Delivering the National Literacy Strategy through Ireland

Encounters and responses L202 Celtic Magic Tales Irish myths and legends for Year 5 by

Yvette Blake, Deputy Headteacher & Literacy Co-ordinator Suzanne Lewis, Class teacher Year 5 Park Road Community Primary School, Warrington

The Warrington Project

Warrington Education Department Literacy Pilot Scheme

Contents Introduction

2

1. 2.

3 5

Myths and legends - literacy hour in Year 5 Term 2 Modelling ‘The Quest for Aideen’ from Celtic Magic Tales by Liam Mac Uistin

PART I - TEXTS 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

‘The Quest for Aideen’ from Celtic Magic Tales by Liam Mac Uistin ‘Deirdre and the Sons of Usnach’ from Celtic Magic Tales by Liam Mac Uistin The Táin by Liam Mac Uistin The King of Ireland’s Son by Brendan Behan ‘How Cúchulain Got his Name’ from Irish Fairy Tales & Legends by Una Leavy ‘The Magic Shoes’ - ditto ‘The King’s Secret’ - ditto ‘The Children of Lir’ - ditto ‘The Giant’s Causeway’ - ditto ‘The Pot of Gold’ - ditto ‘Tír Na n-Óg’ - ditto ‘The White Gander’ - ditto The Celts

12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

PART II - TASKS 16.

17. 18.

19.

Worksheets Irish Tales - Characterisation Irish Tales - Character descriptions Irish Tales - themes Mir and Aideen - emotions Mir and Aideen - magic Mir and Aideen - character study The Táin - emotions The Táin - magic Whole class work ‘The Quest for Aideen’ - key questions Group work ‘The Quest for Aideen’ - text work Comparing tales - themes Individual work Comparing tales - themes

28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 37 39 40 42

PART III - EXAMPLES OF ONE CHILD’S RESPONSES (from Reading Response Book) 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26.

‘The Quest for Aideen’ - enticing opening ‘The Quest for Aideen’ - predictions Characters - King Cormac Characters - diaries Characterisation Comparing tales - themes Sentences

44 46 47 48 49 52 55

PART IV - EXAMPLES OF CHILDREN’S RESPONSES

Irish Folk Tales

A collection of work from Class SL (Yr 5) Park Road Community School

Available as a separate volume

Introduction This report is part of a series called ‘Encounters and Responses’. The series focuses on encounters with Irish literature during the Literacy Hour, how the texts were used to meet the NLS Range and meet some of the objectives at Key Stages 1 and 2. It includes the various responses made by the children in terms of shared or guided writing, and independent work. Examples of planning and Literacy Hour tasks are provided. Irish material was also used with Year 3 to explore fairy tales and with Years 5 and 6 to compare the work of significant children’s authors.

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1. Myths and legends - literacy hour in Year 5 Term 2 The target year group was Year 5 containing 11 girls and 13 boys. The fiction work for Year Five, Term Two (NLS) is traditional stories, myths, legends, fables from a range of cultures. The children had already encountered myths and legends during a previous theme on Ancient Greece. It was therefore decided to focus on traditional stories from Ireland (particularly the Celtic myths and legends) as this would provide us with an excellent opportunity to begin the school’s work with the Warrington Project’s Literacy Pilot Scheme would enable the children to have common experiences to share with our partner school in Ireland. Aims and objectives In order to broaden the children’s experiences of this genre the aim was that by the end of this theme the children would be able to:

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discuss features common to a Celtic tale; compare and contrast these features with those of a Greek myth; compare and contrast the main features of these stories with the traditional tales with which they were most familiar, having a particular focus on the characteristics and role of women and the range of emotions encountered; discuss the ways that authors re-tell the same story, retaining the essential points while at the same time making the re-telling their own. (Focus on style and author’s choice and use of language.)

The NLS objectives for text level work included:

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to identify and classify the features of myths, legends and fables ( T1); to investigate the different versions of the same story in print or on film, identifying similarities and differences; recognise how stories change over time and differences of culture and place that are expressed in stories (T2); to explore similarities and differences between oral and written story telling (T3); to distinguish between the author and the narrator, investigating narrative viewpoint and the treatment of different characters, e.g. minor characters, heroes, villains, and perspectives on the action from different characters (T8); and to understand the differences between literal and figurative language (T 10).

