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Macha by Iain MacAntsaoir Linguistic Evidence: According to the Dictionary of the Irish Language, the one of the literal definitions of Macha is 'field or plain' (1). The same source also states, "one of three war-goddesses of the Tuatha De Danaan, daughter of Ernmas and sister of Badh and Morri/gu" (2). Thus we can ascertain that the evidence from the language itself shows that Macha was one of three sisters, these are the Morrigan (3) which is also referred to as the 'Three Matres", and is specifically the Goddess of the Land. Lets us check the evidence from the language with what respected scholars state, as well as what is found in the lore. Academicians Report: In her book Celtic Goddesses, Dr. Miranda Green succinctly states: "Macha's name ('plain' or 'field') immediately links her with territory... and she was a clearer of plains, thus physically claiming land." In another of her works, Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend, Green sums up the entry by stating: "Thus Macha is a triple goddess, sometimes seen as one entity with three aspects: she is a prophet, a warrior and a matriarch. She represents the sovereignty and fertility of Ireland.... "(4) Green makes things even more concise by showing that Macha was the Goddess of sovereignty who established the royal seat of Ulster at Emhain Macha, which is named after her (5). As the Goddess of Sovereignty, is was she who conferred the authority to rule onto chieftains through a sacred marriage to the land (6). The highly esteemed Dr. Dáithí OhOgáin, in true form, presents an exhaustive article on Macha in his work, Myth, Legend and Romance. In this work he details that Macha was inextricably tied to the land. He points out that there are two accounts of Macha in ancient Irish literature. The first account is from "Macha the Red Haired", and regards three kings, Díthorba, Aodh and Ciombaoth, their ends and the eventual building of Emhain Macha. The other source is from one of the tales of the Ulaidh, which has her ultimately in in a foot race against Conchobar's chariots. In this race she was victorious, but died after giving birth to twins. (7) As a corollary tale is tells of the an important event leading up to the Táin Bó Cuailnge, but it isn't a part the tale proper. That event would be the source of the curse that disabled the Ulstermen when Maeves forces attacked (8). Though, Morgan Llewellyn's fanciful reworking of the tales included this tale also (9), it to was to make the story more understandable. Though it also needs to be stated that Ms. Llewellyn's wonder work is not a scholarly interpretation. The most critically acclaimed version of the tale of Macha and her race is in The Tain, as compiled and translated by Thomas Kinsella (a must read for traditionalists). Here is the tale: The Pangs of Ulster What caused the pangs of the men of Ulster? It is soon told. There was a very rich landlord in Ulster, Crunniuc mac Agnomain. He lived in a lonely place in the mountains with all his sons. His wife was dead. Once, as he was alone in the house, he saw a woman coming toward him there, and she was a fine woman in his eyes. She settled down and began working at once, as though she were well used to the house. When night came, she put everything in order without being asked. Then she slept with Crunniuc. She stayed with him for a long while afterward, and there was never a lack of food or clothes or anything else under her care. Soon, a fair was held in Ulster. Everyone in Ulster, men and women, boys and girls, went to the fair. Crunniuc set out for the fair with the rest, in his best clothes and in great vigour. 'It would be as well not to grow boastful or careless in anything you say,' the woman said to him. 'That isn't likely,' he said. The fair was held. At the end of the day the king's chariot was brought onto the field. His chariot and horses won. The crowd said that nothing could beat those horses. 'My wife is faster,' Crunniuc said. He was taken immediately before the king and the woman was sent for. She said to the messenger, 'It would be a heavy burden for me to go and free him now. I am full with child.' 'Burden?' the messenger said. 'He will die unless you come.' She went to the fair, and her pangs gripped her. She called out to the crowd, 'A mother bore each of you! Help me! Wait till my child is born.' But she couldn't move them. 'Very well,' she said. 'A long-lasting evil will come out of this on the whole of Ulster.' 'What is your name,' the king said. 