More than One to a Cycle

Earlier I did a blog on the basic type of myth cycle that is found in various cultures, while surfing the internet I found a more complex type of myth cycle. The Celtics or Irish, a more predominately magical culture containing Druids who are a main influence, if not the founders, of the Pagan religion, have a series of myth cycles. However, these myth cycles were transcribed by Christian monks so the complete accuracy of the words may be questionable as is the case when any two religions cross. Lucky for us we are merely looking at the names of the four myth cycles and what they contain rather than the actual full stories.

When it comes to looking at other cultures and trying to understand them there is no better way of doing that than looking at their myths. Cultures put everything that they prize into a myth as well as everything that they fear. By knowing this you are better able to understand the culture and what they believe in. With that being said let us move on to the Celtic myth cycle.

The first of the myth cycles is known as the Fenian Cycle. This cycle is made up of myths that deal with hunting. Their main one deals with a band of heroes, known as the Fianna, who keep order in the country. The main hero in the band is Fionn mac Cumhaill, his childhood name was Deimne, who was part of the Bascna clan and possibly even its chief.

The next set of myths belongs to the Ultonian Cycle. These myths all center around the providence of Ulster and the history of the Ulaidh people who gave the providence its name. The main myth that belongs to this cycle is The Cattle Raid of Cooley. In this myth the most famous Irish literature scene happens between Cchulainn and Ferdiad, two best friends. Cchulainn eventually wins but who would expect the supposed grandson of Lugh, the sun god, to lose.

The last myth cycle is called The Kings Cycle. The easiest way to describe this set of myths is as a history of kings. These myths are written in order from the early years of the Common Era to the middle ages. They contain all of the deeds of the different kings. Although they are not as creative as the other cycles they provide an unclouded look into this part of the Celts and Irish history and their culture at that time. They had grown out of the fantasies of early civilizations and into the adulthood of written histories, as everyone must do.

(photo credit: e_phots)

April 9th, 2009 by admin | Posted in Legends | (0)