Fuck Yeah Celtic Mythology

Celtic mythology through history, art, and literature.

[an-tarbh]

Irish Mythology |The Tuatha de Denann Come to Ireland

4000 years ago… Nuada turned and looked back out to sea. Three hundred sailing ships lay burning in the bay, their blackened hulls sinking into oblivion below the surface. A column of leaping…

This is such a beautiful modern day retelling of how the Tuatha dé Danann came to Ireland. Next on my list is to read Ali’s rendition of Lugh, “Master of All Arts”. 

[charminglyantiquated]

a morbid little comic about banshees

[fuckyeahcelticmythology]

Thereupon the retinue came to the house. The men of the Island of Ireland came towards the house from one side, and the men of the Island of the Mighty came towards it from the other. As soon as they sat, there was an accord between them, and the kingship was invested upon the boy. After the peace was made, Bendigeiduran called the boy to him. From Bendigeiduran, the boy went to Manawydan, and he was loved by all who saw him. From Manawydan, the was called to by Nissyen son of Eurosswyd, and the boy went to him courteously. “Why,” said Efnyssyen, “has my nephew, the son of my sister, not come to me? Were he not the king of Ireland, I would like to show my friendship to the boy.” “He will go joyfully,” said Bendigeiduran, and the boy went joyfully. “I confess to God,” Efnyssyen though to himself, “the household will not expect the outrage I will perform this very hour.” And he rose up and took the boy by the feet, and swiftly, before anyone in the house could grasp onto him, he thrust the boy headlong into the fire. When Branwen saw her son in the fire, she conspired to leap into the fire from her seat between her two brothers, but Bendigeiduran held her with one hand, and grasped his shield in the other. Everyone in the house sprang up, and there was a great tumult on the part of the retinue, and they all took up their weapons. Mordwyd Tyllyon spoke, “Hounds of Guern, beware of Mordwyd Tyllyon.” While everyone armed themselves, Bendigeiduran supported Branwen between his shield and his shoulder.

Excerpt from Branwen Ferch Llŷr, (Welsh Branwen Daughter of Llŷr), the second branch of the Mabinogi. This translation is mine; the Lady Charlotte Guest translation can be found here, and the text in Welsh can be found here. (via fuckyeahcelticmythology)

[sinfluencerkath-deactivated2022]

Very interesting read

[fuckyeahcelticmythology]

Crom Cruach in the 2009 animated movie, The Secret of Kells.

[mediumaevum]

How Science Found the Loch Ness Monster

Walter of Bingham (d. c. 1197) was a minor cleric from Nottinghamshire who, unable to fulfill his vow to go on the Third Crusade, made a pilgrimage to the holy sites of Scotland.

Walter’s encounter with Nessie came one summer evening, as he approached the banks of the River Ness…But what is perhaps more remarkable is the drawing of Nessie, now severely faded and barely visible with the naked eye. 

Using a pioneering technique known as Re-Zoom Spectroscopy (RZS), scientists took multiple photographs of the page in question, which were overlaid and processed using a “Guggenheim manipulator”. The resulting image demonstrates that Walter of Bingham made a careful depiction of Nessie, and can now be revealed as the earliest known picture of the Loch Ness Monster.

Read on

[earlyscotland]

Pictish symbols carved on a stone at the Dark Age fortress on Trusty’s Hill, near Gatehouse-of-Fleet in Galloway, Scotland. Drawing by John Stuart (1857).

[fuckyeahcelticmythology]

O the wind is blowing, it hurts your skin as you climb up hillside, forest and fen. Your arms full of lullabies, orchids and wine your memories wrapped within paper and twine. The room that you lie in is dusty and hard sleeping soft babies on piles of yards of gingham, taffeta, cotton and silk your dry hungry mouths cry for your mother's milk.  When the dawn comes to greet you, you'll rise with clothes on and advance with the others, singing old songs of cattle and maidens and withered old queens. Let the music carry you on.

The Decemberists, in an excerpt from The Tain, their 2004 album loosley inspired by the Irish epic legend of the Táin Bó Cúailnge

[gaelfox]

HeyO! This was a bit of something I’ve wanted to do for awhile. Had it in my mind to do an Irish/Celtic/Gaelic/Welsh/Scottishwhathaveyou guide for awhile. Finally got around to it, at the very tail end of summer. So here goes.

Aos Sí: Irish term meaning “people of the mound”, they’re comparatively your faeries and elves of Irish mythology. Some believe they are the living survivors of the Tuatha Dé Danann. They’re fiercely territorial of their little mound homes and can either be really, really pretty or really, really ugly. They’re often referred to not by name, but as “Fair Folk” or “Good Neighbors”. Never, ever piss them off.

