Tag: Mythology

Faoladh | Werewolves of Ireland

27/09/2023.Reading time less than 1 minute.

The Irish werewolf is different from the Teutonic or European werewolf, as it is really not a “monster” at all. Unlike its continental cousins, this shapeshifter is the guardian and protector of children, wounded men and lost persons. According to some ancient sources, the Irish werewolves were even recruited by kings in time of war. […]

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Clocha na hÉireann (Stones of Ireland), Glencolmcille, Co Donegal

16/08/2023.Reading time less than 1 minute.

The project was a collaborative 1916 commemoration work between stone masons from every county in Ireland. Each stone mason was asked to carve their native county using natural stone of that region. Carvings included everything from county emblems to representations of local mythology, geographical features, architecture and history.

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The Legend of Cú Chulainn

30/03/2023.Reading time 34 minutes.

There are a number of versions of the story of Cú Chulainn’s birth. In the earliest version of Compert C(h)on Culainn (The Conception of Cú Chulainn), his mother Deichtine is the daughter and charioteer of Conchobar mac Nessa, king of Ulster, and accompanies him as he and the nobles of Ulster hunt a flock of […]

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Celts | Becoming a Seer

03/02/2023.Reading time 1 minute.

The gift of the ‘sight’ was highly valued by the Celts. But this gift could cause the possessor great sorrow, especially if he or she foresaw the death of someone close to them. On the other hand, the seer might be able to avert catastrophe after receiving a premonition of danger. The most famous see […]

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Rathcroghan | Tulsk, Co Roscommon

26/01/2023.Reading time 3 minutes.

Rathcroghan, Cruachan Aí, is known as the Ancient Capital of Connacht, where the festival of Samhain (Halloween) is said to originate. This majestic landscape is the oldest and largest unexcavated Royal Site in Europe.  The Rathcroghan landscape boasts over 240 identified archaeological sites, spanning a staggering period of over 5,500 years of human history. It […]

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January God

14/01/2023.Reading time 2 minutes.

In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions, thence also of gates, doors, doorways, endings and time. He is usually a two-faced god since he looks to the future and the past. The Romans dedicated the month of January to Janus. His most apparent remnant in modern culture is […]

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Mistletoe, Mythology and Folklore

17/12/2022.Reading time 2 minutes.

From the earliest times mistletoe has been one of the most magical, mysterious, and sacred plants of European folklore. Kissing under the mistletoe is a well-known holiday tradition, but this little plant’s history as a symbolic herb dates back thousands of years. Many ancient cultures prized mistletoe for its healing properties. The plant’s romantic overtones […]

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The Nine Daughter’s Hole | Ballybunion, Co Kerry

16/12/2022.Reading time 2 minutes.

The Nine Daughters’ Hole is a natural, geological blowhole found on the cliffs of Ballybunion, Kerry. It is not alone in North Kerry, with others – less well known – in the area. Poulaphuca (gaelic: Poul na Púca – Hole of the Shapeshifter) in Kilconly South, some 4km/2.5mls north-northeast is larger, but not as photogenic. […]

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