A Brief History...

The Teltown Funeral Games were held for centuries to commemorate the death of Tea "Teia" Tephi (queen Tailte - Tailtiu), the queen of all Ireland, who lived in her palace on Rath Dubh at Teltown and reigned in the sixth century B.C. These games were held in the form of a Fair and were not only to commemorate Teia Tephi and her death, but were also to help the people to remember The Perfect Laws of Freedom and Justice contained in The Torah, that she brought with her when she came to Ireland from Jerusalem, arriving in 583 B.C.

The word 'Torah' is Hebrew and means The Law and is the collective name for The Five Books of Moses, which contain God's Perfect Laws; Statutes; Judgments; Economic Policy; Agricultural Policy and Healthy Balanced Diet. The Five Books of Moses are The First Five Books of The Old Testament / Covenant of The Bible; the original copies of which are kept in The Ark of The Covenant, along with The Two Stone Tablets with The Ten Commandments written upon them.

 

Artist's impression of The Ark of The Covenant

Teia Tephi was the daughter of Zedekiah, the king of Jerusalem, who died in prison in Babylon after witnessing all of his sons being killed, shortly after the invasion and destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in c.588 B.C. After the destruction of Jerusalem, Teia Tephi was taken by Jeremiah The Bible Prophet, along with The Lia Fail Stone (The Stone of Destiny / The Throne of Israel - the British peoples) and The Ark of The Covenant to Ireland for safety, stopping at Gibraltar; Breogan in Spain and Marazion in Cornwall on the way.

 

Before they were due to arrive in Ireland, Jeremiah was advised by God that there was going to be a rebellion against The Torah, and that he must take The Ark of The Covenant to a secret hiding-place until it was safe for him to bring it to Ireland. So he took The Ark in a separate ship and departed from Teia Tephi who was escorted to Ireland by Bres the son of Elatha, ruler of Cornwall and a fleet of 53 of his ships.

When Teia Tephi arrived in Ireland, landing at Howth, she was embraced by most of the Irish people, who are themselves Israelites descended mainly from the Tuatha de Danaan (the tribe of Dan who was the fifth of Jacob/Israel's twelve sons) (as also are the Milesians) and the Zarah (of the Red Hand - Genesis 38:27-30) branch of the tribe of Judah. She then married Eochaidh Mac Duach, the Ard ri (high king) of Ireland and Tephi was acknowledged queen of all Ireland standing upon The Lia Fail Stone which she had brought with her from Jerusalem and had been placed upon the Inauguration Mound (An Forrad) at The Hill of Tara.

Teia Tephi then, with the help of her husband Eochaidh, began instituting The Torah, or God's Laws to Ireland. The Torah is perfectly fair and un-biased, uniting everyone, with no rich or poor, all under one system, with no corruption. Under The Torah, nobody can oppress anyone else by inflicting their own selfish opinion or laws and taxes on them, so nobody can put themselves over others (all men were created equal in God's Eyes), thereby eliminating bribery and corruption. Eochaidh, who later on inherited the title Ollamh Fodhla from his teacher Jeremiah the Bible Prophet, is renowned in Irish history as being the Great Law-giver of Ireland, because he re-instituted The Torah (God's Law and true justice) to Ireland, and, as quoted by Eugene A. Conwell in his book "The Discovery of The Tomb of The Ollamh Fodhla" from the "Book of Lecan", Eochaidh built Duma na n-Giall - Teamur - The Mound of The Hostages at Tara.

As Ireland, up to that point, had been divided into many small kingdoms, each with its own king or warlord who had made up their own laws and taxes to make themselves rich, many of these kings and warlords didn't like The Torah, because under God's Laws they would have to redistribute the wealth that they had unfairly taken from the people. Then they would become their peoples' equals, or servants as a true king should be (Deuteronomy 17:14-20), rather than falsely placing themselves above their people making the people slaves to them.

A huge battle then transpired, where all of the evil rulers of these small kingdoms, who didn't want to conform to The Laws of The Torah, rebelled against Teia Tephi in what was known as the Battle of Unna (Destruction) or the Battle of the Second Moytura (plain of towers - in the Boyne Valley).

The Battle was held in the Boyne Valley near Slane, where Teia Tephi and her army defeated the rebels in one of the bloodiest battles in Ireland's history. A total of six thousand six hundred and sixty-eight people were killed in the battle, over two-thirds of whom were on the side of the rebels. Those killed in the battle from both armies were buried through-out the Boyne Valley.

Peace was then brought to all of Ireland as The Torah was fully re-instituted as National Law and Teia Tephi and Eochaidh ruled over all of Ireland from The Hill of Tara (Taueragh - Torah).

