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In
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...
( Irish, Scottish and Manx) myth, the Cailleach (, ) is a divine
hag HAG is a Swiss maker of model trains. The company was founded by Hugo and Alwin Gahler on 1 April 1944 in St. Gallen, Switzerland. The Gahler brothers originally manufactured model trains in O scale but due to competition, particularly by Mär ...
and ancestor, associated with the
creation Creation may refer to: Religion *''Creatio ex nihilo'', the concept that matter was created by God out of nothing *Creation myth, a religious story of the origin of the world and how people first came to inhabit it *Creationism, the belief that ...
of the landscape and with the
weather Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. On Earth, most weather phenomena occur in the lowest layer of the planet's atmosphere, the ...
, especially storms and winter. The word literally means 'old woman, hag', and is found with this meaning in modern Irish and
Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
, and has been applied to numerous mythological and folkloric figures in
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
,
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, and the
Isle of Man ) , anthem = " O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europ ...
.Briggs, Katharine M. (1976) ''An Encyclopedia of Fairies''. New York, Pantheon Books. pp. 57-60. In modern Irish folklore studies, she is sometimes known as The Hag of Beara, while in Scotland she is known as Beira, Queen of Winter.


Name

('old woman' or 'hag' in modern Irish and
Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
) comes from the
Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writte ...
('veiled one'), an adjectival form of ('veil'), an early loan from
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
, 'woollen cloak'.Macbain, Alexander (1998) ''Etymological Dictionary Of Scottish-Gaelic''. New York: Hippocrene Books, , p. 63. The Cailleach is often referred to as the in Irish and in Scottish Gaelic. Gearóid Ó Crualaoich believes this comes from a word meaning 'sharp, shrill, inimical' – or – and refers to the Cailleach's association with winter and wilderness, as well as her association with horned beasts or cattle. The 8th- to 9th-century Irish poem ''The Lament of the Old Woman'' says that the Cailleach's name is Digdi or Digde. In ''The Hunt of Slieve Cuilinn'' she is called Milucra, sister of Áine. In the tale of the
Glas Gaibhnenn Glas Gaibhnenn ( ga, Glas Gaibhnenn, Glas Ghaibhleann; Hiberno-English: Glas Gaivlen; Gloss Gavlen: pronunciation guide:/glas-gav-e-lan/;), in Irish folklore, is a prized fabulous cow of bounty (fertility) that yields profuse quantities of milk. ...
, she is called Biróg. Elsewhere, she is called Bui or Bua h In
Manx Gaelic Manx ( or , pronounced or ), also known as Manx Gaelic, is a Gaelic language of the insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family. Manx is the historical language of the Manx people ...
she is known as the . The plural of ''cailleach'' is () in Irish, () in Scottish Gaelic, and in Manx. The word is found as a component in terms like the Gaelic ('nun') and (' owl'), as well as the Irish ('wise woman, fortune-teller') and ('sorceress, charm-worker'). Related words include the Gaelic and the Irish ('young woman, girl, colleen'), the diminutive of 'woman', and the Lowland Scots ('old woman, witch'). A more obscure word that is sometimes interpreted as 'hag' is the Irish , which has led some to speculate on a connection between the Cailleach and the stonecarvings of Sheela na Gigs.Ross, Anne (1973, reprint 2004) "The divine hag of the pagan Celts", in ''The Witch Figure: Folklore Essays by a Group of Scholars in England Honoring the 75th Birthday of Katharine M. Briggs''; ed. by Venetia Newall. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. .


