Irish mythology

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Irish mythology

The mythology Pre-Christian Irish has been preserved in oral tradition. This oral tradition is known as “Béaloideas”. With the arrival of Christianity, the first manuscripts were written in Ireland, preserving many of these tales in medieval Irish literature. Although Christian influence is also visible in these manuscripts, this literature represents the most extensive and best preserved of all branches of mythology Celtic.

Although many manuscripts have not survived and much more material was probably never committed to writing, enough remains to allow the identification of distinct cycles in Irish mythology, even if they overlap: the mythological cycle, the Ulster cycle, the Fenian cycle and the historical cycle.

There are also a number of extant mythological texts which do not fit into either cycle, and many recorded folk tales which continued while the oral tradition paralleled the manuscript tradition which, although not strictly mythological, features characters from one or more of these four cycles.

Irish mythology (texts)

It includes the Cath Maighe Tuireadh, which relates the wars between the Formorians and the Tuatha Dé Danann.

  • Cath Maige Tured Conga (The First Battle of Moytura)
  • Cath Maige Turedh (The Second Battle of Moytura)
  • Do Cath Mhuighe Tuireadh Ann So (The Second Battle of Moytura)
  • Aided chloinne Tuireann (The Tragic Death of the Children of Tuireann)
  • The Tragic Death of the Children of Lir
  • Sinann's Tragic Death
  • The Story of Tuan Mac Cairell
  • The Dialogue between Fintan and the Achill Falcon
  • Bran's Journey
  • The Court of Tin
  • Food from the Maison des Deux Gobelets
  • The Taking of the Sid
  • The Dream of Oengus
  • The Birth of Mongan
  • A story where it is said that Mongan was Finn Mac Cumaill
  • Mongan's Story
  • The Cause of Mongan's Madness
  • The Conception of Mongan and Dub-Lacha's love for him
  • Why Mongan was deprived of descendants
  • The Domaine de Tara Foundation
  • The Vigil of Fingen

It includes the Lebor Gabála Érenn, a compilation of the mythical history of the occupations of Ireland, the Foras Feasa by Erinn and the Annals of the Four Masters.

Related stories

  • The coming of Partholon
  • The Fomorians
  • The legend of Tuan Mac Carell
  • The Nemedians
  • The coming of the Firbolgs
  • The coming of the people of Dana
  • The treasures of the Daneans
  • The Danes and the Firbolgs
  • The first battle of Moytura
  • The exile of King Bres
  • The tyranny of the Fomorians
  • The coming of Lug
  • The Quest for Turenn's Sons
  • The second battle of Moytura
  • Balor's death
  • Dagda's harp
  • Dagda
  • Angus og
  • Killarney Lakes
  • Lug
  • Midir the Proud
  • Lir and Mananan
  • The goddess Dana
  • Morrigan
  • Cleena's wave
  • The Elder Goddess
  • Sinend and the Well of Knowledge
  • The coming of the Milesians
  • The poet Amergin
  • Amergin's judgment
  • The defeat of the Daneans
  • The Children of Lir
  • The tale of Ethne

The Fenian cycle centers on the stories of Finn Mac Cumaill and his troop of warriors, the Fianna. It contains stories about famous members of the Fianna like Diarmuid, Caílte, Osgar or even Goll, Finn's enemy.

The stories in this cycle are from the reign of King Conchobar Mac Nessa, son of the Druid Cathbad and Queen Ness, who is said to have lived in the time of Christ (30 av. J.-C. to 35 apr. AD). Its capital is Emain Macha. It was during the war he delivered to Queen Medb and King Ailill of Connaught that Cúchulainn's gesture intervened.

Books on Celtic Mythology

Comics / Illustrated:

In French :

Only in English: