A Tribute To Irish Mythology

         

Hag

         Hi friends. Irish mythology is one of the oldest mythologies of the world. Today my blog will be about one of the famous myths of Ireland. This is my small tribute to Irish mythology. But today's blog will not be like my all other blogs. Today I have decided to discuss the Irish myth in the form of a story. So please stay with me. Let's get started.

THE MYTH OF THE MAY DAY

Hare

          Once upon a time there was a farmer named Jack Kelly. He lived in a farm near the village of Glenamoy in County Mayo in old Ireland. He had a herd of cows. Every day he used to milk all his cows in the morning and then he went to the market to sell the milk.

          He took very good care of his cows. His cows were very healthy. But suddenly one day his cows stopped producing milk. Kelly became so tensed. He couldn't make out the reason. To him, all cows seemed to be healthy. So he decided to call a local expert for his opinion. 

          The next morning when the local farming expert came, Kelly told him, “My cows have stopped producing milk. I couldn’t understand the reason. Please help me.”

          The local expert inspected all the cows of the herd all day long. Finally, he told Kelly, "Mr. Kelly I have inspected all the cows, they are quite healthy.”

          Kelly asked, “So why they are not producing milk?”

          The local expert replied, “I myself couldn’t find the reason for this.”

Kelly became more tensed and asked, “So what should I do now?”

          The local expert suggested, “You should meet some of the farmers of the neighboring village and ask whether their cattle are suffering from the same problem or not. Maybe you can find some help there.”

          The next morning Kelly went out to meet the other farmers of the neighboring village. He met many farmers to find out if their herds had problems with milking. But no one had such problems. Kelly was coming home in despair when one of the farmers of the nearby village suggested to him, "You should go to the monastery and ask the friars for advice."

          “How can the friars of the monastery help me?” Kelly asked in surprise.

          The stranger said, “They too are experts in farming cows. I think they can help you.”

          Thanking him Kelly came back home. He thought all night about the problem and finding no other way he decided to travel to one of the nearest monastery.

         The next morning he traveled to the nearest monastery and spoke with the wisest Franciscan Friar. He explained to him, "All my cows seem healthy but they stopped producing milk from several days. I went to the nearby villages but no one had a similar problem. One of the farmers of nearby village suggested me to come and see you for help. Please help me."

          The friar listened to Kelly very carefully. After thinking for a while he asked Kelly, “Is there any old woman living in any of your neighboring homes?”

          Kelly was shocked to hear the question. He thought for a few minutes and then answered, “Yes there is an old woman in our area. People say that she has magical powers. But what is her relation with my cows?”

          The friar said in reply, "Wake up early in the morning of May Day and go to your herd. If you see any hare sucking the milk of your cows do not kill it but injure it."

          Kelly was surprised by this suggestion. Without any question, he went back to his farmhouse. He was not sure what to think, why would a hare be sucking milk from a cow? He couldn't believe such a thing.

          In the morning of May Day Kelly got up early. Armed with a gun he went to his barn to check on his cows. When he went into the barn he discovered a big hare sucking the milk from one of the cows. Kelly did as he was said. He aimed the gun and shot the hare on its leg. The hare ran out of the barn limping.

           Kelly could not understand anything so he went to the monastery once again. He told everything to the friar. The friar said, “Go to the house of that old woman in your area you will know the truth.”

          Kelly made his way back home. In the way, he stopped at the house of that old woman. He peeped from the open window and saw the old woman sitting at the fireside with an injured leg. She had the same injuries that he had inflicted on the hare. Kelly understood that the old woman was changing herself into a hare and was stealing the milk from the cows.

          Kelly met with the farmers of the village and told them everything about the cows, the hare and the old woman. None of them seemed to be surprised. They told Kelly, “You suffered a bad luck because you failed to protect your herd from the Cailleachs.”

          Kelly asked them, “How can I protect my cows from the Cailleachs?”

          They said, “Never take your cows to pasture before noon on May Day. Go to the local holy well in the early morning of May Day. Take the holy water of that well and bless the herd for protection. Then decorate your cows with flowers like buttercups, marigold or primroses.”

          From that day it became a custom in Ireland. The farmers of Ireland perform all these rituals to protect their home and herd from the Cailleachs (hags or old women) who are believed to steal butter, milk or even cows in the early morning of May Day.

                    So this was the story about the myth of the May Day in Ireland. Please let me know if you like it or not. I will bring you more interesting stories like this. Thank you for your support. Keep loving me like this.