Welcome to the realm of Medieval Irish Poetry. What will you will soon find is just a glimpse into the vast and rich culture of Ireland between the 6th Century and 15th Century. It is a world of mythology, where heroes are immortalized and battles are remembered. Many people instantly think about the Vikings, and while they did come to Ireland during the 9th and 10th Centuries, the Irish Culture is extremely independent from the Norse. The Irish had long established their own culture, with their own mythology, their own society, their own language.
The Irish Language has an interesting development, which will be elaborated later. Everyone can tell you the Irish spoke Gaelic. This, however, is a common misconception. There is actually no language that is specifically called "Gaelic". Gaelic better refers to the Goidelic Group of Languages, to which three modern languages belong: Irish (Gaeilge), Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig), and Manx (Gaelg). While there are many similarities between these languages, they are distinct. The Goidelic Languages were dominant in Ireland and Scotland through majority of their history, especially during the Medieval Period.
Irish Mythology often dramatizes many actual events in history. The four cycles - The Mythological Cycle, The Historical Cycle, The Ulser Cycle, and The Fenian Cycles - encompass much of Irish Mythology. The religious concepts and meaning were lost to the Christianity conversion, but most of the mythology itself has been preserved through the Cycles and a few other small folk tales. All the mythology was written as poetry, like a great deal of mythology, and gives a good insight into society and history of the Irish Culture. Also, a more in depth look as to who these poets were.
So welcome to Medieval Irish Poetry, and check back soon for more exploration into this interesting and unique segment of Celtic culture.
