Introduction to Irish Myth Celtic mythology and tradition is contained in four cycles: the Mythological Cycle, the Ulster Cycle (Red Branch) and the Fenian/Fianna Cycle, and the Kings, or Historical Cycle. The points laid out here all belong to the Mythological Cycle, more specifically the Five Invasions period. Taking place during and after the fall of the "Tower of Babel" and the "Great Flood" that appears in many culture's myths. TERMS: >Erin = Ireland >Draoideachta = Magic >Druid = Magician >Sidhe = Fairy supernatural race. >Tautha De Denann = Pagan gods, sometimes lumped in as fairies (faerie). >Milesians = First human race, later known as the Gaels (Gaelic), and eventually the Irish. The First Invasion Cesair and the very first settlers -Daughter of Bith, and granddaughter of Noah. -Was denied entry to the Ark. -Settled on Ireland with 50 other woman, and three men. -Married Fintan mac Bochra. -The two other men die. Fintan can't handle the pressure of 50 bitches, turns himself into a salmon and dips. -Cesair dies of a broken heart. The remaining woman die of dick starvation. The Second Invasion (300 years later) Partholonians -Settled in Ireland after the great flood, lived there for 300 years. -Were said to have come to from the west, from the "Land of the Dead" (spain). -Brought civilization and agriculture to Ireland. -Leader was Partholon, who lost one of his eyes as a kid while murdering his parents. -Battled the Fomorians, who never "settled" in Ireland, they invaded from the ocean. -Partholon dies after 30 years, and after 120: -The rest of them are mysteriously wiped out by a plague in a single week. The Third Invasion (30 years later) Nemedians -Nemed and his people settle in. -Read the legend here >>49 Short version: -Plague is back in season, Fomorians invade, there's a last stand, Nemedians split. Fomorians (Fomhoire) -Means "from the sea" -Supernatural race being Gods of night, death and cold. -Grossly malformed appearances, animal parts, missing limbs, etc. -Ancestors of evil fairies. -Just real jerks. -Giants and Leprecauns are Fomorian. -Rivals are Tautha De Denann. The Fourth Invasion (230 years later) Firbolgs (Fir Bholg) -Means 'Men of the Bags', also known as the men of the Goddess Domnu.

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-Decedents of Nemed's grandson. -Worhiped the Fomorians as their gods -Defeated by the Tuatha Dé Danann. -Cast out of Ireland by the Danann, later came back from the East having learned magic. Read more here >>94 Tuatha De Denann -Means "people of the goddess Dana" -Supernatural race, came to Ireland in "obscure clouds." -Live in the "Otherworld" but interact with the human world. -Each member is associated with features of life or nature. -Powers of light, life, and warmth. Highly adept magicians. -Rivals are the Fomorians. The Fifth Invasion (37 years later) Milesians -First real "Irish" race of Ireland. -Took over Ireland from the Denann, led by the Sons of Mil. -A deal was made where the humans were given the upper realm, and the Denann live underground. -Their arrival marked the end of the Age of the Gods and the beginning of the Age of Mankind. LINKS: http://www.luminarium.org/mythology/ireland/ http://www.sacredfire.net/mythology.html https://www.timelessmyths.com/celtic/invasions.html https://www.photo-emotion.site/the-book-of-the-irish-invasions-the-lebor-gabala-erren/ https://ericwedwards.wordpress.com/2014/06/29/notes-and-queries-the-ancient-irish/ VIDEOS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuCAktAhTKw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSSJfo2eu4E https://mythicalireland.com/MI/blog/myths-and-legends/live-irish-myths-and-legends-a-new-series-from-anthony-murphy/ I'm real interested in the Irish stuff, and will probably do more posts like this if you find it's worth it. This one was for laying the groundwork for the more detailed events and characters. I'll keep my posts updated if there needs to be any corrections.

