Movies / TV Shows!

[Aes Sídhe]

I had to go search for that myth! So he's basically our equivalent of Hercules? ???

That's... just.... disgraceful Al ! Seriously sort that out mate, I can understand if an Irish person hasn't read The Táin, but never heard of the Hound of Culain? An Ulsterman never heard of the Hound who held back a whole army from invasion by honourable combat at the Yellow Ford, including having to kill his foster brother & dearest friend?

Lady Gregorys Cuchulain of Muirthemne is a very approachable version though skips many of the more mature elements, Kinsellas Tain is the one i'd recommend for the LeBrocquy art as much as the translation), but Ciaran Carsons more recent version is excellent too.

oh and not "our Hercules", or "our king Arthur", but there are similaritis that imply a common Indo-European heritage behind the themes...

edit: heres it in musical form: Dearg Doom is Cú - he who kills 100 to the right, 100 to the left, and doesn't think it too many. Ferdias his foster brother (fostering was an old Irish way of uniting the clans), the Gae Bolga, well you never want to meet one of those.

 

[Alan989]

That's... just.... disgraceful Al ! Seriously sort that out mate, I can understand if an Irish person hasn't read The Táin, but never heard of the Hound of Culain? An Ulsterman never heard of the Hound who held back a whole army from invasion by honourable combat at the Yellow Ford, including having to kill his foster brother & dearest friend?

Lady Gregorys Cuchulain of Muirthemne is a very approachable version though skips many of the more mature elements, Kinsellas Tain is the one i'd recommend for the LeBrocquy art as much as the translation), but Ciaran Carsons more recent version is excellent too.

oh and not "our Hercules", or "our king Arthur", but there are similaritis that imply a common Indo-European heritage behind the themes...

Um....where the Feck is the Yellow Ford? Yeah, I was never taught local myths at school. I was always more interested in the foreign stories anyway. So sue me!

 

[Blothulfur]

Brian Boru next, or maybe Finn McCumhail? I was introduced to Irish mythology through Michael Moorcock and his Corum saga, wanted to know more about his inspiration and was enchanted by it.

Edit: Oh and there were two old games about Cuchulain on me old Amstrad CPC464, Tir-na-nog and Dun Darach, they were great.

 

[Alan989]

Brian Boru next, or maybe Finn McCumhail? I was introduced to Irish mythology through Michael Moorcock and his Corum saga, wanted to know more about his inspiration and was enchanted by it.

I've never heard of those either (well actually Brian Boru is the name of the Royal Irish Regiments' Irish Wolfhound mascot)! Damn, I must be a right ignorant wee whippersnapper!

 

[Blothulfur]

Boru fought the Vikings out of Eire, Finn is half mythological giant/half man who did loads of stuff. Very rich mythology and a nice break from the Old Norse stuff, I recommend it.

 

[Alan989]

Boru fought the Vikings out of Eire, Finn is half mythological giant/half man who did loads of stuff.

Right. Still haven't heard of them!

 

[Blothulfur]

Not your fault, if I were you i'd go back to school and slap your teacher though.

 

[Alan989]

Not your fault, if I were you i'd go back to school and slap your teacher though.

Teachers more like! Back then, there was nothing but strikes and substitute teachers being brought in on a regular basis, who might I add, where absolutely useless!

 

[Kinley]

where absolutely useless!

I can see that.

 

[Blothulfur]

Ouch.

 

[Alan989]

I can see that.

Damn, I hate it when I don't pay attention! I'm tired though, so I have an excuse!

P.S: I blame YOU, Kinley!

 

[Kinley]

Damn, I hate it when I don't pay attention! I'm tired though, so I have an excuse!

Joking of course! :lol: I do it more often than I'd like as well.

 

[Kinley]

Just saw Guardians of the Galaxy. If anyone wants a non-serious, action filled, visually stunning and hilarious movie to watch, I highly recommend. I laughed my ass off throughout the entire movie.

Oh, goodie. I have a question:

Basically one big piss-take of the original Star Wars, multiplied by 100!

Is this true in any way? It's a huge concern, and potentially a turn-off for me, if it is.