Setting the scene The reading area was established with a range of books from this genre from the local library plus one set of multiple copies (Irish Fairy Tales and Legends by Una Leavy) together with some key texts by Liam Mac Uistin supplied by the Warrington Project (Celtic Magic Tales, The Táin and The Hunt for Diarmaid and Grainne). The children began by reading the texts both during Literacy Time and as their individual reading at home. The class teacher undertook some initial activities looking at story starters. I took one Liam Mac Uistin story from Celtic Magic Tales, ‘The Quest for Aideen’ and worked with this class in literacy time for three days, although the children worked on this text for the week. I used this story during three Literacy Hour sessions, for both whole class and group work. During these sessions the children collected evidence from the story which enabled us to discuss the main characters (Aideen and Mir), the use of magic (for selfish and unselfish reasons), the range of emotions Blake, Myths and legends (Yr5), page 4 of 59

and human characteristics demonstrated (love, hate, fear, jealousy, honour, betrayal, pride, sorrow, revenge). In his introduction Liam Mac Uistin explains that these characteristics are strong features of Celtic myths so we wanted to put this to the test and the framework we used will be applied to other stories. I also want to look at the role/representation of women in these stories as many have quite strong personalities which are very different from the Cinderella of Walt Disney stories the children know so well! I modelled literacy time for the teacher who then followed this in subsequent lessons using another story, ‘Deirdre and the Sons of Usnach’, from Celtic Magic Tales. The modelling is described in the following chapter. Impact on the children Both are powerful and brilliantly written stories, the first with a happy ending, the second with a tragic ending. They led children to an appreciation of Mac Uistin’s style and the characteristics of Celtic myths. Above all, they enchanted and involved the children. Towards the end of the story of Aideen and Mir, you could have heard a pin drop. When Mir finally rescued Aideen after many near misses on the way there was a resounding cheer and one unlikely boy admitted to having - or nearly - having a tear in his eye.

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2. Modelling ‘The Quest of Aideen’

from Celtic Magic Tales by Liam Mac Uistin

Objectives for the lesson

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to discuss how the author began the story in a way that engaged the interest of the reader through the use of dialogue and attention to description of the setting; to discuss the way that tension was introduced through the use of comparison; to demonstrate how the reader’s interest is sustained through the introduction of a prophecy; to engage a personal response from the children through a discussion of their predictions for the story.

FIRST LESSON (DAY ONE) Extract 1 I used an overhead projector to show the following text: “This is a beautiful land,” Aideen whispered to Mir as they stood in the valley and admired the waterfall tumbling down over the glistening rocks into the river below. “Yes.” Mir nodded. “It was great good fortune that led our people here.” On they walked along a sunlit path that curved up the side of a hill. All at once a dark shadow fell over them and they heard a sudden sharp scream. Looking up, they saw an eagle plummeting towards them, its great menacing talons spread open, its cruel beak thrust forward. Frightened, Mir and Aideen fell to their knees. The eagle swooped close over their heads and glided away into the distance. Mir and Aideen rose to their feet, trembling. Mir’s face was ashen and his eyes had a haunted look.

Key questions 1 Where are they? How has the author set the scene? What happens? How do the characters react? How is the idyllic scene contrasted by the violent action? What effect does this have on the reader? We looked closely at the author’s choice of language, the range of adjectives used to describe the setting and the powerful verbs that accentuate the suddenness of the bird’s arrival and menace. We also discussed the opening through a dialogue which introduced the characters immediately and how we could tell their gender when the names were not familiar to us. Extract 2 I then revealed the second part of the opening: “Aideen. I have seen that bird before.” he said in a low strained voice.

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“When?” she asked. “In a terrible dream I had. A dream that still frightens me.” “Tell me.” Aideen said, taking his hand in hers. “I dreamt that a fierce bloodthirsty race came over the sea and tried to destroy our people, the Tuatha de banner. The sails of their ships bore the emblem of that eagle. Our people were driven underground to live in the Otherworld where there is no spring or summer or singing of birds.” Mir shivered and tightened his grip on Aideen’s hand. “But the worst part of the dream was that you and I were separated and I never saw you again.” “The colour ebbed from Aideen’s lovely face. “That can never be!” she cried. “I shall never leave you, Mir. Never!”

