Tracey-anne McCartney

The Sword of Light – Shining Sword – Cliamh Solais (pronounced: Klee-uv Shull-ish)

Symbolises the wielder’s power to dispense justice, truth, and the law. Illuminated wise and sacred knowledge. Delivers the ultimate punishment to ‘the peoples’ enemies. Cuts straight to the heart of the matter.

Sindria weapon – the language of light lives through it. Intelligent and has a soul (light essence of the Sindria – Amarnae – first light).

Claíomh Solais, Claidheamh Soluis, rendered "Sword of Light", or "Shining Sword", or "a white glaive of light", is a trope object that appears in a number of Irish and Scottish Gaelic folktales. The sword has been regarded as a legacy to the god-slaying weapons of Irish mythology.

A group of Sword of Light tales bear close resemblance in plot structure and detail to the Arthurian tale of Arthur and Gorlagon.

T. F. O'Rahilly only went as far as to suggests that the "sword of light" in folk tales was a vestige of divine weapons and heroic weapons, such as Cúchulainn's Cruaidín Catutchenn. This sword (aka "Socht's sword") is said to have "shone at night like a candle" according to a version of Echtrae Cormaic ("Adventures of Cormac mac Airt").

Primeval divine weapon was a fiery and bright lightning weapon, most often conceived of as a throwing spear; in later traditions, the wielder would change from god to hero, and spear tended to be replaced by sword.

It does not manifest as a blazing sword, and the latter which does emit fiery sparks is a spear, thus failing to fit the profile of a sword which shines. One example which does fit, is Cúchulainn's sword Cruaidín which was aforementioned. And the legacy of these mythological and heroic weapons survives in the "sword of light" in folklore.

In some circles, the Claidheamh Soluis has literarily been asserted to be the sword of Nuada Airgetlám, one of The Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

Unsurprisingly, some have seen parallels with this to Excalibur, due to some of the descriptions regarding how it shone. When Excalibur was first drawn, in the first battle testing King Arthur's sovereignty, its blade blinded his enemies. Thomas Malory writes: "thenne he drewe his swerd Excalibur, but it was so breyght in his enemyes eyen that it gaf light lyke thirty torchys." Other commentators have equated the Sword of Light to the Grail sword.

In fiction, Nuada's sword is to referred to as the Claímh Solais, the sword of light.

The Claimh Solais was a magic sword "engraven with spells", and reputedly an Undefeatable Sword such that once unsheathed, no one could escape its blows. It also was one of the Four Treasures of Erin brought from the mystical Isle of Findias in the North.

The sword's keeper is usually a giant (gruagach, fermór) or hag (cailleach), who oftentimes cannot be defeated except by some secret means. Thus, the hero or helper may resort to the sword of light as the only effective weapon against this enemy. But often the sword is not enough, and the supernatural enemy has to be attacked on a single vulnerable spot on his body. The weak spot, moreover, may be an external soul concealed somewhere in the world at large (inside animals, etc.).

The crucial secret to the hero's success is typically revealed by a woman, i.e., his would-be bride or the damsel in distress (the woman servant held captive by giants), etc. And even when the secret's revealant is an animal, she may in fact be a human transformed into beast.

The secret about women is a theme borne in the title "The Shining Sword and the Knowledge of the Cause of the One Story about Women", considered an essential part of the original Irish story. A more familiar Arthurian tale which embeds the quest of "What is it that women most desire?" is The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle.

Sword in the stone - The Lia Fáil (Irish, meaning Stone of Destiny - or also "Speaking Stone" to account for its oracular legend - is a stone at the Inauguration Mound (Irish: an Forrad) on the Hill of Tara in County Meath, Ireland, which served as the coronation stone for the High Kings of Ireland. It's been used for enthroning Scottish monarchs at Iona, Dunadd and Scone. It's on display at Edinburgh Castle, alongside the Honours of Scotland, and you can also see a replica stone in the grounds of Scone Palace in Perthshire.

Grail Sword

Associated with the Holy Grail in Arthurian legend. It’s supposed history begins with King David, who bequeathed the sword to Solomon, who was bidden to recast the pommel. In Solomon's time it was placed in a ship built and luxuriously furnished by Solomon's wife. Subsequently discovered by the Knights of the Quest, it was assumed and worn by Sir Galahad.

