In Irish and Scottish mythology, Cailleach was the "Mother of All". The word Cailleac means "old woman". She was a sorceress. In addition to the Celts, the Picts also worshipped her. A Celtic cross. ... The Picts inhabited Pictavia or Pictland - Caledonia (Scotland), north of the River Forth - prior to the Scotticisation of the area. ...

In art, she was depicted as a wizened crone with bear teeth and a boar's tusks. For other meanings, see Bear (disambiguation). ... Types of teeth Molars are used for grinding up foods Carnassials are used for slicing food. ... Binomial name Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 The Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) is the wild ancestor of the domesticated pig. ... Pacific Walrus at Cape Peirce A tusk is an extremely long tooth of certain mammals that protrudes when the mouth is closed. ...

Each year, the first farmer to finish his harvest made a corn dolly representing Cailleach from part of his crop. He would give it to the next farmer to finish his harvest, and so on. The last farmer had the responsibility to take care of the corn dolly, representing Cailleach, until the next year's harvest. Corn dollies are a form of straw work associated with harvest customs. ...

She helped rescue Dia Griene, along with Brian. In Celtic mythology, and especially Scotland, Dia Griene was the daughter of the sun. ... In Goidelic mythology, and especially Scotland, Brian was a bumbling fool who helped Cailleach rescue Dia Griene. ...

In Scotland, she is Cailleach Bheur, The Blue Hag of Winter, an Underworld goddess and a faery spirit. She appears as an old woman in black rags carrying a staff, who travels about at night with a crow on her left shoulder. She has a bad temper and is dangerous to people. She has fangs and sometimes three faces. She could turn herself into a cat. A hag (or crone) is a kind of malevolent, wizened old woman often found in folklore and childrens tales such as Hansel and Gretel. ... In the study of mythology and religion, the underworld is a generic term approximately equivalent to the lay term afterlife, referring to any place to which newly-dead souls go. ... In mythology and in fiction, Faerie (also Faery) is an otherworldly realm, home to the Fae or fairies. ...

One legend describes her as turning to stone on Beltane and reverting back on Samhain to rule as Queen of Winter. Beltane or Beltaine (from Irish Bealtaine or Scottish Gaelic Bealtuinn; both from Old Irish Beltene, bright fire from *belo-te(p)niâ) is an ancient Gaelic holiday celebrated around May 1. ... Samhain (Irish samhain, Scots Gaelic samhuinn, pronounced [sāvÄ«n]) is the word for November in the Gaelic. ...

Alternative: Cailleach Beara, Cailleac Bheur, Scotia In Irish and Scottish mythology, Cailleach was the Mother of All. She was a sorceress. ... Scotia was originally the Latin name for Ireland (also known to the Romans as Hibernia). ...

External links

• Cailleach Bheara