96-586: In Irish mythology , Donn ("the dark one", from Proto-Celtic : * Dhuosnos ) is an ancestor of the Gaels and is believed to have been a god of the dead . Donn is said to dwell in Tech Duinn (the "house of Donn" or "house of the dark one"), where the souls of the dead gather. He may have originally been an aspect of the Dagda . Folklore about Donn survived into the modern era in parts of Ireland, in which he
192-663: A féth fíada ('magic mist'). They are said to have travelled from the north of the world, but then were forced to live underground in the sídhe after the coming of the Irish. In some tales, such as Baile in Scáil , kings receive affirmation of their legitimacy from one of the Tuath Dé, or a king's right to rule is affirmed by an encounter with an otherworldly woman (see sovereignty goddess ). The Tuath Dé can also bring doom to unrightful kings. The medieval writers who wrote about
288-430: A "goddess of poets". Writing in the seventh century, Tírechán explained the sídh folk as "earthly gods" (Latin dei terreni ), while Fiacc's Hymn says the Irish adored the sídh before the coming of Saint Patrick . Several of the Tuath Dé are cognate with ancient Celtic deities: Lugh with Lugus , Brigid with Brigantia , Nuada with Nodons , and Ogma with Ogmios . Nevertheless, John Carey notes that it
384-422: A desire to record their native culture and hostility to pagan beliefs, resulting in some of the gods being euhemerised . Many of the later sources may also have formed parts of a propaganda effort designed to create a history for the people of Ireland that could bear comparison with the mythological descent of their British invaders from the founders of Rome, as promulgated by Geoffrey of Monmouth and others. There
480-639: A god whom he likened to Dīs Pater , the Roman god of the underworld . The Christian writers who recorded the Lebor Gabála Érenn made Donn into Éber Donn one of the mythical Milesian ancestors of the Gaels. The Milesians invade Ireland and take it from the Tuatha Dé Danann . During their invasion, Donn slights Ériu , one of the eponymous goddesses of Ireland, and he drowns in a shipwreck off
576-631: A group of manuscripts that originated in the West of Ireland in the late 14th century or the early 15th century: The Yellow Book of Lecan , The Great Book of Lecan and The Book of Ballymote . The first of these is in the Library of Trinity College and the others are in the Royal Irish Academy. The Yellow Book of Lecan is composed of sixteen parts and includes the legends of Fionn Mac Cumhail, selections of legends of Irish Saints, and
672-599: A group of stories of visits to the Irish Other World (which may be westward across the sea, underground, or simply invisible to mortals). The most famous, Oisin in Tir na nÓg belongs to the Fenian Cycle, but several free-standing adventures survive, including The Adventure of Conle , The Voyage of Bran mac Ferbail , and The Adventure of Lóegaire . The voyages, or immrama , are tales of sea journeys and
768-485: A magical love spot that makes him irresistible to any woman who lays eyes on him. One snowy winter night an unkempt and repugnant woman, "very wild and ugly", appears at the lodge of the Fianna and requests to share one of the men's bedsteads. She is rejected by all but Diarmuid. She makes additional demands on the group's hospitality, which Diarmuid points out are impertinent given her appearance but grants regardless. In
864-463: A portal. In Ireland there was a belief that the souls of the dead departed westwards over the sea with the setting sun. The Metrical Dindshenchas entry for "Tech Duinn" recounts the tale: Through the incantations of the druids a storm came upon them, and the ship wherein Donn was foundered. 'Let his body be carried to yonder high rock', says Amairgen : 'his folk shall come to this spot.' So hence it
960-652: A succession of peoples, the fifth of whom was the people known as the Tuatha Dé Danann ("Peoples of the Goddess Danu"), who were believed to have inhabited the island before the arrival of the Gaels , or Milesians . They faced opposition from their enemies, the Fomorians , led by Balor of the Evil Eye. Balor was eventually slain by Lugh Lámfada (Lugh of the Long Arm) at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh. With
1056-523: A third time, but this time he was too late: Diarmuid had died. After Diarmuid's death, Aengus took his body back to the Brugh, where he breathed life into it whenever he wished to speak with the hero. Tóraigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne has often been compared with the earlier love triangle between Deirdre , Noísi and King Conchobar of Ulster, Longes mac nUislenn (The Exile of the Sons of Uisliu), which
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#17327826493811152-470: A triad and connected with sovereignty and sacred animals. They guard the battlefield and those who do battle, and according to the stories in the Táin Bó Cúailnge , some of them may instigate and direct war themselves. The main goddesses of battle are The Morrígan, Macha, and Badb . Other warrior women are seen in the role of training warriors in the Fianna bands, such as Liath Luachra , one of
1248-549: A white horse. He was also associated with the weather: thunder and lightning meant that Donn Fírinne was riding his horse through the sky, and if clouds were over the hill it meant that he was gathering them together to make rain. This imagery may have been influenced by the lore of Odin and his horse Sleipnir from the Norse settlers in Limerick . Donn Fírinne was also said to appear and warn anyone who interfered with his hill. On