At this point Jeremiah The Bible Prophet was advised by God that it was safe for him to bring The Ark to Ireland so he landed at Carrickfergus (according to local legend) and The Ark of The Covenant was taken across country to The Hill of Tara. A special subterranean tomb was constructed beneath where Teamur - The Mound of The Hostages, built by Eochaidh mac Duach, now stands and, according to the Irish Dindsenchas (The History of the Eminences) The Ark of The Covenant was placed in it. It was then temporarily sealed until Teia Tephi's death when she was to be placed in the subterranean tomb with it, according to most ancient Irish historical documents.

Once The Ark was safely placed in the subterranean tomb, Jeremiah's mission for God was completed and he died and was buried in what is now known as Cairn T, the Tomb of Ollamh Fodhla, at Loughcrew. A stone inside Cairn T is inscribed with hieroglyphics that describe Jeremiah's boat journey with Teia Tephi from Jerusalem to Ireland and also gives astronomical calculations which give the dates when the Battle of Unna was fought and when Jeremiah died.

Teia Tephi had a palace built for herself at Teltown near Kells and lived there with her husband Eochaidh and they had four children. Their firstborn was a boy named Aedh who died in his teens and was buried in Teamur - Tephi's Wall (now known as The Mound of The Hostages) at Tara. Their second born was a girl named Ainge and their third was Aengus who grew up to be Ard ri after his parent's death. Aengus was, according to his mother, very arrogant and had the grandest tomb in Ireland built for himself and was buried there at Newgrange (Brugh na Boangus - Brug Oengusa).

 

Teia Tephi knew that after she died the people would eventually forget her and The Perfect System of Law contained in The Torah that she brought with her to Ireland. Before she died on the 1st of August, 534 B.C. she asked the people to remember her and The Torah by holding Funeral Games in the vicinity of Teltown, where she lived, in her honour, around the 1st of August, every year.


The Ancient Rules of The Teltown Games...

The Teltown Funeral Games were originally set along the lines of a Fair rather than of actual competitive games and were designed to help people to remember The Laws of The Torah and to teach the young people how to behave themselves in the correct manner. Prizes were given at the games for best behaviour throughout the year and throughout the games. The rules of The Teltown Games are according to The Torah and are as follows:-

1. No wounding or robbing of any man; No trouble; No dispute; No reaving (ravaging; taking by force, carrying off); No challenge of property; No suing; No Law-sessions; No evasion; No arrest.

2. A Fair without sin; without fraud; without reproach; without insult; without contention; without seizure; without theft; without redemption:

No man going into the seats of the women, nor woman into the seats of the men, shining fair, each in due order by rank in his place in the High-Fair.

Unbroken truce of the Fair the while through Erin (Eire) and Albion (Britain) alike, while men went in and came out without any rude hostility.

Corn and milk in every stead, peace and fair weather for the Fair's sake, were granted (by God) to the tribes of the (Danite) Greeks (who had migrated to Ireland as de Danaans and Milesians) for maintaining of Justice.

3. Forbidden for Teltown is gambling; Forbidden to ride through it; Forbidden, to look at it over the left shoulder, when leaving it for a meal.

The Three Heinous Spoils, Patrick forbade in it:-

a) stealing of oxen.
b) slaughter of milk cows.
c) burning of empty byres.

Patrick preached - so it is a judgment - that none who did such things should find peace, so long as Teltown shall stand, for ever, so long as its royal raths endure.

The Eastern Rath (Airthir), the Rath of the evil West, the Rath of Lughaidh, the Rath of Lort, the Rath of Lore, the Rath of Cu, the Rath of Canu - Hail! The Rath of the Seed of Tadg, the triple rampart of Tailtiu.

The triple rampart of Tailtiu (at Tara), famed beyond all lands, the spot where the kings used to fast, with laymen, with clerics, with captains of hundreds (by Tephi's Wall - Teamur - The Mound of The Hostages), so that no disease might be visited on the land of Erin.

From the Lamentation (mourning) for Teia Tephi to the reign of Loegaire mac Neill was held a fair every single year, by the Firbolgs, who were there, and by the Tuatha de Danaan, by the children of Mil (Milesians) thereafter down to Patrick after the first coming of Christ.

In the triple rampart of Tailtiu about tierce, Jesus granted to Mac Eirc (said Patrick) to take away the three plagues from Erin - it is not unknown. That the custom of Gall-cherd should be put away, the sinking of the ships off Bregmag, and the pestilence of the sons of Aedh Slane: to Mac Eirc it was no disgrace.

