Irish mythology in popular culture
Encyclopedia
BadbBadbIn Irish mythology, the Badb or Badhbh —meaning "crow" or "vulture"—was a war goddess who took the form of a crow, and was thus sometimes known as Badb Catha . She often caused fear and confusion among soldiers in order to move the tide of battle to her favoured side...
- Badb, along with NemainNemainIn Irish mythology, Nemain is the fairy spirit of the frenzied havoc of war, and possibly an aspect of the Morrígan. The name is sometimes spelt Nemon or Neman.-Representation in literature:...
, and MachaMachaMacha is the name of a goddess and several other characters in Irish mythology.Macha can also mean:*The LÉ Macha , a ship in the Irish Naval Service, named for the goddess*The Macha crater in Russia, less than 7000 years old...
, appear as the Morrigan in Christopher Moore's book A Dirty JobA Dirty JobA Dirty Job is the ninth novel by Christopher Moore, published in 2006. While reflecting the author's absurdist tendencies, the content of the novel draws in no small part from his own experiences in tending to the needs of close family and friends who were in the stages of dying.- Plot :The story...
. - Badb, MorriganMorríganThe Morrígan or Mórrígan , also written as Morrígu or in the plural as Morrígna, and spelt Morríghan or Mór-Ríoghain in Modern Irish, is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have once been a goddess, although she is not explicitly referred to as such in the texts.The Morrigan is a goddess...
, MachaMachaMacha is the name of a goddess and several other characters in Irish mythology.Macha can also mean:*The LÉ Macha , a ship in the Irish Naval Service, named for the goddess*The Macha crater in Russia, less than 7000 years old...
and NemainNemainIn Irish mythology, Nemain is the fairy spirit of the frenzied havoc of war, and possibly an aspect of the Morrígan. The name is sometimes spelt Nemon or Neman.-Representation in literature:...
are mentioned by Conan the BarbarianConan the BarbarianConan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
in Robert E. HowardRobert E. HowardRobert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
's 1932 Conan story The Phoenix on the SwordThe Phoenix on the Sword"The Phoenix on the Sword" is one of the original short stories about Conan the Cimmerian, written by American author Robert E. Howard and first published in Weird Tales magazine December 1932. The tale was a rewrite of the unpublished Kull story, "By This Axe I Rule!" with long passages being...
. - Badb, The MorriganMorríganThe Morrígan or Mórrígan , also written as Morrígu or in the plural as Morrígna, and spelt Morríghan or Mór-Ríoghain in Modern Irish, is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have once been a goddess, although she is not explicitly referred to as such in the texts.The Morrigan is a goddess...
, and MachaMachaMacha is the name of a goddess and several other characters in Irish mythology.Macha can also mean:*The LÉ Macha , a ship in the Irish Naval Service, named for the goddess*The Macha crater in Russia, less than 7000 years old...
are characters in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas FlamelThe Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas FlamelThe Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel will be a series of six fantasy novels written by Irish author Michael Scott when complete. Completion is due to be in 2012. The first book in the series, The Alchemyst was released in 2007, the sequels are scheduled to follow at the rate of one per year,...
.
BansheeBansheeThe banshee , from the Irish bean sí is a feminine spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld....
- The 19591959 in filmThe year 1959 in film involved some significant events, with Ben-Hur winning a record 11 Academy Awards.-Events:* The Three Stooges make their 190th and last short film, Sappy Bull Fighters....
Disney movie Darby O'Gill and the Little PeopleDarby O'Gill and the Little PeopleDarby O'Gill and the Little People is a 1959 Walt Disney Productions feature film starring Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, Sean Connery and Jimmy O'Dea, in a tale about a wily Irishman and his battle of wits with leprechauns. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and its screenplay written by...
contains a scene where the title character encounters a pernicious banshee. (See note at end of this section, for information about banshee behavior in American popular culture and how it differs from banshee behavior in traditional Irish folklore.) - The Real GhostbustersThe Real GhostbustersThe Real Ghostbusters is an American animated television series based on the 1984 film Ghostbusters. The series ran from 1986 to 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television, DiC Enterprises, and Coca-Cola Telecommunications. "The Real" was added to the title after a dispute with...
episodeEpisodeAn episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
"Banshee Bake a Cherry Pie?" depicts a banshee masquerading as an Irish pop singer and aiming to use its voice to take over the world. - The Halo video game seriesHalo (series)Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
incorporates an airborn vehicle called "Banshee" named for its engine's screaming noise. - The Silver BansheeSilver BansheeSilver Banshee is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics, primarily as an opponent of Superman.-Fictional character biography:Siobhan McDougal was the first-born child of Garrett McDougal, the patriarch of an old Gaelic clan that has occupied an island midway between Scotland and Ireland for...
is a character in SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
comics and other media. - A BoggartBoggartIn Englishfolklore, a boggart is a household fairy which causes things to disappear, milk to sour, and dogs to go lame. Always malevolent, the boggart will follow its family wherever they flee...
imitates a BansheeBansheeThe banshee , from the Irish bean sí is a feminine spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld....
in order to scare Seamus Finnegan in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanHarry Potter and the Prisoner of AzkabanHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling. The book was published on 8 July 1999. The novel won the 1999 Whitbread Book Award, the Bram Stoker Award, the 2000 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, and was short-listed for other... - Banshee (comics)Banshee (comics)Banshee is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero who operates as a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Werner Roth, Banshee first appeared in X-Men #28 ....
was the code name of an Irish superhero and member of the X-MenX-MenThe X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
with superhuman sonic abilities who is now deceased. The codename is currently carried on by his daughter, formerly known by her superheroic codename of SirynSirynTheresa Maeve Rourke Cassidy is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by Marvel Comics, usually those belonging to the X-Men family of titles...
, who possesses extremely similar superhuman abilities. - The 2010 horror movie Scream of the BansheeScream of the BansheeScream of the Banshee is a 2011 monster movie directed by Steven C. Miller and released as part of the After Dark Originals series. The film is co-produced by Syfy. Filming began in November of 2009 in Louisiana...
is about an archeology professor who unearths a dangerous artifact, unwittingly releasing a monstrous banshee that kills with the power of its bone-splitting scream. - The 1990s animated television series Gargoyles episode "The Hound of Ulster" is about Irish folklore and features a banshee as the main antagonist. (Characters in modern Ireland turn out to be characters from old Irish folklore, reborn in the present time. The episode's main character, Rory, who turns out to be Cu ChulainnCú ChulainnCú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
, has a childhood friend Molly who turns out to be the BansheeBansheeThe banshee , from the Irish bean sí is a feminine spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld....
.) - The 1999 animated television series Roswell Conspiracies: Aliens, Myths and LegendsRoswell Conspiracies: Aliens, Myths and LegendsRoswell Conspiracies: Aliens, Myths and Legends was an animated program, that originally aired in 1999 as part of BKN, the syndicated's cartoon programing block. The programming segment premiered in 1992. The show was part of BKN's drive to reinvent itself...
premise was that aliens had been living among humans for ages, and were the origins of many of the creatures humans know from myth, folklore and legends, including a clan of banshees as the main antagonist.
The videogame series Mortal Kombat has Banshee character. Sindel has sonic screams like a banshee has.
- There is a series of books called Soul Screamers by Rachel Vincent. It is about a teenager named Kaylee, that finds out that she is a banshee, and that her wail can keep a soul from crossing over. It also has male banshees that can help guide a soul while the female banshee wails.
Note: "Banshee" (in Gaelic bean sidhe) originally meant "woman of the fairies". The banshees in old Irish folklore were often presented as grieving women who were keening (weeping/mourning) for the dead. This appears in the Darby O'Gill and the Little People
Darby O'Gill and the Little People
Darby O'Gill and the Little People is a 1959 Walt Disney Productions feature film starring Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, Sean Connery and Jimmy O'Dea, in a tale about a wily Irishman and his battle of wits with leprechauns. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and its screenplay written by...
DVD extra I Captured the King of the Leprechauns (originally a Walt Disney Presents or Wonderful World of Disney episode, telling viewers about the making of, and some of the folklore which inspired parts of, the movie Darby O'Gill and the Little People
Darby O'Gill and the Little People
Darby O'Gill and the Little People is a 1959 Walt Disney Productions feature film starring Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, Sean Connery and Jimmy O'Dea, in a tale about a wily Irishman and his battle of wits with leprechauns. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and its screenplay written by...
), in which the banshee is "keening for the young O'Brien" and is in no way a pernicious or threatening character, but merely seen as a dark or sad omen because she appears before people die. She does not cause deaths, she mourns for the dead (or, eerily, the soon-to-be-dead). The banshee in American popular culture (possibly starting with Darby O'Gill and the Little People
Darby O'Gill and the Little People
Darby O'Gill and the Little People is a 1959 Walt Disney Productions feature film starring Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, Sean Connery and Jimmy O'Dea, in a tale about a wily Irishman and his battle of wits with leprechauns. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and its screenplay written by...
, in which some characteristics of later American pop culture banshee behavior can be seen) is typically a threatening and/or menacing figure who causes death and/or destruction (thereby taking on characteristics belonging traditionally more to the Morrigan than to the banshees).
BrazilBrazil (mythical island)Brasil, also known as Hy-Brasil or several other variants, is a phantom island which was said to lie in the Atlantic ocean west of Ireland. In Irish myths it was said to be cloaked in mist, except for one day each seven years, when it became visible but still could not be reached...
- The characters of the movie Erik the VikingErik the VikingErik the Viking is a 1989 feature film written and directed by Terry Jones. The film was inspired by Jones's children's book The Saga of Erik the Viking , but the plot is completely different. Jones also appears in the film as King Arnulf....
visit the island, spelled Hy-Brasil in the film's literature, during their quest to find ValhallaValhallaIn Norse mythology, Valhalla is a majestic, enormous hall located in Asgard, ruled over by the god Odin. Chosen by Odin, half of those that die in combat travel to Valhalla upon death, led by valkyries, while the other half go to the goddess Freyja's field Fólkvangr...
and end RagnarokRagnarökIn Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures , the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water...
. - Jack VanceJack VanceJohn Holbrook Vance is an American mystery, fantasy and science fiction author. Most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance. Vance has published 11 mysteries as John Holbrook Vance and 3 as Ellery Queen...
's Lyonesse TrilogyLyonesse TrilogyThe Lyonesse Trilogy is a group of three fantasy novels by Jack Vance, set in the European Dark Ages, in the mythical Elder Isles west of France and southwest of Britain, a generation or two before the birth of King Arthur...
of fantasy novels is set in the mythical Elder Isles, situated southwest of Cornwall and west of Brittany, consisting of a large island called Hybras, "the Hy-Brasil of ancient Irish legend," surrounded by numerous smaller islands of various sizes. - Hy-Brasil is the title of the 2002 novel by Scottish writer Margaret ElphinstoneMargaret ElphinstoneMargaret Elphinstone is a Scottish novelist.-Biography:Margaret Elphinstone was born in Kent. She studied at Queen's College in London and Durham University. She was until recently, Professor of Writing in the Department of English Studies at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, now retired...
. She creates an island-nation somewhere between Newfoundland and Ireland as a thought-experiment. - Hy Brasil is featured in the PrometheaPrometheaPromethea is a comic book series created by Alan Moore, J. H. Williams III and Mick Gray, published by America's Best Comics/WildStorm....
comic series by Alan MooreAlan MooreAlan Oswald Moore is an English writer primarily known for his work in comic books, a medium where he has produced a number of critically acclaimed and popular series, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and From Hell...
. - In the novel Engelbrecht Again! by Rhys HughesRhys HughesRhys Henry Hughes , is a Welsh writer and essayist.Born in Cardiff, Hughes is a prolific short story writer with an eclectic mix of influences, which include Italo Calvino, Milorad Pavić, Jorge Luis Borges, Stanisław Lem, Flann O'Brien, Felipe Alfau, Donald Barthelme and Jack Vance...
the main characters meet a mermaid on the island of Brasil while on their way to the country of Brazil. - In the Saga of Pliocene ExileSaga of Pliocene ExileThe Saga of Pliocene Exile is a series of science / speculative fiction books by Julian May, first published in the early 1980s...
, a series of science-fiction novels by Julian MayJulian MayJulian May is an American science fiction, fantasy, horror, science and children's writer who also uses several literary pseudonyms, best known for her Saga of Pliocene Exile and Galactic Milieu Series books.- Background and early career :Julian May grew up in Elmwood Park, Illinois, a suburb of...
, "High Vrazel" is the seat of the Firvulag, an alien race based on the Fir BolgFir BolgIn Irish mythology the Fir Bolg were one of the races that inhabited the island of Ireland prior to the arrival of the Tuatha Dé Danann.-Mythology:...
of Irish mythologyIrish mythologyThe mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
. - In the Artemis FowlArtemis Fowl (series)Artemis Fowl is a series of fantasy novels written by Irish author Eoin Colfer and all the books are best sellers, starring the teenage criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl II. The author summed up the series as: "Die Hard with fairies." There are seven novels in the series; the first was published in...
series, Hybras is an island, situated off the coast of Ireland, on which demons live. - In the .hack//G.U. series of video games, Hy-Brazil is an island that only the champions of the arena fights are allowed to visit.
- In the Alternate History of Poul AndersonPoul AndersonPoul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories...
's "Delenda EstDelenda Est"Delenda Est" is a short story written by Poul Anderson, part of his Time Patrol series. The title alludes to the Latin phrase Carthago delenda est from the Third Punic War.-Plot summary:...
", in which Carthago destroyed RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and later world culture was based on a mixture of Semitic and Celtic elements, "Huy Braseal" is one of the main wolrd powers in the equivalent of the 20th Century.
CaladbolgCaladbolgCaladbolg , sometimes written Caladcholg , is the sword of Fergus mac Róich from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
- Caladbolg appears as a sword in the video game Final Fantasy XFinal Fantasy Xis a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
- Caladbolg appears as a sword in the video game Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
- Caladbolg appears as a sword in the video game Castlevania:Aria of Sorrow
- Caladbolg appears as a sword in the video game Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst
Bricriu
- Bricriu is portrayed as a mischievous Will o' the WispWill o' the wispA will-o'-the-wisp or ignis fatuus , also called a "will-o'-wisp", "jack-o'-lantern" , "hinkypunk", "corpse candle", "ghost-light", "spook-light", "fairy light", "friar's lantern", "hobby lantern", "ghost orb", or simply "wisp", is a ghostly light or lights sometimes seen at night or twilight over...
in three episodes of the old Disney Channel Original Series, So WeirdSo WeirdSo Weird is a television series shot in Vancouver, British Columbia that aired on the Disney Channel as a midseason replacement from January 18, 1999 to September 28, 2001. In season one and season two, the series centered around teenage girl Fiona Phillips who toured with her rock star mom ,...
