1.
Irish mythology
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The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity. However, much of it was preserved in medieval Irish literature and this literature represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branches of Celtic mythology. There are also a number of extant mythological texts that do not fit any of the cycles. Additionally, there are a number of recorded folk tales that, while not strictly mythological. Despite the dates of these sources, most of the material they contain predates their composition, the earliest of the prose can be dated on linguistic grounds to the 8th century, and some of the verse may be as old as the 6th century. The first of these part of the earliest known version of the Táin Bó Cúailnge and is housed in Trinity College. The other three are in the Royal Academy, when using these sources, it is, as always, important to question the impact of the circumstances in which they were produced. There was also a tendency to rework Irish genealogies to fit into the known schema of Greek or Biblical genealogy and it was once unquestioned that medieval Irish literature preserved truly ancient traditions in a form virtually unchanged through centuries of oral tradition back to the ancient Celts of Europe. A consensus has emerged which encourages the critical reading of the material, the Mythological Cycle, comprising stories of the former gods and origins of the Irish, is the least well preserved of the four cycles. The most important sources are the Metrical Dindshenchas or Lore of Places, Other manuscripts preserve such mythological tales as The Dream of Aengus, The Wooing Of Étain and Cath Maige Tuireadh, The Battle of Magh Tuireadh. One of the best known of all Irish stories, Oidheadh Clainne Lir, Lebor Gabála Érenn is a pseudo-history of Ireland, tracing the ancestry of the Irish back to before Noah. They faced opposition from their enemies, the Fomorians, led by Balor of the Evil Eye, Balor was eventually slain by Lug Lámfada at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh. With the arrival of the Gaels, the Tuatha Dé Danann retired underground to become the people of later myth. The Metrical Dindshenchas is the great work of early Ireland. It includes a lot of important information on Mythological Cycle figures and stories, including the Battle of Tailtiu, in which the Tuatha Dé Danann were defeated by the Milesians. It is important to note that 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, however, there is considerable evidence, both in the texts and from the wider Celtic world, that they were once considered deities. Even after they are displaced as the rulers of Ireland, characters such as Lug, a poem in the Book of Leinster lists many of the Tuatha Dé, but ends Although enumerates them, he does not worship them
2.
Boann
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Boann or Boand is the Irish goddess of the River Boyne, a river in Leinster, Ireland. According to the Lebor Gabála Érenn she was the daughter of Delbáeth, son of Elada and her husband is variously Nechtan, Elcmar or Nuada Airgetlám. Her lover is her uncle, the Dagda, by whom she had her son, in order to hide their affair, the Dagda made the sun stand still for nine months, therefore, Aengus was conceived, gestated and born in one day. As told in the Dindsenchas, Boann created the Boyne, though forbidden to by her husband, Nechtan, Boann approached the magical Well of Segais, which was surrounded by hazels. Hazelnuts were known to fall into the Well, where they were eaten by the speckled salmon, Boann challenged the power of the well by walking around it widdershins, this caused the waters to surge up violently and rush down to the sea, creating the Boyne. In this catastrophe, she was swept along in the waters, and lost an arm, leg and eye. The poem equates her with famous rivers in other countries, including the River Severn, Tiber, Jordan River, Tigris and she also appears in Táin Bó Fraích as the maternal aunt and protector of the mortal Fráech. Her name is interpreted as white cow in the dinsenchas, ptolemys 2nd century Geography shows that in antiquity the rivers name was Bubindas, which may derive from Proto-Celtic *Bou-vindā, white cow. Modern-day commentators and modern paganism sometimes identify Boann with the goddess Brigid or believe Boann to be Brigids mother, however there are no Celtic sources that describe her as such
3.
