Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Tales of Sacred Wells in Ireland (Folklore History Series)
    Tales of Sacred Wells in Ireland (Folklore History Series)
    Tales of Sacred Wells in Ireland (Folklore History Series)
    Ebook45 pages31 minutes

    Tales of Sacred Wells in Ireland (Folklore History Series)

    By Jane Francesca Wilde

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    There is no superstition stronger in Ireland then a belief in the curative power of the sacred wells that are scattered over the country. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900's and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRead Books Ltd.
    Release dateApr 16, 2013
    ISBN9781447491194
    Tales of Sacred Wells in Ireland (Folklore History Series)

    Related to Tales of Sacred Wells in Ireland (Folklore History Series)

    Related ebooks

    Social Science For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      How Old Is The Sator Square?

      Dec 28, 2022

      How Old Is The Sator Square?
      1 min read

    • Article

      Gods of Alexandria

      Feb 28, 2020

      Gods of Alexandria
      1 min read

    • Article

      Mystical Britain

      Sep 6, 2019

      Mystical Britain
      5 min read

    • Article

      Casting A Circle

      Mar 27, 2020

      Casting A Circle
      1 min read

    • Article

      The Magic Touch

      Oct 28, 2020

      The Magic Touch
      4 min read

    • Article

      The Tenth Muse

      Mar 1, 2021

      The Tenth Muse
      9 min read

    • Article

      Fear Of A Black Magic

      Mar 27, 2020

      Fear Of A Black Magic
      4 min read

    • Article

      Exhibitions

      Nov 12, 2021

      Exhibitions
      7 min read

    • Article

      Welcome

      Dec 5, 2019

      Welcome
      1 min read

    • Article

      Scottish Witches To Get Apology

      Jan 27, 2022

      After a two-year campaign, the pressure group Witches of Scotland is on course to win pardons and official apologies for the estimated 3,387 people who were tried as witches in Scotland between the 16th and 18th centuries. The Scottish witch panic st

      1 min read

    • Article

      Why Did The Salem Witch Trials Happen?

      Mar 17, 2022

      The trials are so well documented that it’s fairly easy to say what happened at Salem in 1692. What’s much harder to explain is why. Over the centuries, a variety of theories have been put forward as to what led to this outbreak of paranoia. Some hav

      1 min read

    • Article

      Professor Marion Gibson

      Aug 13, 2020

      Professor Marion Gibson
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Carmina Gadelica

      Mar 27, 2020

      The Carmina Gadelica
      1 min read

    • Article

      Magical Worlds

      Oct 10, 2019

      Magical Worlds
      1 min read

    • Article

      Seeing Sense

      Oct 7, 2021

      Seeing Sense
      6 min read

    • Article

      From The Editor

      Oct 9, 2021

      Welcome to this 20th anniversary edition of History Scotland. We launched in the October of 2001 and whilst of course Scottish history has changed hugely over those two decades, our core mission remains the same: showcasing the latest research to a w

      1 min read

    • Article

      Did You Know?

      May 11, 2021

      Although the Hope Diamond is the most famous cursed diamond in the world, it’s not the only one. Diamond superstitions exist in folklore and mythology from all around the world. A traditional Eastern superstition is that the possession of extremely l

      1 min read

    • Article

      Wicca’s World

      Mar 17, 2022

      Wicca’s World
      2 min read

    • Article

      Of Love And Lettuces

      Mar 12, 2020

      Of Love And Lettuces
      6 min read

    • Article

      Pass The Spellotape!

      Jan 21, 2020

      Pass The Spellotape!
      4 min read

    • Article

      Mabon

      Mar 27, 2020

      Mabon
      2 min read

    • Article

      Crowning Glory

      Aug 10, 2021

      Crowning Glory
      1 min read

    • Article

      In Search Of Sacred Places

      Feb 8, 2023

      In Search Of Sacred Places
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Tales of Sacred Wells in Ireland (Folklore History Series)

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Tales of Sacred Wells in Ireland (Folklore History Series) - Jane Francesca Wilde

      THE HOLY WELLS.

      THERE is no superstition stronger in Ireland than a belief in the curative power of the sacred wells that are scattered over the country; fountains of health and healing which some saint had blessed, or by which some saint had dwelt in the far-off ancient times. But well-worship is even older than Christianity. It is part of the early ritual of humanity, brought from the Eastern lands by the first Aryan tribes who migrated westward, passing along from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic shores.

      The Delphic oracle in its origin was nothing more than a holy well, shadowed by trees, on which were hung the votive offerings of the praying peasants, long before the rival kings brought to the sacred spot their votive tributes of silver and gold, and crowns of precious stones.

      In Ireland the beautiful, picturesque, and tree-shadowed wells of the country were held sacred by the Druid priests, as is evident from the many remarkable Druidical remains that have been found in their vicinity—ruins of temples and pillar-stones, and stones with strange carvings. Much also of the ancient Druidic ceremonial has been preserved by the people, such as the symbolic dances, the traditions of sun-worship, and other pagan rites, which were incorporated into the Christian ritual of well-worship by the early converts, and are still retained, though, through the lapse of ages, they have entirely lost their original significance, and are now only practised as ancient customs, for which the Irish have great reverence, as having come down to them from their forefathers. The ceremonial is the same at all these places of devout pilgrimage. The pilgrims go round the well a certain number of times, either three or nine, creeping on their hands and knees, but always from east to west, following the apparent motion of the sun, and reciting paters and aves all the time. At the close of each round they build up a small pile of stones; for at the last day the angels will reckon these stones, and he who has said the most prayers will have the highest place in heaven, each saint keeping count for his own votaries. The patient then descends the broken steps to the well and, kneeling down, bathes his forehead and hands in the water, after which oblation the pain or disease he suffered from will be gradually removed, and depart from him for evermore.

      At some wells there is often a rude stone monument of the ancient times, and the eyes of the pilgrim must be kept steadily fixed on it while reciting the prayers.

      Whenever a white-thorn or

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1