The Cailleach of the elements - card

The Cailleach is perhaps the oldest deity in the folklore of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. The name Cailleach comes from the word for Veil in old Gaelic, implying veiled or hooded one and is the word used for Witch or Hag. She was a creator Goddess, a maker of landscapes and her name is associated with many places throughout this region. She is also said to be the builder of the ancient cairns of Loughcrew atop Sliabh na Caillí (mountain of the witch) in Co. Meath, Ireland, dropping rocks from her apron as she leapt from hill to hill and forming these mystical sites dating back 5500 years. In this painting I have portrayed her as a Goddess of the elements, her hair flowing into the blanket of clouds, windswept by a northerly breeze. She is rooted to the ground, from stones which form one of the many cairns on Loughcrew. In the background we see her Chair, an altar shaped throne from which it is said she once surveyed her dominion.

Illustration from an original by Margaret McKenna