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Today’s Guest Post is written by visiting writer Ali Isaacs, who lives and writes in a world of history and myth and magic—in other words, Ireland. I was enchanted by the way she mixed all of that in her books, especially her YA series, The Tir Na Nog Trilogy, which I reviewed at 5-stars here. Please welcome Ali as she takes us on a tour of some of her favorite legendary Irish rivers.
River Legends of Ireland
Ireland is a land of many lakes, rivers and mountains, shrouded as much in mythology as it is in its gentle misty climate. It is a fertile breeding ground for tales of mystical Gods, powerful warriors and the beautiful, enchanting folk of the Sidhe.
Our ancient ancestors believed that through water lay the way to the Otherworld. There are many sacred springs scattered around the country, adopted by the Christians but with more ancient, pagan origins. In legend, almost every lough, of which there are said to be one for every day of the year in my home county of Cavan alone, bears a tale of magic and intrigue.
Ireland’s rivers are no exception. They have been used since ancient times as a means of transport, a source of food, even boundaries between kingdoms, and bear their own, often tragic, stories
Ireland’s longest river is the Shannon, Abhainn na Sionainne in Irish. It flows south and west from Co Cavan for 386km, touching seventeen of Ireland’s counties and forming three lakes en-route, Lough Allen, Lough Ree and Lough Derg, before finally emptying into the Atlantic Ocean.
Its source is said to be a small pool on the slopes of Cuilcagh Mountain in Co Cavan, where I live, known as the Shannon Pot. It is also known as the Legnashinna, or Lag na Sionna in Irish, meaning ‘the hollow of the Shannon’. The pool is about sixteen metres wide, and said to be almost as deep.
Legend has it that one day, Manannán the Sea-God’s grand-daughter, Sionann, came to the well seeking wisdom. The pool was surrounded by the Nine Hazel Trees of Knowledge, which were said to fruit, flower and seed all at the same time. The nuts fell into the water and were eaten by the Salmon of Knowledge.
It was forbidden for anyone but the King to visit the well. In response to her impertinence, the waters of the pool rose up in a huge wave and carried the poor girl out to sea, where she drowned. Thus the River Shannon was formed and named after her.
The River Boyne, in Irish An Bhóinn or Abhainn na Bóinne, bears a similar story. It rises at Trinity Well near Carbury, County Kildare, and flows for 112km through County Meath to the Irish Sea.
The Boyne is considered a major river in Ireland’s history, archaeology and mythology. It passes close to Trim Castle, the Hill of Tara (ancient seat of the High King), the Hill of Slane (where St Patrick is said to have lit his paschal fire in defiance of pagan High King Laoighaire), Newgrange (Ireland’s most famous archaeological site), Mellifont Abbey, and the medieval city of Drogheda.
The River Boyne is named after the Goddess Boann, and is thought to mean ‘white cow’ (in Irish bó fhionn). According to the Lebor Gabála Érenn, an ancient document detailing Ireland’s origins, she was the daughter of Delbáeth of the Tuatha De Danann.
Much like the Shannon Pot, Trinity Well was fringed with sacred hazel trees, and salmon swam in the cool pool waters. Despite her husband’s orders to the contrary, Boann challenged the power of the well by walking around it counter clockwise, which caused the waters to surge up and rush down to the sea.
Boann was caught up in the violent sweep of water and carried out to sea, losing an arm, leg and eye, and ultimately her life. So the River Boyne was formed, and named in her honour.
The River Bann, An Bhanna in Irish, means the ‘white river’. At 159km, it is Ulster’s longest river, rising in the Mourne Mountains in Co Down and flowing into Lough Neagh, from which the Lower Bann then flows into the Atlantic Ocean at Portstewart.
Magilligan Strand, Trá mhic Giollagáin in Irish, is a seven mile stretch of sandy beach near to the mouth of the Bann, popular with walkers, swimmers and surfers alike. Just off the coast of Magilligan Strand lies a three mile long sandbank, known as Tonn’s Bank.
Here, legend has it that the Storm God is buried. He was once a Denann chieftain who was killed fighting the Milesians. After his death, he became associated with the Irish Sea-God, Manannán mac Lir, and it is said that when storms blow up off the coast off Inishowen Head, his spirit walks free. A local saying goes, ‘Manannán is angry today,’ whenever the seas are rough.
