Irish Myth Trivia

1. The god Lugh was associated with truth, the law, and the arts. He carried a fiery spear and a sword named Fragarach, and had a hound called Failinis which could change water into wine. He was also the father of which legendary Irish hero?

From Quiz The Tuatha Dé Danann: Deities of Ireland

Answer: Cu Chulainn

Cú Chulainn, aka Sétanta, was the son of Lugh and a mortal woman, Deichtine. In one version of the myth, she was King Conchobar's charioteer, and she and a group of Ulstermen sought shelter in a house while hunting. Lugh appeared to her and revealed that he was the owner of the house, and that she was pregnant with his child. Unfortunately, she was also in a relationship with Súaltam Mac Róich at the time, and she aborted the child. She then conceived a baby and called him Sétanta. In another version, Deichtine was Lugh's pregnant wife and lived in the house where the Ulstermen stayed, but he abandoned her and the baby, and she married Súaltam and gave birth to Sétanta. Cú Chulainn means 'hound of Culann', and Sétanta was given the name after he killed the smith Culann's dog and offered to replace it as a watchdog. Like Lugh, he grew up to be skilled with a spear. (Incidentally, fans of both Irish mythology and the mobile phone game 'Fate/Grand Order' may have noticed that all the answers are characters in the game.)

From Quiz Leaping Leprechauns

Answer: A mischievous male fairy of Irish folklore

Many Irish people dislike leprechauns because they have come to represent a number of negative stereotypes about Irish people.

From Quiz Irish Fairies

Answer: A silver shilling and a gold coin

The silver shilling is said to return to the pouch each time it is paid out. Leprechauns used the gold coin to bribe their way out of whatever sticky situation they landed themselves in.

From Quiz Irish Myth: Ulster Cycle

Answer: She had been forced to run a footrace when nine months pregnant.

Macha's origins are {mysterious;} she showed up one day out of nowhere and began acting as wife to rich widower Crunniuc. Despite Macha's warning to Crunniuc not to say anything stupid, one day at a fair he boasted that Macha was swifter of foot than the king's horses. She was heavily pregnant at the time. On pain of Crunniuc's death, she was forced to put his boast to the test. She begged to be permitted to give birth to her twins first, but her pleas were ignored. She won the race, delivered the twins *and* her curse, on the finish line. As her children were born, she screamed that every man who heard her, and their descendants for nine generations more, would suffer the same birth pangs for five days and four nights in the time of their greatest difficulty -- this was the 'Pangs of Ulster.' The place where this happened was known ever after as Emain Macha -- the Twins of Macha.

From Quiz Irish Myth: Book of Invasions

Answer: Fomorians

King Partholan drove the Fomorians off to Tory Island (near Donegal), only to die of plague with all of his people save his nephew Tuan. (The Milesians are the (probably European) mortals who later drove the Danaans to Tir na Nog and settled Ireland {themselves;} the Rutulians are a race mentioned in Virgil's {Aneid;} and Mabinogi is a Welsh word meaning something like 'fantasy story.')

From Quiz Irish Mythology

Answer: Iollan

He and his father were intending to entrap Deirdre and the Sons of Usna.

From Quiz Irish Druids and Legends

Answer: A runic alphabet

While most of the Druid tradition was oral, the Ogham alphabet was especially used for gravestones and rituals.

From Quiz The Tuatha Dé Danann: Deities of Ireland

Answer: Spring

Brigid was a fertility goddess, hence the association with spring, and also represented poetry, cattle, smithcraft and medicine/healing. Some traditions portray her as a triple goddess with two sisters, Brigid the Healer and Brigid the Smith. She was associated with high areas, such as mountains and hill forts. As a goddess associated with livestock, she owned a boar called Triath (which bore some resemblance to Twrch Trwyth, the monstrous boar of Welsh myth) and a sheep called Cirb. The pagan festival of Imbolc, which marks the beginning of spring and is held on 1st and 2nd February, is associated with both Brigid and St Brigid, an Irish saint, who is believed to have been syncretised with the Irish goddess by early Christians.

