In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

297 21 The underworld is prominent in Irish myths and folktales . It seems that, for millennia, people lived their lives on the surface of the land, aware that beneath their feet a separate world existed, a world that was both fascinating and fearful. Ancient tales recounted how the Tuatha De Danann, mythical gods of a bygone era, were defeated by the invading Sons of Míl, and were then given control of the world beneath the ground while the victors became rulers above ground (Curran 2000, 153). The megalithic tombs, dolmens, passage tombs, burial mounds, ringforts, and other archaeological ruins in the Irish landscape were thought to be portals to this strange underworld, so parents warned their children never to enter ringforts (earlymedieval circular embankments) in case the fairies, the síd, or leprechauns stole them and took them underground, or punished them with illness. As Yeats (1888, 348) observed of ringforts: “The fairies have taken up their abode therein, guarding them from all disturbance. Whoever roots them up soon finds his cattle falling sick, or his family or himself .” At Samhain, or Halloween, it was even thought that the barriers between the underworld and our world weakened , and that on this night, the dead, who had been buried underground, walked among the living (Curran 2000, 240). Ireland is also a country with many caves. Could these caves have inspired the Irish picture of the underworld as a home of gods? To what extent did people in Ireland interact with caves? Were caves used for prehistoric rituals? How significant were caves in the Irish cultural landscape? This chapter examines various aspects of caves: references to caves in medieval manuscripts, caves in folklore, traditions associated with caves, and the archaeology of caves in Ireland. Although these cannot answer all questions, it is hoped that this multifaceted approach will shed some light on the hidden significance of caves. Ireland’s Caves Underlying roughly half of Ireland is a thick layer of Carboniferous limestone, perfect for forming caves. However, much of this limestone lies below other strata of rock or underneath the water table. In addition, enormous quantities of chalk and limestone once exposed on the surface were scraped off during various Ice Ages. As a result, Ireland has only two major cave systems: the impressive karst landscape known as the Burren in County Clare, and the system flanking the Arigna coalfield in Counties Fermanagh, Cavan, Sligo, and Leitrim (Drew, Jones, and O’Reilly 1977, 1). There are also some important individual caves in Counties Cork, Tipperary, Galway, Kerry, Kilkenny, Mayo, and Waterford and in the chalk cliff-faces of County Antrim (figure 21.1). In the Republic of Ireland, there are an estimated 689 caves totaling 147 kilometers in length (Drew 2004). These vary in size from small openings Caves in Ireland Archaeology,Myth,andFolklore Patrick McCafferty Patrick McCafferty 298 Some cave animals are supernatural. In Co. Clare, a cave on a cliff face is known as Labbanaheanbo, the “bed of the one cow.” Westropp (1910, 181) reports “in this bed, the Heanbo [one cow] will support the Leinster man who will win the freedom of Ireland in the last great battle.” Kilcorney 1 Cave, Co. Clare, also known as “Cave of the Wild Horses,” is thought to be a passage to the Antipodes (Shaw and Tratman 1969, 26). At Kilcorney, an enchanted bird was caught “which spoke like a human being” (O’Donovan and Curry 1997 [1928], 87). The cave was “famous in the eighteenth century for throwing out floods of water full of fish” (Westropp 1910, 181). One legend states that, “when the floods are out a fairy herd of white horses comes out of the cave. Many attempts were made to catch them and eventually one was captured and put to stud with the local horses to produce the famous strain of Clare horses” (Shaw and Tratman 1969, 26). One can easily imagine that such a rush of water from an aquifer could have inspired the legend of white horses but it is more difficult to explain a legend of a fairy trout in The Pigeon Hole, Co. Galway, or a tale of corn ground by fairies at Fairy Mills Cave, Co. Galway (Drew 2004), or the Faracat, “a monstrous cat having a crescent on its forehead and a sharp nail in its tail” (Westropp 1910, 180, 183, 479). There are many tales associated with Keshcorran Cave, in Co. Sligo. In one, a woman emerged here, having entered the...

Share