Winter Solstice and Ways to Celebrate

Winter Solstice or Alban Arthur marks the beginning of winter and usually falls sometime between December 21st through the 22nd. This year it falls on the 21st.

There is very little evidence, if any that the Celts or Druids celebrated the Winter Solstice. However we know they were very in tune with nature's cycles and in spirit of that knowledge, many Druids celebrate the occasion! The Winter Solstice is essentially the day or moment when the days are at the very shortest and the nights, the longest. Adorning the house in lights and bringing in greenery are meant to represent continued hope through the literal and metaphorical darkest of times. 

Ways to Celebrate: 

Christmas and New Years: Most pagans do not celebrate Christmas in the traditional sense of what it represents being Christ's birth. However, many still see it as a time to come together with family that do celebrate, and buy modest or homemade gifts as a reminder of the love felt for them all year long. Of course, it's almost impossible to not celebrate the traditional New Year's with the rest of the world and it's incredible fun, so why not?! We can still recognize the Celtic New Year at Samhain and there is much happiness and meaning in celebrating both. 

Create: Make something representative of the season! Make your own advent calendar, wreath or holiday craft!

Decorate: Decorate your home or space with seasonal symbols and colors of nature. Common decorations are reindeer, evergreen wreaths & boughs, oak tree, mistletoe, holly, ivy and colors green, white and red. Search for unique display items that have strong symbology for you. Set up your dresser or altar accordingly. Set up a Winter Solstice tree. I keep my decorations simple and nature based, using many natural or animal ornaments or items that have special meaning for me and my family. Decorate your house with candles or lights, keeping hope and joy alive during the darkest of seasons. 

Connect: Connect with others. Prepare a Winter Solstice dinner. Listen to relaxing holiday music. Burn a yule log in the fire. Typically it's a yule log that has been gifted or is from one's own yard or land. Light candles. Some common dishes are roasted turkey, salmon, sweet veggies, gingerbread cookies and scones. Enjoy your family and friends. Cook something different you've never tried before or try a new wine! Go out to a restaurant you've never been too. Call up and meet friends or family you haven't seen in a while to encourage meaningful and new conversation. Being adventurous in the littlest of ways will help stave off the winter "blues"! Attend a pagan social event. Mark this season with something unique to make it feel like more of a special occasion.

Reflect: The winter and darker season is a good time to look inward to yourself, your closest family and friends for comfort. Reflect on your past year, the ups and downs. Think about the best and the worst parts. How can you improve from here? Did anything positive come out of a negative experience? If there was a death or other personal relationship loss, what steps can you take to continue moving forward? If there was a goal you didn't accomplish, what will help make it happen this coming year? Take this time to write in your journal.

Relax: Digress from the busy life of the holiday season. Take some time for yourself, even if only for an hour. When you take care of yourself even in the tiniest of ways, you are astoundingly more capable of helping and being there for others. Take a warm bath with candles. Get a massage. Do whatever you need to do to relax, process and move forward in a positive direction into the new year with as clean of an emotional slate as possible.

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15 Signs it's Time to Unplug from Technology

You know it's time to unplug from technology if...

1. You check your phone incessantly. 

2. You enjoy spending more time on your phone than with your spouse, kids, friends or family. (at least your actions say that you do) 

3. You take your phone everywhere (even the bathroom) and panic when it's not with you. 

4. You're constantly comparing your life and your self worth to others.

5. You're not productive.

6. You haven't participated in your favorite hobbies recently, maybe for months.

7. You're not present. 

8. You crave validation and feel the need to share everything about your life. 

9. You can't get a good night's sleep or truly ever feel recharged.

10. You have more frequent back, neck or headaches. 

11. You feel chronically stressed, lonely or envious.

12. You're working after hours. (constantly sharing posts for your business or answering emails) 

13. You've become overly dependent on phone apps like google maps.

14. You're hearing phantom phone rings or vibrations.

15. You check your email first thing in the morning and before you go to bed. 

If you were nodding as you were reading this and internally acknowledged that you do some or most of this, it may be time for a break! Put down your phone. Dance in your living room. Give someone a hug and tell them something nice. Eat a meal without taking a picture of it. Go on an outing or to a restaurant without sharing about it. It might be challenging but you can do it! Your inner self will thank you! 

