Triads: Proverbial Wisdom
The Sacred Three
My fortress be,
Encircling me.
Come and be round,
My hearth, my home.
-Alistair MacLean, Hebridean Altars
In Celtic Art, three is often represented as a triplex, such as in a triad, or as three inseparably entwined interlocking views. Everything that constitutes life-knowledge, art, gods, social and cultural relationships, concepts, and course of action (including St. Patrick's shamrock, which is today one of the national symbols of Ireland, along with the harp)- seems to be imbued with triangular symbolism. This extends from the earliest beginnings of representation as a triangle motif on useful objects, through cultural objects, to literature, where triads are prominent in Ireland and Wales as a genre. The most important knowledge of life, personalities, animals, and other things of significance for society at that time are divided into systems of triads. CuChulainn is born three times, many heroes can only be killed three times, sacred things are encircled three times, fathers are kissed three times, ect.
Tri pheth sydd o godi'n fore- iechyd, cyfoeth a santeiddrwydd
Three things bring early rising- health, wealth, and holiness.
Tri pheth y dylem eu caru- aroglau meillion, blas llaeth achan adar y coed
Three things we should experience: the smell of clover, the taste of milk, and the song of the wild bird.
Tri pheth y dylai Cymro fod yn debyg i'r Cymro gynt- bod yn hael, yn wrol ac yn hawddgar
Three things the Welsh of today should share with their predecessors- to be generous, brave, and kind.
Three or trinity has been preserved as a sign of strength. Threefold reverence is deeply engrained in Celtic cultures. The conjunction is part of a creative process of beginning, middle, and end; in the three sacred seeds of wisdom that flash out of the cauldron of knowledge as primal sparks of inspiration. It is seen in the human family as mother, father, and child; in the world as the earth, sea, and sky. Each trinity offers a understanding of the nature of life and stands as a supporting beam to the cosmos. Ancient Celtic wisdom found within triads is important to note, many triple-headed gods and threefold goddesses reflect the sacred trinity-a concept thought by some scholars to have been developed by the Celtic St. Hilary of Tours in the fourth century. Today, many things run in threes be it luck or misfortune.
The triad and its possible meanings can be applied to the cults of mothers, mother goddesses, and goddesses of war. This application is not used just by the Celts, but it is also found in other places such as India and Egypt. This includes the representation of a god with three heads, but never one with three bodies. Instead there are images with three horns, three beasts, and some with three penises. Such things must also underlie Morrigan, Macha, and Badb and their multiple functions or appearances. Medb fits into a trinity mainly as a mother-goddess figure: once married, she generates life; she brings in warriors such as Ailill, but also plans and executes death, as with Cu Chulainn. With the conversion to Christianity, additional meanings enter: three-headed beings, seldom seen in traditional literature, become especially evil. As a result, the conquering of three-headed dragons is often found in fairy tales. Whereas the Celts trinity is primarily the mother divinity, with Christianity, it is related to the trinity of God as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (supremacy of the patriarchate).
Within a triskele, the Celtic people embodied the sacred symbol of life and energy. The interlocking movement within the tree-legged cross spirals with the movement of life. It's perpetual motion, turning its legs ever sunwise, is the sign of good fortune, and the centrifugal dance of long life. The three-legged whirligig of the triskele appears in Celtic art from the fifth century B.C. on. Each leg of the triskele is one limb of the sacred spirit of all life; all three legs together imbue the universe with the energy to activate the body, heart, and mind of all beings with physical vitality, emotional responsiveness, and mental agility, unlocking our true potential from its motion. The energy of the trinity runs through the very part of the universe gracing our life with a beginning, middle and end of everything we undertake in life, death, and rebirth. If the wheel, the circle/ring, and other symbols are to be seen as symbols for the sun, the triskles, like the swastika, is a symbol for the motion of the heavenly bodies-that is, it is a sun wheel with three blades. both symbols appear in very early European and Asian culture. Fore the Celts, they are documented at the latest in La Tene period (3rd/2nd century B.C.). Because of cultural exchanges that obviously also took place at that time, the Celts borrowed from the Greeks winding patterns and other designs, such as tendrils, and developed their own shapes from them. As a result, the distinctiveness of the curves increased, and the triskele developed into a typical sun-wheel, which is today an emblem of Brittany, the Isle of Man, and Ireland. Many also see in triskeles a windmill (water wheel), or the elements heaven-water-earth. The elements that accompany one throughout life are water, stones, and trees (earth), as well as sun and moon (heaven). The triskele is also mentioned in literature , in which it stands simplified for the spiral of life that embraces the world. The relation to the number three generates varied meanings and illustrations.
This is meant to be displayed as reference to how one should live their life, not as an immediate body of LAW. So take what you will and apply as you see fit.
Concerning three things that hide: an open bag hides nothing, an open door hides
little, an open person hides something.
Three errors not acknowledged: fear of an enemy, torment of love, and a jealous
persons' evil suspicion of their mate.
Three possessions we value most take away pride from us: our money, our time,
and our conscience.
Three things by nature cause their possessor to err: youth, prosperity, and
ignorance.
Three things resemble each other: a bright sword which rusts from long staying
in the scabbard, bright water which stinks from long standing, and wisdom which
is dead from long disuse.
Three things not easy to check: the stream of a cataract, an arrow from a bow,
and a rash tongue.
Three things hard to catch: a stag on the mountain, a fox in the wood, and the
coin of the miserly scrooge.
There are three things each very like the other: an old blind horse playing the
harp with his hoofs, a pig in a silk dress, and a merciless person prating about
piety.
Three things as good as the best: bread and milk against hunger, a white coat
against the cold, and a yeoman's son in a breach.
