Irish mythology

IRISH

MYTHOLOGY"Every field of Ireland contains a story, and every mountain corresponds to a legend. For legends, just follow the current of a river - and soon you will understand why the narrative is the form of

artistic expression national in Ireland ... "Nicoletta

Evangelista &

Fiamma Martinangeli

Frank Delaney

William Butler Yeats

Last Poems

The Last Storyteller

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STORYTELLING FESTIVAL

The Irish mythology is the oldest to have been written in the language of the

people. The many Irish legends are the result of ancient folk traditions rather

than myths and superstitions.

Some stories appear in written form starting from the VII century, but many

date back well over 2,000 years ago, when the Druids handed down orally

from generation to generation.

Irish tales are populated by fairies, goblins, ghosts and other supernatural

Saint BrendanLegend tells of a group of monks who, after sailing for seven years doing all sorts of meetings in order to test their faith, they found the Promised Land.

The story is in fact a Christian revision of Celtic tales about the afterlife.

Finn MacCoolThe warrior Finn MacCool is the most

famous commander of the Fianna, companies of mighty and valor men who defended Ireland from enemy

invasions.

Finn was not only strong and bold, but also seer, and

acquired great wisdom putting his thumb in his mouth and

sucking it.

Tàin Bó CuailngeThe story tells of the war between the branches of Ulster and Connaught. A

cause it was Queen Maeve of Connaught who left her husband, king of Ulster, and married Eochaid, king of Connaught, and then fall in love with the young

nephew of the latter, Aillil, who killed his uncle came to the throne at the side of the Queen .

Chlann LirOne of the saddest stories of the Irish tradition tells of King Lir. He was so fond of her four children to do their stepmother mad with jealousy and she transform them into swans.

Children of Lir sculpture, Ballycastle

Today, in Ireland, it’s still illegal to

kill a swan.

Daoine Maithe

This is the name by which Ireland will indicate collectively the members of Good People (the Little People) and that includes mainly Goblins and Fairies.

Bestiary• Banshee

• Bo men

• Clurichaun

• Daoine Sidhe

• Dukko

• Dullahan

• Each-Uisge

• Elves

• Far Darrig

• Far Gorta

• Fairy

• Goblins

• Gancanagh

• Grogach

• Leahhaunnshee

• Leprechaun

• Lunantishee

• Lurikeen

• Pooka

• Sheoques

• Sluag

• Spriggan

• Voghee Lyno

• Formorians

BansheeIn Irish Bean Sidhe, or Tattooed Woman (far shee, male).Generally good in contrast to the usual solitary elves.Perhaps she’s an elves become lonely for the pain suffered.She emits wailing at the death of a member of some

ancient Irish family.

If they are cries of triumph may

be the ghost of a person who has

suffered wrongs

Bo menGoblins who live in the swamps of County Down. torture with dangerous games the reckless who venture there.

May distance hitting in the face with a particular

quality of seaweed.

ClurichaunIn Irish Clobhair-cean.Elf plump, ruddy-faced, with a flashy belly and nose spotty. It’s 30 cm high and always has the blank stare. Very touchy.

Has revealed the secret of

fabrication of whiskey for the

hospitality received by

humans.

Daoine SidheName of the Tuatha De

Danann when the Milanese led them underground

below the fairy hill Knockma.

Their king was Finvarra.

No mortal has yet managed to beat Finvarra in a chess game.Often he kidnaps human women.

DukkoElf 50 cm high, slender,

well-proportioned and skin whitish.

His manner sliced hide a restless soul.

Returns what his archenemy, the VogheeLyno , steals, stealing

from him.

DullahanGoblin gruesome, often is seen leading a black coach named coach-a-bower pulled by headless horses. Comes roaring at your door, and if you open it a basin of blood will be thrown on your face.

It is a harbinger of death.

Each-UisgeThey are creatures similar to the Kelpie, but much more dangerous. They dwell in lakes and seas, and devour their victims after having broken into pieces, except for the liver that leave.

ElvesEntities of human appearance intermediate between gods and men. The elves are both creatures beautiful and good but also bad and grotesque.The sidhe (the people magic and blond of Celtic tradition) are what remains of the Tuatha De Danaan, the ancient gods of Ireland.

According to the myth they were taller and more beautiful than human.Normally they are immortal. They have

Far DarrigThe Far Darrig is an evil goblin with red leather who loves

chairing the nightmares of men during the hours of

sleep.

