There is no superstition stronger in Ireland than a belief in the
curative power of the sacred wells that are scattered over the
country; fountains of health and healing which some saint had blessed,
or by which some saint had dwelt in the far-off ancient times. But
well-worship is even older than Christianity. It is part of the early
ritual of humanity, brought from the Eastern lands by the first Aryan
tribes who migrated westward, passing along from the Mediterranean to
the Atlantic shores.
The Delphic oracle in its origin was nothing more than a holy well,
shadowed by trees, on which were hung the votive offerings of the
praying peasants, long before the rival kings brought to the sacred
spot their votive tributes of silver and gold, and crowns of precious
stones.
In Ireland the beautiful, picturesque, and tree-shadowed wells of
the country were held sacred by the Druid priests, as is evident
from the many remarkable Druidical remains that have been found in
their vicinity—ruins of temples and pillar-stones, and stones with
strange carvings. Much also of the ancient Druidic ceremonial has been
preserved by the people, such as the symbolic dances, the traditions
of sun-worship, and other pagan rites, which were incorporated into
the Christian ritual of well-worship by the early converts, and are
still retained, though, through the lapse of ages, they have entirely
lost their original significance, and are now only practised as ancient
customs, for which the Irish have great reverence, as having come down
to them from their forefathers. The ceremonial is the same at all these
places of devout pilgrimage. The pilgrims go round the well a certain
number of times, either three or nine, creeping on their hands and
knees, but always from east to west, following the apparent motion
of the sun, and reciting paters and aves all the time. At the close
of each round they build up a small pile of stones; for at the last
day the angels will reckon these stones, and he who has said the most
prayers will have the highest place in heaven, each saint keeping count
for his own votaries. The patient then descends the broken steps to the
well and, kneeling down, bathes his forehead and hands in the water,
after which oblation the pain or disease he suffered from will be
gradually removed, and depart from him for evermore.
At some wells there is often a rude stone monument of the ancient
times, and the eyes of the pilgrim must be kept steadily fixed on it
while reciting the prayers.
Whenever a white-thorn or an ash-tree shadows the place, the well is
held to be peculiarly sacred; and on leaving, having first drunk of the
water, the patient ties a votive offering to the branches—generally a
coloured handkerchief or a bright red strip cut from a garment; and
these offerings are never removed. They remain for years fluttering in
the wind and the rain, just as travellers have described the votive
offerings on the sacred trees that shadow the holy wells of Persia.
They are signs and tokens of gratitude to the patron saint, and are
meant to show the devil that he has no longer power to harm the praying
pilgrim, or torment him with pains and aches as heretofore. It is
not supposed that the water of the well has any natural medicinal
properties. The curative efficacy is wholly due to the observance of
the ritual in honour of the saint, whose spirit and influence is still
over the well, by which he lived, and of which he drank while living on
the earth.