The Lady, the Cow and the Tower ©
by Yeats Rossignol
iam redit et Virgo…

Many readers of Celtic myth have noted the resemblance between two presumably unrelated stories, the Birth of Lugh found in the Lebor Gabála Érenn (c. 900-1200 CE), and the Conception of King Arthur, as recreated and reinterpreted in present day books and films. I believe both of these stories are derived from a much earlier, not entirely extant, story and are replete with astronomical meaning and insight into the cosmology of the Ancients. Exploring the theme and motifs of both these stories can not only help us understand the world view of our ancient Celtic ancestors, it can assist us in our present day journeys to contact the High and Lordly Ones.

The less well-known story, the Birth of Lugh, begins with a prophecy concerning Balor, the evil-eyed Fomor King, who’s told by a druid his grandson will be his death. In an attempt to forestall destiny, he locks his only daughter Ethlinn in a tower, located on an island in the sea. Balor, a pirate, turns his attention to stealing the magical cow, the Glas Gaibhnenn, from Cian of the Tuatha de Danaan. This action sets into motion a cascading series of events. Cian wants his magical cow back, but a druid tells him only with the death of Balor can this be accomplished. Cian seeks the help of the Druidess Birog. Birog magically disguises Cian as a woman and arranges for him to visit Ethlinn in her tower. There the great sun god Lugh is conceived. Birog rescues the child when he is born from Balor’s attempt to destroy him, and arranges for him to be fostered. After he is grown, Lugh kills his grandfather Balor in battle.

The better-known story of the Conception of King Arthur also involves druid magic. Merlin the Magician magically disguises Uther Pendragon to resemble Gorlois, the husband of Ygraine. Uther gains access to Tintagel castle, which stands on a promontory surrounded by the sea, and lies with Ygraine, and Arthur is conceived. The child is then given to Merlin to foster. Later, Arthur beds his half sister, and the resulting child, Mordred, deals Arthur, his father-king, a fatal wound.

The Structure of Ancient Myth: The Astronomical Connection

Astrology and astronomy were one in the same to the Ancients, and our Celtic ancestors were no exception to this. Druids and proto-Druids studied the heavens and charted the stars. Going even further back to the pre-Celtic Megalithic era, monuments such as Stonehenge and New Grange are well known for their sun and star alignments. The Ancients, however, perceived their universe very differently from the sun-centric world of modern science. The Ancients saw their world as a fixed center point in the universe. The sun, moon, planets and stars wheeling above directly impacted this fixed center. The entire universe consisted of the earth and its astrological “dome”.

Giorgio de Santillana and Hertha von Dechend,[1] in Hamlet's Mill, argue persuasively that the Ancients undertook highly structured observation of the stars very early on, before history was recorded, and this study was the beginning of what we recognize as science. This was a science driven by the wonder of Number and Time. The Ancients discovered that, by careful observation and computation, one could predict the seasonal movement of the sun, the complicated movement of the moon over decades, the roaming of planets over centuries and the shift of the pole star over millennia—the precession of the equinoxes. The Ancients uncovered the great pattern that takes 26,000 years to come full circle, and then carries right on again in an unending cyclical dance. The ancient mindset became strongly attached to the notions of predestination, because the structure of the Universe was cyclical—because celestial movements were predictable—the fate of the earth was already written in the stars.

The connectedness between all things: humans, the elements of the natural world, the dead, the stars, and the never-ending unfolding of the cosmic dance defined the cosmology of the Ancients. Grasping the pattern underlying the rhythm of celestial events—the annual “turning back” of the sun, the decades long wanderings of the moon, and the complicated interactions and retrograde movements of the planets along the ecliptic became the highest form of human intellectual endeavor.[2] Astronomy became the ultimate knowledge because ancient cosmology—and the cosmologies of traditional societies until they are disrupted by modernity—dictate that the movement of the heavens directly influences all the cycles of activity on earth. This applied not to just the obvious natural ones, such as the change of the seasons, but also to the rise and fall of nations and the reigns of kings. The abilities of seers were inextricably bound up in an understanding of the heavens. Before Merlin was a magician he was a seer, and if he was a seer, he was certainly an astronomer. There was no division between what unfolded on earth, and what shifted in the heavens. It was all one. Ultimately, wisdom was understood to be the ability to learn from the harmony of the heavens how to bring about harmony on earth.