Legends

In
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
, where she is also known as Beira, Queen of Winter (a name given by 20th-century folklorist Donald Alexander Mackenzie), she is credited with making numerous mountains and large hills, which are said to have been formed when she was striding across the land and accidentally dropped rocks from her creel or wicker basket. In other cases she is said to have built the mountains intentionally, to serve as her stepping stones. She carries a hammer for shaping the hills and valleys, and is said to be the mother of all the goddesses and gods. According to Mackenzie, Beira was a one-eyed
giantess A giantess is a female giant: either a mythical being, such as the Amazons of Greek mythology, resembling a woman of superhuman size and strength or a human woman of exceptional stature, often the result of some medical or genetic abnormality ...
with white hair, dark blue skin, and rust-colored teeth.Mackenzie, Donald Alexander (1917)
"Beira, Queen of Winter"
in ''Wonder Tales from Scottish Myth and Legend''.
The Cailleach displays several traits befitting the personification of winter: she herds
deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...
, she fights spring, and her staff freezes the ground. In partnership with the goddess Brìghde, the Cailleach is seen as a seasonal deity or spirit, ruling the winter months between Samhainn (1 November or first day of winter) and Bealltainn (1 May or first day of summer), while Brìghde rules the summer months between Bealltainn and Samhainn. Some interpretations have the Cailleach and Brìghde as two faces of the same goddess, while others describe the Cailleach as turning to stone on Bealltainn and reverting to humanoid form on Samhainn in time to rule over the winter months. Depending on local climate, the transfer of power between the winter goddess and the summer goddess is celebrated any time between ( Imbolc, 1 February) at the earliest, Latha na Cailliche (25 March), or Bealltainn (1 May) at the latest, and the local festivals marking the arrival of the first signs of spring may be named after either the Cailleach or Brìghde. Là Fhèill Brìghde is also the day the Cailleach gathers her firewood for the rest of the winter. Legend has it that if she intends to make the winter last a good while longer, she will make sure the weather on 1 February is bright and sunny, so she can gather plenty of firewood to keep herself warm in the coming months. As a result, people are generally relieved if Là Fhèill Brìghde is a day of foul weather, as it means the Cailleach is asleep, will soon run out of firewood, and therefore winter is almost over. On the Isle of Man, where She is known as ''Caillagh ny Groamagh'', the Cailleach is said to have been seen on St. Bride's day in the form of a gigantic bird, carrying sticks in her beak. According to Mackenzie, the longest night of the year marked the end of her reign as Queen of Winter, at which time she visited the Well of Youth and, after drinking its magic water, grew younger day by day. In Scotland, the Cailleachan (lit. 'old women') are also known as the Storm Hags, and seen as personifications of the elemental powers of nature, especially in a destructive aspect. They are said to be particularly active in raising the windstorms of spring, during the period known as ''A' Chailleach''. On the west coast of Scotland, the Cailleach ushers in winter by washing her great plaid (
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...
: ''féileadh mòr'') in the Gulf of Corryvreckan (
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...
: ''Coire Bhreacain'' - 'whirlpool/cauldron of the plaid'). This process is said to take three days, during which the roar of the coming tempest is heard as far away as inland. When she is finished, her plaid is pure white and snow covers the land. In Scotland and Ireland, the first farmer to finish the grain harvest made a
corn dolly Corn dollies or corn mothers are a form of straw work made as part of harvest customs of Europe before mechanization. Before Christianisation, in traditional pagan European culture it was believed that the spirit of the corn (in American English ...
, representing the Cailleach (also called "the Carlin or Carline"), from the last sheaf of the crop. The figure would then be tossed into the field of a neighbor who had not yet finished bringing in their grain. The last farmer to finish had the responsibility to take in and care for the corn dolly for the next year, with the implication they'd have to feed and house the hag all winter. Competition was fierce to avoid having to take in the Old Woman.McNeill, Vol.2 (1959) pp. 119-124. Some scholars believe the Old Irish poem " The Lament of the Old Woman of Beara" is about the Cailleach; Kuno Meyer states, "she had fifty foster-children in Beare. She had seven periods of youth one after another, so that every man who had lived with her came to die of old age, and her grandsons and great-grandsons were tribes and races."