We know excessive technology or phone time is bad for us. We read the scientific and psychological studies. We might even readily recognize the personal negative consequences of too much screen time. Despite all of this, we each tend to get pulled back in repeatedly. Even if we have to set alarms or create lock out settings to force us to take time to be present in our life, it's important more than ever to take a break. We each need time to unplug, relax, recharge and gain perspective on our life in any given day or week. When we get to the end of our lives, the last thing we will be relishing in or thankful for, is all the time we spent online! 

Lovely artistic video by Charlene DeGuzman subtly highlighting the heartbreak of society's dependence on technology... 

Samhain History and Modern Ways to Celebrate

Samhain takes place the night of October 31st through November 1st and is representative of our ancestors, nostalgia, perseverance and balance

 The word Samhain can be translated to "summer's end"

History: 

The Celtic year began with Samhain. It marked the "end" of the lighter half of the year and thus was considered the beginning. Vegetation started dying and "death" was literally in the air. It was a time when the veil between this world and the otherworld was thought to be at its thinnest. The dead could return to the land of the living and likewise, some of the living, especially poets were able to enter the otherworld through the doorways of the "sidhe", holes in the ground covered by a large stone like Poulnabrone Dolmen or neolithic burial chambers like Maeshowe in Scotland and The Hill of Tara in Ireland. The Hill of Tara is specifically aligned with the Samhain sunrise. 

Their deities known as the Sidhe or Aos Si or "people of the mounds" were thought to be especially active. It's easy to see why this time of year was considered so special as many describe fall as a time when there is an intangible feeling of magic and nostalgia in the air. Samhain, along with it's opposite "light" festival Beltane, were considered the most magical of their celebrations as they signified the beginning of each, the dark and light halves of the year.

Samhain is the only celebration that doesn't have substantial evidence of being associated with one specific deity more than others however, many people speculate it could have been The Morrigan. This would make sense considering the darker elements of her persona and being associated with death or the journey to the afterlife. 

Halloween is another name for Samhain and a tradition that masses of Irish immigrants brought with them to America, especially during the potato famine when it really gained traction as a mainstream family tradition. Without a doubt, one of the most prominent symbols of present day Halloween are Jack O'Lanterns and trick or treating. Originally, the Irish would use turnips and gourds as well as lay out milk for their ancestors to welcome them or give as an offering to their deities. They laid out milk, possibly for the Kellas cats or Cat Sith. These were black cats thought to be witches that had the ability to turn into a cat nine times. If you left an offering of milk they would likely bless your home verses curse it if there was none. This is also likely where the folklore of a cat having nine lives came from. When the Irish came to America, they transitioned to pumpkin carving simply because they were readily available here, bigger and easier to carve. Traditionally, a feast would be prepared and the family would leave a chair or multiple chairs out for their deceased loved ones who were thought to be visiting. Family may have frequented their ancestors grave sites and left offerings there as well. If you had to go out on the town, you wore a "costume" which could have been as simple as a shirt over your head in order to blend in with the ghosts and ghouls roaming about. This evolved as well into full out dressing in costume and going house to house to ask for an "offering" of candy. 

Ways to Celebrate: 

Halloween: Participate in Halloween, the modern version of Samhain! Dress up, attend a party, go trick or treating with your children, friend's children or nieces and nephews! Pass out candy to children if you live in a neighborhood. 

Ancestry: Visit and tend to the gravesite of a loved one. Decorate their gravesite with a fall inspired offering of flowers or dried herbs. Find a quiet place and think of your favored memories with them. Look through old pictures. Allow yourself to take this time to feel, remember and appreciate their existence and continued importance in your life and memories. This can be extended to an actual ancestors alter made of photographs, heirlooms, candles and favorite bits of other memorabilia on a dresser or alter table. Take some time to research your ancestry or pay a visit to your elders to hear their stories of your family or family history you may have never heard before. 

Nature walk and meditation: Take a meditative walk through nature enjoying the last days of warmer weather and greenery. Take notice to the ever changing beautiful details of fall. If so desired, collect natural objects to build crafts at home, add to a fall inspired altar or make a temporary nature mandala during your outing. Take walks as needed to reconnect.

Decorate: Decorate your home or space with seasonal symbols and colors of nature. Common decorations are the cauldron, apples, nuts, berries, turnips, photos of ancestors or deceased loved ones and the colors black, orange and red. Sometimes less is more. Focus on quality decorations verses quantity. Find those unique items that have a stronger meaning for you. Set up your dresser or altar accordingly. 

