Author: Duncan MacDonald
Category: Cook books
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From the tree line not 50 paces from the hunting party a large long tree trunk careered into view, its thin top whipping menacingly as it bounced unevenly downhill with ever increasing speed. It quickly overtook the fleeing men. Some had the presence of mind to lay flat on the ground hoping it would bounce over them. Those that didn't were mown down as it tore through them on its way to the valley floor. None were killed but some ended dazed and injured and others nursed broken bones.
Upon the heels of the run-away tree trunk came a young Fianna warrior leaping through the high grass which had been partly flattened by the preceding tree. Staff in one hand, he paused to pick up one of the discarded swords. He turned and waved-on unseen companions hidden high in the tree line. Turning again downhill with another ear-splitting yell he raced straight at the remains of the hunting party, sword and staff held high.
The foremost few of the hunting party that had escaped the wild demolition of the run-a-way tree had already drawn their weapons and formed a defensive line against the oncoming hoard they expected to follow from the tree line.
Meanwhile Breuse, still standing beside the rocks watching, uttered a not so silent curse and turning to his men waved them onto the fray yelling "Forward Fianna, let's help our colleague Culann and his friends." They charged diagonally downhill toward the front of the hunting party yelling at the top of their lungs." As they ran, one of the Fianna said to his colleague, "What friends? It's just young Culann, There's nobody else."
The leaders of the hunting party, now realized they were being attacked by second group on their right. Thinking they were possibly outmaneuvered and outnumbered, the hunters decided they had more important things to do. Voting with their feet, they fled downhill following their earlier colleagues. Those left, still stumbling and trying to recover from the onslaught of the tumbling tree, saw their colleagues fleeing, and concluding there must be a good reason for so doing, decided to join them. They all turned and leaving their spoils fled downhill, carrying some of their more injured companions with them.
The top of the mountain was suddenly empty except for one slightly built breathless Fianna warrior, surrounded by numerous animal carcasses and heaps of food carelessly littered over the hillside. He held his sword and staff high and uttered another victory cry to the heavens, then turned and with a beaming smile greeted his approaching fellow Fianna.
"Culann," panted Breuse as he reached his young ward "I don't know whether to put you over my knee or congratulate you."
"It seems to me congratulations are in order Chief, looking at all this booty we have just acquired. We can load it on the ten cows and now take it all with us." said one of the Fianna sagely.
And so it came to be that Culann's first cattle raid was so successful it was discussed and sung about for years to come.
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1.3 Manhood
Culann of the Fianna
Culann grew to manhood as part of this Brotherhood of fighting men. Each trying to outdo the other in terms of daring deeds and feats of weaponry. Perhaps that was why, even as a youth, Culann strived to be more aggressive, more brave, yes, even more foolhardy, than any of the other warriors. All of who were all much older, and more experienced.
Of course Breuse couldn't be happier. Here was this handsome young lad, who by The Grace of God, he had become the surrogate father. But to cap it all, the boy was smarter, braver and had developed better fighting skills than any other young warrior in the Fianna.
As Culann reached manhood and his voice changed, some of his comrades noticed his strange new behavior. He would arrive some mornings with his cheeks and chin bleeding. Most odd.
Breuse on hearing this, discussed it with some of his lieutenants. "I remember Culann's father had an impressive blonde beard." mused Breuse. "Culann told me once that the Chieftain who killed him, hauled him around by the beard before cutting his throat. The Smith was a gifted craftsman, not a warrior. We all grow moustaches or beards, but. I think Culann doesn't want to have a beard. That is why he pulls his facial hair out"
The next day Breuse gave Culann a very small, very sharp bone razor, similar to the ones some monks used, to shave the front of their heads. Culann said nothing, but took the gift. His face stopped bleeding and he never grew a beard or moustache.
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The Fianna moved south and joined the services of the Kings of Leinster. Their numbers had increased to over fifty. Some got married and left to become farmers. Some left to join other Fianna bands. Most fought on until they were maimed or were killed. Very few lived beyond thirty years of age. But then in those times, most people died before they were forty from injuries or disease.
When Culann was twenty summers old, Breuse led a small raiding party on a neighboring band. It didn't include Culann who was hunting with another group. Breuse's raiding party was ambushed, at a ford or river crossing. None returned. Culann mourned him for months, once again cursing himself for not being with his foster father and protecting him
He stayed with the Fianna because it was the only home he could remember. A new leader had to be selected, and although Culann was regarded by many as being the most skilled warrior amongst them, he was considered too young to lead.
Osgar, one of Breuse's lieutenants, was elected leader. Ten months later Osgar agreed to offer their services to a minor King called Sigmall, in order to escort his daughter, the Princess Fea to her arranged wedding with a neighboring prince.
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Chapter 2 - Wicklow Hills
Fea with her best friend, Odras. Odras’s wooden home was typical of the freeman land-owning farmer. The interior contained 2 vessels; one of milk and one of mead. A stone heath with a fire stood at one end, hung with cauldrons. Sleeping cribs were placed along the walls.
