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Protector and Warrior: Saint Michael is often regarded as a protector of the faithful and a warrior against evil, embodying the fight against Satan.Symbol of Victory: He is seen as a symbol of victory, especially in battles, reflecting the struggles faced by the Irish Gaels throughout history.Cultural Integration: Saint Michael's feast day is celebrated in various forms, indicating his importance in local customs and traditions among the Irish Gaels.
Archangel: Saint Michael is described as one of the chief angels in the Bible, specifically in the Book of Daniel, the Epistle of Jude, and the Book of Revelation.Leader of Angels: He is depicted as a leader of the heavenly hosts, often associated with the battle against the forces of darkness.Protector of Israel: In the Biblical context, he is seen as a protector of God's people, particularly Israel.
Similar Attributes: Some scholars suggest that Saint Michael may have been conflated with ancient Irish pagan deities, as both share characteristics related to protection and warfare.Integration into Folklore: His image and attributes may have been adapted into Irish folklore, aligning with local beliefs and practices to facilitate the acceptance of Christianity.Cultural Syncretism: The blending of Saint Michael with pagan figures illustrates the syncretic nature of religious practices during the transition from paganism to Christianity in Ireland.
Identity: Crum Cruach is often depicted as a pagan deity or druid associated with the worship of the ancient Irish god Crom Dubh (can be conflated)darker aspects of pagan worship and sacrifice.Role in Mythology: He is considered a figure representing paganismConflict with St. Patrick: defeated by St. Patrick, symbolizing the triumph of Christianity Location: The confrontation is traditionally linked to the area of Magh Slécht in County Cavan, where a significant pagan site was believed to exist.
Metal SmithingHealingPoetry
daoine sìth in Scotland (People of the mound) (Lora O’Brien- pronounces it ‘She’)aes or Aos sídhe (sídhe-folk) Also (People of the mound)
An article titled Fly‑Agaric Motifs in the Cú Chulaind Myth Cycle argues that some legendary states in the myth cycle of Cú Chulainn resemble effects attributed to Amanita muscaria (Red mushoom with white spots ). The author suggests the mythic descriptions may encode references to psychedelic experience. Another modern-era piece, Imbas Forosnai – the ancestral Irish use of psilocybin mushrooms, asserts that a ritual from Gaelic tradition — Imbas Forosnai — might have involved “the red flesh,” interpreted as entheogenic mushrooms.
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Time/Turning the Wheel/ Annual festivals
In Irish pagan traditions, "turning the wheel" often refers to the concept of the Wheel of the Year, which is a cyclical representation of the seasons and the agricultural calendar. This wheel encompasses various festivals and rituals that celebrate the changing seasons, the cycles of nature, and the agricultural practices that were vital to ancient Irish communities.
The Wheel of the Year typically includes eight key festivals (it, I assume the other 4 are the solstices and equinoxes ):
1. **Samhain** (October 31 - November 1): Marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.
2. **Imbolc** (February 1-2): Celebrating the first signs of spring and associated with the goddess Brigid.
3. **Beltane** (May 1): A fire festival marking the beginning of summer and fertility.
4. **Lughnasadh** (August 1): Celebrating the harvest and honoring the god Lugh.
In addition to these major festivals, the solstices and equinoxes are also significant points on the Wheel, representing the balance of light and dark, and the changing energies of the earth.
Rituals associated with turning the wheel often involve honoring the cycles of life, death, and rebirth, as well as performing ceremonies to ensure fertility, abundance, and harmony with nature. These practices can include offerings, feasting, storytelling, and various forms of communal celebration.
Overall, "turning the wheel" symbolizes the interconnectedness of life, the importance of seasonal changes, and the reverence for nature that is central to Irish pagan spirituality.
KEY TEXTS:
Dindshenchas
is a medieval Irish corpus explaining the origins and meanings of Irish place-names, combining myth, history, and genealogy.
The Four Cycles (grouping of Saga)
Ulster Cycle
Heroic tales of Ulster warriors like Cú Chulainn; set ~1st century BCE (e.g., Táin Bó Cúailnge).
Fenian Cycle:
Adventures of Fionn mac Cumhaill and the Fianna warriors (e.g., Acallam na Senórach).
Mythological Cycle
Gods, invasions, and pre-Christian myths (e.g., Lebor Gabála Érenn).
Groups
The Lebor Gabála tells of Ireland being settled six groups of people:
Mil and the Milesians
IN irish Myth:
Nel weds Scota no Mil, but thats before they get to ireland.
4 of the sons of Mil take ireland
1. Éber Finn - Munster
2. Érimón -Connacht, Leinster
3. Ír - Ulster
4. Amergin - No region. He was a druid
Kings’ Cycle
Semi-historical kings and high kings of Tara (e.g., Buile Shuibhne).
