Necklace featuring Zoomorphic Silver Celtic Knotwork - Amethyst - Tir Nan Og
An elegant necklace featuring Zoomorphic Celtic knotwork set with purple amethyst stones which was made in the Hebrides and is hallmarked at the Edinburgh assay office.
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Tír na nÓg (pronounced [ˌtʲiːɾʲ n̪ˠə ˈn̪ˠoːɡ]; "Land of the Young") or Tír na hÓige ("Land of Youth") is one of the names for the Celtic Otherworld, or perhaps for a part of it. Tír na nÓg is best known from the tale of Oisín and Niamh. Other Old Irish names for the Otherworld include Tír Tairngire (Land of Promise/Promised Land), Tír fo Thuinn (Land under the Wave), Mag Mell (Plain of Delight/Delightful Plain), Ildathach (Multicoloured Place), and Emain Ablach (the Isle of Apple Trees). Similar myths in the northern Celtic cultures include these of Annwn, Fairyland, Avalon and Hy Brasil.
Tír na nÓg is depicted as an island paradise and supernatural realm of everlasting youth, beauty, health, abundance and joy. Its inhabitants are described as the Tuatha Dé Danann or the warriors of the Tuatha Dé, the gods of pre-Christian Ireland, who engage in poetry, music, entertainment, and the feast of Goibniu, which grants immortality to the participants. In the echtrae (adventure) and immram (voyage) tales, various Irish mythical heroes visit Tír na nÓg after a voyage or an invitation from one of its residents.
The most famous tale of Tír na nÓg is the story of Oisín and Niamh. Oisín was a warrior and poet of the Fianna, a legendary band of warriors who defended Ireland against invasion. One day, while Oisín was out hunting, he came across a beautiful woman riding a white horse. The woman introduced herself as Niamh, the daughter of the king of Tír na nÓg. She told Oisín that she had been watching him for some time and that she was in love with him. Oisín was immediately smitten with Niamh and agreed to go with her to Tír na nÓg.
In Tír na nÓg, Oisín and Niamh lived a long and happy life together. They had three children and Oisín became a great poet and storyteller. However, after many years, Oisín began to miss his homeland. One day, he decided to return to Ireland. Niamh warned him that if he ever set foot on Irish soil again, he would never be able to return to Tír na nÓg. But Oisín was determined to see his homeland again, so he set off on his journey.
When Oisín arrived in Ireland, he found that it had changed greatly in his absence. The Fianna were long gone and the land was ruled by a new king. Oisín was saddened by the changes, but he was also happy to be back home. He told the king of his adventures in Tír na nÓg and the king was amazed. He asked Oisín to stay and tell him more stories, but Oisín refused. He said that he had to return to Niamh.
Oisín set off for Tír na nÓg, but when he reached the shore, he realized that he had forgotten Niamh's warning. He stepped onto Irish soil and immediately began to age. He grew old and frail before his eyes. Niamh came to find him and begged him to come back with her, but it was too late. Oisín had aged too much and he was unable to return to Tír na nÓg. He died a few days later, but his stories of Tír na nÓg live on to this day.
Tír na nÓg is a place of eternal youth, beauty, and happiness. It is a place where dreams come true and anything is possible. It is a place that has captured the imagination of people for centuries.
