From the Metrical Dindshenchas, Volume 2, poem 13, p. 62 Edited by Edward Gwynn Translation by Isolde Carmody Berba 1. In Berba búan a bailbe, The Barrow, lasting its silence, saiges dar slúag sen-Ailbe; which reaches across the host of old Ailbe is fis fedma fáth dia fail it is a duty of knowledge to…
Tag: Metrical Dindshenchas
The Dindshenchas of Athleague – Áth Líac Find
From The Metrical Dindshenchas Volume 4, pp 36 – 43: Poems 11 & 12 edited by Edward Gwynn translated by Isolde Carmody These poems were posted as part of “More Poems about Sinann”, a companion article to Series 1: Mythical Women – Episode 1: The Story of Sinann. Any names or words with notes appear…
Dindshenchas 02: Dindshenchas and Dreamtime
Mythic cartography is the art of mapping stories onto a living landscape. In Ireland, these patterns are visible through the corpus of Dindshenchas poems and prose: in Australia, they have traditionally been painted onto rocks by the First Australians. Join the Story Archaeologists as they chart the Songlines and Storylines in these, environmentally differing, mythic map libraries….
Don’t shout. Someone might hear you! – A look back at the “Children of Tuirenn” from across the world.
I am writing this article, or more accurately an addendum to the notes on ‘The Children of Tuireann’ article , in sunny Brisbane. However, I have just returned from a few days in Kakadu in the Northern Territories, a journey that left me thinking. I got to see a lot of estuarine crocodiles, often very…
The Poems on Ailech
from The Metrical Dindshenchas, Vol IV, edited by Edward Gwynn Translated by E. Gwynn & Isolde Carmody The translations are based on Gwynn’s, with some amendations and modernisation of the English idioms. Short notes are included in the translated text within square brackets. I only include the sections of the poems that contain our story…
Bres in Other Texts
Bres Mac Elathan appears in a number of texts besides Cath Maige Tuired, and often in a more sympathetic light. He appears as one of the Túatha Dé Danann, as in Tocmairc Étaíne, “The Wooing of Étaín”, where the Dagda sends Elcmar of the Brug away on business to Bres in Mag nInis so that…
Other Appearances of the Morrigan
As discussed in the podcast, there are several other notable appearances which the Mór Rígan makes through Irish Mythology. Below, I have produced a translation of the Dindshenchas poem, “Odras”. Before we get to her, here are links to some of her other roles: Esnada Tige Buichet, “The Melodies of the House of Buchet”. This…
Texts of Eithliu
From Tocmarc Étaine, “The Wooing of Étain” Edited O. Bergin & R. I. Best, Translated with endnotes by Isolde Carmody. Terms with related notes are in bold. View Bergin & Best’s edition on CELT While this text is included here in relation to “Tales of Eithliu”, we dealt with the whole of Tocmarc Étaíne in…
Beidh Aenach Amárach…
The Fairs of Early Irish Society The óenach, sometimes translated as “Fair”, was an important regular feature of early Irish society. There were several kinds of public gathering, including slógadh, “hosting”, where a lord would gather his able tennants for military activity, and airecht, “court”, which was a gathering of freemen for legal purposes. But…
More Stories of Macha
FROM THE METRICAL DINDSHENCHAS VOL 4: ed. Edward Gwynn translated by Isolde Carmody, based on Gwynn’s work. The complete edition by Gwynn can be found here