Three things which are not hidden: a straw in the shoe, a awl in a bag, and a
harlot in a crowd.
Three sweet things in the world: power, prosperity, and error in action.
Three strong things in the world: a lord, a fool, and the Void.
There are three things which move together as quickly the one as the other:
lightning , thought , and the help of the Mighty Ones.
Three things not loved without each one it's companion: day without night,
idleness without hunger, and wisdom without reverence.
There are three whose full reward can never be given to them: parents, a good
teacher, and the Shining Ones.
Three glories of a gathering: a comely mate, a good horse, and a swift hound.
Three things which constitute a healer: a complete cure, leaving no blemish
behind, and a painless examination.
Three false sisters: "perhaps", "maybe", and "I dare
say".
Three timid brothers: "Hush!" "Stop!" "Listen!"
Three youthful sisters: desire, beauty, and generosity.
Three aged sisters: groaning, chastity, and ugliness.
Three slender things that best support the world: the slender stream of milk
from the cows dug into the pail; the slender blade of green corn upon the
ground; the slender thread over the hand of a skilled woman.
Three keys that unlock thoughts: drunkenness; trustfulness; love.
Three sounds of increase: the lowing of a cow in milk; the din of a smithy; the
swish of a plow.
Three unbreathing things paid for only with breathing things: An apple tree, a
hazel bush, a sacred grove.
Three things by which excellence is established: Taking all things in moderation
with nothing in excess; abidance to oaths; and acceptance of responsibility.
It is easier to determine the truth when these three prime evidences are
existent: physical items which tell a story; trustworthy witnesses which tell
their story; and concurrence with known truths. .
Three things from which never to be moved: one's oaths; one's Gods; and the
truth.
Three things which strengthen a person to stand against the whole world: Seeing
the quality and beauty of truth; seeing beneath the cloak of falsehood; and
seeing to what ends truth and falsehood come.
There are three things excellent among worldly affairs: hating folly; loving
excellence; and endeavoring constantly to learn.
Three manifestations of humanity: Affectionate bounty; loving manner; and
praiseworthy knowledge.
Three things which spring from following lawful goodness: universal love from
the Wise; worldly sufficiency, and better place in the life to come.
Three things without which there can be nothing good: truth; peace; and
generosity.
Three beautiful beings of the world: the upright, the skillful, and the
reasonable.
Three tendencies of a persons lifetime: hope, love, and joy.
Three things excellent for anyone: valor, learning, and discretion.
Three things must be united before good can come of them: thinking well,
speaking well, and acting well.
Three things are becoming a person: knowledge, good deeds, and gentleness.
Three things it is everyone's duty to do: listen humbly, answer discreetly, and
judge kindly.
Three things one should keep always before them: their worldly duty, their
conscience, and the Laws of Nature.
Three sureties of happiness: good habits, amiability, and forbearance.
Three things without which there can be nothing good: truth, valor, and
generosity.
Three marvelous deeds: to forgive a wrong done, to amend everything possible,
and to refrain from injustice.
Three joys of the happy: avoidance of excess, peace, and loyalty.
Three antagonists of goodness: arrogance, passion, and covetousness.
Three rewards of those who learn to temper their emotions: experience, strength,
and introspection.
Three things beside which the baneful cannot be: conformity to law, knowledge,
and love.
Three things must wait long before they are attained: honesty from covetousness,
wisdom from arrogance , and wealth from sloth.
Three things hard to obtain: cold fire, dry water, and lawful covetousness.
Three duties of the excellent person: to cherish their mate and children, to
love their country, and to obey the laws of their people.
Three manifestations of excellence : the honoring of parents, the respecting of
the aged, and instructing the young; and to this a fourth, defending of infancy
and innocence.
Three reasons for supplicating to the Shining Ones: because it is a pleasure to
you, that you may be a friend of those who are wise, and because your soul is
immortal.
Three reasons to war against fault: to not do to others as you would not have
them do to you , that you not be arrogant , that you might always let the light
of wisdom shine.
Three ways to lose excellence: to become a servant to one's passions, to not
learn from the examples set by others, to indulge to excess.
Three fair things that hide ugliness: good manners in the ill favored; skill in
a common person; wisdom in misshapen.
Three candles that illume every darkness: truth, nature, and knowledge.
There are three kingdoms of the happy: the world's good word, a cheerful
conscience, and firm hope of the life to come.
Three leaderships of the happy: being good in service, good in disposition, and
good in secrecy; and these are found united only in those with a noble heart.
In three things a person may be as the Divine: justice , knowledge , and mercy.
Three things lovable in a person: tranquility, wisdom, and kindness.
Three things excellent in a person: diligence, sincerity, and humility.
Three things which show a true human: a silent mouth, an incurious eye, and a
fearless face.
Three companions on the high road to Union with the Void: a patient poor person,
a reflective wise person, and a tolerant reformer.
Three who are loved by the Shining Ones: the strong just person, the brave
merciful person, the person generous without regret.
Three things without which the protection of the Shining Ones cannot be:
forgiving an enemy and a wrong done, wisdom in judgment and act; and cleaving to
what is just, come what may.
There are three things to be commended in those that possess them: wisdom in
talk, justice in actions, and excess in nothing.
There are three things which the happy will gain: prosperity, honor, and the
ease of conscience.
Three things which the humble will gain: plenty, happiness , and the love of
their neighbors.
Three things which the sincere will gain: favor, respect, and prosperity.
Three things which the patient will gain: love, tranquility, and succor .
Three things which the merciful will gain: favor, love, and the protection of
the Shining Ones.
Three things which the upright will gain: worldly sufficiency, peace of
conscience, and unending happiness.
Three things which the industrious will gain: precedence , wealth , and praise
from the Wise.
