Mythological Cycle
Encyclopedia
The Mythological Cycle is one of the four major cycles of Irish mythology
, and is so called because it represents the remains of the pagan
mythology
of pre-Christian Ireland
, although the gods
and supernatural beings have been euhemerised into historical kings and heroes.
The cycle consists of numerous prose tales and poems found in medieval manuscripts, as well as pseudohistorical chronicle
s such as Lebor Gabála Érenn
and the early parts of the Annals of the Four Masters
and Seathrún Céitinn's History of Ireland. The first of these works originate from 700 CE with later ones dating from 950 CE.
flood, through a series of invasions to the arrival of the Goidelic-speaking Milesians
or Gaels
. Some of these invaders probably represent genuine historical migrations; others, like the Tuatha Dé Danann
with their magical powers, are unquestionably degraded gods. The primary text of this tradition is the Lebor Gabála Érenn
("Book of Invasions of Ireland"). Elements of the tradition are expended in saga texts such as the two Battles of Mag Tuired, and in early modern compilations such as the Annals of the Four Masters
and Geoffrey Keating
's Foras Feasa ar Éireann.
, which is recorded in the Lebor Gabála Érenn
and other early texts. Cessair is said to have been a granddaughter of Noah
for whom there was no room on the Ark
. She and her followers – fifty women and three men – arrived only 40 days before the deluge and were wiped out, all except Fintan, who transformed into a salmon. Through a series of transformations he survived into historical times and told the tale of his people.
Geoffrey Keating
, in his 17th century Foras Feasa ar Éirinn ("The Basics of Knowledge on Ireland"), records several other traditions from sources now lost. A poem he found in the Saltair of Cashel said that three daughters of the Biblical Cain were the first to see Ireland. A second tradition, a variant of the Cessair legend he found in the Book of Druimm Snechta, said that the first inhabitants of Ireland were led by a woman called Banba
, who gave her name to the island. She came with a hundred and fifty women and three men, who lived there for forty years before they all died of plague, two hundred years before the flood. Another tradition he records, but does not source, is that Ireland was discovered by three fishermen from Iberia
who were washed there by a storm. They returned to Iberia, brought their wives and settled in Ireland a year before the flood, when they were drowned.
of Nineveh
, visited Ireland about a hundred and forty years after the flood, but merely plucked a fistful of grass and brought it home to show his neighbours. He also says that, according to "some of our authors", the Fomorians
, led by Cichol Gricenchos
, settled in Ireland a hundred years after the flood and lived there for two hundred years until they were defeated by Partholón
and his followers in the Battle of Mag Ithe. The Fomorians are said to have lived on "fish and fowl", and Partholón is said in the Lebor Gabála to have introduced cattle and houses to Ireland:
and his followers settled in Ireland either three hundred or three hundred and twelve years after the flood. Said to have been a descendant of Magog
, son of Japheth
, son of Noah, Partholón is said to have sailed from Greece, via Sicily, to Iberia, and from there to Ireland. He landed at Imber Scéne (Kenmare
, County Kerry
). His four oxen were the first cattle in Ireland. One of his followers, Brea, was the first to build a house, and another, Samailiath, was the first to brew ale. When they arrived there was only one plain in Ireland — Senmag, the "Old Plain", near modern Tallaght
. Four more plains were cleared during Partholón's lifetime, and seven lakes burst from the ground. He and all his followers – five thousand men and four thousand women – died of plague in a single week, with one exception – Tuan mac Cairill
, who, like Fintan, survived through a series of transformations and told the story of his people to St Finnian.
, arrived. The Lebor Gabála describes them as Greeks from Scythia
, and says they sailed with forty-four ships, but only one ship survived to reach Ireland. Four lakes burst from the ground in Nemed's time, twelve plains were cleared, and three battles won against the Fomorians. Nemed eventually died of plague, and his descendants were subjected by the Fomorian leaders Morc and Conand, who demanded two-thirds of their children, wheat and milk as tribute. Nemed's son Fergus Lethderg and grandsons Semul and Erglan led a revolt against Conand's Tower on Tory Island
, off the coast of County Donegal
, and Conand was killed, but Morc led a counter-attack. The sea rose up and drowned them all, except for one ship containing thirty warriors, who left Ireland and scattered to the four corners of the world. Fergus Lethderg's son Britan Mael became the ancestor of the Britons. Semeon went to Greece and became the ancestor of the Fir Bolg
. Bethach went to the islands of the north and became the ancestor of the Tuatha Dé Danann
.
