Unreal Irish Folklore Ruth A

A re-release of the second ever episode of Unreal, while I recover from illness. A new episode will come soon once my voice is back at full strength!
 
Giants sculpted our landscape. They are strong, and fierce, and can be terrifying if you’re unprepared. But anyone can defeat a giant – if you are clever enough to trick them…
 
READ THE PODCAST SCRIPT
 
SOURCES AND FURTHER READING
The Story of Fionn and the Giant
The Giant’s Causeway, Dublin Penny Journal
A Legend of Knockmany, by William Carleton (and the original article)
Joe Moore’s Story of Finn Macooilly and the Buggane, Manx Fairytales by Sophia Morrison
Versions from the School’s Folklore Collection at Duchas.ie: 1, 2, 3, 4
 
The very rude Scottish poem featuring the giant-sized descendants of Fionn
 
Other Tales Mentioned
The fall of the Viking chieftain Turgesius
Maoil a Chliobain
Jack and the Beanstalk
Jack the Giant-killer
Stingy Jack
 
MUSIC
All by Slainte from The Free Music Archive
Theme Song – “The Butterfly”
The Lark in the Morning / The Atholl Highlanders
The Banshee / The Gravel Walks / The Old Copperplate

The Banshee is one of Ireland’s most famous folkloric figures. A supernatural woman with a cry that foretells of death and devastation to those who hear it, stories about banshees have been terrifying listeners for hundreds of years. But has she always been this way?

Hi everyone, Ruth here, and apologies for the slightly sporadic uploads to Unreal this season – I’ve just been having quite a busy time outside of podcasting. I’m actually going to take mid-season break and come back in two weeks with a special Halloween episode, and finish out the second half of the season then, hopefully with more regular uploads for those last few episodes. I hope that sounds ok, and wishing you a folklore-filled few weeks in the meantime. Go n-éirí an bóthar leat.

What happens when a king goes mad? When he leaves his home, his wife and lands, and goes wandering in the woods and the wild? Such a strange frenzy came on Sweeney, an Irish king long ago. The life he came to live was a harsh and a wild one – but, as the story shows, still one where breathtaking beauty could be found . . .

There once was born a cursed girl. She was beautiful, and strong-willed, and would do anything for the man she loved. But in her name, evil came to Ireland, bringing war and fighting that left hundreds dead in its wake. Her name was Deirdre, and stories told about her live on, as one of Ireland’s most sorrowful legends.

For every death, a price must be paid. Life is precious, and blood is costly, and when you take the life of a man, you do not know how high the penalty will be. This is a story about three brothers, and a life they took, the price they paid, and the devastation that followed them to their deaths.