Editing Irish mythology

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[[File:Riders of th Sidhe (big).jpg|thumb|alt=A painting of four figures riding atop their horses|''Riders of the Sidhe'', a 1911 painting of the [[aos sí]] or [[Celtic Otherworld#Irish mythology|Otherworld]]ly people of the mounds, by the artist [[John Duncan (painter)|John Duncan]]]]
[[File:Cuchulain in Battle.jpg|thumb|''Cuchulain in Battle'' by [[Joseph Christian Leyendecker]], 1911]]
{{Celtic mythology}}
'''Irish mythology''' is the body of [[myth]]s indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally [[Oral tradition|passed down orally]] in the [[Prehistoric Ireland|prehistoric era]]. In the [[History of Ireland (795–1169)|early medieval era]], myths were [[Early Irish literature|written down]] by [[Celtic Christianity|Christian]] scribes, who Christianized them to some extent. Irish mythology is the best-preserved branch of [[Celtic mythology]].

The myths are conventionally grouped into '[[List of literary cycles|cycles]]'. The [[Mythological Cycle]] consists of tales and poems about the god-like [[Tuatha Dé Danann]], who are based on Ireland's pagan deities, and other mythical races like the [[Fomorians]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Koch |first1=John |author1-link=John T. Koch |title=Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia |date=2006 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |page=1326}}</ref> Important works in the cycle are the ''[[Lebor Gabála Érenn]]'' ("Book of Invasions"), a [[legend]]ary history of Ireland, the ''[[Cath Maige Tuired]]'' ("Battle of Moytura"), and the ''Aided Chlainne Lir'' ("[[Children of Lir]]"). The [[Ulster Cycle]] consists of heroic legends relating to the [[Ulaid]], the most important of which is the epic ''[[Táin Bó Cúailnge]]'' ("Cattle Raid of Cooley").<ref name="Koch995">{{cite book |last1=Koch |first1=John |author1-link=John T. Koch |title=Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia |date=2006 |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |page=995}}</ref> The [[Fenian Cycle]] focuses on the exploits of the mythical hero [[Fionn mac Cumhaill|Finn]] and his [[Kóryos|warrior band]] the [[Fianna]], including the lengthy ''[[Acallam na Senórach]]'' ("Tales of the Elders"). The [[Cycles of the Kings]] comprises legends about historical and semi-historical kings of Ireland (such as ''[[Buile Shuibhne]]'', "The Madness of King Sweeny"), and tales about the origins of dynasties and peoples.<ref name="Koch995"/>

There are also mythological texts that do not fit into any of the cycles; these include the ''[[echtra]]i'' tales of journeys to [[Celtic Otherworld|the Otherworld]] (such as ''[[The Voyage of Bran]]''), and the ''[[Dindsenchas]]'' ("lore of places"). Some written materials have not survived, and many more myths were likely never written down.

== Figures ==

=== Tuatha Dé Danann ===
The main supernatural beings in Irish mythology are the Tuatha Dé Danann ("the folk of the goddess Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("god folk" or "tribe of the gods").<ref name="Carey tuath de">{{cite encyclopedia |year=2006 |title=Tuath Dé |encyclopedia=Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia |publisher=ABC-CLIO |last=Carey |first=John |author-link=John Carey (Celticist) |editor=[[John T. Koch]] |pages=1693–1697}}</ref> Early medieval Irish writers also called them the ''fir dé'' (god-men) and ''cenéla dé'' (god-kindreds), possibly to avoid calling them simply 'gods'.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=M. A. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/951724639 |title=Ireland's Immortals: A history of the gods of Irish myth |date=2016 |isbn=978-0-691-15731-3 |location=Princeton, New Jersey |oclc=951724639 |page=82}}</ref> They are often depicted as kings, queens, bards, warriors, heroes, healers and craftsmen who have supernatural powers and are immortal. Prominent members include [[The Dagda]] ("the great god"); [[The Morrígan]] ("the great queen" or "phantom queen"); [[Lugh]]; [[Nuada Airgetlám|Nuada]]; [[Aengus]]; [[Brigid]]; [[Manannán mac Lir|Manannán]]; [[Dian Cécht]] the healer; and [[Goibniu]] the smith. They are also said to control the fertility of the land; the tale ''De Gabáil in t-Sída'' says the first Gaels had to establish friendship with the Tuath Dé before they could raise crops and herds.<ref name="Carey tuath de"/>

They dwell in the [[Celtic Otherworld|Otherworld]] but interact with humans and the human world. Many are associated with specific places in the landscape, especially the ''sídhe'': prominent ancient [[burial mound]]s such as [[Brú na Bóinne]], which are entrances to Otherworld realms.<ref name="Carey tuath de"/><ref name="Ohogain tuath de">{{cite book |last=Ó hÓgáin |first=Dáithí |author-link=Dáithí Ó hÓgáin |title=Myth, Legend & Romance: An encyclopaedia of the Irish folk tradition |publisher=Prentice Hall Press |year=1991 |pages=312–315, 407–409}}</ref> The Tuath Dé can hide themselves with a ''[[féth fíada]]'' ('magic mist').<ref name="Ohogain tuath de"/> They are said to have travelled from the north of the world, but then were forced to live underground in the ''sídhe'' after the coming of the Irish.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Retzlaff |first=Kay |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/37457923 |title=Ireland : its myths and legends |date=1998 |publisher=Metro Books |isbn=1-56799-564-0 |location=New York |oclc=37457923}}</ref>

