Chapter 22

 

 

GODS / HEROES / WARRIORS

 

 

U - Ura (Heather) - Tree Alphabet / (─●●●─) Line Ogham

 

 

 

 

NAME         Uaithne

GENDER       M

CATEGORY     bard

TYPE         harper (healer)

CULTURE      Danann

COUNTRY      Ireland

AGE          Bronze

DATES        BC 16th-15th c

RELATIVES    Boann (consort); Goltrade, Gentrade and

             Suantrade (sons)

SEE ALSO     Boann / Suantrade

REMARKS      While Boann gave birth to triplets, Uaithne

  played music that reflected the birth of each and suggested

  their name.  Boann's pain at giving birth to the first

  child was so great that Uaithne played mournful sad music

  and Goltrade was born.

      The music for the arrival of the second child was

  joyful and happy so he was named Gentrade.  For the birth

  of the third child the music was quiet and restful so he

  was named Suantrade.  Boann divined that the music of her

  children would be of sorrow, laughter and sleep.

 

 

NAME         Uala

GENDER       M

CATEGORY     warrior

TYPE         chariot warrior

CULTURE      Goidel

COUNTRY      Ireland

TERRITORY    Connacht

LANDMARKS    Cronn's stream

SITES        Lia Ualann (Uala's stone)

AGE          Iron

DATES        BC 2nd-1st c

BATTLES      Cualnge Cattle Raid (died)

ACCESSORIES  massive rock

ENEMIES      Cronn / Cualnge / Pictland / Ulster

SEE ALSO     Cronn

REMARKS      Uala was a giant of a warrior who volunteered to

  assess the swollen stream of Cronn to see if the Host of

  Connacht could cross during the cattle raid into Cualnge.

  Uala waded into the stream carrying a heavy boulder to keep

  him from being carried away by the swift current.

       The goddess Cronn sent him back dead with his rock on

  his back.  Uala was buried and keened over, then the stone

  was erected by his grave alongside the road close to the

  stream.

 

 

NAME         Uala macGarach

EPITHET      Pride

ALTERNATIVE  Ualu

GENDER       M

CATEGORY     warrior

TYPE         chariot warrior

CULTURE      Goidel

COUNTRY      Ireland

TERRITORY    Connacht

SITES        Ard Ciannacht / Ath meic Garach

AGE          Iron

DATES        BC 2nd-1st c

BATTLES      Cualnge Cattle Raid (died)

ACCESSORIES  Meslaech (hero's fosterling) was his charioteer

RELATIVES    son of Garach; Lon and Diliu (brothers)

ENEMIES      Ulster / Cu Chulainn

SEE ALSO     Cu Chulainn / Diliu / Lon / Nera / Orlam

REMARKS      The 3 sons of Garach were distraught at the

  deaths of Orlam and the two sons of Nera, so they conceived

  of a plan to kill Cu Chulainn.  Uala and his two brothers

  thought that if their charioteers held strips of aspen-

  wood, they could attach themselves into one unit and attack

  Cu Chulainn together.  All six lost their heads to Cu

  Chulainn at Ath meic Garach (ford of the sons of Garach).

 

 

NAME         Uanchend Arritech

GENDER       M

FESTIVAL     Samhain (Night of the Dead)

CATEGORY     warrior

TYPE         chariot warrior

CULTURE      Goidel

COUNTRY      Ireland

TERRITORY    Ulster

SITES        Temair Luachra

AGE          Iron

DATES        BC 2nd-1st c

BATTLES      Temuir Luachra

RELATIVES    Celtchair, Errge and Uma (foster-fathers)

ENEMIES      Connacht / Munster

SEE ALSO     Celtchair macUthechar / Cromm Deroil / CuRoi

             macDaire / Errge Echbel / Uma

REMARKS      Uanchend was in the party of warriors who

  followed Cu Chulainn on a drunken ride that landed them at

  Temair Luachra in Munster on a Samhain eve.

       Uanchend was described by Cromm Deroil as a lad of 11

  years who was held by 3 chains secured to each leg, 1 chain

  around each arm and 3 chains around his neck.  Each chain

  was held by 7 men but when the boy smelled enemies he threw

  aside all 77 men as if they were as light as feathers.

       One of the men holding the boy told him that it was

  not for valor or glory that he performed the trick but for

  food and drink inside the fort.  The boy would blush and

  become silent until the savagery overcame him again.

