Story Archaeology
119 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 57 ratingsStory Archaeology combines the knowledge and skills of the storyteller with academic exploration of ancient texts. The main focus is the Irish tradition but at https://storyarchaeology.com, you will find an archive of podcast articles, stories and translations as well as new podcast conversations with people from around the world who have ‘Stories in the Landscape’ to share.
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Episodes
A Conversation with Anthony Murphy
April 25, 2024 11:15 - 1 hour - 97.3 MBNewgrange at Twilight ~ Anthony Murphy Anthony Murphy, is an author, journalist, astronomer and photographer. He also curates the wondeful Mythical Ireland website. Join Chris and Anthony as they explore how Irish mythological stories, supported by recent evidence from genertics, seem to reflect the remarkable story of both neolithic and bronze age Ireland. This is a slightly longer 'Conversation in the Landscape' than usual but why not? There is so much to explore in this fascinating ...
Chris Ramble 9: An Irish Winter Solstice Journey
December 30, 2023 20:42 - 47 minutes - 65.8 MBGrianstad an Gheimhridh, the winter solstice is that special moment when the year turns and the hours of daylight, begin slowly to increase. This time of year has long been a cause for reflection and celebration. So, join Chris on yet another ramble, as she explores an Irish Winter Solstice journey. Links for this episode Links on Story Archaeology The Craneskin Bag A Christmas card from the Archaeologists. Extolling the Holly A Satirical Tale of Extreme Gastronomy Fair’s Fair The...
Celebrating Professor Ralph Kenna
November 02, 2023 20:40 - 3 minutes - 4.42 MBProfessor Ralph Kenna As many friends of Story Archaeology will now have heard, Professor Ralph Kenna passed away and left the world we know, last Thursday. I received the sad news from his wife, Claire, last Friday. It is so very sad that it has taken me a few days to feel ready to write this post. I will stay in touch with Claire, and have sent her my deepest condolences but if any of you wish to leave a message of sympathy below I will willingly forward it on to his family. You can also...
Chris’ Ramble 8: A Story for our Times
November 01, 2023 14:22 - 42 minutes - 58.9 MBThe Táin Bó Cúailnge is an dramatic epic well worth the telling but with some challenging themes including broken loyalties and friendships with destruction laid on the land, for the sake of status and honour. Join Chris as she explores the telling of the tales and encounters a fresh resonance for our times. Links for this episode For podcast episodes and related articles on The boyhood deeds of Cú Chulainn, his training with Scathach, the birthpangs of Ulster, and more. For the p...
A new conversation with Jamie Madden: The Writing of the Takings
September 11, 2023 20:12 - 11 minutes - 15.6 MBThe The Lebor Gabála tells of a series of mythical Irish migration stories, which can be traced back to a very early date. Its history is somewhat complex and, although fascinating, it is not an 'easy read'. So, join Chris and Jamie as they share Jamie's new telling. 'The Writing of The Takings'. Jamie has created an entertaining and highly amusing interpretation, which gets to the heart of how and why these mythical migration stories were so valued. Read the full version of The Writing ...
Chris’ Ramble 7: What’s in a Name?
September 07, 2023 20:30 - 27 minutes - 37.8 MBCulture heroes, ancestor figures, genii loci, gods and godesses ... Can all, or indeed, any of these terms be useful in defining some favourite characters in Irish mythology, Join Chris as she takes a walk throuh a forest of stories on a light hearted search for hidden identities. Links for this episode I have referenced a wide variety of stories over the route of this ramble. I would recommend exploring the Story Archaeology archive where you will find links to all these stories. H...
A Conversation with ÉIRÍ winner, Kate Lionis
August 14, 2023 09:31 - 27 minutes - 38 MBThe Morrigan by Kate Lionis Meet Kate Lionis one of the seven adult winners of the ÉIRÍ art competition and project. So, join Chris and Kate as they discuss, the many creative possiblities of digitally enhanced photography, the enviromental relevance of Australian indigenous stories and share the colours, light, and scents of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales. This is one of a series of shorter ‘Stories in the Landscape’ conversations to celebrate the 2023 ÉIRÍ Evoking Irelands Resil...