The mouth of the River Bann has other names, too. It is sometimes called Inbher Glas, which means ‘green harbour’ in Old Irish, but it is also named Inbher Tuag after the tragic Princess Tuag of Tara.
Tuag was the daughter of High King Conall Collamhrach, but he was killed after only five years of rule. Tuag was fostered at Tara by the High King Conaire, and had a great retinue of ladies and waiting women to serve her. She was so beautiful that no man was allowed near her, for she was destined to be married to a great King, perhaps to Conaire himself.
When she was just fifteen, however, Manannán the Sea-God decided he would take her for himself. He sent his druid, Ferdia, to steal her away from Tara. Ferdia disguised himself as a woman, and sang a sleeping spell over her, and thus managed to escape with her.
He carried her to the mouth of the River Bann, and set her down on the sand whilst he went to get a boat in which to take her to Manannán’s land. She was still sleeping. As the tide rose, a great wave washed over the Tonn and carried her out to sea, where she was sadly drowned.
Ferdia did not get off lightly, though, for Manannán was so furious, he had his druid killed.
Author Ali Isaac
As a child… I always had my nose in a book, in several, actually, all at the same time. I spoke a unique hybrid language of English, French, Greek, Italian and Arabic. I had a pet donkey, rode a chopper bike, and was (fairly) fearless on a skateboard. I didn’t go to school until I was seven years old. I had a phobia about scorpions, swam every day, went barefoot even in winter, and was almost betrothed to an Arabian Bedouin prince.
Fast forward… and life is much more conventional. I am married with three children and a dog. I live in rural Ireland, where I get to hang out with my imaginary friends. I fear spiders instead of scorpions. I never go shoe-less. I walk, rather than swim. I spend much of my time visiting ruined ancient buildings, and dreaming of the distant past. It’s easy to do that in Ireland; you’re never more than a footstep away from history.
I always dreamed… of watching the sun rise over Macchu Picchu on the morning of the Millennium. I’m proud to say I achieved that, although a few months early. It was as magical a moment as I had anticipated. I always dreamed of writing a book. I’m proud to say I have achieved that too, in fact, I’ve written two. I always dreamed that Victor Ambrus would illustrate my books, and that my books would one day be made into a blockbuster movie. Yeah, I’m still dreaming…
I write for many reasons… to tell a story, of course. Every writer has their own story to tell. I write to challenge my reader’s perceptions, because sometimes, things are not at all how they appear. I write to educate, because my life has taught me things no one else knows, and its my duty to share. I write for sheer pleasure, but mostly, I write to be read.
I read… all the time, mostly on my Kindle Android app. I especially love to read in bed at night. I have discovered a whole new world of wonderful Indie authors, such as Jay Howard, Rachele Baker, Kathy Krisko, Jane Dougherty, Craig Boyack, Nickolas C Rossis, Peyton Reynolds, Grace Jolliffe, Allie Cresswell, Patrick de Moss, Mira Prabhu, Dax Christopher, and many others. Other writers I admire are George RR Martin, Rick Riordon, Alex Scarrow, Rosemary Sutcliffe, Alan Early, David Eddings, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Richard Adams, among others.
I blog… on subjects of Irish interest relating to Irish mythology, archaeology, and history on my blog www.aliisaacstoryteller.com. I also blog about my experiences raising a child with special needs.
I contribute… regular articles on Irish mythology to Irish Central and Brigid’s Fire magazine. I love what I do, and I hope you enjoy it too!
Contact Links For Ali Isaac
Facebook | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter
Purchase Links
Author bio:
Sue Vincent said:
Reblogged this on Daily Echo.
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barbtaub said:
Thanks so much for the reblog Sue! I thought you and Ali would be kindred spirits.
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Sue Vincent said:
My pleasure, Barb… and you were right 🙂
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Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life. said:
Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
You do not have to be Irish to appreciate the stunning countryside or the fantastic myths and legends. On site expert Ali Isaac guest posts today with a terrific article on the magic of Ireland’s river legends. Pop over to Barb Taub and read the whole article.