1344-602: Is a sea-serpent-like monster in Irish mythology and folklore. These monsters were believed to inhabit many lakes and rivers in Ireland and there are legends of saints, especially St. Patrick, and heroes fighting them. The three main manuscript sources for Irish mythology are the late 11th/early 12th century Lebor na hUidre (Book of the Dun Cow), which is in the library of the Royal Irish Academy , and
1440-601: Is called Tech Duinn: and for this cause, according to the heathen, the souls of sinners visit Tech Duinn before they go to hell, and give their blessing, ere they go, to the soul of Donn. But as for the righteous soul of a penitent, it beholds the place from afar, and is not borne astray. Such, at least, is the belief of the heathen. – Translation by E. Gwynn In the tale Togail Bruidne Dá Derga ("The Destruction of Dá Derga's Hostel"), king Conaire Mór meets his death in Bruiden Dá Derga (the "great hall or hostel of
1536-508: Is not wholly accurate to describe all of them as gods in the medieval literature itself. He argues that the literary Tuath Dé are sui generis , and suggests "immortals" might be a more neutral term. Many of the Tuath Dé are not defined by singular qualities, but are more of the nature of well-rounded humans, who have areas of special interests or skills like the druidic arts they learned before traveling to Ireland. In this way, they do not correspond directly to other pantheons such as those of
1632-456: Is now gravely ill, beyond the help of physicians. The daughter turns out to be Diarmuid's lady. She is overjoyed to see Diarmuid again but states that she will never be well again – partly because of the drop of blood from her heart she lost every time she thought of him on her way home, partly because the cure for her illness consists in three draughts from the cup of the King of Magh an Ionganaidh,
1728-672: Is part of the Ulster Cycle. Manannán mac Lir , a sea god, presents Aengus Óg with an invincible magical sword named either Móralltach or Nóralltach, the Great Fury. In The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne it is said of Móralltach that it left no stroke nor blow unfinished at the first trial. Aengus passes Móralltach on to Diarmuid, along with a second sword, Beagalltach, the Little Fury. Diarmuid also owns several other weapons known by specific names, including Gáe Buidhe,
1824-497: Is said to be a phantom horseman riding a white horse. A 9th-century poem says that Donn's dying wish was that all his descendants would gather at Donn's house or Tech Duinn (modern Irish Teach Duinn ) after death: "To me, to my house, you shall all come after your deaths". The 10th-century tale Airne Fíngein ("Fíngen's Vigil") says that Tech Duinn is where the souls of the dead gather. In their translation of Acallam na Senórach , Ann Dooley and Harry Roe commented that "to go to
1920-638: Is said to be the founder of the Scottish Clan Campbell . On the Campbell crest is a boar's head, a reference to Diarmuid's geis and death. Diarmuid is a scion of the Fianna in both the paternal and the maternal line. His father's name is usually given as Donn , sometimes Corc; Duibhne of the Fianna is his paternal grandfather. His mother is Cochrann, Cróchnat or Crochnuit, daughter of Cathaír Mór and close relative of Fionn 's herself. Around
2016-654: Is the Cailleach , said to have lived many lives that begin and end with her in stone formation. She is still celebrated at Ballycrovane Ogham Stone with offerings and the retelling of her life's stories. The tales of the Cailleach connect her to both land and sea. Several Otherworldly women are associated with sacred sites where seasonal festivals are held. They include Macha of Eamhain Mhacha , Carman , and Tailtiu , among others. Warrior goddesses are often depicted as
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#17327826493812112-441: Is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland . It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric era . In the early medieval era , some myths were transcribed by Christian monks , who heavily altered and Christianised the myths. Irish mythology is the best-preserved branch of Celtic mythology . The myths are conventionally grouped into ' cycles '. The Mythological Cycle consists of tales and poems about
2208-421: Is the father of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne , whom he gives to the god of youth, Aengus mac Óg , to raise. Folklore about Donn survived into the early modern era . In County Limerick , a Donn Fírinne was said to dwell in the sacred hill of Cnoc Fírinne (Knockfeerina or Knockfierna), and folklore told of people being brought into the hill to be with Donn when they died. He was said to appear as a phantom horseman riding
2304-605: Is the oldest surviving manuscript written entirely in the Irish language; the early 12th-century Book of Leinster , which is in the Library of Trinity College Dublin ; and Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson B 502 ( Rawl. ), which is in the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford . Despite the dates of these sources, most of the material they contain predates their composition. Other important sources include
