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The strong
tradition of Myths & Legends throughout
the island of Ireland over the centuries
has simply proved to enrich the passion
and romanticism of our country which
nature had spent hundreds and thousands
and years perfecting. These great tales
provide us with a truly unique and mesmerising
insight into the fantasies and hopes
of our ancient ancestors.
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| Like music, story telling
or "Seanachtas", fairytales and folklore
are all a part of everyday life in the
Emerald Isle. These myths and legends
vary from the story of the Giant Finn
MacCool and his construction work at
The Giant's Causeway, to talk of the
ghosts and banshee's who walk the dark
country roads of Down and Donegal, and
to the troublesome witches and warlords
who once gathered at the crossroads
of Ireland's byways and at the summits
of small mountains where they have left
their cairns to remind us of the devilish
work they carried out across the island
in years gone by. Today, these monuments
still stand as a silent reminder of
Ireland's mystical past. |
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| The early Irish legends
are said to encapsulate all that is
most magical and mysterious in Celtic
Culture. Old Irish was one of several
Celtic languages and is one of the oldest
in the world, with only Latin and Greek
predating it. Thus, the fact that there
are so many stories to be heard is said
to be due to the fact that Old Irish
Mythology dates as early as the mid-7th
century, and moreover, it is now known
to have existed orally many, many years
before that. The general consensus among
historians is that historical facts
do from the basis for these myths and
legends. |
| These great tales and
ancient legends of Ireland are exceptional
in that they can be enjoyed without
any background information necessary.
Thus, many of you may wish to skip this
foreword and go straight to the first
story. |
| Scholars have categorised
the ancient tales of Ireland into four
main categories. |
| Firstly is the Mythological
Cycle. These early tales of romance
and tragedy feature the ancient gods
of Ireland, such as Dagda and his son
Oenghus, the god of love. It is now
known that it was the early Christian
Monks who first recorded these tales. |
| In the Ulster cycle,
sometimes known as the Cycle of the
Red Branch Knights, the exploits of
the warrior Cu Chulainn are retold in
graphic detail. These are the stories
of the great warriors who guarded Ulster
from Eamhain Macha - the seat of the
Ulster King Conchobar mac Nessa in Armagh.
The saga culminates in the epic battle
during the Cattle Raid at Cooley. As
the centrepiece of the Ulster Cycle,
this story is said to be Irish Mythology's
nearest approach to an epic work like
the Iliad. |
| The cycle referred
to as "The Cycle of Kings", is said
to mix both myth and fact to tell the
tales of the rulers of Ireland from
300 B.C. as far 700 A.D. |
| The Fionn (Fenian)
Cycle introduces the noble champion
Finn Mac Cumhal (Finn MacCool), and
his band of warriors known as the Fianna-
often regarded as the Irish equivalent
of Arthur and the Kings of the Round
Table. |
| The Fianna were the
bodyguards of the High Kings of Ireland
who resided at Tara in County Meath.
This important cycle has had a dramatic
affect on the people of Ireland right
up to the present day, for instance
the title has been utilised by various
political movements in recent years.
Included in this list is the successful
political party Fianna Fáil which was
established by Eamon de Valera in 1926. |
| Although the tales
of the Fenian Cycle are set in the early
Christian period the fairy people of
the Otherworld, still guide the fate
of men. |
| The stories tell us
of heroes who have overcome insurmountable
odds, enchanted beasts, fierce battles
as well as including tales of hapless
mortals sent on impossible quests. In
all of these the realms of fantasy and
the supernatural are never far away. |
| The Fenian Cycle is
said to be Ireland's equivalent to the
mythology of the Greek's and to the
sagas of the Norsemen. Sometimes the
term "Ossianic Cycle" is given to the
Fenian Cycle, as Ossian was Finn MacCool's
son and is believed to have the bard
who told the stories of Finn and the
Fianna to Saint Patrick in the 5th century. |
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Please, select one
of the links from the menu to the left
for further information about Myth,
Legends and Fairytales in Ireland |
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