An Immráma Voyage with Jamie Madden
August 07, 2023 09:00 - 36 minutes - 50.4 MBClick to view the complete Immram Brig Bostúin What if Brigid had undertaken her own Immrám? Join Chris and Jamie as they explore James' Immrám Brig Bostún, an Irish Mythology Collage, in which he garners stories from Irish mtyhology and folklore, to curate a remarkable Immrám voyage for Brigid, taking her to the coastal islands of Boston and Cape Cod; a reflection on the more recent journies of the Diaspóra na nGael. Jamie, from Boston but now living in Seattle, is not only a story ...
A Conversation with ÉIRÍ winner, Louise Shine
July 29, 2023 11:22 - 26 minutes - 36.5 MBMeet Louise Shine, one of the seven adult winners of the ÉIRÍ art competition and project. So, join Chris and Ruth as they discuss, the importance of creativity in art and education, explore art and technology as well as the way in which women from Irish mythology can still speak powerfully to current issues. This is one of a series of shorter ‘Stories in the Landscape’ conversations to celebrate the 2023 ÉIRÍ Evoking Irelands Resilient Female Icons competition and continuing project. Each...
A Conversation with ÉIRÍ winner, Lee Fenlon
July 17, 2023 10:57 - 24 minutes - 33.2 MBBóand by Lee Fenlon Meet Lee Fenlon, one of the seven adult winners of the ÉIRÍ art competition and project. Now, join Chris and Lee as they discuss, what can be acheived in leaded glass and ceramic mosaic work , how Sinann has been treated in Athlone as well as stories of Boand and the Boyne. This is one of a series of shorter 'Stories in the Landscape' conversations to celebrate the 2023 ÉIRÍ Evoking Irelands Resilient Female Icons competition and continuing project. Each of the ...
A Conversation with ÉIRÍ winner, Ruth Egan
July 16, 2023 13:36 - 27 minutes - 38.2 MBRuth Egan Meet Ruth Egan, one of the seven adult winners of the ÉIRÍ art competition and project. So, join Chris and Ruth as they discuss, art, mthology and the importance of listening to the stories told by your grandmothers. This is one of a series of shorter 'Stories in the Landscape' conversations to celebrate the 2023 ÉIRÍ Evoking Irelands Resilient Female Icons competition and continuing project. Each of the winners takes a very different approach to the rich treasure of Irish myth...
Chris’ Ramble 6: Just how old are Irish Stories?
June 12, 2023 12:25 - 22 minutes - 31.3 MBSo how old are the Irish stories? Come to think of it what exactly is meant by old, or medieval or any of the other terms so frequently used to describe mythological stories, and... does it matter? Join Chris as she follows a familiar route and sets up a few indicative, and hopefully useful, signposts along the way. Links for this episode These rambles are not intended as fully footnoted articles. They are intended more as observations, thoughts while out walking, if I attach my favou...
A Conversation with Nicola Bowes and Rosemary Carty.
May 03, 2023 20:18 - 34 minutes - 47.4 MBNicola and Rosemary are both gifted artists from the Celtic Eye artists group who have all come together to draw on their talents to create some inspiring and innovative landscape and environmental projects. Join Chris, Nicola, and Rosemary as they talk about about the wide scope of some of Celtic Eye's impressive and on-going, still growing, projects as well as getting to discuss 'art in the landscape'. Links for this episode Introducing Celtic Eye Celebrating A Very Special La...
Chris’ Ramble 5: The Landscape of Stories
April 10, 2023 12:44 - 16 minutes - 23.3 MBThis ramble, begun in Queensland, Australia and completed in Leitrim, Ireland. begins to explore the ways in which the environment in which the stories were told may change elements creating the tale. And, no, I didn't walk all the way! Loughnashade trumpet This ramble was a long time in the making, begun in late January in Brisbane and picked up again at the start of April. It is a big topic and I am very aware that I have hardly scratched the surface. I would be interested in your v...
