Nigel Pennick`s "Celtic Sacred Landscapes" made me think about Irish landscape and its myths as a splendid reservoir of ancient patterns for interaction between same and human psyche. Incidentally, in my next step I`ve found a German book, which introduces me right now into this theme: - Sylvia Botheroyd, "Irland: Mythologie in der Landschaft-Ein Reise und Lesebuch", publ. Häusser, Irland Journal, Darmstadt 1997. It`s an excellent book, setting down standards how to present this ancient heritage. One thing is lacking though and it`s a connection to the GoogleEarth photomaps. Anyway; there are so few Irish areas of good quality, found on the GoogleEarth, that it`s been impossible, I suppose. It`s a shame really. There they have some cities of Ireland but not its sacred landscape,- so little known to the outsiders... I`m living south of Stockholm, Sweden, early retired M.Sc.Chem of many interests. Sailing, photos, geomancy... and it`s not enough for me to study the Holy Tree of Yggdrassil. Because local folk-tales pertaining to its elements has been eradicated by Swedish protestant zealots, I`m forced to look for precedents ("nominations")in more tolerant areas of Europe - such as Greek Orthodox and Catholic countries. Local, i.e. still not uprooted myths - as in Pausanias, were of great help when studying rural Peloponnese. So much for an introduction.

So it`s CESSAIR, which is enchanting me, I humbly admit. First her name. IMHO It`s a calc from Julius CAESAR, just like German "Kaiser", Russian "Tzar" and maybe Tibetan "Gesar". If so; it could mean "RULERESS". And the oldest Ruleress, who could come from the Eastern Mediterranean is MANASA. Nowadays, her cult is preserved in India and Bangladesh only but there are indicia
that once her cult reached far West. As well Minos in Crete, as the first pharaoh Menes, could be her partners. In the palace of Knossos three figures were found of a goddess handling snakes. She was probably the main sacred entiety of this place.

Then, Cessair died of unreturned love to his FIONNTAIN. I`m not sure if such simple images like an arrow or a lance piercing one`s heart were also functioning in Irish ancient poetry but if so, - another Near East comes to mind. This of Tiamath vs. her son and lover, who kills her to arrange his own world from her
limbs and blood.

But an admixture of North-Eurasian Spring-Flood folktales is also
discernible in the whole story. What if Cessair was dying each year 6 days before the spring flood (21st march minus 6 days = 15th of March), just in time to enable Fionntain to create the Irish World under those days and take rest on the 7th one!?

to be cont`d