A Journey on the Path Less Traveled
TO THE ANCIENTS, THE MEANING OF THE STORY WAS MOST IMPORTANT, NOT THE LITERAL TRUTH OF THE DETAILS OF A CERTAIN VERSION OF A TALE.
Mythology (from the Greek ‘mythos’ for story-of-the-people, and ‘logos’ for word or speech, the spoken story of a people) is the study and interpretation of often sacred tales or fables of a culture known as ‘myths’ or the collection of such stories which usually deal with the human condition, good and evil, human origins, life and death, the afterlife, and the gods. Myths express the beliefs and values about these subjects held by a certain culture.
Myths tell the stories of ancestors and the origin of humans and the world, the gods, supernatural beings (satyrs, nymphs, mermaids) and heroes with super-human, usually god-given, powers (as in the case of Heracles or Perseus of the Greeks). Myths also describe origins or nuances of long-held customs or explain natural events such as the sunrise and sunset, the full moon or thunder and lightning storms.
Celtic Mythology 7: The Life of Cuchulainn: Epic Hero of Ireland With his divine connections, supernatural powers and a short but brilliant life, Cuchulainn was the epic hero par excellence. His mother, Dechtire, was the daughter of the druid Cathbad. …
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Celtic Myth 5: Finn and the Salmon of Knowledge The turning point in the life of the great warrior Finn Mac Cumhaill came at the age of seven when he apprenticed himself to a bard called Finnegas to learn poetry. …
Celtic Myth 4, The Washer at the Ford: Creepy and Gruesome Tales One common theme of Celtic myth is that of the Washer at the Ford. The war goddess who waited at the ford, sometimes in the form of …
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Celtic Myth 3: Taliesin and Elphin The nobleman who was said to have rescued the infant Taliesin was Prince Elphin, the nephew of Maelgwyn, king of Dyfed. Later, when Taliesin had become the prince’s court bard, he was able to …
Celtic Myth 2: the Birth of Taliesin, or Gwion Defeats Ceredwen and Afaggdu Taliesin was to become the greatest of all Welsh bards. In his famous work The Boast of Taliesin, the poet laid claim to omniscience. This Legend, which …
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