. Bricriu is believed to be a mischievous evil spirit, a troublemaker, and also IrishIrish peopleThe Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, and may have been based on the character from Irish mythology. He was the troublemaker who caused the Táin Bó FlidhaisTáin Bó FlidhaisTáin Bó Flidhais, also known as the Mayo Táin, is a tale from the Ulster Cycle of early Irish literature. It is one of a group of works known as Táin Bó, or "cattle raid" stories, the best known of which is Táin Bó Cúailnge...
in ErrisErrisErris is a barony in northwestern County Mayo in Ireland consisting of over , much of which is mountainous blanket bog. It has extensive sea coasts along its west and north boundaries. The main towns are Belmullet and Bangor Erris. The name Erris derives from the Irish 'Iar Ros' meaning 'western...
, Co. Mayo.
Crom CruachCrom CruachCrom Cruach or Cromm Crúaich , also known as Cenn Cruach /ˈkʲɛnˠ: ˈkɾˠuəxˠ/ or Cenncroithi /ˈkʲɛnˠ: ˈkɾˠoθʲɨ/, was a deity in pre-Christian Ireland, reputedly propitiated with human sacrifice, whose worship is said to have been ended by St...
Placenames
- There is a mountain in AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
named Mount Cenn Cruaich in Warrumbungle National ParkWarrumbungle National ParkWarrumbungle National Park is located in central northern New South Wales, Australia, 550 km northwest of Sydney. Outside of the Sydney metropolitan area parks, it is the most-visited national park in New South Wales....
. - The IrishIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
market townMarket townMarket town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of MacroomMacroomMacroom is a market town in Ireland located in a valley on the River Sullane, a tributary of the River Lee, between Cork and Killarney. It is one of the key gateways to the tourist region of West Cork. The town recorded a population on 3,553 in the 2006 national census...
is a corruption of the place-name 'Meeting place of followers of the god CromCrom CruachCrom Cruach or Cromm Crúaich , also known as Cenn Cruach /ˈkʲɛnˠ: ˈkɾˠuəxˠ/ or Cenncroithi /ˈkʲɛnˠ: ˈkɾˠoθʲɨ/, was a deity in pre-Christian Ireland, reputedly propitiated with human sacrifice, whose worship is said to have been ended by St...
.
Fiction
- Kenneth C. FlintKenneth C. FlintKenneth C. Flint, who has also written under the pseudonym Casey Flynn, is an American fantasy novelist. A resident of Omaha, Nebraska, Flint taught literature and writing at the University of Nebraska at Omaha for six years before becoming English department head for Plattsmouth High School. In...
wrote a novel called Cromm about modern human sacrifice in Cavan, published by Doubleday 1990. - The Merry GentryMerry GentryMerry Gentry is the title character of fantasy series by US writer Laurell K. Hamilton, best-known for her previous series Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter...
series by Laurell K. HamiltonLaurell K. HamiltonLaurell Kaye Hamilton is an American fantasy and romance writer. She is the author of two series of stories. Hamilton is known for her New York Times-bestselling Anita Blake series, featuring a professional zombie raiser/supernatural consultant for the police as the protagonist in a world where...
features a character, Rhys, who was once the death deity Cromm Cruach. - The radio program Hall of Fantasy had an episode named The Idol of Cromm Cruac, about a hidden Crom Cruac cult in the 20th century United States. The program identified the god as "Keltic" but not specifically as Irish.
- Conan the CimmerianConan the BarbarianConan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
's patron deity is named Crom, though whether this reference is derived from the gaelic deity is uncertain. - Michael MoorcockMichael MoorcockMichael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
wrote a second trilogy of novels, Bull and the Spear, Oak and the Ram and Sword and the Stallion about Prince CorumCorum Jhaelen IrseiCorum Jhaelen Irsei is the name of a fictional fantasy hero in a series of two trilogies written by author Michael Moorcock.- Plot summary :...
where he travels to a Celtic themed realm, of his world's far future, where Corum has become Cremm Croich (Cremm/Corum of the Silver Hand), The Lord of the Mound. - Crom Cruach appears as a dragonfishDragonfish-Other fish called Dragonfish:*Barbeled dragonfish, small bioluminescent deep-sea stomiiform fish of the family Stomiidae*Arowana, large freshwater osteoglossiform fish of the family Osteoglossidae...
-like serpent in the film The Secret of Kells, originally having two eyes compared to the cyclopean appearance it manifested as. - In the Nexon game Mabinogi, the boss for the 3rd generation storyline is Cromm Cruaich, re-imagined as a dragonDragonA dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
.
Poetry
- John MontagueJohn Montague (poet)John Montague is an Irish poet. He was born in New York and brought up in Tyrone. He has published a number of volumes of poetry, two collections of short stories and two volumes of memoir. He is one of the best known Irish contemporary poets...
wrote a poem, The Plain of Blood, about Crom. - Thomas D'Arcy McGeeD'Arcy McGeeThomas D'Arcy Etienne Hughes McGee, PC, was an Irish Nationalist, Catholic spokesman, journalist, and a Father of Canadian confederation. He fought for the development of Irish and Canadian national identities that would transcend their component groups...
's 19th century poem The Celts mentions Crom. - Nuala Ní DhomhnaillNuala Ní DhomhnaillNuala Ní Dhomhnaill is an Irish poet.Born in Lancashire, England in 1952, of Irish parents, she moved to Ireland at the age of 5, and was brought up in the Dingle Gaeltacht and in Nenagh, County Tipperary. Her uncle is Monsignor Pádraig Ó Fiannachta of An Daingean, the leading authority alive on...
's poem The Mermaid Smooring the Fire mentions Crom.
Comics
- Crom Cruach appears as a monstrous "time worm" feeding on human misery in Pat MillsPat MillsPat Mills, nicknamed 'the godfather of British comics', is a comics writer and editor who, along with John Wagner, revitalised British boys comics in the 1970s, and has remained a leading light in British comics ever since....
' fantasy series SláineSláine (comics)Sláine is a comic hero from the pages of 2000 AD - one of Britain's most popular comic books.Sláine is a barbarian fantasy adventure series based on Celtic myths and stories which first appeared in 1983, written by Pat Mills and initially drawn by his then wife, Angela Kincaid. Most of the early...
. - Crom Crauch is also mentioned as "lord worm" in Grant Morrison's 'The Invisibles'.
- Crom Cruach, "the bloody, bent one" appeared as a bloated dragon in Matt Wagner's Mage.
Television
In the Robin of Sherwood
Robin of Sherwood
Robin of Sherwood , was a British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. Created by Richard Carpenter, it was produced by HTV in association with Goldcrest, and ran from 1984 to 1986 on the ITV network. In America it was retitled Robin Hood and shown on the premium cable TV channel...
episode (Season 3): Cromm Cruac - the name applies to a phantom village, created by Gulnar. (Named after the Irish deity Cromm Cruac and seen only in the episode of the same name). The village appears periodically and is populated by evil spirits due to its residents having practiced human sacrifice (of their children) in the past.
The Gargoyles TV series episode "The Hound of Ulster" has the Banshee taking the form of a gigantic centipede
Centipede
Centipedes are arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda of the subphylum Myriapoda. They are elongated metameric animals with one pair of legs per body segment. Despite the name, centipedes can have a varying number of legs from under 20 to over 300. Centipedes have an odd number of pairs of...
-like "death-worm" by the name of Cromm-Cruach to do battle with Goliath
Goliath (Gargoyles)
Goliath is a fictional character, and lead protagonist, in the animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Keith David.-Overview:The Gargoyles concept began as a comedy series in the style of The Gummi Bears, although set in the modern day...
, Elisa Maza
Elisa Maza
Elisa Maza is a fictional character from the Disney animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Salli Richardson. She is the main human character of the series, the steadfast ally of the Manhattan Clan of gargoyles...
and Goliath's daughter Angela.
Cú ChulainnCú ChulainnCú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
Animation
- In the Disney animated TV series GargoylesGargoyles (TV series)Gargoyles is an American animated series created by Greg Weisman. It was produced by Greg Weisman and Frank Paur and aired from October 24, 1994 to February 15, 1997. Gargoyles is known for its dark tone, complex story arcs and melodrama...
, during the "Avalon World Tour" story arc's episode entitled "The Hound of Ulster" in the series' second season, during the visit to Ireland of GoliathGoliath (Gargoyles)Goliath is a fictional character, and lead protagonist, in the animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Keith David.-Overview:The Gargoyles concept began as a comedy series in the style of The Gummi Bears, although set in the modern day...
, his daughter Angela, their human friend Elisa MazaElisa MazaElisa Maza is a fictional character from the Disney animated television series Gargoyles, voiced by Salli Richardson. She is the main human character of the series, the steadfast ally of the Manhattan Clan of gargoyles...
, and Goliath's gargoyle beast Bronx encounter a young Irishman named Rory Dugan, who turns out to be the re-incarnation of Cu Chulainn, and for a time Bronx accompanies the reincarnated Cu Chulainn as the titular "hound" of the legend, with the BansheeBansheeThe banshee , from the Irish bean sí is a feminine spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld....
as Cu Chulainn's antagonist. The Banshee, one of Oberon's childrenOberon's childrenIn the fictional universe of the animated series Gargoyles, the name Oberon's children is given to the so-called Third Race of beings .-Overview:...
in the Gargoyles episodes, also takes the form of a gigantic, centipedeCentipedeCentipedes are arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda of the subphylum Myriapoda. They are elongated metameric animals with one pair of legs per body segment. Despite the name, centipedes can have a varying number of legs from under 20 to over 300. Centipedes have an odd number of pairs of...
-like "death-worm" under the name of Crom(m)-Cruach to battle Cu Chulainn and the Gargoyles in the episode's climax. (Note: Cu ChulainnCú ChulainnCú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
himself was actually known as "the Hound of Ulster"...he slew Culann's guard dog and then offered his own services as "watchdog" in compensation, thereby becoming known as "Cu Chulainn" which means "Culann's hound"...he then defended Ulster and became known as "the Hound of Ulster". The Gargoyles episode title probably refers doubly to Bronx acting as Cu Chulainn's temporary "hound" and to Cu Chulainn himself.) - A short animated film by John McCloskey, The King's Wake, features Cu Chulainn and King Connor Mac Neasa.
Comics
- CuchulainnCuchulainn (comics)Cuchulain is a fictional Marvel Comics super hero based on the legendary figure Cú Chulainn from Irish mythology. He first appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #3 .-Fictional character biography:...
, the Irish Wolfhound, has appeared in Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' Guardians of the GalaxyGuardians of the GalaxyThe original Guardians of the Galaxy are a fictional superhero team that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Guardians first appear in Marvel Super-Heroes #18 .-Publication history:...
. - An Táin, Colmán Ó Raghallaigh and Barry Reynolds' Irish languageIrish languageIrish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
graphic novelGraphic novelA graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
adaptation of Táin Bó Cúailnge, was published by Cló Mhaigh Eó of County MayoCounty MayoCounty Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
in 2006. - Patrick Brown's webcomicWebcomicWebcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
adaptation of the Táin, The Cattle Raid of Cooley, began serialisation in August 2008. - Oghme Comics are in the process of adapting the story of CúchulainnCúchulainnCú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
in graphic novel format, as a series of webcomics, as well as Illustrations of Characters from the Ulster cycle. - Chulain appears as a minor antagonist in the Marvel Comics limited series Thor: Blood Oath.
Music
- Scottish composer Ronald CenterRonald Center-Biography:Center was born in Aberdeen, but in 1943 moved to Huntly, Aberdeenshire where he lived for the rest of his life.-Works:Notable works include the choral piece Dona Nobis Pacem and a Symphony The Coming of Cuchulain.-External links:* *...
wrote a symphony called The Coming of Cuchulain, first performed by the Scottish Orchestra, conducted by Warwick BraithwaiteWarwick BraithwaiteHenry Warwick Braithwaite was a New Zealand-born orchestra conductor. He worked mostly in Great Britain and was especially known for his work in opera....
, in 1944. - The tale of Cú Chulainn's wasting sickness provides the title of the Pogues's song "The Sickbed of Cuchulainn" from their album Rum, Sodomy, and the LashRum, Sodomy, and the LashRum Sodomy & the Lash is the second studio album by the London-based folk punk band The Pogues, released in 1985.The title is taken from a quotation, often attributed to Winston Churchill: "Don't talk to me about naval tradition...
- Jeff DannaJeff DannaJeffrey W. “Jeff” Danna is a composer and musician noted for his work in film scores.A reluctant piano student at age eight, he found solace in the guitar at age eleven. Danna began playing professionally at fifteen until a hand injury in 1987 curtailed his performance career...
's opening theme for the 1999 film Boondock Saints is named "The Blood of Cuchulainn". - French hip hop group Manau has a song about Cú Chulainn called Le Chien du Forgeron ("The Smith's Hound").
- The first track on the album "The Eternal Knot", written by Karl JenkinsKarl Jenkins-Other works:*Adiemus: Live — live versions of Adiemus music*Palladio *Eloise *Imagined Oceans *The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace...
for his AdiemusAdiemus-Concept:Each Adiemus album is a collection of song-length pieces featuring harmonised vocal melody against an orchestral background. There are no lyrics as such: instead the vocalists sing syllables and 'words' invented by Jenkins...
project, is called "Cú Chullain". - The second verse of the Thin LizzyThin LizzyThin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
song "Róisín Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend" starts with the phrase "pray tell me the story of young Cuchulainn, how his eyes were dark, his expression sullen". - The eighth track on the album "Wild FrontierWild FrontierWild Frontier is a 1987 album by Gary Moore. His first studio album after a trip back to his native Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1985, this album has several songs about Ireland and even the music itself is steeped in Celtic roots. The title track was intended to be sung by Phil Lynott, however...
", by Gary MooreGary MooreRobert William Gary Moore , better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer....
