In Irish history and legend, brain balls () are small stone-like balls claimed to have been made from the heads or brains of enemies. No examples that modern analysis confirms as human have survived.

Description

In literature and legend

Geoffrey Keating Geoffrey Keating ( ga, Seathrún Céitinn; c. 1569 – c. 1644) was a 17th-century historian. He was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and is buried in Tubrid Graveyard in the parish of Ballylooby-Duhill. He became an Irish Catholic priest and a ...

's 17th century

Foras Feasa ar Éirinn ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'' – literally 'Foundation of Knowledge on Ireland', but most often known in English as 'The History of Ireland' – is a narrative history of Ireland by Geoffrey Keating, written in Irish and completed .Bernadette Cunnin ...

(or 'History of Ireland') in 'An Account of the Death of Connor, King of Ulster' he records the background of the tradition, and a Christianised tale relating to it. According to Keating it was the custom during the period described in the

Ulster Cycle The Ulster Cycle ( ga, an Rúraíocht), formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the Ulaid. It is set far in the past, in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly coun ...

for a victorious champion to take the brains of a defeated adversary, and make a ball of them, by mixing it with

lime Lime commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Botany ...

, followed by drying in the sun - such a ball was displayed at important events. In the story told by Keating, two fools in the court of king

Conchobar mac Nessa Conchobar mac Nessa (son of Ness) is the king of Ulaid, Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Emain Macha (Navan Fort, near Armagh). He is usually said to be the son of the High King of Ireland, High King Fachtna Fáthach, ...

(Connor son of Ness) decided to steal such a brain ball, being from the head of

Mesgegra In Irish mythology, Mesgegra (Mess-gegra, Mes Gegra, Mes Gedra) was king of Leinster during the events of the Ulster Cycle, and was also the brother of Mac Da Thó aka Mes Róidia in ''The Tale of Mac Da Thó's Pig''. Mesgegra was killed by the Ul ...

, former king of

Leinster Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...

- having stolen it the fools then began to play with it. Whilst doing so they were discovered by

Cet mac Mágach Cet mac Mágach is a Connacht warrior in the Ulster Cycle of Irish Mythology. He had a rivalry with the Ulster warrior Conall Cernach. In some myths, he is said to be the brother of Conall's mother, making him Conall's uncle. At a feast at the ...

of the kingdom of

Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...

, he then took the brain ball from the fools. Later the provinces of Connacht and Ulster became at war, and Cet used the ball as a sling stone, wounding Connor grievously in the head - this began the fulfillment of a prophecy that Mesgegra would be revenged on Ulster after his death - King Connor's doctors advised that extreme stress of exertion might open the ball's wound and kill him, and so he lived carefully for seven years. However one day an

eclipse An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ce ...

occurred and Connor sought his druid on its cause - he was informed that the cause was the murder of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

by the Jews - Connor became incensed by this news, and this caused the wound to re-open, bring about his death. Keating notes that Connor died before the death of Jesus, and gives the explanation that the druid must have prophesied Jesus's death.

Archaeological evidence

Brain Balls and other balls from Irish tombs

In Irish

dolmen A dolmen () or portal tomb is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the early Neolithic (40003000 BCE) and were somet ...

s balls have been fairly common finds, often found in the structure's floor or lower level detritus, and often associated with bones - materials identified as forming the balls include

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...

(thought to be a

slingshot A slingshot is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The classic form consists of a Y-shaped frame, with two natural rubber strips or tubes attached to the upper two ends. The other ends of the strips lead back to a pocket that holds the pro ...

);

ironstone Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical replacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron ore compound from which iron (Fe) can be smelted commercially. Not to be con ...

; calcium carbonate; porphyry; and

syenite Syenite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock with a general composition similar to that of granite, but deficient in quartz, which, if present at all, occurs in relatively small concentrations (< 5%). Some syenites contain larger proport ...

- with sizes recorded were from approximately . Some of the balls found inside dolmen cairns in the region of

Slieve na Calliagh Slieve na Calliagh () are a range of hills and ancient burial site near Oldcastle, County Meath, Ireland. The summit is , the highest point in the county. On the hilltops are about twenty passage tombs, some decorated with rare megalithic art, ...

in the

County of Meath County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is bordered by County Dublin, Dublin to ...

were claimed by E.A. Conwell to be 'brain balls' as described in historical sources and legend. Amongst stone balls discovered in the tombs in Meath Conwell also uncovered some which were initially soft, when discovered in the earth, but hardened on drying out after which it became possible to excavate them. He identified several in two tombs as being 'brain balls'. Of these several had been worn down to a smaller size, but he identified one as being better preserved.

William Frederick Wakeman William Frederick Wakeman (1822 – 15 October 1900) was an Irish archaeologist, initially producing works as an artist and then as an author. Life W. F. Wakeman was born in Dublin, 1822. His father was a publisher. A student of George Petrie ...

also found objects he ascribed to be 'brain balls' in a tomb in Old Connacht, Bray. Wakemen submitted a sample for analysis - the ball was approximately diameter, light yellowish, and friable, containing some harder material. The harder pieces were thought to be splinters of long bones and or vegetable charcoal on inspection under a microscope. The main body of the ball was made of amorphous cement, which gave an analysis of primarily calcium carbonate, plus

calcium phosphate The term calcium phosphate refers to a family of materials and minerals containing calcium ions (Ca2+) together with inorganic phosphate anions. Some so-called calcium phosphates contain oxide and hydroxide as well. Calcium phosphates are white ...

plus traces of iron. The analysis concluded that they were man made, but too soft to be used as weapons, and furthermore did not resemble 'brain balls' made from lime with varying proportions of sheep's brain and or powdered bone. Wakeman came to the conclusion that these balls were

coprolites A coprolite (also known as a coprolith) is fossilized feces. Coprolites are classified as trace fossils as opposed to body fossils, as they give evidence for the animal's behaviour (in this case, diet) rather than morphology. The name is de ...

Similar balls in Irish legends

Sling shot balls made for a special purpose were known as ''caer-clis'' ('feat ball') or ''uball-clis'' ('feat apple') - they were made in a special way or with certain ingredients. An example is the ''tathlum'' made by the

Tuatha Dé Danann The Tuath(a) Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu (Irish goddess), Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deity, ...

from the "blood of toads, bears, and vipers, mixed up with sea-sand and hardened" - this ball was used by

Lugh Lugh or Lug (; ga, label=Modern Irish, Lú ) is a figure in Irish mythology. A member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a group of supernatural beings, Lugh is portrayed as a warrior, a king, a master craftsman and a savior.Olmsted, Garrett. ''The God ...

to kill

Balor In Irish mythology, Balor or Balar was a leader of the Fomorians, a group of malevolent supernatural beings. He is often described as a giant with a large eye that wreaks destruction when opened. Balor takes part in the Battle of Mag Tuired, a ...

References

Sources