Cu Chulainn/Amergin and my low years

[David Dalton]

I take the fact that Cu Chulainn spent seven years as hound
to the smith, and that there is the line "I am a stag of
seven tines" in The Song of Amergin to mean that Amergin
had seven years of low years.

But was it exactly seven years or a bit more?

Once again I speculate that the pairs of birds
in the story of the conception and birth of Cu Chulainn
represent lunar months (one bird in a pair is the
waning crescent and one is the waxing crescent).

In that story there are 9 score birds and three
birds separated themselves from them and
went before them as far as the Brugh of the Boyne.
The 9 score birds represent 90 lunar months and
the three birds 1.5 lunar months. I'm not
sure if the 1.5 is to be subtracted or added
to the 90, so let me say that the number of
lunar months could range between 88.5 and 91.5.

In my case I have expected my low years to end
seven years plus an eleven year sunspot cycle
after they started, but I am now approaching
18 years plus four lunar months after they
started.

If it is 88.5--91.5 lunar months plus an
eleven year sunspot cycle, when would that be?
There are about 136 lunar months in 11 years
so it would be 224.5--227.5 lunar months.
There are 235 lunar months in 19 years so
the 224.5--227.5 lunar months would be
19 years minus 7.5--10.5 lunar months,
which wouldn't be far off from
18 years plus 1.5--4.5 lunar months.

So I have passed the lower range and am
now approaching the upper range.

For the story I have referred to Anne Ross's
book Pagan Celtic Britain, 1992 edition,
pages 306--307.

[David Dalton]

Post by David Dalton
I take the fact that Cu Chulainn spent seven years as hound
to the smith, and that there is the line "I am a stag of
seven tines" in The Song of Amergin to mean that Amergin
had seven years of low years.
But was it exactly seven years or a bit more?
Once again I speculate that the pairs of birds
in the story of the conception and birth of Cu Chulainn
represent lunar months (one bird in a pair is the
waning crescent and one is the waxing crescent).
In that story there are 9 score birds and three
birds separated themselves from them and
went before them as far as the Brugh of the Boyne.
The 9 score birds represent 90 lunar months and
the three birds 1.5 lunar months. I'm not
sure if the 1.5 is to be subtracted or added
to the 90, so let me say that the number of
lunar months could range between 88.5 and 91.5.

And for comparison, seven years is 86.578 lunar months.

Post by David Dalton
In my case I have expected my low years to end
seven years plus an eleven year sunspot cycle
after they started, but I am now approaching
18 years plus four lunar months.
If it is 88.5--91.5 lunar months plus an
eleven year sunspot cycle, when would that be?
There are about 136 lunar months in 11 years
so it would be 224.5--227.5 lunar months.
There are 235 lunar months in 19 years so
the 224.5--227.5 lunar months would be
19 years minus 7.5--10.5 lunar months,
which wouldn't be far off from
18 years plus 1.5--4.5 lunar months.

More precisely, not assuming 12 lunar months in a
year, it would be 18 years plus 1.87--4.87 lunar
months. I am now at 18 years plus 3.85 lunar
months so I have another lunar month to go to
the upper limit, which will be during the waning
crescent of June, almost exactly at the summer
solstice.

Post by David Dalton
So I have passed the lower range and am
now approaching the upper range.
For the story I have referred to Anne Ross's
book Pagan Celtic Britain, 1992 edition,
pages 306--307.