Tanderagee idol
The Tanderagee Idol (also called the Tanderagee Man) is one of the impressive relics of the Celtic religion in Ireland . Tanderagee ( Irish Tóin re Gaoith - German "the windward side" ) is north of the Cusher River and north of Newry in County Armagh in Northern Ireland .
description
The statuette is only about 60 cm high. It is a semi-figurine, roughly carved figure. The mouth is a wide slit with rounded ends. The lips are very thick. The nose extends to the upper lip and a mustache can be seen on both sides of the nose. A tight-fitting headdress or helmet with a thick rim covers the head and conceals the brows of the protruding eyes. There are two protrusions on the front of the headdress that could be horns. The figure wears a robe with sleeves that only reach to the elbows. The sleeves seem to be set off with a cuff, perhaps made of fur. The figure's right hand grasps the left cuff. It is unknown what the idol's pose means or if it has any meaning. The idol takes its name because it stood for some time on the parish grounds in Tanderagee. Its prehistory is only vaguely known: it was found in a bog near Newry. How it came into the possession of the Reverend McEndoo, Rector of Tanderagee, in the first half of the 20th century is unknown.
The area around Lough Erne in County Fermanagh is particularly rich in idols , which have been found in various forms in the province of Ulster . They are believed to date from the Irish Iron Age . A collection of stone idols is housed in St Patrick's Cathedral in Armagh . The figures from Cathedral Hill form a related group. Similarities in material and style suggest that they come from the same school of sculpture, perhaps even that of the work of a single sculptor.
Legend
Like other sculptures, the tanderagee idol has been linked to a legend. It seems that the idol is a representation of Nuada or Núadu Argatlám [ 'nuaðu' argadlaːv ] ( German "Nuadu with the silver hand" ), one of Ireland's mythical kings who lost his throne after losing his arm in battle . After that, Ireland was ruled by Bress , who proved himself to be selfish and oppressive. Nuada was so angry with Bress that he had an arm made of silver and, on his triumphant return to power, defeated Bress. The statuette is said to be a representation of Nuadha holding his silver arm.
See also
literature
- Peter Harbison : Pre-Christian Ireland. From the first settlers to the early Celts . Thames & Hudson, London 1988, ISBN 0-500-02110-4 .
- Sylvia Botheroyd : Ireland - Mythology in the landscape: a travel and reading book . Häusser-Verlag, Darmstadt 1997, ISBN 3-89552-034-9 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ After the Lebor Gabala Eirenn , Nuada loses his arm in the first battle of Mag Tuired , which the Túatha De Danann lead against the Firbolg
