Gaelic Myths/Legends
There are several legends recounting the
ownership
of the Brugh, all of which involve similar ambiguity and complexity
concerning day and night and the passage of time. It would seem then,
that the myths relating to Newgrange
dramatise a basic idea, which is interesting when one considers the solar
alignment and the possible pre-historic usage of Newgrange as a megalithic
calendar.
The old tales tell how the gates of the world stand open at this time.
Journeys to the "other world",
either metaphorically or otherwise, may well be transformative.
It is for this reason that Samhain can be seen as a time when the past and
future are available to the present. It is a time to see ourselves as part
of the web of past and future. We are not isolated in time.
Many of the more curious and supernatural events in Irish mythology are
associated with Samhain, including two of the legends associated with Newgrange
and Aonghus.
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Compiled by: Glenn Welker
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