Much of the work Rachel has done in researching her book is in collating tales and folklore from around the British Isles that might have a connection with The Cailleach. Primarily she is a goddess of the landscape, according to Rachel, and is associated with many mountains, caves, rivers and landmarks. She does seem to have been given the ‘Hollywood’ treatment making her out to be the ‘bad guy’ and trapping her in the confines of winter. In fact, Rachel says in her introduction: "She has many myths and legends all passed down verbally and most of them have the same theme, that of renewal, each generation adding or changing bits of the story to suit the times.turning her from a goddess of creation, wisdom, harmony and rebirth into a dark and evil hag. Also, according to a new book called Pagan Portals - The Cailleach by Rachel Patterson, she is far more than just a winter crone. Her name means "hag" in Scottish, but she appears in tales from Ireland, the Isle of Man and some parts of England as well as from the northern lands. and one of the most famous goddesses of winter is The Cailleach from Gaelic mythology. With the Summer Solstice behind us, winter is coming.
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