2400-622: The Dagda 's name is interpreted in medieval texts as "the good god". Nuada is cognate with the British god Nodens ; Lugh is a reflex of the pan- Celtic deity Lugus , the name of whom may indicate "Light"; Tuireann may be related to the Gaulish Taranis ; Ogma to Ogmios ; the Badb to Catubodua . The Ulster Cycle is traditionally set around the first century AD, and most of
2496-474: The Greeks or Romans . Irish goddesses or Otherworldly women are usually connected to the land, the waters, and sovereignty, and are often seen as the oldest ancestors of the people in the region or nation. They are maternal figures caring for the earth itself as well as their descendants, but also fierce defenders, teachers and warriors. The goddess Brigid is linked with poetry, healing, and smithing. Another
2592-514: The Togail Troí , an Irish adaptation of Dares Phrygius ' De excidio Troiae historia , found in the Book of Leinster. They also argue that the material culture depicted in the stories is generally closer to that of the time of their composition than to that of the distant past. The Mythological Cycle , comprising stories of the former gods and origins of the Irish, is the least well preserved of
2688-421: The bards of nobility. Once the noble houses started to decline, this tradition was put to an abrupt end. The bards passed the stories to their families, and the families would take on the oral tradition of storytelling. During the first few years of the 20th century, Herminie Templeton Kavanagh wrote down many Irish folk tales, which she published in magazines and in two books. Twenty-six years after her death,
2784-454: The corpus . He grows up to be a skilled warrior and a well-liked, valued member of the Fianna who on one occasion saves Fionn and his band by single-handedly slaying over three thousand enemies in battle. Diarmuid is best known as the lover of Gráinne , the intended wife of Fianna leader Fionn mac Cumhaill in the legend The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne . Among his sons were Donnchadh, Iollann, Ruchladh and Ioruad. Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
2880-517: The "great riches" the King will offer him for healing his daughter but to ask only for a ship to bring him home to Ireland. The red man's prediction turns out to be correct. Diarmuid departs. In some versions of the story, the King's daughter restored the greyhound to life as a farewell gift. Fionn has been without female companionship since the death of his wife Maighneis, daughter of Black Garraidh. His son Oisin offers to bring him any woman, "willing or unwilling", Fionn will care to indicate. Diorraing
2976-529: The Cycle of the Kings, or more correctly Cycles, as there are a number of independent groupings. This term is a more recent addition to the cycles, with it being coined in 1946 by Irish literary critic Myles Dillon . The kings that are included range from the almost entirely mythological Labraid Loingsech , who allegedly became High King of Ireland around 431 BC, to the entirely historical Brian Boru . However,
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3072-572: The Druid suggests that the best woman for Fionn would be Gráinne , daughter of Cormac mac Airt , the High King of Ireland , "the woman of the best make and shape ... in the whole world". Fionn sends Osin and Diorraing to ask for Gráinne's hand in marriage. Citing tension between Cormac and himself, he stays behind. Cormac leave the decision to Gráinne, who at first accepts but develops second thoughts when she meets Fionn and notices his advanced age. At
3168-637: The Fianna Cycle is the Acallam na Senórach ( Colloquy of the Old Men ), which is found in two 15th century manuscripts, the Book of Lismore and Laud 610, as well as a 17th century manuscript from Killiney , County Dublin . The text is dated from linguistic evidence to the 12th century. The text records conversations between Caílte mac Rónáin and Oisín , the last surviving members of
3264-596: The Fianna, and Saint Patrick , and consists of about 8,000 lines. The late dates of the manuscripts may reflect a longer oral tradition for the Fenian stories. The Fianna of the story are divided into the Clann Baiscne, led by Fionn mac Cumhaill (often rendered as "Finn MacCool", Finn Son of Cumhall), and the Clann Morna, led by his enemy, Goll mac Morna . Goll killed Fionn's father, Cumhal , in battle and
3360-500: The Fianna. Fionn invited Diarmuid on a boar hunt on the heath of Benn Gulbain ; Diarmuid only took his short sword Beagalltach and his yellow spear, Gáe Buide, not his best weapons. He was gored by a giant boar which had already killed a number of men and hounds. Water drunk from Fionn's hands had the power of healing, but when Fionn gathered water, he twice let it run through his fingers before he could bring it to Diarmuid. Threatened by his son Oisín and grandson Oscar, he fetched water
3456-631: The Fomorians in the Battle of Mag Tuired . This has been likened to other Indo-European myths of a war between gods, such as the Æsir and Vanir in Norse mythology and the Olympians and Titans in Greek mythology . Heroes in Irish mythology can be found in two distinct groups. There is the lawful hero who exists within the boundaries of the community, protecting their people from outsiders. Within
