Macaj.ister — Temair Breg: Remains and Tradiliona of Vara. 871 



Something like the pyramidal structure in the "clavie" burnt annually at 

 Burghead 1 seems to be indicated. When the erection had burnt down, the 

 embers were taken, and "stones placed in the Samain- fi re " — that is to Bay, 

 the fire was slowed down so as to be kept alive through the year ; and the 

 fire of the following Samain was re-lit from the embers. The writer of 

 this gloss supposed that the succession of Samain fires had begun in the 

 beacon lit at Da Derga's Hostel on the occasion which is described in the 

 romance. In this we need not follow him ; but, as is always the case, the 

 fact that such an explanation is given is evidence of the real existence of the 

 thing to be explained — in this case the unbroken succession of the Samain 

 fire. The king, as representative of the divinity that kept the sun alight, 

 was bound to keep alight a perpetual fire at Temair; and to cause it to 

 blaze up at Samain, when the sun was dying, and at the vernal equinox, in 

 order to quicken the sun's reviving flame. In the same way, the Paschal 

 fire burnt continuously, and was the source from which the other fires of a 

 monastery were lighted. When the Paschal fire of St. Ciaran's monastery 

 at Saigir was maliciousl)' extinguished, the brethren had to make shift with- 

 out a fire at all until it was miraculously re-kindled. 2 



The passage above quoted from 1'ogdil Bruidnc Da Berga implies that the 

 Samain festival was held annually at Temair. The constant tradition that 

 appears throughout Irish literature is, however, that it was a triennial 

 celebration. The two statements are not necessarily inconsistent. The 

 celebration may have been held annually, but only publicly every three 

 years. Certainly the festival which St. Patrick interrupted seems to have 

 been confined to the household of Temair. We may, perhaps, venture to 

 compare the Eleusinia, which took place annually, but "seem to have lien 

 conducted every four years with especial splendour.'' 3 Every year there was 

 a festival at Temair, but only every three years was there a congress.' As 

 Temair declined in religious interest, owing to the advance of Christianity, 

 the celebration of the fiis became irregular. The last celebration recorded 

 was in 559 or 560 a.d. Four years later the king Diarmait mac Cerrbeil 

 was murdered. He appears to have been the last king with pagan sympathies, 

 and the/eis thus came automatically to an end. Ii was natural for the later 

 hagiographers to connect this cessation of the fOs with the curse of Ruadan, 



1 See Reliquary and Illnst ratal drcluteologist, i (1895), 22. 

 • Betlux, Chiardin, in Silva Gadelica, i, 14 ; ii. L5. 



3 Farnell, Quits of the Greek States, iii, l(io. 



4 For the meaning of such periodical festivals at intervals of more than one year, Bee 

 the very ingenious explanation in Frazer's Spirit* of tht < 'm n und of the Wild, i, 77 Bqq. 



