Kissing the Blarney Stone or How to Get the Gift of Gab   by Terry Kaufman

What person has not wished to have eloquent powers of speech? I would say, with no doubt whatsoever, that we have known someone, somewhere, who has a silver tongue, with an articulate ability to sway opinion. Think about those individuals who are interact with our day-to-day existence,who have the talent to mold our thoughts and attitudes. Virtually every adult has been "trapped", a captive audience of one, listening to a used car salesman extolling the virtues of the car which was driven only by the little old lady from Pasadena. Do you remember the last time a life insurance salesman pushed his prepared speech on you about having enough insurance for your golden years? And, of course, we cannot forget those most skilled orators, our politicians, who are intent upon convincing the public that their political agenda and that of their particular political party, are the guardians of the ultimate rhetoric, whether it be an honest analysis of a potentially explosive situation or something mundane or harmless. They consider it their God-given directive to insure you believe every word uttered, even if it is so ridiculous as stating the sky has pink and green stripes, with silver dogs and cats falling from the heavens.

That, my friends, is the gift of gab. The gift of blarney.

Five miles from the city of Cork, Ireland, in the village of Blarney, sits the historic Blarney Castle, built in 1446. It is one of the largest tower castles to be found in Ireland. Almost 90 feet in height, the present Blarney Castle is the third castle to be built at that site, under the auspices of Cormac MacDermot McCarthy, Earl of Blarney.

The tower, built on a rock atop several caves, originally had three levels: The first held the kitchen and the armory; the second, the dining hall; and third, a chapel. A small staircase went up to the battlements (recessed parapets along the top of a fortification) and the Blarney Stone.

The Blarney Stone is one of the massive lintels just below the battlements. No one is quite sure where the Stone came from. Some sources say the Blarney Stone is one half of the Stone of Scones, given, in 1314, to Cormac MacDermot McCarthy by Robert the Bruce. Other sources suggest the Stone was the rock struck by the staff of Moses while he was searching for water for the Israelites. Several other conjectures about the Stone's origin exist.

The most widely disseminated and universally accepted story about the Blarney Stone and its magical powers involves an old woman who might, herself, have been a witch. The story goes the witch was saved from drowning by a king of Munster. The old woman was so grateful for his intervention that she bestowed a spell upon the king: if he would kiss the Stone at the top of the castle, he would gain such glibness in tongue that it would endear him to all.

Along with the promise of eloquence came a rather treacherous caveat. The only way to gain access to the Blarney Stone in order to bestow the kiss, the pilgrim must approach the Stone upside-down and backwards. The seekers of glib speech were, at one time, obliged to hang by their heels over the edge of the parapet. A horrendous accident befell a young man reaching for his kiss. Even though his friends had a tight grasp around his legs, the man was not being held securely enough and plunged to his death on the rocks below. Now, the Stone is surrounded by an assembly of iron rails, to be held tightly onto with both hands. Oh, I almost forgot. The safest approach to the Stone might have been fortified with the iron bars, but there is still only one way to access the Stone: upside down and backwards. At least now, there is also a Keeper of the Stone to physically restrain and support you as you lower yourself to an uncertain fate.

Pucker up...

DID YOU KNOW?

• The first time Saint Patrick's Day was celebrated in America was in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1737.

About the Author

Terry Kaufman is Chief Editorial Writer for Niftyhomebar.com, Niftygarden.com, and Niftykitchen.com

©2007 Terry Kaufman. No reprints without permission.

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