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Ali Isaac said:
Thanks for re-blogging, Sallly!
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barbtaub said:
I think everyone who reads Ali gets to be a little bit Irish!
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Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life. said:
She does us proud.. I am looking forward to catching up with in person when we are over next time.. thanks for sharing it. best wishes Sally
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Cathy said:
I love reading about myths and legends – very enjoyable post and photos!
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Ali Isaac said:
Thanks Cathy! 😊
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barbtaub said:
Ali really does an incredible job of combining these myths and legends into her writing.
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Cathy said:
Yes, I love her website and have a couple of her books in my kindle queue.
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Ali Isaac said:
That’s music to me ears, Cathy! Thank you very much, hope you like them!
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Rosie Amber said:
Not heard about this until I read Bending The Boyne, now it’s a place on my wish list.
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Ali Isaac said:
Ah… I read Bending the Boyne too. Lovely ending to the book. You will not be disappointed if you ever visit!
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barbtaub said:
I’ve never read Bending the Boyne, but it looks great. Another contribution to my TBRs.
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Paul said:
Cool post. My father’s ancestors are from County Cork in Ireland – my Grandfather came to Canada as a young man. Love the stories of the rivers – and I can almost see the Ali’s freckles.
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Ali Isaac said:
Thanks for re-blogging, Sue!
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Paul said:
Call me anything but Sue.
😀
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Ali Isaac said:
Lol! Sorry Paul! Its not an eady process replying from my phone! 😀
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Paul said:
It may not be “eady” but you’ll make it work, Bwahahaha!
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Ali Isaac said:
Dammit! 😂
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barbtaub said:
Ducking autocorrect! I ducking hate you…
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Paul said:
Bwahaha! 😀 You quack me up!
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Ali Isaac said:
Lmao!!!
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Ali Isaac said:
You can see my freckles??? Lol! Yes, I have Celtic skin for sure. Strangely, I was a redhead as a child. My oldest son had hair of flame till he cut it short, now its slowly darkening. Glad you enjoyed the post!
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barbtaub said:
That Irish skin! I grew up in California, but thanks to a mother who started life as a Lanigan, the closest I ever got to a tan was when I had so many freckles they started to merge…
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Ali Isaac said:
Yes! That’s just what happens! As a kid my freckles were so big and golden I was nicknmaed Cornflake! 😀
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Paul said:
My cousin – my father’s sister’s daughter – Teri, has the same complexion. As she grew older her freckles disappeared and her red hair turned pale blonde – very impressive looks.
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Ali Isaac said:
She sounds beautiful!
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Ali Isaac said:
Thanks for having me on your blog today, Barb!
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barbtaub said:
Thanks for being such a fantastic guest blogger! Come back lots. Really.
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Ali Isaac said:
You might regret saying that…
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Ali Isaac said:
Reblogged this on aliisaacstoryteller and commented:
The lovely Barb Taub invited me onto her blog today, please drop by, she is a wonderful supporter of Indi authors like myself. Thanks Barb!
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barbtaub said:
And thanks so much for the reblog!
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davidprosser said:
It really didn’t pay to be the daughter of a Goddess or Chieftain in Ireland did it?
xxx Huge Hugs xxx
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barbtaub said:
One of the things I love about Irish mythology and history is the number of women who were warriors—as well as accomplished musicians, artisans, healers, etc.
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Ali Isaac said:
I think these stories were ‘adjusted/ corrected’ by later Christian scribes to put women in their proper place, and show what happens to those women who disobey their husbands, or any male authority figure. Don’t forget, none of these stories were written down before the monks got their hands on them; all pagan women with any skills at all were thought of as witches and punished accordingly, usually put to very gruesome deaths by drowning or burning alive. A woman taking her own initiative to seek knowledge would have been greatly frowned upon, as these stories show; in each, that’s exactly what the women were trying to obtain, knowledge… clearly knowledge is a very dangerous and powerful thing, best enjoyed and wielded by menfolk.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
What a great post!