Fea spent her early years in the court of her father, a minor King called Sigmall, whose Great Grandfather had taken the land by force. But the Grandfather had many sons, who also had many sons, both legitimate and illegitimate. The land was subsequently sub-divided, and further sub-divided, until each portion was quite small.
The many sons of the original old warrior proved much less capable of managing their estates. By Sigmall's time, only two other family estates remained, each ruled by their 'Kings'. But a much stronger clan moved in from the west, and took them over by force of arms - the clan Cairill, then led by their brutish ruler, King Eogan mac Cairill.
Sigmall's small landholding, was in a relative poorer upland region in the area now called Wicklow Hills. While the soil was thin and produced few crops, it did have many streams running through it. And in those streams, were to be found small pebbles and tiny nuggets, of what proved to be the lifeblood of Sigmall's court - gold.
The hill-fort or Dun was located on a small plateau on top of one of the highest hills. The defenses, comprising a ditch in front of a wooden wall or rampart about the height of a man, had been built possibly 400 years earlier in the Iron age. [Irish Iron Age began about 500 BC & lasted until the beginning of the Christian era, about AD 400]
The timber buildings inside the defensive perimeter had been re-built more recently by Sigmall's father. They comprised a large round timber building which served as a meeting hall for feasts and meetings, three smaller wooden dwelling houses, for the family, servants and noble warriors attached to the King. There was also a smithy, and two storehouses, plus a small number of other timber buildings, some outside the rampart. All the buildings had thatched roofs.
Fea was irrepressible in her early formative years. She was the youngest of three daughters of the local King. She had all the advantages of a young princess, without any of the obligations. In short, possibly because she was considered 'adorable' by many, she was greatly indulged by all who dealt with her.
Before all this, however, King Sigmall decided he needed sons. As his current wife couldn't give him one, he took another wife. In fact, he took another
two wives. Many Lords as well as Kings had more than one wife. It was the custom in Eire in those days. The official reason was to produce more sons. Many women had other opinions.
Sigmall was then subsequently blessed with five sons. Two died in childbirth, or shortly after. One died of a plague that swept through the countryside. One was killed during a cattle raid and the fifth son, after a somewhat boisterous drinking session, fell off the roof of the great hall. Bad luck. Now no sons.
Fea's best friend was another girl of similar age, named Odras, who lived with her family on their farm in the valley below King Sigmall's dominating Dun. Visits to Odras home were special treats for Fea. A chance to get away from the claustrophobic dark wooden halls and gloomy rooms of King Sigmall's court, then dominated by her half-brothers.
Odras' home was typical of the freeman, land-owning farmer. The land was originally given by the King, one hide in size, which was considered large enough to support one farming family. Apart from the strip of land, it comprised a small round dwelling house surrounded by an earth rampart, called a ráth. Inside the ráth were six other buildings; a barn, a kiln, a pigsty, a calf-fold, a sheep-fold and a lean-to building that stood next to the dwelling house. All buildings were constructed of timber with thatched roofs.
The interior of the dwelling house contained two vessels; one of milk and one of mead. No visitor was ever denied a meal and drink. A stone hearth with a fire, stood at the far end, hung with cauldrons, large and small, for cooking. The wooden table, which had many uses other than eating meals, dominated the room. Sleeping cribs were placed along the walls.
Odra considered her family better off than many of the other small farmers. Some farms had two or three families living in a single hut.
Odras' father owned 20 cows, two bulls, six oxen, 30 sheep and 10 pigs. He was fortunate enough to own an iron plough, invaluable in the boggy soil of the valley. Many other farmers had to make do with a spade.
The entire community was dependent on farming. They were continuously struggling just to provide enough food for their family to survive, year by year. Very little excess food was traded. Of course they all had to supply the King their 'firstlings' (the first pick of the crop or harvest), plus each year; one cow, three calves, a cauldron of milk, 20 loaves of bread, a tub of butter, two fistful of onions, two leeks and a two arm length long flitch of bacon.
The upland community depended mostly on cattle, particularly dairy cows. Because of the difficulty growing oats, barley and wheat; milk formed the major part of the diet of these people - cow's milk for the well off, and sheep's milk for the poor.
A local priest was hired by Sigmall to educate his children and also to provide spiritual guidance to the surrounding community. His place of residence was a small wattle and daub building just outside the main entrance to the King's Dun. The priest had more knowledge of the afterlife and the old testament than of things worldly. That resulted in Fea with her sisters and brothers learning little apart from the Ten Commandments.
Pleading a headache, Fea would often be excused from classes and skip off downhill to play with her friend Odras, who was appointed to look after her father's cows as they grazed.
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2.1 St Brigid’s
Fea and Sister Mish at St. Brigid’s
When Fea was twelve years old her mother died, in the same plague that also killed her six-year-old half-brother. Her father decided Fea needed more discipline (in other words, he couldn't control her), as well as a smidgen of education - not too much, as she was just a girl after all.
So Fea was sent to St Brigid's of Kildare, which was run by nuns and only two-days ride to the north-west. At that time, it was the foremost learning centre in all Éire. The monastery had been formed around AD 490 as a joint monastery, catering for nuns as well as monks, the first joint monastery in Éire, and quite possibly the first in the known world.