A Conversation with Shona Macdonald
April 07, 2023 12:06 - 39 minutes - 54.6 MBShona is a talented artist and illustrator who tells stories through images. Join Chris and Shona as they explore some of the wonderful women characters to be found in the world of Irish story, and even try out a path to a most perplexing library. https://youtu.be/KM-v6StvTc4 Watch Shona's animation- The Forest of Cake. Brig Fand The Library of Perplexing Perplexities A Game for Etain. View more of Shona's work on her own website.
Chris’ Ramble 4: Walking with Sheela-na-gigs
December 18, 2022 12:00 - 19 minutes - 13 MBSacrumProfanum by Benjamin Dwyer is an exploration of the Sheela-Na-gig through music. Join Chris as she encounters this profound and poetic experience out walking her local landscape accompanied by Sheela-na- gigs. Music for this episode: Lamentum from SacrumProfanum by kind permision of Benjamin Dwyer https://www.farpointrecordings.com/product-page/benjamin-dwyer-sacrumprofanum https://benjamindwyer.bandcamp.com/album/sacrumprofanum Listen to the podcast episode 'A Conversation wi...
A Conversation with Professor Benjamin Dwyer
December 17, 2022 20:08 - 46 minutes - 33.8 MBJoin Chris as she shares a conversation with Professor Benjamin Dwyer. Ben is a prolific Irish performer and composer as well as an educator. He is currently Professor of Music at Middlesex University. SacrumProfanum is Ben's thought provoking musical exploration of the enigmatic Sheela-na-gigs as watchers and witnesses of a thousand years of Irish history. Opening music for this episode: Lamentum from SacrumProfanum by kind permision of Benjamin Dwyer. Late medieval harp played by Siobhán...
Chris’ Ramble 3: Is This Not a Story Worth the Telling?
November 05, 2022 12:31 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBJoin Chris on her ramble through the landscape of early Irish story and discover why many of the best stories contain the environmental messages which are still highly relevant today. Moytura 2000 Links for this ramble. Circling the Táin: seven Story Archaeology podcast episodes. Cath Maige Tuired: six Story Archaeology podcast episodes. Stories in the Landscape Conversations: A conversation with Professor Patrick Nunn. Moytura 2000
Scottish and Irish ‘landscape’ stories: with Professor Patrick Nunn
October 20, 2022 21:13 - 9 minutes - 5.43 MBThe Isle of Harris. Yes, the sea can be this blue! Every community has folk tales to share, but do some of these stories encode ancient memories of climate change? This short podcast conversation with Professor Nunn focuses on stories from the North west coast of Ireland and Scotland that may have been told far longer than we might imagine. Listen, and then discover more in Professor Nunn's recent paper 'First a wudd, and syne a sea:' recently published in the Scottish Geographical Journal....
A Conversation with Professor Patrick Nunn
September 25, 2022 19:38 - 1 hour - 34.8 MBPatrick Nunn is the Professor of Geography at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. He is a leading climate change scientist, author, and a specialist on how stories from oral traditions may have encoded memories of geological and oceanic change from around seven thousand years ago. Join Chris and Patrick as they discuss, remarkable oral story transmission, illustrated by 'climate change' stories from Australia, the Pacific Islands, and, Ireland. And, at last, I get ...
Chris’ Ramble 2: David and Goliath, Meet Lugh and Balor
September 06, 2022 15:40 - 18 minutes - 13.3 MBSome reflections on a journey to discover Irish stories. Join Chris as she explores Irish oral story transmission and wonders if even stories sometimes need careful map makers to prevent them them from being lost. Links for this episode If you would like to find out more about the infamous Giraldus Cambrensis Find out about his 'map making'. Find out a bit more about his opinion on Ireland Or just join in and tell him yourself! Read Edge of Memory: The Geology of Folk Tales and Cl...
