Cailleach: The Winter Hag
The Breath of the North
In the Celtic lands, the seasons are not abstract concepts. They are a war. When the harvest ends and the light dies, the reign of the Summer King ends.
The Cailleach (Gaelic for "The Old Woman" or "The Veiled One") awakens at Samhain (November 1st). She is the personification of the approaching freeze. When the frost hardens the mud and the winds scream through the glens, it is not weather. It is her breath.
The Blue Hag
Descriptions of the Cailleach are consistent in their brutality. She is a towering giantess with skin the color of a bruised corpse (blue-black). She has a single eye in the center of her forehead, keen as a hawk, and teeth like rust-red stones. She wanders the Highlands carrying a slachdan (wand of power) made of birch or willow.
- The Hammer: When she strikes the ground with her staff, the earth freezes solid.
- The Basket: On her back, she carries a basket of rocks. As she walks, stones fall out, forming the mountains and cairns of Scotland and Ireland.
The War of Seasons
The Cailleach is the antagonist to Brigid (the goddess of Spring). Their conflict dictates the agricultural calendar. The Cailleach rules from Samhain to Bealltainn (May 1st). She herds the deer, protects the wolves, and washes her plaid in the Corryvreckan Whirlpool. When she finishes washing it, the plaid is pure white—this is the blankets of snow that cover the land.
Imbolc: The Weakness
Her power is finite. As the days lengthen, she grows old. On Imbolc (February 1st), the Cailleach gathers firewood for the rest of the winter. If the weather is bright and sunny, she can gather plenty of wood, meaning winter will last longer. If the weather is foul, she sleeps, meaning spring will come early. Eventually, she is defeated by the returning sun. She drinks from the Well of Youth and turns into stone (or a young woman) to sleep until the next autumn.
Survival Protocols
You cannot fight the winter. You can only endure it.
- ** Respect the Cairns**: The stone piles on mountain tops are her work. Disturbing them is an invitation for a blizzard.
- The Last Sheaf: Tradition dictates leaving the last sheaf of corn in the field for the Cailleach ("The Old Woman") to ensure she does not enter the house.
- Watch the Sky: Sudden drops in temperature are her arrival. Seek shelter immediately.
The Final Warning
The air turns sharp. The birds go silent. A single snowflake lands on the heather. It is not just cold. It is old, and she is awake.
