Читать книгу 366 Celt: A Year and A Day of Celtic Wisdom and Lore - Carl McColman - Страница 50

We have no Celtic creation myth. That may be because the Christians who preserved the myths felt it improper to recount a story that contradicted the book of Genesis. But it may also say something about the Celtic understanding of the universe—not as a stage that at some original moment was fashioned ex nihilo, but as an endlessly woven knot or spiral of existence, without beginning, without end. Irish myth begins with a series of “invasions”—stories about the first inhabitants of Ireland, who came in wave after mythic wave of settlers, invaders and conquerors. The drama mounts with each new tribe or family, culminating in three climactic battles, in which gods, heroes, demons, and finally, mortals, fight for sovereignty and ascendancy. The last of these battles sets the stage for the ongoing relationship between mortals and spirits—we humans live above the surface, while the gods/fairies/ancestors dwell in the underworld.

That first sequence of stories is called the Mythological Cycle. Next comes the Ulster Cycle, so called because most of the action takes place in Ireland’s northern province. The Ulster Cycle tells the story of Cúchulainn, the greatest of Celtic warriors, and his mighty exploits, particularly during the cattle raid of Cooley when Queen Meadbh attempts to steal a great brown bull—and Cúchulainn single-handedly opposes her.