The Sovereignty Goddess in Ireland

Online Course exploring the place occupied in the Irish psyche by Goddesses of Sovereignty, with Irish Historian Dr. Gillian Kenny. Understanding the Sovereignty Goddess tradition in Irish myth and history is key to gaining insights into the evolution of the Irish sense of self over centuries and the magical influences on their belief and political systems.

This online class will explore what a Sovereignty Goddess is, how they have shaped Ireland and its people over thousands of years. You will examine how they were interpreted in Irish myth, literature and art and how they are viewed today. Many Pagans within the Irish tradition work with some of those sovereignty goddesses.

Understanding their historical representations and the space they inhabited in Irish identity over thousands of years will be of interest to Contemporary Pagans from a spiritual and magical perspective.

This class will cover:

• 1. What is a sovereignty goddess?
• 2. The faceted nature of sovereignty and female power in ancient Ireland
• 3. Sacral kingship and sacred marriage
• 4. Examples of sovereignty goddesses and their treatment in art, literature and later folklore
• 5. How the goddess changed as the country did - sovereignty goddesses in a colonised land
• 6. Understanding such goddesses in a modern world.

In Irish tradition the sovereign goddess embodies the rule of Ireland. She chose the correct king (via a kiss or sexual intercourse in her hag manifestation) and ensures that balance in maintained in the cosmos. If a king is unfit, she can reclaim power from him. It is a very specific role and not all goddesses or prominent female figures in the myths embodied this important role. The female power manifested in such actions is in direct contrast to the patriarchal society which engendered these myths. She manifests a powerful female, cosmic agency.

Sovereignty tales have been attributed to pre-Christian Celtic traditions of representing the land as a female deity, such as the eponymous goddess Eriu. A sacred union, a hieros gamos between ruler and a personification of the land, likely does have roots in a pre-Christian past.

Over time as Irish society was overturned by colonisation representations of the sovereignty goddess herself changed. She becomes the tragic, overburdened figure of Erin – pleading to be freed from Britain. Or Kathleen Ni Houlihan, another personification of Ireland. Meanwhile her representation as Hibernia appeared in numerous cartoon and drawings, from parties hostile to Irish independence. She was threatened by manifestations of Irish nationalism and was depicted as turning to the strong, armoured Britannia for defence.

By taking this class students will emerge with a strong understanding of how sovereignty goddesses were understood over generations in Ireland and, through that, will gain insights into how society changed and changed its goddesses over time.

This Teaching is suitable for beginners, as well as those with more experience in this area, or in other traditions. You do not have to be dedicated to or working with any Irish Gods, Guides, or Guardians to take this class.

WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU ENROLL THIS COURSE?

Your Course access enrollment below includes access to:

• -- Class Presentation Slides
• -- Class Video
• -- Class Audio
• -- Interactive Q&A Session (recorded during live class)
• -- Downloadable PDF of Further Resources

You will get the unique perspective of an Hon Research Associate at the Centre for Gender and Women’s Studies in Trinity College Dublin, who specialises in research and teaching on women’s lives in medieval and early modern Ireland and beyond.

This is a completely self-paced online course. You decide when you start and when you finish.

When you enroll in this class, you are receiving lifetime access (with a full 30 day money back guarantee).

Just click the big orange buttons on this page to enroll now!