Folktale Week Illustrations: Storm and the Cailleach

The Cailleach, Beira Queen of Winter, linocut print, 8" x 10" by Ele Willoughby

I look forward to it every year! It's time for Folktale Week. Hosts post their 7 prompts for artists and/or writers to create illustrations or tell stories on these themes inspired by folktales, folklore, fables, myth and fairytales! There’s always a lot of magic submissions and it’s open to all. Most of the action is on Instagram (see @folktaleweek for more information) but you can find artists and writers sharing on other socials too. I am going to post my new illustrations here. And now Day 6: Storm.

In the Gaelic mythology of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, the divine old woman, or hag, created the landscape itself and the storms and weather of winter. Known by many names, she is the Cailleach (literally the old woman or hag) or Cailleach Bhéarra in Ireland, she is Cailleach Bheurra, or The Hag of Beara or Beira, Queen of Winter in Scotland, and the Caillegh in Manx. In Old Irish, Caillech  means 'veiled one', and her name may be a reference to her woollen cloak. 

She is a giant created with making the mountains and she carries a hammer to shape the landscape. Her staff freezes the ground. She is said to be the mother of all the gods and goddesses. She is the personification of winter, especially of destructive storms. She is associated with prominent, craggy mountains. Her skin is blue and her teeth coloured like copper. She rules from Samhain (November 5) through Beltane (May 1), when despite her efforts to fight against sprint, the goddess Brìghde takes over and rules summer through to the next Samhain.

As well as her cloak, staff and hammer, she is dressed in a great plaid, in accordance with folklore from the west coast of Scotland which tells how she ushers in winter by washing her great plaid in the Gulf of Corryvreckan (which means a whirlpool of the plaid). Over three days the roar of the tempest can be heard across the land and then her cloak is washed white as snow, which then blankets the landscape.

This print is part of my ongoing series of slightly sinister winter and yuletide folklore.

A thing that entertains probably only me, the word Cailleach is related to the Gaelic caileag and the Irish cailín ('young woman, girl, colleen') and my middle name is Colleen. Plus she rules from Samhain through to my Beltane May Day birthday.