In some tales, such as ''[[Baile in Scáil]]'', kings receive affirmation of their legitimacy from one of the Tuath Dé, or a king's right to rule is affirmed by an encounter with an otherworldly woman (see [[sovereignty goddess]]).<ref name="Carey tuath de"/> The Tuath Dé can also bring doom to unrightful kings.<ref name="Carey tuath de"/>

The medieval writers who wrote about the Tuath Dé were Christians. Sometimes they explained the Tuath Dé as [[fallen angel]]s; neutral angels who sided neither with God nor [[Lucifer]] and were punished by being forced to dwell on the Earth; or ancient humans who had become highly skilled in magic.<ref name="Carey tuath de"/> However, several writers acknowledged that at least some of them had been gods.<ref name="Carey tuath de"/>

There is strong evidence that many of the Tuath Dé represent the gods of Irish [[paganism]].<ref name="Carey tuath de"/><ref name="Ohogain tuath de"/> The name itself means "tribe of gods", and the ninth-century ''Scél Tuain meic Cairill'' (Tale of [[Tuan mac Cairill]]) speaks of the ''Tuath Dé ocus Andé'', "tribe of gods and un-gods".<ref name="Carey tuath de"/> Goibniu, [[Credne]] and [[Luchta]] are called the ''trí dé dáno'', "three gods of craft".<ref name="Carey tuath de"/> In ''[[Sanas Cormaic]]'' ([[Cormac mac Cuilennáin|Cormac's]] Glossary), [[Anu (Irish goddess)|Anu]] is called "mother of the Irish gods", [[Nét]] a "god of war", and Brigid a "goddess of poets".<ref name="Carey tuath de"/> Writing in the seventh century, [[Tírechán]] explained the ''sídh'' folk as "earthly gods" (Latin ''dei terreni''),<ref name="Carey tuath de"/> while ''Fiacc's Hymn'' says the Irish adored the ''sídh'' before the coming of [[Saint Patrick]].<ref name="Carey tuath de"/> Several of the Tuath Dé are [[cognate]] with [[Ancient Celtic religion|ancient Celtic]] deities: Lugh with [[Lugus]], Brigid with [[Brigantia (goddess)|Brigantia]], Nuada with [[Nodons]], and [[Ogma]] with [[Ogmios]].<ref name="Carey tuath de"/>

Nevertheless, [[John Carey (Celticist)|John Carey]] notes that it is not wholly accurate to describe all of them as gods in the medieval literature itself. He argues that the literary Tuath Dé are ''[[sui generis]]'', and suggests "immortals" might be a more neutral term.<ref name="Carey tuath de"/>

Many of the Tuath Dé are not defined by singular qualities, but are more of the nature of well-rounded humans, who have areas of special interests or skills like the druidic arts they learned before traveling to Ireland.<ref name=":1" /> In this way, they do not correspond directly to other pantheons such as those of the [[Greeks]] or [[Roman Empire|Romans]].<ref name=HGT-1949-rvw/>

Irish goddesses or Otherworldly women are usually connected to the land, the waters, and sovereignty, and are often seen as the oldest ancestors of the people in the region or nation. They are maternal figures caring for the earth itself as well as their descendants, but also fierce defenders, teachers and warriors. The goddess [[Brigid]] is linked with poetry, healing, and smithing.<ref name=Monaghan-2004/> Another is the [[Cailleach]], said to have lived many lives that begin and end with her in stone formation. She is still celebrated at [[Ballycrovane Ogham Stone]] with offerings and the retelling of her life's stories. The tales of the Cailleach connect her to both land and sea.<ref>{{Cite book |author=Wyeth, Adam |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/857525147 |title=The hidden world of poetry : unravelling Celtic mythology in contemporary Irish poetry |year=2013 |publisher=Salmon Poetry |isbn=978-1-908836-56-4 |oclc=857525147}}</ref> Several Otherworldly women are associated with sacred sites where seasonal festivals are held. They include [[Macha]] of [[Eamhain Mhacha]], [[Carman]], and [[Tailtiu]], among others.<ref name=HGT-1949-rvw/>

Warrior goddesses are often depicted as a triad and connected with sovereignty and sacred animals. They guard the battlefield and those who do battle, and according to the stories in the ''[[Táin Bó Cúailnge]]'', some of them may instigate and direct war themselves.<ref name=Kinsella-1970/> The main goddesses of battle are The Morrígan, Macha, and [[Badb]].<ref name=Dillon-1972/> Other warrior women are seen in the role of training warriors in the Fianna bands, such as [[Liath Luachra]], one of the women who trained the hero [[Fionn mac Cumhaill]].<ref name=Nagy-1985/>{{page needed|date=September 2021}} [[Zoomorphism]] is an important feature. Badb Catha, for instance, is "the Raven of Battle",<ref name=Powell-1989-Celts/> and in the ''Táin Bó Cúailnge'', The Morrígan shapeshifts into an eel, a wolf, and a cow.<ref name=Kinsella-1970/>

