the pattern I did for @edderkopper ‘s
Manannán mac Lir
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To all Who Abandoned Me
You treated me like driftwood, and left me out to sea:
The waves proclaimed me theirs, and carried me home.
I built a shack, and sang to the fish
A duet with the water
As I waited for a true prince
Well: I am no Ariadne.
I’ll have no crown of ivy leaves.
I cannot swim. I cannot drown.
But doesn’t the sea have a voice? A heart?
It sang with me each day- until it sang to me.
Precious, it called me. Dear. Beloved.
It gave me a crown of abalone shells
And dominion over fish and fowl.
The sea is no man, but it has loved me more truly
Than any man has.
I am a wave: on the rapt Cythrául
I am a flood: across the croggy plain
I am a wind: of seven gales
I am a tear: the Sun let fallI am
Manannán
Mac Lir
Noble warrior of lycanthropy
I am
Fachtna
High King
To shake thy cloak shall bring outbreakI am a tide: that drags to engulfment
I am a current: a compass towards Uisnech
I am a tempest: the onslaught of outburst
I am a zephyr: theirs is second painI am Manannán
Mac Lir
Avatar from sail to sea
Thy horse
Aonbharr
Grand Steed
Chariots forever leadI am an ocean’s womb: of all abysms
I am a blaze: for every burning bathym
I am a lure: of the plumbless benthos
I am a breaker: bottomlessness doom
I am
Manannán
Mac Lir
Shape-changer; Lar of deep
Thy sword
Fragarch
“The Answerer…”Remember me, thou art all wind
And back with gusts thou shalt return
I’m the hawk: above this cliff, behind the waves
I’m the thorn: exude this rose, yet fleece the skyFLEECE THE SKY
I’m the hill: where poets walk and Tara lies
I’m the throne: from a tantalizing glimpseFROM A TANTALIZING GLIMPSE
Hear the thunder roll
I am
Manannán
And fear the sky shall fall
In Irish**mythology, Manannán mac Lir is a powerful sea deity with a magnificent, magical horse called Enbarr (also Aonbharr ) of the Flowing Mane. ***
Enbarr, described sometimes as white, sometimes as grey, could gallop over the sea without touching the water, never getting wet:
“for the space of nine waves he [Manannán on Enbarr] would be submerged in the sea, but would rise on the crest of the tenth, and that without his breast or chest wetted.”
~from “Acallam na Senórach, The Colloquy With The Ancients”, an important medieval Middle Irish text from the 12th century.
Enbarr couldn’t be killed by man or God, and was thought to be the mother of all of the horses of the Fianna, small warrior bands who feature in Irish myth.Enbarr was occasionally loaned to Lugh, Manannán’s foster son and to Niamh, Manannán’s daughter.
Niamh was one of the queens of Tír na nÓg, the land of eternal youth. She was the lover of the poet-hero Oisín, and allowed him to return to his family by riding Enbarr. There is always a catch when dealing with the Sidhe, however; in this case, Oisín had to stay astride Enbarr or else lose his youth.
Back on land, Oisín fell from Enbarr’s back ( hey, we’ve all had those kind of moments, right, horse people?) and was instantly transformed into an old man. #Fairy time is a wee bit slower than human time, so Oisín’s three years in the Land of Eternal Youth translated to three HUNDRED years.
Fairies are tricksy, they are. 😉
** Manannán also appears in #Scottish and #Manx mythology. In #Welsh myth, he is a cognate of Manawydan fab Llŷr, a deity also associated with horses.
***Enbarr has also been translated as “Froth”, an apt name for the horse of a sea god, aye?
Inktober #9:
Manannán mac Lir.
A Sea deity in Irish mythology. He possess a boat named Scuabtuinne (“Wave Sweeper”), a sea-borne chariot drawn by the horse Enbarr, a powerful sword named Fragarach (“The Answerer”), and a cloak of invisibility (féth fíada).
Because in irish mythology water was linked with life, and death, and was said to be a portal between the worlds, he’s also the guardian of the underworld and a guide for souls.
Celtic Offerings for the Dead
The following is a list of offerings I have often made to the dead, especially whenever a person has died under unfortunate circumstances. These are all Celt-o-centric.
Canadian dimes- For those who may not know the Canadian dime displays a picture of the Bluenose schooner, one of the fastest sailing ships in the world during it’s heyday. I frequently leave at least a couple of these on a altar or at the local graveyard because of the symbolism in Celtic mythology. The god Manannan mac Lir possesses a ship called Wavesweeper which sails itself without wind or oars. He uses this this vessel to transport the souls of the blessed dead across the sea to the lands of eternal youth and the isles of the blessed. These coins when blessed ensure that any spirit who makes contact with them can be escorted to a afterlife.
A Small Bowl of Spring Water With A Juniper Sprig- The addition of a juniper sprig (or berries) to spring water is used to create a pagan equivalent of holy water. This is normally used for blessing houses and newborns but can be used to bless ancestral/family graves or the graves of allied spirits. Placing a silver coin in the water increases the power of the blessing multiple times over. If the juniper was growing in graveyard this creates a significantly more powerful form of ghost water.
Ground Birch Bark- This substance when reduced to powder can be burnt as a form of incense. It has a purifying property which can be used to sanctify grave gifts which will be left for the dead. or the powder can be spread on the graves of allied spirits in order to cleanse the site of bad energy.
Pieces of Antler- Left as a gift a piece of antler which can help guide spirits of the restless dead to a peaceful end. Deer serve as otherworldly guides and work for Arawn.
Seabird Feathers- Can be given as gifts to the dead who have died by drowning. Especially if from gulls, who are messengers to Manannan mac Lir. They perform the same function as antler pieces.
These lrish tales all are reprinted from nineteenth-century sources, but they date back to a centuries-old oral tradition of storytelling that had yet to be committed to the printed page. They were passed down through the ages virtually unaltered and feature a wide variety of fantastic beings. This edition has an exquisitely designed bonded-leather binding, with distinctive gilt edging and a silk-ribbon bookmark
click picture for link
Ocean's Meadow 