Locations associated with the Cailleach


Ireland

In
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...
, the Cailleach is associated with craggy, prominent mountains and outcroppings, such as Hag's Head () the southernmost tip of the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare. The megalithic tombs at Loughcrew in
County Meath County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the ...
are situated atop
Slieve na Calliagh Slieve na Calliagh () are a range of hills and ancient burial site near Oldcastle, County Meath, Ireland. The summit is , the highest point in the county. On the hilltops are about twenty passage tombs, some decorated with rare megalithic art, ...
() and include a kerbstone known as "the hag's chair".Cochrane, Andrew (2005)
A taste of the unexpected: subverting mentalités through the motifs and settings of Irish passage tombs
. p.4: "To the north of Cairn T and on the exterior is located K29 or the ‘Hag’s Chair’. This kerbstone has visual imagery on its front and back face. The top of the central part of this kerbstone is believed to be artificially cut to create the chair appearance (Shee Twohig 1981, 217; contra. Conwell 1866, 371)".
Cairn T on Slieve na Calliagh is a classic passage tomb, in which the rays of the equinox sunrise shine down the passageway and illuminate an inner chamber filled with megalithic stonecarvings.Documented i
photos and videos taken on site for six years running
The summit of
Slieve Gullion Slieve Gullion ( or ''Sliabh Cuilinn'', " Culann's mountain") is a mountain in the south of County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The mountain is the heart of the Ring of Gullion and is the highest point in the county, with an elevation of . At t ...
in
County Armagh County Armagh (, named after its county town, Armagh) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the southern shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of an ...
features a passage tomb known locally as the 'Calliagh Beara's House'. There is also a lake, where the Calliagh is said to have played a trick on the mythical warrior, Fionn mac Cumhaill, when he took on the physical appearance of an old man after diving into the lake to retrieve a ring that the Calliagh fooled him into thinking was lost. Aillenacally (''Aill na Caillí'', "Hag Cliff") is a
cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...
in
County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...
. The Carrowmore passage tombs on the Cúil Iorra Peninsula in
County Sligo County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in the county. Sligo County Council is the local ...
, are associated with the Cailleach. One is called the Cailleach a Bhéara's House.Meehan, Padraig. Listoghil, A Seasonal Alignment, 2014, Gungho Publications,
William Butler Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...
refers to the Sligo Cailleach as the 'Clooth na Bare'.Jeffares, Alexander Norman. A Commentary on the Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats, 1968, Stanford University Press In County Sligo she is also called the Garavogue Cailleach.