'My name, and the place of my offspring,' she said, 'will be given to this place. I am Macha, daughter of Sainrith mac Imbaith.' Then she raced the chariot. As the chariot reached the end of the field, she gave birth alongside it. She bore twins, a son and a daughter. The name Emain Macha, the Twins of Macha, comes from this. As she gave birth she screamed out that all who heard that scream would suffer from the same pangs for five days and four nights in their times of greatest difficulty. This affliction, ever afterward, seized all the men of Ulster who were there that day, and nine generations after them. Five days and four nights, or five nights and four days, the pangs lasted. For nine generations any Ulsterman in those pangs had no more strength than a woman on the bed of labour. Only three classes were of people were free from the pangs of Ulster: the young boys of Ulster, the women, and CuChullain. Ulster was thus afflicted from the time of Crunniuc, the son of Agnoman, son of Curir Ulad, son of Fiatach mac Urmi, until the time of Furc, the son of Dalla/n, son of Mainech mac Lugdach. (It is from Curir Ulad that the provence and people of Ulster _ Ulaid _ have their name) (10) Regarding the race where Macha died, there are those who see in the tale vestiges of fertility rights (11). Nor can it be overlooked that the sacrifice of a horse was a part of the ancient rites through which the chosen ascended to kingship (12). The theme of the sacred twins is a study unto itself. In short though, sacred twins is a recurring theme in Celtic ideology. More information on this can be found in Dr. Bruce Lincoln's superb study, Death, War and Sacrifice, which is published by the University of Chicago. There has been some speculation that because Macha is connected to horses, that she is instead a solar deity. To get a grasp of this we must start with an rather pan-Celtic overview. A good source for this is the book The Horse In Celtic Culture, which is edited by Sioned Davies and Nerys Ann Jones. The section titled 'The Symbolic Horse in Pagan Europe'. In this section it tells of two expressions of the horse. The first is feminine and has the horse firmly footed on the ground. This would be typical to Epona, Macha and others. The other expression is what this source refers to as the 'celestial warrior', and who is masculine. Artifacts demonstrating this are found all across Celtic and ex-Celtic lands. Coming back again to Gaelic sources, it was common for the horse to act as icons for deities. (13) The Old Irish word for horse is 'ech', which is also the stem from which we get Eochaidh. Eochaidh is a proper name attached to none other than Daghdha (14). Nor is He alone, because many other deities also have names attached to them showing that their icons were horses. Another example being Lugh himself. Perhaps we can see in ancient Welsh law that the besides their gender, the differences between the horse deities was their colors (15). This may even be intimated by the defining of color in regards to Irish mounts, including the Grey Macha who pulled the chariot of Conchobar. Conclusion: In conclusion, we have seen that within the paradigm of the insular Gael, Macha was/is a singular Goddess with three aspects (prophecy, war and fertility). Furthermore, Macha was/is the Goddess of Sovereignty of Ulster, and Her icon was a horse. If the lore is any indication She was/is grey in color. She not only conferred authority to rule upon the king, but also supplied untold bounty to the inhabitants of the land when a just king was in power. Furthermore, as the Goddess of Sovereignty, she was the mother from whom the very people sprang, like the crops that they grew. In this regard She is like Carman and Tailtiu of other regions of Ireland (16). The familial aspect of the Goddess of Sovereignty is perhaps showed by Aoibheall, who was not only attached to the family of Brian Boru, but was also the patroness of their lands (17). Lastly, the importance of each region being a Mother to Her people is of great importance to Gaelic Traditionalists. As Gaelic Traditionalists, we go back to the understanding of the people in as complete a way possible within the understanding of the Insular Gael. Hence, we see from the genealogies that the families are descendants of the matings of a God with sky attributes with the local Goddess of the land. We therefore find the continuity of our people as we trace them back to the Gods who are our first ancestors. Because of this, there isn't just the continuity, but also current connections to the land that we live on. To those in the Motherlands, this is important so that a proper relationship can be re-established there. For we of the diaspora in other parts of the world, so that we can develop relationships with, and become the proper children of the Goddess of the Lands wherein we live. Contributed by: Iain MacAnTsaoir Suggested reading:
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