Key questions 2 What is the link between the first passage and this one? How has the author engaged the interest of the reader? What do we learn about the characters? What do you think will happen next in the story? Activities Following a discussion of these key questions, two groups of children worked in detail on the text. One worked on highlighting the nouns, adjectives and verbs. The second group wrote down their prediction. (One child noticed that the title - ‘The Quest for Aideen’ - gave us an important clue!) At the end of the day the teacher re-read this passage and continued the story up to the following point (p 11). SECOND LESSON (DAY TWO) Extract 3 I began day two with this extract: The Tuatha de Dannan watched from the hilltop as the strange ships approached the shore. On the boats the long-haired warriors roared defiantly and waved their weapons. “They are a fierce race of people indeed,” King Cormac murmured, “but perhaps this will persuade them to leave us in peace.” He raised his magic staff and cast a spell. Huge waves rose up on the sea and tossed the ships like corks. On the boats the warriors cried out in alarm as they were pitched violently from side to side. Some prepared to jump into the sea, fearing their ships were about to sink. Suddenly a tall white-haired man appeared in the prow of the leading ship. He spread his arms and uttered a loud incantation and the sea became calm again. King Cormac looked puzzled. He raised his staff to stir up the waves once more, but

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nothing happened. The sea remained calm and unruffled. “These strangers have very powerful magic,” the king said. “It seems we are left with no choice other than to fight them.” He turned to his soldiers. “Prepare your arrows,” he ordered. Hundreds of arrows were drawn back. “Now!” the king commanded. The bowstrings twanged and a deadly hail of arrows hissed towards the Milesians. But their Druid uttered another incantation and a thick mist fell around the ships. The arrows hit the mist and fell harmlessly into the sea. The mist shielded the ships until they reached the land. With bloodcurdling cries, the Milesians stepped ashore and emerged from the mist, charging up the hilltop with their swords drawn.

Key questions 3 Who uses magic? How is it used? What is an ‘incantation’? What do we know about the Milesians? How has the author built up the picture of them? (Focus on the choice of language.) Extract 4 Mir and Aideen watched anxiously from their vantage point on the hill as King Cormac led a group of his warriors to meet them. There was a great clash of weapons as the Tuatha de Dannan came face to face with the Milesians. Swords flashed and spears whistled through the air. Then the Milesians began to retreat as King Cormac drove at them with the great sword that had not been wielded in battle for many years. ‘We are winning!” Mir shouted triumphantly to Aideen. Suddenly the king slipped and fell. His sword rolled down the path. Horrified, his men turned and fled back to the hilltop, thinking their king was dead. King Cormac got to his feet slowly, dodged a spear thrust and retreated after them. Sensing victory, the Milesians surged up the path after him. King Cormac ran to a huge boulder looming over the hill and tapped it with his staff. Slowly the boulder creaked and shifted. Then, gathering speed, it rumbled down the path. The Milesian warriors froze with fear as the massive rock thundered down upon them. Then their druid’s voice boomed out like thunder. “Do not fear. I, Maelduin your druid, will protect you.” He pointed at the boulder and cried, “Stop!” The rock came to a halt inches from the Milesians. “Go back!” commanded the druid. And the boulder rolled back up the path towards the Tuatha de Dannan. At once the de Dannan’s yells of triumph changed to yelps of fear. “King Cormac,” they cried, “Make the boulder roll down again.” ‘I cannot,” replied the king. ‘I am powerless against this magic the prophecy foretold that a druid named Maelduin would have greater magic than mine. We must seek

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safety in the palace.” Flinging away their weapons, the Tuatha de Dannan fled towards the palace. They reached the main door just ahead of the Milesians. And the heavy door clanged shut behind them, leaving the Milesians roaring with anger outside.