>>46 (continuing) The Legend of Nemed and His People Nemed was a druid but also a great leader with the ability to engender prosperity and well being. To do so required the skills to cultivate land, having cleared it but also the warrior that was able to defeat the Formorians. With his wife, Macha, they constituted a powerful force whose role was taming nature and establishing a culture. Tuan mac Cairill -Follower of Partholon. -Sole survivor of the plague that wiped out his people. -Became hermit living in wilderness/caves. -Sole survivor of the plague that wiped out the Parthalonians. -Watched as the first of the Nemedians came to Ireland, and subsequently died and left. -Could transform into a wild animals (maybe just reincarnation). -After transforming into a wild salmon, he's eaten by the Queen of Ulster and nine months later born as Tuan son of Cairell. He retains all previous knowledge. Nemed -Descendant of Japheth (Biblical Noah's son). -Leader of the Nemedians (Muintir Nemid "people of Nemed"). -Arrived at Ireland 30 years after plague wiped out Partholonians. With wife, four chieftain sons, and others. -Wife Macha, dies 12 days after they arrive. She was a seer and predicted in her dreams and visions great happenings on the plains.  One of these visions was about the creation of a grand court. -Had a great fleet of ships but got greedy when he attacked a tower of gold (maybe glass) in the sea. Sea level rose, sank the ships, many casualties. -He and his people created twelve plains and by diverting rivers they created four new lakes. -Eight Nemedians dig out royal fort Rath Chindeich. Nemed kills them before dawn the next morning. -Wins a bunch of battles against the Fomorians. -Eventually dies of plague. 9 years after first settling. Conand (Conann) mac Febair -Leader of the Fomorians who lives in a tower on Tory Island. -Oppresses the Nemedians, high taxes, demanding 1/3 resources and *children* "a dim memory of sacrifice offered at the beginning of winter. When the powers of darkness and blight are in the ascendant" -Dies in a battle at his tower. Battle of Conand's Tower -After Nemed's death the remaining Nemedians rise up and kill Conand, and take over his tower. -(one historians theory) Nemedians obtained assistance from Greece in the form of venomous beasts, and the woman spy Relbeo. She infiltrates the tower and gains Conand's trust, obtaining crucial intelligence on how to tactically assault the tower. -Sea level rises up and they are eventually overtaken and forced out by Morc. (Seems like Fomorians can control the sea-level somehow) -It was a frightful slaughter and only one boat managed to get away. -The remaining Nemedians eventually go there seperate ways. -Some, with Simeon fled to Greece, becoming the Fir Bolg. -Britain Máel and his dad flee to go make Briton. -Others went North to become the Tuatha de Danann. Morc mac Deled -Conand's second hand, becomes leader of Fomorians after his death. -Is able to retake Conand's Tower and expel the Nemedians out of that territory of Ireland. LINKS https://somathread.ning.com/groups/the-shrine-of-eris/shamanism/the-tale-of-tuan-mac-cairil https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemed https://bardmythologies.com/nemed/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conand_(mythology) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fomorians

>>49 (continuing) The Ones Who Came Back After the Nemedians were ran out by the Fomorians, the survivors relocated in three directions. >Those who followed Nemed's grandson Simeod, eventually went to Greece and became known as the Fir Bolg. >Those who followed Britain and his father, became the Britons. >Those who followed Nemed's son Larbonel, went "north" to became the Tautha De Danann. Greece: Firbolgs -After settling in Greece those previously known as Nemedians were forced into slavery. Forced to carry bags of dirt and sand, they became known as the Fir Bolg "men of the bags." -Eventually dependents of Simeod brought their people out of slavery and back to Ireland, 230 years after they left. -They did not start any battles with the Fomorians who originally kicked them out. They may have even worshiped them as thier Gods. -The Firbolgs’ last king was Eochaid Mac Eirc, whose wife, Tailtiu (daugher of King of Spain), was the foster mother of Lugh Lamfata, the Danann hero and solar god. North: Tuatha De Danann -Larbonel led his people to the northern isles and was a prophet. -The northern isles have four magical, otherworldly cities (Falias, Gorias, Finias and Murias), each one ruled by a druid. -Traditions hint that these cities might not be on Earth, or that they would be at a different level of dimensional vibration than human beings are on Earth today. -The Danann learned all sorts of arts and crafts, philosophy and medicine, music and warfare, science and magic. They were scholars, bards, druids, craftsmen, and warriors. These descendants gained otherworldly powers. -In each city, there was a treasure, a talisman that the Danann would later bring to Ireland in their war against the Fomorians. They were Dagda's Cauldron, The Spear of Lugh, The Stone of Fal, and The Sword of Light. -They came back to Ireland (267 years after they left) under the leadership of Nuada, a son of Danu. Among the Dananns were also Dagda, Oghma, Goibhniu and Bres. -They came back to Ireland in "dark/obscure clouds," landed in the mountains, and "brought a darkness over the sun for three days and three nights." After settling they immediately burnt their "ships" so they would not think of retreating. The First Battle of Magh Tuireadh -Nauda, king of the Danann, led the charge against the Fir Bolg, in which the Danann defeated and displaced. -Nauda loses an arm in this battle, and since he's no longer "unblemished," could not continue as king. -He's replaced by the half-Fomorian Bres, who turned out to be a tyrant. -The physician Dian Cecht replaced Nuada's arm with a working silver one and he was reinstated as king. But Dian's son (Miach) was dissatisfied with the replacement so he cast a spell that caused flesh to grow over the silver prosthesis. Dian was jealous of his son's skills and killed him. -Bres is pissed the throne was taken back from him, so he complains to his parents who send him to go see Balor, king of the Famorians. The Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh -Nauda is killed by Balor's Evil Eye in battle, and Balor is killed by Lugh (Balor's grandson) who uses a sling to smash his eye out, and then becomes king. -Bres is found alive in the aftermath of the battle, and is spared on the condition that he teach the Tuatha Dé Danann how to plough, sow and reap. LINKS https://www.timelessmyths.com/celtic/danufamily.html#Firbolgs https://curiousireland.ie/the-fir-bolg/ https://www.photo-emotion.site/the-book-of-the-irish-invasions-the-lebor-gabala-erren/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cath_Maige_Tuired VIDEOS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6mazAiTHTs