Irish gods are divided into four main groups.<ref>{{Cite web |last=OR 97219 |first=Overseas and Off-Campus ProgramsLewis & Clark615 S. Palatine Hill Road MSC 11Portland |title=Once Upon a Time, Irish Mythology Crash Course |url=https://college.lclark.edu/live/blogs/68-once-upon-a-time-irish-mythology-crash-course |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=college.lclark.edu |language=en}}</ref> Group one encompasses the older gods of [[Gaul]] and Britain. The second group is the main focus of much of the mythology and surrounds the native Irish gods with their homes in burial mounds. The third group are the gods that dwell in the sea and the fourth group includes stories of the Otherworld.<ref name=Dillon-1972/> The gods that appear most often are the Dagda and Lugh. Some scholars have argued that the stories of these gods align with Greek stories and gods.<ref name=Dillon-1972/>

=== Fomorians ===
[[File:The Fomorians, Duncan 1912.jpg|thumb|250px|The Fomorians, as depicted by John Duncan (1912)]]
The [[Fomorians]] or Fomori ({{langx|sga|Fomóire}})<ref name="Ohogain fomori">{{cite book |last=Ó hÓgáin |first=Dáithí |author-link=Dáithí Ó hÓgáin |title=Myth, Legend & Romance: An encyclopaedia of the Irish folk tradition |publisher=Prentice Hall Press |year=1991 |pages=232–233}}</ref> are a supernatural race, who are often portrayed as hostile and monstrous beings. Originally, they were said to come from under the sea or the earth.<ref name="Ohogain fomori"/> Later, they were portrayed as sea raiders, which was probably influenced by the [[History of Ireland (800–1169)|Viking raids on Ireland]] around that time.<ref name="Ohogain fomori"/> Later still they were portrayed as giants. They are enemies of Ireland's [[Lebor Gabála Érenn|first settlers]] and opponents of the Tuatha Dé Danann,<ref name="Carey fomori">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Fomoiri |encyclopedia=Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia |year=2006 |last=Carey |first=John |author-link=John Carey (Celticist) |editor=[[John T. Koch]] |publisher=ABC-CLIO |page=762}}</ref> although some members of the two races have offspring. The Fomorians were viewed as the alter-egos to the Tuath Dé<ref name=":1" />{{request quotation|date=November 2022}} The Tuath Dé defeat the Fomorians in the ''[[Cath Maige Tuired|Battle of Mag Tuired]]''.<ref name=":1" /> This has been likened to other [[Proto-Indo-European mythology|Indo-European myths]] of a war between gods, such as the [[Æsir–Vanir War|Æsir and Vanir]] in [[Norse mythology]] and the [[Titanomachy|Olympians and Titans]] in [[Greek mythology]].<ref name="Ohogain myth cycle">{{cite book |last=Ó hÓgáin |first=Dáithí |author-link=Dáithí Ó hÓgáin |title=Myth, Legend & Romance: An encyclopaedia of the Irish folk tradition |publisher=Prentice Hall Press |year=1991 |pages=312–315}}</ref>

=== Heroes ===
Heroes in Irish mythology can be found in two distinct groups. There is the lawful hero who exists within the boundaries of the community, protecting their people from outsiders.<ref name=Nagy-1985/> Within the kin-group or ''[[tuath]]'', heroes are human and gods are not.<ref name=HGT-1949-rvw/>

The [[Fianna]] warrior bands are seen as outsiders, connected with the wilderness, youth, and liminal states.<ref name=Nagy-1985/> Their leader was called Fionn mac Cumhaill, and the first stories of him are told in fourth century. They are considered aristocrats and outsiders who protect the community from other outsiders; though they may winter with a settled community, they spend the summers living wild, training adolescents and providing a space for war-damaged veterans. The time of vagrancy for these youths is designated as a transition in life post puberty but pre-manhood. Manhood being identified as owning or inheriting property. They live under the authority of their own leaders, or may be somewhat anarchic, and may follow other deities or spirits than the settled communities.<ref name=Nagy-1985/><ref name=HGT-1949-rvw/>

The church refused to recognize this group as an institution and referred to them as "sons of death".<ref name=":0" />

=== Legendary creatures ===
The [[Oilliphéist]] is a sea-serpent-like monster in Irish mythology and folklore. These monsters were believed to inhabit many lakes and rivers in Ireland and there are legends of saints, especially St. Patrick, and heroes fighting them.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100247615;jsessionid=A63CCC73C2E4397C92726419D92EC0B6 | title=Oilliphéist }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://emeraldisle.ie/the-great-wyrms-of-ireland | title=The Great Wyrms of Ireland &#124; Folklore and fairy tales from the Emerald Isle }}</ref>

==Sources==

[[File:Book of Leinster, folio 53.jpg|thumb|upright=1|alt=A page from a 12th-century Irish manuscript|Folio 53 of the ''[[Book of Leinster]]''. Medieval manuscripts are the main source for Irish mythology and early literature.]]

