Portrait of a Wise Woman.

Bean Fasa, Wise Woman © Jane Brideson 2015.

Inspired by the Wise Women of Ireland & the stories of Biddy Early

Model: Mary Kelly

In the past, within rural communities, women guided people through life's changes.
At child birth women would turn to the Handy Woman, Bean Ghúline, the country midwife,
who had visited the Otherworld to refine her skills.
At death it was the Keening Woman, Bean Chaointe, who provided an essential service at funerary rituals.
For life's troubles in between the Bean Fasa, the Wise Woman, was consulted.

The portrait includes Biddy's cottage, hearth & famous blue bottle.

One function of the Wise Woman was that of Bean Leighis, woman healer, who diagnosed the maladies of people
and animals. Her knowledge encompassed cures for bodily ailments as well as mental disorders
and afflictions which had their cause in the Otherworld.

Detail of herbs: 1 Beirbhéine Vervain, 2 Caorthainn corraigh Valerian, 3 Samhadh bó Sorrel, 

4 Athair Thalún Yarrow 5 Beathnua Baineann St. John's Wort. 

Also Airgead Luachra, Meadowsweet & Iúr sléibhe Sage.

Click HERE to read more about the uses of these herbs.

Often an older, single woman, she was a source of wisdom, particularly regarding the Good People from whom she gained her knowledge.
It was the local Wise Woman who was called upon when mysterious injuries or illnesses appeared, when the butter wouldn't come or a changeling was thought to lie in the crib.
Accounts tell of these woman being in regular contact with the fairies, gathering herbs at dawn
and dusk, often attended by a spirit and having the ability to foresee the future. 

Detail - hare & fairy mound.

Accounts tell of several Wise Women transforming into a hares.

One Bean Fasa, in Co. Kerry, was described as frequently falling into a trance at funeral wakes, returning to the assembled company with knowledge gained from the Otherworld.

Detail - Hag Stone.

It was believed that some could see the Good People 

when looking through a natural holed stone. 

The folklore surrounding these figures describes them as almost supernatural elders and
stories of their exploits span many generations. Some were real women, such as Biddy Early,
whilst others appear to be mythical. 

Detail - Biddy Early's cottage under a full moon. 

Water from the well, once near the roadside, flows beneath.

Folklore concerning Wise Women, such as Máire Ní Mhurchu of Bheara, often portray them as personifications of  THE CAILLEACH.

Indeed, the Wise Woman, who often opposed the church and man-made law, was a powerful female, an authority figure viewed in oral tradition as an embodiment of our ancient goddesses.

The Wise Women of Ireland are remembered and honoured by those who visit the places associated with these real and mythical women.

Offerings at Biddy early's cottage © Jane Brideson.

The Hag of Bheara at various times of the year with offerings © Jane Brideson.

I will be producing Art Cards & Prints of  'The Wise Woman'.
To pre-order & for more info please contact me HERE
or on my Facebook Page THE EVER-LIVING ONES


Information about the following Wise Women - Máire Ní Chearbhaill of Carbury,
Máire Ní Mhurchú of Bheara, P Ní L of Tuosist, Eibhlín Ní Ghuinnníola of Dingle,
Máire Liam of Kilworth & Biddy Early of Clare, can be found in
Gearóid Ó Crualaoich's 'The Book of the Cailleach'.

First harvest - bringing home the turf.

We are approaching Lúnasa, the month when wild fruits and crops are gathered, yet already tractors pass by the door laden with a different sort of yield from the land.

 The turf crop © Jane Brideson

For me the first harvest of the year begins when the turf is brought home from the bog.

 The local bog with turf  'footed' to dry © Jane Brideson. 

The dry, black crop will provide fuel for a household throughout the winter months. 

A visit to the bog is a visit to a strange land, another world.
A place of deep waters, black earth and big skies. Alone there, surrounded by deep silence broken
by the call of birds and whispering wind, you can feel the age of the land and see time written in
the turf banks.

Turf bank with dark waters reflecting the sky © Jane Brideson.

Turf has been cut and used as fuel for centuries and the early inhabitants of Ireland also 

sojourned there. To our ancient ancestors the unique atmosphere and dark, still waters appear to 

have been associated with gateways to the Otherworld.  

Discoveries of objects made from precious metal, pottery and stoneware deposited in bogs may represent offerings made to the gods across the ages.

