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Heart and Soul: Into the mystic: Irish myths and fairytales

Into the mystic: Irish myths and fairytales

22/12/2023 GMT

BBC World Service - Heart and Soul, Into the mystic: Irish myths and fairytales

The mysterious twilight world of Celtic traditions and folklore that continue today

The mysterious twilight world of Celtic traditions and folklore that continue today.

Many mythological creatures and traditions we know, love, and more importantly fear, owe their origins to Celtic folklore. Borrowed to create epic franchises such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, the countless adaptations of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Walt Disney’s Peter Pan, this programme casts new light on the subject. 

Seanchaí (shan-a-key) were/are traditional Irish storytellers and the custodians of history for centuries in Ireland. They can recite ancient lore and tales of wisdom whenever it was needed and could be considered as something of the Google of ancient times. The English translation and definition of seanchaí is a custodian of tradition and while storytelling has largely been replaced in Ireland with TV and film, as it has in the rest of the world, it is still a highly respected ability that will have crowds waiting on a storyteller's every word. 

The Irish people have created a unique and beautifully poetic oral literature. Bards evolved into storytellers who wandered from town to town. In this informal way, an ancient oral literary tradition continued into modern times.

(Photo: A blue fairy house with a yellow door along the path on the coast of Ireland. Credit: Getty Images)

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