A new conversation with Professor Ralph Kenna
August 29, 2022 09:41 - 32 minutes - 24 MBJoin Chris and Ralph, professor of Statistical Physics and enthusiastic comparative mythologist, as they enjoy discussing the ongoing ÉIRÍ project, 'Evoking Ireland's Resiliant female Icons', and discover how you, too, can add to some exciting and unusual research as well as discovering more about Ralph's upcoming Myths and Maths projects. Links for this episode. Find out how to enter the arts competion and add your own research. Read the articles from the Irish Post. Support pac...
Chris’ Ramble 1: Mercator the map maker and the Tuatha Dé Danann
August 12, 2022 16:30 - 14 minutes - 11 MBFind out more about these new posts, 'Chris' Rambles'. Join Chris as she sets off, aided by an unusual sixteenth century map, encounters an excentric English polymath with big ambitions, and with the help of a medieval Irish monk, discovers a fresh view of the arrival of the Tuatha Dé Danann. And a good ramble is always best shared so please feel free to join in. Supporting links for this episode. Explore the map in an easily searchable format The Beauty of Maps: The programmes are...
A Conversation with Ann Gerety Smyth
July 31, 2022 17:06 - 51 minutes - 32.7 MBby Éamonn O'Doherty. Ardagh hill, in County Longford, Ireland is a very special 'Stories in the Landscape' location. This is the legendary Bri Leith, where much of the Tocmarc Étaíne is set. The Ardagh Heritage and Creative Centre, managed by story teller and educator, Ann and her colleague Annette, nestles at the foot of this beautiful hill. Join Chris and Ann,as they explore the centre, and how to best present and adapt the, complex, Tocmarc Étaíne for a modern audience. ‘ÉIRÍ’ An...
A Conversation with Jamie Madden
June 27, 2022 09:12 - 1 hour - 41.9 MBThe Irish Dindshenchas The Lore of Prominent Places are a collection of origin stories which celebrate stories in the landscape. Yet, could they also inspire creative approaches to town planning? Join Chris and Jamie, a storyteller, genealogist and town planner, originally from Boston and now living in Seattle, as, together, they explore the broad and exciting scope of dindshenchas style stories. mage of the rear of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and the Cathedral Public Housing deve...
A Conversation with Clare Millege
May 25, 2022 11:38 - 48 minutes - 34.4 MBClare Millege Join Chris and Clare, an artist from Sydney Australia, and an eloquant exponant of the art of landscape stories, as they discuss, art, ecology, the Australian landscape and, especially, Clare's recent installation Imbás: a well at the bottom of the sea at the Sydney Biennale 22. Take the opportunity to explore the installation as Clare leads us on a very special artist's personal walk, through the exhibiton. View gallery Images and reviews 'Taste' the soundscape under...
A Conversation with Professor Ralph Kenna
April 21, 2022 19:45 - 41 minutes - 57.6 MBLee Fenlon The second of a new Series of Story Archaeology podcast conversations on mythology and its 'Stories in the Landscape'. Join Chris and Ralph, professor of Statistical Physics and enthusiastic comaparative mythologist, as they discuss the remakable possibilities of applying socio-physics to epic myth cycles;take an appreciative retrospective look at the International 'Arts for Sinann' competition which took place last year; and explore the exciting prospects of a new Art...
A Conversation with Daniel Curley
March 10, 2022 11:35 - 40 minutes - 55.1 MBThe first of a new Series of Story Archaeology podcast conversations on mythology and its 'Stories in the Landscape'. Join Chris and Daniel, archaeologist and manager of the Rathcroghan Visitor Centre as they discuss Cruachan Aí,the royal home of of Medb, Ailill and the Finnbhennach, the white bull of Connacht. Yet,this famous setting forms only one level in the rich archaeological 'Stories in the Landscape' of Roscommon. Take a 'virtual visit' to the Visitor Centre Find out about ...
