Brigid: the much-loved irish saint and the revered Celtic tribal ancestress. But is there a connection between the two? Sift through the strata of her story 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.
Tag: Story Archaeology
Mythical Women 04: The Story of Airmed
Airmed is the daughter of the great Dé Danann physician, Dían Cécht. Together, they created the healling well of Sláine, which restored injured warriors at the Second Battle of Moytura. But do their names tell a different story? Dig deeper through etymology in conversation with the Story Archaeologists. Don’t forget to subscribe to get the…
John Barleycorn
In the folklore of the British Isles, John Barleycorn represents the barley crop harvested each autumn. John Barleycorn endures much, corresponding to the cyclic nature of planting, growing, harvesting, and death. Our English (and Scottish) John Barleycorn has become a celebration of the barley crop and its intoxicating products – beer and whisky – but he…
The Birth Of Lugh
The air was rippled with watery sunshine. But through one small round window shone a bright brave sunbeam, clear and golden, cutting its way into the dim glow of the room. And in its cutting sat Ethlinn. She sat still, facing the window, facing the clear light, the fresh air; and a tear flowed down…
Mythical Women 03: Tales of Eithliu
The oral tradition provides vital pieces missing from the Irish manuscripts. “The Birth of Lugh” is a prime example. Reconstruct the story-seed of Eithliu and her many brief appearances 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.
Mythical Women 02: The Story of Macha
Macha gives her name to Emain Macha (Navan Fort, the seat of the Ulster kings) and to Armagh. She is also remembered for racing the king’s horses and cursing the Ulstermen. Why should a woman about to give birth be forced into a contest against race-horses? Explore this fantastical myth in relation to Early Irish…
The Shannon Pot
The Shannon is the longest river in Ireland and the UK with a length of 280km. The river flows from its source in the Cuilcagh Mountains to its estuary below Limerick. This important river and its tributaries drain some 15,500 sq km or about one fifth of the island of Ireland. The traditional source of…
How Long Can A Story Last?
Defining the longevity of information passed orally from group to group, and from generation to generation, is hard to quantify. Stories change and grow. Their sources become lost in the mists of time, and yet they continue to have significance. Back in 1998, “The Year of The French”, commemorating the bicentennial of the political events…
Stories of Creation
Virtually all cultures have creation stories… There are two main types of creation myth: the cosmogenic, which is about the creation of the universe or the world; and those that concern the creation of human beings. The stories of the creation of humans often comes in the same package as that of the creation of…
Mythical Women 01: The Story of Sinann
Sinann is the mythological source of the river Shannon, the longest river in Ireland. But who is she, and how far back does her story go? Was she a wayward girl, or the flower of her people and bringer of deep poetic inspiration? Delve into the original Irish texts in conversation with the Story Archaeologists….