What follows is an extract from my book The Visions of the Cailleach (Sorita d’Este & David Rankine, Avalonia, 2009) in which we bring together the history. folklore and other myths related to the Cailleach, the giant “Crone” of Scotland and Ireland.  In the book we trace the origins of the Cailleach to the Iberian peninsula, but we also speculate that the Cailleach might have origins going back to the mysterious “sleeping giantess” of Malta.  As our theory seems to be getting quite a bit of attention in some circles at the moment and I am being asked about it repeatedly, I thought it would be apt to reproduce a short extract from the book here for those who are interested in some of our reasoning, though please note that some of it should be read within the context of the book where more of her history is discussed.

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A Maltese Origin? 

(Extract from Visions of the Cailleach, by Sorita d’Este and David Rankine)

If we look back prior to Herodotus in the fifth century BCE, in search of the earliest origins of the Cailleach, we are left with speculating around the similarities in symbols and motifs in order to find clues.  Tracing such motifs led us to the legends from Malta regarding the Neolithic megalithic structures there, believed to be the oldest in the world. The Neolithic Ggantija (from the Maltese word meaning giant) temples on the island of Gozo were built between 3600-3000 BCE and legend tells us that the temples were built overnight by a giantess called Sansuna.  She was also said to have carried the dolmen at Xaghra (also on Gozo) on her head, whilst carrying the supporting stones in her hands.[i]  This dolmen has a long history of use as a delivery stone by expectant mothers.

This motif of megalithic structures being built in a very short period of time by a giantess is found repeatedly in stories of the Cailleach.  It is thus likely that in these legends from Gozo that we may be looking at a possible early origin for the Cailleach, at the heart of the building of the first known megalithic temple.  The builders of the Maltese temples disappeared without a trace around 2300 BCE, so we can only speculate as to what happened to their knowledge and beliefs subsequently. It is very tempting to suggest that some of the Maltese temple builders may have travelled across the Mediterranean and settled in Spain, taking their legends with them.

[i] Prehistoric Medicine in Malta, Savona-Ventura & Mifsud, 1999.

More information on this book see http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalogue/celtic-myth-folklore/visions-of-the-cailleach

Visions of the Cailleach is available both in print edition, and as a Kindle eBook.