Irish tradition of a specific construction stock (6 photos)

When renovating old houses in Ireland, craftsmen often come across unusual underground finds - horse skulls. What are the remains of long-dead equids doing there?





Folklorists believe that a horse skull under the floor of an ancient houses are a typical example of the so-called construction or foundation victims. An ancient custom, the purpose of which is to strengthen a separate building, area or even a whole city. What is noteworthy is that the ritual was resorted to as culturally backward tribes who have also reached a high level development of Europeans.



Typical Irish house

Mentions of the fundamental victim, in whose role most often a child, a young girl or a random passer-by spoke, they meet in history of various countries.

People sincerely believed that the victim was a person or an animal serves as a ransom for the spirits responsible for what was taken for construction territory. And the soul becomes the guardian of the new object.

Stories about walled-up victims are often found in German folklore. There are mentions of them in Slavic sagas. Some researchers even connect the etymology of the word “detinets” (the main city fortress) with the terrible custom of walling up in it the walls of a child.

People and animals



Of course, talking about the historical authenticity of such victims You can’t: these are just legends. But it has been preserved in history ancient Christian nomocanon, which reads: “When building houses, they have custom of laying the human body as a foundation. Who will put person into the foundation, his punishment is 12 years of church repentance and 300 bows. Place a boar, or an ox, or a goat in the foundation.”

That is, we are talking about replacing a human sacrifice with more harmless - to animals. In this capacity were chickens, piglets, lambs, hares, goats, frogs, snakes and other living creatures. Blacks were least fortunate roosters and cats, which were traditionally considered minions of dark forces.



The exhibition at the Leipzig Museum of Ethnic History included An interesting exhibit is a mummified cat. The body was discovered in 1874 year in Aachen, walled up in the tower of the city gate. And it was erected in 1637.

In 1877 in Berlin, in the foundations of a building built in the 16th century a walled-up skeleton of a hare and a chicken egg were found in the music house, which were transferred to the regional museum. Thus, deputy of a living creature during this period an egg had already appeared, which was almost completely In all cultures it is considered a symbol of new life.

And again the skulls



Thus, the tradition of hiding skulls during construction at home - a clear echo of an ancient ritual. But they didn’t agree with this archaeologists. And they provided convincing evidence of their disagreement voiced by vernacular architecture specialist Barry O'Reilly:

The large volume of the skull makes it an ideal sound box that added resonance to the sound of dancing feet during Kaylee (event with music and dancing). That's why the horse skull was a mandatory element in the design of dance floors.



Kaylee

Despite the love for Irish mysticism, this version many old-timers also support, saying that their ancestors They placed skulls under the floor, and coins were placed in the holes. So the dance that the Irish love so much looked and sounded better.

Who do you think is right in this dispute – archaeologists or folklorists?