Till Patrick came after Christ was held the Fair at Teltown that [through teaching The Torah and true sportsmanship they] subdued [God's] Curses [written into The Torah as Penalty Clauses for breaking The Covenant].

The Teltown Fair and the teaching of good-behaviour from The Torah should be re-instituted (according to Nostradamus) to bring back good weather and blessings from God, to all who keep it. It is said that during the reign of Teia Tephi (wrongly deified as Bo/Bovinda) and Eochaidh mac Duach, her husband (wrongly deified as the Daighda), under The Torah, it never rained except at night and that, when it didn't rain, there was sufficient dew to grow crops in great abundance and so the "Daighda's Cauldron" was therefore always full.

God promised in The Covenant, in The Torah, that if any people kept His Covenant He would Bless their land and make their crops grow in abundance* but if they broke it He would Curse the land and the people would perish§, by their own choice.

* Deuteronomy 28:12 The "I AM" shall open unto thee His good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.

§ Deuteronomy 28:18 The "I AM" shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken Me.

The Funeral Games were famous throughout the known world and were visited by people from all over the world to commemorate the peace; prosperity and unity that The Torah (God's Law) had brought to Ireland and all peoples that lived by it, under God's Blessings written into it.

There were Three Marvels connected with the Funeral Games at Teltown, which may have been prophecies rather than past events, as they appear to tie-in with some of the Prophecies of Nostradamus and The Scriptures.

The Three Marvels of Teltown are said to be:-

1) The Headless Man.
2) The boy's manikin son.
3) The descent of a priest from heaven (the sky).

Marvel number three appears to correspond directly with lines two and three of the following of Nostradamus' Prophecies:-


Quatrain 10,72

L'an mil neuf cens nonante neuf sept mois
Du ciel viendra un grand Roi d'effrayeur
Rescuciter le grand Roi d'Angoulmois.
Avant apres Mars regner par bon heur.

The year 1999 seven (sept) month (July or Sept-ember)
From heaven will come a great King of Terror/Alarm/Warning (Prophet -
Elijah - see The Old Testament Book of Malachi, chapter 4)
He will bring back to life The Great King of Israel (Christ from the Tribe
of Joseph/Ephram - Genesis 49:10; 22-24 k.J.A.V. of Bible).
Before (warning) after war (Armageddon) reigns in good (God's) time -
(the Seventh i.e. the Sabbath Millennium - the third millennium A.D.).


In Scripture in the Book of the Apocalypse/Revelation we are told that Christ has eyes like flames and of course if this happens and He has eyes like flame* then no-one will be able to see His head because of His eyes and that would then make more sense out of and fulfill the first marvel of Teltown - The Headless Man. Christ, of course is The High-Priest of all time (Hebrews 5:5-6) and His coming would also simultaneously fulfill the third marvel too - the descent of a priest from heaven.

* Apocalypse/Revelation 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a NAME written, that NO man knew, but HE himself (Rev. 2:17)

The second marvel of Teltown - 'The boy's manikin son', doesn't seem to fit in harmony with the other two marvels. It could possibly be a mis-translation and be supposed to say 'The Father's mannequin Son', in which case it would fit perfectly with the other two marvels and the other prophecies. The Father being God and His mannequin (model) Son would of course be Christ, God's well-beloved (model - mannequin) Son, in whom He is well pleased.


Proposal for 2000 Teltown Fair & Funeral Games...

To promote Kells, Teltown; Oldcastle, Loughcrew and the surrounding areas in Co. Meath and its amazing rediscovered history and heritage; to help to reintroduce the teachings and values of The Torah that Teia Tephi brought to Ireland and to bring the whole community closer together; we wish to restart the Teltown Fair and Funeral Games, during the July - August school holidays, at the height of the Summer tourist-season, when the weather should be most favourable for outdoor events. The Fair should be held around the 1st. of August as that was the date that Teia Tephi, whose death the fair was always held to commemorate, died.

The Fair was traditionally held around Teia Tephi's palace at Teltown (Rath Dubh), but as it grew in popularity the area needed to hold it made it expand further afield. Eugene A. Conwell; who discovered the Tomb of Ollamh Fodhla, on Tuesday the 9th of June in 1863, at the Cemetery of Taillte at Loughcrew, nr. Oldcastle; wrote in his book "Discovery of the Tomb of Ollamh Fodhla" that the Teltown Fair's larger events were held between Teltown and Oldcastle on the plain between Loughcrew and the Tower of Loyd. This would have brought together the people of Oldcastle; Kells, which included Teltown and the surrounding area of Meath. Many of the people of Kells have great affection for Oldcastle/Loughcrew which should facilitate their joint co-operation in the Teltown Fair and may spring from former times, when the Fair was held jointly by their ancestors.