From Quiz Irish Fairies

Answer: Home-brewed poitin

Poitin is also known as 'Irish Whiskey', and can be quite strong. Some people rub poitin on their joints as it is said to be good for arthritis.

From Quiz Irish Mythology

Answer: Morrigan

She offered her love to CuChulainn and after being rejected, she fought him in the form of an eel and a she-wolf. Her normal appearance was as a battle-crow.

From Quiz Irish Druids and Legends

Answer: The Tuath and the Firbolg

From Quiz The Tuatha Dé Danann: Deities of Ireland

Answer: The Dagda

The Dagda was a powerful figure who had dominion over the weather and the seasons. As well as his magic club, he also possessed a cauldron, Coire Ansic, which never ran dry and which was one of the Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann; and Uaithne, a magic harp made of oak which controlled the seasons, and could also control the emotions of men. Like Zeus in Greek mythology, he was quite the player. One of the Dagda's mating partners was the river goddess Boann; during their affair, the Dagda made the Sun stand still for nine months, and their son Aengus was conceived and born within a day. (Midir was one of the Dagda's sons, and Oghma was either the Dagda's son or brother.)

From Quiz Leaping Leprechauns

Answer: They are cobblers

Legend says that leprechauns are the cobblers (or shoemakers) for all the fairy folk. They are often depicted with a leather apron, holding a shoe.

From Quiz Irish Fairies

Answer: 6

The 'dullahan' is truly a spectacular sight. It is said to be headless, but is normally seen carrying its head under its arm. The head is said to glow and on dark nights the dullahan uses it as a lantern.

From Quiz Irish Myth: Historical Cycle

Answer: Disappeared in a crystal boat with a fairy woman, never to be seen again

A supernaturally beautiful woman appeared to Conla in his father's hall, but although her voice could be heard by all, none but Conla could see her. She offered to bring him to the land of the Fairy, where he could live forever. Conn, mistrustful of mystic temptresses, had his druid drive the apparition {off;} before departing she gave Conla an apple which was sufficient to sustain him without other food for a month (a recurring trope of the Irish myths, and perhaps related to the soma-like berries of wisdom I discuss in more detail in my notes to Question 9 below). At the end of the month she returned, and Conla could not be dissuaded from accompanying her.

From Quiz Irish Myth: Fenian Cycle

Answer: Fawn

When Finn was out fighting vikings in the Bay of Dublin, The Dark Druid returned and lured Saba away from the protections of the dun of Allen by assuming Finn's shape. When Finn returned, his wife was gone. For seven years he sought her, to no avail. And then one day he came upon the hunting dogs of his men trying to kill a naked young boy, and his own cousin-dogs Bran and Skolawn protecting him. He beat off the dogs, and gave the boy shelter. Once the boy learned human speech, he told his story: he had known no mother other than a doe, and had been raised by her. Periodically, the doe had been menaced by a dark-faced man, who eventually bore her away, forcing her to leave her son. Finn then realized the boy was his own son, and named him 'Fawn' since his mother had been a deer.

From Quiz Irish Myth: Ulster Cycle

Answer: The Hound of Culann

Culann the Smith had a huge guard-dog which surprised the boy Setanta. Setanta killed it with his bare hands. To repay Cullan for the loss of his magnificent and legendary dog, Setanta swore to raise a pup from the same pack -- and until it was raised, to guard Cullan's property himself. Setanta actually expressed some displeasure at his new cognomen, but on the insistence of the Druid, Cathbad, it stuck.

From Quiz Irish Mythology

Answer: Tir Na n'Og

Tir Na mBan was The Land of Women; Tir Na mBeo was the Land of the Living; and Tir Tairngire was the Land of Promise.

From Quiz Irish Druids and Legends

Answer: Danu

From Quiz Leaping Leprechauns

Answer: Dancing a jig

A jig is a traditional Irish dance. According to legend leprechauns are cobblers because they do so much dancing that they are constantly wearing out their shoes!

From Quiz Irish Fairies

Answer: Someone dies

Even though this fairy has limited speech, it is said to call out the name of the person who is to die, sometimes at the very spot the death will occur.

