Post by Fool Coyote on Apr 15, 2008 20:59:34 GMT -5
According to the Lebor Gabála Érenn, Dian Cécht is the great physician/healer of the Tuatha Dé Danann. His lineage is rather blurry in so far that according to sources he is given as having several fathers including the Daghdha, Esarg and grandson of Neit, Echtoigh and grandson of Esoirc, as well as being named as one of the seven sons of Ethliu, which would make him the brother of An Daghdha as well as Lug Mac Cein, Goibhniu, Credne, Luchta, and Nuada. It is said that it was through Danu herself that Dian Cécht came to sire three of his sons - Goibhniu, Cian (Kian) and Sawan, aside from Miach and his daughter Airmid neither of which probably need much introduction in this particular thread. His thee brothers were Oll, Forus, and Fir according to the The First Battle of Magh Turedh.
It would be, according to the myths, Cian who married Ethniu, daughter of Balor the Fomor and through this union Lugh would be born, thus making Dian Cécht the grandfather of Lugh. Now that we have covered some of the lineages surrounding Dian Cécht, we'll move on to some of the stories surrounding this first generation healer of the Dé Danann.
Nuada, the Ard ri of the Dé Danann, according to the texts of the First Battle of Magh Tuiredh had lost his arm in a battle with Sreng of the Fir Bolg. According to the laws of kingship, a king must be completely flawless, and the loss of his arm would mean that Nuada was disqualified, thus leaving the Tuatha with no ard ri. It was Dian Cécht who would build his imfamous silver hand according to the second battle of Maige Tuired, or arm seeing as how it was severed off at the shoulder.
At any rate, Nuada was able to be the king once again though his son, Miach wasn't satisfied with the job his father had done, and so set fourth in building his king a flesh and blood arm as good as the one he had lost in battle.
Now Nuada was in his sickness, and Dian-cecht put on him a hand of silver with the motion of every hand therein. That seemed evil to his son Miach. He went to the hand which had been struck off Dian-cecht, and he said ‘joint to joint of it and sinew to sinew,’ and be healed Nuada in thrice three days and nights. The first seventy-two hours he put it over against his side, and it became covered with skin. The second seventy-two hours he put it on his breasts. The third seventy-two hours he would cast white of black bulrushes when they were blackened in fire.
Cath Maige Tuired
Well, to make a long story short, Dian Cécht thought this little cure was as evil as his son thought his had been, though it is at this point things get a little ugly. He wasn't about to be out done by his own son, Dian Cécht got very angry, and with three blows, showing the god like skillfulness of his swordsmanship, he would kill his son. However, Miach is definitely no slouch either, he proves himself to be his father's son by healing himself upon each blow, but even the son of a God has limits:
That cure seemed evil to Dian-cecht. He flung a sword on the crown of his son's head and cut the skin down to the flesh. The lad healed the wound by means of his skill. Dian-cecht smote him again and cut the flesh till he reached the bone. The lad healed this by the same means. He struck him the third blow and came to the membrane of his brain. The lad healed this also by the same means. Then he struck the fourth blow and cut out the brain, so that Miach died, and Dian-cecht said that the leech himself could not heal him of that blow.
Cath Maige Tuired
P.69
Dian Cécht then took his son out to bury him, and from that grave it is said tha 365 herbs grew, in accordance to the joints and sinews of the human body. His daughter Airmed opened her mantle and separated those herbs according to their properties. It is said that by organising the herbs as had been done, that any sickness or wound could be healed, however Dian Cécht confused the herbs, so that no one there after would ever know the proper cures.
It is later that Dian Cécht creates a "Well of healing" - his second act after the second battle of Moytura, he, Airmid, and her brothers sang incantations over the well, so that when wounded members of the De Dannan were immersed in the well their wounds were healed. He, Airmid, and her brothers, as well as the three brothers of Dian Cécht are said to stand guard over this well even now. In the creation of this one of many sacred wells in Irish mythology, Dian Cécht and Airmid created a place where the Tuatha De Dannan could draw upon the power of the underworld and be healed by magical means.
Now - Further, there is a distinct law tract which it is said is attributed to Dian Cécht called the "Bretha Déin Chécht" or the Judgments of Dian Cécht. Found in the manuscript Phillipps 10297 (now G 11) in the National Library of Ireland. While the manuscript it's self dates from the 15th century, the linguistics prove it to be far older. The Bretha Déin Chécht is for the most part a medical tract, which states the laws for the sick or hurt, that agressors are charged for the payment of their victims wounds. Payments are measured in grains of corn. Such isn't all it lists however, it also prvides quite a look at the things a warrior would learn, such as a list of twelve of the most fatal wounds a warrior could inflict upon his advesary, these probably served a double purpose however, something like the three Cauldrons of Amergin they may have been a kind of Chakra system. They are called the twelve doors to the soul, or The twelve porals of life. They are listed as follows:
There are twelve doors of the soul in the human body: (1) the top of the head, i.e. the crown or the suture, (2) the hollow of the occiput, (3) the hollow of the temple, (4) the apple of the throat, (5) the spoon of the breast, (6) the armpit, (7) the breast-bone, (8) the navel, (9) the side {?}, (10) the bend of the elbow, (11) the hollow of the ham, i.e. from behind, (12) the bulge of the groin, i.e. the bull sinew, (13) the sole of the foot.
-Bretha Déin Chécht
The fact remains that this God was an inbetween god by nature, he embodied both light and dark in his persona. He is both a father's love, and jealous man's greed, warrior and healer, and the darkness that permeates the light. Whether you see the twelve doors as a simple list for warriors, or yet another inbetween aspect of Dian Cécht showing it's self once again beyond the myths into historic Brehon law.
