The Irish mythological cycle can be divided into four major divisions. The first is the historical-mythological cycle. Two important texts are part of this cycle: the Leabhar Gahbala (Book of Invasions), a mythological history of Ireland; and the Dinnshenchas (History of Places), a mythological geography of Ireland.
The main theme in the historical-mythological cycle
concerns the peopling of Ireland and the fortunes of the
Tuatha De Danann (People of the Goddess Danann), who were
the mythological ancestors of the Irish.
In the historical-mythological cycle the story of the
predecessors of the Irish settlement is told. The first
group to come to Ireland is led by a woman, Cesair; the
majority of her group is composed of women. This group
arrives before the great flood, and all are destroyed in
the flood except one, Fintan, who in the form of a salmon,
eagle, or hawk witnesses all of the later settlements.
Fintan is the patron of the traditional lore and
storytelling. The next group is led by Partholan, but he
and all of his people die in a plague. A third group is
led by Nemed; after suffering many vicissitudes, this
group divides into three parts and abandons Ireland. Two
of these groups, the Fir Bolg (Bolg Men) and the Tuatha De
Danann (People of the Goddess Danann), occupy the
subsequent history. The Fir Bolg return to Ireland, which
they divide into the five provinces of Ulster, Leinster,
Munster, Connacht, and Meath; they also introduce
kingship. When the Tuatha De Danann arrive, warfare ensues
over possession of the land. One tradition states that
after the First Battle of Mag Tuired, the Fir Bolg and
Tuatha De Danann make peace and agree to live together in
harmony.
The Tuatha are described as demigods; they are beautiful
people, possessed with skill in music and the arts. They
are always spoken about within a context of fabulous
magical powers and wonders, which define the essence of
their manifestation. A central theme in the myth of the
Tuatha is that of the Second Battle of Mag Tuired. During
the First Battle of Mag Tuired the king of the Tuatha,
Nuada, is wounded. Because he is now physically blemished,
he can no longer serve as king. The kingship is then given
to his adopted son, Bres. Bres's father is a king of the
Fomoire, a group of people with whom Nemed and his people
had fought in previous times. Bres's mother, Eriu, is,
however, a Tuatha. The choice of Bres is apparently an
attempt to accomplish an alliance between the Tuatha and
the Fomoire.
Bres, however, demands severe tribute from the Tuatha and
persecutes them in many ways. A champion, Lug, arises from
among the Tuatha; Lug is a master of all the arts of magic
and warfare. Meanwhile Nuada, the blemished king, is
restored to his kingship after he has been equipped with a
silver arm. Nuada takes counsel with Lug, Dagda, the great
god with the magic cauldron, and others concerning the
preparations for warfare with the Fomoire. When the battle
finally takes place, the Tuatha who are slain in the
fighting are magically restored to life. Lug also uses
magic to vanquish Balar "of the baleful eye." The Fomoire
are routed. The life of the captured Bres is spared when
he promises to advise on the proper times for sowing and
reaping. Unlike similar battles in other Indo-European
mythologies, the Second Battle of Mag Tuired does not end
in a reconciliation and fusion of the two parties. The
skills imparted by Bres, however, serve the same function
of completing the functions needed in settled society.
The Tuatha are themselves later defeated by the Sons of
Mil, the immediate ancestors of the Irish people. The
Tuatha are said now to live in the underground of Ireland,
in the fairy regions, where the fairies are subject to them.
The second division is the Ulster cycle. These myths are
stories of the warriors of King
Conchobar. The themes of those of honor and prestige
revolve around heroic deeds and the hero Cu Chulainn (or
Cuchulainn).
In the Ulster cycle the heroic accomplishments of Cuchulain
are related. Cuchulain in some versions is said to be a
foster child of Ulster, and in some respects his character
is modeled on that of Lug of the historical-mythological
cycle. He is described as a small black-browed man,
beardless and full of gaiety. When he is in battle a
remarkable change comes over him; he increases in size,
and his body trembles and whirls about inside of his skin
so that his frontal features are turned to the rear. He
can draw one of his eyes back into his head, and his hair
bristles on end, with a drop of blood on the end of each
hair. When he is in a warrior frenzy he attacks anyone in
the vicinity, friend and foe alike.
The third division is that of Fenian. The
Fenian Cycle recounts the exploits of Finn Mac Cumhail and
his companions and deals with the cult and institution of
warriors.
The last division deals with the institution and
founding of the great and lesser kings of Ireland.