2. Wells generally situated near circles, dolmens, cromlechs or cairns, or churches which have replaced them.
3. Association with sacred trees.
4. Well-worship and offerings.
5. Time of the chief festivals.
1. Pagan origin.
—It seems to be accepted now that well-worship in Britain originated long before the Christian era; that it was not introduced by the Christian missionaries, but rather they found it in vogue on their arrival, and tolerated it at first and utilized it afterwards, as they did a great many other Pagan customs.
With regard to this point Wood-Martin writes:[54]
“In many Irish MSS. there are allusions to this pre-Christian worship. For example, Tirehan relates that St. Patrick, in his progress through Ireland, came to a fountain called Slaun, to which the Druids offered sacrifices, and which they worshipped as a God; and in Adamnan’s Life of St. Columkille it is recounted that this saint, when in the country of the Picts, heard of a notable fountain to which the Pagans paid divine honour.”
He adds (p. 50):
“It evidently did not originate in the blessing of wells by early saints and thus spread downwards, until it became almost, if not quite, universal; on the contrary, it began from the people, who were being Christianized, and thence permeated the entire system of Irish Christianity.”