More Questions answered from the Story Archaeologists
July 14, 2020 14:02 - 1 hour - 84.8 MBJoin the Story archaeologists as they attempt to catch up and answer some of the questions that you have been asking. This Q&A session covers the topic of fír flathemon , 'The truth of the king' and delves into the complexities of the text, Lebor Gabála Érenn, the 'Book of the Taking of Ireland'. We also return to the strange phenomenon of the Morrigan's Mono-horse.
Stories and Activities with Children 4: The Two Poet Pig-keepers
April 18, 2020 12:46 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MBThis audio story is one of the many stories that circle around the great Táin Bó Cúailnge , The cattle raid of Cooley. It is not a well known story but it is important as it is really the 'origin' story for the whole cycle. It is also a great tale and explains a lot! The story has been included because it emphasises the importance of the storyteller-poets and can be enjoyed in conjunction with the become an Irish Hero Poet activity sheets. Have fun together. Or go to the podcast episode a...
Stories and Activities with Children 5: The Two Poet Pig-keepers
April 18, 2020 12:46 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MBThis audio story is one of the many stories that circle around the great Táin Bó Cúailnge , The cattle raid of Cooley. It is not a well known story but it is important as it is really the 'origin' story for the whole cycle. It is also a great tale and explains a lot! The story has been included because it emphasises the importance of the storyteller-poets and can be enjoyed in conjunction with the become an Irish Hero Poet activity sheets. Have fun together. Or go to the podcast episode a...
Stories and Activities for Children 1: Bricriu’s Feast
April 14, 2020 19:38 - 54 minutes - 54.1 MBBricriu's Feast his story has everything It has a king who gets someone else to solve his own problems. It has warriors who are determined to have adventures and show off to the MAX, It has giants, water monsters, fearsome cats from an Otherworld cave and more. There is also a VERY BIG AXE! The story comes from a very old story called Fled Bricrenn. I haven’t told it all but I have included all the best bits! Because it is a very long story I have divided it into four parts, each around...
The Cats of Cruachan ~ an short animated film
June 25, 2019 10:11 - 6 minutes - 41.6 MB VideoThis time last year, I was struggling with what felt like an impossible task. I was asked to come up with a scripted screenplay for the Rathcroghan Visitor Centre, Roscommon. This short animation was commissioned by Nollaig Feeney, the Roscommon Heritage Officer and was a direct outcome of the Schools workshops undertaken in the county in support of the annual Tain March event. (I will be writing about this event in a subsequent post.) I was keen to tell part of the Fled Bricrenn story. The...
Medb: Conquests and Consequences
March 10, 2019 12:00 - 45 minutes - 46.7 MBMedb, Queen of Connacht, is rightly renowned in Irish legend and mythology, as a strong and influential woman leader. Her centre of power, Cruachan Ai, is still recognised as one of the most important Iron-age sites in Ireland. Medb lead her people in her own name and by her own right. She was a strong woman in a society largely dominated by strong men. She fought hard to maintain the high status of her rule throughout her long life but the choices she made, as always happens, had consequenc...
Telling Stories : Continuing the Oral Tradition
February 28, 2019 16:05 - 36 minutes - 37.1 MBJoin Chris Thompson as she takes a story-teller's view of the old Irish stories. Who told them and why were they so memorable. In this audio article, Chris celebrates the old stories and explores the challenges in telling them today. For those who have asked me for ideas and advice on story telling generally, I am going to be devoting a section of my upcoming Patreon site 'Sinann's Well' to this subject. References and Links Oral Tradition Theory While there are a great many experts wh...
The Dagda’s Cauldron ~ A Seasonal Special!
December 20, 2018 14:10 - 33 minutes - 34.9 MBThe Dagda with his cauldron of abundance, from which none leave unsatisfied, epitomises the deep and ancient yearning we feel for mid-winter indulgence and good company. It may be that the cauldron had more to offer than just a solid meal. Join Chris, from the Story Archaeologists, as she dips into this extravagant cooking pot. This audio article is based on a piece published in the new book Harp, Club and Cauldron: A harvest of Knowledge published by Eel and Otter Press. It is an entranc...
