By: Keitha (FireWind)
Posted: Dec. 1999
Variations: Cailleach Beara, Caillagh Ny Groamagh, Cailleach Bheur. There are
many different stories about the different variations of The Cailleach. Her name
may have meant "Veiled One".
There are also many different pronounciations of her name. Please note that the
'ch' is usually pronounced with a gutteral, back-of-the-throat sound.
Kay-lech
Kay-leech
Cal-yach
K-eye-leech
Coy-luck
Kill-ogh
The Beara, or Bheur, is sometimes pronounced as Vay-ra or Vare.
She is sometimes pictured as having a blue face, with one eye in the center of
her forehead. Although typically a Hag Goddess, she may have the ability to
transform into a beautiful woman. She was seen as excessively strong, and could
carry mountains in her apron.
She is typically associated with most attributes of Hag Goddesses. She is the
bringer of death, storms, strength, and wisdom. Sometimes she can be cruel.
She was mostly a strong weather Goddess. She controlled the Seasons, the Earth,
the Moon, and all the sky. She was also sometimes seen as the guardian of
streams, wells, and fishing.
Her symbols include mountains, standing stones, bad weather, large birds, holly
trees, the gorse bush, and the winter sun. Deer, cattle, goats, wolves, and pigs
are also her animals.
In Celtic tradition, there were two suns: the big (summer) sun, which appears
between Beltaine and Samhain, and the little (winter) sun, which appears the
rest of the year. The little sun was called Grainan, and so The Cailleach was
sometimes called the daughter of Grainan.
As an Irish Celtic Deity, she turns to stone on Beltaine, and comes back to life
on Samhain. She calls the winter storms and brings the bad weather. She also
marries many husbands who all die of old age.
In the Highlands of Scotland, her cult was particularly widespread. She brings
all weather. According to tradition, she comes out on Feb. 1st to gather
firewood. If the weather is good, she collects all the firewood she needs for
the coming cold summer. If the weather is bad, she stays indoors, and has no
firewood. Therefore she has to make the summer warm.
There is one story of her that denotes her cruelty. She appears in a village as
a weak old woman looking for farm help. She makes a deal with many young,
healthy men that they will be paid only if they can outwork her. Judging from
her frail appearance, this seems an easy task. However, the men soon found out
that she was no frail old woman, and many men went to their deaths from
exhaustion trying to outwork her.
There is one legend that she was the guardian of a well at the top of Ben
Cruachan. Every night she placed a boulder over it to stop it from overflowing.
However, one night she forgot to do this, and the water flowed down the mountain
in to the valley where every creature and person was killed. The Cailleach tried
to stop the flood, but couldn't, and the valley became Loch Awe. She was so
horrified by what she had done that she turned to stone.
There is also a story that she appeared at the door of Diarmuid, who agreed she
could warm herself by the fire against the objections of Oisin and Fionn. Later,
she climbed into his bed. He didn't object to this, but tried to keep on
sleeping. To his surprise, she then turned into a beautiful woman.