This is wonderful, Ali. I love reading all these myths and stories, especially when I have visited so many of the places you mention. It helps me feel like I belong to this land the more I learn of these stories. In my own book I talk about my quest to locate the source of the River Bann and also the legend of Loughshannagh in the Mourne Mountains.
Sorry Kelly, why am I just seeing this comment now??? It is so poignant finding these locations in the landscape that are featured in Irish myths, isn't it? Really gives me shivers!
Oh, what a journey! I'm always a sucker for mythological meanders that weave in the geology of it all.
And I love your meditation on water. Just this week on KnotWork, Amanda Verdery brought the story of Etain and we had a wonderful discussion of what we might discover when consider the way she was transformed into a puddle of water.
The story of Etain is such a strange one. I am convinced it is an amalgamation of two different stories that have accidentally, or, for reasons best known to the scribe and long-lost to us now, deliberately conflated. The scribes tended to regularly do such things to 'improve' on the original, that's why some stories have various rescensions. The puddle of water is interesting, firstly because of the female association with water, especially rivers, but also the breaking of waters during birth, so I'm wondering if there are fertility connotations. And lastly, transforming into something 'inanimate', but was water seen as life force, energy, fertility rather than something inanimate? I shall have to go back and have a listen to this conversation. Sorry for only seeing this and responding now. I don't know how that happened. 🤷♀️
Hi Whitney! You are right, there are many similarities with Scottish lore, and also with Welsh. The surprising thing is that there is also a crossover between Celtic myth and ancient Vedic Sanskrit sacred texts, which may go back to our prehistoric shared proto indo European origins. Manchán Magan has written a book exploring this phenomenon called Brehons and Brahmins, which is due out in June, and promises to be a very interesting read! Thanks for reading! 💕
Oooh. That sounds exciting. Thanks for the heads up! I learned that about those connections when I studied with Celtic Source. It’s an online study/lecture program giving by a Welsh trad musician and former professor of Welsh myth. Welsh and Breton as languages are so different than the Irish and Scottish tongues, which are similar. I’ve never heard Manx, to my knowledge anyway. But their stories are all so similar. So much so that it’s like an Ur-story.
Haha... I had to look up what an Ur- story is! You mean like an archetype, or origin story? Well, I don't know if you've heard about intertextuality, it was a theory put forward by Julia Kristeva in the 60s that no text or narrative exists in isolation, they are all borrowed in some way, none is unique. They all inform each other and build upon each other, are in communication with each other and couldn't exist without each other. So which came first? And does it even matter? I think it's all fascinating stuff, and very relevant in terms of mythology.
Hi Jordan, welcome to Substack. I write mostly about Irish landscapes, be that natural, plant lore, mythical, or archaeological. So yes, I'm sure our interests will intersect in places. I wrote for years on aliisaacstoryteller, did you ever come across it? I wrote a post on giants in Irish mythology. I am in the process of relocating my posts from my old website over here, but I have been slow about it... producing new content has taken priority. Its good to meet you and thanks for sharing your post, it is very interesting. With so much early writing about giants in the historical record, one cant help thinking there was something in it, metaphorical if not literal. Wishing you every success with your writing!
This is wonderful, Ali. I love reading all these myths and stories, especially when I have visited so many of the places you mention. It helps me feel like I belong to this land the more I learn of these stories. In my own book I talk about my quest to locate the source of the River Bann and also the legend of Loughshannagh in the Mourne Mountains.
Sorry Kelly, why am I just seeing this comment now??? It is so poignant finding these locations in the landscape that are featured in Irish myths, isn't it? Really gives me shivers!
Oh, what a journey! I'm always a sucker for mythological meanders that weave in the geology of it all.
And I love your meditation on water. Just this week on KnotWork, Amanda Verdery brought the story of Etain and we had a wonderful discussion of what we might discover when consider the way she was transformed into a puddle of water.
The story of Etain is such a strange one. I am convinced it is an amalgamation of two different stories that have accidentally, or, for reasons best known to the scribe and long-lost to us now, deliberately conflated. The scribes tended to regularly do such things to 'improve' on the original, that's why some stories have various rescensions. The puddle of water is interesting, firstly because of the female association with water, especially rivers, but also the breaking of waters during birth, so I'm wondering if there are fertility connotations. And lastly, transforming into something 'inanimate', but was water seen as life force, energy, fertility rather than something inanimate? I shall have to go back and have a listen to this conversation. Sorry for only seeing this and responding now. I don't know how that happened. 🤷♀️
Happy Easter and thanks for the lovely photographs and informative post!
You're very welcome, Noelle, thanks for reading! 💕
It’s all so different from the Scottish Lochs, which flow to the sea. Although, there are similar legends.
Hi Whitney! You are right, there are many similarities with Scottish lore, and also with Welsh. The surprising thing is that there is also a crossover between Celtic myth and ancient Vedic Sanskrit sacred texts, which may go back to our prehistoric shared proto indo European origins. Manchán Magan has written a book exploring this phenomenon called Brehons and Brahmins, which is due out in June, and promises to be a very interesting read! Thanks for reading! 💕
Oooh. That sounds exciting. Thanks for the heads up! I learned that about those connections when I studied with Celtic Source. It’s an online study/lecture program giving by a Welsh trad musician and former professor of Welsh myth. Welsh and Breton as languages are so different than the Irish and Scottish tongues, which are similar. I’ve never heard Manx, to my knowledge anyway. But their stories are all so similar. So much so that it’s like an Ur-story.
Haha... I had to look up what an Ur- story is! You mean like an archetype, or origin story? Well, I don't know if you've heard about intertextuality, it was a theory put forward by Julia Kristeva in the 60s that no text or narrative exists in isolation, they are all borrowed in some way, none is unique. They all inform each other and build upon each other, are in communication with each other and couldn't exist without each other. So which came first? And does it even matter? I think it's all fascinating stuff, and very relevant in terms of mythology.
Hi Jordan, welcome to Substack. I write mostly about Irish landscapes, be that natural, plant lore, mythical, or archaeological. So yes, I'm sure our interests will intersect in places. I wrote for years on aliisaacstoryteller, did you ever come across it? I wrote a post on giants in Irish mythology. I am in the process of relocating my posts from my old website over here, but I have been slow about it... producing new content has taken priority. Its good to meet you and thanks for sharing your post, it is very interesting. With so much early writing about giants in the historical record, one cant help thinking there was something in it, metaphorical if not literal. Wishing you every success with your writing!