Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

CHAPTER IV: THE EARLY MILESIAN KINGS 125acumen for his age, wrote the eleventh-century historian Tiernaof Clonmacnois. 117 There is much that is dubious in those thatfollow, but we are certainly on firmer historical ground. With thereign of Kimbay one great fact emerges into light: we have thefoundation of the kingdom of Ulster at its centre, Emain Macha,a name redolent to the Irish student of legendary splendourand heroism. Emain Macha is now represented by the grassyramparts of a great hill-fortress close to Ard Macha (Armagh).According to one of the derivations offered in Keating's “Historyof Ireland,” Emain is derived from eo, a bodkin, and muin, theneck, the word being thus equivalent to “brooch,” and Emain [151]Macha means the Brooch of Macha. An Irish brooch was a largecircular wheel of gold or bronze, crossed by a long pin, and thegreat circular rampart surrounding a Celtic fortress might wellbe imaginatively likened to the brooch or a giantess guarding hercloak, or territory. 118 The legend of Macha tells that she was thedaughter of Red Hugh, an Ulster prince who had two brothers,Dithorba and Kimbay. They agreed to enjoy, each in turn, thesovranty of Ireland. Red Hugh came first, but on his death Macharefused to give up the realm and fought Dithorba for it, whomshe conquered and slew. She then, in equally masterful manner,compelled Kimbay to wed her, and ruled all Ireland as queen. Igive the rest of the tale in the words of Standish O'Grady:“The five sons of Dithorba, having been expelled out of Ulster,fled across the Shannon, and in the west of the kingdom plottedagainst Macha. Then the Queen went down alone into Connachtand found the brothers in the forest, where, wearied with thechase, they were cooking a wild boar which they had slain,and were carousing before a fire which they had kindled. She117 “Omnia monumenta Scotorum ante Cimbaoth incerta erant.” Tierna, whodied in 1088, was Abbot of Clonmacnois, a great monastic and educationalcentre in mediæval Ireland.118 Compare the fine poem of a modern Celtic writer (Sir Samuel Ferguson),“The Widow's Cloak”—i.e., the British Empire in the days of Queen Victoria.