Hello and welcome to the fifth part of our six-part series on Objects and Relics. Last week, we spoke about the Trees of Ireland. This week, we’re going to discuss an object that’s very partial to Ireland. This object is called a mether. A mether is a four handled-cup or goblet. Our story today explains how this came to be.
After the Tuatha Dé Danann’s reign in Ireland, the Gael settled here. In Ireland, there were five provinces. Leinster, Munster, Ulster, Connaught, and Meath. Since there were five of them, and the Irish for five is cúig, provinces were, and are still called Na Cúige. Each province had a King or Queen, and there was also a High Queen or King, who ruled all of Ireland.
It is said, that during the rule of the Gael, they encountered the Romans. When Tuathal, the High King of Ireland, saw the Romans drinking from goblets with handles he went to his smith and ordered him to make the same for himself.
“Gabha” he said. This is the Irish for Smith.
“Yes, mo Rí,” the smith replied.
“Did you see the goblets the Romans had with them on their visit?”
“I did, I saw them, they’re mad devices, aren’t they?”
“I would like one,” Tuathal said.
“And I’ll make you one. One that’s even better than theirs. And you’ll be able to drink all the mead you like from it.”
Now, Tuathal liked the sound of this. All the mead he liked. That was a big thing to say. Tuathal liked a lot of mead.
“Get to it then,” Tuathal said and left with the swish of his cloak.
It wasn’t long before a feast was held in Tara. Tuathal has dying for his mead, and although he could have drank it the same way he had been all his life, he wanted to see how the progress was going. At the start of the feast, he called for his smith, who came to him and stood at his right hand side, as he ate.
“How’s my goblet coming along?” he asked.
“Well good news, mo Rí, I have it righttttt…… here,” the gabha said, pulling out the cup to hand to the king.
But, you see, there was an issue. Because the Gabha was holding the cup by the handle, the King had no way to take it from him.
“What’s this? How am I supposed to take it from you if there’s only one handle. You’ve made it wrong!”
“But the Romans-”
“We aren’t Romans! I want another smith, you’re off this project.”
High King Tuathal hired a second smith and told her that he required a goblet with two handles. The second smith assured him that this was no problem.
Not long after, the smith came to him with a new and improved goblet, and stood to the King’s right.
“You have what I asked for?” Tuathal asked.
“I sure do!”
“Well, hand it over then, I’m parched.”
The smith took out the goblet, and holding it with two hands, held it out to the King.
“Are you joking?” the King asked. “What’s this?”
“It’s what you asked for. A goblet with two handles.”
“And tell me, how am I supposed to take it off of you, if you’re holding both handles?”
Before the second smith could answer, Tuathal dismissed her. He hired a third smith and thought, “this time, this time, it will work.” Tuathal sent the third smith away to make a goblet, this time with three handles.
The smith set to work and when the time came for another feast, the King called for him to show his work. The third smith carried this odd-looking goblet to the king and stood at his right hand-side, but he too made a mistake. He had put three handles on the goblet, and although he needed only two to hold it, the third handle still faced him.
At this point, Tuathal was not happy in the slightest. He was grumpy. He sulked. All he wanted was a cool mug to drink his mead from. He had bragged to anyone who would listen of his deadly three-handled goblet, from which he’d drink all the mead he wanted. And they’d all say, “that’s a lot of mead.” Now, at his third try, he was still let down.
Now three was more than just a lucky number to the Gael, it was sacred, so when the third attempt had failed, Tuathal was crestfallen. But he tried again anyway, with a loophole. He rehired his first smith.
“Gabha, I have a task for you. I have very specific instructions that you will follow to the letter.”
“Thank you, mo Rí. I won’t fail you again, I swear.”
So Tuathal set the first gabha to work and waited for his goblet.
Finally, the gabha came to him, holding a four-handled goblet. He carried it, full of mead, with two hands, and passed it to the King, who stood on his right and took it from him. The King took a sip and laughed.
“This is by far, the best goblet I’ve ever drank from.”
Tuathal then passed to his wife, who sat at his right hand side, and she too took a sip. The goblet, now called a Mether, or Meader as Gaeilge (since it held mead) was passed around the hall. Following this, it was tradition to take only a sip from the mether, and too pass it to your right hand side, which also had to be the sunward direction. If this was not done, it is said that bad luck would befall the entire house. In keeping with their customs of hospitality, there had to be some mead left in the mether by the time it got back to the start, which meant everyone had to have an equal share.
That is the origin of the mether. Thanks for joining us again this week. Be with us next week for our final episode on Objects and Relics!
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