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The Legend of Magamon

In the late eighth century as Europe gradually recovered from the exacting toll the Dark Ages took upon the lands and peoples, the isle of Ireland remained a beacon of hope - a last bastion of civilization. This is not stated in a boastful manner, it was just the way of things. The ancient Irish themselves were a mixture of both the great and the terrible.

Cormac Magamon was elevated to legendary status for his particular skill in words and might, for his generosity, but perhaps most for his compassion and conscience. Each autumn during the month we now call October, Magamon hosted an annual féile, or festival, for his clan. What little is known of this event has been collected from various sources, but primarily resides in the oral tradition of the Ultach, particularly those from the region of Oneilland, just south of Lough Neagh, County Armagh and Limavady, County Derry.

It is believed Magamon hosted the first féile roughly three to four weeks prior to the festival of Samhain, the Celtic New Year and Gathering of Clans, and approximately a month and a half before Alban Arthanan, the Winter Solstice.

The descendant clans of Magamon, most notably the McMagg and Ui Gamon (“O’Gamon”) continue to celebrate the legendary chieftain and by hosting the annual festival. Many rituals of the original Féile Magamon live on through An Féile Ársa Magamon today.

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Chief Cormac Magamon

The Fight for Ireland

Cormac Magamon’s first féile paid tribute to an old Irish legend: that of the fight for Ireland between the clans of mortals and the gods. Legend holds that domain over the isle was once contested between two great peoples. The Tuatha Dé Danann and the Milesians fought fiercely for control over the land.

The Tuatha Dé Danann, literally translated from Celtic as “people of the Goddess Danu,” were the clan of the gods. Possessing magical powers beyond the comprehension of mortal men and considered to be immortal, the Tuatha Dé Danann sought to control Ireland using their arcane abilities. Some believed the Tuatha Dé Danann to be kings and queens of the ancient past, some thought them fallen angels, and others still knew them as Aes Sídhe (“Ays Sheeth-uh”), magical beings similar to fairies and elves. Whatever their mysterious origin, Tuatha Dé Danann were known by all as powerful beings of otherworldly ability.

The Milesians, or “sons of Mil,” were the race of mortals and the ancestors of the Celtic people of Ireland. Without the boon of magic, the mortals instead relied on strength of body and spirit in their pursuit of dominion over Ireland. The Milesians overcame many obstacles, sailing through magical winds conjured by the Tuatha Dé Danann, and confronting the three god kings at Tara, then the capital of Ireland. The bravery of the Milesians was perhaps the one force equal in power to the Tuatha Dé Danann’s magic.

It is said that the Milesians eventually achieved victory, driving the clan of the gods to the Otherworld and sealing them beneath the ancient burial mounds known as side (“shee”). Though the Tuatha Dé Danann were defeated, they were not vanquished. To this day the influence of their magics can be felt in Ireland.

In honor of this legend, Cormac Magamon’s first féile recreated the struggle between the clans of gods and mortals. Today, we do the same.

 
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Tuatha Dé Danann - Clan of the Gods

 Milesian - Clan of Mortal Men

Chapters of An Féile Ársa Magamon

  • Magic and Might

    AD ? The clan of the gods, the Tuatha Dé Danann, had long reigned supreme on the isle of Ireland. Using magics beyond the understanding of mortals, the fairy folk were able to hold dominion over the country. Never did the suspect that a mortal clan could challenge them. The Milesian clan held a birthright to the land, though, and their strength of body spirit was not to be underestimated. The two clans clashed, each vying for control of the isle. Never could they have predicted the twists and turns fate had in store for their long conflict.

  • Plague

    AD 2020. It was nearly poetic that something as small and unsuspecting as a virus would be the demise of the dragons. So, too, were the clans of men and gods affected by this scourge. Yet another obstacle stood in the way of the fight for Ireland, but the brave mortals and powerful gods were undeterred. They had stared razor tooth and fiery death in the face and survived. Plague would not stop them from fighting for the isle. Each clan was determined. Ireland would be theirs, plague or not.

  • Thar Be Dragons

    AD 2011. It was a day like any other when the dark shadows of winged beasts swept across the land. Fathers had gone to the plough, mothers had begun to hang linens, and children wandered the countryside, unaware of the ancient power that had awoken. Clans Tuatha Dé Danann and Milesian were locked in a fierce contest for the fate of Ireland, as was tradition. They had more to contend with than just one another on this year, though. laghairtean sgiathach, the winged lizards, had awoken, and they, too, wanted Ireland for themselves.

  • Giants

    AD 2009. The battle for Ireland rages on between men and gods, but an old power awakens. Fomóire, the giants who embody the forces of nature, are the ultimate enemies of the Tuatha De Danann. But like nature itself, these beings are unpredictable and nearly unstoppable. Will the Milesian clan be aided by these enemies of the fairy folk, or will their intervention wreak chaos on both clans?