Máeldύin stood at the stern of the triple skinned boat, brooding moodily over the glassy waters. His eyes remained fixed on the shadowed depths, almost as if he were searching for another of those uncanny underwater islands; a place to dream, a place to drown. Behind him, was the clamoured activity of the boat. The…
Rowing Around Immráma 04: Immrám Curaig Máel Dúin – The Voyage of Máel Dúin’s Boat
When Máel Dúin sets out on a voyage to avenge the father he has never known, he encounters a seascape of wonders and terrors where nothing is what it seems. Join the story Archaeologists as they follow in his wake, discovering some unexpected marvels. This episode is only the first installment of this maratime epic,…
The Birth of the Uí Corra ~ A Connacht Fairy Tale.
Once upon a time, in the dear and beautiful land of Connacht, there lived a wealthy man and his wife, who wished for nothing other than a healthy child to make their lives complete. It sounds like the beginning of a familiar fairy tale, and so it is. In a way, the birth of a…
Rowing Around Immráma 03: Immrám Uí Corra
The tale of the Uí Corra may start out as an intriguing fairy tale, but their journey is not for the faint of heart. Their quest for knowledge soon deepens into a dark and stormy voyage of tortured souls and infernal visions. Join the Story Archaeologists as they plumb the contradictory depths of this under-appreciated Immrám. Don’t forget…
Welcome to our new site!
As our regular subscribers will know, we are in the process of moving the hosting for Story Archaeology. It may look the same (in fact, we hope it looks very familiar!), but it’s all the worky-bits in the background that have changed. There are bound to be teething problems, so please Don’t Panic!! If something…
The Island of the Salmon
To travel in the hands of God.To put away the boat’s oars and let the undulating waves breathe them where they would.To watch the world’s sun light up the broad plain of the sea into molten gold, glittering with sudden sparks of silver like drowned stars.There was a great peace in this voyage. The monk…
Rowing Around Immráma 02: Immrám Snedgussa ocus Mac Ríagla
In the aftermath of the Battle of Mag Rath, the Men of Ross endure a harsh sentence: to be set adrift in the Atlantic Ocean. Inspired by this, Snedgus and Mac Ríagla, two of St. Colmcille’s monks, decide to try it out for themselves. Hop aboard with the Story Archaeologists to explore another trench of…
Reflections On The Skelligs
In our first episode on the Imramma, ‘The Voyage of Bran Mac Febul, we discussed the monastic preference for settling in lonely and out of the way places. We referred to the practice as ‘extreme monasticism’. One of the best examples of this must be early monastic complex on a lonely rock, you can hardly…
The Text of Immram Brain Part 1: The Woman’s Poem
Here is the first part of the text of Immram Brain, as edited by Séamus Mac Mathúna. The translation is based on that of Kuno Meyer, although where my translation differs significantly from his, I have included his translation in brackets. I have also marked the scribe’s glosses with brackets, introduced with .i. in the…
The Otherworld Apple Branch
It was just a branch from an apple tree. It lay there beside him on the ground, shining silver in the sea-washed sunlight. Bran sat up, yawning. He stretched his arms, flexing his fingers. What a dream that had been! The music; sweet, unearthly. It had followed him as he walked alone on the sharp-grassed…