Irish Myth & Legend
Irish history is
rich in myth and legend.
Many of the myths and lore centres on the patron-saints of the various
localities .
The saints, historical personages from the early centuries of Irish
Christianity, are portrayed in legend as miracle workers who used
their sacred power to banish monsters, cure illnesses, and
provide food for the people in time of need.
Ireland is famous for its fairy lore , which also contains vestiges of
prechristian tradition. The fairies are known in Irish as the people of
the sí (pronounced she), a word which originally designated a
mound or tumulus, and the Irish fairies can be connected with early
Celtic beliefs of how the dead live on as a dazzling community in their
burial chambers.
Here are some Irish myths and legends...
The children of Lir
Long ago there was a king in Ireland called Lir who
was the father of four beautiful children, a son, a daughter and twin
sons. Their mother (daughter of the High King of Ireland) died when
they were still young and needing loving care. And so it came about
that King Lir, who dearly loved his four children and wanted them to
have a new mother, married his wife's sister, Aoife, and gave them into
her charge. But Aoife, seeing King Lir playing with the
chidren and giving them so much of his time, became jealous of them and
thought how she might have her King all to herself and the children out
of the way. One night she secretly bargained with a druid for the use
of his magic wand and made her plans while the children were
asleep. Next morning,when they woke to a beautiful summer's
day, Aoife had perfected her plan. "Come with me," she said to the
children, "Today I am going to take you to the lake and when the sun
gets hot you can all go into the cool water for a swim." When noonday
came and the sun was at it's height in the sky Aoife saw a dark cloud
coming from the North and, fearing her plan would be spoiled, shouted
"Quickly now, into the water with you all!" Then using the druid's
magic wand Aoife cast a spell on the four children, turning them one by
one into swans. The great dark cloud from the North turned black, shut
out the sun, burst into thunder and with a scream Aoife disappeared
into the cloud and was never seen again. But Aoife, with her druid's
wand, had not taken away the children's human voices; she had told them
they would be set free again from the spell in 900 years time when St.
Patrick would come to Ireland and they would hear the sound of the
first Christian bells. And so at the end of 300 years on
lake Davra, 300 years on the sea of Moyle and another 300 years on the
lake isle of Glora in Mayo, the day came when they heard the distant
sound of one of the first Christian bells to ring in Ireland. They
immediately followed the sound until they came to the house of a
Christian called Caomhog and told him what had happened to them so long
ago. They were lovingly cared for by the people of the
house and people came from far and near to see the swans who could talk
and sing. Then one day a princess sent her servants to try and steal
the swans. But just as the servants laid hands on them the time
had come for the swans to become humans again and the servants ran away
terrified. Now that the swans were again human, although
900 years old, Caomhog had them baptised and the bells rang out at
their Christening. Soon afterwards, when they had died of old age,
Caomhog dreamt on the very same night that he saw four beautiful
children - a boy, his sister and two twin brothers flying out over the
lake then straight up to heaven and he knew they really were the
children of Lir.
The Faerie Kings
Finnbheara (Finnvarr)
The great fairy king of Co. Galway in the west of Ireland is
Finnbheara (Finnvarr). Cnoc Meadha is his abode, a prominent hill west
of Tuam, on top of which is a burial mound. To the north west is Magh
Tuireadh, where the legendary battle between the Fir Bolgs and the
Tuatha De Danaans took place. There are many stories which
illustrate Finnbheara's liking for earthly women. He would often draw
young girls away to dance all night with him in his palace, but the
next morning they were always found safely asleep in bed. One
particular nobleman was not so fortunate, however. His bride was taken
one time by the fairy king. The bride's old nurse told the noble that
he must dig down into the sidhe mound, starting at the top. But during
the night the fairies of the mound filled the tunnel back in with
earth. This happened again on the second night. In despair the nobleman
turned to the old nurse again, who told him to sprinkle the earth with
salt and place a line of burning turf around the trench, as the sidhe
could not resist that. The following morning the bride was found safe
in her bed. Finnbheara is also known to love horses, and he is
usually seen riding a black horse with flaring red nostrils.
Donn
of Knockfierna
In Co. Limerick the fairy king Donn of Knockfierna is well
remembered. There is a large earthern fort on his hill and a number of
dolmens known as the 'Giants Graves'. You can see the entrance to his
fairy palace. Donn is the ancient Celtic god of the Dead who rules the
rocky islands to the south west on the Atlantic coast. Donn is also
known in Co. Fermanagh as the ancestor of the Maguires, whom he helped
in their battles. Sometimes he is seen riding on a white horse on
stormy nights, when people would exclaim: "Donn is galloping in the
clouds tonight". Donn now more closely resembles a medieval Irish
landlord than a god. He rules quite strictly but will aid his people
when needed. He is also believed to fight against rival hosts in other
counties, the winner carrying off the best potato crop for that
year. It will be noted that the fairy queens and kings are
in fact the old pagan gods and goddesses 'in disguise' who have long
been revered by the Irish. It has been said that the Celtic gods of
Ireland had long been wiped out, buried under the sway of Catholicism.