Three things which the law-abiding will gain: health, success, and honor.
Three things which the careful will gain: respect, plenty, and content.
Three things which the generous of heart will gain: joy from their profit,
felicity in giving, and a better life to come.
Three things which the early riser will gain: health, wealth, and happiness.
There are three companions of lawlessness: pride, envy, and rapine.
Three things hateful to the Shining Ones and to human kind: a weak look, a
deceitful tongue, and a mischievous spirit.
Three roots of every evil: covetousness, falsehood, and arrogance.
Three joys of the lawless: gluttony, fighting, and fickleness.
Three things which end ill: falsehood, envy, and guile.
Three bad tendencies in a person: pride without generosity, covetousness without
justice, and anger without mercy.
Three chief evil qualities of people: sloth, deceit, and arrogance.
Three things pleasant to see: an unhappy person becoming happy, a miser becoming
generous, and the lawless submitting to authority .
Three chief things which deceive people: fair words, desire of gain, and
ignorance.
Three things it is no worse to lose than to keep: wealth, youth, and love of the
world.
There are three things: counsel , loss , shame; and they who have not the first
will get the other two.
Three nourishment's of arrogance: recklessness, wealth, and excess.
Three things which attack the weakest: enemies, wealth, and pride.
Three things better forsaken by those who love them: sport, carousal, and
strife.
Three things of which only the happy and wise beware: the breaking of oaths,
drunkenness, and vanity.
Three things whose deficiency is not worse than their excess: festivity, wealth,
and pleasure.
Three things which follow sloth: evil deeds, evil report, and evil end.
Three things odious in a person: ignorance, bad deeds, and perversity.
Three things unseemly for a person: to think themselves wise, to think another
foolish, and to think their appearance what they desire.
Three chief corruption's of the world: sloth, pride, and extravagance.
Three things which afflict the world: envy, anger, and covetousness.
Three strange things in the world: loving war more than peace, loving excess
more than sufficiency, and loving falsehood more than truth.
There are three people accursed: they who work against the Laws of Nature
without concern, they who know nothing of the Shining Ones and do not seek to
learn, and they who know much and do not share their knowledge with any other.
Three kinds of evil people: the traitor, the conspirator, and the slanderer.
Three people hateful to the Shining Ones and to human kind: the liar, the thief,
and the miserly scrooge.
Three kinds of people worthless to they who are just and honest: the drunkard,
the perjurer, and the traitor.
Three kinds of people without the fear of the Shining Ones: the traitor, the
ravisher, and the miser.
Three chief attributes of a person likely to do wrong: an angry countenance, an
arrogant spirit, and an insatiable covetousness.
Three marks of a thief: an inquisitive tongue, a curious eye and a fearful face.
Three things needful to one who has done wrong: to acknowledge their wrong, to
seek to be upright, and to make restitution.
From three people keep yourself: the joyless, the mocker, and the one who laughs
at lawless doings.
Three people easy to do without: they who do no benefit to any, they who bring
no joy to any, and they who keep not peace with any.
Three who are best when they are farthest off: the fulsome flatterer, the
contentious slanderer, and the lying tale-bearer.
Three things which gain daily and seek continually: the sea, a drunkard, and a
miser.
Three rude ones in the world: a youngster mocking an old person; a robust person
mocking an invalid; a wise man mocking a fool.
Three signs of a fop: the track of his comb in his hair; the tract of his teeth
in his food; the track of his stick behind him.
There are three things which those who do ill will gain: poverty, bad report,
and a bad conscience.
Three things which the insincere will gain: evil life, evil report, and evil
end.
Three things which the quarrelsome will gain: strife, shame, and neglect in
their necessity.
Three things which the cruel obtain: torturing conscience, dispraise of the
wise, and the wrath of the Shining Ones.
Three things which the ill minded gain: hatred, strife, and sorrow.
Three things which the negligent will gain: shame, loss, and derision.
Three things which the miser obtains through their wealth: pain in gathering,
care in keeping, and fear of losing.
Three things which the sluggard will gain: shame, disease, and misery.
There are three things a person will gain from acquiring wealth: hate between
themselves and others, hate between they and themselves, and hate between
themselves and the Mighty Ones.
Three things that are the portion of the wealthy: more and more covetousness,
more and more care, and less and less pleasure.
Three things which can come from just wealth: worldly abundance, brotherly
charity, and national goodness; and from these the favor of the Shining Ones.
Three ways leading to poverty: gambling , gluttony , and harlotry.
Three things better than riches: health, freedom, and discretion.
Three things which a person will obtain from poverty: health , learning , and
the protection of the Shining Ones.
Three things which most profit a person: poverty, sickness, and children; for by
possessing them they gain knowledge of much truth that cannot be without them.
Three things as good to lose as to gain: extreme prosperity, extreme praise, and
extreme dignity.
Three earthly losses which bring gain to the soul: loss of a friend, loss of
health, and loss of riches.
There are three kinds of people: the average person, who does good for good and
evil for evil ; the good person, who does good for evil ; and the evil doer, who
does evil for good.
Three things gained by the endurance of the Cailleach: cleansing, purity, and
renewal.
Three littles which do much harm: a little of bad disposition, a little of
injustice, a little of negligence.
Three things , little of which shows much wisdom: little conceit, little
covetousness, and little gossip.
Three littles which make great profit at the time: little of eating and
drinking, little of care, and little of tongue.
Three things to be commended in anyone: their face proud, their discourse
discreet, and their ways kind.
Three things which make a person wanton: beauty in their form, folly in their
head, and conceit in their heart.
Three wrongful contentions: war for war, law for law, and reproach for reproach.
Three upright contentions: prudence for imprudence, favor for disfavor, and love
for hatred.
