Emain Macha
Encyclopedia
Navan Fort – known in Old Irish as Eṁaın Ṁacha and in Modern Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
as Eamhain Mhacha (ˈaw̃nʲ ˈw̃axə) – is an ancient monument in County Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. According to Irish legend, it was one of the major power centers of pre-Christian Ireland. The site that can be seen today is little more than a grass-covered mound, but according to the Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology, "the [Eamhain Mhacha] of myth and legend is a far grander and mysterious place than archeological excavation supports".
Although called a "fort", it is considered more likely to have been a pagan
Celtic polytheism
Celtic polytheism, commonly known as Celtic paganism, refers to the religious beliefs and practices adhered to by the Iron Age peoples of Western Europe now known as the Celts, roughly between 500 BCE and 500 CE, spanning the La Tène period and the Roman era, and in the case of the Insular Celts...
ritual or ceremonial site. It is often regarded as the traditional capital of the Ulaid
Ulaid
The Ulaid or Ulaidh were a people of early Ireland who gave their name to the modern province of Ulster...
h. It also features prominently in Irish mythology
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
, particularly in the tales of the Ulster Cycle
Ulster Cycle
The Ulster Cycle , formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, one of the four great cycles of Irish mythology, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the traditional heroes of the Ulaid in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly counties Armagh, Down and...
.
Location and description of the site
The site is a State Care Historic Monument in the townlandTownland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Navan, in Armagh City and District Council
Armagh City and District Council
Armagh City and District Council is a district council in County Armagh in Northern Ireland. It includes the city of Armagh, as well as the surrounding area and its population is about 54,000. City status was officially conferred in 1995...
area. It is located on a low hill approximately 1.6 miles (2.6 km) west of the city of Armagh
Armagh
Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...
(at grid ref. area H847 452). The site consists of a circular enclosure 250 metres (820 ft) in diameter, surrounded by a bank and ditch. Unusually, the ditch is inside the bank, suggesting it was not built for defensive purposes.
Inside the enclosure two monuments are visible. Off-centre to the north-west is an earthen mound 40 metres (130 ft) in diameter and 6 metres (20 ft) high. Also slightly off-centre to the south-east is the circular impression of a ring-barrow, the ploughed-down remains of a late prehistoric ceremonial or burial monument, about 30 metres (100 ft) in diameter.
Archaeological excavations have revealed that the construction of the 40 metre mound dates to 95 BC (securely dated by dendrochronology
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...
). A circular structure consisting of four concentric rings of posts around a central oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
trunk was built, its entrance facing west (prehistoric houses invariably face east, towards the sunrise). The floor of the building was covered with stones arranged in radial segments, and the whole edifice was deliberately burnt down before being covered in a mound of earth and turf (there is archaeological evidence for similar repeated construction and immolation of Tara
Hill of Tara
The Hill of Tara , located near the River Boyne, is an archaeological complex that runs between Navan and Dunshaughlin in County Meath, Leinster, Ireland...
and Dún Ailinne
Hill of Allen
The Hill of Allen is a volcanic hill situated in the west of County Kildare, Ireland, beside the village of Allen. According to Irish Mythology it was the seat of the hunter-warrier Fionn mac Cumhaill and the Fianna. The site is currently part-owned by Roadstone Dublin Ltd...
). The bank and ditch that surround the hilltop were built at the same time.
No secure date can be assigned to the ring-barrow, but excavations and geophysical surveys have revealed the remains of a figure-of-eight shaped wooden building underneath. The larger ring of the figure-of-eight was 30 metres (100 ft) in diameter, the smaller about 20 metres (65 ft). The building had been rebuilt twice. Similar, slightly smaller structures, each with a central hearth, were found under the 40 metre mound. Artifacts found in these layers show they were inhabited in the late Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
and early Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
(approximately 600 to at least 250 BC). Perhaps the most unusual item found in these layers was the skull of a Barbary Macaque
Barbary Macaque
The Barbary Macaque , or Common macaque, is a macaque with no tail. Found in the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco with a small population, of unknown origin, in Gibraltar, the Barbary Macaque is one of the best-known Old World monkey species. Besides humans, they are the only primates that...
.
An earlier Bronze Age structure, a circular ditch surrounding the mound, 45 metres (150 ft) in diameter, 5 metres (16 ft) wide and 1 metre (3 ft) deep, was also found, and flint tools and fragments of pottery show activity at the site in the Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
(ca. 4000 to 2500 BC).