The aforementioned time of year for the Fair (July-August) would be ideal to work in with the schools because it coincides with school holidays. Also, parents could take their children to the Fair as an ideal family holidays activity, to get them out of the house and keep them out of mischief, where there would be something of interest to everyone in the whole family. Oldcastle and Moynalty, whom we hope to include, both already have fairs and displays, every year, that are held around this time of year and we believe that incorporating the Teltown Fair theme and dress to them, would make them even more inviting to tourists and locals alike.

The Fair would be set in the theme of the ancient Teltown Funeral Games that were held for centuries and the ancient rules of the games and The Laws of The Torah would apply to the Fair, including the traditional system of rewards for the best-behaved children at the Fair and throughout the year.

We suggest that Kells; Oldcastle; Moynalty and other interested communities get together to hold the Teltown Fair with as many traditional events, activities and demonstrations at the Fair as possible, such as arts and crafts; weaving and spinning; face-painting for kids; traditional fancy dress; stalls with local produce; Horse and Donkey rides; traditional and popular music; musical instrument-making; Astronomy*; wood and leather-work demonstrations and other cottage-industries. There could be daily or weekly feature-events such as a Traditional Ploughing-Match; Fishing Competition; River Kayaking; Archery; Small-Bore Shooting; Trap or Skeet Shooting; Environmental-Awareness displays; Agricultural-displays; Irish language displays; the possibilities are endless and we are open to any suitable suggestions... We also suggest that the Teltown Fair be advertised world-wide to bring much needed tourism to this beautiful area of Royal Meath, that has such a wealth of fascinating historical heritage sites to promote and visit, along with the Historical Teltown Fair.


* David Moore of Astronomy and Space Magazine offered in 1999 to bring a large telescope and to provide people to man and operate it for the full period of The Teltown Fair and to come himself too.


The event would be run as a huge country-fair, to give people the opportunity to get out of the noise and hussle and bussle of town and city life, to give them a chance to try country-style activities and experience the Ancient Celtic History and Heritage of Co. Meath in a hands-on way. Minibus tours to all of the historical-sites in Royal Meath, including Teltown; the Loughcrew Cemetery of Taillte; the Boyne Valley Cemetery and The Hill of Tara, among others could be run, giving detailed information about the combined history of the whole province and walking tours of each of the sites as they are visited.

Advertising for the fair can be done cheaply and efficiently as well. The cost of a Web-Page on the Internet is minimal or free and we already have all of the relevant information about the history of Kells, Teltown; Loughcrew; etc. and of the Teltown Games prepared and up on our own Web-Site that others could access and link to. We have booklets prepared and ready for print for each of the historical sites in Royal Meath and also have 'The Book of Tephi, queen of Tara and Gibraltar', which gives a complete and detailed account of the sixth century B.C. history related to this area.

Advertising in Dublin and other larger cities is easily covered too, most holiday-makers travelling around Ireland stay in either Hostels or Bed & Breakfasts, and most Hostels and Bed & Breakfasts have notice-boards on which posters or flyers can be placed. The cost of these posters and flyers are minute, considering the huge numbers of people who travel through these places and take the time to look at notice-boards etc., looking for things to do and see in the country they are travelling through.

I firmly believe that the Teltown Fair could easily be re-introduced this year to permanently put Kells; Teltown; Oldcastle and Moynalty on the tourism and heritage map, bringing a much needed boost to the local economies of Kells; Oldcastle; Moynalty; etc. and their communities, hopefully creating new interesting and sustainable jobs to keep the young people from having to leave and go to the big cities to work.

The Teltown Games would also help to reintroduce the amazing rediscovered heritage of Royal Meath with its tremendous historical significance, which affects not only everyone on the island of Ireland, but also the people of Britain, America and the Commonwealth, amongst many others, as it describes and proves our collective true history and heritage as being descended from The Twelve Tribes of Israel who were led out of Slavery in Egypt by Moses and given the Perfect Laws of Liberty contained in The Torah to follow, so that we would never become slaves to anyone ever again (providing we obey The Laws of The Torah).

All this project needs is the positive support of the local people and community enterprise / development / heritage / youth groups, etc. and the help of the local schools, and/or youth-training schemes providing young volunteers interested in learning their true history and how to work and get on with others, so we can all get together; go ahead and begin planning and gathering together all of the separate events; demonstrations; promotions and activities that make up a successful Fair and engender a better community spirit.

 

Please contact JAH. - Email- jahpublications@eircom.net, for further details.