In three things one will be an wrong doer: putting a snare in the way,
frightening a little child, and laughing at wrongs done.
There are three falsehoods: a falsehood of speech, falsehood of silence, and
falsehood of demeanor; for each one of these will make another believe what they
ought not.
Three losses which will bring gain in the end: loss of what is more than life
needs, loss of bodily health, and loss of what one prizes the most and above
all.
Three gains which will turn to loss in the end: gaining fame for a harmful act,
gaining wealth from injustice, and gaining the upper hand in an evil strife.
There are three levels of society, and they who fill them are: the Fili' who are
Aes Dana, the Ruada, who are the warriors, and the Aire who are the free people
who work husbandry.
The three degrees of Royalty: Righ, Ruiri, Ri' Ruirech
The three seats of the Ri' Ruirech are: Tara, Cruachain, Emain.
Three things which a kings Brughaid must provide without pay: lodging, food, and
entertainment.
There are three foundations of law and custom: order, justice, and peace.
Three things which come from peace: increase of possessions, improvement of
manners, and enlargement of knowledge.
There are three things which lay waste the world: a king without counsel, a
judge without conscience, and a son without reverence.
Three monstrous things in the world: a youth without civility , a woman without
dignity , and a man without conscience.
Three things which war against peace: a bad mate, bad soil, and a bad over-lord.
Three things which turn the world upside-down: a mates' dominance, a daughter's
intemperance, and a son's ignorance.
There are three beauties of a land: the granary, the smithy, and the school.
Three other beauties of the land: intelligent tillage, neighbors who agree, and
conscientious rule.
Three things which make plenty in a land: planting trees, tilling the soil, and
carding and spinning.
Three sustenance's of human kind: hunting, ploughing the land, and merchandise.
Three discontents of a husbandmen: a lazy servant, degenerate seed, and soil
over-rich.
There are three things, and any who move them are accursed: the boundary of
land, the course of water, and the sign of a road or track.
There are three things which will make a person leader among their neighbors:
wisdom, generosity , and wealth.
Three things which bring a person the love of their neighbors: to be a
peacemaker, to be a helper, and to be a guide.
Three things which bring a person respect among their neighbors: supporting
themselves, being wise in their counsel, and being kind.
Three exertions becoming and praiseworthy for any person : tilling their soil,
increasing their knowledge, and growing in excellence.
Three who will be pleasing to the Shining Ones: a faithful teacher, a good
husbandmen, and a mediator in disputes.
Three goodly things among people: handicraft, husbandry, and scholarship.
Three things which follow every lawful person of exceeding excellence: a good
name and report for themselves, good instruction for the children where they
are, and good progress in everything they undertake in act and deed.
Three for whom when they are alive only hatred is seen, and praise when they are
dead: the peaceful wise person, the truthful teacher, and the sincere friend who
rebukes.
Three chief obligations of a person to their country and family: to gain
possessions by diligence and integrity, to profit their country and their
kindred in all they do, and to seek lawful learning wherever they go.
Three things which the good poet preserves for posterity: memory of the
praiseworthy, delight in thought, and instruction in knowledge.
There are three who are never profitable: they who marry by the counsel of their
flesh, they who feast by the counsel of their craving, and they who fight by the
counsel of their rage.
Three things of less worth than all else: a woman without dignity, a man without
knowledge, and a teacher without patience.
Three things better than riches which happy people keep for their children and
heirs: Instruction by reason, instruction by example, and exhortation to act as
he does because of the respect and praise it brings him.
Three things which will not benefit heirs: a miser's wealth, the praise of
tavern companions, and feats of sport.
Three things which prolong the lifetime of a person: the soil which rears a
child, the food which nourishes a child, and play which diverts a child.
Three worldly honors, each one superior to every other: ploughing the family
homestead, asserting a claim successfully, and rearing children.
Three aims to the future: planting trees, improving handicraft, and rearing
lawful children.
There are three things which mislead the world: the promises of masters, the
garments of priests, and the seemliness of a daughter.
Three things which deceive those who trust them: a paramour's promise, a serfs
fidelity, and the season of youth.
Three things from which there is nothing but deceit: the love of the wanton, the
innocence of dominion, and the piety of one ill in bed.
Three things which ought not to be believed: an old persons dream, a paramour's
oath, and a tale without authority.
Three things not easy to trust: a drover's oath, a paramour's promises, and a
hunter's word about his dog.
People notable in three things: a miller in thieving, a preacher in begging, and
a boaster in telling lies.
Three things hard to obtain: a grave tailor, an honest miller, and an ale-wife
not covetous.
Three persons who desire their portion rich and savory: a cook, a concubine, and
a kept priest.
Three things which do not profit the world by anything they do, whatever their
fame for wisdom, art, and piety: a grasping miser, a arrogant poet, and a kept
priest.
Three chicks from one nest: a loquacious farmer, a logical poet, and a
half-hearted divine.
Three kinds of contenders on the death of a powerful rich person: their
detractors for their reputation, kinsmen for their goods, and worms for their
carcass.
Three things good in a miser's eyes: a brass-handled knife, much-patched shoes,
and defaming the generous.
Three ways to know a person: by their discourse, their conduct, and their
companions.
Three measuring-rods of every person: their dreams, their fears, and their
unconcern.
Three hatreds which last for ever: between a mate and their step-children,
between dogs and swine, and between Cymry and Saxon.
Three things wrong for any to meddle with: the office of a lord, usury, and war.
Three things hard for any to do: cool the fire, dry the water and please the
world.
Three things not easy to obtain when sought: a loan of money from a usurer,
without interest; the pleading of a case in court, without fee; and a dinner of
rich food in a miser's house.