Yet anyone who has been to Ireland, or listened to her many folk tales
can see for themselves that this is very far from the reality. The old
gods live on in folk tales as the giants of the hill; the Gobhan
Saor who built all the bridges of Ireland; the Gille Decair, a clown
and trickster; the carl (serf) of the drab coat and many others. The
old deities were once worshipped throughout Ireland, however it is in
the west that they are best remembered now, the east having been more
Christianized and anglicised, and subject to more invasions. By
contrast, the west of Ireland, to which the native Irish were driven
("to heck or Connaught") has held on longer to her ancient heritage.
The Changeling
A young woman, whose name was Mary Scannell,
lived with her husband not many years ago at Castle Martyr. One day in
harvest time she went with several more to help in binding up the wheat
and left her child, which she was nursing, in a corner of the field,
quite safe, as she thought, wrapped up in her cloak. When she had
finished her work, she returned where the child was, but in place of
her own child she found a thing in the cloak that was not half the
size, and that kept up such a crying you might have heard it a mile
off: so she guessed how the case was, and, without stop or stay, away
she took it in her arms, pretending to be mighty fond of it all the
while, to a wise woman, who told her in a whisper not to give it enough
to eat, and to beat and pinch it without mercy, which Mary Scannell
did; and just in one week after to the day, when she awoke in the
morning, she found her own child lying by her side in the bed ! The
fairy that had been put in its place did not like the usage it got from
Mary Scannell, who understood how to treat it, like a sensible woman as
she was, and away it went after the week's trial, and sent her own
child back to her.
Fairies Or No Fairies
VIII
John Mulligan was as fine an old fellow as
ever threw a Carlow spur into the sides of a horse. He was, besides, as
jolly a boon companion over a jug of punch as you would meet from
Carnsore Point to Bloody Farland. And a good horse he used to ride; and
a stiffer jug of punch than his was not in nineteen baronies. May be he
stuck more to it than he ought to have done-but that is nothing
whatever to the story I am going to tell. John believed devoutly in
fairies; and an angry man was he if you doubted them. He had more fairy
stories than would make, if properly printed in a rivulet of print
running down a meadow of margin, two thick quartos for Mr. Murray, of
Albemarle street; all of which he used to tell on all occasions that he
could find listeners. Many believed his stories - many more did not
believe them - but nobody, in process of time, used to contradict the
old gentleman, for it was a pity to vex him. But he had a couple of
young neighbours who were just come down from their first vacation in
Trinity College to spend the summer months with an uncle of theirs, Mr.
Whaley, an old Cromwellian, who lived at Ballybegmullinahone, and they
were too full of logic to let the old man have his own way undisputed.
Every story he told they laughed at, and said that it was impossible -
that it was merely old woman's gabble, and other such things. When he
would insist that all his stories were derived from the most credible
sources - nay, that some of them had been told him by his own
grandmother, a very respectable old lady, but slightly affected in her
faculties, as things that came under her own knowledge - they cut the
matter short by declaring that she was in her dotage, and at the best
of times had a strong propensity to pulling a long bow.
"But," said they, "Jack Mulligan, did you ever see a fairy
yourself?"
"Never," was the reply. - Never, as I am a man of honour and
credit."
"Well, then," they answered, " until you do, do not be bothering
us with any more tales of my grandmother."
Jack was particularly nettled at this, and
took up the: cudgels for his grandmother; but the younkers were too
sharp for him, and finally he got into a passion, as people generally
do who have the worst of an argument. This evening - it was at their
uncle's, an old crony of his with whom he had dined - he bad taken a
large portion of his usual beverage, and was quite riotous. He at last
got up in a passion, ordered his horse, and, in spite of his host's
entreaties, galloped off, although he had intended to have slept there,
declaring that he would not have any thing more to do with a pair of
jackanapes puppies, who, because they had learned how to read
good-for-nothing hooks in cramp writing, and were taught by a parcel of
wiggy, red-snouted, prating prigs, ("not," added he, "however, that I
say a man may not be a good man and have a red nose,") they imagined
they knew
more than a man who had held buckle and tongue together facing the wind
of the world for five dozen years.