 Coggalbeg bog hoard from the early Bronze Age © 100objests.ie 

 To read the full story behind this find click HERE

These areas are still important for the people of rural Ireland, many of whom spend long hours saving turf.
On my local bog the turf is now cut by machine, rather than by hand but the process is still labour intensive, requiring good weather and the help of neighbours. 

Types of slane © connemaranews.org  

In some areas turf is still harvested using traditional methods. 

The slane is used to cut the turf into long sods, which are then spread out to dry.

Turf and golden hoards are not the only treasures to be found. 
My visit, on a fine summers' day, saw the bog coloured by heather, bog cotton and wild flowers.
The unique flora here once provided communities with herbal remedies and dubh-poill,  hole black,
a black dye used for clothing.

Turf was also understood to bring good health at calving when it was rubbed three times under the belly of a cow to protect her and her newborn calf from troubles.

Wild flowers, bog cotton & heather © Jane Brideson.

The bogs' association with the Otherworld meant that it was viewed as a source of protection against the attentions of the Good People and it was believed that scattering the ashes from a turf fire on the doorstep could prevent an unattended child from being taken by the fairies. 

Brighid's Cross made from turf © Jane Brideson.

Moulded turf is still used as protection in the form of a Brighid's Cross hung by the front door. 

Returning home from this other world visit I called in on neighbours for a chat and was given tea
and home made apple pie, then sent on my way again with gifts.

Gifts © Jane Brideson.

Freshly laid eggs & the result of last years harvest - apple jelly.

Lying in the grass was yet another gift...

Turf  by the roadside © Jane Brideson.

two sods of turf  by the side of the road which later went on the fire in the studio to fill the end
of the garden with its' distinctive scent.

 Burning turf © Jane Brideson.

Watch Jim's video on Irish TV by clicking the link below to hear his reminiscences of cutting 

and saving turf in the traditional way:

IRISH TV LINK

Welcoming the summer with flowers.

In the past there were many customs and observances connected to the first day of May, Bealtaine,
and people here continue to mark the seasonal transition by decorating a May Bush, lighting bonfires
or by visiting a holy well.
When the weather cleared and the sun shone on May Eve I gathered wild flowers to celebrate the start of Summer.

An abundance of flowers in the hedges.

One of the traditions I maintain is to hang the May bough over the front door.
The bough had fallen naturally, I decorated it with ribbons and flowers and according to custom,
swept the threshold clean, and placed it above the doorway on May Eve to stay in place for three days.

The May bough hangs above the door.

Yellow flowers are used mostly, such as primroses, cowslips and buttercups because they symbolise
the sun perhaps but white and blue flowers are also collected.
As well as welcoming the summer it was believed that the sweet scent of spring flowers offered protection against the Good People who were understood to enter homes at this time.

In the past posies, red ribbons or slips of mountain ash were tied to the cows' tails and horses' bridles
to offer them similar protection from the activity of the Sídhe and also to counteract the 'evil eye' of certain neighbours who had the ability to steal the goodness from animals and produce.

Placing flowers on the doorstep or on windowsills also offers protection.

Good luck and further protection was afforded to the household after sunset on Bealtaine Eve when farmers' families and workers would walk the boundaries of the land carrying seeds of corn,
Sgaith-an-Tobar , the purity of the well, (the first water drawn from a sacred well after midnight the previous year) and the herb, vervain.
The procession stopped at the directions, beginning in the east, where they would dig a sod of earth, break it up, sow the seed then sprinkle it with the water.

So powerful are the supernatural forces at Bealtaine that the landscape itself was understood to be able relocate. The Motte / Motty Stone, a huge, white granite boulder on Cronebane Hill in Co. Wicklow,

was said to leave the hill top and come down to drink at the Meeting of the Waters on May Day,
whilst rocks off the coast of Ireland become unbound to journey across the sea.

PIC Motte Stone © 2015 Samuel Connolly http://www.gardenofireland.com

Encounters with the Sídhe were expected at Bealtaine when the Good People travelled the countryside to take part in hurling matches, dances and battles.
For this reason it was considered wise to stay safely indoors at night, although several precautions
could be taken if one had to venture out.
Carrying a black-handled knife, a piece of iron, a cold cinder from the hearth or a twig of mountain ash were all effective as means of protection against Other-worldly forces.
If however that protection failed one could always resort to the extreme remedy of washing the hands and face in urine which disgusted the Good People and caused them to depart!

