The Ulster Cycle takes us from a world distinguished by intelligence and magic to one of warriors and fighting. This world is one where will-power and fearless action prevail. The cultural hero is now the physically strong young man who puts his neck on the line for the honour of his community, his tribe. The central story of this cycle is Táin Bó Cúailnge, the Cattle Raid of Cooley.

Irish Mythology Stories - Ulster Cycle

Irish Mythology Stories - Mythological Cycle

The Fenian Cycle, which also concerning the hero figure as warrior, but which has a very different feel, ethos and provenance. This is essentially the lore of the Fianna who were more nomadic in nature. They are a roving outlaw band whose main occupations were to hunt and to fight. This Cycle’s central figure is Fionn mac Cumhaill, the leader of the Fianna.

Irish Mythology Stories - Fenian Cycle

The King Cycle is also known as the Historical Cycle. These tales are essentially about Kingship, the fortunes of Kings, and Kingship as a marriage between the King and the realm (and sometimes the goddess, a symbol of the land). Prosperity in the realm was intimately connected to the quality of the King. In addition the king was frequently bound by certain restrictions, called ‘geasa’. The more power you had the more this needed to be contained.

Irish Mythology Stories - King's Cycle

In this series, we explore the origins of the Norse cosmos — from the creation of the world and the first humans to the powerful giants and gods who shaped it. You’ll hear stories of Yggdrasil, the great World Tree that connects all realms, and uncover the mythic roots of the Norse universe. These voice recordings offer a simple yet rich introduction to the core stories and characters of Norse mythology, told in a way that’s engaging and easy to follow.

NM 2 The World of Giants and Gods

NM 1 An Introduction to Norse Mythology

NM 6 Asgard: Home of the Aesir

NM 7 Aesir Gods: Odin and Thor

NM 8 Loki: The Trickster God

NM 9 The Trickster at Work

NM 11 After the War of the Gods

NM 10 The Gods at War

NM 12 The Trickster and the Wall

NM 1B Norse Myth and Popular Culture

Feasting Halls for Living and Dead

The warriors of the Red Branch in Emain Macha wanted Cuchulainn to marry, so that their wives would stop looking at him, but also so that he would have a son who would inherit his great talents. But Cuchulainn wasn’t interested in any of the women they introduced him to. He refused to take a wife, no matter how lovely she was or how big a dowry her family offered, because he said he would not marry a woman who was not his equal ...

Ulster - 04 - Cuchulainn - Wooing - Of - Emer

Ulster - 01 - Setanta - Joins - The - Boy’s - Troop

Ulster - 02 - How - Cuchulainn - Got - His - Name

Ulster - 03 - Cuchulainn - Taking - Up - Of - Arms

The story of Cesair from the Book of Invasions 

The Book of Invasions - 1 - Cesair

The Daghda had many wonderful possessions: his cauldron of plenty, which never ran empty, and could feed as many man as sat down to it; his mighty club, one end of which could kill a man, and the other end of which could restore him to life. But perhaps his greatest treasure was his harp, Uaithne, called the Four-Angled Music. 

Myth - 09 - The - Dagda’s - Harp

Midir was a king of the Tuatha de Dannan; proud, handsome and regal. His wife was called Fuamnach, and was his equal in every way. She too was tall and proud, and she was herself the daughter of a king. She was a good wife to Midir, she looked after him well, and looked after their children and foster-children well...

Myth - 08 - Midir - And - Etain

Far away in Spain, there lived a wise old man named Ith Espaine. He often stood on his high tower, looking out over the sea. One day, he thought he could see an island in the distance; a place of high mountains and green forests. Ith told his brother and his nephews about this land that he could see, but they thought that he was looking at storm-clouds, and laughed at him. But every day that Ith looked, he could see the island a little clearer, and at last he became determined to sail there if he could.

Myth - 07 - Invasions - 6-The - Sons - Of - Mil - And - The - Battle - Of - Tailtiu

In the first Battle of Moy Tura, the Tuatha de Dannan were victorious, but a terrible wound was inflicted on their king, Nuada: his arm was cut off. The physician of the Tuatha de Danan, Dian Cecht, went to work on Nuada, and made a beautiful arm for him out of silver, that worked just as well as the arm he had lost. But the laws of the Tuatha de Dannan were clear: no man who was in any way mutilated or deficient could be king, so Nuada lost his throne.

Myth - 06 - Invasions - 5 - The - Second - Battle - Of - Moy - Tura

On a day thirty-seven years after they defeated the Formorians, a great mist descended, and in this mist, boats landed, and a wonderful race of tall, blond, beautiful people came to the land. These were the Tuatha de Dannan. They were the descendants of the Nemedians who had gone North. All the time they were away, they had been visiting four magical cities: Findias, Murias, Gorias and Falias, and in each city they had learned all the science and magic there was to be found.

Myth - 05 - Invasions - 4-The - First - Battle - Of - Moy - Tura

The next group of people who came to Ireland were led by a man named Nemed. He arrived with thirty ships, each manned by sixty people. Fintan watched as they approached and he went to take a drink of water out of a pool. He caught sight of his own reflection and was horrified: through studying all the animals he had taken on some of their aspects.

Myth - 04 - Invasions - 3-Nemed - And - The - Fir - Bolg

Partholon was a giant of a man, who lived in Greece. He got involved in a war of succession, and committed the very terrible sin of killing his family. Because of this, he was put under a curse: nothing he endeavoured would ever be successful.

