Story Archaeology
Story Archaeology combines the knowledge and skills of the storyteller with academic exploration of ancient texts. The main focus is the Irish tradition but at https://storyarchaeology.com, you will find an archive of podcast articles, stories and translations as well as new podcast conversations with people from around the world who have ‘Stories in the Landscape’ to share.
- Update frequency
- every 25 days
- Average duration
- 60 minutes
- Episodes
- 141
- Years Active
- 2012 - 2025
Fer Fio’s Cry: A Poem for Long Life
In exploring the Dindshenchas of Inber Ailbine, we looked at the poem Nuall Fer Fio, "Fer Fio's Cry", to gain some understanding of the nine daughters of the sea in their bronze boats. In the episod…
00:02:10 |
Sat 08 Feb 2014
Dindshenchas 12: A Magical Mystery Tour
Have your tickets ready for inspection and your guide-books open to page 1! To round off Series 3, we're going to discover some Dindshenchas gems in the Irish countryside.
Join the Story Archaeologi…
01:30:15 |
Thu 16 Jan 2014
Midwinter Special: The Craneskin Bag – A Santa’s Sack of Gifts from Irish Mythology
Long before Santa's sack was filled with seasonal gifts, Manannán Mac Lír had a wonderful craneskin bag full of magical treasures, which he frequently gave to those he favoured.
But what will the …
01:19:28 |
Wed 18 Dec 2013
Dindshenchas 11: Tocmarc Étaíne 3 – A Game of Fidchell
As we reach the final section of "The Wooing of Étaín", a game of fidchell leads to some epic gains and losses. There will be archaic poetry, incest, a War of the Worlds and some civil engineering.
…
01:25:07 |
Tue 26 Nov 2013
Dindshenchas 10: Tocmarc Étaíne 2 – The Re-Born Identity
Étaín and Midir: illustration by Kathy Moore
As Étaín grows up to be the most beautiful woman in Ireland - again - she is wooed and won by no less than the king of all Ireland. But no story can be t…
00:55:18 |
Tue 05 Nov 2013
Dindshenchas 09: Tocmarc Étaíne 1 – A Fly On The Wall
Sculpture of Étaín by Éamonn O'Doherty (Isolde's late uncle)
The saga Tocmarc Étaíne, "The Wooing of Étaín”, is a complex and engaging tale of love, loss and time twists. We encounter jealous hus…
01:07:10 |
Fri 11 Oct 2013
Dindshenchas 08: The Further Adventures of Nera – The Cow and the Time Machine
Road sculpture, Táin Bó Cúailgne, Co Louth, photo by Paz
In the context of Dindshenchas, we return to the fascinating tale, Echtrae Nerai / Táin Bó Aingene ("The Adventures of Nera / The Cattle Ra…
01:07:18 |
Fri 13 Sep 2013
Dindshenchas 07: Fled Bricrenn 4 – A Head to Head Discussion
Corleck triple faced stone from County Cavan
After an exhausting treck around Ireland in pursuit of the Champion's Portion, it's time to sit back and examine the text of Fled Bricrenn as a whole. T…
00:59:18 |
Thu 22 Aug 2013
Dindshenchas 06: Fled Bricrenn 3 – Your Head or Mine?
Two-headed stone figure from Boa island, Lough Erne.
In the final episode of Fled Bricrenn, our heroes head deep into the Otherworld, a.k.a. Kerry. They enter the mysterious revolving fort of Cú Roí…
00:57:13 |
Thu 15 Aug 2013
Dindshenchas 05: Fled Bricrenn 2 – The Road to Crúachán
In the second part of Fled Bricrenn, our heroes make their way to Crúachán to be judged for the Champion’s Portion. But their routes there and back are most circuitous.
Follow on their heels with th…
01:17:47 |
Thu 25 Jul 2013
Dindshenchas 04: Fled Bricrenn 1 – The Feasting Hall
When Bricriu decides to hold a party, anyone who is anyone must put in an appearance. But Bricriu has no intention of getting in a few beers and a few bowls of nibbles. No, Bricriu's feast will set…
01:10:21 |
Sun 07 Jul 2013
Dindshenchas 03: The Well and the Cheese – The Unlikely Story of Medb and her Sisters
Inis Clothrann, the largest island of Lough Ree, Co. Longford, is famous for more than just its venerable monastic remains. It was here that Medb of Crúachán would bathe in the island's well in fulf…
01:19:09 |
Thu 13 Jun 2013
Dindshenchas 02: Dindshenchas and Dreamtime
Mythic cartography is the art of mapping stories onto a living landscape. In Ireland, these patterns are visible through the corpus of Dindshenchas poems and prose: in Australia, they have tradition…
01:16:57 |
Thu 23 May 2013
Dindshenchas 01: From Vellum to Hardback – An Interview with Dr. Ranke de Vries (Part 2)
Begin Series 3, Dindshenchas and the Art of Mythic Cartography, as the Story Archaeologists interview Dr. Ranke de Vries, editor of "Two Texts on Loch nEchach".
With Chris away in Australia, Isolde,…
00:40:24 |
Sun 05 May 2013
Dindshenchas 01: From Vellum to Hardback – An Interview with Dr. Ranke de Vries (Part 1)
Begin Series 3, Dindshenchas and the Art of Mythic Cartography, as the Story Archaeologists interview Dr. Ranke de Vries, editor of "Two Texts on Loch nEchach".
With Chris away in Australia, Isolde,…
00:41:02 |
Sun 05 May 2013
The Battle of Moytura 12: An Experiment In Story Archaeology (Part 2)
We have dug down as far as we can go in this Story Archaeology dig of Cath Maige Tuired. We've studied the landscape, examined related stories, collected linguistic potsherds. So what are we left wi…
00:38:11 |
Wed 17 Apr 2013
The Battle of Moytura 12: An Experiment In Story Archaeology (Part 1)
We have dug down as far as we can go in this Story Archaeology dig of Cath Maige Tuired. We've studied the landscape, examined related stories, collected linguistic potsherds. So what are we left wi…
00:39:21 |
Wed 17 Apr 2013
The Battle of Moytura 10: The Children of Tuirenn 2 – Three Shouts on a Hill (Part 2)
In our continuing discussion of the Early Modern Irish tale, “The Fate of the Children of Tuirenn”, we send Brian and the boys off on their epic quest. Much of this tale sounds terribly familiar (d…
00:24:47 |
Fri 29 Mar 2013
The Battle of Moytura 10: The Children of Tuirenn 2 – Three Shouts on a Hill (Part 1)
In our continuing discussion of the Early Modern Irish tale, “The Fate of the Children of Tuirenn”, we send Brian and the boys off on their epic quest. Much of this tale sounds terribly familiar (di…
00:27:38 |
Fri 29 Mar 2013
The Battle of Moytura 09: The Children of Tuirenn 1 – The King of Bling (Part 2)
Jim Fitzpatrick's spectacular Lugh
In the Early Modern Irish tale, "The Fate of the Children of Tuirenn", Lugh prepares to take on the might of the Fomoire hosts, seemingly single-handed. But he wil…
00:35:17 |
Tue 12 Mar 2013
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