The three main manuscript sources for Irish mythology are the late 11th/early 12th&nbsp;century {{Lang|mga|[[Lebor na hUidre]]}} (Book of the Dun Cow), which is in the library of the [[Royal Irish Academy]], and is the oldest surviving manuscript written entirely in the Irish language; the early 12th-century ''[[Book of Leinster]]'', which is in the [[Trinity College Library, Dublin|Library]] of [[Trinity College Dublin]]; and [[Bodleian Library, MS Rawlinson B 502]] (''Rawl.''), which is in the [[Bodleian Library]] at the [[University of Oxford]]. Despite the dates of these sources, most of the material they contain predates their composition.<ref name=Frehan-2012/>

Other important sources include a group of manuscripts that originated in the West of Ireland in the late 14th&nbsp;century or the early 15th century: ''The [[Yellow Book of Lecan]]'', ''The [[Great Book of Lecan]]'' and ''The [[Book of Ballymote]]''. The first of these is in the Library of Trinity College and the others are in the Royal Irish Academy. The Yellow Book of Lecan is composed of sixteen parts and includes the legends of Fionn Mac Cumhail, selections of legends of Irish Saints, and the earliest known version of the ''[[Táin Bó Cúailnge]]'' ("The Cattle Raid of Cooley"). This is one of Europe's oldest epics written in a vernacular language.<ref name=Frehan-2012/> Other 15th-century manuscripts, such as ''The Book of Fermoy'', also contain interesting materials, as do such later syncretic works such as [[Geoffrey Keating]]'s ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn'' (''The History of Ireland'') ({{circa|1640}}). These later compilers and writers may well have had access to manuscript sources that have since disappeared.

Most of these manuscripts were created by Christian [[monk]]s, who may well have been torn between a desire to record their native culture and hostility to pagan beliefs, resulting in some of the gods being [[wiktionary:euhemerize|euhemerised]]. Many of the later sources may also have formed parts of a propaganda effort designed to create a history for the people of Ireland that could bear comparison with the mythological descent of their British invaders from the founders of Rome, as promulgated by [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]] and others. There was also a tendency to rework Irish genealogies to fit them into the schemas of Greek or biblical genealogy.

Whether medieval Irish literature provides reliable evidence of [[oral tradition]] remains a matter for debate. [[Kenneth H. Jackson|Kenneth Jackson]] described the Ulster Cycle as a "window on the Iron Age", and Garret Olmsted has attempted to draw parallels between ''[[Táin Bó Cuailnge]]'', the Ulster Cycle epic and the iconography of the [[Gundestrup Cauldron]].<ref name=Jackson-1964-oldest/> However, these "nativist" claims have been challenged by "revisionist" scholars who believe that much of the literature was created, rather than merely recorded, in Christian times, more or less in imitation of the [[Epic poetry|epic]]s of [[classical literature]] that came with [[Latin]] learning. The revisionists point to passages apparently influenced by the [[Iliad]] in ''Táin Bó Cuailnge'', and to the ''Togail Troí'', an Irish adaptation of [[Dares Phrygius]]' ''De excidio Troiae historia'', found in the Book of Leinster. They also argue that the material culture depicted in the stories is generally closer to that of the time of their composition than to that of the distant past.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}

==Mythological Cycle==
[[File:Lugh spear Millar.jpg|thumb|Lugh's Magic Spear; illustration by H. R. Millar]]
{{main|Mythological Cycle}}
The [[Mythological Cycle]], comprising stories of the former gods and origins of the Irish, is the least well preserved of the four cycles. It is about the principal people who invaded and inhabited the island. The people include Cessair and her followers, the Formorians, the Partholinians, the Nemedians, the Firbolgs, the [[Tuatha Dé Danann]], and the Milesians.<ref name=Frehan-2012/> The most important sources are the ''[[Metrical Dindshenchas]]'' or ''Lore of Places'' and the ''[[Lebor Gabála Érenn]]'' or ''Book of Invasions''. Other manuscripts preserve such mythological tales as ''[[Bodb Derg|The Dream of Aengus]]'', ''[[the Wooing of Étain]]'' and ''[[Cath Maige Tuireadh]]'', ''the (second) Battle of Magh Tuireadh''. One of the best known of all Irish stories, ''Oidheadh Clainne Lir'', or ''[[Children of Lir|The Tragedy of the Children of Lir]]'', is also part of this cycle.

''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' is a pseudo-history of Ireland, tracing the ancestry of the Irish back to before [[Noah]]. It tells of a series of invasions or "takings" of Ireland by a succession of peoples, the fifth of whom was the people known as the [[Tuatha Dé Danann]] ("Peoples of the Goddess Danu"), who were believed to have inhabited the island before the arrival of the [[Gaels]], or [[Milesians (Irish)|Milesians]]. They faced opposition from their enemies, the [[Fomorians]], led by [[Balor]] of the Evil Eye. Balor was eventually slain by [[Lugh|Lugh Lámfada]] (Lugh of the Long Arm) at the second battle of Magh Tuireadh. With the arrival of the Gaels, the Tuatha Dé Danann retired underground to become the [[fairy]] people of later myth and legend.

