Ireland's OWN: Myths & Magic The Mythological Cycle The earliest Irish legends deal with the country's ancient gods: the Tuatha Dé Danaan (the People of the Goddess Danu), a race of diving beings. These legends are known as the 'series of conquests.' They were oral accounts, later transcribed into what is known as The Book of Invasions.  The Book of Invasions contains four magical cities — Falias, Murias, Finias and Gorias. From Falias came the Lia Fáil, the coronation stone of the high kings at Tara; from Murias came Dagda's cauldron (which never ran short of food); from Finias and Gorias came Lugh's magical sword and spear. The Book of Invasions lists five groups of invaders — the Partholónians, the Nemedians, the Firbolg, the Tuatha Dé Danaan and the Milesians. The first four were races of gods, eventually defeated by a race of mortals, the Milesians. The Milesians were the ancestors of the Gaels, a genuine Celtic people. In these tales, the Milesians overcome many setbacks, and eventually defeat the gods at the Battle of Tailltin. The gods retreat to their Sidhe, and Ireland is then ruled by the world of men. Many of the stories, however, alternate between the land of the mortals and the domain of the gods. And, although they are set in prehistoric times, these mythological tales reflect many aspects of later Irish society. There are frequent references to the power of three — which later became the Celtic Triad, and later the Christian Trinity. There is also already at this time, the special reverence and privileges accorded to poets and storytellers; and poetic justice is already a concept in that the kings fear offending any men of letters. See Also: The Ulster Cycle The Fionn Cycle  Summarised from Irish Legends by Iain Zaczek. Gill & McMillan, Ltd. Dublin: 1998. Page last updated 28 Dec 2008 Website Design and Myths & Magic logo by Míchealín Daugherty Copyright © 2008 Ireland's OWN All Rights Reserved.