, who first established kingship and a system of justice in Ireland. One of their kings, Rinnal
, was the first to use iron spear-points. According to a controversial theory of T. F. O'Rahilly
, they represent a genuine historical people, the Builg
or Belgae
, associated further with the Iverni
.
or "Peoples of the goddess
Danu
", descendants of Nemed, who either came to Ireland from the north on dark clouds or burnt their ships on the shore to ensure they wouldn't retreat. They defeated the Fir Bolg king, Eochaid mac Eirc
, in the first Battle of Magh Tuiredh
, but their own king, Nuada
, lost an arm in the battle. As he was no longer physically perfect he lost the kingship, and his replacement, the half-Fomorian Bres
, became the first Tuatha Dé High King of Ireland
.
Bres turned out to be a tyrant and brought the Tuatha Dé under the oppression of the Fomorians. Eventually Nuada was restored to the kingship, having had his arm replaced by a working one of silver, and the Tuatha Dé rose against the Fomorians in the second Battle of Magh Tuiredh. Nuada was killed by the Fomorian king, Balor
, but Balor met his prophesied end at the hands of his grandson, Lugh
, who became king of the Tuatha Dé.
The Tuatha Dé are said to have brought chariots and druidry to Ireland.
, descendants of Míl Espáine
, a warrior who travelled the ancient world before settling in Iberia
. Míl died without ever seeing Ireland, but his uncle Íth
saw the island from a tower and led an advance force to scout it out. The three kings of the Tuatha Dé, Mac Cuill
, Mac Cecht
and Mac Gréine
, had Íth killed. After his body was returned to Iberia, Míl's eight sons led a full-scale invasion.
After defeating the Tuatha Dé in battle at Slieve Mish, County Kerry
, the Milesians met Ériu
, Banba
and Fodla
, the wives of the three kings, each of whom asked them to name the island after her. Ériu is the origin of the modern name Éire
, and Banba and Fodla are still used as poetic names for Ireland, much as Albion
is for Great Britain
.
Mac Cuill, Mac Cecht and Mac Gréine asked for a three-day truce in which the Milesians would stay at anchor nine waves' distance from shore, and the Milesians agreed, but the druids of the Tuatha Dé conjured up a storm to drive them away. However Amergin, son of Míl, calmed the sea with his poetry. The Milesians landed and defeated the Tuatha Dé at Tailtiu
, but only three of Míl's sons, Eber Finn
, Eremon
and Amergin, survived. Amergin divided the land between his two brothers. The Tuatha Dé moved underground, into the sídhe
mounds, to be ruled by Bodb Dearg.
orders the sons of Tuireann
, as punishment for the murder of his father Cian
, to collect a series of magical objects and weapons which will be useful in the second battle of Mag Tuired against the Fomorians
.
Others are entirely independent of the invasions tradition. Tochmarc Étaíne
("The Wooing of Étaín") tells first of the conception of Aengus
through the adultery of the Dagda
and Boann
, and how Aengus won the residence of the Brú na Bóinne
from Boann's husband Elcmar
. It goes on to tell of the various lives of Étaín
, wife of Midir
, who is turned into a fly and driven away by Midir's jealous first wife Fuamnach
. She becomes the companion of Aengus in insect form before Fuamnach once again drives her away, and she is swallowed by a mortal woman and reborn as her daughter. Her beauty attracts the attention of the High King
, Eochaid Airem
, who marries her, but ultimately Midir wins her back by magic and trickery.
Another well-known mythological story is Oidheadh Chloinne Lir
("The Fate of the Children of Lir"), in which the eponymous children and turned into swans by their jealous stepmother, and live in swan form into Christian times, when they are converted, transformed back into human form, and die of extreme old age.