       CuRoi identified him as the foster-son of Celtchair,

  Errge Echbel and Uma and as a generous boy who would never

  eat any food until he had offered it to someone else first.

 

 

NAME         Uar

EPITHET      The Cruel

GENDER       M

SYMBOL       1 eye / lame in 1 leg / left-handed

CATEGORY     warrior / filidh

TYPE         battle-line / sorcerer

CULTURE      Fomorii

COUNTRY      Ireland

TERRITORY    Munster

AGE          Iron

DATES        AD 3rd c

RELATIVES    Ill-omen, Damage and Want (sons)

ENEMIES      Fionn mac Cumhaill

SEE ALSO     Fionn mac Cumhaill

REMARKS      When Uar and his 3 sons fought against Fionn

  they were described as having poison on themselves and

  their weapons.  They were lame-thighed, one-eyed and left-

  handed.

 

 

NAME         Uath

EPITHET      Horror Son of Terror (Uath mac Imoman)

GENDER       M

CATEGORY     filidh

TYPE         healer / shape-changer / prophet / clairvoyant /

             levitator

CULTURE      Danann

COUNTRY      Ireland

TERRITORY    The Otherworld - Uath's Lake (Loch Uath)

AGE          Iron

DATES        BC 2nd-1st c

RELATIVES    son of Imoman

SEE ALSO     Bricriu / Conall Cernacht / Cu Chulainn / CuRoi

             macDaire / Loeghaire Buadhach

REMARKS      During the feast given by Bricriu at his home

  Tech Midchuarta, the three champions Cu Chulainn, Loeghaire

  and Conall were sent to Uath so that he might test them for

  their bravery.

       Uath was a filidh of high reputation and challenged

  the 3 to a contest.  He proposed that a challenger would

  chop off his head and the next night Uath would return and

  he would chop off the head of the challenger.

       Only Cu Chulainn lived up to the agreement and as Uath

  brought down the axe he deliberately missed Cu Chulainn's

  neck.  He proclaimed Cu Chulainn the mightiest champion of

  Ulster.  (Another version of the story has the contest

  being offered to the heroes by CuRoi disguised as a churl.)

 

 

NAME         Uathach

EPITHET      Spectre of the Glen / The Dreadful /

             The Terrible

ALTERNATIVE  Uathach (Spectre)

GENDER       F

CATEGORY     warrior

TYPE         chariot warrior / champion / combat instructor

CULTURE      Pictish

COUNTRY      Scotland

REGION       Isle of Skye

TERRITORY    The Otherworld - Land of Shadows (Tir na Scath)

             / Albainn

CENTERS      Dun Scathach (fortress of Scathach)

AGE          Iron

DATES        BC 2nd-1st c

RELATIVES    Scathach (mother); Cochar Crufe (consort); Cu

             Chulainn (consort); Airdgeme (grandfather); Aife

             (aunt)

SEE ALSO     Aife / Airdgeme / Cu Chulainn / Ferdiad /

             Scathach

REMARKS      Uathach was a combat instructor for her mother's

  school at Dun Scathach.  Cu Chulainn and Ferdiad were two

  of her students and on arrival Cu Chulainn killed Uathach's

  champion (Cochar Crufe) and took over his duties.

       Uathach advised Cu Chulainn to wait until her mother

  was reclining in her yew tree from where she liked to teach

  her two sons.  Then he was to do his salmon leap, put his

  sword to her breasts and demand three wishes from her.

       Cu Chulainn did as he was told and he demanded that

  she teach him without neglect, give him her daughter

  without a bride price and divine his future for him.

 

 

NAME         Ucha

GENDER       F

CATEGORY     rigbean

CULTURE      Goidel

COUNTRY      Ireland

TERRITORY    Leinster

SITES        Hostel (Bruidhean)

AGE          Iron

DATES        BC 2nd c

BATTLES      Mac Da Tho's

RELATIVES    Mesgegra (husband); Mac Da Tho (consort); Lena

             (son)

SEE ALSO     Lena / Mesgegra mac Datho / Mac Da Tho

REMARKS      Ucha was consort to Mesroeda Mac Da Tho and they

  had a child named Lena.

