from Cath Maige Tuired, The Battle of Moytura edited by Elizabeth Gray translation and notes by Isolde Carmody [Terms in bold have notes and discussions below] 544] Tánic didiu frisna Fomore annísin, go tudciset-som fer n-úadaibh de déscin cathai & cosdotha Túath nDéa .i. Rúadán mac Bresi & Bríghi ingene in Dagdai. Ar ba mac-side & ba úa do Thúaith Déa. 124. Things were going against the…
Tag: Creidne Cerd
Brig and Rúadán
It was the first time keening had been heard in the green land of Ireland. The poetry of mourning, the ritual of the eulogy. Brig keened for her lost son, her impetuous red-headed boy, Rúadán. Rúadán was dead, killed by the spear of Goibniu, and the smithcraft of the Dé Danann, killed as a spy…
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….
Goibniu and the Gobbán Sáor
In the podcast episode on “The Four Craftsmen”, we discussed the manner in which characters found only within the saga of Moytura developed an enduring popularity in folklore and story. This would seem to have particular relevance in the case of Goibniu the Dé Danann smith. Goibniu is certainly connected, if not cognate, with the…
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 Forge and the Well
from Cath Maige Tuired, Sections 122-3, Lines 526 – 543 Edition: Elizabeth Gray Translation: Isolde Carmody To accompany our discussion of the Four Craftsmen, here are the sections of the text describing the beautifully choreographed work in the forge. I’ve also included the following section describing the family of physicians working around the well of…
The Craftsmen and the Fomoire Spy
The battle lines were drawn up. Spear-tips glinted in the sunlight, a forest-line of readiness. The sharpness of swords behind shields. He would not stand in that line. He would not shed the redness of his blood in that battle Rúadán was not a fighter, but he might have been. Too young, they told him, too…
The Battle of Moytura 05: Inna Cethóir Cerdi – The Four Craftsmen
The technology of Dían Cécht, Goibniu, Luchta and Creidne Cerd is pivotal in the Battle of Moytura. As People of Craft, the Túatha Dé Danann treasure the skills of their makers and shapers. The Story Archaeologists find evidence of their crafting on every stratum of the Battle of Moytura and far beyond. Don’t forget to…
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…