Irish mythology
The 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...
, and is so called because it represents the remains of the pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
of pre-Christian Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, although the gods
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
and supernatural beings have been euhemerised into historical kings and heroes.
The cycle consists of numerous prose tales and poems found in medieval manuscripts, as well as pseudohistorical chronicle
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
s such as Lebor Gabála Érenn
Lebor Gabála Érenn
Lebor Gabála Érenn is the Middle Irish title of a loose collection of poems and prose narratives recounting the mythical origins and history of the Irish from the creation of the world down to the Middle Ages...
and the early parts of the Annals of the Four Masters
Annals of the Four Masters
The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...
and Seathrún Céitinn's History of Ireland. The first of these works originate from 700 CE with later ones dating from 950 CE.
The invasions tradition
The Mythological Cycle traces the supposed history of Ireland from its earliest inhabitants before the BiblicalBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
flood, through a series of invasions to the arrival of the Goidelic-speaking Milesians
Milesians (Irish)
Milesians are a people figuring in Irish mythology. The descendants of Míl Espáine, they were the final inhabitants of Ireland, and were believed to represent the Goidelic Celts.-Myth:...
or Gaels
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
. Some of these invaders probably represent genuine historical migrations; others, like the Tuatha Dé Danann
Tuatha Dé Danann
The Tuatha Dé Danann are a race of people in Irish mythology. In the invasions tradition which begins with the Lebor Gabála Érenn, they are the fifth group to settle Ireland, conquering the island from the Fir Bolg....
with their magical powers, are unquestionably degraded gods. The primary text of this tradition is the Lebor Gabála Érenn
Lebor Gabála Érenn
Lebor Gabála Érenn is the Middle Irish title of a loose collection of poems and prose narratives recounting the mythical origins and history of the Irish from the creation of the world down to the Middle Ages...
("Book of Invasions of Ireland"). Elements of the tradition are expended in saga texts such as the two Battles of Mag Tuired, and in early modern compilations such as the Annals of the Four Masters
Annals of the Four Masters
The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...
and Geoffrey Keating
Geoffrey Keating
Seathrún Céitinn, known in English as Geoffrey Keating, was a 17th century Irish Roman Catholic priest, poet and historian. He was born in County Tipperary c. 1569, and died c. 1644...
's Foras Feasa ar Éireann.
Before the flood
A number of traditions have been preserved about the earliest inhabitants of Ireland. The best known tradition is that of CessairCessair
In Irish mythology, Cessair was, according to the Book of Invasions, leader of the first inhabitants of Ireland before the Biblical Flood....
, which is recorded in the Lebor Gabála Érenn
Lebor Gabála Érenn
Lebor Gabála Érenn is the Middle Irish title of a loose collection of poems and prose narratives recounting the mythical origins and history of the Irish from the creation of the world down to the Middle Ages...
and other early texts. Cessair is said to have been a granddaughter of Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
for whom there was no room on the Ark
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
. She and her followers – fifty women and three men – arrived only 40 days before the deluge and were wiped out, all except Fintan, who transformed into a salmon. Through a series of transformations he survived into historical times and told the tale of his people.
Geoffrey Keating
Geoffrey Keating
Seathrún Céitinn, known in English as Geoffrey Keating, was a 17th century Irish Roman Catholic priest, poet and historian. He was born in County Tipperary c. 1569, and died c. 1644...
, in his 17th century Foras Feasa ar Éirinn ("The Basics of Knowledge on Ireland"), records several other traditions from sources now lost. A poem he found in the Saltair of Cashel said that three daughters of the Biblical Cain were the first to see Ireland. A second tradition, a variant of the Cessair legend he found in the Book of Druimm Snechta, said that the first inhabitants of Ireland were led by a woman called Banba
Banba
In Irish mythology, Banba daughter of Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, is the patron goddess of Ireland....
, who gave her name to the island. She came with a hundred and fifty women and three men, who lived there for forty years before they all died of plague, two hundred years before the flood. Another tradition he records, but does not source, is that Ireland was discovered by three fishermen from Iberia
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
who were washed there by a storm. They returned to Iberia, brought their wives and settled in Ireland a year before the flood, when they were drowned.
