Anna June Pagé

Canadian in Austria. Teaching in the Linguistics Department at University of Vienna. PhD in Indo-European Studies. Focus on Celtic Studies, Ulster Cycle, comparative mythology, medieval Irish language and literature. She/Her.

Humanities Commons: https://hcommons.org/members/annajunepage/
Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1730-4281
University of Vienna: https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/persons/anna-page(1cdd54ca-1f6d-4673-8c98-d11c02c8bdac).html
Blog: https://ulstercycle.hcommons.org/

Last Notes

2025-02-10 12:55:13 UTC

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They are both at times portrayed as scheming and deceitful, but they fit well together and accept each other. Until they don't. The one relationship that Ailill can't seem to get past is Medb's affair with Fergus, and it leads to Fergus' death. When Ailill is later carrying on an affair of his own, Medb asks Conall Cernach to deal with it, and he is happy to kill Ailill to avenge Fergus. No happy endings here, but a good marriage while it lasted? 3/3 #MythologyMonday #IrishMyth

2025-02-10 12:54:43 UTC

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Ailill grew to be a powerful warrior, and Eochaid Dala became jealous. He challenged Ailill, and Medb intervened to ensure Ailill's victory. After Eochaid's death, Ailill ruled Connacht with Medb. Many stories say that Medb kept Ailill as her husband because he was a man without meanness, without jealousy, and without fear. This is what she requires in a husband, and he is the only man who suits her. 2/3#MythologyMonday #IrishMyth

2025-02-10 12:54:16 UTC

The relationship between Ailill and Medb is a fascinating one. Medb's first partner was Conchobar, but she left him. Her second partner was Tindi mac Connra, who declared war on Conchobar because he raped Medb. Tindi was killed by his own brother at Conchobar's urging. Eochaid Dala then took over the battle and became Medb's third partner and ruled Connacht with her. During this time Ailill, who was the grandson of Medb's sister Ele, came to be fostered by Medb. 1/3 #MythologyMonday #IrishMyth

2025-02-10 12:17:28 UTC

A common misconception is that the Irish Óengus is a god of love, but there's no real reason to think this. He is the son of the Dagda and the Bóand and the stories about him are more focused on questions of land ownership and exchange and on legal trickery than on love. He is linked with two different women. The first is Derbriu, who is the sister of Medb. When Derbriu's foster-sons are turned into pigs, Óengus tries to help them, but ultimately fails. 1/3 #MythologyMonday #IrishMyth

2025-02-03 15:47:09 UTC

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After his bath, Fráech was taken to bed to rest, but soon after a weeping was heard. The weeping was the sound of Fráech's mother and the women of Bóand, who had come to take Fráech into the síd of Crúachan. He returned the following day, completely healed. Fráech later died after facing Cú Chulainn in single combat in Táin Bó Cúailnge, and women from the síd came for him again, this time to take his body into what became known as the síd of Fráech. #MythologyMonday #IrishMyth 3/3

2025-02-03 15:46:37 UTC

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During this sleep, a warrior of the síd used healing plants and herbs and a curing charm to heal Cú Chulainn's wounds. Another warrior who was healed in the síd is Fráech, whose mother was Bé Find, sister of Bóand. After Fráech was wounded during his combat with a lake monster, Ailill and Medb ordered that a bath be prepared for him with a broth of fresh bacon and the flesh of a heifer. 2/3 #MythologyMonday #IrishMyth

2025-02-03 15:46:07 UTC

In Irish stories, a warrior might be taken into the síd to be healed if one of his parents was of the Túatha Dé Danann. This happened to Cú Chulainn, whose father was Lug mac Ethlend, during his solitary defense of Ulster in Táin Bó Cúailnge. When he was grievously injured, his father came and told him to sleep for three days in the mound of Lerga while Lug took his place protecting Ulster. 1/3 #MythologyMonday #IrishMyth

2025-02-03 08:21:52 UTC

Conall Cernach is described "crooked." This seems to refer to his neck, which was injured when his uncle Cet mac Mágach tried kill him at birth by stomping on him. After killing Mess Gegra, Conall Cernach took his head. Mess Gegra told Conall Cernach that he would benefit from putting his head on top of his own. Conall realized this was a trick and put the head on a pillar-stone instead. 1/2
#MythologyMonday #IrishMyth

2024-12-09 08:12:24 UTC

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The leg is also dangerous though, and becomes too heavy for Lugh. He abandons the foot and drags the shin-bone behind his chariot, where its weight forms a ditch filled with the putrefaction of the rotting bone. When Lugh finally leaves it behind, a dorb "worm" burrows into it, eats the marrow, and grows into the smirrdris. The smirrdris meets its end in the Acallam when Finn drains the lake that it lives in until it is too small for it and then kills it. 3/3