The Cailleach (Gaelic for veiled one or Old Woman, Hag, crone) is an ancient Celtic figure with numerous myths and legends about her. She is an ancient Celtic deity some say is mother to all Celtic gods and is the creator of Scotland. Also named Beira she is known as the Queen of Winter and is the cause of the long dark stormy winter months until she loses the battle in Spring. There are so many Celtic and Scottish tales and places associated with her we're only going to highlight a very select few here as a background to our Cailleach figure.
She creates winter at Samhain/ Hallowe'en by either washing her plaid in the Corryvreckan Whirlpool and laying this over the mountains to dry (this is the snow) or she uses her magic staff to pin or hammer the frost to the ground. Some say she arrives across the sky riding on a giant wolf and there are other tales of how she brings winter.
She is the creator of Scotland with stories of how she either accidently drops rocks out of a creel she carries or she sculpts the mountains and landscape using a hammer and chisel again there are a multitude of different tales of how this is done and various stories linked to her creating various hills, lochs or other landscape features.
In some stories she has wild white hair, very pale or blue skin, red teeth and one eye and she's often linked to deer herding, wolves and protecting other animals.
Made of Lime Wood this figure measures approximately 6.5cm by 13.5cm high and 2.8cm in width across the front. She has swirls at the base of her skirt representing Corryvreckan whirlpool where she washes her white plaid, her magic staff is white representing her using it to hammer frost to the ground, both these areas have a sparkle glaze added. Her apron features snowy topped mountains and deer antlers due to her association with caring for deer.
Like our other wooden toy figures it has been cut out before hand carving to shape then hand sanding, painting and sealing. This makes each piece a little unique in form and feel and the item received will differ slightly from the images shown. Please bear this in mind that you are purchasing a handcrafted item and that minor manufacturing marks, paint errors or carving mishaps are not seen as flaws but as enhancing each figures unique character.
Our wooden toys can be gently wiped clean using a slightly damp lint free cloth and we recommend in the future refinishing the figure with a suitable child safe EN71-3 certified natural clear wax or sealer to further extend its protection for longevity. We make and test our toy figures to be UKCA conformant for those aged 3 and over who no longer mouth their toys, this is due to our base wood not being tested, the small size of some of our figures and the risk of small parts forming if broken. All the stains, paints and sealers we use are EN71-3 certified as child safe.
The price is for one figure only.
Warning: Small parts choking hazard not suitable for under 36months old!