, titled "Thunder Rising" speaks of the legend of Cú Chullain. - Irish rock band HorslipsHorslipsHorslips are an Irish Celtic rock band that compose, arrange and perform songs based on traditional Irish jigs and reels. The group are regarded as 'founding fathers of Celtic rock' for their fusion of traditional Irish music with rock music and went on to inspire many local and international acts....
' 1973 second album was titled "The Táin", featuring Cú Chulainn's exploits, originally conceived as music for a stage adaptation of the poem. - Cuchulainn is mentioned in or the subject of a few songs by the Celtic metalCeltic metalCeltic metal is a subgenre of folk metal that developed in the 1990s in Ireland. As the name suggests, the genre is a fusion of heavy metal music and Celtic music. The early pioneers of the genre were the three Irish bands Cruachan, Primordial and Waylander...
band CruachanCruachan (band)Cruachan [kroo-a-khawn] is a Celtic metal band from Dublin, Ireland that has been active since the 1990s. They have been acclaimed as having "gone the greatest lengths of anyone in their attempts to expand" the genre of folk metal. They are recognised as one of the founders of the genre of folk metal...
including "Cuchulainn (The Hound of Culan)", "Cattle Raid Of Cooley" and "The Brown Bull of Cooley". - The songs "Seven Fingers" and "When They Come to Murder Me" from the Black Francis mini-album SVN FNGRSSvn FngrsSvn Fngrs is a mini-album by Black Francis , released on March 3, 2008. The album's title is a reference to the Irish mythological hero Cúchulainn, who was said to have seven fingers and seven toes...
are about Cú Chulainn. - There is a song from the show RiverdanceRiverdanceRiverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, a moment that is still considered a significant...
named "Caoineadh Cú Chulainn", meaning "The Lament of Cú Chulainn". It is played by Davy SpillaneDavy SpillaneDavy Spillane is a songwriter and a player of uilleann pipes and low whistle.early yearsDavy was born in Dublin in 1959 . At the age of 12 he started playing the uilleann pipes. His father encouraged him and inspired him with his love of all music genres...
on the uilleann pipesUilleann pipesThe uilleann pipes or //; ) are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland, their current name, earlier known in English as "union pipes", is a part translation of the Irish-language term píobaí uilleann , from their method of inflation.The bag of the uilleann pipes is inflated by means of a...
. - The German metal band SuidakraSuidakraSuidAkrA is a melodic death metal band from Germany with Celtic folk influences. During their fourteen-year career, they have performed over 200 live shows for several European and Russian tours, as well as a North American tour...
released an album called CrógachtCrógachtCrógacht is the ninth studio album by the German melodic death metal band Suidakra. This album features a greater Celtic sound and theme than earlier works...
, based on the story of Cúchulainn and Conlaoch. - The Symphonic metal band TherionTherion (band)Therion is a Swedish symphonic metal band founded by Christofer Johnsson in 1987. The word "therion" comes from the Greek therion , meaning "Beast," i.e., that of the Christian Book of Revelation...
released a song called Cú Chulainn on their 2010 album, Sitra AhraSitra AhraSitra Ahra is the fourteenth full-length musical album by Therion released on 17 September 2010 in Europe, and 26 October 2010 in North America. It is the first studio release since Gothic Kabbalah in 2007...
. - The first track of "My Name Will Live OnMy Name Will Live OnMy Name Will Live On is the fourth album from the Italian epic doom metal Doomsword, released in 2007. The album cover art is Vercingetorix Surrenders to Caesar, by Lionel Royer.-Track listing:...
", an album by Italian epic Doom MetalDoom metalDoom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
band DoomswordDoomswordDoomSword is a heavy metal band from Varese, in northern Italy with strong influences from epic themes such as ancient and medieval history, fantasy literature and European mythology...
is named "The Death of Ferdia", and tells the story of the duel fought between Cú Chulainn and his foster brother.
Novels
- In Henry H. Neff's series The Tapestry Max MacDaniels is believed to be Cúchulainn reborn. He is later discovered to be a half brother.
A summary of the Cattle Raid of Cooley is told in the first book.
Sport
- Cú Chulainn's name is popular in Gaelic gamesGaelic gamesGaelic games are sports played in Ireland under the auspices of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The two main games are Gaelic football and hurling...
. A number of Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
clubs are named after him, including DunloyDunloyDunloy is a village and townland in the Borough of Ballymoney, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is between Ballymena and Ballymoney . It had a population of 1,071 people in the 2001 Census, a gain of 21 % since 1991.Dunloy's most striking building is the modern Roman Catholic church...
Cúchullains in County AntrimCounty AntrimCounty Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, Cúchulainn G.A.A Hurling club, MullaghbawnMullaghbawnMullaghbawn or Mullaghbane is a small village and townland near Slieve Gullion in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 402...
Cúchulainn G.A.A club in County ArmaghCounty Armagh-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
, Cúchulainn Gaels in OmeathOmeathOmeath is a village on the R173 regional road in County Louth, Ireland, close to the border with Northern Ireland. It is roughly mid way between Dublin and Belfast, very near the County Louth and County Armagh / County Down border. Omeath has a population of 439, and is approximately from...
, County LouthCounty LouthCounty Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Setanta Hurling Club in KillygordonKillygordonKillygordon , is a small village in the Finn Valley of east County Donegal, Ireland. It has a population of 114 and is located on the N15 between Ballybofey and Castlefin. The separate townland of the Crossroads lies half a mile from Killygordon, however, they are often regarded as one...
, Co. Donegal, Setanta Hurling Club in BallymunBallymunBallymun is an area on Dublin's Northside close to Dublin Airport, Ireland. It is infamous for the Ballymun flats, which became a symbol of poverty, drugs, alienation from the state and social problems in Ireland from the 1970s...
, Co. Dublin, and Cúchulainns GFC based in Mullagh, County CavanMullagh, County CavanMullagh is a village in County Cavan province of Ulster, Ireland. It had a population of 679 in 2006. It lies in the south-east of the county, at the junction of the R191 and the R194 regional roads near the town of Virginia, County Cavan and the border with Kells, County Meath and the village of...
. Cuchulainn is also the name of a brand of Gaelic sportswear. Setanta SportsSetanta SportsSetanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...
is the name an Irish broadcasting company specialising in sport, broadcasting in Ireland, U.S.A, Canada and Australia, and formerly in Great Britain.
Scouting
- In Scouting IrelandScouting IrelandScouting Ireland is the World Organization of the Scout Movement-recognised Scouting association in the Republic of Ireland, although it also has Scout Groups in Northern Ireland. Scouting Ireland is a voluntary, non-formal educational movement for young people...
, the highest adult award is the Order of CúChulainnOrder of CúChulainn-History:It was introduced in 2004 to replace Scouting Ireland 's Order of the Silver Wolfhound and the equivalent award of Scouting Ireland S.A.I., the Order of the Silver Elk...
. It consists of an award ribbon and a hound pendant.
Games
- In Final Fantasy XIIFinal Fantasy XIIis a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
, an esper is named Cúchulainn. Additionally, several Final Fantasy games contain a weapon named for Cú Chulainn's spear, the Gáe BulgGáe BulgThe Gáe Bulg , meaning "spear of mortal pain/death spear", "gapped/notched spear", or "belly spear", was the name of the spear of Cúchulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
. - Cúchulainn appears in several Megami TenseiMegami Tensei, commonly abbreviated as , is a Japanese console role-playing game metaseries which was originally based on the novel series Digital Devil Story by Aya Nishitani and has gone to become one of the major franchises of the genre in its native country...
games as a recruitable demon capable of being summoned by player characters to fight other enemies. - He appears as Lancer, one of the Servants in the Holy Grail War in the Fate/stay nightFate/stay nightis a Japanese visual novel developed by Type-Moon, which was originally released as an adult game for the PC. An all-ages version of Fate/stay night, titled Fate/stay night Réalta Nua, was released for the PlayStation 2 on April 19, 2007, and features the Japanese voice actors from the anime series...
visual novelVisual novelA is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
. He also appears in the anime, video games, movie, and manga based on the visual novel. - In Omikron: The Nomad SoulOmikron: The Nomad SoulOmikron: The Nomad Soul is a Microsoft Windows and Dreamcast 3D adventure game developed by French developer Quantic Dream and published in 1999 by Eidos Interactive. It was released on October 31, 1999 for PC and on June 21, 2000 for Dreamcast...
, a hero which the player eventually controls is named Kushulai'n.
Diarmuid Ua DuibhneDiarmuid Ua DuibhneDiarmuid Ua Duibhne or Diarmid O'Dyna is a son of Donn and a warrior of the Fianna in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. He is most famous as the lover of Gráinne, the intended wife of Fianna leader Fionn mac Cumhaill in The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Gráinne...
Games
- Diarmuid appears as the character Zero Lancer in the Fate/Unlimited CodesFate/Unlimited CodesFate/unlimited codes is a fighting game planned by Cavia and developed by Eighting and published by Capcom. It is based on the visual novel Fate/stay night. It was released for the arcades in Japan on June 11, 2008 and for the PlayStation 2 in Japan on December 18, 2008...
game for the PS2 and PSP; his depiction there is derived from his appearance in the Fate/ZeroFate/zerois a prequel to Type-Moon's visual novel Fate/stay night. It is a light novel by Gen Urobuchi, illustrated by Takashi Takeuchi. The first volume was released on December 29, 2006, and is a collaboration between Type-Moon and fellow developer Nitroplus. The second volume was released on March 31,...
light novel series from the same franchise.
FandFandFand is an early Irish sea goddess, later described as a "Queen of the Fairies". Her name is variously translated as "Pearl of Beauty" or "A Tear"...
- A mons on Venus, Fand MonsFand MonsFand Mons is the name given in 2001 by the Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature of the International Astronomical Union, to a mountain in Venus, situated at 7°,0 N-158°,0 E. The name is a homage to Fand, Celt goddess of healing and pleasure....
, has been named in her honour. - In 1916 the English composer Sir Arnold Bax completed an orchestral tone poem, The Garden of Fand, based on the story of Fand and Cúchulainn.
- Also the British progressive rock band The EnidThe EnidThe Enid is a British rock band founded in 1975 by Robert John Godfrey, Stephen Stewart and Francis Lickerish. Another early member was William Gilmour, who subsequently founded his own band Craft and now plays keyboards in Lickerish's band Secret Green....
included an 18 minute piece entitled Fand on their 1977 album Aerie Faerie NonsenseAerie Faerie NonsenseAerie Faerie Nonsense is The Enid's second album. It was released in 1977 by EMI and later re-released by The Enid in 1983 following its deletion from the EMI catalogue.-Release:...
. - In The Moving ToyshopThe Moving ToyshopThe Moving Toyshop is a comic crime novel by Edmund Crispin, published in 1946. The novel features the detective and Oxford don, Gervase Fen.It is dedicated to the poet Philip Larkin, Crispin's contemporary at St. John's College, Oxford...
, by Edmund CrispinEdmund CrispinEdmund Crispin was the pseudonym of Robert Bruce Montgomery , an English crime writer and composer.-Life and work:Montgomery was born in Chesham Bois, Buckinghamshire...
, a poet returning to Oxford says to himself that "Fand still beckoned to him from the white combs of the ocean."
Fionn mac CumhaillFionn mac CumhaillFionn mac Cumhaill , known in English as Finn McCool, was a mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology, occurring also in the mythologies of Scotland and the Isle of Man...
- Finn MacCool appears in the novel The Drawing of the DarkThe Drawing of the DarkThe Drawing of the Dark is a historical fantasy novel by Tim Powers published in 1979 by Del Rey Books.-Plot summary:The year is 1529, and Brian Duffy, a world-weary Irish mercenary soldier is hired in Venice by the mysterious Aurelius Aurelianus to go to Vienna and work as a bouncer at the...
by author Tim PowersTim PowersTimothy Thomas "Tim" Powers is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare...
. In the novel he is buried in Vienna, Austria with a cistern of beer directly above his grave. His essence gives the oldest of the beer supernatural powers. - Mary Tannen has written two children's novels where Finn features as a major character, The Wizard Children of Finn (1982) and The Lost Legend of Finn (1983).
- He is also featured as a character in filmmaker Matthew BarneyMatthew BarneyMatthew Barney is an American artist who works in sculpture, photography, drawing and film. His early works were sculptural installations combined with performance and video...
's film Cremaster 3 (2002). - Fionn mac Cumhaill was featured as a protagonist and ally in the first published adventure for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPGBuffyverse role-playing gamesThe Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel Role-playing Games are complementary, officially licensed role-playing games published by Eden Studios, Inc. The Buffy the Vampire Slayer Core Rulebook was published in 2002, while the Angel Corebook followed in 2003...
, The Dark Druid. The adventure features Fionn and his battle with the druidDruidA druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
Fer Doirich in the modern age and posits that the witches WillowWillow RosenbergWillow Rosenberg is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the TV series by Alyson Hannigan...
and TaraTara MaclayTara Maclay is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed by Amber Benson from the fourth to the sixth season until the character's death. Tara is a shy young woman with magical talents who falls in love...
are the reincarnations of his foster mothers BodhmallBodhmallBodhmall or Bodmall is one of Fionn mac Cumhaill's childhood caretakers in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. She is a druidess and the sister of Fionn's father Cumhal, and both she and her associate Liath Luachra are known as great warriors....
and LiathLiath LuachraLiath Luachra, the "Gray of Luachair", is the name of two characters in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. Both appear in The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn, which details the young life and adventures of the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill....
respectively. - The song "The Giant" by the Canadian singer-songwriter Stan RogersStan RogersStanley Allison "Stan" Rogers was a Canadian folk musician and songwriter.Rogers was noted for his rich, baritone voice and his finely crafted, traditional-sounding songs which were frequently inspired by Canadian history and the daily lives of working people, especially those from the fishing...
, features Fionn mac Cumhaill as 'the giant' Fingal. - Dropkick MurphysDropkick MurphysDropkick Murphys are an Irish-American punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for the label, and making a name for themselves locally through constant playing and yearly St....
play a song titled "The Legend of Finn Maccumhail". - "The Youth of Finn MacCool" is a song featuring on DoomswordDoomswordDoomSword is a heavy metal band from Varese, in northern Italy with strong influences from epic themes such as ancient and medieval history, fantasy literature and European mythology...
