Imbas forosnai, is a gift of

clairvoyance Clairvoyance (; ) is the magical ability to gain information about an object, person, location, or physical event through extrasensory perception. Any person who is claimed to have such ability is said to be a clairvoyant () ("one who sees cl ...

or visionary ability practised by the gifted poets of ancient

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. In

Old Irish Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writt ...

, ''Imbas'' imeans "inspiration," and specifically refers to the sacred poetic inspiration believed to be possessed by the '' fili'' (

: inspired, visionary poets) in Early

. ''Forosnai'' means "illuminated" or "that which illuminates". Descriptions of the practices associated with ''Imbas forosnai'' are found in ''Cormac's Glossary'' and in the mythology associated with the hero

Fionn mac Cumhaill Fionn mac Cumhaill ( ; Old and mga, Find or ''mac Cumail'' or ''mac Umaill''), often anglicized Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is leader of the ''Fianna'' bands of y ...

. In the ''Táin Bó Cúailgne,'' the woman poet Fedelm uses her ''imbas forosnai'' to predict the outcome of a battle''. Imbas forosnai'' involved the practitioner engaging in sensory deprivation techniques in order to enter a trance and receive answers or prophecy. In the Celtic traditions,

poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...

has always served as a primary conveyance of spiritual truth. Celtic texts differentiate between normal poetry, which is only a matter of learned skill, and "inspired" poetry, which is seen as a gift from the

gods A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greater ...

. Some Celtic Reconstructionists are involved in the revival of the practices connected with Imbas forosnai.

Bibliography

* Nora K. Chadwick: ''Imbas forosnai''. In: '' Scottish Gaelic Studies'', Volume 4, 1935, p. 97—135. * James MacKillop. "Imbas forosnai." A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. 2004.

References

External links

Imbas Forosnai
by Nora Chadwick

by James MacKillop Irish mythology Paganism in Europe {{celt-myth-stub