What were the Four Original "Tools"?

Question

....and what were their names and where did they come from?

This is 'Pagan History'..... you just have to love it..... or not.

Answer 1

"In modern Witchcraft, there are four principal altar tools, the same four tools shown on the Tarot card, the Magician. They also correspond to the four Tarot suits, the four ancient treasures of Ireland, and the four 'hallows' of Arthurian legend. And, like the four elements, two of them are feminine and two of them are masculine. The pentacle is a shallow dish inscribed with a pentagram, representing earth, and is here placed in the east. The womb-shaped chalice, symbolizing water, is placed in the west. They form the horizontal feminine axis. The phallic-shaped wand, representing fire, is placed in the south. And the equally phallic-shaped athame is placed in the north."

~www.ecauldron.com/rethinking.php

"The Hallows across most legends are seen to represent the royal regalia carried by the King, or the objects sought by someone such as a 'Grail Quester' (See Grail Knights) in both ancient and modern stories.
The sacred vessels, or 'Hallows of Ireland' were believed to have been brought by the 'Tuatha de Danaan' (See Tuatha de Danaan) to Ireland and kept in the 'Crane Bag', visible at high tide only. Four people were responsible for guarding the contents, known as 'Guardians of the Hallows' : 'Manannan' (See Manannan), 'Lugh' (See Lugh), 'Cumhal' (See Cumhal), 'Fionn' (See Fionn). When it was first in Manannan's care it contained:


Manannan's House;
Goibniu's shirt, belt, knife and smith's hook;
King of Lochlann's Helmet;
King of Alba's Shears;
A Belt made from fish skin;
Asal's pig's bones.

Later the Tuatha de Danaan were believed to be a people who were said to have brought sacred treasures from an island near Greece to Ireland from the Otherworld (See Otherworld). There were said to be four treasures:

1. Shining spear of Lugh (from Gorias), providing victory in any fight;
2. Stone of Fal (from Falias), kings were crowned on this;
3. Sword of Nuadu (from Findias), impossible to avoid being struck and wounded by its contact;
4. Cauldron of Dagda (from Murias), of plenty. (See Dagda), (See Bran the Blessed).
The four hallows of the Tuatha de Danaan were developed in later traditions to be:


1. The Pole of Combat;
2. The Sword of Light;
3. The Cauldron of Cure;
4. The Stone of Destiny.

These have since been further developed to the four symbols of magical elements, to also be seen on Tarot packs as the four suits:

1. The Sword;
2. The Spear;
3. The Cup;
4. The Pentacle.

We can see that the sacred vessels influenced the Arthurian legends, Grail legends and the search for the hallowed objects in ancient 'Annwn' (See Annwn) also being associated with those of the Tuatha de Danaan:

1. The Sword which is Broken;
2. The Spear of the Dolorous Blow;
3. The Dish (to process the Head of the Withdrawn Grail Guardian);
4. The Grail (Sacred Chalice / Cauldron of Plenty & Inspiration).


The Spear has also been referred to as the 'Lance of Longinus', as it is said to be the one which 'Longinus', a Roman centurion, used to pierce Christ's side as He was being crucified.
The Hallows were believed to be shown to the Grail Questers whilst attending a meeting, or in some cases a feast. This meeting has been considered to be a tradition if not a ritual accompaniment to the feast, where the focus of the viewing of The Hallows was considered one to be respected. In some legends the 'Lady of the Lake' (See Lady of the Lake) is referred to as the 'Guardian of the Hallows of Kingship'.

Today The Hallows can be seen to exist in modern regalia;


1. The Sceptre (Rod of Equity and Mercy);
2. The Sword of State;
3. The Ampulla of Holy Oil;
4. The Crown.

In early Arthurian legend it was said that thirteen treasures existed in the Otherworld, and these were reputed to have been retrieved from Annwn by Arthur. These were collectively known as the 'Thirteen Treasures of Britain' (See Hallows of Britain). The story of their recovery is told in the poems of 'Taliesin' (See Taliesin)."

~www.mystical-www.co.uk/arthuriana2z/h.htm