's Resound the HornResound the HornResound the Horn is the second album from the Italian metal band Doomsword, released in 2002.-Track listing:#"Shores of Vinland" – 07:43#"Onward Into Battle" – 07:42#"The DoomSword" – 07:48#"MCXIX" – 05:22...
which retells of the story of how Finn spared the deer that turned out to be Sadbh. On the same album the song "Onward into battle" is dedicated to Finn and the Fianna. - Finn McCool's is the name of the restaurant in Westhampton Beach, New YorkWesthampton Beach, New YorkWesthampton Beach is an Incorporated Village in the town of Southampton, Suffolk County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 1,902.-History:...
that was the subject of the November 14, 2007, episode of the American reality televisionReality televisionReality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series Kitchen NightmaresKitchen NightmaresKitchen Nightmares is an American reality television series broadcast on the Fox network, in which Chef Gordon Ramsay spends a week with a failing restaurant in an attempt to revive the business. It is based on the British show Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. The show is produced by ITV Studios...
. - In Tom O'Neill's Old Friends: The Lost Tales of Fionn MacCumhaill, though the stories are new, many of the characters are from the hero cycle of Irish legends.
Fomoiri
- In her science fiction book Elphame's Choice, P.C. Cast describes the Fomorians and Cú Chulainn.
- Bec's clan encounters Fomoiri attacks in Darren ShanDarren ShanDarren O'Shaughnessy , who commonly writes under the pen name Darren Shan, is an Irish author. Darren Shan is also the main character in Shan's The Saga of Darren Shan young-adult fiction series. He also wrote The Demonata series as well as the stand-alone books, Koyasan and The Thin Executioner...
's book Bec. - Mark ChadbournMark ChadbournMark Chadbourn is an English fantasy, science fiction and horror author with fifteen novels published around the world.Born in the English Midlands from a long line of coal miners...
's fantasy series, The Age of MisruleThe Age of Misrule (series)The Age of Misrule is a three-book modern fantasy novel series, written by Mark Chadbourn. It is set in Britain and the faery Otherworld around the beginning of the third millennium....
, shows a contemporary world where the Fomor return to attempt to conquer both the Earth and the Otherworld of the Tuatha De Danann. They are presented as being malformed and grotesque Lovecraftian creatures. - In the original World of Darkness game, Werewolf: The ApocalypseWerewolf: The ApocalypseWerewolf: The Apocalypse is a role-playing game and series of novels from the now defunct World of Darkness line by White Wolf. In the game, players take the role of werewolves known as Garou , as well as other lycanthropes: warriors who are locked in a two-front war against both the spiritual...
, Fomori are a type of corrupted human, servants of the Wyrm - Within the MMORPGs "Mabinogi" and "Vindictus", which contain several other references to Irish and general celtic mythology, the various antagonist races are collectively known as the 'Fomors'
- The MMORPG Final Fantasy XI has undead enemies known as 'Formors' that look like the game's playable races, but engulfed in shadow with glowing eyes.
- Within the video-game "Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia" there are enemies known as 'Formors' though they evoke imagery associated with classical depiction of demons in appearance.
- In Even Hand, a short story of The Dresden FilesThe Dresden FilesThe Dresden Files is a series of contemporary fantasy/mystery novels written by Jim Butcher.He provides a first person narrative of each story from the point of view of the main character, private investigator and wizard Harry Dresden, as he recounts investigations into supernatural disturbances in...
by Jim Butcher, Johnny Marcone deals with a fomor named Mag.- In another Dresden Files short story, Aftermath, another fomor pops up in Chicago.
- In the Role-Playing Game ShadowrunShadowrunShadowrun is a role-playing game set in a near-future fictional universe in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy fiction, horror, and detective fiction.The original game has spawned...
, these are presented as a specifically Irish variation of the more common TrollTrollA troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
race.
Geis
- In the DiscworldDiscworldDiscworld is a comic fantasy book series by English author Sir Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. The books frequently parody, or at least take inspiration from, J. R. R....
novel SourcerySourcerySourcery is the fifth Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, published in 1988. On the Discworld, sourcerers - wizards who are sources of magic, and thus immensely more powerful than normal wizards – were the main cause of the great mage wars that left areas of the disc uninhabitable. Men born the...
, the great Hero "Nijel the Destroyer" claims to have a geis, which RincewindRincewindRincewind is a fictional character appearing in several of the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett. He is a failed student at the Unseen University for wizards in Ankh-Morpork, and is often described by scholars as "the magical equivalent to the number zero". He spends just about all of his time...
mistakes for a type of birdGooseThe word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
. In A Hat Full of SkyA Hat Full of SkyA Hat Full of Sky is a novel written by Terry Pratchett set on the Discworld, written with younger readers in mind. First published in 2004, it is set two years after The Wee Free Men, and features an 11-year old Tiffany Aching....
, Rob Anybody is put under a geis by his wife Jeannie, the kelda, to protect Tiffany AchingTiffany AchingTiffany Aching is a fictional character in Terry Pratchett's satirical Discworld series of fantasy novels.Tiffany is a trainee witch whose growth into her job forms one of the many arcs in the Discworld series. She is the main character in The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith, and I...
from the Hiver. - In the novel Operation Chaos by Poul AndersonPoul AndersonPoul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories...
, every military recruit is put under a geis which prevents panic and assures loyalty. It can be broken only if the individual gives free consent, and is removed when the person returns to civilian life. - In The Jennifer MorgueThe Jennifer MorgueThe Jennifer Morgue is the second collection of stories by Charles Stross featuring Bob Howard, containing the title novel The Jennifer Morgue, the short story "Pimpf", and an essay titled "The Golden Age of Spying"...
by Charles StrossCharles StrossCharles David George "Charlie" Stross is a British writer of science fiction, Lovecraftian horror and fantasy. He was born in Leeds.Stross specialises in hard science fiction and space opera...
, members of an occult branch of British intelligence can cast geasa. - In Geis of the GargoyleGeis of the Gargoyle-Plot introduction:SUMMARY:Seeking a spell that will restore the polluted river Swan Knee to a state of purity, guardian Gary Gargoyle finds himself face-to-face with the Good Magician Humfrey.-Characters in Geis of the Gargoyle:Gary Gargoyle...
by Piers AnthonyPiers AnthonyPiers Anthony Dillingham Jacob is an English American writer in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is most famous for his long-running novel series set in the fictional realm of Xanth.Many of his books have appeared on the New York Times Best...
, Gary Gargoyle, being a gargoyle, has a geis on him since Xanth began, and it is a magical compulsion to protect the purity of the Swan Knee River. However, the pollution from Mundania (the 'real world') has gotten out of hand, and it is up to Gary to place his geis on the philter to keep all of Xanth's water clean. - Some role-playing gameRole-playing gameA role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s mention geasa as "spells" or "powers", though these "geasa" are often only loosely inspired by the historical concept. For instance, in Dungeons and Dragons there are two such "spells": "lesser geas", which forces the victim to obey a command issued by the caster, and "geas/quest", which is much the same but with more severe penalties. In the game RunequestRuneQuestRuneQuest is a fantasy role-playing game first published in 1978 by Chaosium, created by Steve Perrin and set in Greg Stafford's mythical world of Glorantha. RuneQuest was notable for its original gaming system and for its verisimilitude in adhering to an original fantasy world...
initiates of certain cults take on geases that are closer to the historical concept.- In ShadowrunShadowrunShadowrun is a role-playing game set in a near-future fictional universe in which cybernetics, magic and fantasy creatures co-exist. It combines genres of cyberpunk, urban fantasy and crime, with occasional elements of conspiracy fiction, horror, and detective fiction.The original game has spawned...
, a geas is a self-adopted restriction on magical abilities that allows them to retain full potency some of the time (for example, when intoxicated or at night) by making them completely unavailable whenever conditions are not met.
- In Shadowrun
- In the anime series Code Geass the main character, Lelouch, obtains an ability called Geass that allows him to make anyone who gazes into his left eye obey any single order unquestioningly, though it cannot work on the same person twice.
- In a 1964 short fantasy story "A case of Identity" by Randall GarrettRandall GarrettRandall Garrett was an American science fiction and fantasy author. He was a prolific contributor to Astounding and other science fiction magazines of the 1950s and 1960s...
, one of the characters, a homicidal psychopath by nature, is mentally restrained by a spell called geas "which forces him to limit his activities to those which are not dangerous to his fellow man".
LughLughLug or Lugh is an Irish deity represented in mythological texts as a hero and High King of the distant past. He is known by the epithets Lámhfhada , for his skill with a spear or sling, Ildánach , Samhildánach , Lonnbeimnech and Macnia , and by the...
- Kenneth C. FlintKenneth C. FlintKenneth C. Flint, who has also written under the pseudonym Casey Flynn, is an American fantasy novelist. A resident of Omaha, Nebraska, Flint taught literature and writing at the University of Nebraska at Omaha for six years before becoming English department head for Plattsmouth High School. In...
retells this story in his Sidhe series. - In the 2004 console game The Bard's TaleThe Bard's Tale (2004)The Bard's Tale is an action-role playing game video game created by InXile Entertainment, and released in 2004. Marketed as a humorous spoof on fantasy role-playing video games , it has more in common with modern console games like Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance.The Bard's Tale was released for the...
, Lugh is one of the three guardians. - In Diane DuaneDiane DuaneDiane Duane is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her works include the Young Wizards young adult fantasy series and the Rihannsu Star Trek novels.-Biography :...
's A Wizard AbroadA Wizard AbroadA Wizard Abroad is the fourth book in the Young Wizards series by Diane Duane. It is the sequel to High Wizardry.- Synopsis :Nita and Kit's parents have never been fully behind their children's practices and in this book Nita's parents reveal that they are sending her to live with her aunt in...
and later stories, Lugh is considered one of the Powers That Be, also known as the One's Champion, and is incarnated within an Irish Wizard (after spending some time as a macawMacawMacaws are small to large, often colourful New World parrots. Of the many different Psittacidae genera, six are classified as macaws: Ara, Anodorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, Primolius, Orthopsittaca, and Diopsittaca...
named Machu PicchuMachu PicchuMachu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for...
with a penchant for prophecy). - In the Nexon MMORPG Mabinogi, Lugh is the name of one of the two "true Paladins" (the other being you, if you choose to play as a human), and he is also the Dark Lord Morgant, one of the highest-in-command in the Fomor Army led by Cichol, another antagonist.
LughnasadhLughnasadhLughnasadh is a traditional Gaelic holiday celebrated on 1 August. It is in origin a harvest festival, corresponding to the Welsh Calan Awst and the English Lammas.-Name:...
- The 1990 play by Brian FrielBrian FrielBrian Friel is an Irish dramatist, author and director of the Field Day Theatre Company. He is considered to be the greatest living English-language dramatist, hailed by the English-speaking world as an "Irish Chekhov" and "the universally accented voice of Ireland"...
entitled Dancing at LughnasaDancing at LughnasaDancing at Lughnasa is a 1990 play by dramatist Brian Friel set in Ireland's County Donegal in August 1936 in the fictional town of Ballybeg. It is a memory play told from the point of view of the adult Michael Evans, the narrator...
takes place in early August and describes one family's bitter harvest. It has also been made into a 1998 film. - A traditional IrishIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
folk musicFolk musicFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
group, LúnasaLúnasa (band)-History:Named after Lughnasadh, an ancient Irish harvest festival, Lúnasa was started when Seán Smyth, Trevor Hutchinson, and Donogh Hennessy briefly toured through Scandinavia in 1996. Upon their return to Ireland, they teamed up with Michael McGoldrick and John McSherry to record a few tracks...
, is named after the festival. - The Dutch band OmniaOmnia (band)Omnia is a self-described "neoceltic pagan folk" band based in The Netherlands and whose members over the years have had Irish, Dutch, Cornish, Belgian and Persian backgrounds...
have a song entitled "Lughnasadh" on their album Pagan Folk. - Áine MinogueÁine MinogueÁine Minogue is a harpist born in Borrisokane, County Tipperary, Ireland, now living in New England in the U.S.A. She began playing the harp at age twelve.- Discography :*Were You at the Ro *The Mysts of Time...
, an IrishIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
CelticCeltic musicCeltic music is a term utilised by artists, record companies, music stores and music magazines to describe a broad grouping of musical genres that evolved out of the folk musical traditions of the Celtic people of Western Europe...
folk musicFolk musicFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
artist, has a song entitled "Rosemary Faire (Song of Lughnasadh)" on her album Between Worlds. - In Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, Leonardo, an archer, receives a bow named "Lughnasadh".
Manannán mac LirManannán mac LirManannán mac Lir is a sea deity in Irish mythology. He is the son of the obscure Lir . He is often seen as a psychopomp, and has strong affiliations with the Otherworld, the weather and the mists between the worlds...
- The traditional of offering bundles of reeds on the Isle of Man is still practised as an opening ceremony of TynwaldTynwaldThe Tynwald , or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It is claimed to be the oldest continuous parliamentary body in the world, consisting of the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Legislative Council.The Houses sit jointly, for...
. - There is a museum in the town of Peel on the Isle of ManIsle of ManThe Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
named the House of Manannan as well as an annual celebration of the arts The Manannan Festival. - The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company vessel, which entered service in May 2009 on the Liverpool/Douglas sailings, is named Manannan.
- Okells Brewery on the Isle of Man produces a wheat beer dedicated to and named after Manannan Mac Lir.
- On his Human History CD, Ken Theriot includes a song he wrote from the point of view of Manannan called Son of the Sea.
- The figure is also referred to in songs by metal bands. The Gaelic doomDoom metalDoom metal is an extreme form of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other metal genres...
band Mael MórdhaMael MórdhaMael Mórdha is a doom metal band from Dublin, Ireland. Its name can also be written in traditional Irish typography, as Mael Mórḋa. The band's music melds doom metal with Irish folk music to create what has been referred to as "Gaelic doom metal".-History:...
last album's (Gealtacht Mael MordhaGealtacht Mael MórdhaGealtacht Mael Mórdha is the second full-length studio album by the Irish celtic doom metal band Mael Mórdha.-Track listing:# "Atlas of Sorrow" – 10:37# "Godless Commune of Sodom" – 6:01# "A Window of Madness" – 5:50# "Curse of the Bard" – 4:47...
