What Does It Mean to be a Fáith?

In some of the research that I have done, I've found that Ovate is likely a Romanized Gaelic or Gaulish word. What the Romans called Ovates or Vates, the Irish called Fáiths. ("f" is basically pronounced "v" in the Gaelics) Fili or File seems to be linguistically related as well.

Here's a taste of the word derivation, and cognate words of faith to illuminate a richer depth of meaning. Eventually I will expound more fully, and perhaps more succinctly, if that is possible. But here are some linguistic connections regarding the word and title Fáith.

Faith, n. - Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing; Also, a set of principles or beliefs. Old English, feith, fayth, fay; Old French, feid, feit, fei; French, foi, fr; Latin, fides; akin to fidere to trust; possibly from Greek ??????? ¹

The Fates (Greek & Roman Mythology) The three goddesses, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, who control human destiny. ²

Scottish-"fàidh" [pronounced "faith"], a prophet

Irish-"fáidh" [pronounced "faith"],

Old Irish-"fáith", a prophet > root *vâti-s

Latin- "vates", a prophet

Scottish-"fàisneachd", prophecy, omen

Irish-"fáisdineachd, fáisdine", prophecy, omen

Old Irish-"fáitsine", prophecy > from fáith-sine

Irish-"féith", a sinew, a vein;

Old Irish "féith", fibra, the root of which >"*veiti-s", root "vei", "vi", to wind around, bend;

Latin "vînem", from, "vîtis", a vine;

Greek "@Gi@'téa" (long @G i), willow;

English "withe", long flexible willow branch;

Lithuanian "vy/tis", flexible willow-wand branch;

Church Slavonic "viti", res torta;

Sanskrit "vayati", weave, flecto;

The Welsh shows a stem "*vittâ", vein, Welsh "gwythen", Breton "gwazen", Cornish "guid-"; cf. Latin "vitta", fillet. Hence "féith", a bog channel (Irish "féth", a marsh, bog-stream), and "feithleag", honeysuckle [an easily woven vine], Middle Irish "feithlend", woodbine [an easily woven vine], Welsh "gwyddfid" (do.).

Fairy, Faery, Fay, n., an imaginary being in human form, depicted as clever, mischievous, and possessing magical powers. [Middle Englishfairie, fairyland, enchanted being, from Old French faerie, from fae, fairy, from Vulgar Latin Fta, goddess of fate, from Latin ftum, fate. See fate.]

Fairy \Fair"y\, n.; pl. Fairies. [OE. fairie, faierie, enchantment, fairy folk, fairy, OF. faerie enchantment, F. f['e]er, fr. LL. Fata one of the goddesses of fate. See Fate, and cf. Fay a fairy.] [Written also faery.] 1. Enchantment; illusion. [Obs.] --Chaucer. ³

If you care to scan through the linguistic connections here, you will find that there is a common theme running throughout. The association of being a prophesier and also of weaving branches or fibers jumps out from the page.

Notice the first defined term: that the definition of "faith" from Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary shows the Old English "feith" as a recent root word. Webster's follows a chain down through Latin and ends at a dead-end with the supposition that the earliest root-word might be found in Greek. Can it possibly be a coincidence that the Gaelic words "fáidh", "fáith" and "féith" have strong linguistic connections with the modern English word "faith"? I am convinced that the Gaelics are too often ignored as root words in favor of Latin and Greek.

Regarding connotations of weaving fibers and the word faith.

Weaving has long been the province of Goddess worship, and the weaving strands of weft and warp by hand have always been associated with the weaving of mortals fate. A weaver Goddess or The Three Fates are said in many cultures to be the weavers of people's lives and interconnections. However, in quite a few myths there is the recurring theme of unweaving, and reweaving a tapestry. In this, it is metaphorically shown how free will is possible within the fate that was woven.

Not only cloth has a strong association to the Goddess, but dyeing as well. In Celtic regions, dyeing was thought to be a magical process, and men were often not allowed in the house while dyeing was ongoing. The knowledge of dye processes was strongly guarded. Many dye herbs were herbal medicines as well.

Regarding connotations of weaving branches or vines and the word faith.

Seeing that seasonal wreaths representing the Lunar month were properly done might also have been the responsibility of the Faiths. At least teaching people when and how to weave the seasonal harvests into wreaths, so that all knew how to display the seasonal month correctly, would have been an important task for them. In this capacity they might have been known as calendar displayers. At the very least they could have easily shown which harvest was soon coming, simply by showing an early example upon their doors.

Regarding connotations of filleting and the word faith.

Within words above that are cognate with the word "faith" there is also a cursory reference to veins and fillets. It is quite possible, and there are other lines of evidence, that another of the Faith's responsibilities and privileges, in days gone by, was to select the proper sheep, goat or cow to be the main course at the feast. Red meat would have been a somewhat infrequent occurrence, only had at feast and festivals such as wakes, weddings, namings, coming-of-age ceremonies, and the like, and the added fare to the diet would have been much looked forward to.

As such, the person who selected the animal in question would have been in a privileged position, even if it was only the head of the house-hold. Even today, it is the head of the house-hold who ceremoniously cuts slices from the roasted turkey or ham at Thanksgiving or Yuletide.

Many other responsibilities fall into the Faith's purview, as the reader might know. The obvious attribute of being a seer would be one. And in fact, weaving can aid prophesying. Weaving can become an active meditation. Gathering and weaving branches and vines is a simple and powerful form of connecting and active meditation difficult to convey.

This exploration into the origin and connotations of the word faith shows some of the depth regarding the occupation of the Fáith, and slightly illuminates why and how this occupation came to be called by the name of Fáith.

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