Have you guys noticed the Celts fascination with heads? Almost all corpses are decapitated. Seldaim, Cuchulainn's father continues to speak through his decapitated head the warning to the Ulstermen to go into battle. Cuchulainn has Fertedill, the charioteer, carry the head of Orlam into Medb and Ailill's camp to have his own head decapitated because he doesn't follow orders. In another story, according to the Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Lengend by Miranda Green, Tale of Mac Do Tho's Pig, Conall Cernach sleeps with the head of a slain Connachton under his knee (p 117). In another tale, Conall Cernach's own head is used to bolster the strength of the Ulstermen when it is filled with milk (p 117, Green). Also, Cuchulainn collects the four skulls and piles them at the creek as a warning as he also, does this with twelve heads at the plain of Murtheme. There is also, the brain-ball which is a hardened mixture of brain and lime which is used as trophies and as weapons (p 117, Green). Obviously, The Celts were headhunters.
What do you make of this practice? Why do you think they would keep the skull of the enemy? Why would Conall's head provide strength to the Ulstermen?
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
MODERN TAIN
Two rock bands have released EP's on The Tain.The Horslips released an album in 1973 (can't believe I missed this) and the same album was released recently. The Decemberists released a CD in 2004. The Horslips version follows The Tain more closely than the Decemberists' CD but both are quite good! The lyrics for the Horslips CD can be found at www.tuatha.org/horslips/tain.html and the lyrics for Decemberists CD can be found at www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/ Go to Decemberists (page 3 of D), then The Tain.
The Decemberists' CD is a modern interpretation and uses anachronisms like M-5 (weapon)and "Charlemagne in a motorcade " (perhaps to show how figures of history are transported today, and simliar to Charlemagne who massacred thousands of his people to make them Christians and under his power and how those people parade themselves to show their power) and ultimately ends in the defeat of Cuchulain by Medb. Wikipedia says Medb connived with others (sons of those killed by Cuchulain) to bring about his defeat. At least, that is my interpretation. It starts out dark and deep but it also has some carnival-like elements in it (you can sing to a "oom-pa-pa " beat).
With the Horslips' CD, there are several catchy tunes , for example, in Morrigan's Dream where Cuchulain warns Medb that she has bit off more than she can chew. Cuchullain also laments the death of Ferdia with his golden hair and his death is Cuchulain's fate. Cuchulain is referred to as "Dearg Doom' (The Red Destroyer). If you read the lyrics, the Charolais, is another anachronism but it refers to a muscled type of cattle developed in France much later than The Tain but it refers to the Brown Bull of Cooley. Let me know what you think of the lyrics and/or music.
The Decemberists' CD is a modern interpretation and uses anachronisms like M-5 (weapon)and "Charlemagne in a motorcade " (perhaps to show how figures of history are transported today, and simliar to Charlemagne who massacred thousands of his people to make them Christians and under his power and how those people parade themselves to show their power) and ultimately ends in the defeat of Cuchulain by Medb. Wikipedia says Medb connived with others (sons of those killed by Cuchulain) to bring about his defeat. At least, that is my interpretation. It starts out dark and deep but it also has some carnival-like elements in it (you can sing to a "oom-pa-pa " beat).
With the Horslips' CD, there are several catchy tunes , for example, in Morrigan's Dream where Cuchulain warns Medb that she has bit off more than she can chew. Cuchullain also laments the death of Ferdia with his golden hair and his death is Cuchulain's fate. Cuchulain is referred to as "Dearg Doom' (The Red Destroyer). If you read the lyrics, the Charolais, is another anachronism but it refers to a muscled type of cattle developed in France much later than The Tain but it refers to the Brown Bull of Cooley. Let me know what you think of the lyrics and/or music.
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