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…
Category: Related Material
Explorations and developments of the themes of each episode
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 Judgements of the Four Craftsmen
Throughout this part of our discussion of Cath Maige Tuired, we have talked of the four craftsmen: Dían Cécht, the physician; Goibniu the smith; Luchta the wright; and Creidne Cérd the brazier. This might be surprising, considering that the latter three so often appear together, and only rarely with Dían Cécht, who is more usually…
Metal Crafting ~ Some notes
The descriptions of the preparation for the battle of Moytura by the various skilled craftsmen lead to intriguing speculation about the skills and technologies of the builders and weapon-makers within the story. For example, Section 122, which describes the daily restoration of the Dé Danann weapons, creates an entertaining and “high-octane action” picture of the…
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 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…