After the flood
Although the Lebor Gabála says Ireland was empty of inhabitants for three hundred years after the flood, Keating records two contrary traditions. A poem from the Saltair of Cashel said that a young man called Adna, son of Bíth, a relative of NinusNinus
Ninus , according to Greek historians writing in the Hellenistic period and later, was accepted as the eponymous founder of Nineveh , Ancient capital of Assyria, although he does not seem to represent any one personage known to modern history, and is more likely a conflation of several real and/or...
of Nineveh
Nineveh
Nineveh was an ancient Assyrian city on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, and capital of the Neo Assyrian Empire. Its ruins are across the river from the modern-day major city of Mosul, in the Ninawa Governorate of Iraq....
, visited Ireland about a hundred and forty years after the flood, but merely plucked a fistful of grass and brought it home to show his neighbours. He also says that, according to "some of our authors", the Fomorians
Fomorians
In Irish mythology, the Fomoire are a semi-divine race said to have inhabited Ireland in ancient times. They may have once been believed to be the beings who preceded the gods, similar to the Greek Titans. It has been suggested that they represent the gods of chaos and wild nature, as opposed to...
, led by Cichol Gricenchos
Cichol Gricenchos
In Irish mythology, is Cichol or Cíocal Gricenchos the earliest-mentioned leader of the Fomorians. His epithet, Gricenchos or Grenchos, is obscure but may mean "withered foot" or "footless"....
, settled in Ireland a hundred years after the flood and lived there for two hundred years until they were defeated by Partholón
Partholón
Partholón, in medieval Irish historical tradition, was the leader of the second group of people to settle in Ireland, supposedly first to arrive after the biblical Flood. They arrived in 2680 BC according to the chronology of the Annals of the Four Masters, 2061 BC according to Geoffrey Keating's...
and his followers in the Battle of Mag Ithe. The Fomorians are said to have lived on "fish and fowl", and Partholón is said in the Lebor Gabála to have introduced cattle and houses to Ireland:
Partholón
According to the Lebor Gabála, PartholónPartholón
Partholón, in medieval Irish historical tradition, was the leader of the second group of people to settle in Ireland, supposedly first to arrive after the biblical Flood. They arrived in 2680 BC according to the chronology of the Annals of the Four Masters, 2061 BC according to Geoffrey Keating's...
and his followers settled in Ireland either three hundred or three hundred and twelve years after the flood. Said to have been a descendant of Magog
Magog (Bible)
Magog, Hebrew מגוג, Greek Μαγωγ, [ ma'gog ], is the second of the seven sons of Japheth mentioned in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10. It may represent Hebrew for "from Gog", though this is far from certain....
, son of Japheth
Japheth
Japheth is one of the sons of Noah in the Abrahamic tradition...
, son of Noah, Partholón is said to have sailed from Greece, via Sicily, to Iberia, and from there to Ireland. He landed at Imber Scéne (Kenmare
Kenmare
Kenmare is a small town in the south of County Kerry, Ireland. The name Kenmare is the anglicised form of Ceann Mara meaning "head of the sea", referring to the head of Kenmare Bay.-Location:...
, County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
). His four oxen were the first cattle in Ireland. One of his followers, Brea, was the first to build a house, and another, Samailiath, was the first to brew ale. When they arrived there was only one plain in Ireland — Senmag, the "Old Plain", near modern Tallaght
Tallaght
Tallaght is the largest town, and county town, of South Dublin County, Ireland. The village area, dating from at least the 17th century, held one of the earliest settlements known in the southern part of the island, and one of medieval Ireland's more important monastic centres.Up to the 1960s...
. Four more plains were cleared during Partholón's lifetime, and seven lakes burst from the ground. He and all his followers – five thousand men and four thousand women – died of plague in a single week, with one exception – Tuan mac Cairill
Tuan mac Cairill
In Irish mythology Tuan mac Cairill was a follower of Partholon who alone survived the plague that killed the rest of his people. Through a series of animal transformations he survived into Christian times, and told the story of his people to St. Finnian....
