies”, and with the battle frenzy still upon him, Cu Chulainn was only stopped from circling the defenses and screaming for a fight through a ploy of the Ulster queen Mughain. She led out of Emain Macha some hundred and fifty naked women carrying three vats of cold water. An embarrassed or amazed Cu Chulainn was swiftly womanhandled into the vats. The first one burst its sides. The second boiled furiously, but the last vat became only hot. Thus was the young hero tamed after his first taste of blood.
In his calm, everyday state of mind Cu Chulainn was a favorite of womenfolk. But he fell in love with Emer, the daughter of Fogall, a wily chieftain whose castle was close to Dublin. Cu Chulainn asked for Emer’s hand but Fogall, who was against the match, pointed out that Cu Chulainn had yet to establish his reputation as a warrior and suggested that he should go and learn from the Scottish Champion Domhall. Domhall told Cu Chulainn that his best trainer in arms would be Scathach, a warrior woman in the Land of Shadows. So he traveled to this mysterious land and served Scathach. She taught the young hero his famous battle leap.
For a year and a day Cu Chulainn was taught by Scathach, and became the lover of her daughter Uathach. Scathach seems to have feared for he safety of Cu Chulainn, and she warned him without success not to challenge her sister Aoifa. But Cu Chulainn beat Aoifa by cunning, and afterwards she became his mistress, conceiving the unfortunate Conlai. Cu Chulainn finally returned to Fogall’s stronghold and claimed Emer, but only after a heated battle with Fogall and his warriors, during which Fogall leapt to his death escaping the hero.
Acclaimed as the champion of Ireland in a beheading contest, Cu Chulainn was soon unbeatable in combat, a skill he was to need dearly in his last campaign, which was a single-handed defense of Ulster against the invading army of Queen Meadhbh of Connacht. The main reason for this large-scale cattle raid was a famous brown bull which was kept in Cuailgne. But the tyrannical ruler of Ulster, King Conchobhar Mac Nessa, also played a part in gathering rebellious Ulstermen and others from many parts of Ireland to Queen Meadhbh’s side. One prophecy told to the queen that there would be “crimson and red” upon her forces because of Cu Chulainn’s prowess, but she was determined to invade and she also had three advantages. First, the great hero had made bitter enemies of the Calatin family, who’s daughters were witches. Just prior to his last stand along with his faithful charioteer Laeg, they cast a spell on Cu Chulainn which withered a shoulder and hand. Second, Meadhbh attacked when Ulster’s heroes were laid low by Macha’s curse, and were unable to fight for five days and nights. Finally, Cu Chulainn had lost the support of the goddess Morrigan, because he had rejected her passionate advances. Yet he still managed to conduct a successful single-handed defense and was able to slow the advance of Queen Meadhbh’s forces by the use of clever tactics and lightning attacks, until the effects of Macha’s curse had almost worn off, and the dazed warriors were able to respond to Sualtam Mac Roth’s call to arms. But their help came to late for Cu Chulainn. Pressed on all sides by his enemies, the Ulster champion was overcome in spite of aid from his divine father, Lugh. His only companion, Laeg, was laid low with a spear, the Cu Chulainn himself suffered a terrible stomach wound that even Lugh could not heal. Finally, Cu Chulainn tied himself to an upright stone in order to fight until his last breath. As soon as he died Morrigan, in the form of a crow, settled on his shoulder and his enemies cut off his head and right hand, leaving his body for the carrion birds. Conall, his foster brother, managed to recover the missing parts, but Ulster wept for the loss of their champion. Indeed, so widespread was Cu Chulainn’s fame that his exploits influenced the development of the Arthurian myths in Britain and France.
The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology
By Arthur Cotterell & Rachel Storm
March 25, 2002
Culann, in Irish mythology was an Ulster smith who was thought to be a reincarnation of the sea god Manannan Mac Lir. It was his enormous guard dog that young Setanta (later known as Cu Chulainn) killed with his bare hands.