) closing track is called Minions of Manannan, telling of his revenge on the fleeing Vikings from the battle of Cluain TarbBattle of ClontarfThe Battle of Clontarf took place on 23 April 1014 between the forces of Brian Boru and the forces led by the King of Leinster, Máel Mórda mac Murchada: composed mainly of his own men, Viking mercenaries from Dublin and the Orkney Islands led by his cousin Sigtrygg, as well as the one rebellious...
. Track 4 on black metal band Absu's album Tara is called Mannanan. - Manannan features as the last guardian boss in the 2004 console game The Bard's TaleThe Bard's Tale (2004)The Bard's Tale is an action-role playing game video game created by InXile Entertainment, and released in 2004. Marketed as a humorous spoof on fantasy role-playing video games , it has more in common with modern console games like Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance.The Bard's Tale was released for the...
. - The fictional Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
galaxy features an oceanic planet called Manaan, possibly a homage to the Celtic god. - In Laurell K. Hamilton's Merry Gentry series, the character of Barinthus used to be the sea god Manannán mac Lir before fairie began to lose its power and he was reduced to a shadow of his former self.
- Texas Experimental Black Metal band, Absu, have a song called "Manannán" on their 2001 album, Tara.
- The Tides of ManaunaunThe Tides of ManaunaunThe Tides of Manaunaun is a short piano piece by American composer Henry Cowell . It was composed in 1917, originally serving as a prelude to a theatrical production, The Building of Banba...
, composed in 1917 is a famous contemporary short piano piece written by American composer Henry Cowell. - Mánannán is the name given to a sea scout troop based in Dublin.
MedbMedbMedb – Middle Irish: Meḋḃ, Meaḋḃ; early modern Irish: Meadhbh ; reformed modern Irish Méabh, Medbh; sometimes Anglicised Maeve, Maev or Maive – is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
- Queen MedbMedbMedb – Middle Irish: Meḋḃ, Meaḋḃ; early modern Irish: Meadhbh ; reformed modern Irish Méabh, Medbh; sometimes Anglicised Maeve, Maev or Maive – is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
was the legendary Queen of ConnachtConnachtConnacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
, married to AilillAilillAilill a popular male given name in medieval Ireland and may refer to:* Ailill mac Máta, legendary king of Connacht and husband of queen Medb* Ailill mac Slanuill, legendary High King of Ireland of the 12th century BC...
mac Máta around the 1st century AD. She features in the legendary Irish tales of Táin Bó FlidhaisTáin Bó FlidhaisTáin Bó Flidhais, also known as the Mayo Táin, is a tale from the Ulster Cycle of early Irish literature. It is one of a group of works known as Táin Bó, or "cattle raid" stories, the best known of which is Táin Bó Cúailnge...
and Táin Bó CuailngeTáin Bó Cúailngeis a legendary tale from early Irish literature, often considered an epic, although it is written primarily in prose rather than verse. It tells of a war against Ulster by the Connacht queen Medb and her husband Ailill, who intend to steal the stud bull Donn Cuailnge, opposed only by the teenage...
. - The LÉ Maev (02)LÉ Maev (02)LÉ Maev was a ship in the Irish Naval Service. She was named after Medb, the legendary queen of Connacht....
, a ship in the Irish Naval ServiceIrish Naval ServiceThe Naval Service is the navy of Ireland and is one of the three standing branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its main base is in Haulbowline, County Cork....
(now decommissioned), was named after her.
- Great Southern RailwaysGreat Southern RailwaysThe Great Southern Railways Company was an Irish company that from 1925 until 1945 owned and operated all railways that lay wholly within the Irish Free State .-Formation:...
express steam locomotiveSteam locomotiveA steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
Number 800 of the GSR Class 800 of 1939, the largest and most powerful of its type in Ireland, is named after her. The nameplates are spelt Maeḋḃ in the gaelic scriptGaelic scriptGaelic type, sometimes called Irish character, Irish type, or Gaelic script, is a family of insular typefaces devised for printing Irish and used between the 16th and 20th centuries. Sometimes all Gaelic typefaces are called Celtic or uncial, though most Gaelic types are not uncials...
. This locomotive is preserved at the Ulster Transport Museum. - Queen Maeve is the name of a character in The Boys comic series. She is a spoof of Wonder woman, who is based on Greek mythology.
- Maeve is the Lady of Winter Court of the Sidhe in The Dresden FilesThe Dresden FilesThe Dresden Files is a series of contemporary fantasy/mystery novels written by Jim Butcher.He provides a first person narrative of each story from the point of view of the main character, private investigator and wizard Harry Dresden, as he recounts investigations into supernatural disturbances in...
.
The Morrígan
- The Hounds of the MorriganThe Hounds of the MorriganThe Hounds of the Morrigan is a novel by Irish writer Pat O'Shea. It was published in 1985, having taken O'Shea ten years to complete. The novel centers on the adventures of 10-year-old Pidge and his younger sister, Brigit. Many characters in the book are culled straight from Celtic mythology...
by Pat O'Shea - The Weirdstone of BrisingamenThe Weirdstone of BrisingamenThe Weirdstone of Brisingamen is a children's fantasy novel by English author Alan Garner, first published in 1960. The novel is set in and around Macclesfield and Alderley Edge in Cheshire, and tells the story of two children, Colin and Susan, who are staying with some old friends of their mother...
and The Moon of GomrathThe Moon of GomrathThe Moon of Gomrath is a fantasy story by the author Alan Garner, published in 1963. It is the sequel to The Weirdstone of Brisingamen.-Plot synopsis:...
by Alan GarnerAlan GarnerWith his first book published, Garner abandoned his work as a labourer and gained a job as a freelance television reporter, living a "hand to mouth" lifestyle on a "shoestring" budget...
, in which the Morrígan appears as the leader of the Morthbrood. - A Dirty JobA Dirty JobA Dirty Job is the ninth novel by Christopher Moore, published in 2006. While reflecting the author's absurdist tendencies, the content of the novel draws in no small part from his own experiences in tending to the needs of close family and friends who were in the stages of dying.- Plot :The story...
by Christopher Moore. The Morrigan, in her triple form, plays a major role in this macabre comic novel. - Black AriaBlack AriaBlack Aria is an instrumental album composed by Glenn Danzig, the vocalist/songwriter for Danzig and previously of Samhain and the Misfits. Released in 1992, the album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard classical chart. This original release was on Danzig's old Misfits-era label, Plan 9 Records,...
, a classical album by Glenn DanzigGlenn DanzigGlenn Danzig Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone; June 23, 1955 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, entrepreneur, and a progenitor of the horror punk subgenre of music. He is a founder of bands the Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig...
, features a song titled "The Morrigu". - Dragon Age: OriginsDragon Age: OriginsDragon Age: Origins is a single-player role-playing video game developed by BioWare's Edmonton studio and published by Electronic Arts. It is the first game in the Dragon Age franchise...
, one of the first characters encountered is a young woman named Morrigan, a shapechanging mage taught by her mother, Flemeth in the wilds of Ferelden. - Features briefly amongst other deities in Neil GaimanNeil GaimanNeil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
's novel American GodsAmerican GodsAmerican Gods is a Hugo and Nebula Award-winning novel by Neil Gaiman. The novel is a blend of Americana, fantasy, and various strands of ancient and modern mythology, all centering on a mysterious and taciturn protagonist, Shadow. It is Gaiman's fourth prose novel, being preceded by Good Omens ,...
as three women comprising one collective goddess of war. Only Macha is named directly. - Celtic Metal band PrimordialPrimordial (band)Primordial is an extreme metal band from Skerries, County Dublin, Ireland. It was formed in 1987 by Pól MacAmlaigh and Ciarán MacUiliam . Their sound melds black metal with Irish folk music.-Biography:...
have a song called 'Sons Of The Morrigan' - Darkstalkers, a character named Morrigan is a playable character in the series; although she is a succubus
- Mabinogi, Morrigan(though spelled Morrighan) appears as a goddess who turned into stone.
- Featured in "Split the Atom", an episode of the BBC radio series "Weird Tales".
- She is a character who appears in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas FlamelThe Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas FlamelThe Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel will be a series of six fantasy novels written by Irish author Michael Scott when complete. Completion is due to be in 2012. The first book in the series, The Alchemyst was released in 2007, the sequels are scheduled to follow at the rate of one per year,...
series by Michael ScottMichael Scott (Irish author)Michael Scott is an Irish author.Michael Scott is a seasoned and prolific writer of over 100 books during his 25 plus years of writing thus far...
. - The Morrigan is the leader of the Dark Fae in the TV show Lost GirlLost Girl (TV series)Lost Girl is a Canadian supernatural crime drama television series that premiered on the Showcase Television network in September 2010. The series is developed and produced by Prodigy Pictures. The series follows the life of a succubus named Bo, played by Anna Silk, as she learns to control her...
. - Mentioned and possibly invoked in "Dark Feathers", an episode of the BBC radio series Fear on Four.
- The Morrigan, depicted as three sisters, appear in Sanctuary, as part of Fata Morgana.
- The pagan folkNeofolkNeofolk is a form of folk music-inspired experimental music that emerged from post-industrial music circles. Neofolk can either be solely acoustic folk music or a blend of acoustic folk instrumentation aided by varieties of accompanying sounds such as pianos, strings and elements of industrial...
band OmniaOmnia (band)Omnia is a self-described "neoceltic pagan folk" band based in The Netherlands and whose members over the years have had Irish, Dutch, Cornish, Belgian and Persian backgrounds...
has a song called "Morrigan, Crone of War." - Appeared as a Goa'uld System Lord in Stargate SG-1 episode "Summit", season 5.
- Morrígan(as Morrigu) appears in David Gemmell'sDavid GemmellDavid Andrew Gemmell was a bestselling British author of heroic fantasy. A former journalist and newspaper editor, Gemmell had his first work of fiction published in 1984. He went on to write over thirty novels. Best known for his debut, Legend, Gemmell's works display violence, yet also explore...
Rigante series, in the books Sword in the Storm and Midnight Falcon.
OisínOisínOisín , also spelt in English Ossian or Osheen, was regarded in legend as the greatest poet of Ireland, and is a warrior of the fianna in the Ossianic or Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology...
Fionn mac Cumhaill's son, OisínOisín
Oisín , also spelt in English Ossian or Osheen, was regarded in legend as the greatest poet of Ireland, and is a warrior of the fianna in the Ossianic or Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology...
, is referenced by the grandfather in the film Into the West
Into the West (film)
Into the West is a 1992 Irish fantasy film about Irish Travellers, directed by Mike Newell and written by Jim Sheridan.The film has received several awards for Best Film, Best European Film, and Outstanding Family Foreign Film.-Synopsis:...
as he tells his grandsons the story of Oisín's journey to Tir na nOg
Tír na nÓg
Tír na nÓg is the most popular of the Otherworlds in Irish mythology. It is perhaps best known from the story of Oisín, one of the few mortals who lived there, who was said to have been brought there by Niamh of the Golden Hair. It was where the Tuatha Dé Danann settled when they left Ireland's...
from the point of view of the Travellers
Irish Traveller
Irish Travellers are a traditionally nomadic people of ethnic Irish origin, who maintain a separate language and set of traditions. They live predominantly in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States.-Etymology:...
or "Gypsies" of Ireland. The grandfather gives a mysterious white horse the name "Tir na nOg" in homage to the story, and the boys proceed to have an extended adventure traveling from Dublin to the west coast of Ireland.
Salmon of Knowledge
- The Salmon of Knowledge is alluded to in the title of Douglas AdamsDouglas AdamsDouglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
' unfinished last book, The Salmon of DoubtThe Salmon of DoubtThe Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time is a posthumous collection of previously published and unpublished material by Douglas Adams...
. - It also features in the 1973 cult classic horror film, The Wicker Man.
- The Salmon is also the logo of Institute of Technology, SligoInstitute of Technology, SligoInstitute of Technology Sligo is a state funded third-level educational institution situated in the city of Sligo, Ireland. The Institute has three Schools and 9 Departments....
- In "Old Friends: The Lost Tales of Fionn Mac Cumhaill by Tom O'Neill, the salmon of knowledge is a critical element in a number of the new hero tales.
- A comedy club in The League of GentlemenThe League of GentlemenThe League of Gentlemen are a group of British comedians formed in 1995, best known for their radio and television series.The League of Gentlemen may also refer to:* The League of Gentlemen ,...
- An episode of Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley WinksJakers! The Adventures of Piggley WinksJakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks is a children's television series. The show is animated using computer-generated imagery and broadcast in the United States on PBS Kids from 2003–2008, currently WMBC, and Univision ; in Ireland on RTÉ Two, as part of The Den; in Australia on...
, a children's television series, has the legend of the salmon as the central plot. - The Salmon, "Bradan an Eòlais", is mentioned in the Scots Gaelic poem, Am Bòrd Tìm by ScotsScottish peopleThe Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
poet and philosopher Fergus Bruce.
SamhainSamhainSamhain is a Gaelic harvest festival held on October 31–November 1. It was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and was popularised as the "Celtic New Year" from the late 19th century, following Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer...
- In the film Trick 'r TreatTrick 'r TreatTrick 'r Treat is a 2007 American horror film written and directed by Michael Dougherty, and based on his short film Season's Greetings. Originally slated for an October 5, 2007 release, it was announced in September 2007 that the film had been pushed back. Warner Bros...
, Samhain, "The Spirit of Halloween" takes the form of a trick-or-treater in orange footie pajamas and a burlap sack mask. At the film's climax, Sam is unmasked and his demonic, pumpkin-like face is revealed. Sam is considered the "horror hero" of the story, as punishes those who break the rules of Halloween. - On two separate episodeEpisodeAn episode is a part of a dramatic work such as a serial television or radio program. An episode is a part of a sequence of a body of work, akin to a chapter of a book. The term sometimes applies to works based on other forms of mass media as well, as in Star Wars...
s of The Real GhostbustersThe Real GhostbustersThe Real Ghostbusters is an American animated television series based on the 1984 film Ghostbusters. The series ran from 1986 to 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television, DiC Enterprises, and Coca-Cola Telecommunications. "The Real" was added to the title after a dispute with...