, who, like Fintan, survived through a series of transformations and told the story of his people to St Finnian.
Nemed and his followers
Thirty years later another group, led by NemedNemed
Nemed , meaning "holy" or "privileged" is a figure of Irish mythology who features in The Book of Invasions...
, arrived. The Lebor Gabála describes them as Greeks from Scythia
Scythia
In antiquity, Scythian or Scyths were terms used by the Greeks to refer to certain Iranian groups of horse-riding nomadic pastoralists who dwelt on the Pontic-Caspian steppe...
, and says they sailed with forty-four ships, but only one ship survived to reach Ireland. Four lakes burst from the ground in Nemed's time, twelve plains were cleared, and three battles won against the Fomorians. Nemed eventually died of plague, and his descendants were subjected by the Fomorian leaders Morc and Conand, who demanded two-thirds of their children, wheat and milk as tribute. Nemed's son Fergus Lethderg and grandsons Semul and Erglan led a revolt against Conand's Tower on Tory Island
Tory Island
Toraigh is an inhabited island 14.5 km off the northwest coast of County Donegal, Ireland. It is also known in Irish as Oileán Thoraigh, Oileán Thoraí or Oileán Thúr Rí.-Language:The main spoken language on the island is Irish, but English is also understood...
, off the coast of County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, and Conand was killed, but Morc led a counter-attack. The sea rose up and drowned them all, except for one ship containing thirty warriors, who left Ireland and scattered to the four corners of the world. Fergus Lethderg's son Britan Mael became the ancestor of the Britons. Semeon went to Greece and became the ancestor of the Fir Bolg
Fir Bolg
In 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:...
. Bethach went to the islands of the north and became the ancestor of the Tuatha Dé Danann
Tuatha Dé Danann
The Tuatha Dé Danann are a race of people in Irish mythology. In the invasions tradition which begins with the Lebor Gabála Érenn, they are the fifth group to settle Ireland, conquering the island from the Fir Bolg....
.
Fir Bolg
The next invaders were the Fir BolgFir Bolg
In 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:...
, who first established kingship and a system of justice in Ireland. One of their kings, Rinnal
Rinnal
In Irish mythology, Rinnal son of Genann of the Fir Bolg became High King of Ireland when he overthrew Fiacha Cennfinnán. He is said to have been the first king in Ireland to use spearheads In Irish mythology, Rinnal (Rindal, Rionnal, Rinnan) son of Genann of the Fir Bolg became High King of...
, was the first to use iron spear-points. According to a controversial theory of T. F. O'Rahilly
T. F. O'Rahilly
Thomas Francis O'Rahilly was an Irish scholar of the Celtic languages, particularly in the fields of Historical linguistics and Irish dialects. He was a member of the Royal Irish Academy.-Biography:He was born in Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland...
, they represent a genuine historical people, the Builg
Builg
Builg is the name given to an ancient people who may have lived in southern Ireland, around the modern city of Cork.According to the historical scheme proposed by T. F. O'Rahilly the Builg are identical with or a sub-group of the Érainn or Iverni, who arrived in Ireland ca 500 BC and are attested...
or Belgae
Belgae
The Belgae were a group of tribes living in northern Gaul, on the west bank of the Rhine, in the 3rd century BC, and later also in Britain, and possibly even Ireland...
, associated further with the Iverni
Iverni
The Iverni were a people of early Ireland first mentioned in Ptolemy's 2nd century Geography as living in the extreme south-west of the island. He also locates a "city" called Ivernis in their territory, and observes that this settlement has the same name as the island as a whole, Ivernia...
.
Tuatha Dé Danann
The Fir Bolg were displaced by the Tuatha Dé DanannTuatha Dé Danann
The Tuatha Dé Danann are a race of people in Irish mythology. In the invasions tradition which begins with the Lebor Gabála Érenn, they are the fifth group to settle Ireland, conquering the island from the Fir Bolg....
or "Peoples of the goddess
Goddess
A goddess is a female deity. In some cultures goddesses are associated with Earth, motherhood, love, and the household. In other cultures, goddesses also rule over war, death, and destruction as well as healing....