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Stephen Merlino said:
Hi Barb! Enjoyed your post on macarons. Got me thinking, since you’re such an excursion maker from your home in Scotland, can you advise me on excursion destinations from Luxembourg? My brother is flying me over for my 50th to visit him, and we are planning some weekend excursions. He mentioned Trier. I am of course interested in ancient history, medieval history, renaissance history. Also, I plan to do some cafe hanging-out-writing-dreaming. I had imagined it would be like hanging out in Rome, but I now hear Luxembourg is quite modern. Any ideas for an arty, cafe-culture, medieval-historic, museum-filled destination within strike of Luxembourg? Would Amsterdam be that place? It’s been so long since i”ve been in Amsterdam, I can’t remember…
Thanks much!S
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Stephen Merlinostephenmerlino.com In paper, hardback, eBook on AmazonRead reviews on AmazonRead reviews on Goodreads
Watch the book trailer on YouTube
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2015 11:09:01 +0000 To: stephenmerlino@hotmail.com
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barbtaub said:
I really wish I could help. I still haven’t quite gotten over the last time I spent a week in Luxembourg though. It was (many) decades ago, and I’d been thumbing around Europe, but had to get back to start a grownup job. There was a train strike, and I didn’t make it back to Luxembourg in time for my ultra-economy flight home. Since it was at the height of tourist season, I — along with a growing crowd of impecunious student types — had to go on standby for openings that never seemed to materialize. We sat on the floor of the airport, pooling our little remaining money to send one of our number out for bread and wine. When the airport closed at night, we’d get cheap hotel rooms and sneak several extra bodies in to save money. Okay, and some partying may have occurred. As the week wore on and no flights materialized, we got steadily more rowdy. Finally (in desperation, I think) the airport came up with a flight to Amsterdam, where we were all put onto a KLM plane that was WAY above any of our economic reaches. The alcohol flowed for the entire flight, and we partied all the way across the pond. I seem to remember a piano aboard, with much singing and promises of eternal friendship, but that might have been the champagne.
So yeah… Luxembourg. The airport was fine. More than that, I can’t really say. But I hope you have a terrific trip. If it was me, I’d hop one of the cheap local flights to Paris or Florence or Barcelona. But I’m sure there are lots other fun, arty, cafe-culture, medieval-historic, museum-filled destinations. It’s Europe — you basically can’t avoid them.
Or… you could come visit me in Glasgow. It’s got a bunch of museums and medieval culture stuff. It’s more pub-culture than cafe, but I can now make macarons. Just sayin…
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Laine Anne Theodore said:
Reblogged this on People and Places and commented:
An interesting article on Ireland’s river legends by Ali Isaac
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barbtaub said:
Thanks so much for the reblog. I have to agree that Ali penned a terrific article!
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Laine Anne Theodore said:
You’re welcome. I find inspiration in the people and places of the world. So I finally, set up a blog simply for re-blogging these wonderful types of posts.
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Ali Isaac said:
Thanks Laine, really appreciate the reblog!
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Laine Anne Theodore said:
An enjoyable read, Ali – the pleasure was mine 🙂
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coldhandboyack said:
Another great post, Ali. You’re really getting around these days. Glad to see it.
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noelleg44 said:
Another wonderful post of Irish myths and legends, Ali. Very informative and enjoyable. Go raibh maith agat!
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barbtaub said:
What she said!
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Ali Isaac said:
Lol! It means thank you!
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Jane Dougherty said:
Thanks for this post. Rivers are magical places. I didn’t realise Manannán got so rattled about them. I’ll know not to mess with sources in future 🙂
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Jane Dougherty said:
Reblogged this on Jane Dougherty Writes and commented:
A beautiful and informative post from Ali Isaac about what rivers are really all about.
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barbtaub said:
Thanks so much for the reblog. Ali has a lovely way of connecting with readers on a personal level.
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Jane Dougherty said:
Her enthusiasm is infectious 🙂
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Éilis Niamh said:
Reblogged this on The Sound of What Happens and commented:
Wonderful post by my friend Ali Isaac!
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Suzanne Joshii said:
Thanks, Ali and Barb, for these great pictures and myths. I thoroughly enjoyed them. 🙂
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LD Masterson said:
Interesting that the three rivers were all named after young women killed by their waters.
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Roy McCarthy said:
Ah now Ali, I’m sure you’re just saving up the Lovely Lee for a deserved post of its own 😉 Teasing, great as ever.
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