G, GORT, ivy in the Ogham alphabet. The bird ... - Rodney Mackay

cursing the land with civil unrest for "nine times nine
generations". In addition she promised the Ulster warriors
that they would be "inconvenienced" by similar pains on a
monthly basis. Thus the outlander Cu Chulainn, a mercenary
to King Conor, was the only man in condition to hold the
Ford of Ulster when Queen Medb's forces marched north from
Connaught.
GEAS BOC, a Guy’s buck. A quater-day victim. It is recorded
that Samhuinn eve was the time when men battled the dark
forces while Samhuinn itself (November 1) was the day
when mortals made peace with the spirit world. "On this
day the feast of Tara was held, and it was probably on this
day that the high-king of Tara celebrated his ritual
marriage with the goddess of the earth, to ensure the
prosperity of his reign." Remembering that the Mhorrigan
was one of the banshee tribe, recalls Keats poem "La Belle
Dame Sans Merci", which is based on the old tale that the
Irish bean-sidh were beautiful sidh-woman who, at
Samhuinn, went searching for mortal lovers. This implies a
male victim.
In Denmark, the person to cut the last sheath was
always a woman, and the male "geis buc" fashioned from the
corn became her partner at the harvest dance. She was
greeted there as "the widow" and wept symbolic tears
because she knew herslf to be wed to a mythical being
bound to be killed for the good of the land.
Honest kings went to ashes more rapidly than frauds
as they had the disadvantage of actually believing that they
represented a link between men and the creator-god. They
submitted themselves more readily to a role in the
sacrificial rite of the divine king, while sleazier
compatriots talked their way around failures in
commanding the elemental gods who were the real
representatives of the Ahair. At that, all of the Celtic
kings had short reigns since they invariably showed
weaknesses of spirit in allowing floods, famine, fire or the
ravages of war.