Some questions answered by The Story Archaeologists
November 25, 2018 19:18 - 1 hour - 61.8 MBWe regularly receive questions from listeners and readers. We try to answer them as soon as we can but many are well worth exploring in more detail. Here we discuss just three. Firstly there is the problem of 'coir', a word that we use regularly in episodes to express an important but complex concept. Another term we frequently use is 'poet' to cover a number of similar roles in early Irish society. In this discussion, Isolde gets to explain about the many grades of poet that existed, File,...
The Mysteries of Midir: a Samhain Special
November 04, 2018 21:37 - 32 minutes - 33.1 MBIsolde_recording What did happen to Midir? Why does he appear in so few stories? It is a mystery. A murder mystery? Could be. Certainly Midir's reputation was usurped and he, himself, seems to have been, effectively, 'disappeared! For a more 'in depth' examination of this topic go to: In Search of Midir or In Search of Manannán This short recording was originally made for an on-line conference hosted by Vyviane Armstrong. The weekend conference was entitled "Tuatha Dé Danann. Our Tri...
The Otherworld and How to Get There!
September 17, 2018 21:43 - 55 minutes - 39.4 MBWilliam Robinson: Tallanbanna with cloud front. 1988 So many of the old Irish stories tell of an Otherworld that lies so close to our own. If you want to discover what the stories have to say about getting there, what you might find when you arrive, and when, or if, you might return, then join Chris in this audio-article exploration. Apologies for the quality of recording in Isolde's opening message. When we have fully implemented the new recording set-up, allowing effective recording wh...
Circling the Tain: 07 – The Pig and The Hound
October 30, 2017 20:30 - 1 hour - 59.9 MBThe briugu, Mac Dá Thó, is the proud owner of the marvelous hound, Ailbe. He also possesses a notorious pig. Now he finds himself faced with contending regional kings and their retinues of elite warriors, demanding the hound for themselves. Will serving up his gourmet pig at a grand feast save his bacon? Join the Story Archaeologists as they share the boasting and bragging from the best of the warriors of Ulster, and Connaught, and beyond. Read the text for yourself! Scéala Muicce Mac Dá T...
Women Warriors ~ The Training of Cú Chulainn
September 01, 2017 09:10 - 1 hour - 58.3 MBThe magnificent warrior women Scathach and Aife both play a major role in Cú Chulainn's future life and exploits but they are not the only women who actively engage with out young hero.. Join the Story Archaeologists as they attempt to come to terms with the number of dalliances and romantic interludes encountered by the young man on his ventures to Scathach's mysterious northern island in his quest to win his canny bride, Emer. Read the text for yourself! This episode discusses only the ...
Circling the Táin 06: Women Warriors ~ The Training of Cú Chulainn
September 01, 2017 09:10 - 1 hour - 58.3 MBThe magnificent warrior women Scathach and Aife both play a major role in Cú Chulainn's future life and exploits but they are not the only women who actively engage with out young hero.. Join the Story Archaeologists as they attempt to come to terms with the number of dalliances and romantic interludes encountered by the young man on his ventures to Scathach's mysterious northern island in his quest to win his canny bride, Emer. Read the text for yourself! This episode discusses only...
Circling the Táin 05: The Wooing of Emer ~ Cú Chulainn meets his match
July 27, 2017 11:23 - 1 hour - 45.9 MBCú Chulainn meets his match In this episode we get to meet the marvelous Emer, the woman who bests the young Cú Chulainn, at least, in terms of her sharp witted and far-sighted eloquence. Join the Story Archaeologists as we try to decode how Emer manages her young and unpredictable suitor and deals with her uncompromising father. Read the text for yourself! This episode discusses only the first part of this long text. The second half, where our hero goes to be trained in Alba, will form ...