 

 

NAME         Ucuetis

GENDER       M

CATEGORY     deity

TYPE         god of metalsmiths / hammer-god

CULTURE      Gallic - Mandubii tribe

COUNTRY      France

REGION       Côte d'Or

TERRITORY    Gaul

LANDMARKS    Yonne / Seine

CENTERS      Alesia

AGE          Iron

DATES        BC 1st c

ACCESSORIES  hammer

RELATIVES    Bergusia (consort)

SEE ALSO     Bergusia

REMARKS      Ucuetis was a god who was venerated by the

  blacksmiths of the Mandubii tribe at Alesia during the time

  of the Roman invasion in BC 1st century.  A bronze vessel

  found in an underground room of a smithy had an inscription

  dedicated to Ucuetis and his consort Bergusia.

 

 

NAME         Ugaine Mor

EPITHET      The Great (Mor)

ALTERNATIVE  Ugainy {oo'-gany} / Ugoine / Ugony

GENDER       M

CATEGORY     warrior / Ard Righ Eirinn

TYPE         chariot warrior / high chieftain

CULTURE      Goidel

COUNTRY      Ireland

REGION       Meath

TERRITORY    Leinster / Mide / Munster / Connacht / Ulster

LANDMARKS    Magh mBreg

CENTERS      Raith Rig - Tara

AGE          Iron

DATES        BC 6th c / BC 595-581 (Ard Righ - Kings List)

RELATIVES    Eochu Buadach (father); Cesair (wife);

             Laoghaire, Fergus Cnai and Cobhthach (sons);

             Bodbchad (brother); Cimbaeth (foster-father);

             Macha (foster-mother); Eremon and Tea

             (ancestors)

ENEMIES      Rechtaid Rigderg / Bodbchad

SEE ALSO     Cesair Chrothach / Cimbaeth / Cobhthach Coel /

             Conaire Mor / Eremon / Fiachu Labrainne /

             Laoghaire Lorc / Macha / Tea

REMARKS      Ugaine Mor, son of Eochu Buadach, was a

  descendant of Eremon and Tea and became the high chieftain

  of Ireland when he revenged the death of his foster-mother,

  Macha, by killing Rechtaid Rigderg.

       Ugaine Mor also had political influence in Gaul

  because of his wife Cesair Chrothach.  He sired 25 children

  by his wife and divided the island into 25 shares

  (cantrels).  Ireland remained divided this way for 300

  years until the time of Conaire Mor.

       The historians claimed that Ugaine Mor ruled from the

  Meeting of the Three Waters to the Caspian and Tyrrhenian

  Seas.  Others claim he was the Overlord of Ireland and

  Britain from Albainn to the Sea of Wight.

       Ugaine was slain by his brother Bodbchad at Telach-in-

  Choscair on Magh Maireda in Brega after 14 years of ruling

  Ireland.

 

 

NAME         Uigreann

ALTERNATIVE  Uirgriu

GENDER       M

CATEGORY     warrior

TYPE         battle-line

COUNTRY      Ireland

LANDMARKS    Boyne

SITES        Ath-Brea (ford of Brea)

AGE          Iron

DATES        AD 3rd c

BATTLES      Brea

RELATIVES    5 sons

ENEMIES      Fionn mac Cumhaill

SEE ALSO     Fionn mac Cumhaill

REMARKS      Uigreann was killed by Fionn mac Cumhaill.

  During the battle at Ath-Brea (ford of Brea) on the Boyne,

  his 5 sons took revenge and killed Fionn as their 5 spears

  hit him in unison.

 

 

NAME         Uillenn Faebarderg

EPITHET      Of The Red  Edge (Faebar-Derg) / Of The Red

             Eyebrows (Abrat-ruiad)

ALTERNATIVE  Uilleand / Uillend / Uillind

GENDER       M

CATEGORY     warrior

CULTURE      Danann

COUNTRY      Ireland

TERRITORY    Connacht

AGE          Bronze

DATES        BC 16th-15th c

BATTLES      Cuillend (Cuillenn)

RELATIVES    Caicher (father); Net (ancestor)

ENEMIES      Manannan

SEE ALSO     Bress / Manannan / Net

REMARKS      Uillenn, son of Caicher, son of Namadach, son of

  Eochu Garb, son of Dui Temen, daughter of Bress, son of

  Eladu, son of Delbach, son of Net.

       Uillenn killed Manannan during the battle of Cuillend

  in Connacht but was himself slain by MacGreine

 

 

NAME         Ullan

GENDER       M

CATEGORY     warrior

TYPE         battle-line

CULTURE      Fianna

COUNTRY      Ireland

AGE          Iron

DATES        AD 3rd c

RELATIVES    Tuireann (wife)

SEE ALSO     Tuireann

REMARKS      Ullan was the cause of his sons being born as

  hounds.  He was having an affair with a female druid who

  became jealous of the attention his wife Tuireann was

  receiving while she was pregnant.  The druid turned

  Tuireann into a bitch and Ullan's sons were born as pups.

