Imbas forosnai, is a gift of

clairvoyance Clairvoyance (; ) is the claimed ability to acquire information that would be considered impossible to get through scientifically proven sensations, thus classified as extrasensory perception, or "sixth sense". Any person who is claimed to h ...

or visionary ability practised by the gifted poets of ancient

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. In

Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic (, Ogham, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ; ; or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic languages, Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive written texts. It was used from 600 to 900. The ...

, ''Imbas'' imeans "inspiration," and specifically refers to the sacred poetic inspiration believed to be possessed by the '' fili'' (

: inspired, visionary poets) in Early

. ''Forosnai'' means "illuminated" or "that which illuminates". Descriptions of the practices associated with ''Imbas forosnai'' are found in ''

Cormac's Glossary ''Sanas Cormaic'' (; or ''Sanas Chormaic'', Irish for "Cormac's narrative"), also known as ''Cormac's Glossary'', is an early Irish glossary containing etymologies and explanations of over 1,400 Irish words, many of which are difficult or outda ...

'' and in the mythology associated with the hero

Fionn mac Cumhaill Fionn mac Cumhaill, often anglicised Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is the leader of the ''Fianna'' bands of young roving hunter-warriors, as well as being a seer a ...

. In the '' Táin Bó Cúailgne'', the woman poet Fedelm uses her ''imbas forosnai'' to predict the outcome of a battle. ''Imbas forosnai'' involved the practitioner engaging in sensory deprivation techniques in order to enter a trance and receive answers or prophecy. In the Celtic traditions,

poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

has always served as a primary conveyance of spiritual truth. Celtic texts differentiate between normal poetry, which is only a matter of learned skill, and "inspired" poetry, which is seen as a gift from the

gods A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...

. Some Celtic reconstructionists are involved in the revival of the practices connected with Imbas forosnai.

References

Further reading