The Complete Idiot's Guide to Celtic Wisdom by Carl McColman

Author:Carl McColman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: DK Publishing
Published: 2010-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

Meet the Characters of Irish Myth

The best way to meet the many colorful figures who appear in the myths and legends is to read (or hear) the stories firsthand. For the purposes of this introductory book, I’ve included a list of many of the more memorable figures from throughout the various cycles.

As you read the list, try to keep the following points in mind. First, the lines separating “gods and goddesses” from “heroes” and “mortals” is a very thin line indeed. Some figures, like Cú Chulainn, are semi-mortal, semi-divine. Others exhibit both godly and humanlike characteristics. (Many of the deities are just as mortal as humans are.) The myths were committed to writing hundreds of years after their stories were first told, and at a time when Christianity had replaced paganism in much, if not most, of Ireland. Therefore, the ultimate nature of the mythic figures (human? divine? a bit of both?) will always be ambiguous.

The second point to remember is that these figures are not meant to be worshipped and adored the way monotheistic religions treat their One God. Rather, the gods and goddesses are meant to entertain us, inspire us, teach us, and provide us spiritual help. We, in turn, offer them our energy through devotion, ritual, and sacrifice. The relationship between gods and humans is less one-sided than what is found in the mainstream monotheistic religions.

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