Story Archaeology

Sculpture by Annette McCormack

Brigid is  the much-loved irish saint of kildare as well a pre-Christian Celtic mythical figure.  But what connection is there    between the two? Just who is Brigid? Sift through the strata of her story  with the Story Archaeologists to uncover some unexpected surprises.

Links to other  episodes  mentioned within the podcast.

Further Discussion on the Well of Sláine: Airmid Revisited  Further discussion on Ethliu: Ethliu Revisited Further discussion on Rúadán and the forge of Goibniu Also mentioned in the episode: Corpse Carrying for Beginners and The Cow and the Time Machine   Don't forget to subscribe to get the latest podcasts! By The Story Archaeologists. Music: "Tam Lin" by Gian Castello.

ceramic on glass by Chris Thompson

Airmed is the daughter of the great Dé Danann physician, Dían Cécht, part of a family of healers.  Together, they create the healing well of Sláine, which restores injured warriors at the Second Battle of Moytura.  But do the meanings of their names tell a different story?

In our  revisit to what may seem at first reading, a side story in the great battle saga, join the  the Story archaeologists as they re-evaluate the role of Airmed and her family, finding their actions  central to the main theme of the epic Moytura  story.

In this episode, and our update, we referenced many other episodes, including our entire second series on Moytura.. However, for now, we will include a couple of the most  relevant links.

For the story of Dían Cécht, Miach and Airmed in the context of Moytura,  go to: The Battle of Moytura Episode 5: The Four Craftsmen.

For examples of laws on sick-lying  ( crólige)  in context go to : Dindshenchas 09: Tocmarc Étaíne 1 – A Fly On The Wall and Dindshenchas 10: Tocmarc Étaíne 2 – The Re-Born Identity

This time of year is a frenzy of shopping, family gatherings and exchange of gifts. But is this simply a modern phenomenon?

For this year's MidWinter Special, the Story Archaeologists dig as deep as their virtual spades will go, comparing the deepest layers of human settlement through medieval mayhem to the contemporary craft fair, searching for the common threads.

Links from the Episode:

Here is The Óenach Project, research conducted by Patrick Gleeson under the Department of Archaeology at University College Cork.

Here is a talk given by Ian Hodder on entanglement at Göbekli and Çatalhöyük, "Origins of Settled Life".

And finally, as promised in the episode, here's a link to a short animation, "Little Red Riding Hood: The Alternate Version" by An Snag Breac / Maker Magpie:

Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts! Related Articles will be posted in the days to come…

Story Archaeology is run on a voluntary not-for-profit basis. If you can afford a donation towards our running costs, we would be very grateful. The “Donate” button is on the right-hand-side of each page, or e-mail us for other ways to support our work.

Check our Reading List for further reading and resources.

by The Story Archaeologists

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello

Elin Gowand the cow Glas Gainach

This is the first of two supplemental  episodes supporting  our recent podcast, Tales of Ethliu (revisited). "Elin Gow, the Swordsmith and the Cow, the Glas Gaianach" is a folktale collected in the southwest of Ireland by  Jeremiah Curtin in the late 19th century. The tale first appeared in "Hero Tales of Ireland". It is a great story that overlaps the better known, tale of  Balor and the stealing of a marvelous cow but this version answers the surprising question of how  the cow got to be kept by a sword-smith  in the first place and fills in some details of Cian's amazing adventures.

Read "Hero Tales of Ireland online.

https://archive.org/stream/herotalesofirela00curtuoft/herotalesofirela00curtuoft_djvu.txt

Folklore from the Dingle Peninsular. Local  folklorist , Doncha Ó Conchúir talks about 'The Gate of the Cow", two pre-historic stone pillars near Ballyferriter, Co. Kerry. He tells a recent version of the last milking of the marvelous cow.  The stone pillars are very interesting. Maybe it is these pillars that gave rise to the story of the transformation of cian in the story we tell of Elin Gow.

http://www.voicesfromthedawn.com/gate-of-the-cow/

Eithliu is a figure who seems to pop in and out of stories, taking no notice of traditional story cycles, or even how her name is spelt. Yet she rarely takes a leading role.

In this "revisit", we return to this enigmatic and sometimes troubling character from Irish mythology and folklore. With the benefit of three years hindsight, we crack some previously un-noticed nutshells and discover new and unexpected aspects to the Kernel aka the Glas Gabhann aka ...

Related episodes

As ever, there are several later episodes that relate to Eithliu in her many guises, and we refer to them as we go through the episode. Here are the links to those episodes, if you want to refresh your memory!

WARNING: Do not attempt all in one sitting! Story Archaeology will not accept responsibility for any damage to hearing or brain...

Series 2 Episode 3 - The Coming of Lugh

Series 2 Episode 9 - The Children of Tuirenn Part 1

Series 2 Episode 12 - An Experiment in Story Archaeology

Series 3 Episode 3 - The Well and the Cheese

Series 3 Episode 9 - Tocmarc Étaíne Part 1 (Episode 10 Part 2, Episode 11 Part 3)

Series 4 Episode 7 - Echtrae Tadhg Mac Céin

Series 4 Episode 9 - Mongán and his Missus

Series 4 Episode 12 - In Search of Manannán

Series 4 Episode 13 - In Search of Midir

Series 5 Episode 1 - Revisiting Sinann

Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts! Related Articles will be posted in the days to come…

Story Archaeology is run on a voluntary not-for-profit basis. If you can afford a donation towards our running costs, we would be very grateful. The “Donate” button is on the right-hand-side of each page, or e-mail us for other ways to support our work.

