The real “terminus post quem” the earliest possible date for Irish mythology is later than people think. Thats a problem for celtic pagans who converted from religions ‘of the book’ like Christianity, Islam and Judaism, who might feel the need to quote a religious text.

Irish Mythology: The real date of our mythology

We have some myths that we date to the 7th century based on the old language used, but the bulk are after the Carolingian literary renaissance, some are from the 12th, and a lot from the 16th century. Those ones are roughly contemporary with Shakespeare.

When our writers add to stories they’re called “recensions,” and when they write prequels they’re called “remscéla.” When they create sequels they’re called íarscéla.”

Irish Mythology: How to know the date of a story.

As a rule of thumb a way for a lay-person to see if a story existed in the 12th century, or comes from the 16th century without having to look at the unique motifs used at the time to figure it out. Is to look at our two tale lists one is from the 12th c book of Leinster and another is from the 16th c TCD MS 1336.

To save anyone the trouble of trying to find those manuscripts, I’ve added a book from Prionsias mac Cana that has both of the list to the library. It’s linked at the end of this post.

Irish Mythology: its value in Irish paganism.

For Irish paganism it means Irish mythology is not a Bible that explains the theology of pagan beliefs. Mythology is not based on religious stories whispered into monks ears by Druids and Poets. Irish Mythology is our vernacular literature, an expression of our indigenous high culture prior to the British colony. One far older and historically a lot more influential than British literature.

It allows us to see how people understood the world at the time the stories were written. To take some of their pre-colonial beliefs, and add them to our experiences with the supernatural today, to let us express Irish paganism within the framework of our folklore. Facilitating that is why this site exists.

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Clarke, Michael. 2015. “The Leabhar gabhála and Carolingian Origin Legends.” In Early medieval Ireland and Europe: Chronology, contacts, scholarship. A Festschrift for Dáibhí Ó Cróinín, edited by Pádraic Moran and Immo Warntjes, 441–479.

Mac Cana, Proinsias. 1980. The Learned Tales of Medieval Ireland. Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. pp 41-65.

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