Lugh
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Lugh or Lug is an important god of Irish mythology. A member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, Lugh is portrayed as a warrior hero. He is associated with skill, crafts and the arts as well as with oaths, truth and he is sometimes interpreted as a sun god, a storm god or a sky god. Lugh is also associated with the harvest festival of Lughnasadh. Lugh is known by the epithets Lámfada, possibly for his skill with a spear or sling, Ildánach, Samildánach, Lonnbéimnech, Macnia, as to ancestry, Lugh is given the matriname mac Ethlenn or mac Ethnenn and the patriname mac Cein. He is the grandson of the Fomorian, Balor, whom Lugh kills in the Battle of Mag Tuired. His foster-father is the sea god Manannán, Lughs son is the hero Cú Chulainn, who is believed to be an incarnation of Lugh. He wields a fiery spear, a sling stone. He also owns a boat named Scuabtuinne, a horse named Enbarr. He is a reflex of the pan-Celtic god Lugus, and his Welsh counterpart is Lleu Llaw Gyffes, Lughs father is Cian of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and his mother is Ethniu, daughter of Balor, of the Fomorians. In Cath Maige Tuired their union is a dynastic marriage following an alliance between the Tuatha Dé and the Fomorians, in the Lebor Gabála Érenn Cian gives the boy to Tailtiu, queen of the Fir Bolg, in fosterage. In the Dindsenchas Lugh, the foster-son of Tailtiu, is described as the son of the Dumb Champion, a folktale told to John ODonovan by Shane ODugan of Tory Island in 1835 recounts the birth of a grandson of Balor who grows up to kill his grandfather. In this tale, Balor hears a prophecy that he will be killed by his own grandson. To prevent this he imprisons his daughter in the Tór Mór of Tory Island, cared for by twelve women. On the mainland, Mac Cinnfhaelaidh owns a cow who gives such abundant milk that everyone, including Balor. While the cow is in the care of Mac Cinnfhaelaidhs brother Mac Samthainn, Balor appears in the form of a little red-haired boy and tricks him into giving him the cow. Looking for revenge, Mac Cinnfhaelaidh calls on a leanan sídhe called Biróg, who transports him by magic to the top of Balors tower, in time she gives birth to triplets, which Balor gathers up in a sheet and sends to be drowned in a whirlpool. The messenger drowns two of the babies, but unwittingly drops one child into the harbour, where he is rescued by Biróg and she takes him to his father, who gives him to his brother, Gavida the smith, in fosterage
4.
Aengus
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In Irish mythology, Aengus is a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann and probably a god of love, youth and poetic inspiration. He is traditionally described as having singing birds circling his head, in Old Irish his name is spelled Oíngus or Óengus, from Proto-Celtic *oino- one and gus strength. In Middle Irish this became Áengus, and in Modern Irish Aengus or Aonghus and his parents were the Dagda and Boann. He was said to have lived at Newgrange by the River Boyne, the Dagda had an affair with the river goddess Boann, wife of Nechtan. To hide her pregnancy, the Dagda made the sun stand still for nine months so that Aengus was conceived, gestated, when he came of age Aengus dispossessed the Dagda of his home, Brú na Bóinne. Irish has no article, so a day and a night is the same as day and night, which covers all time. In a different version of story, appearing in The Wooing of Etain, Aengus uses the same ploy to trick Elcmar out of Brú na Bóinne. In this version, Midir is Aenguss foster-father, while Elcmar is the husband of Boann cuckolded by the Dagda, according to Death Tales of the Tuatha de Danaan, Aengus killed his stepfather Elcmar for killing Midir. Aengus also killed Lugh Lámhfhadas poet for lying about his brother Ogma an Cermait, the poet claimed that Ogma an Cermait was having an affair with one of Lughs wives. In The Wooing of Etain, Aengus was able to lift a spell against Étaín. Midirs wife Fuamnach in a jealous rage had turned Etain into a beautiful fly, turning her into a woman at night, Aengus made her his lover until Fuamnach found out about it and drove her away. Aengus killed his mother for her treachery. In the Tale of the Two Pails, a woman, foster daughter of Aengus, got lost. The girl converted to Christianity, and Aengus could not win her back and he left, and she died of grief. Aengus fell in love with a girl he had seen in his dreams. His mother, Boann, goddess of the River Boyne, and a cow goddess whose milk formed the Milky Way, searched Ireland for a year, then his father, finally, King Bodb Derg of Munster found her after a further year. Aengus went to the lake of the Dragons Mouth and found 150 girls chained in pairs, his girl, Caer Ibormeith, on November 1, Caer and the other girls would turn into swans for a year, every second Samhain. Aengus was told he could marry Caer if he could identify her in her swan form, Aengus turned himself into a swan and they flew away, singing beautiful music that put all listeners asleep for three days and nights
5.
