CAILLEACH - In Irish, Gallaecian and Scottish mythology, Cailleach, also known as the Cailleach Bheur, is a divine hag, a creatrix, and possibly an ancestral deity or deified ancest. Her function would be to protect all animals in winter and autumn and take care of nature, although it is believed that she was also the spirit of winter, which did not allow nature to develop freely. She carries a hammer for shaping the hills and valleys, and is said to be the mother of all the goddesses and gods.
In partnership with the goddess Brìghde, the Cailleach is seen as a seasonal deity or spirit, ruling the winter months between Samhainn (1 November or first day of winter) and Bealltainn (1 May or first day of summer), while Brìghde rules the summer months between Bealltainn and Samhainn.
The origin of the toponym "Gallaecia", northwest of the Iberian peninsula (Galicia, northern Portugal, Asturias and León) comes from "Cailleach". Historians agree that the Roman Empire began the conquest of Gallaecia, entering from the south, from Lusitania (Central Portugal) and then marching north. According to the chronicles, the first Celtic tribe encountered by Romans was named Callaeci. This word appears to be a Latin adaptation of "worshipers of Cailleach". This implies that the inhabitants of this place regarded Cailleach as an important deity. The region was known as Callaeci Cale (now Oporto, northern Portugal). In Cale, Celtic culture flourished at the foot of the hills by the river Douro. The Romans distinguished between Cale (establishment), Calleaeci (name by which designated the inhabitants) and Portus Cale (Port of Cale). The whole region became a Roman province, under the name of Gallaecia or Callaecia. The name of Portugal derives from the the roman designation "Portus Cale" and the name of Galicia comes from Cale.
The reason why the Romans decided to name the province Callaecia or Gallaecia is unknown. The Callaeci were only a specific tribe among all the tribes of the future Roman province. One possible explanation is that they adopt the name of the fisrt tribe they met, no matter their size or location. Some authors sustain the idea that the name was taken from the term used to describe the "worshipers of Cailleach" Kallaikoi (καλλαικoι), as they would have been named by the Greek merchants, who allegedly arrived at the coast of Gallaecia before the Romans.
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