The Bull Feast
The ritual of bull sacrifice used to divine the identity of the rightful king.
The Tarbhfheis was an ancient Irish ritual for selecting a king. A bull was sacrificed, a druid ate its flesh and drank its broth, then slept wrapped in its hide. In dreams, the identity of the rightful king was revealed. This shows the sacred connection between kingship and prophecy.
In the hide of the bull, the druid dreams the king who shall be.
The Tarbhfheis shows the integration of kingship with prophetic ritual.
Togail Bruidne Dá Derga