Key questions 4 In this passage we concentrated on how the battle was described - one side appears to be winning and then the other. Again the choice of language was considered very important in its contribution to the action and pace. We looked at the range of sentence starters the author has used, highlighting the following examples. The feelings of the characters: Mir and Aideen watched anxiously “We are winning!” Mir shouted triumphantly The Milesian warriors froze with fear

Noise and action: There was a great clash of weapons Swords flashed and spears whistled

Sentences that begin with a verb for immediacy: Flinging away their weapons Horrified, his men turned Sensing victory

Sentences that indicate a change in pace: Suddenly the king slipped and fell Slowly the boulder creaked At once the de Dannan’s yells

Activities Two groups of children had copies of this text. One took the role of King Cormac, the other the Druid Maelduin. Using a highlighter pen they coloured what their character saw in one colour and what he did in another. From this information they used the text to rewrite one part of the event from that character’s point of view, looking at how the use of the personal pronoun would change other parts of the text. At the end of the day the teacher re-read this extract and continued to page 16.

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Extract 5 Soon afterwards Mir and Aideen were married. Among the guests at the wedding feast in the palace was Fuamnach, a young druidess. She loved Mir wildly but Mir was blind to all except Aideen. In despair Fuamnach had tried to cast a spell on him so that he would love her, but even her magic was not strong enough against their love. Fuamnach knew she could separate Mir from Aideen only by using the magic staff. Key questions 5 How does Fuamnach feel? How does she use her magic? What do you think will happen next? Extract 6 One day Fuamnach saw Mir leaving the palace and she slipped into the throne room. There, over the throne, hung the magic staff. Fuamnach took it down and crept quietly into the music room where Aideen was playing her harp. She tiptoed up behind her and, whispering some words, waved the staff over Aideen’s head. Instantly Aideen was transformed into a beautiful butterfly with golden spotted wings. Again Fuamnach waved the staff, and a great gusting wind blew through the room, sweeping the butterfly out of the palace and up onto the roof of the Otherworld. Fuamnach waved the staff once more and a crack appeared in the roof. The butterfly blew through it into the land above and the crack closed with a crash. With her lips twisted in an evil smile, Fuamnach hurried back to the palace and replaced the magic staff.

Key questions 6 What has Fuamnach done? What do her actions tell you about this character? Has your opinion of her changed in any way? (Key phrase ‘With her lips twisted in an evil smile’.) Extract 7 When Mir returned he went to the music room. The harp was there but there was no sign of Aideen. He searched every inch of the palace and all over the Otherworld, but Aideen was nowhere to be found. He questioned everyone, but no one could help him. Finally he went back to the palace and sat on the throne. A terrible feeling of sadness swept over him. Without Aideen he felt completely alone. Fear gripped him - suppose he never saw Aideen again? He remembered the awful dream he had. His people had been driven into the Otherworld by the Milesians, just as in the dream. Was he now to be separated from Aideen forever as he had in the dream?

Key questions 7 What do we learn about Mir? What do you think he will do next?

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Activities Two groups of children worked with the text/story encountered so far. They continued these activities after we had read the end of the story also. They looked at the way magic had been used in this story, began a character study of Mir and Aideen and began collecting examples of the range of emotions and characteristics exemplified in this story (such as, love, hate, jealousy, revenge, courage, honour, betrayal). Many of these had to be discussed with the children who did not really know the meaning of honour or betrayal. Children’s reaction The children were highly motivated and engaged in this story and were so desperate to know the end that they were willing to forgo the plenary session. We completed the story and you could have heard a pin drop and there was a resounding cheer when Mir finally rescued Aideen. Certainly, if I had been able to have more sessions with the children we could have worked in greater depth on the intrigues in Mir’s quest. As well as enjoying the story, the children learned much about the elements of a story which they were able to use in studying ‘Deirdre and the Sons of Usnach’. The following varied list of the things the children said they got out of reading Irish stories speaks for itself:

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ideas of violence, war and fighting; knowing more about Irish history and culture; more familiar with Ireland; greater familiarity with pronunciation; differences between myths and legends; ideas on how to use magic in writing; ideas for their own book, ‘Redfire’; way of life; enjoyment/enthusiasm; prediction skills; stronger ideas on plot; wider, richer vocabulary; experience of a wider variety of literature.

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Part I - texts

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3. ‘The Quest for Aideen’

from Celtic Magic Tales by Liam Mac Uistin

Summary “This is a beautiful land,” Aideen whispered to Mir as they stood in the valley and admired the waterfall tumbling down over the glistening rocks into the river below. “Yes.” Mir nodded. “It was great good fortune that led our people here.” On they walked along a sunlit path that curved up the side of a hill. All at once a dark shadow fell over them and they heard a sudden sharp scream. Looking up, they saw an eagle plummeting towards them. its great menacing talons spread open, its cruel beak thrust forward.