Myth - 03 - Invasions - 2-Partholon

When Cuculainn set out to court his wife, Emer, her father, Forgall the Wily, was dead set against it. He knew Cuchulainn by reputation, and believed his wonderful daughter would have a terrible life with him, so he set out to do everything he could to keep the pair. He disguised himself as a merchant from France, and went to King Conchubar’s court at Emain Macha with wares to trade. At the feast that evening, he praised Conchubar’s brave Red Branch warriors, and then wondered aloud why the king did not think highly enough of them to send them to train with Scathach? Did they not know that she was the greatest trainer of warriors in all the world?

Ulster - 05 - Cuchulainn’s - Training - With - Scathach

Cathbad placed his hands on the Felimid’s wife’s womb and said that the child was going to be a girl, and her name would be Deirdre, and that she would grow up to be the most beautiful woman who ever lived. “But,” he said, “An excess of anything is deadly, and she will be the cause of so much trouble that she will split the Red Branch in two.”

Ulster - 06 - Deirdre - Of - The - Sorrows

In Ireland long ago there was a powerful fighting force called the Fianna. This was a group of young men, who lived off the land, hunting and tracking in the summer months, and feasting and merry-making throughout the winter. They had all given up their family ties and their places in society to live this way, but they followed a strong set of values. Their mottos were: Strength of limb, purity of heart, and actions to match our words.

Fenian - 3-Finn - Birth - And - Boyhood

After his tutelage with Aengus, Finn decided to seek out his father’s brother. Because Goll Mac Morna was still leader of the Fianna, Finn’s uncle was living with the remnants of Clan Baiscne in the forests, as humble hunters, no longer a part of the Fianna. Finn found them without too much trouble, for all he had to do to know where they were was chew on his thumb. He introduced himself as Cumhaill’s son. They were delighted to meet him, and when they saw that he had managed to find Cumhaill’s precious Oxter bag, they decided that the best thing to do would be to get him instated as the leader of the Fianna. So they set off to Tara to present him to the High King.

Fenian - 2-Finn - And - The - Fianna

Fenian - 1-Diarmuid - And - Gráinne

There was nothing the great Finn Mac Cumhaill liked more than a feast with a story and song, except for a hunt with his hounds and his men. He was out one day hunting, enjoying the freedom of running through the land, with his hounds Bran and Sceolan by his side, and the rest of the Fianna and their dogs running behind. The dogs caught the trail of a doe, and they began to chase. Normally, the hounds of the Fianna would play with a doe a little, and take pleasure in the hunt, before bringing her down, but this time, the doe seemed to be the one in charge. She led them on a game, weaving through the forest, dancing hither and tither, and seeming to tease the hounds.

Fenian - 4-Oisín - In - Tír - Na - NÓg

When he heard this offer, Ferdia knew what was coming next; that she was going to ask him to take on his best friend and blood-brother, Cuchulainn. Even though they were on opposing sides, the bond they shared was one he would never break, so he refused Maeve’s offer out of hand.

Ulster - 07 - Ferdia - At - The - Ford

There was once a warrior of the Red Branch in Ulster whose name was Bicriu of the bitter tongue. He had a terribly sour disposition, because in his youth he had taken a wound from a javelin thrown into his kidneys. The injury stayed with him, and never fully healed, and it meant that he had to eat only the plainest food: porridge and eggs, and could never eat anything rich or fine, nor drink anything stronger than buttermilk. So Bicriu could take no pleasure in feasting, and this, it was felt, was what soured him. For Bicriu’s greatest pleasure in life became the stirring up of trouble and strife between other people.

Ulster - 08 - The - Champion’s - Portion

Part 2 – The Tests at Cruachan

After the commotion that Bicriu had stirred up at his feast, it was still left to be decided who was the rightful champion of Ulster, and who had claim to the Champion’s portion: Laoighre Buadach, Conall Cearnach, or Cuchulainn. Conchubar and his steward, Sencha, decided between them that they would take the question to the king of Connaught, Aillil, and his wife Queen Maeve, in their stronghold at Cruachan, and let them decide which of the warriors was deserving.

Ulster - 09 - The - Champion’s - Portion pt.2

Cu Roi Mac Dara was a great magician, who often travelled around the world in search of knowledge and wonders. No matter where he was in the world, he could keep a link to his home to know what was going on.

Ulster - 10 - The - Champion’s - Portion

Kings - 5-Niall - Of - The - Nine - Hostages

Kings - 4-Mongan

Kings - 3-Labhraidh - Loingseach

Kings - 2-Cormac - Mac - Art

Kings - 1-Conaire - Mor

It is said that the name Caílte means slender and fierce, which renders it a very suitable name for this character. He was a member of the Fianna who was as known for his athleticism as his willingness to help. He was a great personal friend of Fionn Mac Cumhaill, and most of the tales of the deeds of the Fianna involve Fionn and Caílte along with a few of the other more prominent members. Like Fionn, he was descended from the Baoiscne clan, a clan known for its generosity of spirit. There is nothing that he wouldn’t do for his brothers in the Fianna, and certainly nothing he wouldn’t do for Fionn. It is often his interventions that get the Fianna out of trouble. His feats usually involve great speed, as he was particularly known for his lightness of foot.

Fenian - 3 - Caolite's Rabble

Fintan Mac Bochra, the first man to set foot on Ireland, following his wife, Cesaire, lived a long life; over five thousand years. He changed into all the different animals of Ireland, and witnessed all the changes, all the new peoples who came to Ireland down through the centuries. He saw the defeat of the magical Tuatha de Dannan at the hands of the Sons of Mil, and witnessed the great deeds of the Red Branch and the Fianna.

Fintan Mac Bochra And The Hawk Of Achill

Cesair - The World's Mythologies

The Birth Of Cuchulainn

The Curse Of Macha

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