Ancient Idol Found in Irish Bog

Dere was an old prophesy found in a bog,
Lilliburlero, bullen a la.

–Traditional Song

Not a prophecy, this time, but rather the very sort of heathen idol/primitive art masterpiece noteworthily destroyed by St. Patrick in the course of his conversion of Ireland. MSN.com:

A wooden idol that just predates St. Patrick’s arrival in Ireland more than 1,000 years ago has been unearthed from a bog that archaeologists think may have been a sacred ritual site. Researchers say the figure could represent a pagan deity.

The wooden figure rests on a tarp.© Archaeological Management Solutions The wooden figure rests on a tarp.

Made from a split oak trunk, the figure has a human head and several notches along its body. According to researchers, a dozen similar idols have been discovered in Ireland. This recent find is the tallest, stretching over eight feet.

Full animal skeletons — including at least 10 prehistoric dogs — and a bone-handled ritual dagger were also found in the bog, which researchers say suggests the wetlands may have been used for animal sacrifice ceremonies in which the idol could have been involved. Wooden cauldrons and human remains, including cranial fragments from at least four people, were also uncovered.

“We realized what we had essentially is a sacred bog where over millennia, people were depositing objects or idols,” said Eve Campbell. She is an archaeologist with the independent consultancy, Archaeological Management Solutions, who directed the excavation.

In prehistory, bogs were seen as sacred spaces where people could contact ancestors, spirits or gods — and sometimes as portals between worlds. Luckily for researchers, these spaces’ wetland conditions helped preserve ancient wood.

“They’re not quite land, not quite water, they have this wonderful reflective quality,” Campbell said. “If you think about a time before mirrors, there’s something very magical about these still waters where everything is reflected back.”

WT (Ignore the gender nonsense.)