Celtic Mythology Blog

Before their arrival in Ireland the Tuatha Dé Danann were said to have traveled far and wide, learning all manner of skill, druidry and other occult practices. The power of this tribe was such that their movements were noted in visions of prophecy long before their ships ever graced the skies

In ancient times Ireland was ruled by chieftains and kings, but the rule of land was not a birth right. One had to prove ones worth by skill of thought, word and deed even to be considered for such a role. Even those aspirants were not guaranteed to rule for the last, and some might say most important, step in the process was to connect with the sovereignty of the land itself, for only in a union with the Goddesses of the land could a rightful chieftain rule.

In the time before the Tuatha Dé Danánn came into Ireland there were other tribes in the land and indeed older Gods. Lír is the name of one such ancient deity and he was a being of some importance to the island nation as he was the God of the sea itself. Yet for all of his power and influence, we seem to have no tales  about him, but we do have many tales concerning his son, the Mac Lír, known as Manannán.

No matter which Brighid you choose to explore you will find someone who is not adverse to doing what's needed, bringing about the change whether it's with the airs of poetic inspiration, the turning of a cursed word, or with the pounding purifying works of the forge. Whatever your personal view of this Goddess, there can be no doubt that when time comes, Brighid can drop the hammer.

We had a recent question from our community regarding the source of the text for one of our best selling T-Shirts and I realized that, though it stands on its own, sometimes the back story adds to the appreciation.

So, 'What is the background to this quote?'...

“A Body Made Of Daggers. Forged In The Heat Of Her Rage. Sharpened Upon The Wheel Of Her Intent.”

Business and life partners Lora O'Brien and Jon O'Sullivan set up Eel & Otter Press in 2017 as a small publishing company. As they are both aut...