Silva Gadlica: Colloquey

St. Patrick - History - Place-names - Customs - Links - Rings - E-Cards

Agallamh na Seanorach: Colloquey of the Ancients
Cáilte (pron. kweel-tchi), Oisín: Little Fawn, (pron. ush-SHEEN) & Cámha spied Saint Patrick and led him to the well of tráigh dá bhan: two womens’strand. Saint Patrick baptised everyone. The story of the war and capture of Prince Arthur of Britain, who had stolen Fionn: The White Gods’s 3 hounds and Fionn’s 312 gold drinking horns was told. Morning dawned and two angels Aibellán and Solusbrethnach told Saint Patrick to write down the tales. Saint Patrick went and asked for food, was denied, and killed the host by having the earth swallow them. Cáilte told the tales of the 3 Sons of Lughaid: Raven (pron. LOO-ee) and Fionn: The White God’s brothers.
The 7 sons of Eoghan Lethderg (pron. Owen) led Saint Patrick to Natfraich: Heather Snake, The King of Munster who paid homage. Saint Patrick raised the dead, healed the sick, and asked Cáilte for the legend of fionntulach: white hill. After the stories the party went stag hunting on loch bó: cow lake hill. Saint Patrick and Cáilte met two women on the hill. They begged for help: their husbands went to get new wives and they feared they would be cast out. Saint Patrick and Cáilte gave them magic love herbs in exchange for money. When they bathed in them, their husbands were infatuated and sent the new wives away. Saint Patrick then left for the province of Connaught to convert the faithful. On his return the story of Oscar: Deer Lover, Battle of Samhain: Battle of Summer’s End (pron. SOW-in) and the Legend of ráth Ghias were told. He blessed the Hill of the Kings: choc na rí, thrust his staff into the ground and water burst forth

Cáilte then spent six weeks in the Immortal World dining with his men. He met Saint Patrick at Usnach (pron. WISH-na) presented him with the craebghlasach: Fionn’s Sword, escra: Fionn’s goblet of gold, and boar as gifts. He told legends of a water monster, Ferna’s Ford, and the Valley of the Three Waters over a meal of salmon. Cáilte and Conall mac Neill: Reed Divine Son of Cloud then went to ráth Artrach: Arthur’s Womb in the north and told local people place-name legends. They then journeyed to lochan daimh dheirg: The Red Stag’s Loch, ráth Áine, : River Womb and foradhn na fénne: Seat of the Fianna: White Ones. Saint Patrick appeared, the stories of the three places were written down and faery music put the party to sleep. Dubhsliabh: Black Mountain Well was then renamed bas Phátraic: Patrick’s Palm A druid priest from the Immortal World appeared and asked for the story of sea-god Manannan’s Cairn. At glenn an scáin, where Saint Patrick had been enslaved, the Princess Étáin: Emerald Goddess gave Saint Patrick fifty ingots of gold and silver and he granted her brother kingship of Dalríada province. Cáilte then told the stories of tonn chlíodhna: Wave of Clenna, tonn téide, and ráth Medhbha: Inroxicating One’s Womb. Scothniamh: Flower-lustre appeared and Cáilte gave her gold for a marriage gift. He explained to Saint Patrick that she was young because she was an immortal goddess; while he was old because he was a Son of Mil. Saint Patrick pronounced Mass and after the legend of Hag Glen they all went to Leinster.

The King of Leinster, Dunlang, told Saint Patrick the King of the Decies had declared war. Saint Patrick had the earth swallow the rival king. One third of the children and wealth of Leinster was dedicated to Saint Patrick at a feast. Saint Patrick then blessed the stone of leac na gcéad, went to the Rath: Womb of Wonders, and finally to Connaught. At the palace of Connaught Cáilte told the geneology of Fionn to the King and three ravens of the sidhe healed him of sickness. They then said goodbye and went to the Liss of Women where Cáilte played chess with Saint Patrick at carn na finghaile and declared Saint Patrick priest of all Ireland. At Tara’s feast Cáilte told Saint Patrick of the marvelous Stone of Destiny: Lia Fáil. It would cry out when the rightful king of Ireland touched it, turn black with lies, and pink with truth. (25)