3552-522: The Gaelic-speaking community in Scotland and there are many extant texts from that country. They also differ from the Ulster Cycle in that the stories are told mainly in verse and that in tone they are nearer to the tradition of romance than the tradition of epic. The stories concern the doings of Fionn mac Cumhaill and his band of soldiers, the Fianna . The single most important source for
3648-598: The Headland of the Two Sallows. Diarmuid's friends offer to let him escape, but Diarmuid declines again; he does not wish to bring Fionn's wrath down upon them. He identifies the exact spot where Fionn himself would be facing him, then vaults across Fionn and his immediate retinue with the assistance of his spear. He joins Aengus and Gráinne in Ros-da-Shoileach. Aengus makes it clear to him that he will be on
3744-522: The House of Donn in Irish tradition means to die". This suggests that the pagan Gaels saw Donn as their ancestor and believed they would go to his abode when they died. Tech Duinn may have been thought of as a place where the souls of the dead gathered before travelling to their final destination in the otherworld , or before being reincarnated . According to Julius Caesar , the Gauls also claimed descent from
3840-530: The Love Spot , is a hero and demigod in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology , traditionally thought to be set in the 2nd to 4th century . He is the son of Donn , son of Duibhne of the Fianna , and Cochrann, daughter of Cathaír Mór. Diarmuid becomes the foster son and protégé of Aengus Óg , one of the Tuatha Dé Danann and the god of love, to the extent that a god of love can be said to exist in
3936-561: The Mythological Cycle represents a Golden Age, the Ulster Cycle is Ireland's Heroic Age . Like the Ulster Cycle, the Fianna Cycle or Fenian Cycle, also referred to as the Ossianic Cycle, is concerned with the deeds of Irish heroes. The stories of the Cycle appear to be set around the 3rd century and mainly in the provinces of Leinster and Munster . They differ from the other cycles in the strength of their links with
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4032-455: The Tuath Dé were Christians. Sometimes they explained the Tuath Dé as fallen angels ; neutral angels who sided neither with God nor Lucifer and were punished by being forced to dwell on the Earth; or ancient humans who had become highly skilled in magic. However, several writers acknowledged that at least some of them had been gods. There is strong evidence that many of the Tuath Dé represent
4128-656: The Tuatha Dé Danann ("the folk of the goddess Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("god folk" or "tribe of the gods"). Early medieval Irish writers also called them the fir dé (god-men) and cenéla dé (god-kindreds), possibly to avoid calling them simply 'gods'. They are often depicted as kings, queens, bards, warriors, heroes, healers and craftsmen who have supernatural powers and are immortal. Prominent members include The Dagda ("the great god"); The Morrígan ("the great queen" or "phantom queen"); Lugh ; Nuada ; Aengus ; Brigid ; Manannán ; Dian Cécht
4224-532: The Tuatha Dé Danann were defeated by the Milesians. By the Middle Ages, the Tuatha Dé Danann were not viewed so much as gods as the shape-shifting magician population of an earlier Golden Age Ireland. Texts such as Lebor Gabála Érenn and Cath Maige Tuireadh present them as kings and heroes of the distant past, complete with death-tales. However, there is considerable evidence, both in the texts and from
4320-541: The Two Huts. Diarmuid's friends arrange for multiple warnings to be sent to Diarmuid, but Diarmuid chooses to stand and confront Fionn, much to Gráinne's dismay. Diarmuid's protector Aengus Óg is given a vision of the danger Diarmuid is in, magically rushed to the Wood, and offers to sneak him out of his hideout under his cloak. Diarmuid declines but convinces Aengus to save Gráinne. Aengus brings Gráinne to Ros-da-Shoileach,
4416-441: The Ulster Cycle is the Táin Bó Cúailnge . Other important Ulster Cycle tales include The Tragic Death of Aife's only Son , Bricriu's Feast , and The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel . The Exile of the Sons of Usnach , better known as the tragedy of Deirdre and the source of plays by John Millington Synge , William Butler Yeats , and Vincent Woods , is also part of this cycle. This cycle is, in some respects, close to
4512-457: The Wood of the Two Huts. When Fionn wakes up in the morning, he is gripped by "a scorching jealously" and immediately sends his trackers after the couple. The trackers, many of them loyal friends of Diarmuid's, declare themselves unable to carry the track across the Sionnan until Fionn threatens them with execution. Once across the Sionnan, Fionn guesses that the couple are hiding in the Wood of
4608-515: The Wooing Of Étain and Cath Maige Tuireadh , the (second) Battle of Magh Tuireadh . One of the best known of all Irish stories, Oidheadh Clainne Lir , or The Tragedy of the Children of Lir , is also part of this cycle. Lebor Gabála Érenn is a pseudo-history of Ireland, tracing the ancestry of the Irish back to before Noah . It tells of a series of invasions or "takings" of Ireland by
4704-690: The action takes place in the provinces of Ulster and Connacht . It consists of a group of heroic tales dealing with the lives of Conchobar mac Nessa , king of Ulster, the great hero Cú Chulainn , who was the son of Lug ( Lugh ), and of their friends, lovers, and enemies. These are the Ulaid , or people of the North-Eastern corner of Ireland and the action of the stories centres round the royal court at Emain Macha (known in English as Navan Fort), close to
