Cailleach Sterling Silver Blackthorn Necklet (Caillagh y Groamagh)

The Cailleach is a force of winter.  In Celtic folklore, the Cailleach carries a blackthorn staff, and when she strikes the earth with it, winter takes hold: frost settles, storms move across the land and the ground freezes.  She is fierce, elemental and bound to the land and its weather.  Here on the Island, she is Caillagh ny Groamagh, the weather spirit who gathers sticks as the season turns.

The stories differ, but both bind her to the wild land and the coming of winter.

That is why we began with blackthorn.  We gathered the twigs and thorns from the wind-beaten paths along the Isle of Man’s wild and windswept west coast, then moulded and cast them in silver preserving their natural shapes.  The staff that brings winter, the branches gathered on an island at the very centre of the Celtic world, the thorns that protect and wound: each is part of the story held in these talismans.  Rooted in the land and the Cailleach’s story: a mark of protection, fierce endurance and the power to meet change.

** This necklet is handmade to order.  Please allow 14-21 days for your necklace to be handcrafted by our team ready for collection or shipping **

Details

• Crafted in Sterling Silver.
• The pendant measures approx. 70mm x 34mm (including bail).
• The chain is available in lengths 16, 18 and 20 inches, please make your selection as you check out - other lengths available on request.