Celtic Gods, Heroes, and Mythology

Celtic Gods, Heroes, and Mythology — page 3 — would stick his thumb in his mouth in order to know the answers Finn was a giant but he was not a very big one Another giant KING ARTHUR The story of King Arthur has its roots in Celtic mythology It may have originated in Wales or northern Britain Arthur may have been based on a real life figure But his story changed over time as it was retold again and again Some early stories present him as a hero of war Later stories show him as a great king Christians also retold the Arthur legend adding new details so it is hard to know for certain the original tale of Arthur Benandonner lived across the sea from him The two giants shouted boasts and threats at one another Each challenged the other to prove who was stronger But no ship could carry the heavy giants At last Finn threw rocks into the water to create a bridge so they could meet in battle After creating the bridge Finn was worn out from the work He fell fast asleep

Celtic Gods, Heroes, and Mythology — page 4 — Oonagh Finn's wife heard Benandonner approaching She saw that he was much larger than Finn and knew he would beat Finn in a fight Thinking quickly she covered the sleeping Finn in a blanket and put a bonnet on his head The giant arrived and demanded to know where Finn was Oonagh shushed him She told him he could wait for Finn but he had to be quiet so he would not wake the baby Benandonner not realizing the baby was Finn in disguise panicked If Finn's baby was that big then Finn must be enormous He ran away in fear His retreat destroyed the bridge creating a jumble of rocks in the water Today this rock formation can still be seen along the coastline of Northern Ireland It is known as the Giant's Causeway It is a favorite spot for tourists CELTIC HISTORY The Celts were a people who lived in western Europe from 500 BCE to 500 CE They were not just a single people or class They were groups of people connected

Celtic Gods, Heroes, and Mythology — page 5 — The unique shape of the stones at Giant's Causeway make this site a popular place to visit by language and culture Each group had its own leaders They never created a central government The Celts shared their stories and history orally through the songs and poems of the bards and druids The bards were musicians and poets The druids were wise people who served as priests teachers and judges Continental Celts were those who lived on the European continent Insular Celts lived in the

Celtic Gods, Heroes, and Mythology — page 6 — British Isles In approximately 100 CE Romans conquered the continent There the tales of Celtic gods and creatures faded Only what the Romans recorded is left to be studied today However the Celts who settled in the British Isles held on to their stories Here Celtic myths and legends survived Myths and legends are stories that are important to a culture Myths often involve gods magical beings and supernatural BARDS AND DRUIDS Celtic history was originally shared orally rather than being written down Bards wrote and recited stories The epic stories usually showed heroes and their journeys or deeds Druids were educated Celts In addition to studying ancient lore they also studied natural philosophy and astronomy According to the Romans who wrote about their encounters with the Celts druids spent up to 20 years training events Legends are stories about famous events or people Myths and legends can tell truths that more realistic sounding stories cannot

5

PAGE 5 OF 45

›

The only kids' eBook subscription service that offers thousands of high-quality books from well known publishers like HarperCollins, National Geographic and others.

JavaScript Required

Whoops! We're sorry but Epic doesn't work properly without JavaScript enabled. Check your web browser's settings to make sure it's enabled.