Dian Cécht is a contact I would recomend for anyone interested in physical healing work as it is my own expieriance that his work is specific to the physical body.
Senbecc
More suggested reading and source work:
www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T300011.html
www.maryjones.us/ctexts/1maghtured.html
www.timelessmyths.com/celtic/danann.html#Diancecht
www.clannada.org/gods_airmid.php
www.maryjones.us/jce/diancecht.html
It would be, according to the myths, Cian who married Ethniu, daughter of Balor the Fomor and through this union Lugh would be born, thus making Dian Cécht the grandfather of Lugh. Now that we have covered some of the lineages surrounding Dian Cécht, we'll move on to some of the stories surrounding this first generation healer of the Dé Danann.
Nuada, the Ard ri of the Dé Danann, according to the texts of the First Battle of Magh Tuiredh had lost his arm in a battle with Sreng of the Fir Bolg. According to the laws of kingship, a king must be completely flawless, and the loss of his arm would mean that Nuada was disqualified, thus leaving the Tuatha with no ard ri. It was Dian Cécht who would build his imfamous silver hand according to the second battle of Maige Tuired, or arm seeing as how it was severed off at the shoulder.
At any rate, Nuada was able to be the king once again though his son, Miach wasn't satisfied with the job his father had done, and so set fourth in building his king a flesh and blood arm as good as the one he had lost in battle.
Now Nuada was in his sickness, and Dian-cecht put on him a hand of silver with the motion of every hand therein. That seemed evil to his son Miach. He went to the hand which had been struck off Dian-cecht, and he said ‘joint to joint of it and sinew to sinew,’ and be healed Nuada in thrice three days and nights. The first seventy-two hours he put it over against his side, and it became covered with skin. The second seventy-two hours he put it on his breasts. The third seventy-two hours he would cast white of black bulrushes when they were blackened in fire.
Cath Maige Tuired
Well, to make a long story short, Dian Cécht thought this little cure was as evil as his son thought his had been, though it is at this point things get a little ugly. He wasn't about to be out done by his own son, Dian Cécht got very angry, and with three blows, showing the god like skillfulness of his swordsmanship, he would kill his son. However, Miach is definitely no slouch either, he proves himself to be his father's son by healing himself upon each blow, but even the son of a God has limits:
That cure seemed evil to Dian-cecht. He flung a sword on the crown of his son's head and cut the skin down to the flesh. The lad healed the wound by means of his skill. Dian-cecht smote him again and cut the flesh till he reached the bone. The lad healed this by the same means. He struck him the third blow and came to the membrane of his brain. The lad healed this also by the same means. Then he struck the fourth blow and cut out the brain, so that Miach died, and Dian-cecht said that the leech himself could not heal him of that blow.
Cath Maige Tuired
P.69
Dian Cécht then took his son out to bury him, and from that grave it is said tha 365 herbs grew, in accordance to the joints and sinews of the human body. His daughter Airmed opened her mantle and separated those herbs according to their properties. It is said that by organising the herbs as had been done, that any sickness or wound could be healed, however Dian Cécht confused the herbs, so that no one there after would ever know the proper cures.
It is later that Dian Cécht creates a "Well of healing" - his second act after the second battle of Moytura, he, Airmid, and her brothers sang incantations over the well, so that when wounded members of the De Dannan were immersed in the well their wounds were healed. He, Airmid, and her brothers, as well as the three brothers of Dian Cécht are said to stand guard over this well even now. In the creation of this one of many sacred wells in Irish mythology, Dian Cécht and Airmid created a place where the Tuatha De Dannan could draw upon the power of the underworld and be healed by magical means.
Now - Further, there is a distinct law tract which it is said is attributed to Dian Cécht called the "Bretha Déin Chécht" or the Judgments of Dian Cécht. Found in the manuscript Phillipps 10297 (now G 11) in the National Library of Ireland. While the manuscript it's self dates from the 15th century, the linguistics prove it to be far older. The Bretha Déin Chécht is for the most part a medical tract, which states the laws for the sick or hurt, that agressors are charged for the payment of their victims wounds. Payments are measured in grains of corn. Such isn't all it lists however, it also prvides quite a look at the things a warrior would learn, such as a list of twelve of the most fatal wounds a warrior could inflict upon his advesary, these probably served a double purpose however, something like the three Cauldrons of Amergin they may have been a kind of Chakra system. They are called the twelve doors to the soul, or The twelve porals of life. They are listed as follows:
There are twelve doors of the soul in the human body: (1) the top of the head, i.e. the crown or the suture, (2) the hollow of the occiput, (3) the hollow of the temple, (4) the apple of the throat, (5) the spoon of the breast, (6) the armpit, (7) the breast-bone, (8) the navel, (9) the side {?}, (10) the bend of the elbow, (11) the hollow of the ham, i.e. from behind, (12) the bulge of the groin, i.e. the bull sinew, (13) the sole of the foot.
-Bretha Déin Chécht
The fact remains that this God was an inbetween god by nature, he embodied both light and dark in his persona. He is both a father's love, and jealous man's greed, warrior and healer, and the darkness that permeates the light. Whether you see the twelve doors as a simple list for warriors, or yet another inbetween aspect of Dian Cécht showing it's self once again beyond the myths into historic Brehon law.
Dian Cécht is a contact I would recomend for anyone interested in physical healing work as it is my own expieriance that his work is specific to the physical body.
Senbecc
More suggested reading and source work:
www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T300011.html
www.maryjones.us/ctexts/1maghtured.html
www.timelessmyths.com/celtic/danann.html#Diancecht
www.clannada.org/gods_airmid.php
www.maryjones.us/jce/diancecht.html