Check our Reading List for further reading and resources.

by The Story Archaeologists

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello

Macha - a sculpture in bog yew by Davy Paton

In the second of our "revisits", we look back at our discussions on Noinden Ulaid and the Dindshenchas stories of Emain Macha in Co. Armagh. This was the first discussion that we had about cóir, although we were then using the Egyptian term Ma'at, signifying natural order and justice.

Reviewing this episode really highlights how far we've come in developing our terminology and methodology! If you didn't catch it the first time round, you can listen to the second half of the episode to hear that initial discussion, then skip back to our review notes at the beginning. Or just listen straight through to hear our notes first and the original discussion second - or try both and see which you prefer!

Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts! Related Articles will be posted in the days to come…

Story Archaeology is run on a voluntary not-for-profit basis. If you can afford a donation towards our running costs, we would be very grateful. The “Donate” button is on the right-hand-side of each page, or e-mail us for other ways to support our work.

Check our Reading List for further reading and resources.

by The Story Archaeologists

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello

Sinann, the river Shannon, from a painting by Chris Thompson

Welcome to series 5 of Acallam na nÉces, "Revisiting Mythical Women". In our first episode, we take a look back at the stories of Sinann, and the themes that came up when we discussed them in our very first episode.

We've added some new discussion to the beginning of the episode, highlighting how Story Archaeology has added to the ideas and approaches that started the whole project. Follow links below to related episodes and some new research into the longevity of stories, the compacted layers of medieval and 19th century scholarship and the central roles of poetry and dindshenchas.

Related episodes

Dindshenchas and the Art of Mythic Cartogrophy 2 - Dindshenchas and Dreamtime

Rowing Around Immráma 8 - The Schocking Revelations Concerning King Cormac Mac Airt

Rowing Around Immráma 12 - In Search of Manannán

Articles

"Ireland in the Ice Age" on The Ireland Story:

http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/past/pre_norman_history/iceage.html

"Ancient Aboriginal Stories Preserve History of a Rise in Sea Level" on The Conversation:

http://theconversation.com/ancient-aboriginal-stories-preserve-history-of-a-rise-in-sea-level-36010

Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts! Related Articles will be posted in the days to come…

Story Archaeology is run on a voluntary not-for-profit basis. If you can afford a donation towards our running costs, we would be very grateful. The “Donate” button is on the right-hand-side of each page, or e-mail us for other ways to support our work.

Check our Reading List for further reading and resources.

by The Story Archaeologists

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello

In the last stop of our very circuitous Immrám of Immráma, we have a canter through a Fenian tale of surly servants, marine equines, hairy horrors and a battle with the High-King of the World. All in a day's work for Finn and the Fianna...

But is it an Immrám? Is it a recognisably Irish tale or a Classical rip-off? Help pull the Story Archaeology oars into its final harbour and find out!

Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts! Related Articles will be posted in the days to come…

Check our Reading List for further reading and resources.

by The Story Archaeologists

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello

Etain and Misir by Jim Fitzpatrick

As we reach dry land after our long Immram,we encounter yet another  mystery. Midir was once a Lord of the Sidhe a judge, and a worker of wonders. He was, on  land, what  Mananann was, in the Land Under Wave. .  All is not what it seems. A mist of obscurity has gathered around Midir.

Join the Story Archaeologists as they undertake a little restoration work.

Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts! Related Articles will be posted in the days to come…

Story Archaeology is run on a voluntary not-for-profit basis. If you can afford a donation towards our running costs, we would be very grateful. The “Donate” button is on the right-hand-side of each page, or e-mail us for other ways to support our work.

Check our Reading List for further reading and resources.

by The Story Archaeologists

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello

This sculpture of Manannan, by John Sutton from Dungannon, disappeared from Binevenagh Mountain outside Limavady in January 2015. Those who stole the statue left a wooden cross in its place with the words; 'You shall have no other gods before me’. The statue was found one month later and is to be replaced.

As we glimpse safe harbour after our mammoth Immram, we take the opportunity to get to know a favourite Otherworld character. But where does Manannan Mac Lir come from? Is he all he appears to be?

This quest became so huge that we had to split it into two episodes. So join the Story Archaeologists as they part the mists to look for this maratime Lord of the Sidhe. Be prepared for more surprising navigational twists in the next episode!

Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts! Related Articles will be posted in the days to come…

Story Archaeology is run on a voluntary not-for-profit basis. If you can afford a donation towards our running costs, we would be very grateful. The “Donate” button is on the right-hand-side of each page, or e-mail us for other ways to support our work.

Check our Reading List for further reading and resources.

by The Story Archaeologists

Music: “Tam Lin” by Gian Castello