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Classical Myth in Medieval Ireland
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2025
About this book
Explores medieval Irish interest in Classical mythology and historiography and how it could be situated within the framework of Christian salvation history.
From allusions to the Olympians in seventh-century glosses to twelfth- and thirteenth-century vernacular adaptations of the epics of Vergil, Lucan, and Statius, Irish authors creatively re-imagined Greco-Roman mythology throughout the Middle Ages. They developed many strategies for situating the Classical deities within medieval Christian historiography, but rarely did they downplay or eliminate them. Some of these strategies, as this study reveals, reflected wider medieval European trends in Classical reception and mythography, whilst others were strikingly original and paralleled the ways in which Irish authors imagined the supernatural beings of their own pre-Christian past.
This book examines why Irish authors were interested in the history and mythology of the ancient Mediterranean, and how Classical polytheism influenced their ideas about their own pagan past. It explores the ways in which depictions of Irish Otherworldly characters both shaped and were shaped by the gods and supernatural figures of the Classical adaptations. Based on close readings of texts such as the Irish version of Lucan, In Cath Catharda, this book argues that Classical scholarship in medieval Ireland was closely tied to medieval ideas about salvation history. Ultimately, it concludes that medieval Irish authors and audiences applied the same interpretive tools used for biblical exegesis to characters and events from Greco-Roman mythology, history, and literature, and to the supernatural inhabitants of pre-Christian Ireland alike.
From allusions to the Olympians in seventh-century glosses to twelfth- and thirteenth-century vernacular adaptations of the epics of Vergil, Lucan, and Statius, Irish authors creatively re-imagined Greco-Roman mythology throughout the Middle Ages. They developed many strategies for situating the Classical deities within medieval Christian historiography, but rarely did they downplay or eliminate them. Some of these strategies, as this study reveals, reflected wider medieval European trends in Classical reception and mythography, whilst others were strikingly original and paralleled the ways in which Irish authors imagined the supernatural beings of their own pre-Christian past.
This book examines why Irish authors were interested in the history and mythology of the ancient Mediterranean, and how Classical polytheism influenced their ideas about their own pagan past. It explores the ways in which depictions of Irish Otherworldly characters both shaped and were shaped by the gods and supernatural figures of the Classical adaptations. Based on close readings of texts such as the Irish version of Lucan, In Cath Catharda, this book argues that Classical scholarship in medieval Ireland was closely tied to medieval ideas about salvation history. Ultimately, it concludes that medieval Irish authors and audiences applied the same interpretive tools used for biblical exegesis to characters and events from Greco-Roman mythology, history, and literature, and to the supernatural inhabitants of pre-Christian Ireland alike.
Author / Editor information
Contributor: Brigid Ehrmantraut
BRIGID EHRMANTRAUT is a Research Fellow in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at St John's College, University of Cambridge.
Topics
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Frontmatter
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CONTENTS
v -
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Acknowledgements
vi -
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List of Abbreviations
vii -
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A Note on Definitions and Translations
viii -
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Introduction: Gods of Gold and Silver
1 -
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1. Naming the Gods: From Gloss to Epic
24 -
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2. The Olympian Gods in the Classical Adaptations
37 -
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3. Infernal Powers: Battle Spirits, Witches, and Furies
61 -
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4. God and Gods: The Christian Framework of In Cath Catharda
94 -
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5. Otherworldly Beings: Classical Influence beyond the Classical Adaptations
118 -
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6. Druids, Ethnography, and the Translation of Knowledge
143 -
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Conclusion
160 -
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Appendix: Table of Medieval Irish Classical Adaptations
164 -
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Bibliography
166 -
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Index
184
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
September 9, 2025
eBook ISBN:
9781805437895
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook ISBN:
9781805437895
Keywords for this book
Medieval Ireland; Classical Mythology; Christian Salvation History; Greco-Roman Mythology; Olympians; Vergil; Lucan; Statius; Irish Otherworld; Pre-Christian Ireland; Biblical Exegesis; Medieval European Trends
Audience(s) for this book
For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research