De Santillana and von Dechend believe this form of knowledge is so old that no technical language to describe these astronomical phenomena existed.[3] Terms were borrowed from everyday experiences. Constellations were named for animals and people, and everyday objects, like farm implements, weapons or musical instruments. Stories were used as mnemonic devices to describe and remember planet and constellation relationships taking place within the field of Time. The stories themselves became the technical language. Only privileged adepts with good memories were privy to the astronomical secrets they carried. These same stories, however, also acquired meanings related to how one ideally led one's life, or how kings should rule, and why things went awry. The world’s leaders consulted those who studied the heavens not only because they could see the future in the stars, but also, hopefully, because their knowledge of the structure of the heavens yielded wisdom about how affairs on earth should unfold. If the Ancients were to read or view Lord of the Rings, they would immediately discern the themes of power gone awry, initiation and coming to terms with destiny, but the story would not be complete for them until they could work out the astrological connections from Tolkien’s symbolic grammar.

The Technical Language of the Ancients

In order to understand the Birth of Lugh in astronomical terms, it is necessary to explain the number and time relationships familiar to the Ancients.[4] To understand this go outside at night and look at the stars. Imagine the earth is fixed in place. The moon and stars are rotating around a fixed point in the north—the star Polaris, in Ursa Minor, the Little Bear. If you do this you will start to grasp the mind set of the Ancients. All the constellations, the planets, and the moon rise in the east, rotate clockwise—sunwise—around the pole star and set in the west. This is true for all the constellations except the ones immediately circling Polaris. These stars never set, and include Ursa Major (the Big Bear), Ursa Minor (the Little Bear) and Draco (the Dragon), who winds between them. The planets all follow a narrow path called the ecliptic. The ecliptic begins at one end of the Milky Way, swings around to the other end of the Milky Way, and then back again. The Milky way serves as a pathway across the circle of the ecliptic. The twelve familiar constellations of the zodiac mark the path of the ecliptic, and thus the trail of the planets. The language of astrology is based on the ever-changing but predictable hologram of the planets' relationships to each other, and to the constellations of the zodiac through which they pass.

The planet of interest in the myth of the Birth of Lugh is the Sun. The sun not only journeys each day from the eastern to the western horizon, but also travels back and forth between fixed points on the horizon. As the year advances through the autumn the sun moves south on the eastern horizon until it reaches the point of the winter “solstice” which means “sun standing (still)”. It stands there for a few days and then reverses direction, heading back north, each day progressing a little further, a phenomenon that can be observed by getting up early and watching consecutive sunrises, until it reaches the point of the summer solstice, where it turns back again. It takes exactly a year to complete the journey. Halfway through this trek along the horizon is the midpoint marking the Spring and Fall Equinoxes. Precisely at this point in time the sun rises on the ecliptic, the path all the planets follow. More importantly, at the Spring Equinox the sun rises on the ecliptic just after the constellation that marks the world age.

The annual journey of the Sun was one of the grand astronomical dramas for the Ancients and the one most easily understood by modern sensibility. It is easy to grasp the direct connection between the Sun’s journey, the change of the seasons, and the agricultural cycle. To this day Pueblo peoples in the American southwest send a sun priest out every morning to observe the sun’s journey and announce the day of the Solstice. During the next thirty days the community performs specific ritual activities in order to “take care of the Sun”. The women bake; the men dance. All the local businesses shut down and a series of taboos are observed. This happens at both solstices. This is probably the oldest agricultural ritual on the planet, and all our ancestors organized their lives around this ritual.

The Equinoxes are also an important part of the Sun’s journey. For the Ancients, and for astrologers today, the Equinoxes are important because they are the two points in time when the Sun, the celestial equator (the horizon – or the point where earth meets sky), and the ecliptic (the path of the planets and the zodiac) all coincide. This point of coincidence is where the Ancients looked to mark the shift of World Ages. If you were to go out early in the morning this March 21, before dawn lightens the eastern sky, and look at the point where the sun is going to rise, you will see just above the horizon the tip of the constellation Pisces. The rest of Pisces is hidden below the horizon. The whole of Aquarius is just above the horizon, in full view. The Age of Pisces, which began approximately 2100 years ago, is drawing to a close, and Pisces is literally slipping below the horizon at this annual “check point”, the Spring Equinox. Aquarius, the adjoining zodiacal constellation, is fully visible, and in its full glory because, well, this is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.

The zodiacal constellation that marks the World Age at the Spring Equinox shifts backwards along the line of the ecliptic, very slowly, each sign ruling for about 2200 years, the entire cycle taking 26,000 years. We call this phenomenon the precession of the equinoxes. The precession of the equinoxes is caused by the earth wobbling in a predictable way on its axis. One revolution of this “wobble” takes 26,000 years, and the progression of that wobble can be tracked with the help of the sun’s journey through its solsticial and equinoctal points. The Ancients have been aware of this constellation shift for time out of mind, and they saw in it a great mystery of profound import. They had no way of knowing the earth's rotation on its axis was the mechanical source of this grand astronomical shift. The precession of the equinoxes seemed like the ultimate expression of fate itself.