, Samhain is the living incarnation of Halloween. In this incarnation, Samhain is a spindly figure with a brown robe and a jack-o-lantern for a head, and he seeks to abolish daylight and make Halloween forever. - In It's The Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester, episode 67 of the the US television series SupernaturalSupernatural (TV series)Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
, Samhain is presented as 'the origin of Halloween'. He is a demon who inspired the Celtic rituals that eventually became Halloween customs. As stated by character Sam Winchester: "Masks were put on to hide from him, sweets left on doorsteps to appease him, faces carved into pumpkins to worship him." Samhain is raised from hell by two powerful witches, and once risen, summons ghosts, zombies and ghouls to kill everyone around. He is later exorcisedExorcismExorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
by Winchester and sent back to hell. - SamhainSamhain (band)Samhain was an American rock band formed by singer Glenn Danzig in 1983, immediately following his departure from the Misfits. Samhain played in more of a deathrock and heavy metal-infused style of horror punk than Danzig's previous band. By 1987 Samhain's membership evolved into a new band,...
, Glenn Danzig's gothic metal/punk rock band, was named after the festival. - In the film Halloween IIHalloween IIHalloween II is a 1981 slasher film directed by Rick Rosenthal, and written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. It is the second installment in the Halloween series and is a direct sequel to the Halloween set on the same night of October 31, 1978 as the seemingly unkillable Michael Myers continues to...
, the killer Michael MyersMichael Myers (Halloween)Michael Myers is a fictional character from the Halloween series of slasher films. He first appears in John Carpenter's Halloween as a young boy who murders his older sister, then fifteen years later returns home to murder more teenagers...
writes Samhain on a school chalk board in blood. - Samhain and Oíche Shamhna are very important days in modern Irish folklore as evidence in the Wiki discussion by Gary Chapman of The Lost Tales of Fionn Mac Cumhaill.
- In Bernard CornwellBernard CornwellBernard Cornwell OBE is an English author of historical novels. He is best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe which were adapted into a series of Sharpe television films.-Biography:...
's The Warlord Trilogy, a modern and realistic interpretation of Arthurian Britain, the Samhain is commemorated as the most important celebration by the Celtic pagan characters, and is mentioned by the protagonist, Derfel CadarnDerfel CadarnDerfel Cadarn is a fictional character and the main protagonist in The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell. He is a straightforward and gifted warrior who is loyal and trustworthy...
, as the day when the spirits of the dead roam among the living and when the druidic magic, represented by MerlinMerlinMerlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
and Nimue weakens. - In the film Halloween III a business tycoon wishes to return Halloween to its sacrificial roots of Samhain.
- Samhain is a "day" in the MMO game, Mabinogi.
- In King's Quest 6, Samhain is the Lord of the Dead.
- In the beginning of an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger ForceAqua Teen Hunger ForceAqua Teen Hunger Force , retitled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 in 2011, is an American animated television series on Cartoon Network late night programing block, Adult Swim, as well as Teletoon's Teletoon at Night block and later G4 Canada's ADd block in Canada...
, Dr. Weird proclaims 'Samhain forever!' before the opening theme. - The PlayStation 3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
videogame Folklore, the night of Samhain is major plot point that sets off the events of the title and the entrance to the Netherworld. - Swedish black metal band MardukMardukMarduk was the Babylonian name of a late-generation god from ancient Mesopotamia and patron deity of the city of Babylon, who, when Babylon became the political center of the Euphrates valley in the time of Hammurabi , started to...
have a song called A Samhain Fire as a bonus track on their 2001 release, La Grande Danse MacabreLa Grande Danse MacabreLa Grande Danse Macabre is the seventh studio album by Swedish black metal band Marduk. It was recorded and mixed at The Abyss in December 2000 and released on March 5, 2001 by Regain Records. The theme of the album is death, as Nightwing was blood, and Panzer Division Marduk was war, forming a... - The animated TV series Ugly AmericansUgly Americans (TV series)Ugly Americans is an American animated television series created by Devin Clark and developed by David M. Stern. The program focuses on the life of Mark Lilly, a social worker employed by the Department of Integration, in an alternate reality version of New York City inhabited by monsters and other...
has a holiday called Samhain. - In the comic book series Hack/SlashHACK/slashHack/Slash is an ongoing comic books series, launched from several one shots of the same name, published by Image Comics ....
the Samhain is an agent of the Black Lamp Society, a cult worshipping slashersSlasher filmA slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe...
. Apparently there's a Samhain for every generation of slashers, but the latest of them, a genetically-enhanced superhuman with enhanced healing abilities, defects with Ava, a similarly enhanced female clone, pledging alliance to Cassandra Hack, slasher-hunter and enemy of the Black Lamp. However, while the past Samhain were villainous in nature, this Samhain is more a byronicByronic heroThe Byronic hero is an idealised but flawed character exemplified in the life and writings of English Romantic poet Lord Byron. It was characterised by Lady Caroline Lamb, later a lover of Byron's, as being "mad, bad, and dangerous to know"...
antihero, struggling to keep his darker impulses as a slasher under check. Every Samhain carries with himself a pumpkin mask, wearing it during their missions. - In the computer game King's Quest VI, Samhain is the name of the Lord of the Dead.
- The American Gothic Rock Band We Are The FallenWe Are the FallenWe Are the Fallen is an American gothic metal band consisting of former American Idol contestant Carly Smithson, Marty O'Brien and former Evanescence members Ben Moody, John LeCompt, and Rocky Gray. The band's name is an allusion to Evanescence's 2003 album, Fallen, which has resulted in criticism...
has a song entitled Samhain, as a bonus track on their debut disk Tear the World DownTear the World Down- External links :*...
Deluxe Edition - In the Fever Series by "Karen Marie MoningKaren Marie MoningKaren Marie Moning, born in Cincinnati Ohio, is a #1 New York Times bestselling author best known for her adult-themed Urban Fantasy FEVER series. She also wrote the Highlander series...
", Samhain is the night when rituals are performed to keep the Fae Walls from breaching, unleashing evil fae into the world. - True BloodTrue BloodTrue Blood is an American television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, detailing the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana...
, in the final episode of season 4, references Samhain multiple times - though even WiccanWiccaWicca , is a modern Pagan religious movement. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."...
characters mispronounce it as "samma-hane". - In A Year Like None Other by Aspen in the Sunlight, Samhain is celebrated by the Death Eaters, who torture and attempt to kill Harry Potter as a sacrifice.
ScáthachScáthachScáthach is a figure in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She is a legendary Scottish warrior woman and martial arts teacher who trains the legendary Ulster hero Cú Chulainn in the arts of combat...
- Appears in The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas FlamelThe Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas FlamelThe Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel will be a series of six fantasy novels written by Irish author Michael Scott when complete. Completion is due to be in 2012. The first book in the series, The Alchemyst was released in 2007, the sequels are scheduled to follow at the rate of one per year,...
series by Michael ScottMichael Scott (Irish author)Michael Scott is an Irish author.Michael Scott is a seasoned and prolific writer of over 100 books during his 25 plus years of writing thus far...
. - The origin story for Red SonjaRed SonjaRed Sonja, the She-Devil with a Sword, is a fictional character, a high fantasy sword and sorcery heroine created by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith, and loosely based on Red Sonya of Rogatino in Robert E. Howard's 1934 short story "The Shadow of the Vulture"...
, "The Day of the Sword", first appeared in Kull and the Barbarians, issue 3, by Roy ThomasRoy ThomasRoy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...
, Doug Moench, and Howard Chaykin, and was later redrawn by Dick Giordano and Terry Austin for The Savage Sword of Conan, issue 78. In this story, Red Sonja lived with her family in a humble house in the Western Hyrkanian steppes (this seems to be in modern Ukraine/Russia though historical Hyrcania was on the borders of modern Iran/Turkmenistan). When she had just turned 17 years old, a group of mercenaries killed her family and burned down their house. Sonja survived but was brutally raped by the leader of the group, leaving her in shame. Answering her cry for revenge, the red goddess Scáthach appeared to her, and instilled in her incredible skill in the handling of swords and other weapons on the condition that she would never lie with a man unless he defeated her in fair combat. - Appears as a character in the video games Persona 3Persona 3Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, originally released in Japan as simply , is the fourth video game in the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series of console role-playing games developed by Atlus, which is part of the larger Megami Tensei series of video games...
and Persona 4.
SelkieSelkieSelkies are mythological creatures that are found in Faroese, Icelandic, Irish, and Scottish folklore....
Literature
- In Tessa Stone's online graphic novel series "Hanna is Not a Boy's Name", the character Veser is the son of a selkie and the man who stole her skin.
- The webcomic simply called "Selkie" is the story of on a young selkie girl adopted by a human. The depiction is quite different from the normal folklore, presenting selkies as a fish-like humanoid species. The story focuses on problems related to the girl's unusual needs, like her carnivorous diet and her problems fitting into normal shoes.
- One of the main supporting characters in Jane Johnson's Eidolon trilogy is a young girl selkie called She Who Swims the Silver Path of The Moon (Silver for short) who becomes close with the main hero, Ben Arnold, when he rescues her from the evil Doddman's pet shop.
- In the fifth book of The Last Apprentice series, the protagonist is forced to separate a beautiful selkie from her aging husband. In the series, selkies age very slowly, and are considered bad luck or are taught to be prostitutes by the women.
- Seal Child is a children's novel by Sylvia Peck which details a modern telling of the selkie myth.
- The Folk Keeper, a "young readers" novel by Franny Billingsley also uses this myth powerfully.
- At least one tale about selkies is included in Scottish Folk TalesScottish Folk TalesScottish Folk Tales is a 1976 anthology of 18 fairy tales from Scotland that have been collected and retold by Ruth Manning-Sanders. It is one in a long series of such anthologies by Manning-Sanders...
by Ruth Manning-SandersRuth Manning-SandersRuth Manning-Sanders was a prolific British poet and author who was perhaps best known for her series of children's books in which she collected and retold fairy tales from all over the world. All told, she published more than 90 books during her lifetime. The dust jacket for A Book of Giants...
. - Terry Farley, known for her books about horses that are written for children, broke from that style in 2005 to write Seven Tears into the Sea, a modern and slightly different selkie tale for teenagers. It is a teen romance novel following the story of a young girl who returns to her hometown in search of a selkie she encountered seven years earlier.
- In science-fiction the Petaybee SeriesPetaybee SeriesThe Petaybee Series is a series of young-adult science fiction novels by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough.-Powers trilogy:The first Petaybee series, the Powers trilogy, consists of three books: Powers that Be published in 1993, Power Lines and Power Play .The series centers on Major...
by Anne McCaffreyAnne McCaffreyAnne Inez McCaffrey was an American-born Irish writer, best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series. Over the course of her 46 year career she won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award...
and Elizabeth Ann ScarboroughElizabeth Ann ScarboroughElizabeth Ann Scarborough was born March 23, 1947 and lives in Port Townsend, Washington. Scarborough won a Nebula Award in 1989 for her novel The Healer's War, and has written more than a dozen other novels...
employs the selkie myth in a futuristic setting. - A. E. van VogtA. E. van VogtAlfred Elton van Vogt was a Canadian-born science fiction author regarded by some as one of the most popular and complex science fiction writers of the mid-twentieth century: the "Golden Age" of the genre....
's novel The SilkieThe Silkie (novel)The Silkie is a fix-up science fiction novel by A. E. van Vogt, first published in complete form in 1969. The component stories had previously been published in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine.-Plot introduction:...
imagines a race of creatures who can change between aquatic, human, and space-traveling forms. - Selkies also appear as one of many varieties of "changed" human in Ken MacLeod'sKen MacLeodKen MacLeod , is a Scottish science fiction writer.MacLeod was born in Stornoway. He graduated from Glasgow University with a degree in zoology and has worked as a computer programmer and written a masters thesis on biomechanics....
Engines of Light trilogy. - In the third in the "Council WarsCouncil WarsThe Council Wars were a racially polarized political conflict in the city of Chicago from 1983-1986, centered on the Chicago City Council.The term came from a satirical comedy sketch of the same name written and performed by comedian and journalist Aaron Freeman in 1983, using the good-v.-evil plot...
" series by John RingoJohn RingoJohn Ringo is an American science fiction and military fiction author. He has had several New York Times best sellers. His books range from straightforward science fiction to a mix of military and political thrillers...
, "Against the Tide", selkies are used with tongue-in-cheek humor, referring to the real-life U.S. Navy SEALs in a fantasy setting. In the book, selkies performed commando-style beach infiltrations highly reminiscent of how SEALsSealsSeals may refer to:In military:* United States Navy SEALs, the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force* Royal Thai Navy SEALs, part of the Royal Thai NavyIn sport:* Florida Seals, a minor league ice hockey team from 2002 and 2007...
are often portrayed in popular media. - The book Water Shaper by Laura Williams McCaffrey is based on some myths about selkies.
- Mercedes Lackey's novel The Serpent's Shadow features a group of selkies in a cameo as beneign water fey creatures.
- British fantasy author Susan CooperSusan CooperSusan Mary Cooper is an English author best known for The Dark Is Rising, an award-winning five-volume saga set in and around England and Wales. The books incorporate traditional British mythology, such as Arthurian and other Welsh elements with original material ; these books were adapted into a...
has written both a picture book and a novel featuring selkies. The picture book, Selkie Girl, recounts a traditional selkie legend from Ireland. The novel, Seaward, features characters who turn out to be selkies. - In the first Meredith Gentry novel, A Kiss of ShadowsA Kiss of Shadows (novel)A Kiss of Shadows is the first novel in the Merry Gentry series by Laurell K. Hamilton.-Plot introduction:A faerie princess turned private investigator in a world where faeries are not only known to the general public, but are also popular, the heroine is Princess Meredith NicEssus...
, by Laurell K. HamiltonLaurell K. HamiltonLaurell Kaye Hamilton is an American fantasy and romance writer. She is the author of two series of stories. Hamilton is known for her New York Times-bestselling Anita Blake series, featuring a professional zombie raiser/supernatural consultant for the police as the protagonist in a world where...
, a selkie named Roane Finn is the lover of Merry Gentry, who is a part human part fey princess who is hiding in Los Angeles in self-imposed exile from the Unseelie Kingdom due to political plots against her. Merry and Roane are both paranormal detectives working for the Grey Detective Agency. Roane had been trapped in human form when a fisherman had found his seal skin and burned it. When the latent magic in Merry is awakened, it first manifests itself by miraculously regenerating Roane's shape shifting ability. He immediately returns to his life in the sea for which he had been pining. - George Mackay BrownGeorge Mackay BrownGeorge Mackay Brown , was a Scottish poet, author and dramatist, whose work has a distinctly Orcadian character...