Danu
Danu (Irish goddess)
In Irish mythology, Danu is the mother goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann . Though primarily seen as an ancestral figure, some Victorian sources also associate her with the land.-Name:...
", descendants of Nemed, who either came to Ireland from the north on dark clouds or burnt their ships on the shore to ensure they wouldn't retreat. They defeated the Fir Bolg king, Eochaid mac Eirc
Eochaid mac Eirc
In Irish mythology Eochaid , son of Erc, son of Rinnal, of the Fir Bolg became High King of Ireland when he overthrew Fodbgen. He was the first king to establish a system of justice in Ireland. No rain fell during his reign, only dew, and there was a harvest every year.His wife was Teia Tephi...
, in the first Battle of Magh Tuiredh
Magh Tuiredh
Cath Maige Tuired , meaning "The Battle of Magh Tuireadh", is the name of two saga texts of the Mythological Cycle of Irish mythology. The name Mag Tuired means "plain of pillars" or "plain of towers", and is anglicised as Moytura or Moytirra...
, but their own king, Nuada
Nuada
In Irish mythology, Nuada or Nuadu , known by the epithet Airgetlám , was the first king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. He is cognate with the Gaulish and British god Nodens...
, lost an arm in the battle. As he was no longer physically perfect he lost the kingship, and his replacement, the half-Fomorian Bres
Bres
In Irish mythology, Bres was a king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. His parents were Prince Elatha of the Fomorians and Eri, daughter of Delbaith. He was an unpopular king, and favoured his Fomorian kin...
, became the first Tuatha Dé High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland
The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
.
Bres turned out to be a tyrant and brought the Tuatha Dé under the oppression of the Fomorians. Eventually Nuada was restored to the kingship, having had his arm replaced by a working one of silver, and the Tuatha Dé rose against the Fomorians in the second Battle of Magh Tuiredh. Nuada was killed by the Fomorian king, Balor
Balor
In Irish mythology, Balor of the Evil Eye was a king of the Fomorians, a race of giants. His father was Buarainech and his wife was Cethlenn...
, but Balor met his prophesied end at the hands of his grandson, Lugh
Lugh
Lug 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...
, who became king of the Tuatha Dé.
The Tuatha Dé are said to have brought chariots and druidry to Ireland.
The Sons of Míl
The Tuatha Dé Danann were themselves displaced by the MilesiansMilesians (Irish)
Milesians are a people figuring in Irish mythology. The descendants of Míl Espáine, they were the final inhabitants of Ireland, and were believed to represent the Goidelic Celts.-Myth:...
, descendants of Míl Espáine
Míl Espáine
In Irish origin legends, Míl Espáine or Míl Espáne is the ancestor of the final inhabitants of Ireland, the "sons of Míl" or Milesians, who represent the vast majority of the Irish Gaels....
, a warrior who travelled the ancient world before settling in Iberia
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
. Míl died without ever seeing Ireland, but his uncle Íth
Ith
The Ith is a ridge in Germany's Central Uplands which is up to high. It lies about 40 km southwest of Hanover and, at 22 kilometres, is the longest line of crags in North Germany.- Geography :- Location :...
saw the island from a tower and led an advance force to scout it out. The three kings of the Tuatha Dé, Mac Cuill
Mac Cuill
In Irish mythology, Mac Cuill of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was a son of Cermait, son of the Dagda. Mac Cuill's given name was Éthur and he was named Mac Cuill after his god, Coll, the hazel. His wife was Banba....
, Mac Cecht
Mac Cecht
In Irish mythology, Mac Cecht of the Tuatha Dé Danann was a son of Cermait, son of the Dagda. Mac Cecht's given name was Téthur and he was named Mac Cecht after his god, Cecht, the ploughshare. His wife was Fodla....
and Mac Gréine
Mac Gréine
In Irish mythology, Mac Gréine of the Tuatha Dé Danann was a son of Cermait, son of the Dagda. Mac Gréine's given name was Céthur and was named Mac Gréine after his god, Grian, the sun. Mac Gréine is Irish for "Son of the Sun". His wife was Ériu....
