In our story, the Dagda is helped out of trouble by his son, Óengus Mac Ind Óc, and this in turn helps depose Bres and restore prosperity to Ireland after the defeat of the Fomoire. However, in Tocmairc Étaíne, “The Wooing of Étaín”, we see the Dagda getting his son out of scrapes. From the moment…
Category: The Battle of Moytura 04: Ar Shlicht in Dagdae – On the Dagda’s Track
The Dagda, Ogmios and the Jolly Green Giant
Who is Ogma and what is he doing in the saga of Moytura? For a start, he is recorded as the Dagda’s brother, and his main role seems to be “The Strong man”. When Lugh arrives at Tara, the gate-keeper gives him that title rather than that of warrior. He proves it later by throwing…
The Poems on Ailech
from The Metrical Dindshenchas, Vol IV, edited by Edward Gwynn Translated by E. Gwynn & Isolde Carmody The translations are based on Gwynn’s, with some amendations and modernisation of the English idioms. Short notes are included in the translated text within square brackets. I only include the sections of the poems that contain our story…
Names of the Dagda
from Cath Maige Tuired, edited by Elizabeth Gray translation by Isolde Carmody When the Dagda encounters Indech’s daughter, she demands that he carry her on his back. He replies that it is geis (“taboo”) for him to carry anyone on his back who does not call him by name. She asks his name, and he…
The Leather Cauldron
When Isolde and I were preparing to record the episode focussing on the Dagda and his Moytura stories, we knew that the podcast would be published in Christmas week. Perhaps this coloured our thinking a little, but when you have a fat jolly man who gloriously indulges in overeating and drinking, who is related to…
The Dagda’s Track
The Oak of two meadows The rightness of Four Angles Come Summer, Come Winter Mouths of harps and bags and pipes And didn’t that harp fly? Like a spring storm that scatters the blossom of apples. Like an Autumn wind that whips the waves into flowers of foam. Oh, yes, that harp flew, its melodies…
The Battle of Moytura 04: Ar Shlicht in Dagdae – On the Track of the Dagda
The Dagda is one of our most enduring mythological characters. He strides through the tale of Moytura as craftsman and clown, but how much of the story rests in his large lap? Follow the Track of the Dagda’s Club along with the Story Archaeologists. Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts! Related Articles…