Anu (Irish goddess)
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Not to be confused with Annan. In Irish mythology, Anu is a goddess and she may be a goddess in her own right, or an alternate name for Danu. In the Lebor Gabála Érenn, Anand is given as a name for Morrígu. While an Irish goddess, in parts of Britain a similar figure is referred to as Gentle Annie, in an effort to avoid offense, a tactic which is similar to referring to the fairies as The Good People. As her name is often conflated with a number of other goddesses and this name may be derived the Proto-Celtic theonym *Φanon-. Anu has particular associations with Munster, the hills known as the Paps of Anu, at 52°00′55″N 9°16′09″W, near Killarney. Evidence that Anu may be the deity as Danu appears in the following comment from Sanas Cormaic. Well did she feed the gods, Oxford, Oxford University Press,1998, ISBN 0-19-280120-1. Wood, Juliette, The Celts, Life, Myth, and Art, Thorsons Publishers, ISBN 0-00-764059-5
6.
Badb
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In Irish mythology, the Badb or Badhbh —meaning crow—is a war goddess who takes the form of a crow, and is thus sometimes known as Badb Catha. She is known to cause fear and confusion among soldiers to move the tide of battle to her favoured side, Badb may also appear prior to a battle to foreshadow the extent of the carnage to come, or to predict the death of a notable person. She would sometimes do this through wailing cries, leading to comparisons with the bean-sídhe, with her sisters, Macha and the Morrígan, Badb is part of a trio of war goddesses known as the Morrígna. In Irish legends, Badb is associated with war and death, appearing either to foreshadow imminent bloodshed or to participate in battles, as a harbinger of doom, she appears in a number of different guises. In Togail Bruidne Dá Derga, she takes the form of a hag who prophesies Conaire Mórs downfall. In this role she has much in common with the bean-sídhe and she was also regularly depicted as an active participant in warfare, indeed, the battlefield was sometimes referred to as the garden of the Badb. During the First Battle of Mag Tuired, Badb—along with her sisters, Macha, Badb plays a similar role in the Táin Bó Cúailnge, terrorising and disorienting the forces of Queen Medb and causing many to fall on their own weapons. She would often take the form of a raven or crow, striking fear into those who heard her. Doman fo ním, nert hi cach, án forlann, lan do mil, sam hi ngam, gai for sciath, sciath for durnd. Dunad lonngarg, longait-tromfoíd fod di uí ross forbiur benna abu airbe imetha, mess for crannaib, craob do scis scis do áss saith do mac mac for muin, muinel tairb tarb di arccoin odhb do crann, crann do ten. Ail a n-uír uích a mbuaib boinn a mbru, Brú lafefaid ossglas iaer errach, foghamar forasit etha. Iall do tir, tir co trachd lafeabrae, bidruad rossaib síraib rithmár, Nach scel laut. Earth under sky, strength in each, a cup full, full of honey, summer in winter, spear over shield, shield over fist. Fort of spears, a battle-cry, land for sheep, bountiful forests mountains forever, magic enclosure. Mast on branches, branches heavy, heavy fruit, wealth for a son, a gifted son, strong neck of bull, a bull for a poem. Stone from earth, wealth from cows, belly of the Brú, doe cries from mist, stream of deer after spring, corn in autumn, upheld by peace. Warrior band for the land, prosperous land to the shore, from wooded headlands, waters rushing, “What news have you. ”Peace to the sky, life and land everlasting. Then she delivers a prophecy of the end of the world, foretelling every evil that would be therein
7.
Brian (mythology)
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In Gaelic mythology, Brian was one of the three Sons of Tuireann along with Iuchar and Iucharba. In Oidheadh Chlainne Tuireann, the three set out to kill their fathers enemy Cian, Cian is the father of Lugh, one of the greatest of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Cian shapeshifts into a pig to disguise himself, but the brothers shapeshift into dogs and they kill him, dismember his body and try to cover up their crime. In recompense, Lugh makes them quest all around the known world fetching magical weapons and they succeed in obtaining all that Lugh demanded, but return to Ireland badly wounded, pleading for Lugh to heal them, but he refuses. In at least one version of this tale, Brian is the clever and subtle one, while his brothers Iuchar and Iucharba are bumbling and this tale of the Sons of Tuireann has sometimes been likened to an Irish Argonautica. In later Scottish folklore, Brian was the name of a man who helped the Cailleach rescue Deò-ghrèine. Brian is one of the characters in As Baile, A Story
