New Thread! 'Wolves In Ireland: A Natural & Cultural History'! I will be using my new book of the same name by Kieran Hickey as my main reference point! If you love #wolves, keep checking for new tweets! It will be full of myths, folklore & superstitions! @MagicalEurope #Ireland

#Ireland was once known as 'wolf land'! Wolves wiped out of England in 1300s but the last wolf in Ireland only killed in Co Carlow in 1786. It is thought to have been killed at Myshall, on the slopes of Mount Leinster by a pack of wolfdogs kept by a Mr Watson of Ballydarton.

"Modern genetic studies have shown that all domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) are originally descended from the grey wolf (Canis lupus), which was first domesticated in Asia around 15,000 years ago." (Kieran Hickey).

Radiocarbon-dating on cave bones shows that the wolf was present in #Ireland at least 28,000 years ago! The earliest date was found in Shandon & Ballinamintra Caves, Co Waterford. The 40,000 Irish ringforts were built to keep them out once humans arrived! from K Hickey's book.

The Tireragh Stone depicts the slaying of a wolf in #Ireland' by a wolfhound in Co Leitrim in 17th C. Wolfhound belonged to O'Dowd chieftain of Co Sligo. Area known as Carrownamadoo, "the dog's quarter" to commemorate the dog! [Irish translation from Dr M McGarry]. : K Hickey.

Wolf in place-names, ogham inscriptions, surnames & family crests in #Ireland! And many names for the wolf in Irish!
>mac tire, "son of the country/land"
>bréach, "wolf"
>faolchú, "wolf-hound"
>madras alta/allaid/allta, "wild dog"
>cano, "wolf cub"
>glaoidheamhain, "wolf howler"

There are Irish language wolf place-names in every province of #Ireland, & in 17 of the 32 counties! The county with the most is Clare! e.g. Knockaunvicteera="little hill of the wolf"; Breaghva East, Breaghva West & Breaffy. Most of the names relate to townlands K Hickey

Some wolf townlands in N #Ireland for @placenamesni:
-Feltrim (Faeldruim), Co Down, "wolf ridge"
-Breaghy/Breaghey in Tynan parish, Co Armagh, "wolf"
-Breagho, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, "wolf"
-Ballybreagh (Baile Bréach) in Kilmore, Co Armagh, "town of the wolf" K Hickey

English wolf place names concentrated in N #Ireland e.g.
-near Belfast, Co Antrim
-Tamlaght O'Crilly, Co Derry
-Drumlane, Co Derry
-Derrymacash, Co Armagh
-Aughnagurgan, Co Armagh
-Devenish & Enniskillen parish, Co Fermanagh
-Tildarg, near Ballyclare, Co Antrim
See K Hickey.

Irish ogham stones which mention wolves (some difficult). e.g.
-Conal Cuan, "pack of wolves"
-Cunagussos, he who has the strength/vigour of a wolf"
-Cunamgli, Cun[a]netas & Cvnorix, "prince/champion/king like a wolf"
-Gamicunas, "winter+wolf"
-Glasiconas, "grey & wolf"
K Hickey

Some Irish wolf personal names!
-Conán, "great/high wolf/hound"
-Conchobar (Connor), "wolf lover"
-Conn & Conri, "wolf" & wolf king" (ri=king)
-Ó Faoláin (Phelan & Whelan), "wolf" (with evil connotations)!
K Hickey. Dublin zoo (Patrick Bolger).

Wolves on heraldic crests! "The use of the wolf as a heraldic symbol denoted men who served their countries & were both fierce & treacherous." In #Ireland, the O'Callaghan crest shows a wolf heading from a clump of trees. The O'Crean crest shows a wolf on its hind legs K Hickey

"Of all the animals, the wolf is perhaps the most feared in terms of superstition... everywhere linked with evil, just like the snake. This is clearly shown in the illustration of a wolf with an evil-looking tail in the Book of Kells". Kieran Hickey, Wolves In #Ireland. f76v

Wolves in #Ireland! 3 #wolves can now be seen at Wild Ireland, a new sanctuary in Co Donegal! https://twitter.com/rtenews/status/1187456766466023424?s=20

Story: after Diarmuid died, Gráinne lived at Slievenamon, Co Tipperary & gave birth to a son. However a wolf kept eating their food! The story goes that another son grabbed the wolf by the throat & held it until his mother returned. Presumably was killed! K Hickey #Ireland

As a child a wolf stole future king Cormac mac Airt & suckled him in cave! Mum found him & took him back but, while crossing a mountain at night, wolves of #Ireland gathered to steal him back again, but thwarted by herd of wild horses! Dr M Dowd, Irish Cave Archaeology Project

Beautiful wolf art by @jimfitzpatrick! 'Nessa the Hunter'; January in his calendar! #IrishArt

A smith's daughter became pregnant by presumed dead King Cormac & went out to woods to give birth. A belt naming him as Cormac's son put around his waist. Like Cormac, a she wolf carried him off & cared for him even more than her pups! Found 1 1/2 yrs later & identified by belt!

