An aonach or óenach was an ancient
Irish public national assembly called upon the death of a
king,
queen, or notable
sage
Sage or SAGE may refer to:
Plants
* ''Salvia officinalis'', common sage, a small evergreen subshrub used as a culinary herb
** Lamiaceae, a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint or deadnettle or sage family
** ''Salvia'', a large ...
or
warrior as part of
ancestor worship practices.
As well as the entertainment, the óenach was an occasion on which kings and notables met under
truce
A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...
and where
laws were pronounced and confirmed.
The Aonach had three functions: honoring the dead, proclaiming
laws, and
funeral games and festivities to entertain. The first function took between one and three days depending on the importance of the deceased, guests would sing mourning chants called the ''
Guba'' after which
druid
A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...
s would improvise songs in memory of the dead called a ''
Cepóg''. The dead would then be burnt on a
funeral pyre. The second function would then be carried out by the
Ollamh Érenn, giving out laws to the people via bards and druids and culminating in the igniting of another massive fire. The custom of rejoicing after a funeral was then enshrined in the ''
Cuiteach Fuait'', games of mental and physical ability accompanied by a large market for traders.
The most notable fair, that held under the auspices of the
High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and later sometimes assigned ana ...
and the
Uí Néill, was the ''Óenach Tailten'' or "
Tailteann Games Tailteann Games or Aonach Tailteann may refer to:
* Tailteann Games (ancient) sporting and religious festival in Gaelic Ireland
* Tailteann Games (Irish Free State) held 1924–32
* Tailteann Games, Athletics Ireland
Athletics Ireland, officiall ...
", which is given
prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
origins by medieval writers. This was held at
Teltown, in modern
County Meath, as late as 1770. The compilers of the
Irish annals
A number of Irish annals, of which the earliest was the Chronicle of Ireland, were compiled up to and shortly after the end of the 17th century. Annals were originally a means by which monks determined the yearly chronology of feast days. Over t ...
considered violence and disorders at this óenach, or the failure of the incumbent High King to hold the fair, to be of note. The
Irish Free State held
revivals of the Tailteann Games from 1924 to 1932.
Other important assemblies included that of
Tlachtga, held on the
Hill of Ward at
Samhain, that of
Carman
In Celtic mythology, Carman or Carmun was a warrior and sorceress from Athens who tried to invade Ireland in the days of the Tuatha Dé Danann, along with her three sons, Dub ("black"), Dother ("evil") and Dian ("violence"). She used her magical ...
, held in
County Wexford
County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí Ceinns ...
, that of
Uisnech, held at
Beltane and that of Raigne in
Osraige. Not all had pagan calendrical associations. The ''Óenach Colmáin'', probably held at
Lynally, was named for Saint
Elo Colman
Elo or ELO may refer to:
Music
* Electric Light Orchestra, a British rock music group
** The Electric Light Orchestra (album), ''The Electric Light Orchestra'' (album), the group's debut album
** ''ELO 2'', the group's second album
* ELO Part II ...
.
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
{{refend
External links
Nally, T.H., The Aonac Tailteann and the Tailteann Games Their History and Ancient Associations - Full text on archive.org''Fairs and Assemblies in Ireland'' by John Lennon
Ireland
Ancient Ireland
Festivals in Ireland
Social events
Multi-sport events in Ireland