Well might Mir and Aideen have fallen to their knees in fright because the appearance of the eagle interrupted their idyll. The flight of the Tuatha de Dannan to the Otherworld (when the magic of the invading Milesians’ Druid proved more powerful than that of King Cromac) was followed by the separation of Mir and Aideen after she had been turned into a powerful Butterfly by the jealous Fuamnach. Mir goes in search of Aideen and, after many mishaps, they are eventually re-united and ‘were never parted from each other again.’ Appraisal The power and brilliant writing of ‘The Quest for Aideen’ alone justify reviews of Celtic Magic Tales which refer to ‘a magical read’, ‘ a collection to stir any heart’ and ‘magical stuff and a perfect gift’. It also illustrates Mac Uistin’s view that the world of the Celts was rich in mythology, magic and tales of the supernatural. The Celts believed strongly in the power of the word and their stories were passed on in Irish from one generation to the next keeping old and young alike spellbound. Certainly, the children were enthralled by the love quest of Mir and Aideen and the use of magical powers to get people into and out of trouble. Celtic Magic Tales, The O’Brien Press, Dublin 1993, ISBN 0 86278 341 0, pages 9-25

Treatment ‘The Quest for Aideen’ was used for whole class and group work to broaden children’s experience of traditional stories by discussing how the author began the story in a way that engaged the interest of the reader through the use of dialogue and attention to description of the setting; discussing the way that tension was introduced through the use of comparison; demonstrating how the reader’s interest is sustained through the introduction of a prophecy; and engaging a personal response from the children through a discussion of their predictions for the story. The main NLS objectives met were text objectives for Year 5 Term 2 (T1-3, 8 and 10) but word level and sentence work were also covered. A fuller description of the way ‘The Quest for Aideen’ was used is given in chapter 2.

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4. ‘Deirdre and the Sons of Usnach’

from Celtic Magic Tales by Liam Mac Uistin

Summary Sounds of music and merrymaking flooded from the brightly lit house on the hill. Fedlimid, the royal storyteller, was giving a great feast in honour of King Conor mac Nessa and all the warriors of Ulster had come. King Conor smiled approvingly as he looked around the table. All the warriors had obeyed his order to leave their weapons at home. Peace now reigned in the province. He sighed contentedly, drained his goblet, and held it out to Fedlimid for more wine. But the storyteller’s hand trembled as he filled the goblet and some of the dark red wine spilt on to the table. ‘Forgive me, Sire,’ said Fedlimid. ‘My first child is to be born tonight and my mind is uneasy.’

‘Deirdre and the sons of Usnach’ tells the story of Deirdre whom the Chief Druid, having seen into the new-born baby’s future, demanded that she be put to death. The King decided that Deirdre should be spared but hidden away, but when she grows up she falls in love with Naoise, son of Usnach, and refuses to marry the king, Conor. Deirdre’s flight with Naoise and his two brothers provokes a series of events and betrayals which confirmed the Druid’s dark vision: ‘Deirdre will grow up to be the most beautiful woman in Ireland. But her beauty will be the cause of great enmity and suffering in Ulster. Many will die because of her.’ In the end, Deirdre and Naoise are buried in the same grave and ‘in time two trees with blood-red flowers grew from the grave. Their branches became tightly entwined and no one could ever separate them.’ Appraisal This tragic love epic story of bravery, loyalty and honour intermingled with jealousy, betrayal and death illustrates one of the grander themes of traditional Gaelic storytelling - the notion of love that brings tragedy to the lovers. It is, in fact, one of the earliest examples of tragic love in European literature. With its tragic ending it provided a telling contrast to ‘The Quest of Aideen’. Celtic Magic Tales, The O’Brien Press, Dublin 1993, ISBN 0 86278 341 0, pages 77-94

Treatment ‘Deirdre and the sons of Usnach’ was used in whole class and independent group work, following the model used for ‘The Quest of Aideen’. The children’s appreciation of Mac Uistin’s style and the characteristics of Celtic myths was deepened by exploring

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prophecy - this theme runs strongly through the story, is revisited many times and includes warning through dreams; love, honour, courage, loyalty, revenge, trickery but this time sorrow as well; fighting and battles; the use of magic; reminders of other stories.

