Celtic mythology in the SJM Universe
Okay so for those of you who don’t know. I’m Irish and as SJM publishes new books I notice more and more references to and inspirations from Celtic Mythology, in particular Irish.
I know Maas took a lot of inspiration from Tolkien who very much utilised irish mythology so it’s possible that’s where a lot of transfer occurred, but regardless there’s a lot to cover.
So I thought I’d briefly go through a few examples of these! (Spoilers incoming)
All universes
Faeries/Fae: so growing in Ireland you’re always warned about the faeries (or “fair folk” or “little people” etc). These were mostly benign but sometimes malevolent creatures who left you alone if you left them alone. They were tricksters and if you went to sleep with your window open they’d creep into ur house and tie knots in your hair. The creatures I grew up hearing about are wildly different from the Fae of Maas’ works but it is extremely clear where she got the inspiration from. Random fact but I was always told calling them “Fae” was insulting and rude, and if there’s anything you don’t want to do, it’s insult a fairy! Indeed, a lot of the “lesser Fae” as they’re referred to in Acotar are taken directly from Irish and British mythology! (Though as far as I can tell the illiarans aren’t based on any Celtic myth.
Solstice: Of course the solstices are referenced all over the place, both in the books and in real life, but particularly in Ancient Ireland we see that they held significance. This is evidenced in the construction of Newgrange, County Meath, which is a 5,200 year old passage tomb which illuminates a chamber every year on the winter solstice.
Throne of Glass
Aelin: the name Aelin to any ToG readers means our fire breathing bitch queen, but to any familiar with the Tuatha de Dannan (the old irish pantheon of gods) will recognise the name as noticeably similar to Aelin, an old irish god of fire. He was known for singing guards to sleep and burning the roofs of castles!
In the first novel, Celaena and Chaol talk about the feast day of Samhuinn. Chaol refers to it as “the day of the dead”. This bares a striking resemblance to Samhainn the old irish day of the dead, when the veil between our world and the other world was weakest. This day is now celebrated on November 1st and is know as all Saints Day. The night before, in Irish, is called Oíche Shamhna but is known globally as Halloween 🎃!
Sticking with the theme of ancient irish celebrations. You know that scene in Heir of Fire when Aelin is controlling the height of the fires as people jump over them? That’s an actual celebration in Ireland. It is largely out of fashion nowadays due to fire safety but every may people still celebrate Bealtaine, the coming of summer, and leap over bonfires!
Maeve: Queen Maeve is a prominent figure in Irish mythology, in fact she heavily featured in Táin Bó Cúailnge, Ireland’s epic (Think Iliad or Odyssey but Irish). In this epic, Maeve (Medb/Meabh sometimes) is not quite as villainous as Maeve in ToG, but still a very important character.
A Court Of Thorns And Roses
Acotar baby, where to begin?
The map: go look at a map of Ireland and Britain and then compare it to Hybern and Prythian. Enough said
Tamlin: the name Tamlin is surely a reference to Tamlen, a figure in Scottish folklore who was trapped in the woods by an evil queen of the fae. Tamlen was freed by a human through ~the power of love~ (sort of, it’s a bit more complicated).
Mor: The Morrigan is a goddess in Irish mythology. She is possibly the original 3 faced goddess and is the goddess of truth. She is said to be seen washing the armour of soldiers who are destined to die in upcoming battles. She is also known for predicting many significant events in Irish history, including the famine.
The courts system: this is less of an Irish thing as it was quite common across Europe but in Ireland there were many kingdoms each ruled by a king who you had to pay tithes too, just like the spring court! These were called Vassels
The weaver in the woods: The weaver or witch in the woods is a figure from many mythologies including Scandinavian but this particular weaver sings a song about two sisters. I learned a very similar version of this creepy song when I was about 8. I can’t confirm if it’s Irish but it’s definitely Celtic!
In a later book (I think it’s acosf) Rhys tells us that the last High King of Prythian was Fionn. Anybody with even a passing knowledge of Irish Mythology knows of Fionn MacCumhaill (pronounced F-yunn Mac Cool), the high king of Ireland and leader of the Fianna, a band of warriors.
Kelpie: that’s right the weird thing that attacked Nesta in the bog is part of Scottish Mythology. It features in Ireland and Wales as well with reports of sailors spying them off the coast of Britain, but these malevolent creatures find their roots in Scotland. However, in Gaelic mythology they take the form of horses and once you climb on their backs, the drag you to a watery grave. This shapeshifting creature apparently has a fondness for human liver!
Crescent City
I didn’t notice too many similarities between Celtic mythology and these books to be honest
Ruhn: one connection that’s a bit of a stretch is Ruhn’s name. His last name is Danaan which is similar to Danann (as in Tuatha de Danann, the irish pantheon)
I think this series focuses more on celestial/religious imagery with the angels and demons are such but when I reread or in future books I’ll look out for it!
Okay so closing remarks; I have 100% forgot something so if you also noticed a similarity please add it on or let me know! This list is in no way comprehensive. This post is also absolutely not bashing Sarah, I love her writing and her work I just thought it was fascinating to see where she got SOME of her inspiration from. I’d also be happy to answer any questions about anything I’ve written here ^^ or about Irish/Celtic mythology in general!!