The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology
By Arthur Cotterell & Rachel Storm
Week of April 1, 2002
Culhwch, in Welsh mythology, was the son of Cildydd, one of King Arthur's knights. His step mother hated Culhwch so much that she placed a curse on him that he could marry only Olwen, the daughter of the giant Yspaddaden. This fate, however, seemed less dreadful once Culhwch found Olwen, a task which took over a year, for they fell deeply in love. Culhwch's next problem was how to persuade her giant father to agree to the match. Like the Irish Cyclops Balor, Yspaddaden's eye lids needed to be levered up with supports in order for him to see Culhwch. Also like Balor, the Welsh giant did not favor the idea of his daughter marrying a man (Note, according to the myth, Olwen's husband would kill Yspaddaden. Any man would have problems with trying to marry Olwen). At interviews held on successive days Yspaddaden threw a poisoned spear at Culhwch and his companions, but they managed on each occasion to catch it and throw it back. When Culhwch finally put out one of the giant's eyes with a returned throw, Yspaddaden agreed to the marriage on condition that Culhwch perform a whole series of difficult tasks. With the assistance of King Arthur's men and a couple of divine allies, Culhwch successfully completed these trials, then killed Yspaddaden and married Olwen.
The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology
By Arthur Cotterell & Rachel Storm
Week of April 8, 2002
Cumal, was the father of the Fenian hero Finn Mac Cumal, more commonly known as Finn MacCool, who was born after his father's death, Cumal was also renowned leader of the Fianna and chief of the Clan Bascna. He was killed by Jadhg, a druid who has been enraged when Cumal eloped with his daughter.
The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology
By Arthur Cotterell & Rachel Storm
Week of April 15, 2002
Cu Roi, was a Munster king. It was King Cu Roi who transformed himself in to Uath, the dreadful giant, in order to choose the campion of Ireland. The three contenders for the championship Laoghaire, Cu Chulainn's foster brother Conall, and Cu Chulainn himself were invited by Cu Roi to a beheading contest, which only Cu Chulainn had enough courage to go through with. Later, Cu Roi and Cu Chulainn carried off Blathnat, a beautiful woman. Although she expressed her love for Cu Chulainn, Cu Roi took her to his castle in Munster. When Cu Chulainn laid siege to the stronghold, Blathnat betrayed Cu Roi by showing how the place could be entered.
The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology
By Arthur Cotterell & Rachel Storm
Dagda means "the good god". He was in fact the great god of Irish mythology, and was usually depicted as a man in rustic clothes dragging an enormous club on wheels. With one end of the weapon he could slay his enemies and with the other he could restore the dead to life. Dagda was believed to be wise, full of knowledge and well versed in the magic arts. He was a chief of the Tuatha De Danann.
Dagda was a great fighter and the lover of the Morrigan, the war goddess. The bones of his enemies were described as "hailstones under horses' hooves" when he wielded his mighty club. Like an all-powerful chieftain, Dagda led the Tuatha De Danann on the battlefield, slaying all those who dared to confront him. Yet he was also associated with abundance, being able to satisfy the hunger of everybody by means of an inexhaustible cauldron.
That Dagda took great pleasure in eating was apparent, when just before the second battle of Magh Tuireadh he visited the camp of the Fomorii, his bitter enemies, during a truce at the time of the New Year festival. There they made for him a porridge of milk, flour, fat, pigs and goats, enough for fifty men.
On pain of death Dagda was ordered by the Fomorii to consume this massive meal, which he readily did with a huge wooden ladle "so big that a man and a woman could have slept together in it". This test turned Dagda temporarily into a gross old man, but it did not prevent him form making love to a Fomorii girl, who promised to use her magic on behalf of the Tuatha De Danann. The story may recall, in a distorted form, a holy marriage between a chieftain and a maiden at the beginning of each year; similar to the sacred rite that was preformed by a Sumerian ruler and a priestess in Mesopotamia. This union was meant to ensure prosperity, strength and peace.
Although the eventual defeat of the Fomorii at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh was really due to the god Lugh, it was Dagda who was held in the greatest respect, even after the Tuatha De Danann were in their turn overthrown by the sons of Milesius, the ancestors of the present day Irish.
The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology
By Arthur Cotterell & Rachel Storm