Cessair
Encyclopedia
In Irish mythology
, Cessair (also spelt Cesair and Ceasair; anglicized Kesair) was, according to the Book of Invasions, leader of the first inhabitants of Ireland
before the Biblical
Flood.. The story is an attempt at the Christianisation of a legend that pre-dates the conversion, but may alternatively be the product of post-conversion pseudohistory
.
's son Bith and his wife Birren. According to legend, when her father was denied a place in the ark
by Noah, Cessair advised him to build an idol
. This idol advised them that they could escape the Deluge in a ship. Cessair, along with three men, Bith, Fintan and Ladra, and fifty women, set off and sailed for more than seven years. They landed in Ireland at Dún na mBarc (Donemark, on Bantry Bay
in County Cork
), forty days before the Flood, in Age of the World 2242 according to the Annals of the Four Masters
, or 2361 BC according to Seathrún Céitinn's chronology.
The three men shared out the women as wives between them. Cessair and sixteen others went with Fintan, seventeen, including Barann, went with Bith and sixteen, including Balba, with Ladra, but Ladra died and his wives were shared between Fintan and Bith. Then Bith died. Fintan found himself with all the women, and fled. Six days before the Flood, Cessair died of a broken heart at Cuil Ceasrach in Connacht
. She is said to be buried at the summit of Cnoc Meadha
, six miles south-west of Tuam
, County Galway
(Lynch, 2006).
The rest of Cessair's people were wiped out in the Flood, with the exception of Fintan, who turned into a salmon
. After a series of animal transformations he eventually became a man again and told his people's story.
A variant version of the legend, apparently contained in the Book of Druimm Snechta, says that it was Banba
who came to Ireland with three men and fifty women, two hundred and forty years before the Flood (2490 BC by his chronology). Her people lived in Ireland for forty years and died of plague
. In the usual scheme Banba is numbered among the Tuatha Dé Danann
, who lived in Ireland much later.
Seathrún Céitinn also refers to a legend that three fishermen from Spain
, Capa, Laigne and Luasad, were driven to Ireland by a storm a year before the Flood. They liked it, so they went home to get their wives, returned shortly before the Flood, and were drowned.
Cessair is also the name of a daughter of the king of Gallia
who married the High King of Ireland
, Úgaine Mor
, in the 6th or 5th century BC.
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...
, Cessair (also spelt Cesair and Ceasair; anglicized Kesair) was, according to the Book of Invasions, leader of the first inhabitants of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
before the Biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
Flood.. The story is an attempt at the Christianisation of a legend that pre-dates the conversion, but may alternatively be the product of post-conversion pseudohistory
Pseudohistory
Pseudohistory is a pejorative term applied to a type of historical revisionism, often involving sensational claims whose acceptance would require rewriting a significant amount of commonly accepted history, and based on methods that depart from standard historiographical conventions.Cryptohistory...
.
Overview
She was daughter of NoahNoah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
's son Bith and his wife Birren. According to legend, when her father was denied a place in the ark
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
by Noah, Cessair advised him to build an idol
Idolatry
Idolatry is a pejorative term for the worship of an idol, a physical object such as a cult image, as a god, or practices believed to verge on worship, such as giving undue honour and regard to created forms other than God. In all the Abrahamic religions idolatry is strongly forbidden, although...
. This idol advised them that they could escape the Deluge in a ship. Cessair, along with three men, Bith, Fintan and Ladra, and fifty women, set off and sailed for more than seven years. They landed in Ireland at Dún na mBarc (Donemark, on Bantry Bay
Bantry Bay
Bantry Bay is a bay located in County Cork, southwest Ireland. The bay runs approximately from northeast to southwest into the Atlantic Ocean. It is approximately 3-to-4 km wide at the head and wide at the entrance....
in County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
), forty days before the Flood, in Age of the World 2242 according to 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...
, or 2361 BC according to Seathrún Céitinn's chronology.
The three men shared out the women as wives between them. Cessair and sixteen others went with Fintan, seventeen, including Barann, went with Bith and sixteen, including Balba, with Ladra, but Ladra died and his wives were shared between Fintan and Bith. Then Bith died. Fintan found himself with all the women, and fled. Six days before the Flood, Cessair died of a broken heart at Cuil Ceasrach in Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. 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...
. She is said to be buried at the summit of Cnoc Meadha
Cnoc Meadha
Cnoc Meadha is a hill west of Tuam, County Galway, in Ireland.It is said in legend to be the residence of Finnbheara, the king of the Connacht fairies. Of two large cairns on the hill, one was thought to be the burial-place of Finnbheara and the other of Queen Medb, whose name may be transformed...
, six miles south-west of Tuam
Tuam
Tuam is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The name is pronounced choo-um . It is situated west of the midlands of Ireland, and north of Galway city.-History:...
, County Galway
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
(Lynch, 2006).
The rest of Cessair's people were wiped out in the Flood, with the exception of Fintan, who turned into a salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
. After a series of animal transformations he eventually became a man again and told his people's story.
A variant version of the legend, apparently contained in the Book of Druimm Snechta, says that it was Banba
Banba
In Irish mythology, Banba daughter of Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, is the patron goddess of Ireland....
who came to Ireland with three men and fifty women, two hundred and forty years before the Flood (2490 BC by his chronology). Her people lived in Ireland for forty years and died of plague
Bubonic plague
Plague is a deadly infectious disease that is caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis, named after the French-Swiss bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin. Primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas, the disease is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death...
. In the usual scheme Banba is numbered among the Tuatha Dé Danann
Tuatha Dé Danann
The Tuatha Dé Danann are a race of people in Irish mythology. In the invasions tradition which begins with the Lebor Gabála Érenn, they are the fifth group to settle Ireland, conquering the island from the Fir Bolg....
, who lived in Ireland much later.
Seathrún Céitinn also refers to a legend that three fishermen from Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Capa, Laigne and Luasad, were driven to Ireland by a storm a year before the Flood. They liked it, so they went home to get their wives, returned shortly before the Flood, and were drowned.
Cessair is also the name of a daughter of the king of Gallia
Gallia
Gallia may refer to:*Gaul , the region of Western Europe occupied by present-day France, Belgium and other neighbouring countries...
who married the High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland
The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
, Úgaine Mor
Úgaine Mor
Úgaine Mór , son of Eochu Buadach, son of Dui Ladrach, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He was the foster-son of Cimbáeth and Macha Mong Ruad, and took power by killing his predecessor, and his foster-mother's killer, Rechtaid Rígderg...
, in the 6th or 5th century BC.