The History of Irish Mythology: From Ancient Belief to Living Tradition
Explore the history of Irish mythology, from ancient Celtic beliefs to folklore traditions and modern interpretations.
Myths and Legends
Myths and Legends
Fionn mac Cumhaill: Leader of the Fianna
A boy raised in hiding, a thumb burned on a magic salmon, and a hero who let the water slip through his fingers. The life and legends of Ireland’s great leader of the Fianna.
The Four Cycles of Irish Mythology
The Mythological, Ulster, Fenian and Kings cycles, the tales that belong to each, and why medieval Irish writers sorted their stories a different way.
Balor of the Evil Eye
Four men lift the lid of a giant’s eye, and an army falls helpless. Balor of the Evil Eye, the Fomorian king who could not escape his grandson.
The Otherworld in Irish Mythology: Tír na nÓg, Mag Mell, and Beyond
A woman in a boat of glass, an apple that never shrinks, and a land where nobody grows old. The Irish Otherworld, and why those who went there rarely came home.
The Fomorians: Ireland’s Enemies from the Sea
One-armed monsters, goat-headed raiders, and a golden-haired king in a silver boat. The Fomorians, the enemies the Irish gods fought, feared, and married.
The Irish Creation Myth: How Ireland Was Settled in the Book of Invasions
A flood survivor who lived as a salmon, a tower of monsters on Tory Island, and gods driven into the hills. How Irish tradition told the beginning of Ireland.
The Fir Bolg: The Men of Bags
Slaves who carried soil up Greek hillsides in leather bags, then came home to rule Ireland. The Fir Bolg, the last people to hold Ireland before the gods.
Irish Mythology: A Complete Guide to the Gods, Heroes and Otherworld
The gods, heroes and otherworld tales of early Ireland, how they were written down, and how to read them.
Irish Folklore: The Beliefs, Customs and Tales of Ireland
What people in Ireland believed, did and told one another, and how nearly all of it came to be written down.