And the Morrigan spoke at last. “The time will soon be upon us, and unrest will not pass us by. The leader of our people will be fatally blemished. Núada will be wounded in heart and hand. No longer will he hold golden prosperity within his grasp.” The Dagda grinned. “Dían Cécht will make him…
Category: Articles
Supporting articles, texts and translations and related materials for each episode
Three shouts on a hill ~ Notes on the final task of the Children of Tuirenn
As we discussed in Episode 9, Lugh sets eight tasks for Brian and his brothers as an éric for the death of his father, Cian. He demands a series of marvelous items (see “Pleasing the King of Bling” for details). However, the final task is of a very different nature. Lugh cannot gain materially by the…
Pleasing the “King-of-Bling!” ~ Notes on the tasks of the Sons of Tuireann
Lugh is, of course, well within his rights to ask for a high éric, an honour price for the murder of his father, Cian. However, in this story, which clearly reflects Classical influences, Lugh intends the collection of the quest items to cost the lives of Brian and his brothers. Lugh hopes that the brothers…
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 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…
A Jigsaw of Naming
In the podcast episode “The Morrigan’s view”, we were discussing the aftermath of the Battle of Moytura and the way Lóch, Imdech’s poet, is given, it seems, the honour of naming aspects of the Dé Danann forces, especially the charioteers, their chariots, horses, and goads. To an extent, these lists are poetic, alliterative groupings, but…
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…
Poems of the Morrigan
from Cath Maige Tuired, edited by Elizabeth Gray These translations were originally posted with Mythical Women episode 6: Encountering the Morrigan Poem A: Section 137, Lines 683 – 693 Translation by Isolde Carmody: Afraigid rig don cath Kings arise to [meet] the battle rucatair gruaide Cheeks are seized aisnethir rossa Faces [honours] are declared ronnatair feola,…
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…