Ireland is a land of legends and one of the greatest is the legend of
the Lia Fail.

The Speaking Stone
by Cornelia Amiri

Ireland is a land of legends and one of the greatest is the legend of
the Lia Fail. Called the speaking stone, because when the feet of the
rightful kings rested on the stone it roared for joy. The stone is
also known as the Tanist Stone, Jacob's Stone, Jacob's Pillow, the
Stone of Destiny and the Jewel of Destiny.

The legend began in out of mind, before birds, insects, lizards, four
legged creatures and finally humans came to walk upon the stone.
Eons after the stone's creation, it came to lay in a land called
Bethel. There a man named Jacob, a second son, fleeing his brother's
wrath, wandered into the clearing where the stone lay. Jacob used the
stone as a pillow on which he laid his tired head.

As Jacob slept, he dreamed of a stairway to heaven where God called
down from the top rung and blessed Jacob with the land on which he
lay. God promised Jacob's descendents would be as plentiful as dust
and they would spread to the four corners of the earth.

When Jacob awoke, he knew he had lain on the gateway to Heaven.
Gently, he picked up the large stone, poured oil on it, and carried
it with him as a holy relic.

Many years passed and Jacob wed; his wives and their handmaids gave
him sons. Before long he had grandsons and great grandsons. The stone
came to be called Jacob's Pillow and it was passed down through his
descendents. Eventually, the stone was taken into Egypt where it
stayed until Moses freed the Israelites. Then it was carried into the
Promised Land. But, the stone always stayed within the line of
Jacob, from which descended the greatest of prophets and the greatest
of kings.

The stone was taken to Jerusalem where it was used as the pedestal of
the ark of the Ten Commandments in Solomon's temple until the
Babylonians attacked the city. The walls of Jerusalem crumbled and
the Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar, set the city aflame. The Israeli
King, Zedekiah, had imprisoned the prophet Jeremiah for foretelling
of this very doom. But Nebuchadnezzar set him free. Except for
Jeremiah and Zedekiah's two daughters the people of Jerusalem were
enslaved and taken to Babylon.

Jeremiah took Zedekiah's daughters and the holy relics with him. He
hid the ark and tabernacle in a hollow cave in the same mountain on
which Mosses was given the commandments. Jeremiah needed the stone
to rebuild the empire, so it would stand until the Messiah comes to
gather the people. But the prophet couldn't build the kingdom in
Judah for it lay in waste, and neither Babylon nor Egypt would offer
protection. To fulfill God's will Jeremiah had to bring King
Zedekiah's daughters (of Jacob's line through David) and the stone
(now called the Stone of Destiny) to a new land.


After searching the far seas for a new homeland, he docked at Iberia,
as it was a pleasant and fruitful place. There, Scotta the younger
daughter of King Zedekiah was married to the king of Iberia. Then
Jeremiah proclaimed it was time to go to the new Promised Land and
with Zedekiah's older daughter, Tea Tephi, he cast off for a green
isle in the shimmering sea. Erin.

It was there, on a green grassy hill called Tara, Princess Tea Tephi
of Jerusalem and Prince Eochaidh of Erin were married and crowned
King and Queen as they stood on the Stone of Destiny.
The people of Erin were wise and spiritual. They knew the things of
the earth which seemed to be the least to mankind lived far longer
than men. So just as they learned the wisdom of the trees and used
them in worship, they learned the power of the stones and used them
in worship.

The stone stayed at the hill of Tara for many years. As the human
spirit is so potent it can even affect stone, the people of Erin gave
the stone powers. It came to be known as the as the Lia Fail, (the
speaking stone in the language of Erin) for the stone acquired the
power to choose who would be king by roaring for the rightful
sovereign.
Jacob's pillow was the coronation stone for 131 high kings of Erin,
all crowned at Tara. Each coronation included blessing the king's
future children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Exactly as
was done on that long ago day when God blessed Jacob's descendants
and promised they would be as plentiful as dust and they would spread
to the four corners of the earth.