Another artifact of the precession is that the position of the earth's axis shifts. Therefore one pole star marker is gradually abandoned for the next, which in its turn is abandoned for the next. De Santillana and von Dechend in Hamlet’s Mill make a compelling argument that the shift in the axis of the universe represented by the precession of the equinoxes, and the more gradual shift of the pole star, was of great interest to the Ancients. They interpreted the shift from one sign and into the next as the destruction of one world age and, simultaneously, the birth of a new one. As the Age of Pisces now draws to a close, there is a concurrent anxiety afoot that the world is coming to an end as evidenced in the Mayan prophecies. And the world is coming to an end, presumably, for the Christians, whose age is represented by Pisces, the two fishes. But, the destruction is not permanent – the new age follows, its character stamped by the nature of the following constellation, and the pole star currently in service. De Santillana and von Dechend see evidence for the world age interpretation of the precession in many world mythologies. One of the examples is the Finnish epic The Kalevala, where the sampo—the whirling world axis or “mill”—is stolen and destroyed. De Santillana and von Dechend are also struck by the fact that the Ancients all over the world, in both hemispheres, seem to be ascribing approximately the same labels to the zodiacal constellations, and roughly the same themes in their stories.

The Lady in the Tower

Although the Arthurian tale is familiar to us and seems of more recent vintage than the tale of Lugh’s birth, with its poison-eyed monster and magic cow, the source of both of these myths is probably far older. Both stories have elements that strongly suggest an astronomical meaning, specifically the inevitable destruction of one reign and the birth of another.

Balor locks his daughter Ethlinn in a tower standing on an island in the sea because of a prophecy warning him he will be supplanted by his grandson. The story is set in motion by Balor’s theft of the Glas Gaibhnenn, Cian’s magical cow. There is compelling evidence, provided by another Irish myth, that the Glas Gaibhnenn is in effect, the Sun.[5] The story of Balor and the Cow, describes the movement of the rising sun along the horizon as far as Rockabill, where sunrise occurs on Winter Solstice as viewed from the standing stones at Baltray, at the mouth of the Boyne River. In the story Balor drives the Glas Gaibhnenn ahead of him when she suddenly realizes she has “gone too far”, and she turns back—like the sun at the solstice—in her tracks to return to her home pasture. The story serves as a dindshenchas for two large rocks at Rockabill that are called the Cow and Calf. In the Birth of Lugh Balor steals the Sun, prompting Cian to take steps resulting in the prophesied supplantation of Balor by his grandson being fulfilled. There is in fact, the birth of a “new” sun, the god Lugh.

There is another astronomical motif in this story. When the shift from one age to the next occurs, the signature constellation of the failing age slips below the horizon at the Spring Equinox, and is considered drowned, as it has slipped below the surface of the celestial “waters”, (i.e., the horizon). The next constellation, the one taking over, can be viewed as coming down through the sky and then hovering over the surface of the celestial “waters”. For example, today, at the Spring Equinox, Aquarius hovers above the horizon (the “waters”) as Pisces slips below (or "drowns").

The Ancients noted the constellations at all four “pillars” of the celestial world when considering the world ages.[6] These four celestial pillars are the spring and fall equinoxes, and the winter and summer solstices. Two thousand years ago, the Roman poet Virgil notes "iam redit et Virgo",[7] which is in English “already the Virgin is returning”. And indeed, at the Fall Equinox 2200 years ago, the constellation Virgo could be seen hovering above the horizon as Libra slips below, just as Lady Ethlinn, in her tower on the island in the sea, hovers above the waters, awaiting her destined visit with Cian. Later Ethlinn gives birth to a new Sun. Is it possible Balor actually attempts to take the Sun off course—steals the cow—so the Virgin can’t return? It does seem this story is older than 2200 years, but to me it seems possible that elements of the story shift as the myth gets “updated” to make it more relevant to the age.

The motifs of the Sun and the Lady play out a little differently in the Conception of Arthur. The other astronomical event associated with the precession of the equinoxes involves the gradual shift of the axis of the universe from one pole star to another. Today the pole star is Polaris, located in the constellation Ursa Minor, or the Little Bear. Five thousand years ago the pole star was Alpha Draconis, located in Draco, the Dragon, the constellation that winds its way between the Little Bear and Ursa Major, the Big Bear. The name Arthur, in Welsh, is Arth Vawr or “Heavenly Bear” and the name Pendragon – as in Uther Pendragon, Arthur’s father – means “Wonderful Head of the Dragon”.[8] Uther giving way to Arthur as King represents the gradual 5000-year shift of the pole star from Alpha Draconis to Polaris – from the Dragon to the Bear.