The practice of leaving small offerings at a fairy fort, a lone bush or near the home was believed to propriate the Sídhe and to ensure their goodwill in the coming months.
This tradition also continues in Ireland to this day.

Personal offerings of milk & butter to the Good People on the eve of Bealtaine.

Irish readers can take part in the survey of May Day customs by submitting information & photos
to the website "Our Irish Heritage" here: http://www.ouririshheritage.org/category/lets_welcome_the_summer

Information on May customs taken from The Year in Ireland by Kevin Danaher which has been republished by Mercier Press and can be found HERE

Áirmid's Healing Herbs

As we are still in the month of August - Lúnasa here in Ireland - I thought it would be appropriate to wish you all the blessings of the first harvest and post some details about the Irish herbal remedies and folklore of the plants seen in my painting of Áirmid.
Please note that I am not a herbalist so do not attempt to use any of the cures mentioned!
The information below has come from several sources including talking with local people who have 'cures'.
- A good reference book is "Irish Wild Plants - myths, legends and folklore" 
by Niall Mac Coitir, Collins Press 2006.

- Zoe Devlin's website is invaluable -  http://www.wildflowersofireland.net
- I  have only recently discovered Roy Vickery's fascinating site but know that I will be visiting it often -  http://www.plant-lore.com

I now have large art cards of Áirmid and the other Ever-Living Ones for sale - please contact me at morrigan@mac.com if you are interested in buying.
Áirmid's mythology and my painting of her father, the Irish god of healing. Dían Cécht, can be seen in the Gallery.

1 YARROW:

Athair Thalún

Used to stop nosebleeds and as a cure for coughs, colds and fevers.

Yarrow was used in love divination when 10 sprigs were plucked and the tenth thrown over the shoulder at Samhain. The remaining nine sprigs were placed under the pillow to give dreams of a future spouse. Also nine leaves were placed in a cloth and tied around the neck to bring good luck at fairs and on journeys.

2 HONEYSUCKLE:

Féithleann

Powdered leaves of honeysuckle were thought to prevent fevers and were also used as a cure for toothache, whooping cough, inflammation of the mouth and thrush.

Also known as woodbine it was used to protect against evil spirits and when drunk would cure effects of the 'evil eye'.

3 IVY:

Eidhneán

Used to aid the healing of burns and scalds as well as staunching bleeding and reducing inflammation. Ivy also cured pains, coughs, colds and bronchitis as well as relieving the pain of corns.

Nine ivy leaves of ivy placed under the pillow would give dreams of a future partner. 

4 SPEEDWELL:

Lus Cré

Used to cure jaundice, colds and earache .

5 RAMSONS:

Creamh

Wild garlic was taken as a preventative for infections and was thought to cleanse the blood. It was used to clean wounds of infection as well as curing coughs and colds. 

6 TORMENTIL:

Néalfartach

Used to ease digestive problems and heart complaints. In conjunction with St. John's Wort it was used as a sleeping draught.

7 DOG ROSE:

Feirdhris

The hips of the Dog Rose were used in jam making to provide vitamin C during the winter. It was believed that if a new born didn't pass urine a handful of briars was burnt under the child would cure the problem.

8 MILKWORT:

Lus an Bhainne

Milkwort, known as Fairy Soap, was taken in the belief that it encouraged the flow of milk in new mothers and was a cure for warts.

9 AGRIMONY:

Marbhdhraighean

Used as a cure for scurvy and a jaundice treatment.

10 MEADOWSWEET:

Airgead Luachra

Used to cure fevers and colds was well as to ease pain and kidney problems. 

Meadowsweet, when placed under the bed of the afflicted,  was believed to have the power to cure wasting sickness which was brought on by the fairy folk.

The scent of Meadowsweet was given to the flower by the goddess Aíne.

11 FOXGLOVE:

Lus Mór

Used to cure heart problems, colds and fevers as well as being used as a salve on the skin to ease swellings and burns.

Foxglove was believed to cure childhood fits if it was collected at Midsummer then boiled in water from three boundaries and drunk.

A drink made from the leaves would counteract fairy strokes in adults whilst a fairy changeling could be detected by placing two drops on the babies' tongue then three in each ear. The child was then placed on a shovel which was swung out towards the front door  three times whilst saying "if you are a fairy away with you!" 

If the baby was a changeling it would die, if not it would recover.  

12 MALLOW:

Lus na meall Muire

Used as a poultice to cure sores, bruises, ulcers and sprains.

