In County Meath, Ireland, on the Hill of Tara sits a mysterious stone known as the Lia Fáil (Stone of Destiny). According to The Annals of the Four Masters, an ancient document written by Franciscan Monks between 1632-1636 AD, this stone was brought to Ireland by the Tuatha Dé Danann, a supernaturally gifted people. Some speculate it was they who brought the power to make bronze to Ireland. They were the main deities of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland.
The Tuatha Dé Danann, meaning the children of the goddess Danu, are said to have ruled Ireland from 1897 B.C. to 1700 B.C. having arrived from the coast on ships. The Christian monks viewed the stone as a pagan stone idol symbolic of fertility. This stone was so important that it was used for the coronation of all Irish Kings up until 500 AD.
The goddess Danu in European tradition was a river goddess. We find her namesake in rivers such as the Danube, Don, Dneiper, & Dniestr rivers. In some Irish texts her father is said to be Dagda (the good god), a father figure in Irish tradition.
The Vedic tradition also has a goddess Danu, the daughter of Daksha, wife of Kasyapa Muni, who was a goddess of the rivers. The word Danu in Sanskrit means ‘flowing water’. As the daughter of Daksha, her sister Sati would have been married to Lord Shiva. Finally, Tara, meaning ‘star’ in Sanskrit, is another name for the wife of Lord Shiva. To practitioners of Vedic tradition the Lia Fáil matches very closely to the Shiva Linga.
Eventually the Tuatha Dé Danann were defeated in battle. According to legend, they were allowed to stay in Ireland only under the ground as the ‘Aes sidhe’ – people of the fairy mounds.
In recent years the sacred stone has been subject to desecration. In June 2012 a vandal struck the stone 11 times. You can watch a newscast on this act of vandalism:
Again, in May 2014 vandals poured red and green paint over its surface. These actions are most unfortunate. We would encourage those in Ireland to protect and visit this ancient stone – a link to Ireland’s Vedic past.
Other Articles by Vaishnava Das:
The Samurai: Protectors of the Cow
Sweet Salt – The Story of How India Invented Sugar
India – The Land of Stolen Jewels
The Vedic People of Scandinavia
The Vedic People of Azerbaijan
The Vedic People of Lithuania
India – The Land of Stolen Jewels
The Vedic Origins of the Piggy Bank
Soma – Elixir of the Gods
Manu and the Great Deluge
The Legends of Tulasi In Christianity
The Mysterious Iron Deity made from a Meteor
Ancient Shiva Linga in Ireland
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You are rendering a great service to humanity by publishing such articles and help them know their ancient roots.
It is not a religion but a way of life which was practiced by so many in this vast world, far and wide. All the divisions of
countries and states are but of recent origin as compared to the belief systems and way of living that prevailed ages past
in these very lands.
Just astonishing how these remnants of the distant past has still survived and will continue long into the future.