From Quiz Irish Myth: Book of Invasions

Answer: Nuada

...Hence the epithet, 'Nuada of the Silver Hand.' Being blemished by the loss of his hand, Nuada was ineligible for kingship, causing much mischief which failed to be wholly resolved when Nuada's hand was later magically restored. (Tyr also lost a hand, but in Norse myth, when Fenris bit it off as he was being bound.)

From Quiz Irish Mythology

Answer: Dubh Lacha

Mongan was tricked into giving her up to Brandubh, but she was regained with the help of Cuimhne.

From Quiz Irish Druids and Legends

Answer: It was separate and able to retain historical traditions longer than other countries of Europe

Ireland's isolation allowed it to develop in a much different manner than did most other European countries and cultures, and it was able to retain many of its ancient traditions and legends even to this day.

From Quiz The Tuatha Dé Danann: Deities of Ireland

Answer: Ferrying the souls of the dead to the afterlife

There is a sculpture of Manannán standing in his boat at Magilligan in County Derry. Like Charon, the ferryman of Greek myth, his job was to carry the souls of the dead to the Otherworld, of which he was guardian. He had both a boat, Scuabtuinne, and a sea chariot, which was pulled by his horse, Enbarr. He used an invisibility cloak made of mist to disguise himself, known as Féth Fíada. He was another wielder of Fragarach, the sword which later came into Lugh's possession; it could cut through any shield, inflict wounds which could not heal, and no man could move or lie while it was pointed at his throat. (Coinchenn was an actual sea monster; the Gáe Bolg, a mythical spear, was made from one of its bones.)

From Quiz Leaping Leprechauns

Answer: One gold coin for every year of his life

The above answer stems from older Celtic myths sometimes stating that the queen of fairies gifts each fairy on their birthday. By this logic, you should hope to catch an old leprechaun! Some sources say that leprechauns earn the gold in their pots through shoe-making. Other sources say they are guarding ancient treasure left by the Danes. Ancient poems and songs, which predate the other sources, cite the one gold coin for every year of their lives.

From Quiz Irish Fairies

Answer: They go blind in one eye

The 'dullahan' does not issue death warnings. It is said that they merely call the soul of the dying person.

From Quiz Irish Myth: Book of Invasions

Answer: Grandson

It had been prophesied that Balor would die at his grandson's hands, so he had his only daughter cloistered in a tower for life. However, Balor angered Kian by stealing his magic cow, so Kian got Birog the druidess magically to provide access to the tower and maiden. After that encounter was consummated, Balor's daughter Ethlinn bore triplets, which Balor ordered destroyed. As is usual in myth, one of the triplets escaped destruction, namely, Lugh, who was raised first by Kian and later by Duach of the Otherworld. (Reminiscent of many Greek myths, chiefly that of Perseus-Danae-Acrisius.)

From Quiz Irish Mythology

Answer: Cuimhne

She magically changed into a beautiful woman so that Brandubh was willing to exchange Dubh Lacha for her.

From Quiz The Tuatha Dé Danann: Deities of Ireland

Answer: Boyne

Boann was the goddess of the River Boyne in the province of Leinster. She created the Boyne when she walked anticlockwise around the Well of Segais, despite being forbidden to do so by her husband Nechtan. The well overflowed, and the waters ran down to the sea and formed the Boyne. Unfortunately, Boann was caught up in the flood and lost an arm, a leg and eye, and ended up drowning. Dabilla, her dog, was also swept out to sea and torn apart by the force of the water; the pieces of its body became rocks, known as 'Cnoc Dabilla'. Of note, hazelnut trees grew near the Well of segais, and their nuts fell into the water and were eaten by salmon who lived there. Both salmon and hazelnuts are associated with wisdom in Irish legend; Fionn Mac Cumhaill, the hero of the Fenian Cycle, gained all the knowledge of the world by eating a magical salmon, the Salmon of Knowledge, which he had caught for the druid Finnegas.

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Last Updated Nov 16 2024 5:45 AM

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