In the Early Modern Irish tale, “The Fate of the Children of Tuirenn”, Lugh prepares to take on the might of the Fomoire hosts, seemingly single-handed. But he will need some very special weapons for this task, along with the help of Clann Manannáin, the “Fairy Cavalcade”. As this epic “Sorrow of Irish Storytelling” serves…
Tag: Fomoire
Stories in the Landscape ~ Accompanying Map
The main events of the saga of Moytura are mapped onto this image of Ireland. There are too many events happening in the region around Lough Arrow, on the plateau where the battle takes place. When the story is mapped like this it is clear how much Moytura truly is a story in a landscape….
The Battle of Moytura 08: A Journey Through Moytura – Stories in the Landscape
When we listen to stories of the Túatha Dé Danann and their exploits, it can be hard to remember that they are set in real physical locations. Can a landscape story-archaeology survey of these sites give us a new perspective on the story? Follow the Story Archaeologists on a virtual ramble through the West of…
The Landscape of a Story ~ notes to accompany the podcast episode
Notes intended to be read as an accompaniment to the podcast episode As we mentioned in the podcast, examining the story of Moytura is somewhat like staring into the reflecting levels of a lake. You may focus your vision on the ripple-transformed surface or look deeper into the shadowed depths for hidden treasures. Observing and…
The Battle of Moytura 07: Reflections of Moytura – The Landscape of a Story (Part 2)
Now that we have the entire saga before us, we can take a step back and see what shapes and patterns emerge. Is the saga a patchwork of tales with unnecessary repetition, or is there some significance to all its duplications and reflections? Enter the realm of Experimental Story Archaeology in the first episode to…
The Battle of Moytura 07: Reflections of Moytura – The Landscape of a Story (Part 1)
Now that we have the entire saga before us, we can take a step back and see what shapes and patterns emerge. Is the saga a patchwork of tales with unnecessary repetition, or is there some significance to all its duplications and reflections? Enter the realm of Experimental Story Archaeology in the first episode to…
Omens Ordeals and Oracles: On Demons and Wepons in Early Irish Texts by Jacqueline Borsje
This article has been made available to us by kind permission of its author, Professor Jacqueline Borsje, University of Amsterdam and University of Ulster. It was published in Peritia, the Journal of the Medieval Academy of Ireland, volume 13, 1999. Please do not re-use this content without the express permission of the author / publishers….
The Declaration of Peace
This is the poem spoken by Lóch Lethglas, the poet of Indéch Mac Dé Domnann, and is the third “request” he grants to Lug in return for peace. It serves as a peace-treaty or declaration from the Fomoire. There are certain similarities between this poem and the Mór Rígain’s vision of peace (see Poems of…
The Banishment of Balor
It is then that Lug said: I may look small next to you, but I am the one who will choose the day of your death. And Balor replied: Now I see that in the germ of the seed that I planted lies the form of my own destruction. Lug replied: It is so, for…
The Battle of Moytura 06: Amarc na Mór Rígna – The Morrigan’s View (Part 2)
As the last sections of our saga are revealed, the overall picture of the Battle of Moytura emerges. The Morrigan, the poet and recorder of the Dé Danann, gives a raven’s-eye view of the battle. Explore some of the overlooked treasures of Cath Maige Tuired with the Story Archaeologists. Don’t forget to subscribe to get…