The reminders of other stories is particularly telling. Naoise is described as having hair as black as a raven, cheeks as red as blood and skin as white as snow - like the opening to Snow White. Deirdre is brought up alone to avoid a curse/prophecy like Sleeping Beauty and the two young lovers die for their love like Romeo and Juliet.

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Finally, the children read other versions of this story (Deirdre of the Sorrows by Kath Lock, Frances Kelly and Katharine Stafford and ‘Deirdre and the Sons of Uisneach’ in Irish Fairy Tales and Legends by Una Leavy) and compared the two re-tellings. This was a most rewarding exercise, despite the confusion initially caused by the way names are spelt differently in different versions of each story. In all, ‘Deirdre and the Sons of Uisneach’ provided a most enjoyable way of meeting the following NLS objectives for Year 5 Term 2: Text level

• • • • • • • • • •

Sentence level

• • •

Word level

• •

discussing the effects/feelings the story creates, e.g., happy ÷ sad, foreboding ÷ happy, and highlighting evidence; making predictions about the story; discussing effects portrayed to the reader, e.g., sorrow, concern; characters of Deirdre, Naoise and quotations to show this; discussing brothers’ scene and predictions; discussing effect created by the author, e.g. tension; looking at Deirdre’s thoughts with supporting evidence; finding examples of love, hatred, happiness, sadness, concern; discussing at the end which parts of the prophecy came true; comparing text with other versions of the story and discussing vocabulary used, the build up of the story, characters, pictures, etc; discussing the use of punctuation in the text; discussing the use of speech marks: new paragraph for new person’s speech, position of speech marks and punctuation; constructing sentences in different ways by combining sentences and reordering; discussing language used, e.g. ‘spat’ and impression of character given to the reader; discussing vocabulary used to create an effect.

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5. The Táin

by Liam Mac Uistin

Summary QUEEN MAEVE WAS VERY ANGRY. Her eyes flashed with fury as she strode into the hall of her palace at Cruachan. Her anger swelled when she heard the mocking laughter of her husband Ailill drifting in from the garden. A fierce look of determination came over her face. She, the mighty Warrior Queen of Connacht, would not be mocked by anyone! ‘I will make Ailill regret his challenge!’ she vowed. She clapped her hands and shouted for her servants.

Thus begins one of the most ancient of Irish stories, telling of an ancient Celtic culture, a culture of war, cattle raids, warriors, beheadings, chariot-fighting, honour and bravery. With a leitmotif of magical and fantastical happenings, it begins with Maeve and Ailill disputing who was the richer and Maeve wishing to steal the brown bull of Colley to match her husband’s white bull. It continues with the famous Cúchulainn singlehandedly defending Ulster against the army of the greedy Queen Maeve. It ends with a terrible fight to the death between best friends Cúchulainn and Ferdia. Appraisal This is a cracking story. Racy but scholarly in its telling, The Táin is the great heroic and romantic Celtic epic made accessible to readers of all ages. It is not for the faint-hearted and the children responded to it with almost unseemly enthusiasm. The O’Brien Press, Dublin 1989, ISBN 0 86278 238 4

93 pages

Treatment The Táin was used in group and individual work on the lines of the model used for ‘The Quest for Aideen’ and ‘Deirdre and the Sons of Usnach’, although in less detail.

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6. The King of Ireland’s Son by Brendan Behan

Summary Once upon a time, and a very good time it was too, when the streets were paved with penny loaves and houses were whitewashed with buttermilk and pigs ran round with knives and forks in their snouts, shouting “Eat me, eat me!”, there lived a King of Ireland and he had three sons named Art, Neart and Ceart. Art is simply a man’s name, Neart means strength and Ceart means right or justice.

