Worship
Idols were generally worshiped, the earliest authentic
document that mentions idols is St. Patrick's Confession
in which the great apostle himself speaks of some Scots
(i.e Irish) who up to that time "had worshiped only idols
and abdominations". In the same document as in many other
ancient authorities, the practise of idol-worship is mentioned
as a thing well known among the Irish, and the idols in
various parts of the country was an important part of St.
Patrick's life-work.
There was an great idol called Cromm
Cruach that was covered all over with gold and silver, in
Magh Slecht "the plain of prostrations" near the present
village of Ballymagauran in the county Cavan. It was surrounded
by twelve lesser idols that was coverd with bronze. In the
most ancient books Cromm Cruach is mentioned as a chief
idol of the whole country, and as being "until the coming
of Patrick, the god of every folk that colonised Ireland".
In a very old legend found in Dinnsenchus in the book of
Leinster it was told that many centuries before the christian
era, King Tigrumas [Teernmas] and crowds of his people were
destroyed in some mysterious way, as they were worshipping
it on Samain eve - the eve of the first november.
Pillar
stones were worshipped in other parts of Ireland, there
was adoration of pillar-stones in Ireland a statement which
you can find in other old authorities. In the Brehon Laws
one of the objects used for marking the boundaries of land
is stated to be "a stone of worship". This interesting record
at once connect the Irish custom with the Roman worship
of the god Terminus, which god was merely a pillar-stone
placed standing in the ground to mark the boundary of two
adjacent properties, exactly as in Ireland. Even to this
day some of these old idols or oracle-stones are known and
the memories of the rites performed at them is preserved
in popular legend.
The Irish like the Scottish Highlanders
had an idol called Bel [Baill] whose worship was celebrated
with fire-ceremonies. There was a great meeting held at
Ushnagh (in present Westmeath) every year on the first of
may, when two fires were kindled in Bel's name with solemn
incantations by the druids, and cattle were driven between
the fires to protect them against the dieseases of the coming
year.
On this occation moreover the young of cattle were
offered to the idol. These pagan cermonies were practised
on May Day all through Ireland, in imitation of those at
Ushnagh and were continumed down to late times. The Irish
like the continetal nations of the middle ages paid great
reverence to their arms, espacially swords amounting somethimes
to down-right worship, witch accounts for the custom of
swearing by them.
This oath wich was very usual in Ireland
was quite as binding asthat by the elements.
The reson is
given in "The sick bed of Cuculainn", becouse demons were
accustomed to speak to them from their arms and hence it
was that an oath by their arms was inviolable.
