Finnirish - Invidious

Before the Bible was written in English, before Rome ruled Britain, there was a voice.
A voice that said: “I am the wind on the sea.”

This is the Song of Amergin, believed to be one of the oldest Celtic poems ever spoken—an invocation of power, identity, and unity with the natural world.

I titled my version “Cétguí Úa”, which means “the first prayer of the descendant.”

This piece is a spell. A reclaiming. A remembering.

What is the Song of Amergin?

The Song of Amergin is believed to be the oldest surviving poem in any Celtic language, with origins reaching back to as early as 500 BCE through oral tradition. It was first written down in medieval manuscripts like the Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of the Taking of Ireland) in the 11th century.

The poem is attributed to Amergin Glúingel, a druid, bard, and judge of the Milesians—a mythical people said to be the final invaders of Ireland in Irish mythology. When he and his people arrived on the shores, Amergin sang this invocation, calling upon the land and the gods to acknowledge his right to exist there.

Each line of the poem begins with “I am…” — not in arrogance but in mystical identification with nature and cosmic forces.
He declares himself:
“I am wind on sea. I am wave on ocean. I am roar of the sea…”

These lines are more than poetry—they’re a druidic spell of presence, a declaration of divine kinship with the land, sea, stars, and time itself.

The language is Old Irish, and even today, its rhythm and symbolism speak across centuries. It’s not just myth. It’s ancestral memory.

My piece is titled Cétguí Úa, meaning “the first prayer of the descendant.”
This is my voice reaching back through time to honor the voice that first stood on the shore and said:

“I am."