Celtic, especially Irish, folk and fairy tales have a rich world of fairies, giants, mermaids, leprechauns, sea creatures, heroes, princesses, wizards, witches and even a dragon or two. Many of the world’s favourite folk tales were popularised by Hans Christian Anderson, the Brothers Grimm and Disney. They have parallels in Irish mythology that may suggest a source of the legends behind these tales.
Before Disney’s ‘Tangled’, the tale of ‘Rapunzel’ was popularised by the Brother’s Grimm. Rapunzel was a princess who was locked in a tower by a witch until a prince rescued her. In Irish mythology, Balor of the evil eye was a chieftan of the Fomorians. He had a tower on Tory Island in Co. Donegal. There was a prophecy that he would be killed by his grandchild. So he locked his daughter Eithne up in the tower so that no man could make a child with her. However Cian, a prince of the Tuatha De Danann, saw her and wanted her so he dressed up as a woman to gain entry to the tower. He found Eithne, they fell in love and nine months later a baby boy was born. A Druidess saved the baby so that Balor didn’t kill it. In one version Eithne escaped the tower with Cian’s help. The baby grew up to be the hero Lugh who slew Balor at the Battle of Moytura, fulfilling the prophecy. Again a prince saving a princess who had been locked in a tower.
The film ‘Brave’ is about a heroic Scottish chieftan’s daughter whose mother was turned into a bear by a witch. The story has elements from Celtic mythology such as shapeshifting and wisps, and the heroine is partially based on a story called ‘Brave Margaret’ which was based on a Celtic folktale. In the Irish folk tale ‘The Brown Bear of Norway’, a prince is trapped in the body of a bear by day because he won’t marry a witch’s daughter. The witch cursed him to have the form of a bear by day until a lady marries her of her own free will. An Irish princess married him. This is also similar to ‘Beauty and the Beast’. There are also Celtic bear goddesses called Arto and Andarta who were venerated in Gaul (Celtic France).
Tchaikovsky’s ballet ‘Swan Lake’ tells the tale of young women cursed to take the form of swans until true love can save them. The Irish myth of ‘The Children of Lir’ tells the tale of Lir’s children who were cursed by their step-mother, a witch called Aoife, to take the form of swans for hundreds of years until a bell breaks the spell and they become human again. In another tale, Aengus of the Tuatha De Danann encounters a group of women who were cursed to have the form of swans every second year.
‘Beauty and the Beast’ is a French fairytale in which a prince is cursed to take the form of a beast until love can break the spell. This is quite a common motif which is also to be found in the old Irish fairy tale of Coll the leprechaun. It is about a leprechaun called Coll who meets a bad fairy called Aine who had transformed into a beautiful goblin. (A puka is a mischievous fairy who can shapeshift so it’s likely Aine is a puka). Coll and Aine spend hours talking but the Queen of the bad fairies put a spell on Aine, turning her into a magpie. Coll asked the Queen of the good fairies to remove the spell, she said she would if Coll found her and confessed his love. This he did and Aine was restored to her true form. Again love breaking the spell as they could be loved in their creaturely form.
There are other Irish legends with parallels to common folk tales such as ‘Jamie and the Sleeping Beauty’, where a beauty is cursed to be deaf and dumb until Jamie who loved her managed to break the spell. There are many tales of a witch’s curse giving a princess a different form until her love, usually a prince, rescues her. Some of these tales have different versions in different countries, possibly influencing each other until they are popularised by someone like Hans Cristian Anderson. It would be interesting to see a cinematic adaptation of the ancient Irish form of these legends. There is such a rich tradition of tales in Irish mythology there would be no shortage of stories.
Before Disney’s ‘Tangled’, the tale of ‘Rapunzel’ was popularised by the Brother’s Grimm. Rapunzel was a princess who was locked in a tower by a witch until a prince rescued her. In Irish mythology, Balor of the evil eye was a chieftan of the Fomorians. He had a tower on Tory Island in Co. Donegal. There was a prophecy that he would be killed by his grandchild. So he locked his daughter Eithne up in the tower so that no man could make a child with her. However Cian, a prince of the Tuatha De Danann, saw her and wanted her so he dressed up as a woman to gain entry to the tower. He found Eithne, they fell in love and nine months later a baby boy was born. A Druidess saved the baby so that Balor didn’t kill it. In one version Eithne escaped the tower with Cian’s help. The baby grew up to be the hero Lugh who slew Balor at the Battle of Moytura, fulfilling the prophecy. Again a prince saving a princess who had been locked in a tower.
The film ‘Brave’ is about a heroic Scottish chieftan’s daughter whose mother was turned into a bear by a witch. The story has elements from Celtic mythology such as shapeshifting and wisps, and the heroine is partially based on a story called ‘Brave Margaret’ which was based on a Celtic folktale. In the Irish folk tale ‘The Brown Bear of Norway’, a prince is trapped in the body of a bear by day because he won’t marry a witch’s daughter. The witch cursed him to have the form of a bear by day until a lady marries her of her own free will. An Irish princess married him. This is also similar to ‘Beauty and the Beast’. There are also Celtic bear goddesses called Arto and Andarta who were venerated in Gaul (Celtic France).
Tchaikovsky’s ballet ‘Swan Lake’ tells the tale of young women cursed to take the form of swans until true love can save them. The Irish myth of ‘The Children of Lir’ tells the tale of Lir’s children who were cursed by their step-mother, a witch called Aoife, to take the form of swans for hundreds of years until a bell breaks the spell and they become human again. In another tale, Aengus of the Tuatha De Danann encounters a group of women who were cursed to have the form of swans every second year.
‘Beauty and the Beast’ is a French fairytale in which a prince is cursed to take the form of a beast until love can break the spell. This is quite a common motif which is also to be found in the old Irish fairy tale of Coll the leprechaun. It is about a leprechaun called Coll who meets a bad fairy called Aine who had transformed into a beautiful goblin. (A puka is a mischievous fairy who can shapeshift so it’s likely Aine is a puka). Coll and Aine spend hours talking but the Queen of the bad fairies put a spell on Aine, turning her into a magpie. Coll asked the Queen of the good fairies to remove the spell, she said she would if Coll found her and confessed his love. This he did and Aine was restored to her true form. Again love breaking the spell as they could be loved in their creaturely form.
There are other Irish legends with parallels to common folk tales such as ‘Jamie and the Sleeping Beauty’, where a beauty is cursed to be deaf and dumb until Jamie who loved her managed to break the spell. There are many tales of a witch’s curse giving a princess a different form until her love, usually a prince, rescues her. Some of these tales have different versions in different countries, possibly influencing each other until they are popularised by someone like Hans Cristian Anderson. It would be interesting to see a cinematic adaptation of the ancient Irish form of these legends. There is such a rich tradition of tales in Irish mythology there would be no shortage of stories.