 

[Aes Sídhe]

Um....where the Feck is the Yellow Ford? Yeah, I was never taught local myths at school. I was always more interested in the foreign stories anyway. So sue me!

Neither was I, they don't teach myths local or otherwise at school generally, certainly not part of any curriculum i've ever heard of. At Uni level you may encounter myths in literature or local studies degrees. I would've read the Irish myths in childrens book version first, along with similar versions of the Greek, perhaps even before I went to school but certainly during primary, graduating to the Gregory version early teens, then Kinsellas direct translation from the source late teens.

Don't blame teachers for this one, don't blame yourself either, this is the effect of the modern world and I've encountered it before in the youth of other cultures who don't recognise their own myths, but you are the first Irish i've encountered who's never heard of Cúchulain, it was a bit of a shock. Disney-neutered fairytales & superheros have supplanted the need for myth in us all, and thats to the detriment of our diversity, and peoples own understanding of who they are & where they live.

Yellow ford in the tale is in Louth, once a part of Ulster, in the town Ardee (Irish: Baile Átha Fhirdhia, meaning "townland of Ferdia's ford").

Brian Boru next, or maybe Finn McCumhail? I was introduced to Irish mythology through Michael Moorcock and his Corum saga, wanted to know more about his inspiration and was enchanted by it.

Edit: Oh and there were two old games about Cuchulain on me old Amstrad CPC464, Tir-na-nog and Dun Darach, they were great.

Great games & I also loved that second Corum Saga, though I think I always preferred the first. No reason why Cú could only make 1 movie, but yeh there is so much stuff to draw from in Irish Legend, and it's mostly untapped, not like Beowulf (which you know I love, and i'd happily watch another version, but you get my point).

 

[Alan989]

Don't blame teachers for this one, don't blame yourself either, this is the effect of the modern world and I've encountered it before in the youth of other cultures who don't recognise their own myths, but you are the first Irish i've encountered who's never heard of Cúchulain, it was a bit of a shock. Disney-neutered fairytales & superheros have supplanted the need for myth in us all, and thats to the detriment of our diversity, and peoples own understanding of who they are & where they live.

You'd be surprised how many people haven't heard of the old myths. I asked my parents if they recognized that tale, and both of them have never heard of it, and they are in their 60's!

 

[Aes Sídhe]

Well I guess that might explain it. Could I ask if books are common in your house?

I heard this info yesterday and discussed it with a range of ages at the bar, no one was confused, and all were keen. The thing is you wouldn't only encounter Cú in the myths in Ireland, but statues & paintings & songs & postage stamps ffs....

He's an Irish Cultural Icon.

 

[Alan989]

Well I guess that might explain it. Could I ask if books are common in your house?

Oh, there's books in our house alright. Most of them are mine though. My Dad owns a few books on both World Wars and firearm history but that's it. All the books I own are Medieval to Cold War history as well as Fantasy and Sci-Fi novels (including The Witcher series obviously) along with a few Graphic Novels.

 

[Chewin3]

Oh, goodie. I have a question:
Is this true in any way? It's a huge concern, and potentially a turn-off for me, if it is.

As in plot? Well I wouldn't put it as a comparison. The story is very cliched and it has a weak antagonist. But due to the movie being so non-serious and with all the comical remarks that are put into the story, you do get quite surprised in certain scenes from time to time, which helps make the movie so good. If it wasn't for the comedy, the movie wouldn't have been anywhere as good.

 

[Blothulfur]

Pity they don't teach local mythology and cultural heritage in schools, wonder why that is? All in all I don't think I missed much from wagging school all time.

 

[Alan989]

As in plot? Well I wouldn't put it as a comparison. The story is very cliched and it has a weak antagonist. But due to the movie being so non-serious and with all the comical remarks that are put into the story, you do get quite surprised in certain scenes from time to time, which helps make the movie so good. If it wasn't for the comedy, the movie wouldn't have been anywhere as good.

Yeah I can agree on that. The movie knows that it's doing something that's been done before, so it pokes fun at itself regularly. Even the main villain is mocked by the main characters constantly.

EDIT: In fact here's a clip from the movie that illustrates it well!