Three things which pervert just judgment: the love of friends, fear of the
mighty, and desire of worldly goods.
Three things not easily found: an arrogant person generous, a young person wise,
and an old person mannerly.
Three diversions which will surely bring trouble: hunting , war, and dallying
with one who is younger.
Three things necessary to one who enters an inn: a strong head, a tough stomach,
and a heavy purse.
Three things one gains in an Inn: entertainment which makes them poor, mirth
which makes them do wrongly, and joy which makes them sad.
Three kinds of liar, and there is none other like them: a lord lying for
privilege, a priest for office, and a woman for a son whom she loves.
Three blessings that do not bring on any either hunger or nakedness: the
blessing of their spiritual counselor, the blessing of their rightful lord, and
the blessing of a poet of hereditary art.
Three other blessings better than all: the blessing of father and mother, the
blessing of the sick and wounded, and the blessing of one in adversity.
Three to whom it is right to give food: the stranger, the solitary, and the
orphan.
Three things which cannot be obtained: poverty from alms-giving, wealth from
robbery, and wisdom from prosperity.
Three occasions for one to speak falsehood without excuse: to save the life of
one who is innocent, to keep the peace among neighbors, and to preserve the Wise
and their crafts.
Three things one is loath to leave: the land where they were born and nurtured,
the friends whom they have proved true, and the wealth which they have amassed
through the labors of their own hands.
Three people who win easily in their lawsuits: the generous, the wise, and the
healthy.
Three improprieties of one who is Fili' : To claim as their own work, what the
Gods have done through them; to demand gain or pleasure as a servant of the
Shining Ones; to allow themselves to be kept by labor that is not their own.
Three things which dazzle the world: deceit, supremacy, and excessive love for
man and human beings.
Three things by which we may know our neighbor: that he is poor, that he is a
stranger, and that he is in the image of human kind.
Three gifts of charity : food, sanctuary, and instruction.
There are three things proper from one who has received kindness: their thanks,
their remembrance, and their requital.
Three things for which thanks are due, because that is as easy as reward: an
invitation, a gift, and a warning.
Three qualities unbecoming anyone: being importunate in asking, hard in giving,
and ill in opinion.
Three things which bring one many invitations: saying little, and that wise and
instructive; quiet mirth without great effort; and behaving always without
arrogance.
Three things which cause one loss of invitations: eating to much, speaking to
much, and asking to much.
Three who ought not to be invited to a house: a flattering deceiver, a scornful
mocker, and an envious traitor.
Three things unhandsome at a banquet: a skewer too short, a blunt knife, and a
dish out of reach.
Three indignities of one at a feast: coughing in their drink, cutting their hand
with a knife, and spilling their broth.
Three improprieties of one at a feast: breaking from every piece in the dish,
putting in their mouth more than his companion can respond to, and drinking with
his piece in his mouth; and a fourth impropriety: finding fault with the food
they eat.
Three meats of the hosteller: boiled flesh, red flesh, living flesh.
Three things never to bring one who has been your host: harm, contention, ill
repute.
Three reasons for keeping silent: against saying the thing one ought not,
against speaking in the way one ought not, and against speaking in the place one
ought not.
Three reasons for speaking, come what may: for instruction against ignorance,
counsel against strife, and truth against harmful falsehood.
Three things do no hurt against any: concealing ill manners, controlling
passion, and destroying ill intention.
There are three things which one should give freely to guests: gracious
accommodation, friendly conversation, and insured safety.
Three elements of gracious accommodation: Cheerful welcome; hot sustenance; and
a warm bed.
Three things a guest should never bring to another's house: ill tidings;
presumptuous license; and treachery.
Three improprieties of a person at a feast: partaking of every piece on the
dish; stuffing the mouth; talking with the mouth full.
Three things all should have on hand for a guest, expected or not: open door,
undry cauldron, warm bed.
There are three things without which one is not whole: a mate, a home, and a
craft.
Three things desirable in a household: good order, good knowledge, and
sufficient plenty.
Three felicities of a household: and honest watchman, a careful herdsman, and a
wise errand-goer.
Three things which make one glad: their mate loving them, their labor
prospering, and their conscience easy.
Three things fitting for one when they are at home: their mate laying with them
, their cushion in their chair, and their harp in tune.
Three things of great comfort for one to have: their mate in their bed, their
fire in their hearth, and their money in their purse.
Three felicities of a wise person: kindly soil, a dedicated mate, and a
law-abiding child.
Three things which will exalt a person: a mate dedicated and diligent, a master
faithful, and safety.
Three things which help one to get rich: their mate saving, their family not
wasting, and themselves laboring.
Three things which make a marriage happy: equality of age, equality of lineage,
and equality of possessions.
Three felicities of a person and their mate: being merry at home, good in their
relations with the Shining Ones, and mediators among their neighbors.
Three things one gains when their mate endeavors to be excellent: their
household peaceful for love of them, their children gentle in manners, and the
respect of their neighbors.
Three things a person gains when their mate endeavors to be excellent: peace of
mind, wellness of body, and stable prosperity.
Three treasures of the child in a good home: truth, love, and growth.
Three things in a person which makes their mate a leader among their neighbors:
skill, industry, and wisdom.
Three things which bring dignity to a person: discretion in speech, contentment
in the life they lead, and being peaceful among their neighbors.
Three things which makes one content with their dinner: their mate clever, their
food savory, and their stomach healthy.
Three things pleasant to one at their dinner: a sharp-edged knife, a
sharp-pointed skewer, and a clean plate.
There are three uncomfortable things: a house without a mate, a chamber without
food, and a body without health.
Three things which make disorder in a household: the man drunken, the wife
execrable, the children intractable.
