Myths

Gaelic Myths/Legends

There are several legends recounting the ownership of the Brugh, all of which involve similar ambiguity and complexity concerning day and night and the passage of time. It would seem then, that the myths relating to Newgrange dramatise a basic idea, which is interesting when one considers the solar alignment and the possible pre-historic usage of Newgrange as a megalithic calendar.

The old tales tell how the gates of the world stand open at this time. Journeys to the "other world", either metaphorically or otherwise, may well be transformative. It is for this reason that Samhain can be seen as a time when the past and future are available to the present. It is a time to see ourselves as part of the web of past and future. We are not isolated in time.

Many of the more curious and supernatural events in Irish mythology are associated with Samhain, including two of the legends associated with Newgrange and Aonghus.

The term mythology can refer to either the study of myths or a body of myths. The main characters in myths are usually gods or supernatural heroes.Some thinkers believe that myths resulted from the personification of inanimate objects and forces. According to these thinkers, the ancients worshipped natural phenomena such as fire and air, gradually coming to describe them as gods.