's novel Beside the Ocean of TimeBeside the Ocean of TimeBeside the Ocean of Time is a novel by Scottish writer George Mackay Brown. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and judged Scottish Book of the Year by the Saltire Society. The plot follows Thorfinn Ragnarson from Norday in the Orkney Islands of the 1930's. The son of a tenant farmer, he...
also involves a young man falling love with a Selkie, and the hiding of her sealskin to keep her from returning to the sea. - In Tom Clancy's 1998 novel Net Force, a female assassin uses the name "The Selkie" as her underground cover name. In the novel, she is of Irish heritage.
- In 1998, American author Christina DoddChristina DoddChristina Dodd is a best-selling American author ofromance novels.-Biography:Dodd is the youngest of three daughters whose father died before she was born. Although her mother had been a housewife with few job skills, after Dodd's birth she found a job and worked diligently to support her children...
published a romance novel entitled A Well Favored Gentleman about Ian Fairchild. His character made his first appearance in the first book of the Well Pleasured series, A Well Pleasured Lady (1997). Ian is the son of a selkie and has powers due to that legacy. - In Anne Bishop's Tir Alainne trilogy selkies are a member of the Fae race who must help witches avoid the mass murdering black inquisitors in order to stay alive.
- Juliet MarillierJuliet MarillierJuliet Marillier is a New Zealand-born writer of fantasy, especially historical fantasy. She currently lives in Western Australia. While Marillier writes mostly for adults, her recent books have included Cybele's Secret, a sequel to her novel for young adults Wildwood Dancing. Cybele's Secret won...
wrote several trilogies, mixing folklore with history. In Child of the Prophecy (2001) Darragh is turned into a selkie by the Fae, while Watcher in Foxmask (2003) is a descendant of a selkie mother and a human father. - Mollie HunterMollie HunterMaureen Mollie Hunter McIlwraith, more commonly known as Mollie Hunter , is a Scottish writer. Born and bred near Edinburgh in the small village of Longniddry. She currently resides in Inverness. Her debut was The Smartest Man in Ireland in 1963. She writes fantasy for children, historical stories...
's novel, A Stranger Came AshoreA Stranger Came AshoreA Stranger Came Ashore is a 1975 young adult novel written by Scottish author Mollie Hunter. The plot revolves around a boy called Robbie Henderson, a resident on the island of Black Ness, where there are legends of creatures called Selkies, which are seals that can take on human form...
, has a character who turns out to be the Great Selkie, lord of all the other selkies. - Robert HoldstockRobert HoldstockRobert Paul Holdstock was an English novelist and author best known for his works of Celtic, Nordic, Gothic and Pictish fantasy literature, predominantly in the fantasy subgenre of mythic fiction....
's novel Merlin's WoodMerlin's WoodMerlin's Wood; or, The Vision of Magic is a short novel written by Robert Holdstock and was first published in the UK in 1994. The novel is considered part of the Mythago Wood cycle, but takes place in Brittany, France instead of Herefordshire, England...
, contains a fantasyFantasyFantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
short story, The Silvering, in which the human protagonist is transformed into a selkie. - James A. Hetley's books, Dragon's Eye and Dragon's Teeth, have a family of characters with the hereditary ability to transform into seals, who living in the contemporary American society (in the fictional MaineMaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
town of Stonefort), hiding well their secret. Unlike the traditional depictions of selkies, in this version the ability is confined to the males of the family. - The TorchwoodTorchwoodTorchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
comic Captain Jack and the Selkie features a Selkie. - In 1982 David BischoffDavid BischoffDavid F. Bischoff is an American science fiction and television writer.-General Background:Born in Washington D.C. and now living in Eugene, Oregon, Bischoff writes science fiction books, short stories, and scripts for television...
and Charles SheffieldCharles SheffieldCharles Sheffield , was an English-born mathematician, physicist and science fiction author. He had been a President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and of the American Astronautical Society....
wrote the novel "The Selkie", a modern treatment of the selkie legend. - In 2008, William Meikle's short story, The First Silkie appears in the Celtic Myth Podshow's Midsummer Holiday Special.
- In the last of the five short stories in the anthology Love Is Hell entitled Love Struck by Melissa Marr (author)Melissa Marr (author)Melissa Marr is an American author of young-adult/urban fantasy novels.-Poetry:*On Meeting the Surgeon *The Moment of Impact *Fighting the Tide *The Art of Becoming -Short Fiction:...
a teenage girl walking along a beach accidentally steps upon a pelt of a selchie. The selchie falls in love the girl but at first she doesn't return his love. The girl must ultimately make the decision to free the selchie because if his increasing longing for the sea or to keep close the selkie she now loves. - The Catherynne M. ValenteCatherynne M. ValenteCatherynne M. Valente , is a Tiptree–, Andre Norton–, and Mythopoeic Award–winning novelist, poet, and literary critic. Her short fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine, the World Fantasy Award–winning anthologies Salon Fantastique and Paper Cities, along with numerous Year's Best volumes...
book The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden includes a story of a female satyr who acquires a male selkie's skin, and then acquires the selkie as a lover. - The Star Trek: TitanStar Trek: TitanStar Trek: Titan is a series of Star Trek novels that take place after the events of the film Star Trek Nemesis, detailing the adventures of the USS Titan under the command of Starfleet Captain William T. Riker. Riker was transferred from the Enterprise-E circa stardate 56844.9...
novels include a Selkie character, Aili Lavena, who was a former lover of Captain William RikerWilliam RikerWilliam Thomas Riker, played by Jonathan Frakes, is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe primarily appearing as a main character in Star Trek: The Next Generation...
. - Selkies, and their home-world of Pacifica, are key in the 2009 novelNovelA novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
Star Trek The Next Generation: Losing the Peace - Uist Skerrie: The Inheritance, by Ellen S. Cartwright involves an island in the Chesapeake Bay where ancestors of the Uist Islands in the Hebrides off Scotland live on in both Selkie and peacekeeper roles as an young doctor receives her birthright in a legacy filled with mystery, romance, and suspense. Selkie legend and modern science coexist with a constant struggle for protection against mainland intrusions and curiosity.
- Sea Change, by Aimee FriedmanAimee FriedmanAimee Friedman is the author of several young adult novels published by Scholastic Inc., and S&S. Her novels South Beach , French Kiss , and Hollywood Hills and also The Year My Sister Got Lucky focus on the scandalous adventures of on-again, off-again best friends Holly Jacobson and Alexa St....
is about a girl who comes to Selkie Island during the summer after a drama-filled year. She meets Leo, who is a selkie. - In Julia Golding's children's books The Companions Quartet, the selkie is a companion species, and the minor character Arran is a selkie.
- JJ Beazley's short story "When the Waves Call" has a female selkie coming ashore on the west coast of Ireland at the time of the harvest moon, looking for a human male to help her move back to the land.
- In the 2009 novel Tempest Rising by Nicole PeelerNicole D. PeelerNicole D. Peeler is an American author who writes the Jane True - Tempest urban fantasy series.Nicole Peeler has a BA with Distinction in English Literature, Magna Cum Laude from the Boston University 2000 and a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Edinburgh...
, the main character, Jane True, is the adult child of a selkie and a human man. - In Patricia McKillip's 2000 novel The Tower at Stony WoodThe Tower at Stony WoodThe Tower at Stony Wood is a 2000 fantasy novel by Patricia A. McKillip. It was a 2001 Nebula Award nominee. -Summary:At the wedding of King Regis Aurum of Yves to Lady Gwynne, knight Cyan Dag of Gloinmere learns a terrible secret: his king is marrying an imposter, and the real Lady Gwynne is...
, a character is revealed to be of selkie origin when she regains her former shape by donning the seal suit she has made. - In Winds of Water's Fullmetal Alchemist fanfiction Sel Euraidd, Edward is a selkie also called Aur.
Song
- There is a traditional ballad from Orkney called The Great Silkie of Sule SkerryThe Great Silkie of Sule SkerryThe Great Silkie of Sule Skerry or The Grey Selkie of Suleskerry is a traditional folk song from Orkney. The song was collected by the American scholar, Francis James Child in the late nineteenth century and is listed as Child ballad number 113...
that has become popular and been covered by a range of musicians including Joan BaezJoan BaezJoan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
and TreesTrees (folk band)Trees was an English folk rock band that existed between 1969 and 1972. Although the group met with little commercial success in their time, the reputation of the band has grown over the years. Like other folk contemporaries, Trees' music was influenced by Fairport Convention, but with a heavier...
. See the list of adaptations. - The Progressive Metalcore band Between the Buried and MeBetween the Buried and MeBetween the Buried and Me is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina. They have released a total of five studio albums, as well as a cover album, an EP and a live DVD/CD...
released their AlaskaAlaska (Between the Buried and Me album)Alaska is the third album by heavy metal band Between the Buried and Me. It was released on September 6, 2005 through Victory Records and is the first album to feature Dustie Waring on guitar, Dan Briggs on bass, and Blake Richardson on drums....
album in 2005 with a song called "Selkies: The Endless Obsession." - The album HoneycombHoneycomb (album)Honeycomb is the tenth studio album by American alternative rock musician Frank Black, released in July 2005 on Back Porch Records. His first original solo work since 1996's The Cult of Ray, Honeycomb was recorded in Nashville, and features notable local session musicians, such as Steve Cropper and...
by former Pixies front-man Frank BlackFrank BlackBlack Francis is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the influential alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. Following the band's breakup in 1993, he embarked on a solo career under the name Frank Black...
includes a tune called "Selkie Bride", which alludes to the Selkie legend. - The poet Jane Yolen wrote a poem entitled "The Ballad of the White Seal Maid", that is a sad story of a fisherman and his selkie wife. This poem was set to music by the folk musician Lui Collins, and recorded by her and also by Mike Agranoff
- The Faroese ballad "Kópakvæði" (the seal-ballad) by Faroese writer Joen DanielsenJoen DanielsenJoen Danielsen Known as Kvívíks-Jógvan , . He married and settled in the town of Gjógv....
is based on the story about the Seal-Wife from KalsoyKalsoyKalsoy is an island located in the north-east of the Faroe Islands between Eysturoy and Kunoy.- Geography :The western coast has dramatically steep cliffs for the full length of the island, whereas idyllic valleys on the eastern slopes protect the four tiny settlements, Húsar, Mikladalur,...
island. The ballad is in FaroeseFaroese languageFaroese , is an Insular Nordic language spoken by 48,000 people in the Faroe Islands and about 25,000 Faroese people in Denmark and elsewhere...
and consists of 68 verses. - The song "Sælkvinden" (the seal-woman) by Danish singer Lars LilholtLars LilholtLars Lilholt is a Danish singer, violinist, guitarist and composer.- Lars Lilholt Band :* 1982 - Og fanden dukked' op og sagde ja!* 1984 - Jens Langkniv* 1986 - Portland* 1988 - I en sommernat...
is a sad story about a young fisherman and a selkie. - In December 1991, the British folk artist Talis KimberleyTalis KimberleyTalis Kimberley is a British folk singer/songwriter based in Wiltshire, England. Her songs are narrative in nature and feature a mixture of mythology, green issues and everyday life approached from unexpected angles among other things...
wrote "Still Catch the Tide," a song written from the perspective of the selkie's lover, upon returning to find the selkie (which is of indeterminate gender) packing their things to return to the sea. The song has been covered by several other folk artists, including Rika Körte & Kerstin 'Katy' Dröge (on FilkCONtinental Definitely), Minstrel (on Boy in a Room), and Seanan McGuireSeanan McGuireSeanan McGuire is an American author and filker. She also writes under the name "Mira Grant."-October Daye:# Rosemary and Rue...
(on Stars Fall Home). Talis's own recording of the song appears on her album Talis (Almost Live at Dracon). - The US folk artist Gordon BokGordon BokGordon Bok is a folklorist and singer/songwriter who grew up in Camden, Maine.-Career:His first album, self-titled, was produced by Noel Paul Stookey and released in 1965 on the Verve Records Folkways imprint...
wrote "Peter Kagan and the Wind" a cantefable (in which spoken narrative is blended with sudden song-phrasings) about the fisherman Cagan who married a selkie, and how his selkie wife saved him from a terrible storm, even though this meant she could never return to her human body and hence her happy home. This interpretation was also often performed live by The Clancy Brothers and (the late) Tommy Makem. - In May 2007, Californian filk artist Seanan McGuire released the song "In This Sea," a song from the perspective of a selkie's lover letting her willingly go, on the CD Stars Fall Home.
- Australian folk band Spiral Dance, in their 1999 CD titled Magick, includes a song titled "Song for a Selkie".
- Singer Mary McLaughlin sings a song entitled "Sealwoman/Yundah" on the "Celtic Voices: Women of Song" CD ~ 1995 Narada Media.
- Singer Méav Ní MhaolchathaMéav Ní MhaolchathaMéav Ní Mhaolchatha is an Irish singer and recording artist specializing in the traditional music of her homeland. She was one of the original soloists in the musical ensemble Celtic Woman. She sings in multiple languages: English, Gaelic, French and Latin....
(an original soloist of the group Celtic WomanCeltic WomanCeltic Woman is an all-female musical ensemble conceived and assembled by Sharon Browne and David Downes, a former musical director of the Irish stage show Riverdance...
), opens her solo album Silver Sea with the song "You Brought Me Up", a Selkie woman captured then abandoned on land. - The Irish-American musical group, Solas, have a song called "The Grey Selchie" on their "The Words That Remain" CD.
- US singer Alexander James AdamsAlexander James AdamsAlexander James Adams is an American singer, musician and songwriter in the Celtic and World music genres. He blends mythical, fantasy, and traditional themes in performances, switching between instrumental fiddle and songs accompanied by guitar, bodhrán, and fiddle playing...
sings "First Rising Tide", about a selkie man, on his 2008 CD "A Familiar Promise". - Druid folk singer Damh the Bard's first album Herne's Apprentice features a song titled "The Selkie" about these beings.
- Singer/songwriter S.J. Tucker created a song "Seafaring Satyr" based on Catherynne M. ValenteCatherynne M. ValenteCatherynne M. Valente , is a Tiptree–, Andre Norton–, and Mythopoeic Award–winning novelist, poet, and literary critic. Her short fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld Magazine, the World Fantasy Award–winning anthologies Salon Fantastique and Paper Cities, along with numerous Year's Best volumes...