The Wooing of Emer ~ Cú Chulainn meets his match
July 27, 2017 11:23 - 1 hour - 45.9 MBCú Chulainn meets his match In this episode we get to meet the marvelous Emer, the woman who bests the young Cú Chulainn, at least, in terms of her sharp witted and far-sighted eloquence. Join the Story Archaeologists as we try to decode how Emer manages her young and unpredictable suitor and deals with her uncompromising father. Read the text for yourself! This episode discusses only the first part of this long text. The second half, where our hero goes to be trained in Alba, will form the...
Circling the Táin 04: Harder, Faster, Stronger, Better – The Boyhood Deeds of Cú Chulainn
June 05, 2017 17:51 - 1 hour - 44.8 MBHarder, Faster, Stronger, Better! In this episode, we get to examine some remarkable exploits of one of the central figures in the Tain tradition: Cú Chulainn. We explore stories told by some of the characters who know the hero, remembering him as a child. Join the Story Archaeologists as we try to decide if the young Cú Chulainn can be considered a 'child prodigy' or merely a 'precocious brat'. Read the texts for yourself! Here are links to the texts and translations that we used for the...
Circling the Táin 03: The Birth Pangs of Ulster
May 04, 2017 20:04 - 1 hour - 61.8 MBIn this episode, we continue our exploration of the troublesome conceptions and births that stand behind much of the material of the Táin tradition. This time, we examine the births of the doomed Deirdre, the fated Cú Chulainn and re-re-visit the importance of Macha's story. Join the Story Archaeologists as we attempt to disentangle webs of prophecy and poor decision-making, and try to understand what all these little worms are about! Read the texts for yourself! Here are links to the text...
Circling The Tain 02: Portents and Prophecies
March 13, 2017 00:48 - 54 minutes - 125 MBThe richly interwoven stories that make up the Táin tradition contain a wide diversity of characters. There is much to explore. Even their back stories have back stories! In this episode, we explore the back stories of two such characters: the well-known Ulster king, Conchobar Mac Nessa, and the lesser-known Ulster hero, Conall Cernach. Join the Story Archaeologists in the first of two episodes that uncover the significance of a few portentous conceptions and births. Read the texts for ...
Winter Special 2016: Aisling MacConglinne – A Satirical Tale of Extreme Gastronomy
December 21, 2016 23:42 - 57 minutes - 131 MBThe Midwinter festival has been a time of over indulgence and conspicuous consumption for millenia! This year, we dig in to the Middle Irish story, Aisling MacConglinne, "The Vision of MacConglinne", a delicious debauch of extreme gastronomy.! Join the Story Archaeologists in a feast of fantastical food, with a generous side order of sumptuous satire. Read the full translated text here! Don’t forget to subscribe to get the latest posts! Related Articles will be posted in the days to com...
Circling the Tain 01: The Quarrel of the Two Swineherds (or “Where It All Began”)
November 25, 2016 21:09 - 48 minutes - 111 MBWelcome to Series 6, "Circling the Tain". In this series, we will delve into the fascinating web of stories making up the Tain tradition, with the Tain Bó Cúailnge, "The Cattle Raid of Cooley", at its core. We begin this exploration with the story of two talented swineherds and their shape-shifting,poetic quarrel. Join the Story Archaeologists as they begin to uncover just how much this entertaining story acts as a trailer for the complex of stories that make up the Tain tradition as a whole...
Series 5,episode 6: Encountering The Mórrígan
June 15, 2016 15:02 - 1 hour - 46 MBÚa na gCait The Morrigan, is a multi textured mythological figure, She may take the role of war correspondent, and diplomat and record keeper. She can be sensual, uncompromising and occasionally even downright scary but then, above all, she is the perfect exemplar of the poet's skill. Come an explore her fascinating complexity with the story archaeologists as they follow her track through the epic stories of the Táin bó Cuailnge and the Battle of Moytura. Links for this episode There is...