Changes

The holiday is also discussed in the "Wooing of Emer," another tale in the Ulster Cycle. As Emer tells Cuchulain: "two divisions were formerly on the year,...summer from Beltaine (the first of May), and winter from Samuin to Beltaine."<ref name="Emer">"[http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/ctexts/emer.html The Wooing Of Emer]," Translated by Kuno Meyer.</ref> So Cuchulain lives in a Julian calendar world in which the Celtic calendar "formerly on the year" needs to be explained.

The holiday is also discussed in the "Wooing of Emer," another tale in the Ulster Cycle. As Emer tells Cuchulain: "two divisions were formerly on the year,...summer from Beltaine (the first of May), and winter from Samuin to Beltaine."<ref name="Emer">"[http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/celtic/ctexts/emer.html The Wooing Of Emer]," Translated by Kuno Meyer.</ref> So Cuchulain lives in a Julian calendar world in which the Celtic calendar "formerly on the year" needs to be explained.

The harvest festival view of the holiday contrasts with that found in the twelfth century legend ''Cormac's Adventure.'' In this tale, Samhain is the date that a parliamentary body was convened by the high king to ordain laws and duties:{{cquote|Now rules and laws and duties were ordained at that meeting [held by King Cormac on the green of Tara], and the men of Erin's councils were determined. Three preeminent assemblies used to be held at that time, namely, the Feast of Tara on Allhallowtide - for that was the Easter of the heathen, and all the men of Erin were at that meeting, helping the king of Erin to hold it - and the Fair of Tailtiu at Lammas [August 1], and the Great Meeting of Uisnech on Mayday. Seven years lasted the preparation for the Feast of Tara, and still at the end of seven years then used to be a convention of all the men of Erin at the Feast of Tara, and there they would determine jubilee, namely, the Rule of Seven Years from one Feast of Tara to another.<ref name="Cormac"/>}} The feast featured the king having relations with a local goddess. The last such feast was held in 560. It crowned Diarmait mac Cerbaill, the last pagan high king.<ref>MacKillop, James, "[https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095716195 Diarmait mac Cerbaill]," ''A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology,'' Oxford, 2004</ref>

The harvest festival view of the holiday contrasts with that found in the twelfth century legend ''Cormac's Adventure.'' In this tale, Samhain is the date that a parliamentary body was convened by the high king to ordain laws and duties:{{cquote|Now rules and laws and duties were ordained at that meeting [held by King Cormac on the green of Tara], and the men of Erin's councils were determined. Three preeminent assemblies used to be held at that time, namely, the Feast of Tara on Allhallowtide - for that was the Easter of the heathen, and all the men of Erin were at that meeting, helping the king of Erin to hold it - and the Fair of Tailtiu at Lammas [August 1], and the Great Meeting of Uisnech on Mayday. Seven years lasted the preparation for the Feast of Tara, and still at the end of seven years then used to be a convention of all the men of Erin at the Feast of Tara, and there they would determine jubilee, namely, the Rule of Seven Years from one Feast of Tara to another.<ref name="Cormac"/>}} The Feast of Tara featured a royal marriage with a local goddess. The last such feast was held in 560. It crowned Diarmait mac Cerbaill, the last pagan high king.<ref>MacKillop, James, "[https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095716195 Diarmait mac Cerbaill]," ''A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology,'' Oxford, 2004</ref>

==References==

==References==