My Writings. My Thoughts.
“MYTH AND MODERNITY” SERIES Saturday 15th May, 2010
// May 11th, 2010 // No Comments » // General, Irish Myths, Uncategorized, Workshop
This week we will be exploring the relevance of the Battle of Maigh Tuireadh, with particular focus on the leadership of Lugh. We will pull out some of the main principles of leadership and apply them to modern Irish leaders, as well as looking at them with reference to modern film.
BATTLE OF MAIGH TUIREADH
Ireland was ruled for thirty-seven years by the Fir Bolg, and they prospered. One night, however, their king Eochaidh Mac Eirc had a dream in which he saw a great flock of birds coming from the ocean, and his poet explained to him that this was a fleet of ships carrying a thousand magical heroes. Soon such a fleet arrived, and the warriors came ashore, burned their ships, and encamped on a mountain in Connacht. The Fir Bolg sent the greatest of their own warriors, called Sreang, to parley with them, and the strangers said that they were relatives of theirs, called Tuatha Dé Danann. They had come from the northern world, and their king was Nuadhu. They proposed that Ireland should be shared by the two peoples, but the assembly of the Fir Bolg at Tara refused this. The result was a great battle fought at Maigh Tuireadh (‘the plain of the pillars’) near Cong in County Mayo. King Eochaidh of the Fir Bolg was slain, but Sreang with a sword-stroke severed the right arm of Nuadhu. The tide of battle went against the Fir Bolg, and Nuadhu agreed a treaty with Sreang which allowed the west of Ireland to the Fir Bolg, while the Tuatha Dé took the rest.
The Tuatha Dé were a magnificent people, with skilled artists and tradesmen, and many wizards to plan their future for them. However, it was not long before they were troubled by a group of pirates called the Fomhóire, who commenced raiding the country. Since Nuadhu was blemished, it was considered unlucky for him to rule, and the Tuatha Dé sought to achieve harmony with the Fomhóire by appointing as their ruler Breas, a warrior whose father was of the Fomhóire and whose mother was of the Tuatha Dé. After seven years in power, Breas proved himself so selfish and high-handed that the people were alienated from him. Moreover, the Fomhóire began to impose heavy taxes and, groaning under the oppression, the Tuatha Dé decided to rebel. They deposed Breas, and in retaliation the Fomhóire sent a huge fleet of ships to attack Ireland, led by their fierce chief Balar, who had an evil eye in his forehead. This eye destroyed all on which it looked.
The great physician of the Tuatha Dé, Dian Céacht replaced Nuadhu’s severed limb with a mobile silver arm, and Nuadhu reassumed the kingship. He held a great assembly and banquet at Tara, at which preparations were made for the inevitable trial of strength with the Fomhóire. During the proceedings, a handsome young stranger arrived and demanded entry. This was Lugh, whose father Cian was of the Tuatha Dé but whose mother Eithne was a daughter of Balar. Lugh was admitted because he was the master of all arts and, impressed by his stupendous skills, Nuadhu decided to make him commander of the forces for thirteen days. Lugh then delegated functions to the warriors, and to all the various craftsmen and magicians. For his part, the old father-figure of the Tuatha Dé, called ‘the Daghdha’, enlisted the help of the magical mother-goddess, the Mór-Ríoghain, and then went to the Fomhóire camp to try to forestall hostilities, but he was mocked and humiliated there.
Again the battle-site was a place called Maigh Tuireadh, but this was the great rock-filled plain east of Lough Arrow in County Leitrim. The two great armies advanced across the plain and met each other with a great shock. There was a great tumult of banging shields and of shouting men, and the slaughter was atrocious on both sides. In the hand-to-hand fighting, warriors were tripping over bodies and slipping and falling in the torrent of blood. Shoving aside his bodyguards, Lugh rushed to the forefront of the Tuatha Dé, and began to dance in a circle on one leg, while he chanted a magical spell. The special cover was being removed from the eye of Balar, and that tyrant was ready to turn his withering glance on the Tuatha Dé. Lugh immediately threw a stone from his sling and drove the eye to the back of Balar’s head, so that it was looking on the Fomhóire host. The Fomhóire were weakened, and they took to flight towards the sea.
