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…
Lug and Balor Meet
from Cath Maige Tuired, edited by Elizabeth Gray Translation by Isolde Carmody Here is the next piece of roscad poetry attributed to Lug in our text. It is the traditional climax of the battle, where Lug finally confronts his grandfather, Balor, which had been prophesied as the moment of Balor’s death. This section has not…
Lug Taunts the Enemy
from Cath Maige Tuired, edited by Elizabeth Gray Translation by Isolde Carmody Introductory Note This is the first of a number of passages in Cath Maige Tuired which is in the form of roscad. Roscada are non-syllabic (non-metrical) poems, characterised by connective alliteration between lines and a condensed, syntactically obscure and archaic use of language. …
Lug Comes to Tara
from Cath Maige Tuired, edited by Elizabeth Gray This is our first encounter with Lug in our text. The main part concerns Lug’s listing of his crafts, with the door-keeper’s counter-listing of the craftspeople already in Tara. It is beautifully formulaic, and an opportunity for the storyteller to list many of the dramatis personae of…
Lunacy at Lughnasagh – Our Lughnasagh Celebrations
The Lughnasagh games The Lughnasagh (or Lughasad / Lúnasa / Lughnasadh…) games, inaugurated by Lugh in honour of his foster mother, may be of as old a lineage as the Olympic games. Twenty one years ago, I thought it might be a good idea to create our own modern version of the games on my own…
Notes on the Festival of Lughnasagh
The subject of Lughnasagh is worthy of a whole podcast episode on its own, as are any of the traditional Irish festivals. We may well examine these these in more detail sometime in the future. In essence, however, Lughnasagh is a festival that marks an important phase in the agrarian year. It is the close…
Lugh Who? Where did Lugh come from?
In the Irish stories, Lugh, sometimes Lug, is a central and popular figure. To summarise his story, as it is given in text and tale, he is a child born in secret to a Fomoire mother and a Dé Danann father. In text, his father and mother are contracted to each other to form an…
The Coming of Lugh
The Door-Keeper Speaks… Who is this young warrior who came late to the gate of Tara, after the feasting was begun? Who is this fine and shining youth who stood before me, Camall Mac Riagail, gate-keeper of the Túatha Dé? Oh, he was pleasant to look upon, his cloak threaded with gold. He was tall…
The Battle of Moytura 03: Techt Lugo – The Coming of Lug
Lug Lámfhada has a Long Arm indeed, stretching all the way from Continental Celts to the Insular Isles. His role is central to Cath Maige Tuired, but how does he relate to the other dramatis personae of the tale? Join the Story Archaeologists as we dust off this iconic hero. Don’t forget to subscribe to…
Carrowkeel
High above the western shore of Lough Arrow are the Bricklieve hills. From the plain of Moytura, these hills rise clear, and the grey limestone domes that top them are highly visible. These domes are a part of the megalithic complex of passage tombs known as Carrowkeel. The complex comprises of 14 cairns, with a further…