"If a Picture Paints a Thousand Words" (Bread). Wouldn't you just love to step back in time to ancient #Ireland, & hear what wonderful stories this old druid is telling the wolf & crow! Beautiful art work! : Manuel Castañón. #NationalStorytellingWeek #FolkloreThursday

Wolves in #Ireland! 3 #wolves can now be seen at Wild Ireland, a new sanctuary in Co Donegal! Here's some fantastic photos of them! https://twitter.com/M_campbellphoto/status/1225533128757927936?s=20

“Conall Cairnech”, a contemporary of Cú Chullain was hunted by 3 "red wolves of the Martini”. In The Cattle Raid of Cooley, Cú Chulainn threatened by King Búan the Constant's daughter after he rebuffs her advances. She turns into she-wolf & stampedes his cattle towards him!

Cú Chulainn & another of the Fianna, Caoilte, were said to love to hear wolves howl & even described it as music! Cormac's Glossary describes the howling of wolves as uplifting! Under Benbulbin, Co Sligo (artist unknown).

WB Yeats was interested in the Fianna & according to Kieran Hickey, for a printing of his 'Lake Isle of Innisfree' (1888, aged c 23) he was depicted dressed up with wolfskin! No photo available! WB Yeats painted by his father, John Butler Yeats, in 1900. Diamond Painting.

High King Cormac mac Airt who had been raised by a she-wolf in the caves of Kesh, Co Sligo, Ireland, said to have understood wolf speech! Also said that 4 wolves accompanied him into battle against Lugaid mac Con, & for the rest of his life!

An old Irish saga tells of events associated with possible reign of Cormac mac Airt (227-266 AD), written 11th C in Book of Leacain. Includes ransom for Fionn mac Cumhaill of 2 of main animals of Ireland, including wolves! Hints of Noah story!Edward Hicks a brighter cloud

The 8th C tale Togail Bruidne Dá Derga (part of the Book of the Dun Cow) notes that King Conaire kept 7 wolves as hostages in his house in order to ensure that the wolves of Ireland only took 1 male calf from each herd each year! Gary Wilson at Dublin Zoo.

Wolves very important to Ireland's Viking invaders! eg Early Norse myth of world's creation, fall & renewal, where the end of the world is signified by 2 wolves attacking the sun (Sol) & moon (Mani)! 2 wolves are Skoll & Hati. This happens at Ragnarok.JC Dollman (1909)

Wolves would have been common in Ireland's Viking invaders' mythology, particularly in association with the god Odin! He was devoured by the wolf Fenrir despite having 2 wolf companions; Geri (hungry) & Freki (ravenous)! Emil Doepler (1905) & Arthur Rackham.

The wolf motif is seen in many cultures! Ancient Greeks referred to volcanic gases that came out of ground as wolves! Temple of Apollo in Athens called the Lyceum, which means wolfskin! Apollo Lyceus was the wolf-god!SantoriniThe School of Athens (1509–1511) by Raphael.

Wolves feature highly in mythology of indigenous tribes N America! Naskapi believe caribou afterlife guarded by giant wolves that kill hunters who venture near! Netsilik Inuit & Takanaluk-arnaluk believe sea-woman Nuliayuk's home guarded by wolves!campbellart #FolkloreThursday

To Tsilhqot'in contact with wolves can result in illness/death! To Dena’ina wolves once men & view as brothers! To Pawnee, 1st creature to experience death & sign wolf same Pawnee. To Arikara & Ojibwe wolfman spirit made Great Plains! To Tewa, power-medicine animalTlingit masks

Depictions of wolves by Celtic artists not uncommon. The Tarasque de Noves stone carving from France, 2nd/3rd C BC, 1.12m high, consists of half-lion/half-wolf monster with human bone in mouth! Front paws grip 2 human heads with eyes closed in death! Attributed to Cavares tribe.