The ''Metrical Dindshenchas'' is the great [[onomastic]]s work of early Ireland, giving the naming legends of significant places in a sequence of poems. 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.

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, complete with death-tales. However, there is considerable evidence, both in the texts and from the wider Celtic world, that they were once considered [[deity|deities]].

Even after they are displaced as the rulers of Ireland, characters such as [[Lugh]], the [[Mórrígan]], [[Aengus]] and [[Manannán mac Lir|Manannán Mac Lir]] appear in stories set centuries later, betraying their immortality. A poem in the Book of Leinster lists many of the Tuatha Dé, but ends "Although [the author] enumerates them, he does not worship them". [[Goibniu]], [[Creidhne]] and [[Luchta]] are referred to as ''Trí Dé Dána'' ("three gods of craftsmanship"), and the [[Dagda]]'s name is interpreted in [[medieval]] texts as "the good god". [[Nuada]] is [[cognate]] with the [[Prehistoric Britain|British]] god [[Nodens]]; [[Lugh]] is a reflex of the pan-[[Celt]]ic deity [[Lugus]], the name of whom may indicate "Light"; [[Tuireann]] may be related to the [[Gaulish]] [[Taranis]]; [[Ogma]] to [[Ogmios]]; the [[Badb]] to [[Catubodua]].

==Ulster Cycle==
[[File:Cuchulain in Battle.jpg|thumb|"Cuchulain in Battle", illustration by [[J. C. Leyendecker]] in T. W. Rolleston's ''Myths & Legends of the Celtic Race'', 1911]]
{{main|Ulster Cycle}}
The [[Ulster Cycle]] is traditionally set around the first century AD, and most of the action takes place in the provinces of [[Ulster]] and [[Connacht]]. It consists of a group of heroic tales dealing with the lives of [[Conchobar mac Nessa]], king of Ulster, the great hero [[Cú Chulainn]], who was the son of Lug ([[Lugh]]), and of their friends, lovers, and enemies. These are the [[Ulaid]], or people of the North-Eastern corner of Ireland and the action of the stories centres round the royal court at [[Emain Macha]] (known in English as Navan Fort), close to the modern town of [[Armagh]]. The Ulaid had close links with the Irish colony in Scotland, and part of Cú Chulainn's training takes place in that colony.

The cycle consists of stories of the births, early lives and training, wooing, battles, feastings, and deaths of the heroes. It also reflects a warrior society in which warfare consists mainly of single combats and wealth is measured mainly in cattle. These stories are written mainly in prose. The centerpiece of the Ulster Cycle is the ''[[Táin Bó Cúailnge]]''. Other important Ulster Cycle tales include ''[[Aided Óenfhir Aífe|The Tragic Death of Aife's only Son]]'', ''[[Bricriu's Feast]]'', and ''[[The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel]]''. ''The Exile of the Sons of Usnach'', better known as the tragedy of [[Deirdre]] and the source of plays by [[John Millington Synge]], [[William Butler Yeats]], and [[Vincent Woods]], is also part of this cycle.

This cycle is, in some respects, close to the mythological cycle. Some of the characters from the latter reappear, and the same sort of shape-shifting magic is much in evidence, side by side with a grim, almost callous realism. While we may suspect a few characters, such as [[Medb]] or [[Cú Roí]], of once being deities, and Cú Chulainn in particular displays superhuman prowess, the characters are mortal and associated with a specific time and place. If the Mythological Cycle represents a Golden Age, the Ulster Cycle is Ireland's [[Heroic Age (literary theory)|Heroic Age]].

==Fianna Cycle==
[[File:Heroes of the dawn (1914) (14750481494).jpg|thumb|Fionn fighting Aillen, illustration by [[Beatrice Elvery]] in Violet Russell's ''Heroes of the Dawn'' (1914)]]
{{main|Fianna Cycle}}
Like the Ulster Cycle, the Fianna Cycle or Fenian Cycle, also referred to as the Ossianic Cycle, is concerned with the deeds of Irish heroes. The stories of the Cycle appear to be set around the 3rd century and mainly in the provinces of [[Leinster]] and [[Munster]].<ref name=Frehan-2012/> They differ from the other cycles in the strength of their links with the Gaelic-speaking community in Scotland and there are many extant texts from that country. They also differ from the Ulster Cycle in that the stories are told mainly in [[Meter (poetry)|verse]] and that in tone they are nearer to the tradition of romance than the tradition of epic. The stories concern the doings of [[Fionn mac Cumhaill]] and his band of soldiers, the [[Fianna]].

