Filled with ancient heroes and mythical creatures, Ireland’s branch of Celtic mythology details the legends of ancient Ireland, including four distinct chronological cycles: Mythological, Ulster, Fenian, and Historical, according to ThoughtCo. Written down by 11th century monks, and transmitted via word of mouth, these myths became the most well-preserved branch of Celtic mythology.
The Tuatha Dé Danann: Gods
Ancient Irish mythological characters include venerated kings, heroes, and gods. The first cycle, Mythological, outlines the founding of Ireland by the Tuatha Dé Danann and, later, the Aos Sí. According to legend and DiscoveringIreland, the Tuatha Dé Danann, or “People of the goddess Danu,” lived as supernatural creatures with human forms and magical skills. The Book of Invasions details how the god-likes descended into Ireland in a thick fog. The Milesians, the ancient ancestors of the Irish, later conquered the Isle, and the Tuatha disappeared. Some legends say they left Ireland completely, retreating to the Otherworld, while others say they blended with the Milesians, passing some of their magic into modern Irish lives. Some important figures include Dagda, the god of life and death, Lir, the sea god, and Lugh, the god of sun and light.
Aos Sí: The Faerie
The rise of Aos Sí came after the disappearance of the Tuatha Dé Danann, existing in a parallel universe along with the ancestors, ancient kings, and legendary heroes. This universe, the Tir na nÓg or the Otherworld, can be accessed on certain occasions at sacred places, including burial mounds, fairy hills, stone circles, and cairns, according to Irish superstition. The Aos Sí, or Sidhe (sith), represent “People of the Mounds” or the “Otherworldly Folk,” fairy folk.
Widely considered to be the descendants or manifestations of the Tuatha Dé Danann, according to IrishCentral, the folk walk amongst humans but tend to live separately. The Aos Sí remain the most modern form of Irish mythological figures, with some of the most recognizable fairies being the Leprechaun, a solitary shoemaker known for causing mischief and keeping pots of gold, and the Banshee, a feminine creature whose wailing signifies death. Lesser known entities include changelings or fairy children left in the place of humans. The Irish believed that sick or disabled babies, children, and women could be changelings. This lead to devastating consequences as recently as 1895, when Bridget Cleary’s husband killed her for being a suspected changeling and burned her body to be sure.
According to ThoughtCo, people should beware this group, because even though the Aos Sí inhabit places from which the Otherworld can be accessed, the faeries remain “fiercely protective of their spaces, and they are known to seek vengeance on those who enter, intentionally or not.” The Emerald Isle, shrouded in mystery and legend, should be for those curious, but ready to be wary, for the unknown lurks there.
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