IRISH MYTHS AND LEGENDS

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19 Jan 2024

Irish Myths and Legends

Celtic Mythology is divided into distinct periods. Mythological periods are crucial, as they provide us with small insights into the vague ages of myths. The first significant work in this genre is the Lebor Gabala, also known as the Book of Invasions. Although written from a Christian perspective in the 12th century, the spirit dominating the entire book is pagan. According to the book, the first inhabitants of Ireland perished in the Christian Flood. After 268 years, a group led by Partholon, consisting of 24 men and 24 women, landed in Ireland. They created lakes, dealt with plains, but eventually succumbed to a plague. Their most significant contribution was the brewing of the first beer. After the disappearance of the Parthalons, Ireland was invaded by the Nemedians. They were followers of the adventurer Nemed. These people fought against the invading Fomorians all over the world, from Sweden to Greece. Following the Fir Bolg arrived, landing on the island on the first day of August. They brought allies with them, and this information is evidence of the invasion of tribes.

The most significant of these invasions is the arrival of the Tuatha De Danann, or "People of the Goddess Danu." They came on May 1st and defeated the Fir Bolg in a single battle, conquering Connacht and partly the rest of the island. What is peculiar about their landing is that they came with a mist surrounding them, allowing them to penetrate the inland without being seen by the enemy until deep into the land. After defeating their enemies, they built their capital in Tara. The Tuatha De Danann were a lineage with magical powers. They were skilled and masters not only in art and science but also in the field of magic. In the mythological age, they were among the Immortals. Later, scholars classified them as demons or fallen angels. The bravest among their people, their leaders, won victories not through the art of war but primarily through superior knowledge and magic, primarily as wizards and secondarily as warriors.

Physical fitness and beauty were crucial in this tribe, as well as in the later Celtic tribes. For example, Nuada, the King of the Tuatha who lost his right hand in the first battle of Mag Tuireadh, was removed from his position because he was not physically flawless. This tribe, defeated by the Milesians who landed in Ireland on May 1st, is again associated with May.
It is worth noting that in Galic culture, May 1st is the beginning of summer. It comes right after the Teutonic festival of Walpurgisnacht on April 30th when all the devilry is set free in the world. Also, an ancient Celtic festival called Beltane was celebrated on May 1st. Conversely, October 30th is noteworthy as it heralds the arrival of winter. This date is now celebrated as Halloween, more comically than before. On the same day, another Celtic festival called Samhain involved sacrificing people to the gods. These days were sacred in Druidic Ireland, and since Christians couldn't eradicate these beliefs, they reshaped them into Christian beliefs.

The Tuatha De Danann did not disappear like the other races after their defeat; instead, they transformed into one of the fundamental building blocks of Irish cultural life. They withdrew underground, carrying with them great secrets and mysterious arts, becoming the "Sluagh Sidhe" or the fairy folk. These fairies constitute the foundations of Irish culture, living in forests, homes, rivers, and everywhere. They are called Daoine Maithe, "Good Folk" or Daoine Beage, "Little Folk," or Daoine Sidhe, "Peaceful Folk." The fairies are small, beautiful beings, skilled in many arts. They are credited with inventing the bagpipes and creating the jig dance.

The most important of these fairies is the "Leprechaun." He is a small man, skilled in craftsmanship, tailoring, and a friend, visible only in the morning or late afternoon. When one sees him, the observer must speak politely, watch him carefully, and grab him by the neck at the right moment. To regain his freedom, the captured Leprechaun will lead his captor to the place where a pot full of gold is hidden. The story of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow comes from this legend. Another familiar Tuatha is the tooth fairy.

As we progress through the layers of the supernatural, we must also step into the realm of Irish Gods. The Celts were polytheistic, with various gods and goddesses scattered throughout Ireland. However, all these gods' main source was the Tuatha. The heroes of the tribes were reborn as gods. The most important gods of the pantheon were Dagda and Lug. Dagda is known as the "father of all things." He is large and ugly, carrying a big club. He controls life and death, making him the master of both life and death. He has a never-empty cauldron from which a "river of abundance" flows, a symbol still used in literature today. Dagda was the god of fertility and the creator of majestic castles. A festival is held in his honor on the first day of November, also known as Halloween.

