WINGS OF THE DE DANNAN

THE GOLDEN TRISKELE

 

 

It was a dark and stormy day . . .

 

Soaring high above the bloody battlefield of Magh Tuireadh was Tuan, the Great Eagle of Time.  Tuan had seen days like this before and knew he would see many more.

 

“How many more will there be DANU?”  He whispered on the wind.

 

“There will be many more, Tuan, and you must remember all of them.”  DANU whispered back.

 

“But why?”  Tuan asked.

 

“Because someone needs to tell the story about this green and fertile land, and the brave people who came here to live and prosper.”  DANU whispered.

 

“Tell me now Tuan, What do you remember before we arrived and what happened here today?“  DANU continued.

 

As he glided away from the plains of Magh Tuireadh and looked back down, Tuan said. “Many things happened DANU, so I will begin with  Morrigan . . .”   

 

After silently looking up at the dark sky, Morrigan, the Great Witch of War for the Tuatha De Dannan, then stepped forward and joined her sister Nemain, the Great Witch of Knowledge.  Both stood before DANU, the Creator.

 

“You have fought well, my daughters. “  Said DANU.

 

DANU had created the Tuatha De Dannan race of Gods and warriors in a distant land, far, far away.  At a time before time, as time is known today.

 

For the Tuatha De Dannan, all time floats freely on the wind.

 

Now looking beyond Morrigan and Nemain, DANU looked out across the plains of Magh Tuireadh, out to the warriors of the Tuatha De Dannan, “You have all fought well my children.  You defeated the Fir Bolg in the First Great War, and now the Fomorii in this, the Second Great War.  The green and fertile land is now your home.”

 

As a great roar came forth from all the warriors, the sun broke through the dark stormy clouds, and a beautiful rainbow appeared.  The rainbow’s colors were even more vivid against the dark sky and dark gray clouds.  A great sign to all the warriors, and again they cheered.

 

High in the sky a Great Eagle circled with the sun light touching its wings.  As it soared higher and higher into the sky, DANU whispered “Tuan, remember!” softly into the breeze.  Then the Great Eagle of Time was gone as the dark stormy clouds closed in and shut out the sun and rainbow.

 

A cool wind from the West started to blow across the green and fertile land.  Its cold damp breath was a warning to everyone that rain was coming to wash the land clean of warrior blood.

 

As Morrigan wrapped herself warmer, her thoughts drifted back to the time the Tuatha De Dannan had left their first homeland along the great Danube River, and traveled West in their strong longboats.  To any mortal, the trip took forever.  To the Gods and warriors of the Tuatha De Dannan, it took one day and one night to reach the green and fertile land.

 

Back then, Macha the Witch of Love, who was Morrigan’s other sister, was in love with Nuada, King of the Tuatha De Dannan.

 

Macha was the most beautiful of the three sisters.  She was also the best warrior of the three sisters.  Their love affair was a great example of how Tuatha De Dannan men and women fought side by side as warriors.  Their love affair had produced a son named Conann.  The young Conann had grown up and become a great warrior like his parents.

 

Before leaving their homeland, DANU had said the Western lands would hold great promise, but also great sorrow.  However, in the end, it would be worth while.

 

Morrigan also remembered how she and her two sisters all blessed the green and fertile land when they arrived.  Moreover, all the Druids, men and women alike, repeated their words of praise to DANU.

 

Morrigan, Nemain, and Macha, were also known as the three Badb.

 

The three Badb, were all great witches who could change themselves from beautiful women, into great Ravens.  In addition, the three sisters could also turn themselves into horrible monsters, to help the Tuatha De Dannan fight their enemies.

 

Morrigan, with DANU’s guiding hand, had created Sorcery.  Both Nemain and Macha had contributed to its further development as powerful forces.

 

Morrigan also remembered how when they first arrived, Nuada had tried to reason with all the tribes of the Fir Bolg.  Nuada had said the Tuatha De Dannan people only needed a small area in which to live.  “We will be as if we never were.”  Nuada had said.

 

Nevertheless, for the Fir Bolg, this was their homeland, once abandoned and lost, and then reclaimed these many years.

 

“Tell me, Tuan.”  DANU whispered on the wind.

 

Tuan, the Great Eagle of Time, had also known their story and the stories of many others.

 

“Start from the beginning, Tuan.”  DANU said as the cold wind blew across the land.

 

Back before time, Noah’s granddaughter Cessair and her people had arrived before the Great Flood. Then when the Great Flood had killed Cessair and her people, the land was empty of people for a long time.

 

Then Partholon and his people arrived to settle in the green and fertile land.  The Tribes of Partholon were made up of strong men and women, with gentle ways.  After many years, a terrible plague killed many of them and drove them from the land.  The weakened Tribes of Partholon had fled the green and fertile land and sailed to Thrace, in the East.

 

During this time, the green and fertile land was empty until the Fomorii landed in the north.  A short time later, the Nemedians arrived and tried to call the land their own.  Later these two groups fought to control the green and fertile land.

 

Unfortunately, the battles were so terrible that both groups were completely devastated and weakened.  Ultimately, they both fled the land.

 

“But that is a story to be told later.”  Tuan whispered.

 

Back however, when the weakened Tribes of Partholon arrived in Thrace, the Thracians enslaved them.

 

Over time, they regained their numbers and fought for their freedom.  Once freed, the descendants of the Tribes of Partholon renamed themselves; the Fir Bolg, the Fir Domnan, and the Fir Gallion, and sailed West in their longboats.

 

When the three Tribes returned to the land of their ancestors, they reclaimed the empty green and fertile land as their own.  At this time, they all agreed to be known as the Fir Bolg.

 

However, that was back then, at another time, another story . . .

 

Now, in this time, and as the damp breeze from the west picked up, Morrigan’s mind again drifted back to when the Tuatha De Dannan had first arrived on the western shores of the green and fertile land.

 

Morrigan knew that with their great skills, the Tuatha De Dannan only needed a small area to settle in.  Nuada, their King, had met with Eochaidh Mac Erc the Proud, and King of the Fir Bolg to negotiate an agreement.  Nuada had also assured Eochaidh Mac Erc, that all the wild animals hunted and killed by Tuatha De Dannan warriors, would be replaced as if they had never died.

 

For the Tuatha De Dannan, the “OtherWorld” was their real land, and they only wanted the green and fertile land as a place to visit, hunt, and occasionally live.  Unfortunately, the Fir Bolg never fully understood this, and only saw the Tuatha De Dannan as a threat.

 

Eochaidh Mac Erc then sent Sreng the Strong, their greatest warrior, to assess the situation and the fighting skills of the Tuatha De Dannan.  Nuada sent Bres, the Beautiful, who was half De Dannan and half Fomorii (Elatha, King of the Fomorii, was his father) to meet Sreng.

 

Both great warriors met at the high windswept cliffs on the western coast of the green and fertile land.  Later in time, this place would be called the Cliffs of Moher.  Both warriors had discussed the sharing of the green and fertile land.  However, as the early morning moved into the late morning, the discussions led nowhere.

 

Next, both men assessed each other’s weapons.  Each warrior carried a massive shield, both light and heavy war spears, a huge war axe, and a mighty war sword.  Each warrior was impressed with the other’s weapons.

 

“Fighting is the only way to see whose weapons are better.”  Sreng said.

 

“I agree.” Said Bres.

 

Then both warriors armed themselves and prepared for battle . . . . . .

...."Now that's the beginning of my story.  If there's a word of lie in it, be it so!  It was not I who invented it.  I am just a story teller, retelling my dreams . . ."