Over at r/AYearOfMythology we are getting ready to start our final section of Celtic mythology for 2025, the Irish mythology section. During the next few months, we will be reading ‘Early Irish Myths and Sagas’ by Jeffrey Gantz, ‘The Tain’(also known as ‘Táin Bó Cúailnge’), and W.B Yeats’ book ‘Irish Fairytales and Folklore’.
Though not exhaustive, these texts cover both early and later Irish myths within the lager Celtic mythology sphere. ‘Early Irish Myths and Sagas’ and ‘The Tain’ cover a large section of what is known as the ‘Ulster Cycle’ within the mythos. These stories focus on heroes, gods and wars and can be compared to works like Homer’s Iliad.
On the other side of things, W.B. Yeats' book, based on orally passed down tales, was written during the final years of British colonialization in Ireland. His book is filled with fairies and mythical creatures and may offer the reader a glimpse of how a culture can endure under the pressures of an empire.
Additionally, we will be voting on what mythology we will be reading in 2026 over the next few months. If you are interested in joining us in the future you may want to keep an eye out for that.
Reading Schedule:
Early Irish Myths and Sagas by Jeffrey Gantz- August 10 – September 6
- Start Date: 10/08/25
- Week 1 – "The Wooing of Etain" and "The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel" – 16/08/25
- Week 2 – "The Dream of Oengus" to end of "The Birth of Cu Chulaind" – 23/08/25
- Week 3 – "The Boyhood Deeds of Cu Chulaind" to end of "The Tale of Macc Da Tho's Pig" – 30/08/25
- Week 4 – "The Intoxication of the Ulaid" to end of "The Exile of the Sons of Uisliu" – 06/09/25
Tain Bo Cuailnge (The Tain) – September 7 – October 4
- Start Date: 07/09/25
- Week 1 – "The Pillow Talk and Its Outcome" to end of "The Boyhood Deeds of Cu Chulainn" – 13/09/25
- Week 2 – "Guerrilla Tactics" to end of "The Great Slaughter" – 20/09/25
- Week 3 – "The Combat of Cu Chulainn and Fer Diad" to end of "The Multiple Wounds of Cethern" – 27/09/25
- Week 4 – "Skirmishing" to end of "The Final Battle" – 04/10/25
Irish Fairytales and Folklore by W.B. Yeats – October 5 – November 22 (full schedule tbc)
Once we finish ‘Irish Fairytales and Folklore’ we will be closing the year with our final, and kind of miscellaneous, read – Beowulf.
by epiphanyshearld