Until 1985, the site was threatened by the expansion of a nearby limestone quarry. Due largely to the efforts of the activist group Friends of Navan, a public inquiry held that year halted further quarrying, and recommended that the site be developed for tourism. A visitor centre, featuring archaeological artefacts and audio-visual exhibitions, was opened in 1993, but closed in 2001 for lack of funds. It reopened on a seasonal basis in 2005 after the site was bought by Armagh City and District Council
Armagh City and District Council
Armagh City and District Council is a district council in County Armagh in Northern Ireland. It includes the city of Armagh, as well as the surrounding area and its population is about 54,000. City status was officially conferred in 1995...
.
Other significant prehistoric sites in the vicinity include Haughey's Fort
Haughey's Fort
Haughey's Fort is a hill fort in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, 2¼ miles west of the city of Armagh. It is named after the farmer who owned the land it is situated on in the later 19th century...
, an earlier Bronze Age hill fort two-thirds of a mile (1 km) to the west; the King's Stables
King's Stables
The King's Stables is an archaeological site in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The earthwork known as the King’s Stables is a Scheduled Historic Monument in the townland of Tray, in Armagh City and District Council area, at grid ref: H8388 4546.-Features:...
, an artificial pool also dating to the Bronze Age; and Loughnashade, a natural lake which has produced Iron Age artefacts.
Eṁain Ṁacha in Irish mythology
According to Irish mythologyIrish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
and historical tradition it was the capital of the Ulaid
Ulaid
The Ulaid or Ulaidh were a people of early Ireland who gave their name to the modern province of Ulster...
, the people who gave their name to the province of Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
. It was supposedly founded by the goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
Macha
Macha (Irish mythology)
Macha is a goddess of ancient Ireland, associated with war, horses, sovereignty, and the sites of Armagh and Emain Macha in County Armagh, which are named after her...
in the 7th or 5th century BC, and was the seat of Conchobar mac Nessa
Conchobar mac Nessa
Conchobar mac Nessa was the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He ruled from Emain Macha .-Birth:...
in the tales of the Ulster Cycle
Ulster Cycle
The Ulster Cycle , formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, one of the four great cycles of Irish mythology, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the traditional heroes of the Ulaid in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly counties Armagh, Down and...
. Conchobar is said to have had three houses at Eṁain Ṁacha:
- the Cróeb Ruad ("Dull Red BranchRed BranchThe Red Branch is the name of two of the three royal houses of the king of Ulster, Conchobar mac Nessa, at his capital Emain Macha , in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
", whence derives the nearby townland of Creeveroe) where the king sat; - the Cróeb Derg ("Bright Red Branch"), where trophies of battle were kept, and
- the Téte Brecc ("Speckled Hoard") where the warriors' weapons were stored.
Many of the most famous names in Irish mythology are associated with Eṁain Ṁacha and the Red Branch
Red Branch
The Red Branch is the name of two of the three royal houses of the king of Ulster, Conchobar mac Nessa, at his capital Emain Macha , in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
warriors.
- AmerginAmergin mac EccitAmergin mac Eccit is a poet and warrior in the court of Conchobar mac Nessa in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He was the son of Eccet Salach, a smith, and grew to the age of fourteen without speaking or washing himself. One day Athirne, the Ulaid's chief poet, sent his servant to Eccet to...
the poet - Cú ChulainnCú ChulainnCú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
, the great warrior - EmerEmerEmer , in modern Irish Éimhear, or, erroneously, Eimhear or Éimear, daughter of Forgall Monach, is the wife of the hero Cú Chulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology.-Tochmarc Emire "The Wooing of Emer":...
, his strong-willed and beautiful bride - Conall CernachConall CernachConall Cernach is a hero of the Ulaidh in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He is said to have always slept with the head of a Connachtman under his knee. His epithet is normally translated as "victorious" or "triumphant", although it is an obscure word, and some texts struggle to explain it...
(Conall the Victorious), his foster-brother and close friend - LóegaireLóegaire BúadachIn the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, Lóegaire Búadach is a hapless Ulster warrior who mainly functions as comic relief. When he, Cúchulainn and Conall Cernach contend for the champion's portion at Briccriu's feast, Lóegaire is always a distant third. He lived at Inber Seimne .His death-tale...