The single most important source for the Fianna Cycle is the ''[[Acallam na Senórach]]'' (''Colloquy of the Old Men''), which is found in two 15th&nbsp;century manuscripts, the ''[[Book of Lismore]]'' and Laud&nbsp;610, as well as a 17th&nbsp;century manuscript from [[Killiney]], [[County Dublin]]. The text is dated from linguistic evidence to the 12th&nbsp;century. The text records conversations between [[Caílte mac Rónáin]] and [[Oisín]], the last surviving members of the Fianna, and [[Saint Patrick]], and consists of about 8,000&nbsp;lines. The late dates of the manuscripts may reflect a longer oral tradition for the Fenian stories.

The Fianna of the story are divided into the Clann Baiscne, led by Fionn mac Cumhaill (often rendered as "Finn MacCool", Finn Son of Cumhall), and the Clann Morna, led by his enemy, [[Goll mac Morna]]. Goll killed Fionn's father, [[Cumhal]], in battle and the boy Fionn was brought up in secrecy. As a youth, while being trained in the art of poetry, he accidentally burned his thumb while cooking the Salmon of Knowledge, which allowed him to suck or bite his thumb to receive bursts of stupendous wisdom. He took his place as the leader of his band and numerous tales are told of their adventures. Two of the greatest of the Irish tales, ''[[The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne|Tóraigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne]]'' (''The Pursuit of [[The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne|Diarmuid]] and [[Gráinne]])'' and ''Oisín in [[Tír na nÓg]]'' form part of the cycle. The Diarmuid and Grainne story, which is one of the cycle's few prose tales, is a probable source of ''[[Tristan and Iseult]]''.

The world of the Fianna Cycle is one in which professional warriors spend their time hunting, fighting, and engaging in adventures in the spirit world. New entrants into the band are expected to be knowledgeable in poetry as well as undergo a number of physical tests or ordeals. Most of the poems are attributed to being composed by Oisín''.'' This cycle creates a bridge between pre-Christian and Christian times.<ref name=Frehan-2012/>

==Kings' Cycle==
{{main|Cycles of the Kings}}
It was part of the duty of the medieval Irish bards, or court [[Irish poetry|poets]], to record the history of the family and the genealogy of the king they served. This they did in poems that blended the mythological and the historical to a greater or lesser degree. The resulting stories from what has come to be known as the Cycle of the Kings, or more correctly Cycles, as there are a number of independent groupings. This term is a more recent addition to the cycles, with it being coined in 1946 by Irish literary critic [[Myles Dillon]].

The kings that are included range from the almost entirely mythological [[Labraid Loingsech]], who allegedly became High King of Ireland around 431&nbsp;BC, to the entirely historical [[Brian Boru]]. However, the greatest glory of the Kings' Cycle is the ''[[Buile Shuibhne]]'' (''The Frenzy of Sweeney''), a 12th&nbsp;century tale told in verse and prose. Suibhne, king of [[Dál nAraidi]], was cursed by St. Ronan and became a kind of half-man, half bird, condemned to live out his life in the woods, fleeing from his human companions. The story has captured the imaginations of contemporary Irish poets and has been translated by [[Trevor Joyce]] and [[Seamus Heaney]].

==Other tales==
[[File:Mound of the Hostages, Hill of Tara 2018-07-24.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|The [[Mound of the Hostages]], located in [[County Meath]]. Places beneath mounds and hills were attested locations of the Irish Otherworld.{{sfn|Carey|2000|pp=113, 116}}]]

===''Eachtraí''===
The adventures, or ''[[echtrae]]'', are a group of stories of visits to the [[Celtic Otherworld|Irish Other World]] (which may be westward across the sea, underground, or simply invisible to mortals). The most famous, ''Oisin in Tir na nÓg'' belongs to the Fenian Cycle, but several free-standing adventures survive, including ''The Adventure of Conle'', ''[[The Voyage of Bran|The Voyage of Bran mac Ferbail]]'', and ''The Adventure of [[Lóegaire]]''.

===''Immrama''===
The voyages, or ''[[immrama]]'', are tales of sea journeys and the wonders seen on them that may have resulted from the combination of the experiences of fishermen combined and the Other World elements that inform the adventures. Of the seven ''immrama'' mentioned in the manuscripts, only three have survived: ''[[The Voyage of Máel Dúin]]'', the ''[[Voyage of the Uí Chorra]]'', and the ''[[Voyage of Snedgus and Mac Riagla]]''. ''The Voyage of Mael Duin'' is the forerunner of the later ''[[Brendan the Navigator|Voyage of St. Brendan]]''. While not as ancient, later 8th century AD works, that influenced European literature, include ''[[The Vision of Adamnán]]''.

===Folk tales===
{{main|Irish folklore}}
Although there are no written sources of Irish mythology, many stories are passed down orally through traditional storytelling. Some of these stories have been lost, but some Celtic regions continue to tell folktales to the modern-day. Folktales and stories were primarily preserved by monastic scribes from the [[bard]]s of nobility. Once the noble houses started to decline, this tradition was put to an abrupt end. The bards passed the stories to their families, and the families would take on the oral tradition of storytelling.

