Nuada stared into a palm of silver, a cupped pool reflecting a refracted and shattered image of his frowning face. He held the hand up before him, flexed his fingers and five silver rays flared like a crown around his image. So it worked to his will then. It was more than a magnificent glove….
The Battle of Moytura 01: Echtrae Nuadat – The Adventures of Nuada
Nuada Láim Argait, the merchant king with the Silver Arm, leads his people in wisdom and strategy for much of the saga of the Second Battle of Moytura. He is widely regarded as cognate with the British Celtic god Nodens. So when and how, mythologically speaking, did he come to Ireland? This first episode of…
Series 2: The Battle of Moytura
Our second series of podcasts concerns the great mythical saga, Cath Maige Tuired, The Battle of Moytura. Now, you may legitimately ask “Which one?”, because the tradition does indeed have two battles at Moytura. The first battle was between the Túatha Dé Danann and the Fir Bolg at Magh Tuired Coinge, near Cong in Co….
Samhain Special: Corpse Carrying For Beginners
An Acallam na nÉces Samhain Special In this seasonal special, the Story Archaeologists compare two stories of Samhain. It’s a time for ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night… but what could such stories tell us about life 100 or even 1,000 years ago? Find out as the Story Archaeologists go…
Tales of Sheebeg
The 1931 excavation of the cairn on Sheebeg In our conversation on Sheebeg, we talked about the excavation that took place in January 1931. I thought that it might be interesting to include a few quotes from the newspapers of the time and the only sketch that was made, as far as I am aware,…
More on Sheebeg
Below, as promised, some pictures of the hill and cairn at Sídh Beag. More material, such as the newspaper reports from 1931, will be posted soon… Watch this space!!
Special: Tales of Sheebeg
An Acallam na nÉces Special In the West of Ireland, every hill is a hollow hill, and every well is a source. But the hill we live on has many legends. Join the Story Archaeologists on an aerial survey of the story-scape of Sídh Beag, the Small Fairy Hill. Don’t forget to subscribe to get…
Special: Trees and Ogham – When is a tree not a tree?
An Acallam na nÉces Special Many people are familiar with the “Tree Alphabet” or even “Tree Calendar” derived from the ancient Irish Ogham script. But is this barking up the wrong tree? Is this really what Ogham was created for? Peel back the compacted layers of 19th century romanticism and Medieval reconstruction with the Story…
Mythical Women 06: Encountering the Morrigan
Battle-hag. Nightmare. Phantom Queen. The Morrigan has been called all of these. But is the battle-cry her only anthem? Uncover the evidence in conversation with the Story Archaeologists. Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest podcasts! By The Story Archaeologists. Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello.
The Morrigan’s Prophecy
From “the Morrigan’s prophecy” spoken at the close of the battle of Moytura. (based on the translation by Isolde Carmody) Beneath the peaceful heavens lies the land. It rests beneath the bowl of the bright sky. The land lies, itself a dish, a cup of honeyed strength, there, for the taking, offering strength to each…