Glám dícenn

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Glám dícenn ( Irish ) [ glaːv 'ðʴiːgʴeN ] (after Birkhan about "improvised scream"?), Also called áer [ air ], in Cymric anghlod , is an old Irish word that denotes a ritual curse . In Irish mythology it is reported to cause mental and physical harm to those it is used against.

Legal basis

In Irish law, the humiliating poem or the curse was an accepted means of enforcing higher claims. Unjustified use of the áer or glám dicenn was severely punished. The amount of the punishment was based on the social rank of the person concerned.

mythology

The glám dicenn is usually carried out by druids , vates or bards ( filid ). In preparation for the spell, it is customary to fast before the curse. A special body position is often part of it, for example, at the Battle of Mag Tuired, Lugh hops around the enemy army on one leg, hides a hand and closes an eye in order to successfully curse the Fomori .

Also in a prehistory of this battle, the poet Cridenbél forces the Dagda by threatening one áer to give him the best bite of the meal, but is outwitted by Oengus and dies of his greed.

In the saga Aided Chon Culainn ("The Death of Cú Chulainn"), Medb mutilates the children of Calatín and enables them to effectively cast spells against Cú Chulainn .

[...] urged the revilers to ask Cú Chulainn for his spear, because the sons of Calatín had prophesied of his spear that a king would be killed with it, but only if it was presented on request. "Your spear to me!" Shouted the reveler "[...] I will revile you if you don't give it to me!"

Cú Chulainn throws the spear so violently that the scourgeon is killed by the end of the shaft. The enemies can kill Cú Chulainn and his charioteer Loeg mac Riangabra with the spear .

The stingy King Bress is forced in Lebor Gabála Érenn ("Book of the Conquest of Ireland") by glám dicenn of Cairpre mac Etain to renounce his rule over the Túatha Dé Danann :

No dish quickly in the bowl,
No cow's milk from which a calf grows
No place for a man in the dark of night
No payment for the storytellers crowd:
May that be the prosperity under Bress!
May Bress not prosper!

In the Welsh tale Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed ("Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed"), the " First Branch of the Mabinogi ", King Arawn of Annwn threatens his adversary Pwyll with anghlod if he does not give him satisfaction for a hunting offense :

"And even if I will not take revenge on you: between me and God," he said, "I will cause you a shame worth a hundred deer."

Kulhwch also gets himself in the Welsh saga Mal y kavas Kulhwch Olwen (“How Kulhwch Olwen has won”) through anghlod (in Llyfr Gwyn Rhydderch dwyn dy wyneb , “theft of honor”; in Llyfr Coch Hergest dwyn dy anghlod , “theft by Insult / Shame ”) against the gatekeeper of King Arthur access to the castle:

[...] And which of the women at the court is pregnant will have a miscarriage and those of them who are not pregnant will have their laps painfully inverted, [...]

In Fled Bricrenn ("Bricrius Fest"), the expected guests are forced to participate by Bricrius' threat of discord throughout the country, even though they are enemies with one another. In the Ulster Cycle , the poet ( fili ) Athirne áilgesach is Ireland's most feared reveler. King Conchobar mac Nessa of Ulster sends him to all the other provinces of the island and lets him enforce his demands by threats of curse. He even sparked a war between Leinster and Ulster, which, through Conall Cernach's intervention, ended with the death of King Mes Gegra (see also Cath Étair [“The Battle of Étar”]).

The sorceress Leborcham , the educator and helper Deirdres , as well as Deirdre himself are portrayed as successful users of Glám dícenn in Longas mac nUislenn (“The Exile of the Sons of Uislius”).

In some other myths, glám dicenn also plays an important role.

Antique reception

Diodorus of Sicily (1st century BC) writes about the Celtic insult:

With them [the Celts] there are also song writers who are called bards. To accompany instruments that are similar to lyres , they perform both award chants and vilers.

See also

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. Pp. 504 f., 604, 833.
  2. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 944 f.
  3. ^ Ingeborg Clarus: Celtic myths. Man and his otherworld. P. 177 f.
  4. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 942.
  5. ↑ Bernhard Maier: The legend book of the Welsh Celts. Pp. 10, 119, note 10, 25f.
  6. ↑ Bernhard Maier: The legend book of the Welsh Celts. P. 119, note 10, 25f.
  7. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 943 f.
  8. ↑ Diodorus of Sicily: Universal History , Book 5, Chapter 31.