The Daghdha recovered all the cattle which the Fomhóire had seized as tribute in Ireland, and the Mór-Ríoghain announced the great victory on hill-tops in all parts of the country.
TRIBES AT WAR
// April 2nd, 2010 // No Comments » // General, General Blog
Having watched Pat Kenny’s “The Front Line” last Monday night, it seems that it might be fair to conclude that the “Tribes are at War”. Well, a verbal war, but a war nonetheless.
It is a war where each side has a particular verbal ‘weaponry’.
One, the public tribe, draws on quite specific, personal story as its means of engagement. The stories are invariably tragic, “my dead mother/father” and the storyteller very understandably emotional. As communication, it largely works. There is no response to these stories but sympathy. The other tribe, the management, draw on an abstracted generalised form of discourse, to do with performance, the system, and well, management. Response here is difficult, especially without access or inclination to the facts and figures. As communication, in that forum, it largely doesn’t work.
Anger, hurt, (even) hatred and rage at war with fact, system, figure and process. The weapons are thrown. Most seem to miss the target. Neither side can use the means of discourse of the other. And so it goes on and on and on. It is easy to feel sorry for the sufferers. It is less easy to feel sorry for the management. But they look like really pleasant honest folk! Continue Reading
PARTICIPATE ONLINE
// March 26th, 2010 // No Comments » // Uncategorized
Myth and Modernity
As you may or may not know we are starting our exploration into Irish Myths and Leadership on saturday the 27/03/10 in Belvedere House, Mullingar. We know a lot of people are interested in getting involved but can’t make it to the course so we have decided to start up a discussion Forum on the site where we can discuss the main findings from the Workshop. We would be very grateful if you got involved.
All you have to do is click on ‘register’ on the right hand side and put in your information, we would then ask you to read or listen to the story of Conaire Mor under the heading Workshop and would ask you to get involved in the Forum section of the website.
If you are interested in attending the course please check the post below for dates.
Contributions
We intend to cover the cost for running this initiative. Any contributions to Bard Mythologies would be greatly appreciated. We would suggest a donation of 50 euro but any contributions would be appreciated. Looking forward to having you involved.
Thanks and best wishes,
The Bard Team
MYTH AND MODERNITY “The Myths we Live By”
// March 26th, 2010 // No Comments » // Events, Uncategorized
Starting Saturday 26/03/10 in Belvedere House, Mullingar
What is the Project?
This is an opportunity to explore myth and it’s relevance to the modern world, looking initially at the matter of ‘leadership’ or in mythic language, ‘kingship’. The proposal offers an opportunity to work within a group context, exploring a series of the important myths of the rich and unique Irish Tradition. Specifically we will look at Irish Leadership Myths and the stories of Lugh and Balor, Cormac Mac Airt and Conaire ,mythical king of Tara, over four Saturdays. This will be done within the context of a research study within UCD Folklore Department on ‘Myth and Modernity’; the relevance of myth to the modern world, and understanding the mythic roots of modernity. Two big questions will be explored:
• What is the leadership wisdom encoded in the myths?
• How has this wisdom been in evidence in modern Ireland or not as the case may well be? Later in the year we will work with Irish Wisdom Mythology and Irish Martial Mythology
MYTH AND MODERNITY “The Myths we Live By” – an exploration of the Irish Myths and their continued relevance to modern life
// March 11th, 2010 // No Comments » // Events, General, Uncategorized
An Opportunity
This is an opportunity to explore myth and it’s relevance to the modern world, looking initially at the matter of ‘leadership’ or in mythic language, ‘kingship’. What is proposed here is an opportunity to work within a group context to explore a series of the important myths of the rich and unique Irish Tradition. Specifically we will look over four Saturdays at Irish Leadership Myths and the stories of Lugh and Balor, Cormac mac Airt and Conaire, mythical king of Tara. This is within a context of a research study within UCD Folklore Department on ‘Myth and Modernity’, the relevance of myth to the modern world, and understanding the mythic roots of modernity. What we will look at is what is the leadership wisdom encoded in the myths and how has this wisdom been in evidence in modern Ireland or not as the case may well be. Later in the year we will work with Irish Wisdom Mythology and Irish Martial Mythology
Who might be interested.