Three things that one is better without: a dishonest household, disobedient
children, a drunken mate.
Three things which will drive one from their house: their mate quarreling, their
roof leaking, and their chimney smoking.
Three infelicities of a household: an idle doer of ill , keeping a paramour, and
lodging a priest.
Three things which make one needy: Their mate luxurious, their household
negligent, and themselves extravagant.
Three things which bring a mate hate instead of love: peevishness, desire of
dominance, and the pampering of their own stomach.
Three things which bring on one the worlds disrespect and their mates' hatred:
lying long in the morning, being stubborn, and bringing a paramour into their
house.
Three indignities of a woman: being garrulous, being querulous, and being
slanderous.
Three indignities of a man: being quick to suspicion, being quick to anger,
being slow to labor.
Three things which bring on a person a bad opinion : being apt to dally with
youths, being greedy in dainties, and speaking ill of their neighbors.
There are three duties of one who is Fili': to teach their people to live
fearless in strength, to teach their people how to avoid the attention of the
Shining Ones, and to teach their people the Laws of Nature.
Three things necessary for a contract to be made: mutual agreement, mutual
understanding, and mutual consent; and there is a fourth and that is surety
given.
There are three types of surety: Naidn, Aitire, Rath.
There are three things in a contract which need special attention: that which is
explicit, that which is implicit, and that which has been forgotten.
There are three foundations to mutual agreement: that there be nothing hidden,
that there be no malicious intent, that there be no coercion.
There are three things due one who has had a contract broken: loss, loss from
loss , and honor price.
There are three types of contract, all binding before the Shining Ones and
before human kind: that which is established by the spoken word, that which is
established by the written word, and that which is ordained by the Righ or Rian
.
Three types of profit: from producing , from investing , from a good reputation.
Three types of investment: goods , money, and time.
There are three levels of honor price: one third the value of the agreement when
one has defaulted on a contract because of something beyond their control; three
times the value of the contract when one has defaulted by their own volition or
slothfulness, and no malice was intended; nine times the value of the contract
when one has defaulted on a contract by an act of their own volition, with
malice intent.
There are three things most precious to human kind: health, liberty, and virtue.
Three things which do not suffer trifling: health, prosperity, and time.
Three things which keep a person in good health: moderate food, well-apportioned
labor, and natural warmth.
Three foods which bring health, long life, and clear understanding: corn food,
milk food, and garden food.
Three foods which bring disease, short life, and dull understanding: flesh food,
sweetened food, and highly seasoned food.
Three customary acts which make one healthy and long-lived: work, by tilling, in
moderation; rising early; innocent mirth.
Three customary acts which bring short life and disease: to much labor, too much
sleep in the morning, and peevishness.
Three frequent changes which bring long life: change of food, change of work,
and change of amusement.
Three good things in one who loves good health: enough sleep at Bealtinna (in
Spring), enough food at Meansamhradh (at Mid-Summer), enough fire at Geamhradh
(in the Winter).
Three things which strengthen the body: lying on a hard bed, cold air, and dry
food.
Three things whose excess shortens ones life: flesh food, drunkenness, and too
much dallying about with those of the opposite gender.
Three unfailing remedies in every disease and sickness: nature, time, and
patience.
Three things of which one does not see half enough: life, health, and riches.
Three things one who is prudent will not show: the bottom of their purse, the
bottom of their knowledge , and the bottom of their heart.
Three things which one who is upright ought to curb: a young spirited horse, a
young intemperate daughter, and a garrulous tongue.
Three things like one to the other: a fine granary without corn, a fine flask
without drink, and a fine daughter without good repute.
Three things not good to leave: a ship before the wind, a woman to her rage, and
a son to his ignorance.
Three things which do not go well if hurried: war, feasting, and argument.
Three things which a person obtains from traveling in strange land: hunger,
cold, and derision.
Three things trust in which does not end well: health in old age, fair weather
in winter, and felicity from things of the world.
Three things it is best to leave alone: a strange dog, a sudden flood, and one
wise in their own eyes.
There are three things which keep order and system for everything in the world:
number, weight, and measure.
Three things which we cannot control: the Void , the planets , and truth. To
this be it added, The Truth Against The World.
Three things good as servants, bad as masters: water, fire, and wind.
Three more things worse yet as masters than as servants: labor, money, and
kings.
Three things which shall lay waste where they come: water, fire and the curse of
the Shining Ones.
Three arch-enemies of human kind: fire, water, and a king.
Three gluttons of the world: the sea, a king, and a city.
Three things no being can be seen without: covering, movement, and shadow.
Three things which should be chiefly considered in everything: nature, form, and
work.
Three unequals of the world: beauty, love, and necessity.
Three parts to everything : He One , She One , They One in the Third .
There are three things that are never at rest in anyone: the heart in working,
the breath in moving, and the soul in purposing.
Three things in the world between which there is a wonderful difference: the
faces of people, the utterances of people, and the writings of people.
There are three from which it is not easy to win a person: their belief, their
genius, and their nation.
Three things on which every person should reflect: whence they come, where they
are, and whither they shall go.
Three things hard for a person to do completely: know themselves, conquer their
appetite, and keep their secret.
Three things a person cannot conceal: great love, great hate, and great wealth.
Three things of which the whole is not good: doing the whole that passion
desires, believing the whole that is said throughout the land, and showing the
whole that one knows.
Three martyrdoms without slaying: the liberality of a needy person, the
innocence of a young person, and fair maintenance without wealth.
Three things of which the loss is woe: the attainments of wisdom, a pure
conscience, and the love of Shining Ones.
Three fears which strengthen a person's heart: fear of speaking the whole that
they have learnt from another, fear of extreme prosperity, and fear of offending
the Shining Ones.
