From Myth to Art: The Story Behind my ‘Torc Allta Ceilteach’ (Celtic Wild Boar) Drawing
Dia duit, a chara!
I have just posted a YouTube video where I talk about the inspiration and creation process behind my drawing, "Torc Allta Ceilteach" or "Celtic Wild Boar." You can scroll to the end to watch it ↓
Torc Allta Ceilteach (Celtic Wild Boar)
How it started
Torc Allta Ceilteach was inspired by a suggestion from a Welsh customer. He felt that a Celtic boar design could reflect both Irish and Welsh mythology. And I completely agree with him. The Welsh story that he suggested was about the Twrch Trwyth, so I promptly went off to find out more.
As I did the research for my drawing, I found a few little bits of information that I’m referring to as ‘little gems’ because, for me, they add a bit of magic and wonder to it all.
Let me fill you in….
Mythological Inspirations
Welsh Mythology:
The Twrch Trwyth is part of the tale of Culhwch and Olwen. It’s a fearsome enchanted boar that was once a king. His misdeeds led to his transformation into a deadly beast. Culhwch, to win Olwen's hand in marriage, must complete several seemingly impossible tasks, one of which involves getting a comb, scissors, and razor from between the ears of the Twrch Trwyth. Not an easy task! So he is helped by King Arthur and his knights and, after much ado, they are victorious.
Little Gem 1: The Twrch Trwyth doesn’t die in the story… so could we bump into it now? I wonder!
Irish Mythology:
The enchanted boar in the story of Diarmuid and Grainne is a bit sadder than the story of the Twrch Trwyth. Diarmuid’s tragic end comes from being gored by a magical boar, who was once his friend and foster brother, Enda.
My Research
I like to read, listen, and watch various versions of stories so I can get a good handle on them. One place I like to go to is the wonderful Duchas.ie website. It holds the School’s Collection where stories were gathered in the 1930s.
I found a retelling of the Diarmuid and Grainne story from a girl called Máire Ní Dhuibhne, and I found a couple of lovely little gems there.
Little Gem 2: Máire writes that while Diarmuid and Grainne were eloping,
“they slept in a rock in Patrick Finley's land. The rock is still known as Leabaenediarmuid.”
I assume Leabaenediarmuid translates to Diarmuid’s bed. I love that she knows that a real-life local person, Patrick Finley, has a rock on his land that refers to the mythological story. Having the rock named as that is a great way to keep the myth alive.
Little Gem 3: Máire Ní Dhuibhne was told this story by someone called John J. Devine, who I’m assuming is Máire’s father or grandfather. At the end of the story, Máire writes,
“Diarmuid (O Duibhne) died and left after him two daughters and four sons. The Devines are descendants of these sons.”
So here she is claiming to be related to the mythological Diarmuid O Duibhne. I absolutely LOVE this blur between myth and reality. To me, it makes the magic real and alive.
My Drawing Process
To start with, I imagined what it might be like to see one of these wild magical boars walking through the forest, just crossing my path as I walked along. I imagine you would instinctively know that it was a magical creature if you happened to stumble across it.
I view my intricate line art as a way of representing magic and otherworldliness in my drawings. You can see that these patterns aren’t visible all over my Torc Allta Ceilteach. I’ve put them in places to suggest that you’re just getting a glimpse of the magical quality of the animal.
So where I’ve drawn my line art is where shadows might be, and it’s just a suggestion of it. It’s just a hint of its otherworldliness. So that by the time it walked by, you might think your memory is playing tricks on you.
Patterns between the boar’s ears hint at the magical items from the Twrch Trwyth’s story, but it also leaves the true nature of the boar up to the viewer’s imagination. So even I don’t know if I’ve drawn the Twrch Trwyth or another boar from Celtic Mythology. I think the bit of mystery is fitting for a drawing of an enchanted boar.
Recommendations
For a captivating retelling of Culhwch and Olwen, I highly recommend Michael Harvey's storytelling on YouTube. You might be interested to know that he’s also written a book about the story called Pig Boy.
And do explore Duchas.ie – The Schools Collection . You can start by typing in “Wild Boar”, or “Black Pig” and then enjoy getting lost down a lovely rabbit hole.
If you’d like to hear me stumble over some Welsh and Irish words, then you can watch the video on my YouTube channel or below. I also go into a more detail there than I have done here. Enjoy the video!
Finally, you can get your own version of Torc Allta Ceilteach on a t-shirt here!
Feel free to reach out with any questions or suggestions for future projects.
Slán go fóill, goodbye for now!