Anyone interested in the Irish myths and specifically re-connecting, re-working and perhaps ‘harrowing’ the myths as a way of understanding and making sense of the modern world and all the turbulence and change. Also anyone interested in leadership and social issues might find the series of interest. Continue Reading
MYTHS OF THE DIVINE – FROM PAGAN TO CELTIC CULTURE
// November 24th, 2009 // No Comments » // Events
The final Bard Mythologies Nine Waves workshop will be taking place on Saturday 28th November 2009 in Belvedere House, Mullingar. You are very welcome to attend even if you have not been able to make any of the other weekend workshops.
This weekend’s theme is MYTHS OF THE DIVINE: From Pagan to Celtic Culture. Please follow the links below to view the weekends agenda and accompanying readings.
Bard-Myths of the Divine Agenda
(Readings)
Children of Lir
// July 30th, 2009 // No Comments » // Irish Myths
After their defeat by the Gaelic people, the Tuatha Dé Danann retreated to their otherworld dwellings, hidden away in the landscape. One of their leaders was Bodhbh Dearg, who lived in the cairn on Slievenamon in County Tipperary. Another of their noblemen was Lir, who lived at the palace called Sídh Fionnachaidh (the cairn on Deadman’s Hill in County Armagh). The assembly of the whole Tuatha Dé chose Bodhbh Dearg as their new king, but Lir was offended by this, as he wished the honour for himself.
To bring about a reconciliation, Bodhbh offered Lir one of his foster-daughters in marriage. This lady was Aobh, and she bore him two sets of twins. The first twins were a boy called Aodh and a girl called Fionnuala. The second twins were the boys Fiachra and Conn, but in giving birth to these two their mother died. Lir was very upset at the loss of his lovely and kind wife, but Bodhbh gave him as a second wife Aoife, the sister of Aobh. She was kind to them for a while but, noticing how much her husband loved his children, Aoife grew jealous of them and plotted to do them harm. One day, she took them with her on a journey, telling Lir that she was bringing them to visit Bodhbh. That would be a direct route southwards through the country, but she took a wide detour.
Arrival of the Celts – the Sons of Míl
// July 30th, 2009 // No Comments » // Irish Myths
The story goes that there was a great and wise leader in Scythia called Fénius the Ancient, a master of languages, as also was his grandson, Gael Glas. It is said that, when Gael was a child, he was stung by a serpent but was cured by Moses. They became great friends, and Moses said that his descendants would live in a land forever safe from serpents. Many years later, these descendants set out to the west. At sea, they were put astray and bewildered by the singing of mermaids, but eventually their druid Caichear found a remedy for this by melting wax in their ears. They landed in Spain, where they established a kingdom.
Daghdha and Aonghus
// July 30th, 2009 // No Comments » // Irish Myths
The father-figure of the Tuatha Dé Danann was Eochaidh Mór (literally ‘the great horseman’). He was better known as the Daghdha, an ancient name which meant ‘the good god’, because he was famous for his wisdom and generosity. His cauldron was never empty, and he loved to invite people to a feast. He was a big man, who walked ponderously and carried a great club with which he hit the earth so as to make the crops grow. Stupendously strong, he was a great builder of raths and forts. He was also a skilled musician on the harp, and if he had any fault it was his tendency to eat and drink too much.
The ‘great Daghdha’, as he was usually called, had his residence in Brugh na Bóinne (the tumulus at Newgrange on the bank of the Boyne). It is said that he fell in love with the lady Bóinn, a mystical woman after whom the river is named. She was the wife of the water-deity Nuadhu, nicknamed ‘Ealcmhar’, who lived in the well at the source of the river. The Daghdha thought of a plan to gain her love unknown to her husband, and for that reason he asked Ealcmhar to go on a message for him which would take nine days. When Ealcmhar was away, the Daghdha used his massive strength to tie the sun in the sky so that it did not move for nine months, and in that time he became the lover of Bóinn, and she gave birth to a baby-boy before her husband returned.