Connect: Connect with others. Prepare a Samhain dinner. Listen to appropriate seasonal music. Light candles. Some common dishes are boxty cakes, cheesy potatoes, potato or pumpkin pie, spice or Irish cakes and chocolate apples or another apple related treat. Some prepare a favored dish of their deceased loved one. If you're a stickler for tradition, leave a seat open for your deceased loved one(s) as well. Tradition would also be to dine in silence and reflect on your ancestors. Some prefer to tell stories of the deceased and like most dinners, have it filled with easy conversation and laughter instead of silence. It's up to you! Attend a pagan social event.

Offering: Prepare a basket of seasonal items or a small seasonal gift to give to someone in need , your neighbor, your child's teacher, a community leader or the mail carrier. Buy someone's coffee or meal behind you at the drive in. Give back to nature by donating to a charity or participate in a community, park or coastal clean up program. Put out bird seed or a basket of fruit, berries or nuts for local wildlife. Be creative in your offering and method of "giving back". 

Bonfire: Kindle a bonfire outside if possible, although indoors is fine as well. Reflect on your life past and present keeping a positive mind frame. Samhain is also about perseverance. Internalize that getting through tougher or scarier times can ultimately shape us into a better, more stronger person with the right mind set. Write down a negative habit or vice you would like to end this year and throw the paper into the flames when you are ready as you imagine release. You can meditate looking into the fire, or sit with your eyes closed imagining a better "you" coming into fruition. If you feel like moving, you can meditate while moving around the fire clockwise. When you encounter problems later with your issue, imagine the fire and the literal and symbolic end of your issue to strengthen your resolve and promote your continued success. A drum circle would also be a fun activity if possible with family or friends! Many people write a list of their goals or wishes for the coming season, then ceremoniously burn it in the fire sending those wishes into the otherworld. 

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Autumn Equinox and Ways to Celebrate

Autumn Equinox or Alban Elfed marks the official end of the summer and usually falls sometime between September 21st through the 23nd. This year it falls on the 22nd.

There is very little evidence, if any that the Celts or Druids celebrated the Autumn Equinox. However we know they were very in tune with nature's cycles and in spirit of that knowledge, many Druids celebrate the occasion! The Autumn Equinox is essentially the day or moment when the plane of the earth's equator passes through the center of the sun's disk and there is equal duration of day and night. So begins the slow journey towards the colder half of the year for the northern hemisphere and the warmer half for the southern hemisphere. 

Ways to Celebrate: 

Harvest: This time of the year was when final harvests and winter storage preparations were being made. It's time to do a final outdoor cleaning and putting things away in a safe place for the winter. Buy extra food goods to store away and batten down the hatchets.

Create: Make something representative of the season! Make a fall inspired wreath, leaf art or bouquet. Create a cornucopia! 

Decorate: Decorate your home or space with seasonal symbols and colors of nature. Common decorations are  the cornucopia, apples, leaves, pine cones, acorns or other nuts and the colors brown, black and yellow. Sometimes less is more. Focus on quality decorations verses quantity. Find those unique items that have a stronger meaning for you. Set up your dresser or altar accordingly.

Connect: Connect with others. Prepare a Fall Equinox dinner. Listen to appropriate seasonal music. Light candles. Some common dishes are turkey meatballs and pasta, broccoli casserole, harvest ratatouille, squash and carrot or ginger muffins or cake. Enjoy your family and friends. Cook something different you've never tried before or try a new wine! Go out to a restaurant you'e never been too. Call up and meet friends or family you haven't seen in a while to encourage meaningful and new conversation. Attend a pagan social event. Mark this season with something unique to make it feel like more of a special occasion.

Reflect: The Autumn Equinox is about bounty and gratitude. Reflect on and be grateful for all that you have! Put your priorities in order and make sure you’re continuing to keep things in perspective and take things in stride. Take this time to write in your journal.

Relax: Take a meditative walk through nature! If so desired, collect natural objects to build crafts at home, add to a fall inspired altar or make a temporary nature mandala during your outing. Visit a farm, orchard or pumpkin patch! Have a bonfire! Take walks as needed to reconnect.

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Through a Druid's Eyes: Humble Beginnings

A path has cleared in front of me. A path running concurrently beside my current path. It is a path in the forest of my life. Full of light and dark. I decide to take this path as well as maintaining my adherence to the path I have been following. I take my first steps. I am now on the path of the druid.