During the first few years of the 20th century, [[Herminie Templeton Kavanagh]] wrote down many Irish folk tales, which she published in magazines and in two books. Twenty-six years after her death, the tales from her two books, ''Darby O'Gill and the Good People'' and ''Ashes of Old Wishes,'' were made into the film ''[[Darby O'Gill and the Little People]]''. Noted Irish playwright [[Lady Gregory]] also collected folk stories to preserve Irish history. The [[Irish Folklore Commission]] gathered folk tales from the general Irish populace from 1935 onward.

== References ==

=== Citations ===

{{reflist|25em|refs=

<ref name=Dillon-1972>
{{cite book
 |first1=Myles   |last1=Dillon
 |last2=Chadwick |first2=Nora Kershaw
 |date=1972
 |title=The Celtic Realms
 |edition=2nd
 |location=London, UK
 |publisher=Weidenfeld and Nicolson
 |isbn=0297995804  |oclc=813540156
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Frehan-2012>
{{cite book
 |first=Pádraic |last=Frehan
 |date=2012
 |title=Education and Celtic Myth: National self-image and schoolbooks in 20th-century Ireland
 |publisher=Rodopi
 |isbn=9789042035904 |oclc=819379953
}}
</ref>

<ref name=HGT-1949-rvw>
{{cite journal
 |author=H.G.T.
 |date=1949
 |title=Reviewed work: ''Gods and Heroes of the Celts'' by Marie-Louise Sjoestedt & Mules Dillon
 |type=book review
 |journal=Journal of the County Louth Archaeological Society
 |volume=12  |issue=1  |page=85
 |doi=10.2307/27728728  |jstor=27728728
 |issn=1393-2195
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Jackson-1964-oldest>
{{cite book
 |last=Jackson  |first=Kenneth Hurlstone
 |year=1964
 |title=The Oldest Irish Tradition: A window on the Iron Age
 |location=Cambridge, UK 
 |publisher=Cambridge University Press
 |isbn=978-0-521-05393-8   |oclc=246461036
 |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/246461036
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Kinsella-1970>
{{cite book
 |last=Kinsella |first=Thomas
 |year=1970
 |title=The Tain  |language=en
 |trans-title=The Raid
 |place=Oxford, UK
 |publisher=Oxford University Press
 |isbn=0-19-281090-1
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Monaghan-2004>
{{cite book
 |first=Patricia  |last=Monaghan
 |date=2004
 |title=The encyclopedia of Celtic mythology and folklore
 |publisher=Facts on File
 |isbn=0816045240  |oclc=51886379
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Nagy-1985>
<br/>
{{cite book
 |last=Nagy |first=Joseph Falaky
 |year=1985
 |title=The Wisdom of the Outlaw: The boyhood deeds of Finn in gaelic narrative tradition
 |place=Berkeley & Los Angeles, CA
 |publisher=University of California Press
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Powell-1989-Celts>
{{cite book 
 |last=Powell  |first=T. G. E.  |author-link=T. G. E. Powell
 |date=1989
 |title=The Celts
 |publisher=Thames and Hudson
 |isbn=0500272751 |oclc=472847240
}}
</ref>

}}

=== Sources ===

'''Primary sources in English translation'''

* Cross, Tom Peete and Clark Harris Slover. ''Ancient Irish Tales''. Barnes and Noble Books, Totowa, New Jersey, 1936 repr. 1988. {{ISBN|1-56619-889-5}}.
* Dillon, Myles. ''The Cycles of the Kings''. Oxford University Press, 1946; reprinted Four Courts Press: Dublin and Portland, OR, 1994. {{ISBN|1-85182-178-3}}.
* Dillon, Myles. ''Early Irish Literature''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1948; reprinted : Four Courts Press, Dublin and Portland, OR, 1994. {{ISBN|0-7858-1676-3}}.
* Joseph Dunn: ''The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Táin Bó Cúailnge'' (1914)
* Winifred Faraday: ''The Cattle-Raid of Cualng''. London, 1904. This is a partial translation of the text in the Yellow Book of Lecan, partially censored by Faraday.
* Gantz, Jeffrey. ''Early Irish Myths and Sagas''. London: Penguin Books, 1981. {{ISBN|0-14-044397-5}}.
* Gregory, Lady Augusta. ''[http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/cuch/ Cuchulain of Muirtheme]''. First Published 1902.
* Kinsella, Thomas. ''The Tain''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1970. {{ISBN|0-19-281090-1}}.
* MacKillop, James. ''Dictionary of Celtic Mythology'', Oxford University Press, 1990.
* Price, Bill. ''Celtic Myths'', Oldcastle Books, 2011.

''' Primary sources in Medieval Irish'''
* ''Cath Maige Tuired: The Second Battle of Mag Tuired''. Elizabeth A. Gray, Ed. Dublin: Irish Texts Society, 1982. Series: Irish Texts Society (Series); v. 52. Irish text, English translation and philological notes.
* ''Táin Bo Cuailnge from the Book of Leinster''. [[Cecile O'Rahilly]], Ed. [[Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies]], 1984.
* ''Táin Bo Cuailnge Recension I''. Cecile O'Rahilly, Ed. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies 1976. Irish text, English translation and philological notes.