Mallow stems, known as Hocus Fiáin was used to strike people in order to protect them from illness. The stems were later burnt in bonfire at Midsummer.

13 YELLOW FLAG:

Feileastram

Yellow flag was used to cure jaundice and sore lips. In Kerry a cure for rheumatism was to heat the flags then put them in a hut where water would be thrown onto them. Those who had rheumatism stood for a few minutes in the rising vapour then went into a tub of cold water.  

It was believed that a fairy changeling when banished into a river or lake would become a yellow flag. On Cape Clear bunches of the flowers were placed in fishing boats to bring good luck and a large catch.

14 GOLDEN ROD:

Slat Óir

Used to relieve heart complaints, stomach upsets and kidney problems.

In folklore it was understood to be used by fairies in a similar way to Ragwort.

15 POPPY

Cailleach dhearg

Poppy was used as pain relief particularly for toothache and neuralgia.

16 SHEPHERD'S PURSE:

Lus na fola or Lus an sparáin

Used by women to stop excessive menstrual flow.

17 VALERIAN:

Caorthainn corraigh

A sedative used to calm nerves.

18 VERVAIN:

Beirbhéine

Although not a native plant, vervain was used to protect cattle from the fairies on May Eve 

by tying a spring to the tail or horn of the livestock. 

19 PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE:

Créachtach

Collected at Midsummer it was used to heal wounds and cure diarrhoea and dysentery. 

20 CHARLOCK:

Praiseach bhuí

Used as a spring tonic and to cure jaundice.

21 SOAPWORT:

Garbhán creagach

Used as a protection against illness in a similar way to mallow, to treat lung inflammation 

and in the making of soap used to wash wool.

22 CENTAURY:

Dréimire Mhuire

Used to relieve liver complaints and as a tonic.

23 DAISY:

Nóinín

Used to heal burns, as an eye lotion and a cure for chilblains and ringworm.

24 PIMPERNEL:

Falcaire Fiáin

Used to cure jaundice, kidney inflammation, tooth ache and eye complaints.

Scarlet pimpernel was understood to possess magical properties giving the power of second sight 

and the ability to understand the speech of birds and animals.

25 ST. JOHN'S WORT: 

Beathnua Baineann

Used a a cure for depression and insanity as well as to staunch bleeding.

Provided protection especially when harvested at noon on a bright day near the full moon or on Midsummers' day before sunrise. Its effectiveness could be increased by passing the leaves through the smoke of a bonfire.

26 BLUEBELL:

Coinnle Corra

Used as a cure for coughs and throat ailments.

27 COWSLIP:

Bainne Bó Bleachtáin

Used to help insomniacs and as a cure for palsy.

Cowslips were believed to protect the milk yield of cows from the fairies at Bealtaine when rubbed 

on the udders. 

28 EYEBRIGHT:

Glanrosc

Used to cure those who had suffered a stroke.

29 VIOLET:

Sailchuach chorraigh

Used as a poultice to cure headaches, tumours and boils.

30 SORRELL:

Seamsóg or Samhadh bó

Used as cleanser and blood tonic and to heal sores, bruises and boils.

31 PRIMROSE:

Sabhaircín

Used to aid insomnia and as a cure for burns, jaundice and tuberculosis.

Associated with Bealtaine when it was gathered by children before dusk and placed in posies over  

doors and on windowsills to protect against the faeries.

32 MARSH MARIGOLD:

Lus buí Bealtaine

Flowers used in an infusion to cure fits and boiled in soup for heart ailments. 

Its juice which is caustic was used to remove warts. Similarly to primrose, marigold was linked 

to May Eve when the flowers were used as a protection for the home and the well.

33 CHICKWEED:

Fliodh

Made into a poultice to treat sprains, inflammations and mumps.

Chickweed is one of the healing herbs used in Dían Cécht's 'porridge' which is the oldest known 

Irish medical remedy which was used to cure sore throats and colds.

34 LESSER CELANDINE:

Grán arcáin 

The roots of the lesser celandine, known as 'pilewort', was used in the treatment of haemorrhoids. 

It was also known as 'scurvywort' as its leaves contained vitamin C.

35 HART'S TONGUE FERN:

Creamh na muice fia

Used in an ointment on burns, scalds, stings, warts and dog bites.

In general fern seeds were considered to be lucky if carried.

