Yes, it's St. Patrick's Day. Living in Boston, it's kind of hard to avoid it, and unless you like to drink green beer or Guiness, smashed in an overcrowded bar with a bunch of drunken guys pretending to be Irish, it's the perfect day to stay in with a DVD and a nice pinot noir. Obviously I'm not Catholic and I'm not Irish, I'm Scottish (well, I'm actually descended from the Scoti who left Ireland around the first century CE and settled in a land that came to bear their name, one of whom married a Pictish princess and had a son who became the first king of Scotland, but that's a long story). I'm also the smartass who thought it was funny to wear orange to school on St. Patrick's Day. Needless to say, I did not grow up here or I probably wouldn't have survived to be writing this.

Anne Johnson is Scottish too and today, in her post No Green Please, We're Celtic, she gives us a terrific interview with Mannanán Mac Lir, Celtic God of the Sea. In it, Mannanán suggests that we join him in solidarity against those nasty Irish priests who ran out the ancient Celtic Gods by wearing the tartan of our Clan.

MacAlpine Ancient tartan

Here's mine. I found some badass designers of modern kilts. I'll get one made for next year. (I know, girls aren't supposed to wear kilts. I don't care, I think they're cool, and since I don't live in Scotland I doubt the kilt police are going to come after me.)

But more about Mannanán Mac Lir. I'm ashamed to admit that before Anne introduced me to him I didn't know anything about him. Bad Celtic fairy witch!

Who is Mannanán Mac Lir? He is a father, lover, sage and gatekeeper. He is often seen as a psychopomp, and considered to have strong connections to the Otherworld islands of the dead, the weather, and the mists between the worlds. He is usually counted as one of the Tuatha Dé Danann, although most scholars consider him to be of an older race of deities. Among a number of romantic associations with other Goddesses, he is said to have been married to Fand, who was a Fairy Queen, and was father or step-father to many known figures throughout Celtic mythology, including Lugh.

As an ancient God who can aid those in need of guidance, protection, wisdom and magick, Mannanán Mac Lir can be a powerful ally and is known to be accessible to those who seek him. In addition to being associated with the ocean, mists and stormy weather, he also is associated with astral protection, psychic abilities and magickal knowledge. Apparently, he's also great fun just to hang out with. Mannanán is often invoked in Spring Equinox and Midsummer rituals, but his feast day is November 10th. The Temple of Manannan Mac Lir has samples of rituals to work with Mannanán Mac Lir, as well as a great number of mythological and artistic references.

According to Wikipedia:

Manannán has strong ties to the Isle of Man, where he is referenced in a traditional ballad as having been the nation's first ruler. On Midsummer, the Manx people offer bundles of reeds, meadow grasses and yellow flowers to Manannán in a ritual "paying of the rent", accompanied with prayers for his aid and protection in seafaring and fishing. He is also believed to have been a magician who could make an illusory fleet from sedge or pea shells in order to discourage would-be invaders.

According to the Book of Fermoy, a Manuscript of the 14th to the 15th century, "he was a pagan, a lawgiver among the Tuatha Dé Danann, and a necromancer possessed of power to envelope himself and others in a mist, so that they could not be seen by their enemies." It was by this method that he was said to protect the Isle of Man from discovery.

Manannán was associated with a "cauldron of regeneration". This is seen in the tale of Cormac mac Airt, among other tales. Here, he appeared at Cormac's ramparts in the guise of a warrior who told him he came from a land where old age, sickness, death, decay, and falsehood were unknown (the Otherworld was also known as the "Land of Youth" or the "Land of the Living").

As guardian of the Blessed Isles as well as Mag Mell he also has strong associations with Emhain Abhlach, the Isle of Apple Trees, where the magical silver apple branch is found. To the Celts, the Blessed Isles that lie beyond the sea are the gateways to the Otherworlds, where the soul journeys to after death. Manannán is the guardian of these gateways between the worlds. He is the Ferryman, who comes to transport the souls of the dead through the veils.

Thanks, Anne, for introducing me to Manannán Mac Lir. I think I'll pay him a visit. I've always had a thing for father figures.

Posted by Angela-Eloise at 1:23 PM