's story about a female satyr and a male selkie. - On Heather Dale's album Gawain and the Green Knight, there is a song called The Maiden and The Selkie, about a selkie lord who wishes to marry a fisherman's daughter.
Games
- Selkie are monsters in the Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
roleplaying game. They resemble seals with human-like hands and facial features, who have the ability to transform into humans. - The first of the "Crystal Chronicles" sub-serie (of the Final Fantasy serie- Final Fantasy Crystal ChroniclesFinal Fantasy Crystal Chroniclesis a action role-playing game for the Nintendo GameCube. It was published by Nintendo and developed by The Game Designers Studio, a shell corporation for Square Enix's Product Development Division-2. A spin-off of the Final Fantasy series, the game spawned a metaseries of the same name...
), features Selkies as a race. Unlike mythical Selkies, the ones in Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles are simply a humanoid race, with body paint, such as stripes, or arrows on even the youngest children in the game. The Selkies in the game usually have blue-green hair, probably referring to the mythical Selkie's origin in the sea. One reference to them, however, is in their town, there is a selkie who says something along the lines of, "We Selkies came from the sea, and one day we will return there." Also, this same main town of the Selkies, Leuda, is set on an island far out at sea. - In the collectable card game Magic: The GatheringMagic: The GatheringMagic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
there are three cards in the EventideEventideEventide is an expansion set, codenamed "Doughnut", from the trading card game Magic: The Gathering. It was released on July 25, 2008. The pre-release events for this set were held on July 12–13, 2008.- Set Details :...
set of the ShadowmoorShadowmoorShadowmoor is an expansion set, codenamed "Jelly", from the trading card game Magic: The Gathering. It was released on May 2, 2008. The pre-release events for this set were held on April 19-20, 2008.-Set Details:...
block with the name selkie in them. They are classified as a merfolk, are all green/blue hybrid-mana creatures, and pictured as half seal, half human. The quote for the card says, "Selkies call to a sea they never swam, in a tongue they never spoke, with a song they never learned." The other two cards are and . - In the RPG MUD Lensmooor (found at www.Lensmoor.org) the Selkie is featured as a race on the continent Lensmoor. The scaled aquatic race of Xorrto are their racial enemies as whole settlements have been wiped out by them. No longer able to shift in and out of wearing their fur they appear as a cross between both. Their skin locked away beneath their fur for safety forever.
- The game Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic writers may have derived their race of aquatic peoples, the Selkath, from the Selkie legends.
Film
- The 1994 John SaylesJohn SaylesJohn Thomas Sayles is an American independent film director, screenwriter and author.-Early life:Sayles was born in Schenectady, New York, the son of Mary , a teacher, and Donald John Sayles, a school administrator. He was raised Catholic and took to labeling himself "a Catholic atheist"...
movie, The Secret of Roan InishThe Secret of Roan InishThe Secret of Roan Inish is an American independent film written and directed by John Sayles, and released in 1994. It's based on the novel The Secret of Ron Mor Skerry, by Rosalie K. Fry....
, tells the story of a family descended from selkies. It is based on the novel The Secret of Ron Mor Skerry by Rosalie K. Fry. - In 2000, the Australian film titled Selkie, starring Shimon Moore of the Australian rock band, Sick PuppiesSick PuppiesSick Puppies is an Australian rock band, formed in 1997. The band consists of vocalist and guitarist Shimon Moore, bassist Emma Anzai and drummer Mark Goodwin....
, depicted a young teenage male moving to a coastal town with his family and after he starts growing webbing between his fingers, having dreams of the water in the bathtub and becoming a seal after diving into the sea to save a friend, he learns that he is a Selkie. The majority of the film depicts him coming to terms with his identity and even attempting to give up his Selkie powers at which point he accepts them. The film was shot at Port Noarlunga Jetty. - 2010, Colin FarrellColin FarrellColin James Farrell is an Irish actor, who has appeared in such film as Tigerland, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Phone Booth, The Recruit, Alexander and S.W.A.T....
plays fisherman "Syracuse" in the movie OndineOndine (film)Ondine is a 2009 Irish romantic drama film directed and written by Neil Jordan and starring Colin Farrell and Alicja Bachleda.The film mixes themes from Irish mythology into contemporary settings.-Plot:...
(the name of the main character played by Alicja Bachleda, meaning "from the sea"); Ondine is believed to be a Selkie and the film explores Selkie mythology. - Tomm MooreTomm MooreTomm Moore is an Irish illustrator, comics artist and filmmaker. He is co-founder of Cartoon Saloon, an animation studio and production company, based in Kilkenny, Ireland...
, director of "The Secret of Kells", is at work on a new animated movie called "Song of the Sea". The trailer features a mother taking her daughter and a selkie pelt and leaping into the sea, where the two turn into seals.
Television
- In an episode of CatscratchCatscratchCatscratch is a American animated television series created by Doug TenNapel airing on Nickelodeon in 2005 and on Nicktoons in late 2007 . It was also shown on Nickelodeon UK/Ireland in 2006. It is a light-hearted adaptation of TenNapel's graphic novel, Gear, which is also the name of the cats'...
, the bansheeBansheeThe banshee , from the Irish bean sí is a feminine spirit in Irish mythology, usually seen as an omen of death and a messenger from the Otherworld....
that was haunting the Highland Quid Clan was in fact a selkie (called a "seal woman" in the show) under a curse. Gordon freed the selkie by vocalizing in high tones and pitches. - Hallmark made a movie in 2001 titled The Seventh Stream ~ A grieving Irishman falls for a stranger with a special gift reminiscent of a Celtic legend. It was a sad movie of a man and a selkie falling in love, but unable to remain together.
- In an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
in which the movie being riffed on was The Space ChildrenThe Space ChildrenThe Space Children is a 1958 film directed by Jack Arnold. The movie was mocked on Mystery Science Theater 3000 in 1998 during season 9....
, Mike comments, "There's a Selkie caught in the oil slick." - Fae Gone Wild, an episode of Canadian drama Lost GirlLost Girl (TV series)Lost Girl is a Canadian supernatural crime drama television series that premiered on the Showcase Television network in September 2010. The series is developed and produced by Prodigy Pictures. The series follows the life of a succubus named Bo, played by Anna Silk, as she learns to control her...
, features numerous Selkie as characters.
Novelisations
- Hound by George Green
- Red Branch by Morgan LlywelynMorgan LlywelynMorgan Llywelyn is an American-born Irish author best known for her historical fantasy, historical fiction, and historical non-fiction...
- Táin by Gregory FrostGregory FrostGregory Frost is an American author of science fiction and fantasy, and directs a fiction writing workshop at Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa...
- The Prize in the Game by Jo WaltonJo WaltonJo Walton is a Welsh-Canadian fantasy and science fiction writer and poet. She won the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer in 2002 and the World Fantasy award for her novel Tooth and Claw in 2004. Her novel Ha'penny was a co-winner of the 2008 Prometheus Award...
- The Bull Raid by Carlo Gebler
- Raid: A Dramatic Retelling of Ireland's Epic Tale by Randy Lee Eickhoff
- Cuchulain of Muirthemne by Isabella Augusta, Lady Gregory
- The Táin Bó FlidhaisTáin Bó FlidhaisTáin Bó Flidhais, also known as the Mayo Táin, is a tale from the Ulster Cycle of early Irish literature. It is one of a group of works known as Táin Bó, or "cattle raid" stories, the best known of which is Táin Bó Cúailnge...
-“The Mayo Táin.” by Stephen Dunford
Dramatic Adapations
- The Bull, an adaptation by Fabulous Beast Dance Company 2007.
- Complete:Bull, a five-part radio play written by Darren Maher, produced by Impact Theatre and WiredFM.
- The Táin, an musical comedy adaptation by the Cuchulainn plays performed both in 2003 and 2009.
Comics
- Colmán Ó Raghallaigh and Barry Reynolds' Irish languageIrish languageIrish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
graphic novelGraphic novelA graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
adaptation, An Táin, was published by Cló Mhaigh Eó of. County MayoCounty MayoCounty Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
in 2006. - Patrick Brown's webcomicWebcomicWebcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
adaptation, The Cattle Raid of Cooley, began serialisation in August 2008. - Oghme Comics' adaptation in French and English languages, Cúchulainn the Hound of Ulster, focuses on the events leading to the Táin, from Setanta's and then CúchulainnCúchulainnCú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
s point of view.
Music inspired by the Táin
- The story inspired a concept albumConcept albumIn music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
called The TáinThe Táin (Horslips)The Táin is the name of a music album by Irish rock band Horslips. Their second studio album, it was Horslip's first attempt at making a concept album, an idea they would return to in 1976 with The Book of Invasions: A Celtic Symphony...
(1973) by Irish Celtic-rock band HorslipsHorslipsHorslips are an Irish Celtic rock band that compose, arrange and perform songs based on traditional Irish jigs and reels. The group are regarded as 'founding fathers of Celtic rock' for their fusion of traditional Irish music with rock music and went on to inspire many local and international acts....
. - Terry RileyTerry RileyTerrence Mitchell Riley, is an American composer intrinsically associated with the minimalist school of Western classical music and was a pioneer of the movement...
's Chanting the Light of ForesightChanting the Light of ForesightChanting the Light of Foresight is a 1987 composition by Terry Riley written for and commissioned by the Rova Saxophone Quartet, though during the course of the composition it was decided that Rova would compose "The Chord of War" and "The Pipes of Medb/Medb's Blues" contains improvisation.The...
is a programmaticProgram musicProgram music or programme music is a type of art music that attempts to musically render an extra-musical narrative. The narrative itself might be offered to the audience in the form of program notes, inviting imaginative correlations with the music...
depiction of the epic commissioned by the Rova Saxophone QuartetRova Saxophone QuartetThe Rova Saxophone Quartet is a San Francisco-based saxophone quartet formed in October 1977 at the same time as their "less adventurous" but better known colleagues the World Saxophone Quartet. The name "Rova" is an acronym formed from the last initials of the founding members: Jon Raskin, Larry...
. - The PoguesThe PoguesThe Pogues are a Celtic punk band, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to drinking problems but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before...
have a song called "The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn" on their 1985 album Rum, Sodomy and the Lash. - The DecemberistsThe DecemberistsThe Decemberists are an indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk , Jenny Conlee , Nate Query , and John Moen .The band's...
released an EPExtended playAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
called The TainThe TainThe Tain is an EP by The Decemberists released in 2004 by Acuarela Discos and in 2005 by Kill Rock Stars. The single 18-plus minute track is the band's take on the Irish mythological epic Táin Bó Cúailnge which is often simply called The Táin...
in 2003. The EP consists of one 18 minute 35 second long track, Colin MeloyColin MeloyColin Patrick Henry Meloy is the lead singer and songwriter for the Portland, Oregon, folk-rock band The Decemberists. In addition to vocals, he performs with an acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki, harmonica, percussion and interpretive hand gestures.-Early life...
's five-part rendering of the story. - The instrumental theme song to the movie The Boondock SaintsThe Boondock SaintsThe Boondock Saints is a 1999 American action comedy film written and directed by Troy Duffy. The film stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus as Irish fraternal twins, Connor and Murphy MacManus, who become vigilantes after killing two members of the Russian Mafia in self-defense...
is called The Blood of Cúchulainn. - The ballet The Táin by Joan Denise MoriartyJoan Denise MoriartyJoan Denise Moriarty was an Irish choreographer and musician. She founded the first professional ballet company in Ireland.-Early life:...
and Aloys FleischmannAloys FleischmannAloys Fleischmann was an Irish composer and musicologist. In addition he wrote several books and articles on Irish music.-Life:...
. Performed in Dublin at The Gaeity on October 6, 1981. - CruachanCruachan (band)Cruachan [kroo-a-khawn] is a Celtic metal band from Dublin, Ireland that has been active since the 1990s. They have been acclaimed as having "gone the greatest lengths of anyone in their attempts to expand" the genre of folk metal. They are recognised as one of the founders of the genre of folk metal...
, an Irish Celtic metal band, has the song "The Brown Bull of Cooley" on their album The Morrigan's CallThe Morrigan's CallThe Morrigan's Call is an album by Celtic metal band Cruachan released in 2006.-Track listing:#"Shelob" - 3:03#"The Brown Bull of Cooley" - 5:23#"Coffin Ships" - 1:48#"The Great Hunger" - 6:06#"The Old Woman in the Woods" - 1:50#"Ungoliant" - 3:55...
.
Movies
Tir na nÓg is the name given to a mysterious white horse in the film Into the West (film)Into the West (film)
Into the West is a 1992 Irish fantasy film about Irish Travellers, directed by Mike Newell and written by Jim Sheridan.The film has received several awards for Best Film, Best European Film, and Outstanding Family Foreign Film.-Synopsis:...
, which stars Gabriel Byrne
Gabriel Byrne
Gabriel James Byrne is an Irish actor, film director, film producer, writer, cultural ambassador and audiobook narrator. His acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he joined Londo's Royal Court Theatre in 1979. Byrne's screen debut came in the Irish soap opera The Riordans and the...
as a "Traveller" who has left the road for Dublin following the death of his wife. His boys are told the story of Oisín and his journey to Tír na nÓg by their grandfather, who gives the name to the horse that followed him from the west coast to Dublin, and leads the boys back again.
Novels
The story of OisínOisín
Oisín , also spelt in English Ossian or Osheen, was regarded in legend as the greatest poet of Ireland, and is a warrior of the fianna in the Ossianic or Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology...
and his journey to and from Tír na nÓg
Tír na nÓg
Tír na nÓg is the most popular of the Otherworlds in Irish mythology. It is perhaps best known from the story of Oisín, one of the few mortals who lived there, who was said to have been brought there by Niamh of the Golden Hair. It was where the Tuatha Dé Danann settled when they left Ireland's...
are told in the LDS romance novel "The Fifth Generation" by Dale Jay Dennis, as a parable during a news commentary.
Video Games
The first part of the MMORPG Mabinogi revolves around locating Tír na nÓg in order to save the Godess Morrighan. It is later revealed that you were in Tír na nÓg from the beginning.Usnech
Finnish progressive metalProgressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
group Amorphis
Amorphis
Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band started by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other types of genres, which include heavy metal, progressive metal, and folk metal...
featured Usnech on their first album "The Karelian Isthmus" on a song "Exile Of The Sons Of Uisliu"