Cat Sidhe: Cat Sidhe are faerie cats, often black with white spots on their chests. They haunted Scotland, but a few Irish tales tell of witches who could turn into these cats a total of nine times (nine lives?). The Cat Sidhe were large as dogs and were believed to be able to steal souls by passing over a dead body before burial. Irusan was a cat sidhe the size of an ox, and once took a satirical poet for a wild ride before Saint Ciaran killed it with a hot poker.

Badb: Part of the trio of war goddesses called Morrígna with sisters Macha and Morrígan, Badb, meaning “crow”, was responsible for cleaning bodies up after battle. Her appearance meant imminent bloodshed, death of an important person, and/or mass confusion in soldiers that she would use to turn victories in her favor. She and her sisters fought the Battles of Mag Tuired, driving away the Fir Bolg army and the Formorians. In short: total badass.

Merrow: The Irish mermaid. They were said to be very benevolent, charming, modest and affectionate, capable of attachment and companionship with humans. It is believed that they wore caps or capes that would allow them to live underwater, and taking a cap/cape of a merrow would render them unable to return to the sea. Merrow, unlike regular mermaids, were also capable of “shedding” their skin to become more beautiful beings. They also like to sing.

Púca: Also called a phooka, these are the chaotic neutral creatures of the Irish mythos world. They were known to rot fruit and also offer great advice. They are primarily shapeshifters, taking a variety of forms both scary as heck and really really pretty. The forms they took are always said to be dark in color. Púcas are partial to equine forms and have known to entice riders onto its back for a wild but friendly romp, unlike the Kelpie, which just eats its riders after drowning them.

Faoladh: My all-time favorite Irish creature. Faoladh are Irish werewolves. Unlike their english neighbors, Faoladh weren’t seen as cursed and could change into wolves at will. Faoladh of Ossory (Kilkenny) were known to operate in male/female pairs and would spend several years in wolf form before returning to human life together, replaced in work by a younger couple. They are the guardians and protectors of children, wounded men, and lost people. They weren’t above killing sheep or cattle while in wolf form for a meal, and the evidence remained quite plainly on them in human form. Later on, the story of an Irish King being cursed by God made the Faoladh a little less reputable.

Dullahan: Dullahan are headless riders, often carrying their decapitated cranium beneath one arm. They are said to have wild eyes and a grin that goes from ear to ear, and they use the spine of a human skeleton as a whip (What the WHAT). Their carriages were made of dismembered body parts and general darkness. Where they stop riding is where a person is doomed to die, and when they say the human’s name, that person dies instantly.

Gancanagh: An Irish male faerie known as the “Love-Talker”. He’s a dirty little devil related to the Leprechaun that likes seducing human women. Apparently the sex was great, but ultimately the woman would fall into some sort of ruin, whether it be financial or scandal or generally having their lives turn out awful. He was always carrying a dudeen—Irish pipe—and was a pretty chill guy personality-wise. You just don’t ever want to meet him—it’s really bad luck. 

[fuckyeahcelticmythology]

“Whatever else Arthur is, he is a composite figure.  Through the centuries the concept of Arthur did not stay the same -- there is no 'standard' Arthurian legend as this legend is the result of Arthur attracting to himself both the deeds and characteristics of other tales and characters.”

[modern-faerie-tales]

“Tuatha De Danann” Brian Froud and Alan Lee. From Faeries

[fuckyeahcelticmythology]

Book Recommendation: A Wizard Abroad, by Diane Duane

Minor spoilers below:

This is a contemporary work of young adult fiction, strongly influenced by Irish mythology. This is the third book in a series, and while it helps to have read the other two, A Wizard Abroad can also be read independently.

The Story Fourteen-year-old Nita is an American wizard, sworn to protect life in the universe from the Power that created Death. While visiting her Aunt in Ireland, Nita discovers a whole new bunch of wizards, and a whole new type of wizardry. As events from Ireland's past begin to leak into the present, Nita and the other wizards soon find themselves swept into a battle straight out of legend. The book is full of action, engaging characters, and the observations of an American in Ireland for the first time.

The Mythology The book references several elements of Irish mythology, with an emphasis on the events surrounding the second battle of Magh Tuiredh. I don't want to give too much away, but I will say that the Sidhe become significant players, as does Balor of the Evil Eye and Lugh the All-Crafted. I particularly enjoyed the portrayal of the four treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann. The mythology is fairly true to the original, and seamlessly integrated into the universe as portrayed in Duane's other books.

