Hill of Uisneach
The Hill of Uisneach ( Irish Cnoc Uisnigh , English also Ushnagh Hill ) is located on the R390 road from Ballymore to Mullingar in County Westmeath and is the geographical and spiritual center of ancient Ireland . Uisneach ( old Irish Uisnech ) is a:
- Fairground to Beltaine
- old meeting place
- Location of a St. Patrick's Church
- Sacred Center of Pagan Ireland
- Druidic fire cult place
- Seat of kings
At the top of the 182 m high hill there are seemingly confused earth walls and walls and the mare-and-stallion basement .
Near the hill is the Catstone (actually Carraig Choithrigi - Rock of Division), the place where the once five Irish provinces converged. Not far away on the Public Road is a Sacred Spring of St. Brigid and a Rag Tree .
Legends
Uisneach was the center of Ireland's spiritual power. Mide, the chief druid of the Milanesians, who also gave the name to a part of the kingdom, kindles the first sacred fire here. The local druids criticized Mide. He then silenced them by cutting out their tongues, burying it and sitting on it. "Proud", "uisnech", you sit here, his mother commented on the triumph. This is how the hill got its name.
The Firbolg set up the Cat Stone here, where the five provinces of Ulster , East and West Munster , Connacht and Leinster converge. The name is the corruption of the name "Carraig Choithrigi", "rock of division". Until the high Middle Ages, the limits were defined on the Cat Stone. Fintan ['fʴintan mak' boːxra] is brought to bear in a dispute, already deep in the Christian era, and reports, such as “Trefuilngid Tre eochair”, the giant from the Otherworld, “who regulated the rising and setting of the sun” on Day of Christ's crucifixion, this limit was so set.
The Dagda was worshiped here under his name "Eochaid Ollathair", divine horse and all-father. He had a residence on Uisneach and held regular meetings on the hill. Here Midir introduced him to his son Oengus . According to tradition, the story Aided Chlainne Tuirenn of the death of Tuirenn's children takes place on the hill. Lugh had set up the Beltane Festival on Uisneach . Mighty fires were lit in honor of the sun god.
The hill had always belonged to Queen Eire ['eːrʴu], who was also buried here. The Milesians sought their support and their blessing for their conquest here. She only set the condition that her name (Eire) should belong to the island forever.
literature
- Peter Harbison : Guide to National Monuments in the Republic of Ireland 1970 p. 244 Gill & Macmillan Dublin ISBN 0-7171-0758-2
Web links
Coordinates: 53 ° 29 ′ N , 7 ° 34 ′ W