Isle of light – (Finne) ias - There are several legends of mythical or magical islands off the West coast of Ireland that are shrouded in mystery, from legends of islands that people live on today to legendary islands that aren't on modern maps.

The Island of the Blessed) is a legendary island said to only be visible every seven years, appearing from the mists or from under the sea. Some old maps have it to the South West of Ireland, others to the West-North-West or West-South-West. Sometimes called the other Atlantis, it was said to be the home of an advanced civilisation. Avalon was a fabled island in Arthurian legends. It was said to be an isle in the Western seas. Merlin was said to have brought King Arthur there to heal him of his wounds. It was said to be the place where the magical sword Excalibur was forged. It is sometimes spoken of as a Celtic otherworld like Tir na n'Og and sometimes as a physical island, but a magic one. In some legends it is protected by priestesses of the Goddess and associated with Morgan La Fey (fey means fairy) and the Lady of the Lake.

Tir na n'Og is the land of eternal youth from Celtic mythology where nobody grows old. It was said to be an island far to the West, in some legends it was under the sea. It was reachable by an arduous voyage or an invitation from one of its fairy residents.

Innismurray is an island off the coast of Sligo that had an early Christian monastic settlement. It has a sweat lodge, round bee-hive-shaped stone temples and Bullaun stones that were used for blessing or cursing depending on which way they were turned. It is no longer inhabited. The island was also associated with fairies.

Atlantis is a legendary continent in the Atlantic Ocean, said to be the home of an advanced ancient civilisation. When it submerged its survivors were said to have settled in America, Egypt, Ireland and England. Hence the building of advanced ancient monuments such as pyramids, Stonehenge and Newgrange.

Sgt. Jim Penniston claims to have found a U.F.O. in the forest near Bentwaters. When he touched it he telepathically received a message in the form of binary code that he wrote down. When it was translated it gave a message and the coordinates of an island off the West coast of Ireland: Exploration of Humanity Continuous For Planetary Advance 52°09’42.532”N, 13°13’12.69”W. Researchers like David Wilcock have identified this as Hy-Brasil.

Mag Mell is the Plain of Joy from Celtic mythology. It is identified as either an island far to the West of Ireland or a kingdom beneath the ocean. It is spoken of sometimes as an earthly paradise and sometimes as a mystical otherworld. In some legends its king is Tethra the Fomorian (pre-Celtic inhabitants of Ireland, said to be from beyond the sea or under the western sea) and in other legends its king is Manannan MacLir (the God of the Sea).

The Fortunate Isles, also called the Isles of the Blessed, were a paradise spoken of in Celtic and Greek mythology. They were said to lie in the Western ocean. They were two islands separated by a narrow strait, which is similar to some descriptions of Hy-Brasil (also called the Island of the Blessed).

The Tuatha De Danaan were the people of the goddess Danu in Celtic mythology. They were said to be shining beings with magic and wisdom. They were said to have arrived in Ireland in flying ships from the West, landing on the mountains of Sligo and Leitrim in the West of Ireland. They were seen as gods by the Celts when they arrived. The Tuatha De Danaan were said to have come from four cities from which their four magical treasures came: the Lia Fail (Stone of Destiny) from Falias, the Spear of Lugh from Gorias, the Sword of Nuada from Findias and the Cauldron of Dagda from Murias (which sounds like Lemuria, also called Mu). The four magical treasures correspond to the four elements, the four worlds and the four suits of the minor arkana of the Tarot (Stone-Pentacles-Earth, Spear-Staves-Fire, Sword-Swords-Air, Cauldron-Cups-Water). When the Celts came some say the Tuatha De Danaan went under the sacred mounds to live as fairies, others say they went to Tir na n'Og.

There's a legend that the final battle between good and evil will take place on Achill, an island off the West coast of Ireland. Megiddo in Israel is usually seen as the place of the prophecied battle of Armageddon. Achill is Ireland's largest island with many crystals growing there and has the longest evening daylight in Europe. Granuaile, the legendary pirate Queen of Mayo, had a castle on Achill. Hy-Brasil was claimed to have been seen from Achill every 7 years.

There are artefacts and legends on the mainland that may connect Ireland with Atlantis. Also Plato's description of Atlantis matches Ireland and Henry O'Brien's book The Round Towers of Irelandwas republished asThe Round Towers of Atlantis. Ancient ruins have been found in the Atlantic ocean.