At the beginning of Tocmarc Étaíne, we have the tale of the conception and birth of Óengus Mac Ind Óc and his claiming of Brú na Bóinne (Newgrange) as his territory. We touched on this story back in Series 1, Episode 3, “Tales of Eithliu”, and compared it to the Metrical Dindshenchas poems on Bóand, the…
Tag: poetry
Sat-Navs and Seanchaís – Finding your way through stories and landscapes
This article was published in the journal Keltria in issue 42, “Storytelling”. You can order this issue of Keltria here for digital download or print edition. Notes appear at the end of the article. Ireland has an international reputation as a nation of writers and storytellers, and it forms a large part of our national…
The Dindshenchas of Carn Hill, Co. Longford – Carn Furbaide
Carn Furbaide, the cairn of Furbaide Fer Benn son of Conchobar and Eithne Úathach, seems to be on Carn Hill in Co. Longford, a proverbial stone’s throw from Midir’s sid on Brí Leith / Ardagh Hill. (See Hogan’s Onomasticon Goedelicum, Letter C). As ever, terms with notes below are in bold, and the notes are…
The Two Sisters ~ An Old Ballad
The well of Inis Clothran, where Medb of Cruachan met her death, has murky depths, or at least, the tale of Medb and her sisters is somewhat opaque. As we discussed in the podcast , there are some unanswered questions. Does Medb kill Cothru or Ethne, or both of her sisters? Is Furbaide Clothru’s son…
Who killed Medb? ~ a poem
And Medb? That famous queen of Connacht, That virtuous virago – woman of renown, Serpent wise and venomous, How did she die? Was it Ailill, on a night of pillow talk, On a night of boasting and bragging, Was there one too many pillows plumped, To stifle her competitive tongue. Was it Ailill who brought…
Dindshenchas 03: The Well and the Cheese – The Unlikely Story of Medb and her Sisters
Inis Clothrann, the largest island of Lough Ree, Co. Longford, is famous for more than just its venerable monastic remains. It was here that Medb of Crúachán would bathe in the island’s well in fulfilment of a geis, imposed for killing at least one of her sisters. It was at this same well she met her death….
The Dindshenchas of Knowth – Cnogba
From the Metrical Dindshenchas, Volume 3, poem 4, pp 40 – 46 Edited by Edward Gwynn; Translated by Isolde Carmody Notes to the text appear at the end. Terms with notes below are marked in bold. Cnogba Fland Mac Lonnán cecinit. Fland Mac Lonnán chants: 1. Búa, ingen Rúadrach rúaid Búa, daughter of…
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….
The Declaration of Peace
This is the poem spoken by Lóch Lethglas, the poet of Indéch Mac Dé Domnann, and is the third “request” he grants to Lug in return for peace. It serves as a peace-treaty or declaration from the Fomoire. There are certain similarities between this poem and the Mór Rígain’s vision of peace (see Poems of…