He rode off in a fret, and galloped as hard as
his horse Shaunbuie could powder away over the limestone. " Darn it!"
hiccupped he, " Lord pardon me for swearing! the brats had me in one
thing - I never did see a fairy; and I would give up five as good acres
as ever grew apple-potatoes to get a
glimpse of one - and, by the powers! what is that?" He looked,
and saw a gallant spectacle. His road lay by a noble demesne,
gracefully sprinkled with trees, not thickly planted as in a dark
forest, but disposed, now in clumps of five or six, now standingsingly,
towering over the plain of verdure around them, as a beautiful
promontory arising out of the sea. He had come right opposite the glory
of the wood. It was an oak, which in the oldest title-deeds of the
county, and they were at least five hundred years old, was called the
old oak of Ballinghassig. Age had hollowed its centre, but its
massy boughs still waved with their dark serrated foliage. The moon was
shining on it bright. If I were a poet, like Mr. Wordsworth, I should
tell you how the beautiful light was broken into a thousand different
fragments - and how it. filled the entire tree witth a glorious flood,
bathing every particular leaf, and showing forth every particular
bough; but, as I am not a poet, I shall go on with my story. By this
light Jack saw a, brilliant company of lovely little forms dancing
under the oak with an unsteady and rolling motion. The company was
large. Some spread out far beyond the furthest boundary of the shadow
of the oak's branches - some were seen glancing through the flashes of
light shining through its leaves - some were barely visible, nestling
under the trunk - some no doubt were entirely concealed from his
eyes. Never did man see any thing more beautiful. They were not three
inches in height, but they were white as the driven snow, and
beyond number numberless. Jack threw the bridle over his horse's
neck, and drew up to the low wall which bounded the demesne, and
leaning over it, surveyed, with infinite delight, their diversified
gambols. By looking long at them, he soon saw objects which had
not struck him at first; in particular that in the middle was a chief
of superior stature, round whom the group appeared to move. He gazed
so long that he was quite overcome with joy, and could not help
shouting out, " Bravo! little fellow," said he, well kicked and
strong." But the instant he uttered the words the night was darkened,
and the fairies vanished with the speed of lightning. " I wish," said
Jack, "I had held my tongue; but no matter now. I shall just turn
bridle about and go back to Ballybegmullinahone Castle, and beat the
young Master Whaleys, fine reasoners as they think themselves, out of
the field clean." No sooner said than done; and Jack was back again as
if upon the wings of the wind. He rapped fiercely at the door, and
called aloud for the two collegians. " Hallo!" said he, "young
Flatcaps, come down now, if you dare. Come down, if you dare, and I
shall give you oc-oc-ocular demonstration of the truth of what I was
saying."
Old Whaley put his head out of the window, and said, "Jack
Mulligan, what brings you back so soon?"
"The fairies," shouted Jack; "the fairies!" I am afraid,"
muttered the Lord of Ballybegmullinahone, " the last glass you took was
too little watered: but, no matter - come in and cool yourself over a
tumbler of punch." He came in and sat down again at table. In great
spirits he told his story ; - how he had seen thousands and tens of
thousands of fairies dancing about the old oak of Balllinghassig;
he described their beautiful dresses of shining silver; their
flat-crowned hats, glittering in the moonbeams; the princely stature
and demeanour of the central figure. He added, that he heard them
singing, and playing the most enchanting music; but this was merely
imagination. The young men laughed, but Jack held his ground. "Suppose,
said one of the lads, " we join company with you on the road, and ride
along to the place, where you saw that fine company of fairies?"
"Done!" cried Jack; "but I will not promise that you will find
them there, for I saw them scudding up in the sky like a flight of
bees, and heard their wings whizzing through the air." This, you know,
was a bounce, for Jack had heard no such thing. Off rode the three, and
came to the demesne of Oakwood. They arrived at the wall flanking the
field where stood the great oak; and the moon, by this time, having
again emerged from the clouds shone bright as when Jack had passed.
"Look there," he cried, exultingly; for the same spectacle again caught
his eyes, and he pointed to it with his horsewhip; " look, and deny if
you can. "
"Why," said one of the lads, pausing, " true it is that we do see
a company of white creatures; but
were they fairies ten time~ over, I shall go among them;" and he
dismounted to climb over the
wall. "Ah, Tom Tom;"
cried Jack, " stop, man, stop! what are you doing? The fairies - the
good people, I mean - hate to be mmeddled with. You will be pinched or
bIinded; or your horse will cast its shoe; or - look! a wilful man will
have his way. Oh! oh! he is almost at the oak - God help him! for he is
past the help of man."
By this time Tom was under the tree and burst
out laughing. "Jack," said he, "keep your prayers to yourself. Your
fairies are not bad at all. I believe they will make tolerably good
catsup."
" Catsup," said Jack, who when he found that the two
lads (for the second had followed his brother) were both laughing in
the middle of the fairies, had dismounted
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