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David A. Hernandez

Mythology Honors

HUM – 2310H

Fall 2010

Myth Analysis # 5

1) From the story “The Ages of the World” (page 370 of your text) discuss the role of the gods in

general and magic in particular. Speculate on why there are different ages and how these might

be somewhat historical. Pick another creation myth we have read and compare it to this Celtic

myth. Pay particular attention to ideas concerning magic and historical connections in the Celtic

myth.

According to the “Ages of the World” Ireland was a land product of invasions where gods who came

from different cultures played an active role going to war, spreading the race on the land and bringing

special abilities and knowledge to their civilization. The ultimate power was not strength or wisdom but

magic. A mythological cycle takes place in the history of Ireland where six ages of the world are

mentioned and a series of invasions take place after a great flood. It is probable that such reference to a

great flood would be a reference to the biblical story of Noah and the great flood making the story of

Ireland traceable to ancient times to the point that history and mythology are the same real event and

where the settling of Ireland is performed by successive races of divine and human peoples (Rosenberg

369).

The story of Ireland begins with the first age, where a great leader called Ladhra suddenly dies, then

his sixteen wives and a race perished by drowning in the great flood (Rosenberg 370). There is not a

detailed explanation about the death of Ladhra, his divine condition or any indication of special abilities,

war or punishment, apparently it just happened. What it is evident is a literal mentioned to a great flood
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that probably happens to be an allusion to the biblical story. One can speculate that since Ireland was a

territory where migration and invasions occurred, this allusion to a first race without further details

could be a reference to explain the story of Ireland from a historical point of view. With that being said

the story of Ages of the World could be an allusion to the history of Ireland and all the migrations and

invasions that came from different parts of the world. But since everything has to have a beginning they

mentioned a first race that has nothing in particular but a great leader that dies of unknown cause.

Probably because in order to tell the story they have to start somewhere, probably because they have

certain knowledge of the existence of people before a first invasion but they have no idea about them

so they just assumed that they died in order to facilitate further explanations.

Then the story of the “Ages of the World” turns from something that just happened into a story of

wars between races that have divine and human conditions where the role of the gods and magic has a

very important and different meaning when comparing to other cultures. In the second age of the world,

an invasion takes place in Ireland where a race of divine condition called the Partholons played a role of

creators of lakes, rivers, fertility of the soil, agriculture, gold as currency, legal and educational systems,

as well as religious practices involving prophecy and sacrifices (Rosenberg 371). What catches the

attention is the fact that the race consisted of gods with creation powers that played all roles of a

society where farming, commerce and agriculture took place; they shared a divine condition but

paradoxically where mortals as they perished because of a plague; and they formed a society where

even duel and adultery were present. The story mentioned the Fomorians who were a native race with

divine qualities but mortals as well, whose description is similar to the Greek Titans and played the role

of chaos and wild nature, and therefore appeared in the story as a force that is constantly in was with

civilization.
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In the third age of the world another invasion takes place and the race of Nemed appeared with

divine and mortal condition as well. Although they were creators as their predecessors, their role was

much more of a developer taking agriculture to higher levels, importing sheep, building forts and

winning four battles against the Fomorians until a great disease killed them and were forced to pay

devastating tributes until they tried to take control again but thousands perished forcing the survivors to

leave Ireland to keep their lifes.

The first race with human condition appeared in the forth age where people from different

background and tribes formed an agricultural society of warrior aristocrats under one king that held

complete power in Ireland and created a society where justice was established, the soil was very fertile

and the warlike skills were developed. However, they were defeated by new invaders called the Tuatha

De Danann who brought the fifth age of the world and were divided into two groups, gods and non-gods

(Rosenberg 372). The role of the non-gods was the one of the farmers and common labors of the fields

while the role of the gods was the one of the artisans, artists, and aristocratic warriors. Magic is the

ultimate power in the fifth age, and it is used to provide food as mentioned in Dagda’s bronze cauldron

of plenty; choosing the lawful king or Ireland according to the Stone of Destiny; bring advantages during

war times by using the Spear of Nuada; heal patients by the 365 stalks of grass; and win a war against

the Fomorians by using the sun powers of Lug of the Long Arms. The story ends with the appearance of

men in the sixth age called the Children of Mil who invaded Ireland and fought the Tuatha De Danann in

spite of the fact that Amergin a druid poet ask the goddess Eriu to unite forces to bring prosperity to

Ireland. The role of man is the role of the conqueror.

The similarities with the Greek story of the Ages of Man are evident. The first element in common is

that as the years past and the races appeared each one is more advanced in terms of technology and

knowledge but less ethical and moral than their predecessors. The major difference is that while in the
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Greeks stories the gods are immortal and live in the Olympus in the Irish tradition the gods walked the

earth like human beings, using their supernatural powers to bring fertility, civilization, and peace to

Ireland (Rosenberg 369). A common element is the use of magical powers to take advantage in war, heal

and performed incredible actions. While in the Ages of Man, the gods created the human beings and are

theoretically impossible to kill in the Irish story men are conqueror races that defeat the gods and take

possession of their territory. Although there is a similarity between the descriptions and the fight of

Zeus and the Olympic gods vs. the Titans and the one between the Tuatha De Danann and the

Fomorians, the Irish gods actually killed the Fomorians and are later defeated by the men.

It is paradoxical that the Irish tradition places the power of mankind above the power of divine

races. But since the stories were preserved by Christian monks and according to the them mankind is

created by God, it is not a surprised that they have probably made the Celtic gods act, fight and die

showing the power of the creation of God and postulating the monotheist believe of God as only one or

three in one.