Scotland

The Cailleach is prominent in the landscape of
Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020) ...
, Scotland. In later tales she is known as the ''Cailleach nan Cruachan'' ("the witch of
Ben Cruachan Ben Cruachan ( gd, Cruachan Beann) is a mountain that rises to , the highest in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It gives its name to the Cruachan Dam, a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station located in a cavern inside the mountain. It is the hi ...
"). Ben Cruachan is the tallest mountain in the region. Tea-towels and postcards of her are sold in the visitor shop for the Hollow Mountain, which also features a mural depicting her accidental creation of Loch Awe.The Legend of Cruachan
', from the Ben Cruachan visitor's website. Access date 21-11-2007.
Legend has it that the Cailleach was tired from a long day herding deer. Atop Ben Cruachan she fell asleep on her watch and a well she was tending overflowed, running down from the highlands and flooding the valleys below, forming first a
river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of ...
and then the
loch ''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots and Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is cognate with the Manx lough, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh words for lake, llwch. In English English and Hiberno-English, the anglicised spell ...
.Cailleach Bheur
' from the ''Mysterious Britain'' website. Access date 21-11-2007.
The overflowing well is a common motif in local
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...
creation tales - as seen in the goddess
Boann Boann or Boand (modern Irish spelling: Bónn) is the Irish goddess of the River Boyne (the river-name now always in the nominalised dative/prepositional case, Bóinn), a river in Ireland's historical fifth province, Meath (from Middle Irish ' ...
's similar creation of the
River Boyne The River Boyne ( ga, An Bhóinn or ''Abhainn na Bóinne'') is a river in Leinster, Ireland, the course of which is about long. It rises at Trinity Well, Newberry Hall, near Carbury, County Kildare, and flows towards the Northeast through C ...
in Ireland.MacKillop, James (1998) ''Dictionary of Celtic Mythology''. Oxford University Press. p. 45. Other connections to the region include her above-mentioned strong ties with the fierce whirlpool in the Gulf of Corryvreckan. She is also associated with other Scottish mountains.
Ben Nevis Ben Nevis ( ; gd, Beinn Nibheis ) is the highest mountain in Scotland, the United Kingdom and the British Isles. The summit is above sea level and is the highest land in any direction for . Ben Nevis stands at the western end of the Grampian ...
was said to be her "mountain throne". The two mountains on the
Isle of Skye The Isle of Skye, or simply Skye (; gd, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach or ; sco, Isle o Skye), is the largest and northernmost of the major islands in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate from a mountainous hub dominated b ...
named Beinn na Caillich (
western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
and eastern) after her, from which fierce storms of sleet and rain descend, wreaking havoc and destruction upon the lands below. There is a Gleann Cailliche in
Glen Lyon Glen Lyon ( gd, Gleann Lìomhann) is a glen in the Perth and Kinross region of Scotland. It is the longest enclosed glen in Scotland and runs for from Loch Lyon in the west to the village of Fortingall in the east. This glen was also kno ...
in Perthshire with a stream named Allt Cailliche which runs into
Loch Lyon Loch Lyon ( Scottish Gaelic, ''Loch Lìobhann'')Loch Lìobhann/Loch Lyon
shieling A shieling is a hut or collection of huts on a seasonal pasture high in the hills, once common in wild or sparsely populated places in Scotland. Usually rectangular with a doorway on the south side and few or no windows, they were often con ...
in the Glen, known as either Tigh nan Cailleach (Scottish Gaelic for ''house of the old women''MacLennan, Malcolm, ''Gaelic Dictionary'', Acair and Aberdeen University Press, 1985 photolithographic reprint of 1st edition, 1925) or Tigh nam Bodach, (Scottish Gaelic for ''house of the old men''), which houses a number of heavy water-worn stones, resembling miniature human beings.McKerracher, Archie, ''Perthshire in History and Legend'', 1st edition 1988, John Donald Publishers, , pp55-56 Roughly rectangular, the building originally measured 2m by 1.3m by 0.4m high with a stone roof. A replacement roof of a wooden pallet having collapsed and the whole building having become somewhat ruinous it was rebuilt by a local dyker in 2011. According to local legend the stones represent the Cailleach, her husband the Bodach, and their children''Sacred stones out in the sun'', ''Daily Record'', 4 May 2012, https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/sacred-stones-out-sun-2729746 and the site may represent the only surviving shrine of its kind in Great Britain. The local legend suggests that the Cailleach and her family were given shelter in the glen by the locals and while they stayed there the glen was always fertile and prosperous. When they left they gave the stones to the locals with the promise that as long as the stones were put out to look over the glen at Bealltainn and put back into the shelter and made secure for the winter at Samhain then the glen would continue to be fertile. This ritual is still carried out to this day.


In popular culture

* In
Scottish Gaelic literature Scottish Gaelic literature refers to literature composed in the Scottish Gaelic language and in the Gàidhealtachd communities where it is and has been spoken. Scottish Gaelic is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages, along with Iri ...
, the Cailleach was famously used to personify the internal
literary critic Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. ...
of 18th-century poet William Ross. Despite being widely viewed as a, "love-lorn romantic who died of
unrequited love Unrequited love or one-sided love is love that is not openly reciprocated or understood as such by the beloved. The beloved may not be aware of the admirer's deep and pure affection, or may consciously reject it. The Merriam Webster Online Dict ...
", due to the poet's many versifications of his loss and heartbreak over the 1782 marriage of his beloved Mòr Ros, Ross was also capable of poking fun at himself, as in the poem ''Oran eadar am Bàrd agus Cailleach-mhilleadh-nan-dàn'' ("Exchange of Verses between the Poet and the Hag-who-spoils-poems").Derick S. Thomson (1993), ''Gaelic Poetry in the Eighteenth Century: A Bilingual Anthology'',
Association for Scottish Literary Studies The Association for Scottish Literary Studies (ASLS) is a Scottish educational charity, founded in 1970 to promote and support the teaching, study and writing of Scottish literature. Its founding members included the Scottish literary scholar M ...
,
Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), a ...
. Pages 161-167.


