Caill Tomair (

Middle Irish Middle Irish, sometimes called Middle Gaelic ( ga, An Mheán-Ghaeilge, gd, Meadhan-Ghàidhlig), is the Goidelic language which was spoken in Ireland, most of Scotland and the Isle of Man from AD; it is therefore a contemporary of late Old Engli ...

'Thor's Grove') was a

sacred grove Sacred groves or sacred woods are groves of trees and have special religious importance within a particular culture. Sacred groves feature in various cultures throughout the world. They were important features of the mythological landscape and ...

dedicated to the North Germanic god

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...

. Located near the Norse-Gaelic city of

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, the grove was destroyed by forces led by

Brian Boru Brian Boru ( mga, Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig; modern ga, Brian Bóramha; 23 April 1014) was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High King of Ireland, High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill and probably ended Viking invasion/domi ...

early in the year 1000 AD. According to scholar

Poul Holm Poul Holm is a former Danish badminton player. He won five All England titles and four Danish singles titles. Medal Record at the All England Badminton Championships The All England Open Badminton Championships is the world's oldest badminto ...

, the grove was likely targeted due to its role among the local population:

: 'Caill Tomair''must have been a sacred wood and was deliberately cut down by Brian Boru of Munster when he conquered the town at Christmas in the year 1000. The cutting was a considerable undertaking and may have been conducted to clear an open passage to the town as much as to undercut a pagan rite which by then must have been rapidly declining.Holm (2000:257).

Notes

References

* Holm, Poul. 2000. "Viking Dublin and the City-State Concept. Parameters and Significance of the Hiberno-Norse Settlement" in Hansen, Mogens Herman. ''A Comparative Study of Thirty City-state Cultures'', pp. 251–262. The Royal Danish Academy of Science and Letters. {{Sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology Trees in Germanic paganism Iconoclasm Sacred groves Destruction of religious buildings and structures Persecution of Pagans Viking Age in Ireland

See also

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