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Imramha | Searching for God
Imramha are the sea voyages made by early Irish saints and holy men into the Otherworld.
Ali Isaac
Jan 11, 20165 min read
tree lore | 5 sacred evergreens of #christmas
The only vivacious sign of life flourishing in the land whilst all else wasted, was the evergreens. No wonder they became a beacon of hope.
Ali Isaac
Dec 15, 20156 min read
5 sacred symbols of #christmas & their pagan origins
In ancient Ireland, homes were decorated in winter with boughs of bright holly, fragrant fir and mistletoe to guard against misfortune.
Ali Isaac
Dec 9, 20154 min read
how the old stories inspire today’s irish writers with modern seanchai alan walsh
Irish author Alan Walsh writes about what inspired him to create his new novel, SOUR, based on the mythology of Deirdre of the Sorrows.
Ali Isaac
Dec 4, 20155 min read
The Ritual of the Crane Dance Curse in Irish Mythology
the corrghuineacht, and is a form of magic-working, the power of which is intensified when practised in a particular stance.
Ali Isaac
Nov 16, 20156 min read
Tree Lore in Irish Mythology| Guardians of the 5 Provinces
The Guardians of the Five Provinces is a title that was given to five very special trees which were in ancient times considered sacred.
Ali Isaac
Nov 4, 20155 min read
tlachtga: goddess of earth & fire
Her name derives from the old Irish 'tlacht', meaning ‘earth’ and 'gae', meaning ‘spear’. This implies a mother earth or fertility deity.
Ali Isaac
Oct 26, 20155 min read
samhain: the original halloween
The ancient Irish divided their year into four seasons punctuated by the festivals of Imbolc, Beltaine, Lughnasa and Samhain.
Ali Isaac
Oct 25, 20154 min read
Gealach | An Irish Moon
The Irish word for moon is gealach. Our Irish ancestors didn’t have a dedicated god or goddess of the moon, like most other cultures.
Ali Isaac
Sep 28, 20153 min read
Equinox at Loughcrew
On Sunday morning, I visited Loughcrew (in Irish Loch Craobh) to greet the dawn of the autumn equinox.
Ali Isaac
Sep 21, 20153 min read
knowth | legend of a forgotten queen
Similar in size to Newgrange, the central mound at Knowth contains 2 passages, is surrounded by 17 satellite mounds, & has a varied history.
Ali Isaac
Sep 7, 20153 min read
Double Trouble | Twins in Irish Mythology
It was often perceived that the birth of twins was a supernatural affair, which some cultures revered, and some punished.
Ali Isaac
Aug 31, 20155 min read
lake dwellers of ancient ireland
Ireland has its fair share of water lore & mythical aquatic creatures. As a small island liberally sprinkled with lakes it's not surprising.
Ali Isaac
Aug 27, 20155 min read
Tuatha de Danann | Who Were They Really?
According to legend, the Tuatha de Danann were a mystical race of God-like beings who invaded and ruled Ireland over four thousand years ago
Ali Isaac
Aug 24, 20159 min read
Sacred Trees of Ireland | The Yew
The Yew tree, one of Ireland’s native evergreens, enjoys a high status in Irish mythology. It's a long-lived tree, known in Irish as an Iúr.
Ali Isaac
Aug 17, 20154 min read
irish hurling | crazier than quidditch?
Hurling, as we know it today, was only formalised in the 19th century, but according to legend was played before battle with enemy heads!
Ali Isaac
Jul 23, 20154 min read
How to Write a Bestseller Like the Ancient Bards
The earliest writing exists in the form of Ogham symbols hewn along the edges of standing stones dating back to the fourth century.
Ali Isaac
Jul 17, 20156 min read
The Red Headed Folk of Ireland
The Tuatha de Danann and the Sidhe are described as being tall and beautiful, red or fair haired, with pale skin and blue or green eyes.
Ali Isaac
Jul 6, 20153 min read
Ancient Stones
The ancient site of the Valley of the Temples near Agrigento, Sicily, has temples dedicated to Hercules, Hera, Demeter, Kore, and Zeus.
Ali Isaac
Jun 29, 20152 min read
Irish Tree Lore – The Hawthorn
In Irish, the hawthorn is known as Sceach Gheal, from sceach meaning ‘thornbush/ briar’ and geal meaning ‘bright/ lumnious/ radiant’.
Ali Isaac
Jun 22, 20152 min read
Ali Isaac is an author and blogger specialising in Irish mythology. Through word and image, she tries to draw the human story from Ireland's landscape and tumbled stones, with a particular focus on the women history has abandoned, and legend only half remembers.
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