Rabbi Hillel the Elder had a great quote about not doing unto others what you would not have them do to you. The rest he said was commentary. Then he gave the order to now go study!  Wise words even today. And as a total newbie to the Path of Druidry it seemed particularly good advice for me to follow.

I decided to explore this path about a month ago after having a very vivid dream of my departed father speaking the one word to me — Druid. It was out of left field. Although I had been given signs for some time that I would have a spiritual shakeup I never dreamed it would be this. I was happy with my 12 year path of Asatru. Happy but admittedly not totally fulfilled. Since I believe strongly in UPGs I took this message seriously. I was admittedly uneducated about this tradition. Time for me to find out.

  Not being one to take spiritual matters laying down I got at it post haste. First stop the Internet. I discovered several Druid organizations. After doing some research on them all I decided to join Ar nDraiocht Fein. The ADF seemed the group most dedicated to creating an atmosphere of 21st century Druidry. I believe the most honest and creative and therefore most spiritually rewarding path for me is one focused on the here and now. I find value in ancient ways but do not believe that the ways of the past are the only valid ones. I like my spirituality to live and breathe and have flesh filling it out. Not one for staying stuck in stuffy old lore I find it more valuable to keep my eyes firmly focused forward.

But I realized I needed a footing in the Lore. I started reading the tales of the ancient Celts. I also started reading books on the practice of Druidry. I settled on three primary books. The Path of Druidry, Celtic Golden Dawn and the ADFs book Our Own Druidry. Between the three there is a balance of experiential and focused ritual. I have found I need both to make me happy.

So that’s where I stand. Reading lots. Learning lots. Experiencing ritual in new ways. A month into it I have to say I’m hooked. I understand it’s a lifelong journey I’m undertaking. But I am ready to meet the challenges.

Kurt Hoogstraat

https://druidmusings.com/

Through a Druid's Eyes: Alice Creek, Montana

"Almost every person from childhood, has been touched by the untamed beauty of wildflowers." -Lady Bird Johson

Low mountain flowers

This year, it seems, we’ve had a real explosion of wildflowers in the northern Rocky Mountains. Yesterday a friend and I did a hike that had a stunning variety of flowers...

Penstemon

We started out hiking along Alice Creek, near the small town of Lincoln, Montana. The trail along Alice Creek is a very old travel route. The Nez Perce people used this route to travel across the Rockies to the eastern plains where they hunted. They called it, “The Road to the Buffalo”. Then, In the days of Lewis and Clark, when the two decided to divide the Corps of Discovery to scout separate areas, Captain Lewis took this route (on the advice of friendly the Nez Perce). My friend and I followed in the steps of the Nez Perce and Captain Lewis, hiking up to the pass that is now called Lewis and Clark Pass. Then we climbed the neighboring peak, Green Mountain before descending back the way we came.

Beargrass

The low, open slopes along Alice Creek were mostly sagebrush and native grasses interspersed with lots of wildflowers. There were golden cinquefoil blooms, showy yellow blanketflowers, white yarrow, and dazzling pink geraniums. On the higher slopes, we found vast swales of purple penstemon interspersed with sunflowers, purple asters, pale yellow paintbrush, and deep blue lupine. The top of the pass held more surprises as the tall, white flowers of beargrass hid among the forest of whitebark pine. We didn’t hang around too long in the whitebark woods, as they are great habitat for grizzly bears. Instead we descended to the open slopes and went across a high meadow to Green Mountain. The meadow was a constantly changing combination of shapes and colors: There were yellow and orange columbines, plumes of deep red indian paintbrush, white, fuzzy valerian, sprawling yellow composites, and bright pink roses. As we ascended Green Mountain, the slopes became drier and more exposed. The flowers changed again. Shades of pink and purple dominated as phacelia, lupine, and penstemon sprawled across the slope. At the top of the mountain, the colors changed again as low-growing alpines in shades of white and cream alternated with the bright yellow of stonecrop and the lemon yellow of buckwheat. It’s a good place to sit and contemplate the sky and wind before heading back down.

Columbine
             

There is a point where the vast number and variety of flowers almost becomes overwhelming. The senses are overloaded. I put my camera away, but every few minutes I see something new, something intriguing. Hiking back down is slow, with so many stops to take pictures or study a flower. Eventually, I just had to put my camera away. Enough trying to capture the beauty. Better to just walk and enjoy.