Asena, an old she-wolf with a sky-blue mane found a baby & nursed him. Gave birth to half-wolf, half-human cubs from whom Turkic people/Turkey born! A grey wolf showed the Turks the way out of their legendary homeland Ergenekon, which allowed them to spread/conquer neighbours!

The Capitoline Wolf nursed Romulus & Remus, sons of Mars & future founders of Rome! Twins ordered to be killed by great uncle. But servants placed them by River Tiber! Adopted by she-wolf Lupa, an animal sacred to Mars. So Italian wolf national animal of modern Italian Republic!

Irish saints encountered wolves! There is a story that when St Patrick was a shepherd boy, a wolf carried off a sheep he was looking after! It returned the next day with the sheep still alive & lay it unharmed at his feet!

St Patrick said to have punished the king of Wales, Vereticus, by turning him into a wolf! But St Patrick not 1st to use this punishment! eg Zeus did the same to Lycaon for sacrificed a child to him (other versions of story say he blasted him with thunderbolts)!Hendrik Goltzius

St Colman had covenant with local wolves that they wouldn't draw blood from anyone! In a marginal gloss of the Martyrology of Aengus, at 3 Sept, a name is explained as Doire-na-con, the oak-wood in which were formerly wild dogs & she-wolves used to dwell therein! ©Taming The Wolf

In the Annals of Clonmacnoise for AD 688 there is a reference to a wolf speaking with a human voice! In his life of St Molaise/Laisrén, some 50 years after his death, among other strange occurrences the wolf was heard to speak with a human voice, which was horrific to all! ©WKBT

It is possible that Giraldus Cambrensis was referring to the story of a wolf speaking with a human voice after St Molaise/Laisrén died, when he mentioned the story of a wolf speaking to a priest (fig. 4.1)! ©Kieran Hickey

A Latin life of St Canice tells how a wolf ate a calf from 2 cows. Owner went to St Canice who said to return to cows & clap hands! The wolf returned & put head into halter! Cows treated wolf as their calf & licked it as milked! Cont'd for season! So cows kept producing milk!

In the Vita/Saint's Life, St Ailbe's father fled King Cronan before the child's birth & his mother's servants, ordered by the king to put the baby to death, instead placed him on a rock in the wilderness where he was found & nursed by a she-wolf! #FolkloreThursday

Long after he was raised by a she-wolf, when St Ailbe was bishop, an old she-wolf being pursued by a hunting party ran to him & laid her head upon his breast! St Ailbe protected the wolf & thereafter fed her & her cubs every day from his hall! #FolkloreThursday

It's not just St Ailbe who was raised by a she-wolf! So too was St Fíachra coningen! His Feast Day is 29 April. He was associated with St Mo Chutu/Carthach the Younger (d. 639) of Lismore, Co Waterford, #Ireland. #FolkloreThursday

St Mo Lua of Killaloe, Co Clare, Ireland, provided a cooked calf in the monastic guest house for a pack of wolves on which he had taken pity! Occurred each year! To show their gratitude, the pack protected the monastery's livestock from other wolves & robbers! #FolkloreThursday

Irish St Columbanus (d. 615) of Luxeuil, France & Bobbio, Italy, called cú glas or grey wolf! He was once surrounded by 12 wolves & saw them off by his prayers, even though they had grabbed hold of his clothing ( @OmniumH)! ©apescape, BBC @FolkloreThurs
https://omniumsanctorumhiberniae.blogspot.com/2015/11/saint-columbanus-and-dangers-of-forest.html

It is said that while Irish St Fillan of Strathfillan, Scotland (Feast 26 Aug, 9 Jan), was ploughing a field his ox was killed by a wolf! He miraculously persuaded it to take the place of the ox & pull the plough! Interesting that Fillan probably means “little wolf” in Irish!

In 'The judgements of neighbourhood' Brehon legal tract, the wolf, fox & deer were considered pets! And early Irish law texts state that along with heron, deer & foxes, wolves were kept as pets by the Irish! ©Ireland's Wildlife, Mark Caffrey/Magnus News, Conserve Ireland

Wolfwalkers! Follows Robyn, a young apprentice hunter who journeys to Ireland with dad to wipe out the last wolf pack! Meets Mebh (member tribe said to have ability to transform into wolves) & her mum goes missing! #FolkloreThursday https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/wolfwalkers-trailer