, had Íth killed. After his body was returned to Iberia, Míl's eight sons led a full-scale invasion.
After defeating the Tuatha Dé in battle at Slieve Mish, County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
, the Milesians met Ériu
Ériu
In Irish mythology, Ériu , daughter of Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was the eponymous matron goddess of Ireland. Her husband was Mac Gréine ....
, Banba
Banba
In Irish mythology, Banba daughter of Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, is the patron goddess of Ireland....
and Fodla
Fódla
In Irish mythology, Fódla or Fótla , daughter of Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was one of the tutelary goddesses of Ireland. Her husband was Mac Cecht....
, the wives of the three kings, each of whom asked them to name the island after her. Ériu is the origin of the modern name Éire
Éire
is the Irish name for the island of Ireland and the sovereign state of the same name.- Etymology :The modern Irish Éire evolved from the Old Irish word Ériu, which was the name of a Gaelic goddess. Ériu is generally believed to have been the matron goddess of Ireland, a goddess of sovereignty, or...
, and Banba and Fodla are still used as poetic names for Ireland, much as Albion
Albion
Albion is the oldest known name of the island of Great Britain. Today, it is still sometimes used poetically to refer to the island or England in particular. It is also the basis of the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland, Alba...
is for Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
Mac Cuill, Mac Cecht and Mac Gréine asked for a three-day truce in which the Milesians would stay at anchor nine waves' distance from shore, and the Milesians agreed, but the druids of the Tuatha Dé conjured up a storm to drive them away. However Amergin, son of Míl, calmed the sea with his poetry. The Milesians landed and defeated the Tuatha Dé at Tailtiu
Tailtiu
Tailtiu or Tailltiu is the name of a presumed goddess from Irish mythology. Telltown in County Meath, was named for her.-In Irish mythology:...
, but only three of Míl's sons, Eber Finn
Eber Finn
Éber Finn , son of Míl Espáine, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland and one of the founders of the Milesian lineage, to which medieval genealogists traced all the important Gaelic royal lines.According to the Lebor Gabála Érenn, the ancestors of...
, Eremon
Eremon
Érimón, son of Míl Espáine, according to medieval Irish legends and historical traditions, was one of the chieftains who took part in the Milesian invasion of Ireland, which conquered the island from the Tuatha Dé Danann, and one of the first Milesian High Kings.Before coming to Ireland, he and...
and Amergin, survived. Amergin divided the land between his two brothers. The Tuatha Dé moved underground, into the sídhe
Sídhe
The aos sí are a supernatural race in Irish mythology and Scottish mythology are comparable to the fairies or elves. They are said to live underground in the fairy mounds, across the western sea, or in an invisible world that coexists with the world of humans...
mounds, to be ruled by Bodb Dearg.
Dindshenchas
Another source of mythological tradition is the dindsenchas or "lore of places", poems and prose tales recounting traditions of the origins of place-names and events and personages associated with those places.Saga texts
A number of saga texts of the Mythological Cycle survive. Some, such as the two Battles of Mag Tuired, are part of the invasions tradition. Others are tangential to it: for example, Oidheadh Chloinne Tuireann ("The Fate of the Children of Tuireann") tells how LughLugh
Lug 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...
orders the sons of Tuireann
Tuireann
In Irish mythology, Tuireann was the father of Creidhne, Luchtaine and Giobhniu by Brigid.His other sons, by his daughter Danand, included Brian, Iuchar and Iucharba, who killed Lugh's father Cian...
, as punishment for the murder of his father Cian
Cian
In Irish mythology, Cían , son of Dian Cecht of the Tuatha Dé Danann, is best known as the father of Lug by the Fomorian princess Ethniu.He was born with a caul on his head, and was turned into a pig as a boy when struck by a druid's wand. Thereafter he could transform into a pig at will...