High mountain flowers

"Only the wind knows where it will carry our dandelion souls..." -A.R. Asher

Dave Robertson

dmr@bresnan.net

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Lughnasadh History and Modern Ways to Celebrate

Lughnasadh or Lughnasa takes place the night of July 31 through August 1 and is representative of the harvest, skills, sacrifice and perseverance. 

 The word Lughnasadh can be translated to "an assembly" and of course the beginning of the word referring to "Lugh" the god. It could also mean "commemoration of Lugh"

History: 

There are two descriptions in early Irish literature of Lughnasadh. One took place at Teltown, modern County Meath and the other was at Carman near County Kildare. The story of Lughnasadh begins with a goddess by the name of Tailtiu. According to the Irish Book of Invasions, Tailtiu was the daughter of the king of Spain and the wife of Eochaid mac Eric, last Fir Bolg High King of Ireland. When the Tuatha De Danann invaded Ireland, she managed to survive and became the foster mother of Lugh and someone he cared for deeply. Tailtiu is said to have died from exhaustion after clearing and readying the plains of Ireland for agriculture. Lugh established a harvest festival and funeral games, Aenach Tailteann, in her honor or what would become the festival of Lughnasadh. In these accounts, the festival was a time of playing games or exhibiting skills, dancing and religious ritual, trading, arranging trial marriages, telling old tales and having mock battles. Lugh himself was very skilled in many areas of craft and these competitive games or battles could have been representative of testing out skills in general as well as reenactments of the famous mythological battle in which Lugh puts out the eye of his grandfather Balor and kills him. 

One favored activity at this time was to climb to the top of a hill or mountain and the festivals themselves were said to have taken place on top of designated hills or mountains. This festival also signified the time to harvest crops and start preparing for winter. It marked the beginning of the sun's descent and a time to celebrate the summer's fruits of labor. Bonfires were undoubtedly lit as in the other festivals but likely not as much because it was still bright outside well into the day. Holy wells would have been frequented and coins or clooties left for offerings asking for favors from the gods in the coming winter season. The essence of Lughnasadh is perseverance and the continued joy of life under the knowledge that darker times lay ahead. 

The custom of climbing hills or mountains has survived into modern times as Christian pilgrimages. The best known example of this is the "Reek Sunday" pilgrimage to the top of Croagh Patrick on the last Sunday in July. 

Ways to Celebrate: 

Go on a journey: The religious term for this would be a pilgrimage. Go on a journey or adventure of sorts whether it's a weekend getaway or just something local that's unique and challenging or something you've always wanted to do but hadn't yet carved out the time. Maybe try a rock wall climb, a challenging hike or even skydiving? Traditionally, one would climb up a tall hill or mountain in bare feet. Some people will choose a place that has meaning for them and visit the same landform annually and traditionally the last weekend of July no matter where the exact date of Lughnasadh happens to fall.

Test your talent and skills: Lughnasadh is about the masculine, while Imbolc is about the feminine. Focus on your physical prowess, talents or skills at this time. Think about things that you are very good at and be proud of yourself! Take this as a time to practice your skills, whether it's chess, running, woodworking, bowling... it could be anything! You could create a craft such as a wreath to hang on your door. Take pride in all that makes you unique! Everyone has something they are good at and could be great in with enough practice! 

Nature walk and meditation: Take a relaxing and meditative walk through nature enjoying the late summer energy. Many plants are still full and blooming while others are starting to die off. If so desired, collect natural objects to build crafts at home, add to a summer inspired altar or make a temporary nature mandala during your outing. 

Decorate: Decorate your home or space with seasonal symbols and colors of nature. Common decorations are symbols of the harvest, baked goods (grains), baskets, fruits and vegetables and the colors gold, brown and blue. Seek out and find unique items that have a strong meaning for you. Set up your altar accordingly. 

 Connect: Connect with others. Prepare a Lughnasadh dinner. Listen to appropriate seasonal music. Light candles. Some common dishes are roasted chicken or fish, garlic corn, homemade bread and berry cobbler. Enjoy your family and friends. Cook something different you've never tried before or try a new wine! Go out to a restaurant you’ve never been too. Call up and meet friends or family you haven't seen in a while to encourage meaningful and new conversation. Attend a social event. 

Offering: Prepare a basket of seasonal items or a small seasonal gift to give to someone in need. Buy someone's coffee or meal behind you at the drive in. Give back to nature by donating to a charity or participating in a community, park or coastal clean up program. Put out bird seed or a basket of fruit, berries or nuts for local wildlife. Be creative in your offering and method of giving back. 

