show notes s02 e03
Irish Mythology Podcast
Feabhra 18, 2021
Episode 13
The Wooing of Étain (Part 2): How Aengus Took Newgrange
Thank you for listening to this episode!
Here you’ll find our notes, links to research and some personal highlights from your hosts.
Welcome | fáilte
In this episode we hear about how Aengus finds out about his parentage and the subsequent problem that creates for his foster father Midir and his biological father, The Dagda. The three are compelled to come up with a way of tricking Elcmar out of his home so Aengus can take his birthright, without letting Elcmar find out that the Dagda is behind this. We ask:
- Was the Dagda more like Mercury or Jupiter?
- What historical events might have influenced the different ways this story was told?
- What was Aengus’s role in the old religion?
- What role does the ancient sport, Hurling play in Irish Mythology?
- Why was fosterage so common in Irish mythical tales?
Aengus believes he is the son of Midir, his foster father, but gets a rude awakening when a jealous Fir Bolg youth tells him otherwise. On finding out his father is actually The Dagda, the King in the Sidhe, he sets out to meet him and claim a Sidhe of his own. There’s one slight problem though; Someone already occupies the mound The Dagda had in mind for his son. That someone is the husband of Aengus’s mother, the one The Dagda had already duped when he had an affair with Boann.
A cautionary tale on why you should read the fine print of any contract.
Resources
- The Wooing of Étain
- Ireland’s Immortals, A History of the Gods of Irish Myth – Mark Williams
- Harp, Club and Cauldron, A Harvest of Knowledge (Lora O’Brien and Morpheus Ravenna ed)
- Brian Walshe’s blog (Song of Amergin)
- Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh Interview with commentary
- Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh making a ham sandwich.
- The Best of Hurling 2019 – GAA
Written, presented and produced by Marcas Ó hUiscín and Stephanie Ní Thiarnaigh.
Music – Celtic Warrior by Damiano Baldoni (licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 public licence
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
All sounds cc licence from freesound.org
Irish Mythology Podcast 