4800-453: The arrival of the Gaels, the Tuatha Dé Danann retired underground to become the fairy people of later myth and legend. The Metrical Dindshenchas is the great onomastics work of early Ireland, giving the naming legends of significant places in a sequence of poems. It includes a lot of important information on Mythological Cycle figures and stories, including the Battle of Tailtiu, in which
4896-610: The boy Fionn was brought up in secrecy. As a youth, while being trained in the art of poetry, he accidentally burned his thumb while cooking the Salmon of Knowledge, which allowed him to suck or bite his thumb to receive bursts of stupendous wisdom. He took his place as the leader of his band and numerous tales are told of their adventures. Two of the greatest of the Irish tales, Tóraigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne ( The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne ) and Oisín in Tír na nÓg form part of
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#17327826493814992-410: The cat, a personification of death. The group retires to bed. The men, one after the other, attempt to sleep with the young girl. The girl, who turns out to be a personification of youth, rejects the men – all of them in some versions, all of them except Diarmuid in others – on the grounds that she belonged to them once and cannot belong to them again. She does mark Diarmuid with the ball seirce ,
5088-562: The couple safely away through the forest. Fionn went to the Land of Promise to ask his old nurse Bodhmall to kill Diarmuid. Diarmuid was hunting in the forest beside the river Boyne and Bodhmall flew through the air on a flying water-lily and hurled poisoned darts that could penetrate his shield and armour. Diarmuid suffered agony where the darts struck him; he killed her with the Gáe Dearg. Fionn pardoned Diarmuid after Aonghus Óg interceded on
5184-417: The couple's behalf; Diarmuid and Gráinne lived in peace at Ceis Chorainn in present-day County Sligo for several years. They had five children, four sons and a daughter. Diarmuid built a fort, Rath Gráinia. However, they went for years without visiting Grainne's father Cormac Mac Art and Diarmuid's former comrades. Gráinne persuaded Diarmuid to invite their friends and relations to a feast, including Fionn and
5280-425: The cycle. The Diarmuid and Grainne story, which is one of the cycle's few prose tales, is a probable source of Tristan and Iseult . The world of the Fianna Cycle is one in which professional warriors spend their time hunting, fighting, and engaging in adventures in the spirit world. New entrants into the band are expected to be knowledgeable in poetry as well as undergo a number of physical tests or ordeals. Most of
5376-478: The day. She promises to take good care of Diarmuid's beloved greyhound and her three new pups. While Diarmuid spends the day hunting, however, one of the Fianna manipulates the woman into giving him one of the pups. Returning home, Diarmuid gets upset and mentions the repellent state the woman arrived in. The following two days, the Fianna convince the woman to give away the remaining two pups, and Diarmuid again brings up her former ugliness. The third time he does so,
5472-482: The dogs using magic, and Diarmuid kills the last few fighting men. The kings are slowly crushed to death by their ropes. Only the messenger survives. In the centre of the Forest of Dubros were magical berries from the rowan tree that could restore the youth of an old person, guarded by the giant Searbhan on the instructions of the Tuatha Dé Danann . Diarmuid and Gráinne asked Searbhan if they could live and hunt game in
5568-600: The earliest known version of the Táin Bó Cúailnge ("The Cattle Raid of Cooley"). This is one of Europe's oldest epics written in a vernacular language. Other 15th-century manuscripts, such as The Book of Fermoy , also contain interesting materials, as do such later syncretic works such as Geoffrey Keating 's Foras Feasa ar Éirinn ( The History of Ireland ) ( c. 1640 ). These later compilers and writers may well have had access to manuscript sources that have since disappeared. Most of these manuscripts were created by Christian monks , who may well have been torn between
5664-470: The faraway Plain of Wonder. Diarmuid leaves to retrieve the cup. With the assistance of a mysterious "low-sized, reddish man", Diarmuid reaches the dun of the King of the Plain of Wonder and demands the cup. The kings sends multiple waves of fighting men, whom Diarmuid slays in many hours of battle. Having lost his army, the king himself emerges. Having learned that Diarmuid is a man of the Fianna of Ireland,
5760-420: The forest. Searbhan agreed on the condition that they would not eat the berries. Gráinne asked to eat the berries. Searbhan refused and attacked Diarmuid with his massive club. Diarmuid used Searbhan's own weapon to kill him. Fionn gathered the Fianna and travelled to the wood where he had a fidchell board set up, and played his son Oisín. Oscar and Cailte assisted Oisín in the game, since no one except Diarmuid
