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| The Myth Of Lavercam Lavercam, sometimes spelled Lebarcham, was a poetess bard employeed by King Conchobar. She was born as an ugly slave, but her wit and talent raised her status much. She was also able to run length of Ireland in one day and tell the King everything she heard. Here is a part of "The Wasting Sickness OF Cu Chulaind," in which Lavercam appears breifly: While the assembly at Mag Muirthemni was enjoying the amusements of acrobats, fidchell, and the recitation of poetry a flock of birds settled on the lake, and no flock in Eriu (Ireland) was more beautiful. The women grew very excited over the birds and began to argue over who should have them. Conchubur's wife said," I desire a bird for each shoulder," but the other women replied, "We all want that too!" "If anyone is to have them, I should," said the wife of Cu Chulaind. "What do we do?" asked the women. "Not dificult," said Lebarcham (who was possibly there reciting poetry to the women), the daughter of Oa and Adarc, "I will go ask Cu Chulaind." She went to Cu Chulaind, and said "The women desire those birds from you." But he seized his sword to ply against her (possible because he was drunk and didn't want to be bothered), saying "Have the sluts of Ulaid nothing better for us than to hunt their birds!?" "Indeed you ought not be angry with them," answered Lebarcham, "for you are the cause of their third blemish." Then Lebarcham went on to explain that all the women at the party had three problems (or blemishes) they all had a crooked neck because they all loved Conall, who also had a crooked neck, and they all stammered because they all loved Cuscraid Mend Machae because he stammered, and they were all blinded in one eye, because they all loved Cu Chulaind. But Cu Chulaind was not blind, but when he was in battle he would become a werewolf like creature and one eye would shrink inside his head so that no birds could pick it out if they tried. So Cu Chulaind goes and gives the birds to all the women but his wife, but he promises to get her prettier birds. Then I suppose the women took the feathers and added them to their clothing somehow, because they wouldn't throw dead bloddy birds on thier shoulders. Heh. She is also mentioned in the "Intoxication of the Ulaid" but it isn't very important. She is just sent as a messanger to Cu Chulaind. Then in the "Exile of the Sons of Uisliu" she apears again. A child has been born and a druid decreed at the baby girl's birth that only sorrow would come from her beauty. Spo everyone said "Kill her!' But King Conchobar was evidently a horny guy with patients because he said "No, I shall rear her as I see fit and then she shall become my companion." So she was taken away and raised in a separate castle by a foster mother and father. They were the only ones allowed to see her besides Lavercam who, as my copy of "Early Irish Myths" says, was a satirist. If you know much about the bards and the druids, you may assume that she was a female bardic druid (who often were skilled in the art of satire). Also special druids could not be kept out of anywhere, because they were so cool. So Lavercam hangs out with Dierdre. Then one day the foster father is fleying a calf for her and Dierdre sees a raven drinking the blood in the snow. Dierdre says "I could love a man with those threee colors: hair like a raven, cheeks like blood, and body like snow." Lavercam answers: "Then luck and good fortune are with you for such a man is not far off. In fact he is quiet near Noisiu of Uisliu." Dierdre replies "Then I will be ill, until I see him." Dierdre is obviously a depressed girl with morbid thoughts. So Dierdre and the guy get together. And they all have to run off to Scotland, King Conchobar is mad because he wants to have Dierdre in his bed. By now it has been at least 15 years since Dierdre's birth and people feel sympathy for a girl who was only kept alive so the king could do her when she was older, so they begin top side with her. The King sends a message to Lavercam and askes what is going on. Lavercam lies and says Dierdre has grown ugly in their travels and that it is okay to let her come back with her lover and his brothers. When they get to Ireland Conchobar had decided to kill them for reason's I can't remember, and he captures then and Dierdre kills herself by standing on a moving wagon and letting a branch wack her in the head. And Lavercam supposedly predicted all this before they got back to Ireland. I like to work with Lavercam because she is part of the maiden cycle and I, in my maiden cycle need to try and remember to show off all my wits because I can't get by on looks. Her energies also work well with divination, creative endeavors and loyalty rituals, because she was a loyal friend to Dierdre, like a big sister. If you call her for a complicated thing she will request a offering. She likes hemp, garlands, and silk, but she has also asked me for a bowl of rice. home |
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