- Lia Fáil
The Lia Fáil (Irish for "Stone of Destiny") is a
standing stone at the Inauguration Mound ( _ga. an Forrad) on theHill of Tara inCounty Meath inIreland , which served as thecoronation stone for the High Kings of Ireland. In legend, all of the kings of Ireland were crowned on the stone up toMuirchertach mac Ercae c. AD 500.Mythical origin
In
Celtic mythology , the Lia Fáil is said to have been brought toIreland in antiquity by the semi-divine race known as theTuatha Dé Danann . (It has been found that the stone from which it is carved is actually native to Ireland.Fact|date=January 2008) The Tuatha Dé Danann had travelled to the "Northern Isles" (Geoffrey Keating identifies this withNorway ) where they learned many skills and magic in its four cities Fáilias, Gorias, Murias and Finias. From there they proceeded to the north ofScotland , bringing with them a treasure from each city - the four legendary treasures of Ireland. From Fáilias came "Lia Fáil" "the Stone of Fál"; also called the Stone of Destiny (Latin : "Saxum fatale"). The other three treasures are theClaíomh Solais , theSpear of Lugh andThe Dagda’s Cauldron .Mythical powers
The Lia Fáil was thought to be magical: when the rightful
High King of Ireland put his feet on it, the stone was said to roar in joy. The stone is also credited with the power to rejuvenate the king and also to endow him with a long reign.Cúchulainn split it with his sword when it failed to cry out under his protegé,Lugaid Riab nDerg , and from then on it never roared again, except underConn of the Hundred Battles andBrian Boru .Inis Fáil
It is from this stone that the Dé Danann metonymically named Ireland Inis Fáil ("inis" meaning island), and from this 'Fál' became an ancient name for Ireland. In this respect, therefore, "Lia Fáil" came to mean 'Stone of Ireland'. "Inisfail" appears as a synonym for "
Erin " in some Irish romantic and nationalist poetry in English in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries;Aubrey Thomas de Vere 's 1863 poem "Inisfail" is an example."Fianna Fáil" ("the
Fianna , warriors, or army of Ireland"; sometimes rendered "the soldiers of destiny") has been used as a sobriquet for theIrish Volunteers ; on the cap badge of theIrish Army ; in the opening line of the Irish-language version of the Irish national anthem; and as the name of theFianna Fáil political party, the largest in theRepublic of Ireland . [cite book |authorlink=Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford |author=Lord Longford |coauthors=Thomas P. O’Neill |title=Éamon de Valera |location=Dublin |year=1970 |isbn=978-0-09-104660-6 |pages=chapter 21]ee also
*
Stone of Scone the "Stone of Destiny" for coronation of Scottish, English, and British monarchs.
*Stones of Mora where the Swedish kings were elected.
*Prince's Stone where the princes of Carantania and dukes of Carinthia were installed.
*Sword in the stone (King Arthur) also revealed the rightful king.
*Blarney Stone tourist attraction said to endow those kissing it with the "gift of the gab".References
External links
* [http://www.taramagic.com/lia.html Pictures of the Lia Fáil]
* [http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100054.html "The History of Ireland", Geoffrey Keating, pp205-212]
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