In my last post, I speculated about the mysterious bog man in The Scottish Prisoner is a time traveler. Here is the link. The Bog Man as a Time Traveler. Of course, I discussed the notion that the teind/tithe has to be one of the faery-folk as detailed by Abbot Michael, and that time travelers are viewed as faeries. This post is a continuation of the same topic since I was able to find more evidence from the texts to discuss this notion.
There is the possible belief that Jamie sees Claire as a faery. In The Fiery Cross, after getting the snakebite and thinking that he would not live for long because of it, Jamie tells Roger that it is better for all of them to leave, especially Claire. Jamie is concerned that Claire might get killed if people find out she is an “Old One.” According to Roger, Jamie’s statement is puzzling:
“She is an Old One.” Fraser had been speaking in English, which was too bad. Had it been Gaelic, his meaning would have been clearer. Had he said “She is ban-sidhe,” Roger would have known whether Jamie truly thought his wife was one of the faery-folk, or only a thoroughly human wisewoman (The Fiery Cross, ch. 95).
The implication here is that time travelers might be viewed as fairies. As a result, if the teind/tithe has to be one of the faery-folk, it is likely that the bog man was a time traveler.
I also dealt superficially with the notion of the bog man being a king. Of course, I posted an article about bog bodies in Ireland, but, there is also evidence from the text that points to that (The Scottish Prisoner, ch. 19).
- Objects found with the bog man imply that his death was of ritualistic nature
- The threefold death was applied to “gods and heroes.”
- The presence of the High Seat in the hill in the middle of the bog implies that the bog man was a king probably crowned in that location.
- The bog man was buried under the hill by Abbot Michael instead of being placed back in the bog.
The following passage is probably the best indicator that the bog man was a time traveler and a king.
“So ye put him under the hill,” Jamie said, and a sudden chill went up his back at the phrase. That was in the poem “The King from Under the Hill” – and, to his knowledge, the folk “under the hill” were the Auld Ones, the faerie folk (The Scottish Prisoner, ch. 19).
It seems that Abbot Michael decided to place the bog man where he thought he should be. As a king and as a potential time traveler/faerie, his place is probably with the ones of his kind. The text also reveals that Father Michael has a collection of tales about the “Auld Ones.” One wonders whether Jamie did well in not telling him the truth about Claire. Since Murtagh did have some communication with his cousin during the Rising, were details about Claire released to Father Michael?
Chapter 19 mentions the prisoners of war were burned in cages for one of the gods, Taranis (The Scottish Prisoner). In many traditional societies, sacrificial victims were prisoners of war. A good example is the flowery wars fought between the Aztecs and their enemies. They were ritualistic and their purpose is suspected to be the capture of sacrificial victims. Was this concept of enmity between factions present in Ireland during Pre-Roman times? The following article which I included in my last post deals with this notion.
It is speculated that the ones sacrificed were not only king but also candidates for kingship, which implies competition. Nipples were also cut, making the king an unsuitable ruler, even in the afterlife as detailed in the following article: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/sandra-ramos-oabriant/nippled-irish-royalty-and_b_6871078.html
As with all royalty, there were power games in the nipple hierarchy. Cutting off a royal descendant’s nipples, made him ineligible for kinship. Not as subtle as poison, but undeniable evidence of his unsuitability for a kingly role. No nips, game over.
A Celtic King was wedded to the Earth, and as her representative his nipples were important. His/her power is transferred to the grain. When it’s harvested, his power is sacrificed. The Lord must die, Joseph Campbell said: “A God dies for his people so that they may live.” The story repeats itself in multiple mythologies, legends and religions. But must the mortal king die in order to insure a successful harvest?
Based on all this information, the bog man was a king and very likely a time traveler (viewed as a faerie). His manner of death was the one applied to “gods and heroes.” As a king married to a goddess, he could be considered a “god.” The use of the word “heroes” implies that he was a skilled warrior.
My next blog post will be about the teind/tithe, and how that concept applies to two characters.
Sources
Gabaldon, Diana. The Fiery Cross. New York: Bantam Dell. 2001. Print.
– – -. The Scottish Prisoner. New York: Bantam Books. 2012. Print.