Three fears which weaken a person's heart: fear of speaking the truth, fear of
wretched poverty, and fear of evil being done them.
Three counsels of the yellow bird: do not grieve greatly about what has
happened, do not believe what cannot be, and do not desire what cannot be
obtained.
Three things which come on a person without their knowing: sleep, error, and old
age.
Three things which come together: age, error, and grief.
Three things which keep their word faithfully: death, retribution, and remorse.
Three things the true human obeys: truth, the world which is to come, and the
cock at dawn.
Three things of which not the half is to be believed that is boasted of them:
wealth, understanding, and goodness.
Three things never end: the flowering of charity, the soul, and perfect love.
Three things necessary for the doing of every act: knowledge, ability, and
desire.
There are three parts to every action: thought, word, and deed.
Three kinds of knowledge : the nature of each thing , the cause of each thing ,
the influence of each thing.
There are three springs of knowledge: reason, phenomenon, and necessity.
Three things must a person do who desires to learn: listen intently, contemplate
intently, and be silent continually.
Three teachers of humankind: one is event, that is from seeing and hearing; the
second is intelligence, and that comes from reflection and meditation; and the
third is genius, individual, a gift from the Mighty Ones.
Three gains of those who heed the advisements of the Old Ones: illumination,
wisdom, and clarity.
Three instructions not wise to believe: what a person imparts in support of what
is for their own profit and success; what one imparts with hatred to another;
and what a person wise in their own eyes imparts.
The three qualifications of poetry: endowment of genius; judgment from
experience; happiness of mind.
The three foundations of Judgment: bold design; frequent practice; frequent
mistakes.
The three foundations of learning: seeing much; studying much; and suffering
much.
The three foundations of thought: perspicuity, amplitude, and preciseness.
The three canons of perspicuity: the word that is necessary, the quantity that
is necessary, the manner that is necessary.
The three canons of amplitude: appropriate thought, variety of thought, and
requisite thought.
There are three things which strengthen the mind and reason: seeing much,
reflecting much, and enduring much.
Three resources of human kind: intelligence, love, and prayer.
There are three foundations of wisdom: discretion in learning, memory in
retaining, and eloquence in telling.
Three concords for wisdom: generosity and wealth, knowledge and humility, and
valor and mercy; and they are neither a true human nor sage in whom these things
are not found in concord.
Three marks of wisdom: simplicity, endeavor, and long-suffering.
Three securities of wisdom: memory, reflection, and custom.
Three qualities which show wisdom: suffering discreetly, forgiving injury, and
seeking knowledge.
Three followers of wisdom: imagination, purpose, and endeavor.
Three demonstrations of wisdom: holding to reason, holding to imagination, and
holding to improvement.
Three synonyms of wisdom: necessity, decency, and expediency.
Three things which obstruct wisdom: pride, covetousness, and timorousness.
Three special virtues of wisdom: generosity, industry, and prudence.
Three initiations of wisdom: lawful teaching, effective customs, and instinctive
love.
Three operations of wisdom : taming savagery, spreading peace, and improving
laws.
There are three schools of one who is wise: conscience, reason, and instruction.
Three things essential for the wise to know: their Gods, themselves, and the
deceits of the world.
Three things that one who is wise attains: prosperity, dignity, and joy.
Three triumphs of one who is wise: dignity, intuition, and praise.
Three things of which one who is wise may boast: their understanding, their
handicraft, and that which they have mastered.
Three plagues of the wise: a young lover, drink, and bad temper.
There are three schools of the foolish person: the punishment of the law, ill
happenings in their life, and a bad position in the life to come.
Three things which befall the unwise person: failure, disgrace, and sorrow.
Three boasts of a fool: riches, lineage, and dissipation.
Three laughters of a fool: about the good man, about the evil man, and about
what he knows not.
Three things which the fool calls imprudent: to seek knowledge, come what will;
to give alms without thinking what is to come; and to endure for truth and
justice without fear of what may come.
Three things of which everything is capable, and without which nothing can be:
strength of body and mind, knowledge, and love of intuitive wisdom.
Three things which may not be opposed: nature, necessity, and decay.
Three who are hard to believe: a wanderer from afar, the reader of a book in a
strange tongue, and they who are older than their neighbors.
Three who it is wise not to believe: the stranger about their possessions, and
old person praising the day that was of yore, and one who boasts of their
wisdom.
There are three concords which uphold all things: concord of love and justice,
concord of truth and imagination, and concord of the Shining Ones and
occurrence.
Three words of counsel from Teilo the Draoi: know thy power, know thy wisdom,
and know thy time.
Three people who will please the Shining Ones: they who love everything living
with their whole heart, they who love every beautiful thing with their whole
strength, and they who seek every knowledge with their whole understanding.
Three things between which there is great difference: what is praised and what
is forgiven, what is forgiven and what is suffered, and what is suffered and
what is not punished.
Three things all should strive for: Oneness with their Gods; peace among
neighbors; and just judgment.
Three things which help avert calamity: to worship the Shining Ones, to be
upright, and to exercise fortitude.
Three things by which comes success: Listen humbly , answer discreetly, and
judge kindly.
Three foundations of success: a silent mouth, a careful ear, and a fitting
action.
The three foundations of friendship are: Respect and trust; understanding and
forbearance, a loving heart and helpful hands.
Three things for a friend: let them be to you a second self, let not their
misery estrange you from them, do for their memory what you would do if they yet
lived.
The three foundations of happiness: contentment; hope, and belief.
There are three things which the happy will gain: prosperity, honor, and ease of
conscience.
Three purposes for the return of souls to this world : To collect into the soul
the properties of all being , to acquire knowledge of all things , to acquire
the power to overcome chaos.