5856-762: The four cycles. It is about the principal people who invaded and inhabited the island. The people include Cessair and her followers, the Formorians, the Partholinians, the Nemedians, the Firbolgs, the Tuatha Dé Danann , and the Milesians. The most important sources are the Metrical Dindshenchas or Lore of Places and the Lebor Gabála Érenn or Book of Invasions . Other manuscripts preserve such mythological tales as The Dream of Aengus ,
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#17327826493815952-497: The general vicinity. On two consecutive nights, he shows off great and dangerous feats of strength. He manipulates large numbers of men into killing themselves trying to emulate him. On the third night, he kills most of the fighting men remaining, eventually subduing the kings themselves and tying them up. The kings are found by a woman messenger of Fionn's, who is however unable to loosen the ropes they are bound with. The kings manage, using their hounds, to track him down. Muadhan kills
6048-411: The god-like Tuatha Dé Danann , who are based on Ireland's pagan deities, and other mythical races like the Fomorians . Important works in the cycle are the Lebor Gabála Érenn ("Book of Invasions"), a legendary history of Ireland, the Cath Maige Tuired ("Battle of Moytura"), and the Aided Chlainne Lir (" Children of Lir "). The Ulster Cycle consists of heroic legends relating to the Ulaid ,
6144-419: The gods of Irish paganism . The name itself means "tribe of gods", and the ninth-century Scél Tuain meic Cairill (Tale of Tuan mac Cairill ) speaks of the Tuath Dé ocus Andé , "tribe of gods and un-gods". Goibniu, Credne and Luchta are called the trí dé dáno , "three gods of craft". In Sanas Cormaic ( Cormac's Glossary), Anu is called "mother of the Irish gods", Nét a "god of war", and Brigid
6240-488: The greatest glory of the Kings' Cycle is the Buile Shuibhne ( The Frenzy of Sweeney ), a 12th century tale told in verse and prose. Suibhne, king of Dál nAraidi , was cursed by St. Ronan and became a kind of half-man, half bird, condemned to live out his life in the woods, fleeing from his human companions. The story has captured the imaginations of contemporary Irish poets and has been translated by Trevor Joyce and Seamus Heaney . The adventures, or echtrae , are
6336-536: The healer; and Goibniu the smith. They are also said to control the fertility of the land; the tale De Gabáil in t-Sída says the first Gaels had to establish friendship with the Tuath Dé before they could raise crops and herds. They dwell in the Otherworld but interact with humans and the human world. Many are associated with specific places in the landscape, especially the sídhe : prominent ancient burial mounds such as Brú na Bóinne , which are entrances to Otherworld realms. The Tuath Dé can hide themselves with
6432-512: The help of a druid, Roc later resurrects his dead son in the form of a boar, then puts the boar under bonds to bring Diarmuid to death. Diarmuid grows up to become a strong warrior. He is given a place among the Fianna and accomplishes many great deeds in their service, on one occasion fighting a wild ox for seven consecutive days and nights. He is popular with women. After one of their hunting trips, Diarmuid and his companions discover they have ventured so far they are unable to get back home for
6528-430: The iconography of the Gundestrup Cauldron . However, these "nativist" claims have been challenged by "revisionist" scholars who believe that much of the literature was created, rather than merely recorded, in Christian times, more or less in imitation of the epics of classical literature that came with Latin learning. The revisionists point to passages apparently influenced by the Iliad in Táin Bó Cuailnge , and to
6624-429: The kin-group or tuath , heroes are human and gods are not. The Fianna warrior bands are seen as outsiders, connected with the wilderness, youth, and liminal states. Their leader was called Fionn mac Cumhaill, and the first stories of him are told in fourth century. They are considered aristocrats and outsiders who protect the community from other outsiders; though they may winter with a settled community, they spend
6720-450: The king realizes that Diarmuid is fulfilling a prophecy and willingly parts with his cup. The "red man" instructs Diarmuid in the use of the cup but warns him that, along with her sickness, Diarmuid's love for the King's daughter will be gone. He identifies himself as a messenger from beyond the world who has come to Diarmuid's help because Diarmuid's "own heart is hot to come to the help of another". He further warns Diarmuid not to accept
6816-468: The later Voyage of St. Brendan . While not as ancient, later 8th century AD works, that influenced European literature, include The Vision of Adamnán . Although there are no written sources of Irish mythology, many stories are passed down orally through traditional storytelling. Some of these stories have been lost, but some Celtic regions continue to tell folktales to the modern-day. Folktales and stories were primarily preserved by monastic scribes from
6912-525: The modern town of Armagh . The Ulaid had close links with the Irish colony in Scotland , and part of Cú Chulainn's training takes place in that colony. The cycle consists of stories of the births, early lives and training, wooing, battles, feastings, and deaths of the heroes. It also reflects a warrior society in which warfare consists mainly of single combats and wealth is measured mainly in cattle. These stories are written mainly in prose. The centerpiece of