36 WATER CRESS:

Biolar

Used as a remedy for coughs and colds, to cure rheumatism and to ease labour pains. 

It was also known as the "hair of the well or stream".

37 MAIDEN HAIR FERN:

Dúchosach

Used as a tea but not as a cure.

38 WATER AVENS:

Machall Uisce

Used as a cure for diarrhoea and stomach ache.

39 BOG BEAN:

Báchrán

Used as a tonic to cleanse the blood and as a poultice to reduce swellings and inflammation. 

Also used to ease symptoms of a cold.

40 NETTLE:

Neantóg

Used as a tea to cleanse the blood. Nettle stings were thought to to relieve rheumatism and poor circulation. 

It was believed that taking three meals of nettles in May and drinking the juice of nettles gathered at Bealtaine would guard against illness for a year.

41 WORMWOOD:

Mormónta

Used as a cure for an upset stomach.

42 LADY'S MANTLE:

Dearna Mhuire

Used for kidney problems and to treat burns and scalds but also known to aid women who wanted to 

conceive a child.

43 MUGWORT:

Mongach meisce

Known as the 'mother of herbs' it was used as a cure for epilepsy, to restore menstrual flow and 

ease delivery in childbirth. The beliefs attached to mugwort were similar to those of St. John's wort 

as it was also used as protection at Bealtaine.

44 RAGWORT:

Buachalán buí

Used as a poultice to ease cuts, sores and burns as well as placing the head of the plant over an ulcer

to heal it. Known as the 'fairy steed' because it was believed that fairies rode upon ragwort especially 

at Samhain.

45 DANDELION:

Caisearbhán

Used as a diuretic and a cure for  liver problems, jaundice, diabetes, tuberculosis and consumption. 

Dandelion was also known as Bearnán Bhríde, 'indented one of Bride' because it was the first flower 

to appear after Imbolg. It was believed that the juice of a dandelion would remove warts if rubbed 

on them for nine days. 

46 SELF HEAL:

Duán ceannchosach

Used to cure sore throats, fevers, tuberculosis and the effects of a stroke.

47 DOCK:

Copóg

Used as a cure for nettle stings, liver complaints, coughs and colds.

48 OATS:

Coirce

Oats were a component of Dían Cécht's porridge used to cure colds and sore throats.

49 RUSHES:

Luachra

Rushes had many everyday uses including thatching and were used all over Ireland to make Brigid's Crosses 

at Imbolg. The ashes of burnt rushes were used to cure ringworm and when mixed with lard and applied 

as an ointment they also cured shingles.

It was believed that the only cure for the effects of standing upon féar gorta, hungry grass, 

was drink the juice from nine rushes which had grown by a holy well.

50 ARUM LILY:

Clus chaoin

Known also a Lords and Ladies, the plant is poisonous but its roots were used as a cure for worms.

51 WOOD SAGE:

Iúr sléibhe

Used to ease rheumatism.  

52 MARJORAM:

Máirtín fiáin

Used to calm coughs and ease aches and strains.

53 COLTSFOOT:

Sponc

Drunk as a tea to cure asthma, sore throats and to soothe a dry cough.

54 GROUNDSEL:

Grúnlas 

Used as a cure for headaches as a hot poultice to ease toothache and to heal wounds caused by iron.

55 CLOVER:

Seamair Lochlannach 

White clover was a cure for coughs and liver ailments whilst red clover cured coughs, bee stings and 

an infusion of its flowers was thought to cure cancer.

Finding a four-leafed clover was believed to be lucky and was associated with obtaining the second sight. Rubbing a mixture of clover and whiskey over the eyes cured 'fairy blindness'.

56 WILD THYME:

Tím chreige

Used to ease respiratory ailments and as protection against infection.

57 MINT:

Mismín arbhair

Used as a remedy for  measles, indigestion, stomach ache and colds.

Mint was used in love charms and as protection against bad luck.

58 BEARBERRY:

Lus na Stalóg

Used as a cure for bladder ailments.

59 BILBERRY:

Fraochán

Used as a diuretic, a cure for jaundice and as a pain reliever. 

Bilberries were gathered at the start of August and associated with the festival of Lughnasadh. 

On Knochfeerina Co. They were laid, together with flowers upon the stone which was believed to be the entrance to the palace of Donn in the Otherworld.

60 BRAMBLE:

Dris

Used to cure diarrhoea, swellings and sore feet.

Standing under an arch of brambles gave the power to curse another.