See also

*
Baba Yaga In Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga, also spelled Baba Jaga (from Polish), is a supernatural being (or one of a trio of sisters of the same name) who appears as a deformed and/or ferocious-looking woman. In fairy tales Baba Yaga flies around in a ...
*
Banshee A banshee ( ; Modern Irish , from sga, ben síde , "woman of the fairy mound" or "fairy woman") is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member, usually by screaming, wailing, shrieking, or keening. Her name i ...
* Beira *
Bodach A (; plural "old man; rustic, churl, lout"; Old Irish ) is a trickster or bogeyman figure in Gaelic folklore and mythology. The "old man" is paired with the "hag, old woman" in Irish legend. Name (Old Irish also ) is the Irish word for a ...
*
Carlin stone Carlin Stone or Carline Stane is the name given to a number of prehistoric standing stones and natural stone or landscape features in Scotland. The significance of the name is unclear, other than its association with old hags, witches, and the l ...
*
Carrauntoohil Carrauntoohil or Carrauntoohill ( ; ga, Corrán Tuathail , meaning "Tuathal's sickle") is the highest mountain in Ireland at . It is on the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, close to the centre of Ireland's highest mountain range, MacGillycu ...
* Celtic animism *
Cyhyraeth The cyhyraeth () is a ghostly spirit in Welsh mythology, a disembodied moaning voice that sounds before a person's death. Legends associate the cyhyraeth with the area around the River Tywi in eastern Dyfed, as well as the coast of Glamorganshi ...
* Imbolc *
Labbacallee wedge tomb Labbacallee wedge tomb () is a large pre-historic burial monument, located north-west of Fermoy and south-east of Glanworth, County Cork, Ireland. It is the largest Irish wedge tomb and dates from roughly 2300 BC. The tomb is a National Mon ...
* Sheela na Gig *
Slieve Gullion Slieve Gullion ( or ''Sliabh Cuilinn'', " Culann's mountain") is a mountain in the south of County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The mountain is the heart of the Ring of Gullion and is the highest point in the county, with an elevation of . At t ...


Notes


References

* Carmichael, Alexander (1992). ''Carmina Gadelica''. Lindisfarne Press. * Campbell, John Gregorson (1900, 1902, 2005) ''The Gaelic Otherworld''. Edited by Ronald Black. Edinburgh, Birlinn Ltd. * Danaher, Kevin (1962). ''The Year in Ireland''. Irish Books & Media. * *MacKillop, James (1998). ''Dictionary of Celtic Mythology''. Oxford University Press. * McNeill, F. Marian (1959). ''The Silver Bough, Vol. 1 -4''. William MacLellan, Glasgow * * *


Primary sources

*"The Lament of the Old Woman of Beare", ed. and tr.


Further reading

* *


External links


''An Cailleach Bhéarra'' (2007)
- an IFB
short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
(8 minutes)
Ben Cruachan, the Hollow Mountain
- The Legend of Cruachan, featuring the Cailleach Bheur
Hags, Queens and Wise Women: Supernatural Females of the Irish Otherworld
- RTÉ radio series, based on the work of Gearóid Ó Crualaoich

and other megalithic features at Slieve na Calliagh, Ireland

- don't get stuck with the Cailleach {{National personifications Creator goddesses Destroyer goddesses Irish goddesses Scottish folklore Scottish mythology Personifications of Ireland National personifications Celtic goddesses Hags