Tigernmas

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Template:Cleanup-dateTemplate:Wikify-date Tigernmas was a pre-Christian High King of Ireland, 13th in the Milesian line. A descendant of Eremon, he took the kingship when he overthrew Conmael, a descendant of Eber Finn. During his reign he fought twenty-seven battles with Eber's descendants.

In his time gold was first smelted in Ireland, and clothes were first dyed purple, blue and green. Also in his time, embroidery, fringes and filigree were first used.

He introduced the worship of Crom Cruach, the "bloody crescent", a deity who was propitiated with human sacrifice. However, he and many followers went to worship the deity on Magh Slécht one Samhain night and were all found dead in the morning. Depending on the source consulted he had ruled for seventeen or fifty years. According to the Annals of the Four Masters, after his death Ireland was without a High King for seven years, before Eochaid Étgudach took the kingship.

The Annals state he lived c.1400 B.C. but the Laud Synchronisms state he lived at the same time as the Judean kings Asa and his son Jehoshaphat and the Assyrian King Parathiathis, c.870 B.C.

Finn Mac Cumhail the leader of the Fenians used to swear to Tigernmas as his God and in some texts he is equated with Balor the Formorian.

His name is spelled in various ways: Tigernmas, Tighernmas, Tigernmais, Tighernmais, Tigernmair, Tiernmas, Tiernmais, Tighearnmhas, Tighearnmas, Tighearnmais, Tigearnmas, Tigearnmais, Tigearnmhas, Tigearnmhais, Tigernmus, Tighernmus.

His genealogy is Tigernmais m.Fælad m.Etheuir m.Iriail m.Erimoin.

The Metrical Dindshenchas poem 50 on the meaning of the placename Carn Feradaig gives the following lines about some of his battles-

This carn I see, pre-eminent,

the carn of Feradach of the true judgments:

I am versed completely in every spot

in the tale whence it took its name.

Feradach of the noble pride

was son of Rochorp son of Gollan:

Gollan with the bright 'wind of wailing'

was son-of Conmael son of Eber.

A prince seized the high ground,

even Tigernmas, with powerful sway:

thrice nine battles with his line of slender spears

he won against the children of Conmael.

He slew Conmael, head of battle,

in the battle of great Oenach Macha,

in the battle of Eille in fight early-arrayed

he slew Rochorp son of Gollan.

He slew Feradach thereafter

the noble son of Rochorp, kingly in valour:

the body whence he departed after his slaying

lies under thy mounds, O pleasant carn!

Feradach, who offered battles

till the prince of Macha slew him,

met an encounter hence — better he had not!

the fixed term of their truce had expired.

Tigernmas with many a conflict,

with [...] slaughter, with furious strife,

with his army high in renown

gained many victories about the cairns.

Geoffrey Keating in his History of Ireland states-

"Conmhaol son of Eibhear held the sovereignty of Ireland thirty years; and he was the first king of Ireland of the race of Eibhear. Now this Conmhaol defeated the descendants of Eireamhon in twenty-five battles. The following are nine of these battles: to wit, the Battle of Ucha; the Battle of Cnucha; the Battle of Eile; the Battle of Sliabh Beatha; and the Battle of Geisill, where Palap son of Eireamhon fell; the Battle of Sliabh Modhairn, where Samhra son of Ionbhoth fell; the Battle of Loch Lein, where Mughroth fell; the Battle of Beirre; and the Battle of Aonach Macha, where Conmhaol himself fell by Eibhear son of Tighearnmhas of the race of Eireamhon; and he was buried on the south side of Aonach Macha in the place which is called Conmhaol's Mound at this day.

Tighearnmhas son of Follach, son of Eithrial, son of Irial Faidh, son of Eireamhon, held the sovereignty of Ireland fifty years, or according to others sixty years; and this monarch won twenty-seven battles over the descendants of Eibhear, namely, the Battle of Eille, in which Rochorb son of Gollan fell, and the Battle of Cumar, the Battle of Magh Teacht, the Battle of Lochmhagh, in which fell Deighiarna son of Goll son of Gollan, the Battle of Cuil Ard in Magh Inis, the Battle of Cuil Fraochain, the Battle of Athghart in Seimhne, the Battle of Ard Niadh in Connaught, and the Battle of Carn Fearadhaigh, in which Fearadhach son of Rochorb, son of Gollan, fell, the Battle of Cluain Cuasa in Teathbha, the Battle of Comhnuidhe in Tuath Eibhe, the Battle of Cluain Muirisc in the north of Breithfne, the Battle of Cuil Fabhair on Earbhus, and seven battles in Lughlachta on Loch Lughdhach in one day, and the two battles of Cuil in Airgeadros, and the Battle of Reibh, where the greater part of the descendants of Eibhear were slain by Tighearnmhas.

The year after that nine lakes burst over land in Ireland, namely, Loch Cé, and it was over Magh Sulchair it burst; Loch Aillinne in Connaught; Loch n-Iairn, Loch n-Uair, Loch Saighlionn, Loch Gabhair in Meath and in Breagh; Loch Feabhail in Tir Eoghain, over Feabhal of the son of Lodan it burst, and Magh Fuinnsighe is the name of the plain over which the lake came; Dubhloch of Ard Ciannachta and Loch Da Bhaill in Oirghialla, and the three black rivers of Ireland, namely, Fobhna, Toronn, and Callonn.

It is the same Tighearnmhas who first found a mine of gold in Ireland; and Uchadan was the name of the artificer who used to refine the gold for him; and it was in Fotharta east of Lithfe he used to smelt it. It was in the time of Tighearnmhas that clothes were first dyed purple, blue, and green in Ireland. It was also in his time that embroidery, fringes, and filigree were first put on mantles in Ireland. It was he in the same way that introduced into Ireland the custom of having but one colour in the dress of a slave, two colours in the dress of a peasant, three in the dress of a soldier or young lord, four in the dress of a brughaidh, five in the dress of a district chief, six in the dress of an ollamh and in the dress of a king or queen. And it was at Magh Sleacht that Tighearnmhas himself died and three quarters of the men of Ireland with him on the eve of Samhain while they were in the act of worshipping Crom Cruaidh, the chief idol of Ireland. For it was this Tighearnmhas who first instituted the worship of Crom Cruaidh (as Zoroastres did in Greece) about a hundred years after they had come to Ireland; and it was from the prostrations of the men of Ireland before this idol that that plain in Breithfne is called Magh Sleacht. Some seanchas state that Ireland was seven years without a king after the death of Tighearnmhas at the convention of Magh Sleacht, and that it was Eochaidh Faobharghlas son of Conmhaol who held the sovereignty of Ireland after him. But they are in error in this; for the Reim Rioghruidhe states that it was Eochaidh Eadghothach of the race of Lughaidh son of Ioth who held it."

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Texts

• Mag Slecht from the Metrical Dindshenchas Vol 4

See also

• Early history of Ireland