  The druid turned Tuireann back into a human only after

  Ullan promised to leave his wife.

 

 

NAME         Uma

GENDER       M

FESTIVAL     Samhain (Night of the Dead)

CATEGORY     warrior

TYPE         chariot warrior

CULTURE      Goidel

COUNTRY      Ireland

REGION       Armagh

TERRITORY    Ulster / Fedan Chuailnge / Munster

SITES        Temair Luachra

CENTERS      Emain Macha (Navan)

AGE          Iron

DATES        BC 2nd-1st c

BATTLES      Temuir Luachra

RELATIVES    son of Remanfissech; Uanchend (foster-son)

ENEMIES      Munster / Connacht

SEE ALSO     Celtchair / Cromm Deroil / CuRoi macDaire /

             Errge Echbel / Uanchend Arritech

REMARKS      Uma was involved in the intoxicated ride on

  Samhain eve that led warriors of Ulster into a brawl with

  warriors of Munster and Connacht at Temair Luachtra.  Uma

  was identified by CuRoi as one of the 3 battle-stays of

  Ulster.  The other two were Errge Echbel and Celtchair.

       Cromm Deroil described Uma as a savage hound who

  snorted when he smelled an enemy.  He had dark bristly hair

  and wore a linen tunic covered by a dun-gray woolly mantle

  fastened with an iron stake.  He carried a gold-hilted

  sword, flat broad-headed spears and a dun shield with a

  bronze boss.

 

 

NAME         Uroica

GENDER       F

SYMBOL       bee

FESTIVAL     half-moon / midsummer

CATEGORY     deity

TYPE         goddess of love

COUNTRY      Switzerland

TERRITORY    Gaul / alpine pastures

LANDMARKS    Alps

ACCESSORIES  heather / honey

REMARKS      Uroica was a Celtic love goddess who was

  venerated in the alpine regions of Switzerland and was

  associated with the heather plant, bees and honey.

 

 

NAME         Usna

ALTERNATIVE  Uisliu / Uisneach / Usna / Usnach / Usnagh /

             Usnech

GENDER       M

CATEGORY     warrior

TYPE         chariot warrior

CULTURE      Goidel

COUNTRY      Ireland

TERRITORY    Ulster

AGE          Iron

DATES        BC 2nd-1st c

RELATIVES    Elbha (wife); Ainle and Ardan (sons); Naoise

             (step-son)

ENEMIES      Conchobar

SEE ALSO     Cathbad / Conchobar mac Nessa / Deirdre / Elbha

             / Maga / Muresc / Naoise

REMARKS      Usna married Elbha daughter of Cathbad, but the

  she would have spent her wedding night with Conchobar, the

  head chieftain of the tribes of Ulster.  Naoise would thus

  have been a son of Conchobar.  Usna lost all three of his

  sons because Conchobar was angry at Naoise for having run

  away with Deirdre.

 

 

NAME         Uthechar

ALTERNATIVE  Utechar / Uthider

GENDER       M

CATEGORY     warrior

TYPE         chariot warrior / Red Branch champion

CULTURE      Goidel

COUNTRY      Ireland

TERRITORY    Ulster

CENTERS      Dun Da Lethglas

AGE          Iron

DATES        BC 2nd-1st c

RELATIVES    Celtchair, Menn and Glasne (sons)

SEE ALSO     Celtchair macUthechar / Menn macUthechair

REMARKS      Uthechar Hornskin was an Ulster Red Branch

  champion who sired the famous warriors Celtchair, Menn and

  Glasne.