7008-513: The morning, the visitor has magically become young and beautiful, and a grand new house has magically appeared on a nearby hill, "ready for them, with food and servants; and everything they could wish for." Overjoyed, Diarmuid asks the woman to move into the new house with him. She agrees on one condition: he cannot say out loud how ugly she looked on the night they met, at least not three times. After three days in his new house, Diarmuid grows restless. The woman encourages him to join his comrades for
7104-554: The most important of which is the epic Táin Bó Cúailnge ("Cattle Raid of Cooley"). The Fenian Cycle focuses on the exploits of the mythical hero Finn and his warrior band the Fianna , including the lengthy Acallam na Senórach ("Tales of the Elders"). The Cycles of the Kings comprises legends about historical and semi-historical kings of Ireland (such as Buile Shuibhne , "The Madness of King Sweeny"), and tales about
7200-410: The mythological cycle. Some of the characters from the latter reappear, and the same sort of shape-shifting magic is much in evidence, side by side with a grim, almost callous realism. While we may suspect a few characters, such as Medb or Cú Roí , of once being deities, and Cú Chulainn in particular displays superhuman prowess, the characters are mortal and associated with a specific time and place. If
7296-468: The name "red god". In the tale Tochmarc Treblainne ("The Wooing of Treblann"), the otherworld woman Treblann elopes with the mortal man Fráech , who sends her to safety in Tech Duinn while he embarks on a quest. In this tale, Donn is said to be the son or foster-son of the Dagda . Dáithí Ó hÓgáin notes similarities between the two and suggests that Donn was originally an epithet of the Dagda. Donn
7392-557: The native Irish gods with their homes in burial mounds. The third group are the gods that dwell in the sea and the fourth group includes stories of the Otherworld. The gods that appear most often are the Dagda and Lugh. Some scholars have argued that the stories of these gods align with Greek stories and gods. The Fomorians or Fomori ( Old Irish : Fomóire ) are a supernatural race, who are often portrayed as hostile and monstrous beings. Originally, they were said to come from under
7488-404: The night. Aimlessly walking through the woods, they encounter a dwelling inhabited by an old man, a young girl, and a cat. The old man invites the group to dinner. Diarmuid and his friends prove their prowess by wrestling a wether – they lose, but only barely, and only because the wether fights with "the strength of the world", whose embodiment it turns out to be. The wether is ultimately subdued by
7584-466: The origins of dynasties and peoples. There are also mythological texts that do not fit into any of the cycles; these include the echtrai tales of journeys to the Otherworld (such as The Voyage of Bran ), and the Dindsenchas ("lore of places"). Some written materials have not survived, and many more myths were likely never written down. The main supernatural beings in Irish mythology are
7680-437: The poems are attributed to being composed by Oisín . This cycle creates a bridge between pre-Christian and Christian times. It was part of the duty of the medieval Irish bards, or court poets , to record the history of the family and the genealogy of the king they served. This they did in poems that blended the mythological and the historical to a greater or lesser degree. The resulting stories from what has come to be known as
7776-444: The red god"). On his way to the hostel, Conaire meets three red men riding red horses from the otherworld. They foretell his doom and tell him "we ride the horses of Donn ... although we are alive, we are dead". Donn is called "king of the dead" in the tale. It has been suggested that Dá Derga and Dá Derga's Hostel is another name for Donn and his abode. It may be a name for the death god in the context of violent death or sacrifice, hence
7872-588: The run for the rest of his life. Diarmuid and Gráinne travel on, fording rivers, crossing marshes, sleeping in caves. A young man named Muadhan volunteers to become their servant; he turns out to be of miraculous strength. Diarmuid encounters a great fleet of ships carrying three kings of the Green Champions. The kings, who have been summoned by Fionn to catch Diarmuid, are travelling with twenty hundred good fighting men and three invulnerable magical hounds. Diarmuid denies being Diarmuid but hints he may be in
7968-538: The sea or the earth. Later, they were portrayed as sea raiders, which was probably influenced by the Viking raids on Ireland around that time. Later still they were portrayed as giants. They are enemies of Ireland's first settlers and opponents of the Tuatha Dé Danann, although some members of the two races have offspring. The Fomorians were viewed as the alter-egos to the Tuath Dé The Tuath Dé defeat
8064-484: The southwest coast. Donn is then buried on a rocky island which becomes known as Tech Duinn. In the literature, Tech Duinn is said to lie at or beyond the western edge of Ireland. Tech Duinn is commonly identified with Bull Rock , an islet off the western tip of the Beara Peninsula . Bull Rock resembles a dolmen or portal tomb as it has a natural tunnel through it, allowing the sea to pass under it as if through