Far Gorta

Slender elf begging in the countryside, and he brings good luck to those who are generous with him.

FairySupernatural creatures with magical power, can

change and do change appearance to others. Attend all natural places

They are always ready to rush to the aid of the innocent persecuted. They can also be malignant

and vindictive.As Gnomes and Elves, they also guard incredible

riches.

The iconography of the fairytale wants winged and graceful, but there are infinite varieties of

GoblinsGenerally have black blood and red eyes gleaming at night. They are playful and often ruthless and mischievous. They don’t have magical powers but know the arcane arts.

They are friends of animals.

Formorians

They are marine creatures. In the remote

past they live on the earth, but the Tuatha de Danaan exiled them into

the sea.

Their attack ships.

GancanaghGoblin similar to

Leprechaun, but, unlike the latter, is a slacker. Always has a pipe in his

mouth.

He spends most of his time in company of shepherdesses and

Grogach

He has the size of a small child. Usually walks naked. Wide shoulders, hairy and

flexible body (he don’t have the spine).

It 'very obliging

with humans

in housework and care of

the fields.

LeahhaunnsheeBeautiful female spirit who wanders in search of the love of men. Who yields to her effusions become her slave, but rejecting her is herself to become a slave of love.

Let go to her courtship is very dangerous, her

lovers wither because she feeds their lifeblood, and

eventually they die.

LeprechaunIt’s the most popular goblin of Ireland and also the character symbol, also known as Leith Bhrogan. For him many leaves a glass of milk on the window sill.

His portrait is in all the shops and stores, and it’s his mask to open in the St. Patrick's Day parades.It’s a shoemaker and when he don’t working is

dedicated only to make jokes. Keeps many pots full of gold, which

moves continuously. To find them you

have to find the beginning of the

rainbow.It very strong

LunantisheeThe Lunantishee are a tribe of Little People that protects plum.Their job is to not allow even one

branch of these trees to be cut on the day of May 11 or 11 November. Anyone who cuts a branch of a bush in one of these days will attract bad luck.

LurikeenTiny creature that many consider a Cluricaunowandering in search of his paradise lost.

For others it is a descendant of the ancient bards that once wandering in moors singing

PookaHe is halfway between a creature and a spectral character from a story.

Crazy and cheerful, but often invents jokes

terrible, ripping the heads to play with a ball, running

across markets and kicking young women,

kidnaps children to have

Sheoques

The real Sheoques are the spirits that haunt the sacred bushes of hawthorn and green

Sometimes some person is hurt by them, but in these cases the victims were almost always deserved.

It is said that many men are left prime

and who ended up in their dark world.

Many more are those who have listened to

their fairy music until every interest

and joy has left their hearts becoming

great seers or healers or musicians

or poets; or died after a year and a

day, to live forever,

Sluag

A horde of evil spirits flying in flocks like birds. According to the Irish legends are the souls of sinners who seek to take away with them other souls. Come flying from the

west, and therefore, when someone is about to die,

you have to close the windows of the western

side of the house; in this way the soul of the

SprigganDreary, ugly and

grotesque, they are small but can swell very much.

They are the guardians of the treasures of the hills.

They are evil: rob and kidnap the children of humans, replacing them with their children.

Voghee Lyno30 cm high, is cute in appearance and almost completely bald. Body dry with a little paunch. Stroll along the streets drunk always in company and its appearance is always very nice.

It is the archenemy of Dukko

He affects the rocks and he knows how to write. Spends his days to borrow pots of gold to other goblins, and then he don’t return them, and flee from the robbed. It hides in crevices of

Tir Na Nog

Land of eternal youth, an enchanted island in the far west of the world.

Fear Gortac

Féar den chaillteanas

The Fear Gortac is a magic herb that causes an unbearable hunger in those who tramples.It can be fatal.

Who tramples it begins to roam the countryside and woods completely losing orientation.

Tuatha De DanaanThey are the fifth of the six prehistoric peoples who invaded and colonized Ireland before the Gaels. It’s believed that they are the gods worshiped by the Gaels.

Ulster

Connaught

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GlossaryDruids:priests among the Celts of Gaul and the British Isles

Tain:word that connotes an epic poem

Bestiary:In the Middle Ages it was a particular category of books, which collected brief descriptions of creatures (real and imaginary), accompanied by explanations moralizing