Birthplace of Halloween. In the summer of 2014 archaeologists from University College Dublin began excavations at Tlachtga/Hill of Ward in county Meath. The site has been dubbed the birthplace of Halloween because it was the premier site in the celebration of the festival of Samhain. On the evening of Samhain which we now call Halloween all household fires were extinguished and relit from a great bonfire. The lighting of a great fire on top of the hill at Tlachtga signalled to the surrounding countryside that the festival had begun and each settlement lit their bonfire upon seeing the flames of neighbouring fires. Thus all the Samhain fires in ancient Ireland started and spread from Tlachtga where all the important Druids had gathered. The second fire to be lit was probably that of the High King, as Tlachtga is just 16km away and clearly visible from the seat of the kings at the Hill of Tara. Animal bones were cast into the fires of Samhain adding a special spiritual significance to the flames. The fires were called 'tine chnámh' or bone fire which in turn gives us the modern word bonfire.
There is a tendency to call Samhain a Celtic festival but the celebration of Samhain predates the Celtic era. The entrance passage to the Mound of the Hostages on the Hill of Tara is aligned with the rising sun around Samhain. The Mound is 4,500 to 5,000 years old, suggesting that Samhain was celebrated long before Celtic culture arrived in Ireland about 2,500 years ago.
Indeed during the recent excavation at Tlachtga archaeologists have found the intact skeleton of a 7-10 month old baby who they believe to have been interred some 3,000 years ago. The skeleton was found on the bedrock at the bottom of a 1.5m deep ditch. We know that Pagans sometimes practiced human sacrifice but the remains of this child suggest it was buried in a sacred place and not sacrificed.
Samhain is the Irish/Celtic New Year and the quenching of all fires symbolises the passing or death of the old year and the lighting of sacred fires the beginning/birth of the new.
The name Tlachtga is said to mean "earth spear" deriving from tlacht "earth" and gae "spear", although the word ‘lacht’ appearing within the name meaning a grave may indicate that the site is an ancient burial place.
Tlachtga is full of mythology and folklore, Tlachtga was believed to be named after a druidess who bore that name. She was the daughter of the mythical sun-god figure Mug Ruith (or Mogh Roith, "slave of the wheel"). Tlachtga was a sun goddess, one of several in Irish mythology (another was Gráinne wife of Fionn mac Cumhail).
The old myths of Mug Ruith suggest that he was a Sun God and they speak of Tlachtga and Mug Ruith arriving in Italy to study under a powerful wizard called Simon Magnus. The three constructed a flying wheel called the Roth Rámach (oared wheel). They used this machine to sail through the air and demonstrate the greatness of their powers. In Greek mythology rape is commonplace ane we find it here in Irish mythology too for we are told that Tlachtga was raped by Simon Magnus’s three sons. Mug Ruith and his daughter use the Roth Rámach to return to Ireland. Tlachtga dies giving birth to three sons on the Hill. She is reputed to be buried on the hill with her devoted followers raising a hill over her grave. The number three was very important in ancient Irish belief systems and is found in many ancient symbols. The most famous is the triskele or triple spiral at Newgrange Megalithic monument.
Saturday 31-Oct-2015 the Samhain festival takes place at Tlachtga having been revived 16 years previous. The evening kicks off with a torchlight procession from the fair green in town of Athboy to Tlachtga where the pageantry of Samhain will be re-enacted. Sounds like great fun. Full details are available here.
https://www.facebook.com/events/458479961022281/
http://www.spiritsofmeath.ie
Image: Modern Samhain at Tlachtga (Hill of Ward)
Tlachtga, the birthplace of Halloween excavated by UCD archaeologists
There is a tendency to call Samhain a Celtic festival but the celebration of Samhain predates the Celtic era. The entrance passage to the Mound of the Hostages on the Hill of Tara is aligned with the rising sun around Samhain. The Mound is 4,500 to 5,000 years old, suggesting that Samhain was celebrated long before Celtic culture arrived in Ireland about 2,500 years ago.
Indeed during the recent excavation at Tlachtga archaeologists have found the intact skeleton of a 7-10 month old baby who they believe to have been interred some 3,000 years ago. The skeleton was found on the bedrock at the bottom of a 1.5m deep ditch. We know that Pagans sometimes practiced human sacrifice but the remains of this child suggest it was buried in a sacred place and not sacrificed.
Samhain is the Irish/Celtic New Year and the quenching of all fires symbolises the passing or death of the old year and the lighting of sacred fires the beginning/birth of the new.
The name Tlachtga is said to mean "earth spear" deriving from tlacht "earth" and gae "spear", although the word ‘lacht’ appearing within the name meaning a grave may indicate that the site is an ancient burial place.
Tlachtga is full of mythology and folklore, Tlachtga was believed to be named after a druidess who bore that name. She was the daughter of the mythical sun-god figure Mug Ruith (or Mogh Roith, "slave of the wheel"). Tlachtga was a sun goddess, one of several in Irish mythology (another was Gráinne wife of Fionn mac Cumhail).
The old myths of Mug Ruith suggest that he was a Sun God and they speak of Tlachtga and Mug Ruith arriving in Italy to study under a powerful wizard called Simon Magnus. The three constructed a flying wheel called the Roth Rámach (oared wheel). They used this machine to sail through the air and demonstrate the greatness of their powers. In Greek mythology rape is commonplace ane we find it here in Irish mythology too for we are told that Tlachtga was raped by Simon Magnus’s three sons. Mug Ruith and his daughter use the Roth Rámach to return to Ireland. Tlachtga dies giving birth to three sons on the Hill. She is reputed to be buried on the hill with her devoted followers raising a hill over her grave. The number three was very important in ancient Irish belief systems and is found in many ancient symbols. The most famous is the triskele or triple spiral at Newgrange Megalithic monument.
Saturday 31-Oct-2015 the Samhain festival takes place at Tlachtga having been revived 16 years previous. The evening kicks off with a torchlight procession from the fair green in town of Athboy to Tlachtga where the pageantry of Samhain will be re-enacted. Sounds like great fun. Full details are available here.
https://www.facebook.com/events/458479961022281/
http://www.spiritsofmeath.ie
Image: Modern Samhain at Tlachtga (Hill of Ward)
Tlachtga, the birthplace of Halloween excavated by UCD archaeologists