Lug, on the other hand, is known as "Long Arm" and "very skillful." His magical power comes from his skill in blacksmithing, a significant craft at the time. He is also a warrior, a harpist, a poet, a historian, and a magician. Lug actually participated in the battle of Mag Tuireadh and, like David and Goliath, killed the giant hero of the Fomorians with a sling. Lug was an adept god of the successful Celtic race, both as a warrior and a craftsman.

Other major gods include Danu, the Earth Mother, and later Saint Brigid in Christian belief. When the priests could not prevent worship of Brigid, they wisely sanctified her, turning her into Saint Brigit.

These gods were worshipped in various ways. The main practitioner of the ritual was the Druid, a shaman with great magical powers. They belonged to different classes, such as Seers, Priests, and Bards. The literal meaning of Druid is "one who knows and finds the place of the oak tree." Oak holds an important place in Druid ceremonies. For the ritual, mistletoe and oak leaves were collected with a golden sickle to prepare a magical elixir by boiling them in a large cauldron. The most popular and frequent location for these rituals was the Carnutes forest in France. Human sacrifices were often offered during these rituals. Details about the rituals can be found in ancient Irish books and epics.

Ancient Irish literature can be divided into three main sections:

Mythological stories about the first invasions of Ireland.
Red Branch Cycle or Cu Chulainn stories and tales from the Ulster and Connacht wars, including the Ulster period.
Stories of the Fiann MacCool and his son Ossian, including the Ossianic period.

The Red Branch period is important because of its pure Gaulish narratives and epic movements. The Cattle Raid of Cooley or Táin Bó Cúailnge is one of the most important stories. Anyone can trace their way to this book by following the footsteps of the medieval chivalric tradition. The hero Cu Chulainn, whose real name is Setanta, comes from a noble Celtic family. He promised to serve Culann and take the name Cu Chulainn, meaning "Culann's Hound," after accidentally killing Culann's watchdog. Cu Chulainn came from an inflated Celtic nobility, and in addition to his courage and pride, he was also skilled in magic and art. It should be noted that a Celtic warrior was not just an unrefined soldier but someone equivalent to a poet or druid. Looking modernly, even though he seems somewhat deformed with seven fingers and seven toes, he was a powerful young man. It should be remembered that seven is a magical number. Cu Chulainn was a complete monster in battle, able to turn within his skin, stand on his hair, and make fire from his hair. He was invincible on the battlefield.

In the legend, the witch queen Medb wants to steal the dun bull of Cualnge. The hero intercepts her, but he loses his powers through the magic of three witches and suffers mortal wounds. While washing his wounds in a lake, a dog approaches to drink the bloody water. Cu Chulainn kills the dog and declares that killing a dog was his first and last brave act. He then ties himself to a stone pillar, challenging his enemies to his death without damaging his honor.
Cu Chulainn was the archetypal hero, and others followed in his footsteps. Cu Chulainn fought for his tribe and became a hero among his own people. Compared to him, Finn MacCool and his counterparts could be considered as extraterritorial heroes. Their stories are known as the Fiana, taking place in a later period. These warriors were mortal but connected to the otherworld. They were the first examples of complete human beings in Celtic society. Most of their actions were devoted to hunting and serving as mercenaries in battles. They were a wandering army fighting for money. The events mentioned above sometimes took place in magical environments, in alliance with the Tuatha De Danann and the gods. Finn was half Tuatha, half Fir Bolg by birth. Finn and his people were poets, and Ossian was the greatest of all the poets who came later.

The hero, therefore, whether tribal or extraterritorial, was a human. Although endowed with superpowers, he was not invincible. Nevertheless, heroes were quite long-lived, like Finn, who lived for two hundred years. It can be easily said that the hero was an exaggerated ideal of the Celtic warrior aristocracy.

Finally, we need to mention the Celtic Otherworld. When the Tuatha De Danann were defeated and descended underground, they adopted the Sidhe, the mounds and tumuli of prehistoric Ireland. Like Valhalla for the Vikings, the Otherworld was a place of maximum happiness through various foods, love, and joys, where wounds could heal, and the dead could return to life. Heroes were invited or forced by the gods to enter Sidhe. Similarly, humans, in their own ways, were forced to enter Sidhe to steal treasures like the Cauldron of Abundance. There were also places for giants and other terrifying things for unsuccessful and cowardly warriors and traitors.

Irish myths and legends are so extensive that they can be told in giant volumes rather than in a simple text and can still amaze and delight readers today. Every culture can find a piece of itself in the fertile soil of Irish myths and legends.

Thank you for reading.

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