Irish myths made easier: Podcast and comics bring ancient tales to life

                      The Celtic Myth Podshow

If you’ve ever tried tackling a work of epic literature, from Beowulf to the Iliad, you may know that feeling of glazing over at the confusing web of characters and events that sprawl across the pages like so many constellations in the night sky. For those interested in Irish culture, understanding the narratives of the ancient Celts can be frustratingly overwhelming. But with the right introduction to the subject, it can become a rewarding, informative, and entertaining experience.

Besides a simple runic script used for marking monuments, the ancient Celts had no form of written word. Thus, their bards committed the legends of their people to memory, performing these stories to a hall of patrons during the long, dark winter months. The mythic cycles have reached us only through careful transcription by early Irish Christian monks. Later, 19th-century writers such as Lady Augusta Gregory reworked the stories for the audience of their day. But for modern readers grounded in today’s audio-visual culture, these retellings may still not feel accessible. And that’s where the power of the internet steps in.

The Celtic Myth Podshow was created in early 2008 by British podcasting duo Ruth Smith and Gary Colcombe. The show began as a way for the two to deepen their own understanding of Celtic myths while at the same time making the stories available to listeners worldwide. Their fan base has since grown exponentially. The episodes, delivered roughly twice per month, have worked through most of the Irish mythological cycles, as well as folklore from other Celtic countries. Smith and Colcombe retell the stories as they were meant to be: out loud. The tales on the Celtic Myth Podshow are delivered with poetic gusto, using a full range of character voices, sound effects, and musical accompaniment. It brings back another lost, if more recent, art form: the radio drama.

Besides the myths, which form the body of the podcast, the program also includes modern Celtic-themed stories by contemporary authors, as well as music and news headlines that will appeal to listeners interested in all things Celtic, Norse, Arthurian and fantasy/faerie-related.

Another creative take on Irish legends comes in the form of web-comics. Belfast-based cartoonist Patrick Brown has illustrated two sagas from the famous Ulster Cycle. Ness tells the story of a young woman who becomes the leader of a warrior band to avenge the death of her foster-fathers. The Cattle Raid of Cooley is the central myth of the Ulster Cycle and features two of the most renowned figures in Irish legend, the tragic hero Cuchulainn and the feisty Queen Medb. Both Ness and The Cattle Raid of Cooley are available for free online viewing, as well as for purchase in printed comic book format.

More recently, two French cartoonists under the noms-de-plume of Cathbad and Mirlikovir have set up Oghme Comics, a website showcasing several of their ongoing graphic novel-style projects. CuCuc: Little Brute from the Iron Age follows the adventures of young Cuchulainn (under his childhood name, Setanta) and his friends as they grapple with mad cattle, evil fairies, and parental rules; The Epic of Cú Chulaínn recounts the hero’s coming of age through the visions of a monk poring over epic texts; and Celtic Heroes features single-frame portraits and character studies of various figures from a variety of Irish myths.

Both web-comic sites should be approached with a PG to PG-13 rating in mind, due to occasional rough language and the violent and/or adult nature of some of the legends represented. The Celtic Myth Podshow’s content is G-rated and can be enjoyed by all ages.