The hags of the long teeth
This tale is from Douglas Hyde’s (1890) collection. As described in Chapter 17, the hag is a very ancient character, but in this Roscommon story there are curious features which Alfred Nutt (1890) says are unparalleled in the rest of Ireland. The inclusion of vultures and an arch-judge, a court role from ancient Egypt (web), […]
The vision of Mac Conglinne
From the twelfth century, this is a rather quirky tale and I have included it because it seems different. It includes inter-tribal ambition, magic, a poor scholar, a despotic abbot, a vision and a demon driven out by a religious man. Fearghal mac Maolduin, high-king of the Uí Neill and Cathal mac Fionghuine, king of […]