Bonfire: Kindle a bonfire! A drum circle would be a fun activity if possible with family or friends! Many people write a list of their goals or wishes for the coming season, then ceremoniously burn it in the fire sending those wishes into the otherworld. 

More on the god Lugh: 

He was Irish member of the Tuatha De Danann. His father was Cian (son of Danu) a member of the Tuatha De Danann while his mother was Ethniu the daughter of Balor, member of their enemy the Fomorians. He is associated with skills, crafts, arts and war. His name means "many skilled" or "the shining or flashing one" and was thought to be a sun god of sorts. As a young man, Lugh traveled to Tara to join the court of Nuada, high king of the Tuatha De Danann who at the time were oppressed and at war with the Fomorians, rulers of the underworld (the ground and the sea). The doorkeeper would not let him in unless he had a skill with which to serve the king. He offered him many services but each time was rejected because the king already had someone skilled in those areas. Lugh then asked if they had anyone with not one, but all of those skills and the doorkeeper finally let him in. He proved himself time and time again to Nuada and was eventually appointed Chief Ollam of Ireland as well as given command over the Tuatha De Danann’s army. Around this time, Lugh’s father Cian was killed by the sons of Tuireann, Briaan, Luchar and Lucharba. Cian was their father’s enemy at the time. They tried to cover up their crime by dismembering and burying Cian but were discovered. While King Nuada gives Lugh permission to kill them, instead Lugh sets them on a series of seemingly impossible quests for items that could help the Danann army in the upcoming battle with the Fomorians as recompense. They achieve all of them but are fatally wounded in completing the last one. Despite their father Tuireann’s pleas, Lugh denies them use of one of the last items they retrieved, a magic pigskin which heals all wounds and they all die. 

He had a famous fiery spear named areadbhar or “the slaughterer” that had to be immersed in a pot of water or it would become engulfed in flames that never missed its target and would return to him. He also had a sword called fragarach or “the answerer” as well as a self-sailing boat named Scuabtuinne or “wave sweeper” and a horse named Enbarr that fared over both, the land and sea. In the famous Second Battle of Mag Tuired, Nuada, Lugh’s great king was beheaded by Balor, but Lugh takes his revenge by killing him (his grandfather) with a sling shot to his terrible evil eye. Lugh, The Dagda and Ogma rescue the Dagda’s famous harp called Uaitne and the Fomorians retreat into the underworld. Lugh becomes high king of Ireland and rules for many years. He had many wives and was said to have been Cu Chulainn’s father or rather became incarnate through him somehow. Cermait, a son of the Dagda seduces and slept with one of Lugh’s wives. Lugh kills him in revenge however their son’s avenge their father’s death by drowning and killing Lugh in a local loch. He was buried in a cairn near the shore and the loch became known as Loch Lugborta named after him. Other parallel deities exist in other Celtic or nearby cultures such as the British Lleu, Welsh Llew, Gaulish Lugus, German Wotan, English Woden and Norse Odin. 

One additional famous folktale that was passed down through the ages regarding Lugh was recorded and written by John O'Donovan told to him by Shane O'Dugan of Tory Island in 1835. He recounds the birth of a grandson of Balor who grows up to kill his grandfather. The grandson is unnamed, his father is called Mac Cinnfhaelaidh (Cian) and the manner of his killing of Balor is different but it has been taken as a version of the birth of Lugh, and was adapted as such by Lady Gregory, one of the more famous Irish folklorists. In this tale, Balor hears a druid's prophecy that he will be killed by his own grandson. To prevent this he imprisons his only daughter in the Tor Mor (great tower) of Tory Island, cared for by twelve women, who are to prevent her ever meeting or even learning of the existence of men. On the mainland, Mac Cinnfhaelaidh owns a magic cow who gives such abundant milk that everyone, including Balor, wants to possess her. While the cow is in the care of Mac Cinnfhaelaidh's brother Mac Samthainn, Balor appears in the form of a little red-haired boy and tricks him into giving him the cow. Looking for revenge, Mac Cinnfhaelaidh calls on a Druidess named Birog, who transports him by magic to the top of Balor's tower, where he seduces Eithniu. In time she gives birth to triplets, which Balor gathers up in a sheet and sends to be drowned in a whirlpool. The messenger drowns two of the babies, but unwittingly drops one child into the harbor. He is then rescued by Birog and she takes him to his father who then gives him to his other brother, Gavida the blacksmith in fosterage. 

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