Irish Myths and Legends

Definition of a Myth
What is a Myth? A myth is considered to be a traditional story containing supernatural characters such as unicorns, dragons or gods. A myth is known as a 'True Story' as opposed to a fable which is considered a 'False Story'. Myths are strongly linked to religion and as such the characters and plots however unlikely are believed to be real and a true recount of the past.

Definition of a Legend
What is a Legend?  A Legend is a story which has been passed from one generation to another. The events of a legend are not verifiable through history. Legends are often associated with saints and the extraordinary lives they led, legends can also contain mythical characters and are often about mythical places. The Irish people are a nation of story tellers, they have a huge amount of magical legends relating to their ancestors, we have included a small selection below for you to read or print. Many of the characters from the selection of legends below will be familiar to most; Oisin and Fin MacCumhail for example but we have also included a selection of less familiar legends for you to enjoy.

Irish Myths - Mythology and Legends
The Celtic people are renowned for their love of stories and story telling. There are a huge number of famous legends associated with the Irish Celtic people. Tales such as The Children of Lir,  The Banshee and the land of eternal youth - Tir na n-Og are just a few examples of Irish myths. A selection of Celtic Myths are listed below, simply click on a link to read the full text of the story, many also include beautiful images. Read online, download to your ebook reader or print the story to read at a later date, an ideal choice for bedtime stories!

*** Irish Myths and Legends ***

The Shee an Gannon and the Grugach Gaire The Fisherman's Son and the Grugach of Tricks Fin MacCumhail and the Fenians of Erin in the Castle of Fear Dubh Fin MacCumhail and the Knight of the Full Axe Gilla na Grakin and Fin MacCumhail Fin MacCumhail The Seven Brothers and the King of France Fin MacCumhail and the Son of the King of Alba The Weaver's Don and the Giant of the White Hill The King of Erin and the Queen of the Lonesome Island The Three Daughters of the King of the East and the Son of a King in Erin The Son of the King of Erin and the Giant of Loch Lein The Story Of The Children Of Lir The Quest Of The Sons Of Turenn The Secret Of Labra King Lubdan And King Fergus The Carving Of Mac Datho's Boar The Vengeance Of Mesgedra The Story Of Etain And Midir How Ethne Quitted Fairyland Oisín In The Land Of Youth The Stolen Bride The Death Sign Birth of Fin MacCumhail The Three Daughters of King O'Hara Fair, Brown and Trembling Oisin in Tir Na N-Og The Thirteenth Son of the King of Erin Kil Arthur Cuculin Shaking-Head Black, Brown and Gray Connla And The Fairy Maiden Guleesh The Field Of Boliauns The Horned Women Conall Yellowclaw Hudden And Dudden And Donald O'Neary The Boyhood Of Finn Mac Cumhal The Coming Of Finn Finn's Chief Men The Tale Of Vivionn The Giantess The Chase Of The Gilla Dacar The Birth Of Oisín The Child's Dream

Irish Myths and Legends - Celtic Mythology
In Irish Mythology the Fomorians or Fomóraig were a race that were believed to inhabit the earth in ancient time before the gods, they included:

• Balor
• Banba
• Bres
• Buarainech
• Cethlenn
• Corb
• Elatha
• Ériu
• Ethlinn
• Fodla
• Tethra
  

Irish Myths and Legends  - Mythical Characters
The following are just a selection of supernatural creatures that appear in mythology, these amazing magical creatures are characters in Celtic Myths and Legends, browse the selection of stories included in this section to find out more!

• Dragons
• Unicorns
• Gods
• Sea Creatures
• Dwarfs
• Warriers
• Elves
• Giant
• Troll
• Mermaid
• Griffin

Irish Myths and Legends  - Mythology Tattoos
Mythological creatures are an ideal choice for a tattoos particularly for people of Irish or Celtic heritage, what better way to show pride in your roots or families heritage by having an image of an amazing magical creature for all to see? Browse through our selection of Celtic myths and legends, find a story you enjoy and perhaps print off one of the pictures to use for inspiration as your next tattoo design! We have also included a section about Celtic Symbols, these designs also make fantastic tattoos.