, another warrior - Conchobar mac NessaConchobar mac NessaConchobar mac Nessa was the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He ruled from Emain Macha .-Birth:...
, king of Ulster - CathbadCathbadCathbad or Cathbhadh is the chief druid in the court of Conchobar mac Nessa in the Ulster Cycle of Irish Mythology.In his younger days he was a warrior, leading a landless band of twenty-seven men. Once he led a raid on the house where the Ulster princess Ness was brought up, killing all twelve...
, the chief druid - Fergus mac RóichFergus mac RóichFergus mac Róich is a character of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
, another great warrior and king - DeirdreDeirdreDeirdre or Derdriu is the foremost tragic heroine in Irish mythology and probably its best-known figure in modern times. She is often called "Deirdre of the Sorrows." Her story is part of the Ulster Cycle, the best-known stories of pre-Christian Ireland.-Legendary Biography:Deirdre was the...
of the Sorrows, the most beautiful woman in Ireland, and NaoiseNaoiseIn Irish mythology, Noíse or Noisiu was the nephew of King Conchobar mac Nessa of Ulster, and a son of Usnech , in the Ulster Cycle....
, her brave lover - LeabharchamLeabharchamLeabharcham was a wise old woman of Emain Macha in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She raised and educated Deirdre. Before Deirdre was born, Cathbad, the chief druid of King Conchobar mac Nessa's court, prophesied that she would become the most beautiful woman in the world, and that "she would...
, the wise woman
The name Eṁain Ṁacha is variously explained as "Macha's neck-brooch", after Macha marked out the boundaries of the site with her brooch, and "Macha's twins", after Macha gave birth to twins after being forced to compete in a chariot-race. The Annals of the Four Masters
Annals of the Four Masters
The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...
record that it was abandoned after it was burned by the Three Collas in 331 AD, after they had defeated Fergus Foga, king of Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
, in battle at Achadh Leithdheirg
Achaidh Leithdeircc
Cath Achaidh Leithdeircc h-i Fernmoigh The Battle of Achadh Leithdheirg, in Fearnmhagh took place in 331The place of the battle has been disputed*Farney, Monaghan, County Monaghan*Loughbrickland, County Down...
.
In popular culture
Eamhain Mhacha is the name of a traditional Irish music band formed in 2008.Irish heavy metal band Waylander
Waylander
Waylander can refer to:*Waylander , a Northern Irish metal band.*Waylander , a fantasy novel by David Gemmell.*Waylander the Slayer, the protagonist in the fantasy novel by David Gemmell...
has a song called "Emain Macha" on their 1998 Century Media album Reawakening Pride Once Lost
Reawakening Pride Once Lost
Reawakening Pride Once Lost is the debut album by the folk metal Waylander, released in 1998 by Century Media. The album was re-released in 2006 by the Irish label, Midhir Records...
.
In the MMORPG
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
Dark Age of Camelot
Dark Age of Camelot
Dark Age of Camelot is a 3D medieval fantasy MMORPG, released on October 10 2001 in North America and in Europe shortly after through it's partner GOA. It is still running today recently celebrating its 10th anniversary....
, "Emain Macha" is the name of a frontier zone, in which the realm of Hibernia must protect in order to safeguard their realm and relics.
Emain Macha also appears in the MMORPG
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
Mabinogi. The fortress-city of Emain Macha is a lakeside medium town, and is the residence of the Duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
of Emain Macha. The city is also the headquarters of the knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ly order of Paladins.
Emain Macha is an optional exploration area in the 2004 console game The Bard's Tale. It is presented as an underground crypt with a number of zombies and traps.
See also
- An sluagh sidhe so i nEamhuin?An sluagh sidhe so i nEamhuin?An sluagh sidhe so i nEamhuin? is an Irish poem dated to the late 16th-century. An sluagh sidhe so i nEamhuin? is...
- "Is this a fairy host in Eamhain Mhacha?" - an Irish poem dated to the late 16th century.
Texts
External links
- Navan Centre, Fort and King Stables - Official site at Visit Armagh
- Navan Fort - information at Northern Ireland Environment Agency
- "High Hopes for NI Tourist Centre" (BBC News)
- BBC Timelines
- Environment and Heritage Service page on Navan Fort, with photos
- Geography in Action: Navan Fort