Yesterday we made our annual trip to Loughcrew, a complex of Neolithic passage tombs atop three hills in Co. Meath. It’s not far from Newgrange as the Morrigan flies, and was made by people of the same culture some 5,000 years ago. Click here, here, here.
The previous day in class I told the basic story, the St. Patrick version of the story, and some of the experiences I’ve had in previous years learning stories from guides. I also told The Best Walker in All Ireland, which is a legend about her collected a couple centuries ago that I found in Gearoid O’Crualaoich’s Book of the Cailleach. We looked at pictures of the site, and talked about the alignment of the passage and how it represents an earth womb fertilized by the rays of setting sun on the Vernal Equinox. I also showed them a picture of the of the imposing boulder known as the Hag’s Seat, and we talked about how it was used as a mass rock during times when Catholics could not worship openly in Ireland.
So, Friday, we all hiked up the steep hill to Cairn T, the primary mound on all three hills, under a glorious blue sky with enormous billowing white clouds over a landscape that offered us a literal encyclopedia of green. Barry gave a good concise lecture on the place as the guides took groups of nine into the cairn. And then all my once and future crones discovered the hag’s seat. We had young and not-so-young hags of all descriptions climbing up to be documented in their rightful place. At one point I had seven or eight cameras at my feet as I happily snapped away.
In the photo at the top you see them in all their beauty. Below they are shouting “Future Hags of Ireland Unite!” This is now our battle cry, our clarion call, and apparently there will be t-shirts available soon with our motto emblazoned upon them. Get your order in now and show the world you understand that there is a little bit of the Cailleach in all of us.
Back row is Tammy Chapman, Lizzie Murphy, Alison Vincent, and Angela Roman. Front row is Kayla Linn, Sarah Stevens, Kalyn Montgomery, Andrea Robinson, and Melinda Bokel.
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