Annals of Ulster
(431 AD to 1540 AD.)
Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland/Four master
The annals are mainly a compilation of earlier annals, although there is some original work. They were compiled between 1632 and 1636,
The entries span from the Flood dated as 2,242 after biblical creation of the world - to AD 1616
Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib
Significance of Saint Michael to Irish Gaels
Description of Saint Michael in the Bible
Conflation with Irish Pagan Figures
Why were people Taken
To serve as servants or workers in their otherworldly realm (sewing)
To breed with humans and maintain genetic diversity
As punishment for human transgressions
Young Women and Children: These groups were particularly vulnerable. Pregnant women and unbaptized children
Disrespect or Lack of Proper Reverence:
Being in Fairy Territories
Beauty and Special Qualities
Customs
Turn your coat inside out, so that Si dont recognise you (not quite sure the details, think I got it from RTE radio doc ““
Gods and Godesses
Name
Summary Aspects
Éire
- Personification of Ireland
- Associated with sovereignty and the land
- Often depicted as a goddess of fertility and abundance
- Represents the spirit of the Irish people
- Name used in the modern term “Éire” for Ireland
Brigid
- Goddess of poetry, healing, and fertility
- Associated with fire and the hearth
- Celebrated during Imbolc, a festival of spring
- Patroness of smiths and artisans
- Often depicted as a triple goddess
Danu
- Mother goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann
- Represents the earth and fertility
- Associated with rivers and water
- Considered the source of wisdom and knowledge
- Name linked to the river Danube
Morrigan
- Goddess of war, fate, and sovereignty
- Often depicted as a crow or raven
- Represents the darker aspects of battle and death
- Associated with prophecy and the battlefield
- Can appear as a triple goddess (Morrígan)
Aine
- Goddess of love, summer, and fertility
- Associated with the sun and the harvest
- Often linked to the fairy realm
- Represents the power of female sexuality
- Celebrated in folklore as a protector of women
Fódla
- One of the goddesses of sovereignty
- Associated with the land and its protection
- Often depicted as a wise and powerful figure
- Name also used in the context of ancient Ireland
- Represents the connection between the people and the land
Crum Cruach
Crom Dubh
linked to agricultural fertility and is sometimes depicted as a more benevolent figure, whereas Crum Cruach is more directly associated
There are no rows in this table
Brigid/ Bridget
Daughter of the Dagda
Was the originator of “Keening” when her son Ruadán dies.
Godess of
Mythical Lands in old irish
Other names for the Otherworld include Tír Tairngire ('Land of Promise'/'Promised Land'),[5][11] Tír fo Thuinn ('Land under the Wave'),[5] ('Plain of Delight'/'Delightful Plain'),[5] Ildathach ('Multicoloured Place'),[12] and ('Isle of Apple Trees').
Fairies
Leanan sídhe 
Last edited: Sat, Mar 28, 2026
The leannán sídhe (Irish: [ˈl̠ʲan̪ˠaːnˠ ˈʃiː]; lit. 'fairy lover'; Scottish Gaelic: leannan sìth, Manx: lhiannan shee) is a figure from Irish folklore. She is depicted as a beautiful woman of the Aos Sí ("people of the fairy mounds") who takes a human lover. Lovers of the leannán sídhe are said to live brief, though highly inspired, lives. The name comes from the Gaelic words for a sweetheart or lover and the term for inhabitants of fairy mounds (fairy). While the leannán sídhe is most often depicted as a female fairy, there is at least one reference to a male leannán sídhe troubling a mortal woman.
A version of the myth was popularized during the Celtic Revival in the late 19th-century. The leannán sídhe is mentioned by Jane Wilde, writing as "Speranza", in her 1887 Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms and Superstitions of Ireland. W. B. Yeats popularized his own 'newly-ancient' version of the leannán sídhe, emphasizing the spirit's almost vampiric tendencies. As he imagined it, the leannán sídhe is depicted as a beautiful muse who offers inspiration to an artist in exchange for their love and devotion; although the supernatural affair leads to madness and eventual death for the artist:
The Leanhaun Shee (fairy mistress) seeks the love of mortals. If they refuse, she must be their slave; if they consent, they are hers, and can only escape by finding another to take their place. The fairy lives on their life, and they waste away. Death is no escape from her. She is the Gaelic muse, for she gives inspiration to those she persecutes. The Gaelic poets die young, for she is restless, and will not let them remain long on earth—this malignant phantom.
en.wikipedia.org
/Tuatha De Danann
Song or a story about Fairy who appears to her husband on the way to Dublin. (think it's from the book “The good people”......I’ll have to look this up..I think the fairy Tempted him..he refused..the fairy turns out to be his real wife....he had been living with a changeling.
Psilocybin in Irish Religion (Both of these are on my Drive)
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