Samhain and the Goddess by Judith Shaw

The wheel of the year is turning us once again toward the dark half of the year. Here in the United States, the bright, shining days of youth and achievement receive the most attention. Death and darkness are rarely honored and often feared.

But the ancient Celts had a completely different view of their place in the world. With a strong belief in reincarnation, the Celts saw death as simply a point of transition in a very long series of lives. People honored the darkness of both night and winter as starting points. In the Celtic worldview a day began at sunset, not sunrise, and the New Year began on Samhain, October 31—the midpoint between Fall Equinox and Winter Solstice.

Samhain, one of the four great fire festivals of Celtic tradition, might have begun long before the Celts arrived in Ireland under the influence of an ancient goddess, Tlachtga (tclak ta). She was most likely from the time of the Fir Bolgs, (fair bolak) the Bronze Age inhabitants of Ireland from the East, and later incorporated into the Celtic pantheon.

Early stories of Tlachtga are lost to us now. Tlachtga, translated as”Earth Spear,” was associated with both sun and lightning. She created the magical Pillar Stone called Cnamhcail, representing lightning. People believed it could blind whoever gazed at it, deafen those who heard it and kill all who touched it. This Pillar Stone gave Tlachtga the ability to kindle fire from the darkness. This power must have been great in the minds of the ancients who, before learning to start fire on their own, depended on lightning strikes on trees to provide the fire that humans could use. 

Tlachtga was the daughter of Mog Ruith. Legend states that Mog Ruith, a powerful, blind druid of Munster, could grow to gigantic size, cause storms with his breath, and turn men to stone. He wore a bird mask and flew in a machine called Roth Ràmach which translates to “Oared Wheel.”

However, as is the case with so many ancient goddesses, her legend that endures most strongly comes from the days of early Christianity.

The legend begins with Tlachtga (tclak ta) and her father, Mog Ruith, living in a cave on Valentia Island where the blind Mog Ruith taught his daughter all his skills. After a thorough search of the magical knowledge from the Celtic Lands, they traveled to other lands. Legend reports that they spent time in Italy, where they studied with the magician, Simon Magus. 

While in Italy studying, Tlachtga was raped by the three sons of Simon Magus. Certainly these stories were attempts to lessen the power of the goddesses. But powerful goddess that she is, she took this outrage and turned it into a positive for her community.

Returning to Ireland, she gave birth to triplet sons on what would become the Hill of Tlachtga, whereupon she died from the effort. She was buried there and her sons, Doirb, Cuma, and Muach went on to become great chieftains or great druids, depending on the telling. It was said that while their names were remembered, no harm could come to Ireland. 

It’s interesting to note the number three—three sons who committed the crime, three sons born as a result. Three holds great symbolic significance in many world cultures, signifying balance, harmony, and unity. Three is the first number that moves beyond individuality and duality, leading us to the oneness found within the cyclical nature of life. Thus, Tlachtga’s three sons emerge from her tragedy offering strength, resilience, and hope for their community.

And so we return to Samhain and its origins. The Hill of Tlachtga, where earthworks were created over Tlachtga’s grave, is now known as the Hill of Ward. It dates from approximately 200 AD. Here the tribes gathered on Samhain night to honor their ancestors, give thanks for another successful harvest, and celebrate the New Year with horse races, fairs, markets, assembly rites, political discussions, and ritual mourning for the passage of summer.

The work of planting and harvesting was over, and the people were facing the long, dark time of winter. Only Tlachtga’s fires could burn on this night, promising the people safe passage through the time of darkness and mystery, leading to rebirth in the spring. Each family would light torches to take back home to rekindle their own hearth-fires. Over time the ceremony became known as the Druid ceremony: the Bruane Samhna —the ceremony of death and rebirth enacted every year at Samhain. Samhain celebrations are still held in Ireland at the Hill of Tlachtga today.

Tlachtga’s death gave power to the land. In this act of birthing her sons and then dying, she becomes, in addition to the Goddess of the Sun and Lightning, the Goddess of Death and Rebirth. She remains a symbol of the transformation of the old year into the new year at Samhain. Hers is the promise of light’s return when the dark of winter has passed. She speaks to us of the power of the natural world and reminds us to remember our dearly departed, honor our ancestors, whose shoulders we stand on today, and move forward into a new beginning for ourselves.

Another ancient goddess, the Cailleach, Winter Queen, is associated with Samhain. The Cailleach ruled the dark half of the year and was credited with creating the hills and valleys of the land. It was told that she flew through the skies on Samhain Eve, riding her sacred wolf. When she landed, she struck the ground with her rod, causing it to freeze, thus ushering in winter.

Samhain, meaning “Summer’s End,” is the time of year when the veil between our everyday world and the Otherworld is at its thinnest, creating the best opportunity for communication with Divine Beings and the spirits of the dead. Many myths tell of mortals and the Goddesses and Gods crossing over to each other’s realms on Samhain for various reasons—love, protection, mutual aid, and more.

Though Tlachtga was an Irish Celtic Goddess, both the Cailleach and Samhain were honored throughout the whole Celtic world. In the Scottish Highlands, young men ran the boundaries of their land with blazing torches to protect the family from faeries or malicious spirits who could more easily cause mischief on Samhain night. In addition, the thin veil present at Samhain made predicting the future easier. The Druids were busy with ritual fortune-telling on that night.

Times have changed greatly since the days of our pastoral ancestors. Modern life takes us further and further away from our connection to Earth and the portals that exist between mortal life and the Otherworld. On Samhain, we can hear the call of our ancestors more easily. May we open our hearts to what we must let go of in order to move forward into a new beginning of connection; an understanding that there is unity in our diversity; and the ability to live in harmony on our beautiful Mother Earth. May we hear their whispers on this sacred night, reminding us that we are all connected in the great mystery of life.

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