St Brigid's had three thick walls that separated the monastery from the outside world. The walls were far enough apart to allow the nuns two sheltered walks, much favored in winter weather. The strong wide wooden gate that dominated the entrance of the outermost wall, would be closed at night.
An avenue, with small wooden workshops on either side, that provided most of the requirements of the community, led from the main gate to the middle of the enclosure, and the centerpiece itself, the church.
The church at St Brigid's, at the time Fea attended, was one of the largest Celtic churches ever built. It was constructed from stout oak timber, much taller than most buildings, with a substantial thatched roof. [Cogitosus, a 7th century monk, who wrote Saint Brigid’s Life, described the church as ‘elevated to a menacing height’]
It had many windows to let in the light, or when the candles were lit, so worshipers could appreciate the wonderful tapestries and colorful linen hangings that adorned the walls, and the decorated screen that concealed the alter. The Celts loved color.
A partition, splendid in exquisite metalwork and tapestry, ran the length of the centre aisle. St Brigid wished her monks and the local Christians to worship Almighty God, together with her nuns. But to ensure the sisters not be distracted, she used this sensible means of separating the sexes. At the rear of the nave [The nave is that part of a church set apart from the laity (people who are not members of the clergy)] sometimes could be seen sleeping Irish wolf hounds or sheep dogs, left by shepherds while they attended the church service.
Behind the church, in the innermost section of the monastery, stood the many little huts where the nuns slept. The huts contained no furniture and the floor was lined with rushes.
Next to the huts were two large rambling buildings; the guest houses for travelers and students; one male and one female. To the right and left of the church was the area set aside for the pigs and poultry. The cultivated land owned by the monastery lay outside its walls.
[They Built on Rock, Stories of the Celtic Saints, Diana Leatham, Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1948, p214 ]
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Fea found it quite different from her free and easy lifestyle at her father's Dun. She had some initial difficulty, settling into the more regimented ways of the Celtic monastery with its regular periods of lessons, coupled with the ritual prayer sessions; up to seven times daily.
Initially she had no friends. Within three days she had two friends. Within a week she had many friends. Within two months she was known to all of the students (who were mostly older), many of the Sisters and some of the Monks, who ran the monastery. Her irrepressible personality affected everyone she met.
Fea was fortunate to be mentored by one of the older nuns at St Brigid, Sister Mish. Many years earlier, Mish had a daughter, much younger than Fea, with similar sparkling eyes and winning smile. Her husband had died and Mish arrived home one day from tending cows, to find her late husband's family, who were almost starving because of one of the periodic famines, had sold Mish's young daughter to a travelling Laird. [Nobleman]
Mish was devastated. Her in-laws made it clear she was no longer welcome in their round hovel they called home. With nothing but a small bundle of clothes on her back, she left, spending weeks wandering and begging for food. A kindly monk took her to a place that helped the unwanted, particularly desperate, homeless, women: St Brigid's.
Mish never left.
Mish not only instructed Fea in Latin and needlework, she also taught her about the great Monastery called St Brigid's. Perhaps Mish was living out the role of helping develop a young girl, who could have been remarkably similar to the daughter she had lost, so long ago. In many ways she proved to be a wonderfully caring, talented tutor. Fea, with her thirst for exploring this exciting new world of knowledge, was an apt pupil.
"Sister Mish," enquired Fea one day after Terce prayers, "why do they call this place St Brigid's? I thought Brigid was the goddess daughter of the great Dagda, lord of the earth. Why would the Christians call a monastery after a
Celtic goddess?"
Mish smiled, and indicated Fea sit beside her. While continuing her embroidering of a long linen altarpiece, the elderly Nun told this story:
"Our very own Saint Brigid was not the daughter of some Celtic god, "she explained," but was born in the year of our Lord, around 452. Her father was called Dubthach, one of the pagan Scotic chiefs of Leinster, and her mother, Brocca, was a Christian Pictish slave.”
Mish paused for a moment, with a pained faraway look on her face, as if reliving some past traumatic event. "Shortly before Brigid's birth, her mother was resold to a Druid who owned land in the west country. There the little girl remained, until she was considered old enough to serve her legal owner, her father, Dubthach.
"During this time her mother educated her as much as she could, regarding the Christian faith. It is said that at one time little Brigid was taken to hear a sermon by the great St Patrick." Mish paused again, and looked around to see if anyone was listening, "But I don't believe everything the monks tell us. They tend to combine fact and fiction at times, particularly when dealing with the lives of Saints.
"What is of less doubt, is the fact Brigid possessed a strong and healthy body, which enabled her to work with such stamina all through her life. There is also no doubt she saw the world through God's eyes.
"Her mother Brocca, remained in the west country, but Brigid was brought back to Leinster to work for her father. Remember, she was still in bondage to him. However, once back, she continued to embarrass him, and scandalize his wife, by her unfailing generosity to all and sundry.
"The problem was, because she had nothing of her own to give away, it was her father's possessions that disappeared."
Fea burst out laughing and clapped her hands in delight.