Eochaid in the Otherworld, & a Summer Solstice alignment.

Lough Neagh (Loch nEathach) is the largest inland water body in Ireland and its name means 'Eochaid's Lake'.

In his article 'The Mythology of Lough Neagh', Eoin Mac Néill explains that 'The second component in the name of Loch Echach is the genitive of a personal name of great frequency in the Old-Irish period. The nominitive is Eochu.'

He goes on to describe how scribes of the middle-Irish period often used the names Eochaid and Eochu interchangably. The name derives from the old Irish word 'ech', meaning 'horse'.

Mac Néill asks: 'Who was the Eochu from whom "the lake of Eochu" takes its name?' and then discusses some of the surviving mythological sources.

Stories about Eochaid (and his death) are found in various guises (including in the Book of Ballymote and the Book of Lecan), and the earliest of these sources date from the middle of the 7th century.

One story is found in a poem by the poet Luccreth moccu Chiara about the origins of sept Corcu Oíche, who were possibly of Pictish or Cruthin origin. This describes how the people were killed when a well overflowed and "There is none that it does not drown, but only Eochu, the king". The poem doesn't mention Eochu again, but Mac Néill says it 'implies that he continues to live and inhabit the submerged land'.

In the folkloric tale 'The Death of Eochaid, son of Mairid', Eochu(Eochaid), the grandson of the King of Munster, elopes with his step-mother but their horses are killed by Oingus Macc Ind Óac (aka Aengus Óg). Oingus replaces their horses with one mighty horse but warns Eochu that the horse must not be unloaded or allowed to stop until their journey is over. However the warning is ignored, and the horse is unloaded. A well springs up where it has stopped... Eochu builds a wall around the well, with a cover on it, in an effort to contain the spring. However, the well is left uncovered, and it floods the land, drowning Eochu and his children (with the exception of his daughter Li Ban).

Mac Néill states that he is aware of folklore from the area suggesting that a 'house' is visible at times beneath the waters of Lough Neagh (although there doesn't seem to be any remaining knowledge of where this 'house' might be). I am tempted to wonder if a long-lost sun palace might lie beneath the waves of the Lough, but unfortunately any archaeology has likely been destroyed by decades of damaging and unrelenting sand-dredging... However, I digress!

Mac Néill goes on to describe how these stories belong to the 'mythological stratum.. relating wholly or mainly to the doings of divine persons but transferred artificially to the heroic stratum'.

'Who then is this Eochu of the mythological stratum?... Beyond doubt he is Eochu Ollathair, more commonly called the Dagde, "the good god".'

The Dagda (aka Eochaidh/Eochu) is the most powerful & important figure of all the Tuatha Dé Dannan, and he has associations with the Sun and sky.

Knock Iveagh, the ceremonial centre of the Uibh Eachach of South Eastern Ulster (whose name meant 'The Descendants of Echu/Eochu) , is home to a Neolithic burial cairn and forms the centre-point of an important ritual landscape. I have written extensively on this blog about my observations of alignments within this part of Ulster involving the Knock and other ancient sites at significant dates within the solar year. Briefly these are:

• The sun sinking into Slieve Gullion at Winter Solstice sunset

• The sun rising out of Slieve Donard at Imbolc and Samhain

• The sun rising out of Slieve Croob at Lughnasadh

• The sun sinking into the cairn on Knock Iveagh (on two of the three divisions of the solar year) from Eochaidh's heights'.

It therefore should come as no surprise to anyone that the Knock is also a perfect spot from which to watch the 'submerging' of Eochaidh within the waters of the lake that bears his name. And not just on any day - it happens on the longest day of the year - the SUMMER SOLSTICE! On a clear Summer's evening, Eochaidh's lake is seen as a watery, mirror-like line on the horizon when viewed from the hill which also bears his name*.

The SunCalc calculation below is centred at Knock Iveagh, and shows how, at its most Northerly point, the Sun sets into the waters of Lough Neagh around 21st June each year. While nowadays it touches the very South-Western part of the lake, in the past the lough would have been even bigger, so the alignment is not in any doubt.

In the video below, the red line you can see indicates the path between Knock Iveagh and the South-Western shores of Lough Neagh at the Summer Solstice. The height of the topography between the two places is shown in red at the bottom of the screen, and shows how there are no obstacles between the Knock and Lough Neagh on the horizon.

At the Summer Solstice, at the zenith of its power, the Sun descends into the watery underworld of Lough Neagh, rising again the next morning from the waters of the Irish Sea! From there, he is carried on his journey (pulled by a supernatural horse) all along the ridge of the Mournes, making his longest and most spectacular journey of the year.

And on the Winter Solstice, the shortest day, at his weakest he is carried into the sacred mountain of Slieve Gullion, to be given his strength back by the earth-goddess the Cailleach Beara.

As with the story of Finn & the Cailleach at Slieve Gullion (hear more about this on this podcast from Mythical Ireland), mythology comes to life in front of our eyes.

In my mind's eye I imagine the earliest Filí (poets/bards) observing the Sun's movements, year in and year out; and weaving their stories from its dramatic dance to entertain, comfort and inspire. Powerful tales of Gods and Goddesses, of death and rebirth, of the 'otherworld' and mythical beings, which still play out before our eyes continuing to inspire awe and wonder in the C21st.

Sadly until Knock Iveagh (a victim of useless governmental failures!) is made publicly accessible once again, we will have to content ourselves with these virtual images. If you'd like to know more about how to help, you can connect with me at the links below:

facebook.com/anneharpermusicandstories

Insta @_banfili

Slán!

*to be fair this alignment is probably visible from many other hills in SE Ulster - after all, it's a big lake! Still - it's cool that it's also visible from a place with so many other interesting views...