The name of Arthur’s mothers is Ygraine. Ygraine is derived from Grainne, an Irish sun goddess. The Sun is trapped in the tower awaiting the shift of the world axis. Ygraine, like Ethlinn, resides in a tower. Ygraine's castle is at Tintagel, the surf of the ocean crashes at the castle's feet, and she hovers, like Ethlinn, over the waters. Arthur, also known as the Winter King, is conceived at the Fall Equinox, and born, like the Sun, at the Winter Solstice.

These myths are much larger then their bare bones astronomical content. The myth of the Birth of Lugh demonstrates the attempt by the old guard to prevent the conception of a hero, because his birth means everything is going to change. The old world is destroyed and the new world is born. The old guard is even tipped off ahead of time and know the natural gestation of this change. They attempt to stop the time by whatever means. So Balor tries to prevent the conception of the boy who will replace him, but is it is in vain, because Lugh’s time has come. The process is helped along by druid magic, because druids know the shape of the future.

The lesson from the Ancients' point of view is, everything has its time. By attending to the movement of the stars, which are not separate from us, and to signs around us in the natural world, we can shift and adjust and connect with the energies around us, and thus live in harmony with them. In the Arthurian myth Merlin is the midwife and foster parent of the next age’s hero, because he knows, as a seer, that this is the plan of the stars themselves. As a seer, he has a responsibility to help manifest celestial destiny.[9] Merlin demonstrates that capturing the Sun in a castle will not long succeed in thwarting the dawn of a new age.

When we journey to meet the Ancients we gain a deep understanding of these stories. Understanding the ancient world view can help us grasp the knowledge they offer on connecting deeply with the entire cosmos – the energies of the natural environment and the energies of the firmament – not only as the cosmos unfolds in the present but also how it unfolded in the past and will manifest in the future. With the ancestors—the ancient Shining Ones—we turn on the great wheel that ultimately brings us back to the beginning again. The “technical language” of the shamanic journey is very similar to the language of myth. In our shamanic journey we take part in a grand drama, in a story replete with symbols and archetypes, and are taught knowledge of the shape of the universe.[10]



yeatshead.jpg" alt="Yeats Rossignol" width="120" height="120" border="0">Yeats celebrates the agricultural year by growing produce and planning harvest festivals for the local farmer's market in a remote rural area of the American southwest. She and her husband Denis are planning a stonehenge for the orchard. Yeats can be reached at yeatsross@yahoo.com

ENDNOTES



  1. Giorgio de Santillana & Hertha von Dechend, Hamlet’s Mill – An Essay on Myth and the Frame of Time David R. Godine, Boston, 1977. Return to Article

  2. Ibid. Return to Article

  3. Ibid. Return to Article

  4. At this point it is extremely useful to consult a planisphere, a device consisting of two circular pieces of cardboard pinned together at the center. The bottom circle is printed, white on black, with all the major constellations, as well as the ecliptic. The arrangement of the constellations is such that Polaris, the North Star, around which all the northern constellations rotate, is located at the pin holding the two circles together. The upper piece has an opening that allows one to see the field of stars visible between the eastern and western horizon at any specific time and date of the year. So, for example, if you wanted to know which constellation rises before the sun at the Spring Equinox (March 21) at 6:00 am, you match up the bottom piece, which has the dates printed all around the perimeter, with the top piece, which has all the times printed around its perimeter. By moving the top piece of cardboard, you can observe the constellations rising and setting for any day of the year. Return to Article

  5. Irish Astronomical Mythology, “Rockabill Sunrise Myth”, on the website Mythical Ireland. Return to Article

  6. Giorgio de Santillana & Hertha von Dechend 1977 p.62. Return to Article

  7. Ibid. Return to Article

  8. Barbara G. Walker, The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths & Secrets, HarperSanFrancisco 1983. Entry under “Arthur” p.60. Return to Article

  9. Mary Stewart, The Crystal Cave, Fawcett Crest, New York. This is how Mary Stewart interprets Merlin’s role in Arthur’s life. In Stewart's interpretation of the myth Merlin is primarily a seer, and his work as a magician is secondary and derived from being a seer. Return to Article

  10. The imagery in tarot cards also seem to work this way – is not the Blasted Tower card symbolic of the end of an era, personal or otherwise? Return to Article




Yeats celebrates the agricultural year by growing produce and planning harvest festivals for the local farmer's market in a remote rural area of the American southwest. She and her husband Denis are planning a stonehenge for the orchard. Yeats can be reached at fandross@yahoo.com

TheLady, the Cow and the Tower copyright © 2007 by Yeats Rossignol, all rights reserved. Used with permission. Top of Page



Back To Imbolc 2007 Archives Menu


Earthsongs: International Journal of the Society of Celtic Shamans copyright © 2007 by Elder Grove Press and content providers. All rights reserved. International copyright laws prohibit reproduction of or distribution of this page by any means whatsoever, electronic or otherwise, without first obtaining the written permissions of the copyright holders. We retain legal counsel to protect our copyrights.