'''Secondary sources'''
* {{cite book|last=Carey|first=John|author-link=John Carey (Celticist)|year=2000|chapter=The Location of the Otherworld in Irish Tradition|chapter-url=https://www.ucc.ie/en/media/academic/seanmeanghaeilge/cdi/texts/Carey_Location-of-the-Otherworld.pdf|editor-last=Wooding|editor-first=Jonathan M.|pages=113–119|title=The Otherworld Voyage in Early Irish Literature: An Anthology of Criticism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HIdiAAAAMAAJ|location=Dublin|publisher=[[Four Courts Press]]|isbn=9781851822461|oclc=1302630617}}
* Coghlan, Ronan ''Pocket Dictionary of Irish Myth and Legend''. Belfast: Appletree, 1985.
* Mallory, J. P. Ed. ''Aspects of the Tain''. Belfast: December Publications, 1992. {{ISBN|0-9517068-2-9}}.
* O hOgain, Daithi "Myth, Legend and Romance: An Encyclopedia of the Irish Folk Tradition" Prentice Hall Press, (1991) : {{ISBN|0-13-275959-4}} (the only dictionary/encyclopedia with source references for every entry)
* [[T. F. O'Rahilly|O'Rahilly, T. F.]] ''Early Irish History and Mythology'' (1946)
* [[Brinley Rees|Rees, Brinley]] and [[Alwyn Rees]]. ''Celtic Heritage: Ancient Tradition in Ireland and Wales''. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1961; repr. 1989. {{ISBN|0-500-27039-2}}.
* Sjoestedt, M. L. ''Gods and Heroes of the Celts''. 1949; translated by Myles Dillon. repr. Berkeley, CA: Turtle Press, 1990. {{ISBN|1-85182-179-1}}.
* Williams, J. F. Caerwyn. ''Irish Literary History''. Trans. Patrick K. Ford. University of Wales Press, Cardiff, Wales, and Ford and Bailie, Belmont, Massachusetts. Welsh edition 1958, English translation 1992. {{ISBN|0-926689-03-7}}.

==Further reading==
* {{cite book | first=Frederic | last=Armao | year=2022 | title=Uisneach or the Center of Ireland | publisher=Routledge | location=New York City | isbn=978-0367697709 }}
*Clark, Rosalind (1991) ''The Great Queens: Irish Goddesses from the Morrigan to Cathleen ni Houlihan''. Savage, MD, Barnes and Noble Books. {{ISBN|0-389-20928-7}}
*[[Kevin Danaher|Danaher, Kevin]] (1972) ''The Year in Ireland''. Dublin, Mercier. {{ISBN|1-85635-093-2}}
*Patterson, Nerys Thomas (1994) ''Cattle Lords and Clansmen: The Social Structure of Early Ireland''. Notre Dame, IN, University of Notre Dame Press (2nd edition) {{ISBN|0-268-00800-0}}
*Power, Patrick C. (1976) ''Sex and Marriage in Ancient Ireland''. Dublin, Mercier
*Smyth, Daragh (1988, 1996) ''A Guide to Irish Mythology''. Dublin, Irish Academic Press

===Adaptions, collections, and retellings===
* [[James Bonwick]], ''[https://archive.org/details/irishdruidsoldir00bonw Irish Druids and Old Irish Religions]'' (1894)
* [[Gregory Frost]]: ''Tain'' (1986), and ''Remscela'' (1988)
* [[Lady Gregory|Lady Augusta Gregory]]: ''Cuchulain of Muirthemne'' (1902), and ''Gods and Fighting Men'' (1904)
* Lenihan, Eddie and Carolyn Eve Green. ''Meeting the Other Crowd: The Fairy Stories of Hidden Ireland''. New York. Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin. 2004. {{ISBN|1-58542-307-6}}
* [[Morgan Llywelyn]]: ''[[Red Branch (novel)|Red Branch]]'' (1989), ''[[Finn Mac Cool (novel)|Finn MacCool]]'' (1994), and ''[[Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish]]'' (1984)
* [[Juliet Marillier]]: ''[[Daughter of the Forest]]'', ''[[Son of the Shadows]]'', and ''[[Child of the Prophecy]]'' (Sevenwaters trilogy, 1999–2001).
* [[James Stephens (author)|James Stephens]]: ''[[Irish Fairy Tales]]'' (1920)
* [[Jane Wilde|Lady Francesca Speranza Wilde]], ''[https://archive.org/details/cu31924074445762 Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland]'' (1887)

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.ucd.ie/folklore Department of Irish Folklore, Dublin. Includes the National Folklore Archives]
* [http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/index_irish.html The Celtic Literature Collection] 
* [http://www.libraryireland.com/LegendaryFictionsIrishCelts/Contents.php/ Legendary Fictions of the Irish Celts]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaFMov--UMM&lc=UgzMH8pAjumAiWB2gh54AaABAg.A4iM6xAoQhyA4mNAoHFWjf YouTube Channel Imaginaire Celtique : "Irish Goddesses", with Noemie Beck, Associate Professor, University of Savoie-Mont Blanc.]

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