As a side note, one of my favorite things about this series is the way Duane can write a book focusing on Irish myth, and integrate it perfectly into a nine-book series that also features aliens, talking whales, alternate universes, and a semi-Judeo-Christian cosmology. If you like this book, I recommend checking out the others.

The Takeaway If you're a fan of action-packed contemporary young adult fiction, you should definitely read this book. If you're not, it might still be worth a try if you like reading modern takes on Irish myth.

[fanzinered]

ANDY SCOTT the kelpies

[the-concealed-ambry]

I have fled with vigour, I have fled as a frog, I have fled in the semblance of a crow, scarcely finding rest I have fled vehemently, I have fled as a chain, I have fled as a roe into an entangled thicket I have fled as a wolf cub, I have fled as a wolf in a wilderness, I have fled as a thrush of portending language I have fled as a fox, used to concurrent bounds of quirks I have fled as a martin, which did not avail I have fled as a squirrel, that vainly hides, I have fled as a stag’s antler, of ruddy course, I have fled as iron in a glowing fire, I have fled as a spear-head, of woe to such as has a wish for it I have fled as a fierce bull bitterly fighting, I have fled as a bristly boar seen in a ravine, I have fled as a white grain of pure wheat, On the skirt of a hempen sheet entangled, That seemed of the size of a mare’s foal, That is filling like a ship on the waters Into a dark leathern bag I was thrown, And on a boundless sea I was sent adrift; Which was to me an omen of being tenderly nursed, And the Lord God then set me at liberty.

From a song by Taliesin in the Mabinogion, translated by Lady Charlotte Guest (via the-concealed-ambry)

[thefatalbeverage]

Alan Lee, Olwen

Illustrations from the Mabinogion 

[birdsofrhiannon]

They Would Swim Out by Katharine Cameron

[fuckyeahcelticmythology]

Fomorians

The Fomorians, John Duncan, 1912

In the legendary history of Ireland, the Fomorians were the first and arguably the most persistent inhabitants of the Island. At various times they are described as being giants, as having a demonic appearance, or as resembling beautiful or handsome humans.

The Fomorians themselves are mythic, and may represent displaced pagan Gods, or an early population of Ireland. One legendary tradition states that they originated in Africa and are descended from Noah’s son Ham.

The Fomorians fought with Partholón’s people, and were defeated in the Battle of Mag Itha. However, Partholón’s people eventually died of disease, and the Fomorians were still there when Nemed's people came. The war between Nemed's people and the Fomorians lasted for the rest of Nemed's life, and was taken up by his son, Fergus Lethderg, after his death. Fergus led an army against the Fomorians, but the battle killed all but a few of Nemed's people, who then fled to other lands.

The next group to invade Ireland, the Fir Bolg, managed to coexist peacefully with the Fomorians. Eventually the Tuatha Dé Danann arrived, displacing the  Fir Bolg in the First Battle of Magh Tuireadh.   

Bres, the first King of the Tuatha Dé Danann in Ireland was the child of the Fomorian Elatha and the Ériu of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Bres was a bad king, and was driven out. After his father refused to help him reclaim his throne, he turned to the Fomorian Balor, leading to the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh, when Balor was slain by Lugh, and the Fomorians driven into the sea.

[heelancoo]

Cessair and her people are said to have been the first inhabitants of Ireland, or else it was Banba (but that’s according to a now lost source, we don’t have the full story).

The Fomorians are never said to have inhabited Ireland (the mainland, anyway); in the Lebor Gabála Érenn they just turn up from somewhere across the sea and start giving Partholón and his people grief. Their arrival coincides with the introduction of agriculture to Ireland, and they cause trouble for the successive waves of invaders up until Cath Maige Tuired, when Lugh agrees to let Bres go free in return for key knowledge about agriculture. (Balor was killed too, but the agricultural theme is probably significant as well, is all).

After that, the Fomorians never caused trouble again. If anything, the Tuatha Dé Danann take over the same kind of antagonistic role with the Milesians until they agreed a peace treaty.

[fuckyeahcelticmythology]

Thanks for additional information! Cessair's people would have been the first inhabitants. Most of the secondary sources I read said that the Fomorians were the first inhabitants after the flood, before Partholón's people came, but you're right that the Lebor Gabála Érenn says that Ireland was a waste in the years after the flood, until Partholón. It only mentions the Formorians after that. Which is why double checking primary sources is important!