8160-449: The stated reason of the father being a commoner. Attending a dinner party hosted by Aengus at Brú na Bóinne, Donn becomes jealous when the household lavishes the son of Roc with as much attention as his own son. He kills the steward's son, Congus, when no one is looking, but is eventually identified as the murderer through magical means. Roc suggests killing Diarmuid in retaliation but is prevented from immediately doing so by Aengus. With
8256-535: The summers living wild, training adolescents and providing a space for war-damaged veterans. The time of vagrancy for these youths is designated as a transition in life post puberty but pre-manhood. Manhood being identified as owning or inheriting property. They live under the authority of their own leaders, or may be somewhat anarchic, and may follow other deities or spirits than the settled communities. The church refused to recognize this group as an institution and referred to them as "sons of death". The Oilliphéist
8352-856: The tales from her two books, Darby O'Gill and the Good People and Ashes of Old Wishes, were made into the film Darby O'Gill and the Little People . Noted Irish playwright Lady Gregory also collected folk stories to preserve Irish history. The Irish Folklore Commission gathered folk tales from the general Irish populace from 1935 onward. Primary sources in English translation Primary sources in Medieval Irish Secondary sources Diarmuid Ua Duibhne Diarmuid Ua Duibhne ( Irish pronunciation: ['dʲiəɾˠmˠədʲ uə 'dˠɪvʲnʲə] , lit. ' Diarmuid, grandson of Duibne ' ), also known as Diarmuid of
8448-478: The time of Diarmuid's birth, his father is banished from the Fianna on account of an unspecified dispute. Diarmuid is taken in by Aengus Óg , to be raised in Aengus' house at Brú na Bóinne . When Crochnuit later bears a son to Roc Diocain following an adulterous affair, Fionn's steward, Aengus, accepts Diarmuid's new half brother as his foster son as well. Donn has refused to accept the child into his household for
8544-520: The wedding feast, Diarmuid catches her eye. She makes most of those present fall asleep using enchanted wine and asks Diarmuid to abscond with her. When Diarmuid refuses, she puts a spell on him. Diarmuid is magically compelled to leave the party, Gráinne in tow, knowing full well that Fionn will hunt the two of them down. Diarmuid and Gráinne cross the Sionnan and hide in the Doire-da-Bhoth,
8640-487: The west coast of County Clare there was a Donn na Duimhche or Donn Dumhach ("Donn of the dunes"), who "was also often encountered as a night-horseman". In later folklore, the name 'Donn' came to mean an 'otherworld lord' in general. In modern Irish donn is the most common word for the colour brown , and by extension can also mean "sturdy (like) wood". This is one possible etymology of the English colour "dun" (greyish brown). Irish mythology Irish mythology
8736-618: The wider Celtic world, that they were once considered deities . Even after they are displaced as the rulers of Ireland, characters such as Lugh , the Mórrígan , Aengus and Manannán Mac Lir appear in stories set centuries later, betraying their immortality. A poem in the Book of Leinster lists many of the Tuatha Dé, but ends "Although [the author] enumerates them, he does not worship them". Goibniu , Creidhne and Luchta are referred to as Trí Dé Dána ("three gods of craftsmanship"), and
8832-461: The woman and the house disappear, and the greyhound dies. Carrying his dead dog, Diarmuid sets out to search for his lady. An enchanted ship carries Diarmuid "out over the sea, and then down below it", to the otherworldly "Land-under-Waves". Walking its plains, he finds and collects three drops of blood. He also learns that the daughter of King Under-Wave has just returned home from abroad. She has been under some form of enchantment for seven years and
8928-536: The women who trained the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill . Zoomorphism is an important feature. Badb Catha, for instance, is "the Raven of Battle", and in the Táin Bó Cúailnge , The Morrígan shapeshifts into an eel, a wolf, and a cow. Irish gods are divided into four main groups. Group one encompasses the older gods of Gaul and Britain. The second group is the main focus of much of the mythology and surrounds
9024-568: The wonders seen on them that may have resulted from the combination of the experiences of fishermen combined and the Other World elements that inform the adventures. Of the seven immrama mentioned in the manuscripts, only three have survived: The Voyage of Máel Dúin , the Voyage of the Uí Chorra , and the Voyage of Snedgus and Mac Riagla . The Voyage of Mael Duin is the forerunner of
9120-435: Was a match against Fionn in this game. Diarmuid watched the game from above, and couldn't resist aiding Oisín in the game by tossing berries at the pieces. Fionn lost three straight matches to his son. Fionn realised that the couple were hiding in the tree and ordered men to kill his rival. Diarmuid killed seven warriors named Garbh. Oscar, Fionn's grandson, warned that anyone who harmed Diarmuid would face his anger, and escorted
9216-519: Was also a tendency to rework Irish genealogies to fit them into the schemas of Greek or biblical genealogy. Whether medieval Irish literature provides reliable evidence of oral tradition remains a matter for debate. Kenneth Jackson described the Ulster Cycle as a "window on the Iron Age", and Garret Olmsted has attempted to draw parallels between Táin Bó Cuailnge , the Ulster Cycle epic and
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