, to collect a series of magical objects and weapons which will be useful in the second battle of Mag Tuired against the Fomorians
Fomorians
In Irish mythology, the Fomoire are a semi-divine race said to have inhabited Ireland in ancient times. They may have once been believed to be the beings who preceded the gods, similar to the Greek Titans. It has been suggested that they represent the gods of chaos and wild nature, as opposed to...
.
Others are entirely independent of the invasions tradition. Tochmarc Étaíne
Tochmarc Étaíne
Tochmarc Étaíne , meaning "The Wooing of Étaín", is an early text of the Irish Mythological Cycle, and also features characters from the Ulster Cycle and the Cycles of the Kings. It is partially preserved in the manuscript known as the Lebor na hUidre , and completely preserved in the Yellow Book...
("The Wooing of Étaín") tells first of the conception of Aengus
Aengus
In Irish mythology, Óengus , Áengus , or Aengus or Aonghus , is a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann and probably a god of love, youth and poetic inspiration...
through the adultery of the Dagda
Dagda
The Dagda is an important god of Irish mythology.Dagda can also refer to:*Dagda, Latvia, a city in eastern Latvia*Dagda , an Irish New Age band...
and Boann
Boann
Boann or Boand is the Irish mythology goddess of the River Boyne, a river in Leinster, Ireland. According to the Lebor Gabála Érenn she was the daughter of Delbáeth, son of Elada, of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Her husband is variously Nechtan, Elcmar or Nuada. Her lover is the Dagda, by whom she had...
, and how Aengus won the residence of the Brú na Bóinne
Brú na Bóinne
is a World Heritage Site in County Meath, Ireland and is the largest and one of the most important prehistoric megalithic sites in Europe.-The site:...
from Boann's husband Elcmar
Elcmar
In Irish mythology, Elcmar or Ecmar was the husband of Boann and belonged to the semi-divine race the Tuatha de Danann, the people of Danu. It has been suggested that he is Nuada under another name, or that his name is an epithet for Nechtan the river god...
. It goes on to tell of the various lives of Étaín
Étaín
Étaín is a figure of Irish mythology, best known as the heroine of Tochmarc Étaíne , one of the oldest and richest stories of the Mythological Cycle. She also figures in the Middle Irish Togail Bruidne Dá Derga . T. F...
, wife of Midir
Midir
In the Mythological Cycle of early Irish literature, Midir or Midhir was a son of the Dagda of the Tuatha Dé Danann. After the Tuatha Dé were defeated by the Milesians, he lived in the sidh of Brí Léith...
, who is turned into a fly and driven away by Midir's jealous first wife Fuamnach
Fuamnach
Fúamnach, or Fuamnach, is Midir's first wife and a witch of the Tuatha Dé Danann in the medieval Irish text Tochmarc Étaíne . The text describes her as being intelligent , cunning and "versed in the knowledge and power of the Túatha Dé Danand", explaining that her fosterfather had been the wizard...
. She becomes the companion of Aengus in insect form before Fuamnach once again drives her away, and she is swallowed by a mortal woman and reborn as her daughter. Her beauty attracts the attention of the High King
High King of Ireland
The High Kings of Ireland were sometimes historical and sometimes legendary figures who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over the whole of Ireland. Medieval and early modern Irish literature portrays an almost unbroken sequence of High Kings, ruling from Tara over a hierarchy of...
, Eochaid Airem
Eochaid Airem
Eochu Airem , son of Finn, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. He succeeded to the throne after the death of his brother, Eochu Feidlech, and ruled for twelve or fifteen years, until he was burned to death in Fremain by Sigmall Sithienta. He was...
, who marries her, but ultimately Midir wins her back by magic and trickery.
Another well-known mythological story is Oidheadh Chloinne Lir
Children of Lir
The Children of Lir is an Irish legend. The original Irish title is Clann Lir or Leannaí Lir, but Lir is the genitive case of Lear. Lir is more often used as the name of the character in English...
("The Fate of the Children of Lir"), in which the eponymous children and turned into swans by their jealous stepmother, and live in swan form into Christian times, when they are converted, transformed back into human form, and die of extreme old age.
See also
- List of High Kings of Ireland
- Metrical Dindshenchas
- Celtic astrology