Ireland's OWN: Myths & Magic Sacred Numbers* Numbers played an important part in Celtic mystical thinking. The number five represented the world — north, south, east, west and center, as reflected, for example in the five provinces of Ireland. [See also: Sensual Sorcery: The Power of Five and The Pentagram.] But the number three was paramount. The mystical quality of three was reflected in the three tiers of the universe — heaven, earth and Otherworld; or sky, earth and sea — and the three types of beings who inhabited the cosmos — mortals, deities and the dead. Celtic society, too, seems to have had three main strata: warrior-aristocrats, druids, and craftsmen (who included bards and farmers).1 The festival of Samhain, which was a time when the frontier normally separated the supernatural and natural worlds temporarily disappeared, was celebrated on the "Three Nights of Samhain."  [See also: The Triquetra] Numerous Celtic deities possessed three manifestations and images of such triple beings have been found all over the Celtic world. Among them are the genii cucullati (hooded spirits), fertility spirits which are depicted wearing long, hooded capes. They are often found in the company of the triple mother goddess.2 The triplication frequently increases potency — very literally in the case of one statue of Gaulish god, identified with the Roman Mercury, who depicted with three phalluses. Many images of three-headed gods and animals also occur, and Gaulish depiction of triple-horned bulls have been discovered in many parts of France. One of the most important concepts was the trinity of king, sovereignty and the land. Sovereignty was often personified as a powerful female deity, such as Queen Maeve of Connacht, who was probably a fertility goddess in origin. She is sometimes said to have the lover of three times three kings.3,4 In the myths, unusual phenomena tend to come in threes. The Mabinogion relates how, in the time of King Lludd, Britain suffered from three plagues, and the same work also refers to the "three Happy Concealments," "Three Unhappy Disclosures," and the "Three Men Who Broke Their Hearts With Worrying." Multiples of three were also of significance to the Celts. There is some evidence that the Celtic month consisted basically of three weeks of nine days each plus feast days. The Fianna, Ireland's elite warrior band, was made up of platoons of 27 men and the voyager of Mael Duin was warned by a druid that he must carry a crew of no more than 18 including himself. When this number was exceeded, Mael Duin's ship was carried off into the Otherworld. *Source: ed. Littleton, C.S. Mythology: The Illustrated Anthology of World Myth and Storytelling, Duncan Baird Publishers, 2002. Poster's Notes: 1There are also three great literary cycles in Celtic legend: Mythological, Ulster and Fionn. 2In Wiccan and Celtic lore, the full moon is the mother of the triple goddess (the Waxing being the Maid, the Waning being the Crone). 3The Morrígan is a goddess of battle, strife, and fertility. Her name translates as 'Phantom Queen,' which is entirely appropriate for Her. The Morrígan appears as both a single goddess and a trio of goddesses, which includes the Badb 'Vulture' and Nemain 'Frenzy,' sometimes called Macha; and in some Celtic legends, Brighid is thought to be a triple goddess as well. 4Rhiannon is the goddess of the moon, magic and death.   Page last updated 9 Nov 2008 Website Design and Myths & Magic logo by Míchealín Daugherty Copyright © 2008 Ireland's OWN All Rights Reserved.