"Cuchulainn's geasa were that no woman should leave his land without his knowing of it, that no birds should feed upon his land without leaving something for him; that no fish should leave his waters unless he had caught it; that no warrior from another tribe should be upon his land without his challenging them."
___"The Adventures of Nera," early Irish text (trans CM)
The untranslatable Irish word geis (GEE-YES -- the plural form is geasa) means a binding obligation that has to be upheld at all costs; it is sometimes also used in the sense of 'taboo,' something forbidden. The concept of geis, in the ancient world was very much tied up with one's honor, and the obligations or prohibitions it entailed were often pronounced by seers directly after a child's birth or at her initiation into adulthood. We each have things we must observe and actively do, as well as things we must strictly avoid. Our geasa are our boundary protectors. If we observe them, they will ensure our own survival and integrity; they will keep us from harm.
Our geasa increase or evolve as we ourselves grow. Self-chosen geasa - "I will always dye my hair red." or I will never eat meat" - are joined by geasa that are laid upon us - "My employer requires me to wear a black suit" or my religion enjoins me never to make war on others." These may be followed by stronger and more binding gesa - "I pledge to keep faith with my country" or "As an addict, I must never use alcohol." Our identity, talents, and integrity all have their own special obligations and prohibitions.
We do not choose all our geasa; those that are laid upon us are often highly inconvenient, restricting our freedom. Yet they protect us and remind us of the boundaries of our honor; and, as the contracts of life itself, they maintain the boundaries of the universe in a special way.
"What are the geasa of your life? What obligations are you bound to perform? What prohibitions must you observe in order to be safe?"
[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]
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