 

 

NAME         Uther

EPITHET      Dragon Head (Pendragon)

ALTERNATIVE  Uther Bendragon / Utherpendragon

GENDER       M

SYMBOL       dragon

CATEGORY     warrior / Rix / Gwledig

TYPE         high chieftain / war leader

CULTURE      Cymry (tribes that fight side by side)

COUNTRY      England / Wales / Scotland (lowlands) / France

REGION       Cornwall / Brittany

SITES        Cloister of Ambruis / Raith of Dimilioc /

             Tintagel {Tin-taj-ell} / Mount Killaraus /

             Giant's Ring (Stonehenge)

AGE          Post-Roman

DATES        AD 5th c

RELATIVES    Kustennin Vychan (father); Igerna (wife); Arthur

             (son); Gwyar (daughter); Aurelius and Constans

             (brothers); Anna (sister)

ENEMIES      Germani / Paschent / Gillomanius

SEE ALSO     Arthur / Aurelius Ambrosius / Gorlois / Gwyar /

             Igerna / Myrddin Wyllt / Vortigern

REMARKS      Uther and his brother Aurelius were very young

  when their father Kustennin Vychan "Constantine the Small"

  died and their older brother Constans backed a chieftain

  name Vortigern who was the most powerful of the chieftains.

       Vortigern eventually had Constans murdered.  Aurelius,

  Uther and Anne fled to the Celtic stronghold of Aremorica

  where they were raised to become powerful warriors and

  chieftains.  Uther's brother assumed the lead and they

  sailed for Cornwall, then marched on Vortigern, destroying

  him and his fort.  They then turned on the Germani and

  drove them into northern England, where they allowed them

  to settle as a buffer between the Picts and themselves.

       Uther then went on a campaign to Ireland to steal the

  stones of the Giant's Ring on Mount Killaraus in order to

  build a monument for the chieftains murdered by the Germani

  at the cloister of Ambruis near Caer Caradduc (Salisbury).

  Gillomanius, the head chieftain of Ireland at the time, was

  put to flight and the stones were moved to Britain with the

  help of Myrddin Wyllt.

       Uther was sent to Wales to meet Paschent, a son of

  Vortigern, who was making a second attempt to conquer

  Britain with the help of Gillomanius.  On the way to the

  battle, Uther saw a star with a beam of light coming from

  it.  At the end of the light was a ball of fire in the

  shape of a dragon and from the mouth of the dragon came two

  shafts of light: one pointing to Gaul and one to the Irish

  sea where it divided into a number of smaller shafts of

  light.  Uther sent for his druid Myrddin who interpreted

  the dragon as Uther and the rays of light as the domain of

  his sons to come.  The vision also heralded the death of

  his brother Aurelius and indicated that Uther had to take

  up the position as the war leader of the Cymry.

       Uther then attacked the Germani and their Irish allies

  and drove them into the sea.  Both Paschent and Gillomanius

  were killed in the battle.  Uther had two dragons sculpted

  in gold and from then on he was known as Utherpendragon.

       The Germani began to cause trouble again, saying that

  their treaty had been with Aurelius and it ended with his

  death.  Uther met them in battle using Gorlois, the head

  chieftain of Cornwall, as his battle consultant and they

  defeated the Germani tribes once more.

       Uther decided to have a large celebration to reward

  everyone for their success in defeating the Germani. During

  the celebration Uther fell madly in love with Igerna, the

  wife of his most noted chieftain, Gorlois. Gorlois was

  insulted by the actions of his high chieftain and left the

  celebration without asking his leave, which was an insult

  to Uther.

       Uther raised an army and attacked Gorlois at the raith

  of Dimilioc in Cornwall.  After a week of sieging Gorlois,

  Uther's love for Igerna was unabated and he sent for

  Myrddin to help him.  Myrddin threw a spell on everyone in

  the Castle of Tintagel so that Uther would appear as

  Gorlois to everyone and he could then sleep with Igerna. In

  the morning, news came that Gorlois had been killed in

  battle but because Uther had appeared as Gorlois, everyone

  thought there was a mistake.  Uther regretted the death of

  his valued head chieftain and he left Tintagel and had

  Myrrdin used his powers once again to change his looks back

  to his own.

       Uther then seized Tintagel and claimed Igerna for

  himself.  They were married and she bore him two children,

  Arthur and Gwyar.  Peace reigned for years until the

  Germani landed with a large fleet.  Uther was sick and went

  to battle on a litter.  The Germani were again beaten but

  in the end they managed to poison a well that Uther used,

  and he died from the first drink along with over a hundred

  others.  He was buried inside the Giant's Ring (Stonehenge)

  beside his brother Aurelius.

 

 

NAME         Uxellinos

EPITHET      Supremacy

ALTERNATIVE  Uxellinus

GENDER       M

CATEGORY     deity

TYPE         sky god / mountain god

CULTURE      Gallic

COUNTRY      Austria

LANDMARKS    Alps

REMARKS      Uxellinos was a Celtic sky / mountain god in the

  Alps of Austria.