An Irish Question

[Gidon Cohen]

I've just been listening to a radio programme (on BBC's radio 4) talking
about Ireland. Apparently there is a myth there that the first division of
Ireland took place after a battle between the humans and the faries, the
resolution came when the humans gained control of the land above the
surface and the faries control of below the surface. An Irish particant in
the programme said this story was taught him as History in school.

Does anyone have any information on this myth?

Thanks in advance,

Gidon Cohen

[Nuada]

Gidon Cohen wrote:

> I've just been listening to a radio programme (on BBC's radio 4) talking
> about Ireland. Apparently there is a myth there that the first division of
> Ireland took place after a battle between the humans and the faries, the
> resolution came when the humans gained control of the land above the
> surface and the faries control of below the surface. An Irish particant in
> the programme said this story was taught him as History in school.

This would be the battle between the Tuatha De Danna and the Son's of Mill
(Celts who were possibly from Spain).

To give a quick reveiw -

The Sons of Mil landed in Ireland on Beltene (May 1) and the Poet Amhairghin
claimed the land as theirs with the poem

I am an estuary into the sea.
I am a wave of the ocean.
I am the sound of the sea.
I am a powerful ox.
I am a hawk on a cliff.
I am a dewdrop in the sun.
I am a plant of beauty.
I am a boar for valour.
I am a salmon in a pool.
I am a lake in a plain.
I am the strength of art....

The Sons of Mil then set out to explore their new land. On the way through
they met three goddesses Banbha, Fodla, and Eriu - all of whom the Sons of Mil
promised that they would ever after call the land by thier names (and they
have...). The Sons of Mil then continued to Tara, where they met Mac Cuill,
Mac Cecht, and Mac Greine - husbands of the goddesses and kings of Ireland.
The Sons of Mil demanded that they give up the land, but the Tuatha asked that
they be givena fair fight to keep thier land. Amhairghin suggested that his
people would go back to their boats and go beyond the "ninth wave" to wait
till the Tuatha were ready to fight. But when they tried to return the Tuatha
called up a great storm that nearly destroyed them. But Amhairghin called to
Ireland, invoking its power, and stopped the wind. The Sons of Mil then
landed and defeated the Tuatha in combat.@ After the battle the Tuatha gave
the Gaels (Sons of Mil) the island from the ground up, but took anything below
the surface as thiers. They went to the sidhe (hollow hills) to live. And
there they live to this day.

This, of course, is a really, really short version of the tale - which is the
last of the cycles of invasions in the Irish invasion myths. If you want more
information get just about any book on Irish or Celtic myth - it should have
something about it.

[Tim Sheppard]

In article <01bcdce5$aa129fa0$6f042090@gidon>, "Gidon Cohen" (gdc...@york.ac.uk) writes:
>I've just been listening to a radio programme (on BBC's radio 4) talking
>about Ireland. Apparently there is a myth there that the first division of
>Ireland took place after a battle between the humans and the faries, the
>resolution came when the humans gained control of the land above the
>surface and the faries control of below the surface. An Irish particant in
>the programme said this story was taught him as History in school.
>

>Does anyone have any information on this myth?
>
>Thanks in advance,
>
>Gidon Cohen

It was one of the Invasions, of which there were four or five, I
forget. It's a standard part of the mythological history of
ireland, which blends into factual history as it gets more recent.

If you want a lot of information about the myth (as well as all the
rest of Irish mythology), including its greater context, esoteric
symbolism etc. you should read the excellent Celtic Heritage by
Brinley and Alwyn Rees.

=========================================================
Tim Sheppard t...@lilliput-p.win-uk.net
Lilliput Press - Publisher of fine books in miniature
England http://www.lilliput.co.uk
The Storytelling FAQ is hosted here
=========================================================

[Christine Koren Harper]

Wow! that was great information on the historical (myths) of Ireland.
I went to Ireland and fell in love with that beautiful country and the
people there as well. I can believe they are related to fairies.
Again, thank you!