Three things which continually grow less : darkness , falsehood, and death.
Three things constantly increase : light , life , and truth.
There are three who judge: the judgment we place upon ourselves, which lingers
long; the judgment of our peers, through the king, which lingers short; and the
judgment of the Mighty Ones , and this swift, sure, and just .
There are three only , whose frenzy is a benefit to their people: The Warrior on
the field of battle, the Dancer in the place of dance, and the Seeker of Justice
where ever they may be.
The three highest causes of the true human are: Truth, honor, and duty.
The three manifestations of the true human are: civility, generosity, and
compassion.
The three foundations of Spirituality: Hearth as altar, work as worship, and
service as sacrament.
Three worst smiles-the smile of a wave, the smile of a loose woman, the grin of
a dog ready to leap.
The Three wealths of fortunate people-a ready conveyance, ale without a
habitation, a safeguard upon the road
Three sons whom chastity bears to wisdom-valour, generosity laughter.
Three entertainers of a gathering-a jester ,a juggler, a lap-dog.
Three worst things for a chief: sloth, treachery, evil counsel.
The three things that ruin wisdom-ignorance, inaccurate knowledge,
forgetfulness.
Three nurses of dignity-a fine figure a good memory, piety.
Three nurses of high spirits-pride, wooing, drunkenness.
Three dark things of the world-giving a thing into keeping, guaranteeing,
fostering.
Three that are most difficult to talk to-a king about his booty, a Viking in his
hauberk, a boor who's under patronage.
Three whose spirits are highest-a young scholar after having read his meters, a
youngster who has put on mans attire, a maiden who has been made a woman.
Three wealths in barren places-a well in a mountain, fire out of a stone, wealth
in the possession of a hard man.
Three renovators of the world-the woman of a woman, a cows udder, a smiths
moulding block.
Three concealments upon which forfeiture does not close-a wife's dowry, the food
of a married couple a boys foster fee.
Three contracts that are reversed by the decision of a judge-the contracts of a
woman, of a son, of a cotter.
Three that are incapable of special contracts-a son whose father is alive, a
betrothed woman, the serf of a chief.
Three sons that do not share inheritance-a son begotten in a brake, the son of a
slave, the son of a girl still wearing tresses.
Three chains by which evil propensity is bound-a covenant, a monastic rule, law.
The rocks to which lawful behavior is tied: A monastery, a chieftain, the
family.
Three things that constitute a king-A contract with other kings, the feast of
Tara, abundance during his reign.
Three locks that lock up secrets-shame, silence, closeness.
Three keys that unlock thoughts: drunkenness, trustfulness, love.
Three inheritances that are divided in the presence of heirs-the inheritance of
a jester, of a madman and of an old man.
Three youthful sisters-desire, beauty, generosity.
Three aged sisters-Groaning, chastity, ugliness
Three well-bred sisters-constancy, well-spokenness, kindliness
Three Ill-bred sisters-fierceness, lustfulness, obduracy
Three sisters of good fortune-good breeding, liberality, mirth
Three sisters of good repute-diligence, prudence, bountifulness
Three sisters of ill-repute-inertness, grudging, close-fistedness
Three angry sisters-blasphemy, strife, foulmouthedness
Three irreverent sisters-usefulness, an easy bearing ,firmness
Three reverent sisters-usefulness, an easy bearing, firmness.
Three causes that do not die with neglect-the causes of an imbecile, and of
oppression, and of ignorance
Three bloodsheds that need not be impugned-the bloodshed of battle, of jealousy,
of mediating
Three cohabitations that do not pay a marriage-portion-taking her by force,
outraging her without her knowledge through drunkenness, her being violated by a
king.
Three that are not entitled to exemption-restoring a son, the tools of an
artificer, hostageship
Three deposits that need not be returned-the deposits of an imbecile, and of a
high dignitary ,and a fixed deposit
Three dead ones that are paid for with living things-an apple-tree, a hazel
bush, a sacred grove.
Three that neither swear nor are sworn-a woman, a son who does not support his
father, a dumb person.
Three that are not entitled to u\renunciation of authority-a son and his father,
a wife and her husband, a serf and his lord.
Three who do not adjudicate though they are possessed of wisdom-a man who sues,
a man who is being sued, a man who is bribed to give judgment
Three on whom acknowledgement does not fall in its time-death, ignorance, carelessness.
Three maidens that bring hatred upon misfortune-talking, laziness, insincerity
Three maidens that bring love to good fortune-silence, diligence, sincerity.
Three hateful things in speech-stiffness, obscurity, a bad delivery.
Three Steadinesses of good womanhood-keeping a steady tongue, a steady chastity
and a steady housewifery.
Three strayings of bad womanhood -letting her tongue and her housewifery go
astray.
Three excellences of dress-elegance, comfort, lastingness
Three that are not entitled to sick-maintenance-a man who absconds from his
chief, from his family, from a poet.
Resources:
Symbols of the Celts by Sabine Heinz
Irish Folk Wisdom by Mairtin O' Griofa
The Celtic Spirit by Caitlin Matthews
Links:
The Triads of Ireland
http://www.lincolnu.edu/~focal/docs/triads/triads.html
The Welsh Triads or
Trioedd Ynys Prydein
http://camelot.celtic-twilight.com/triads/
The Sacred Triskele
http://www.sacredtriskele.net/triads.html
Druidic Triads
http://www.summerlands.com/crossroads/library/triads.htm
Celtic Quotes
http://www.quotemeonit.com/celtic.html
A Wee Sample of Some Irish
Triads
http://www.geocities.com/aurian_eire/triads.html
A Compilation of Triads
http://www.illusions.com/rowanhold/3things.htm