In The King of Ireland’s Son, the king sends his three sons to discover the source of the heavenly music that can be heard throughout his kingdom. Art, the youngest son, finds a beautiful maiden held captive by a fierce giant and forced to make music all day long. To defeat the giant he calls on the help of a magical - and very talkative - stallion. The maiden was, in fact, the daughter of the King of Greece who gave Art half his kingdom and his daughter’s hand in marriage: ‘They had the wedding and everybody ate and drank, and wasn’t I at the wedding as well as everybody else and I got a present of a pair of paper boots and a pair of stockings made of buttermilk; and that’s the end of my story and all I’m going to tell you.’ Appraisal The King of Ireland’s Son is rich in traditional language and retold in such a way that the author’s voice shines through, as is immediately obvious from the beginning and the ending, with repetitions of patterns of three and magic in the form of the very special horse that enables Art to outwit the giant three times and so rescue the princess. (I find this story morally more acceptable than Jack and the Beanstalk where Jack is described as lazy and then as stealing the giant’s treasures!) Andersen Press, London 1996, ISBN 0 86264 693 6

31 pages

Treatment The King of Ireland’s Son was used in group and independent work, largely at text level and using the appropriate activity/worksheet. In group work, the children read and discussed the story, looking for elements included in fairy tales. In independent work, they read the text and recorded ideas and reflections about the story.

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7. ‘How Cúchulainn Got his Name’

from Irish Fairy Tales & Legends by Una Leavy

Summary Long ago, there lived a king in Ulster called Conor Mac Nessa. His warriors were known as the Red Branch Knights. The king himself trained them in his own special school. They could run faster, jump higher and fight more fiercely than anyone else. The king has a nephew named Setanta. Ever since he was little, the boy had heard about the Red Branch Knights. He could hardly wait to grow up so that he could become one himself.

Setanta eventually left home to become as Cúchulainn the best and most famous of the Red Branch Knights. He won his new name after killing the guard dog of Culann, the most famous blacksmith. When attacked by this vicious killer, half hound, half wolf, with ‘two wicked eyes’ glittering in the shadows, Setanta choked it to death with a ball. Henceforth he was called Cúchulainn, which means Culann’s hound. Appraisal Like the others in the O’Brien Book of Irish Fairy Tales and Legends, ‘How Cúchulainn Got His Name’ is an excellent short story with a clear structure, great characters, beautiful descriptions and rich in language, culture and human emotions. The illustrations are generally evocative. At the same time, the whole book is a scholarly work. A summary of the traditional roots of each of the stories is given and a glossary of words and their pronunciation is included. This is one of the many tales of one of the greatest heroes in Irish mythology. As with all the stories in this book, it is vividly told, not surprisingly, considering that this version was told to Una Leavy as a child. O'Brien Book of Irish Fairy Tales and Legends, pages 8-15

Treatment This story was used in group and independent work, largely at text level and using the appropriate activity/worksheet. In group work, the children read and discussed the story, looking for elements included in fairy tales. In independent work, they read the text and recorded ideas and reflections about the story.

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8. ‘The Magic Shoes’

from Irish Fairy Tales & Legends by Una Leavy

Summary ‘There was a king long ago called Fergus Crooked-neck. He had once been the handsomest man in the world. But one day he went swimming in a nearby lake, not knowing that a ferocious monster lived there. The monster attacked, twisting the poor king’s neck so badly that is was crooked ever after and no one could make it straight. The king’s men failed to capture the monster who lived in the centre of the dark, mysterious lake ...’

In ‘The Magic Shoes’, Iubdán, King of the Leprechaun’s, stores up trouble for himself by dismissing the royal poet’s claim that Fergus Crooked-neck and not Iubdán is ‘the bravest, cleverest, richest king that ever lived’. Eisirt, the poet, is given three days to sustain his claim and sparks off a train of events in which Iubdán and his queen, after a mishap in a porridge pot, end up virtual prisoners in Fergus’s court. The leprechaun king seeks his release by offering Fergus any of his treasures, including a pair of magic shoes that could walk on water. These magic shoes enable Fergus, skipping ‘across the waves, thrusting and cutting’, to kill the monster who had disfigured him: ‘With one last rush, Fergus swiped off the creature’s head. To his great surprise, his own neck was immediately straight and all the people watching him clapped and cheered ...’ Appraisal The story is based on a tale that belongs to the earliest cycle of Irish folk tales, which go back at least 2,000 years and probably further. O'Brien Book of Irish Fairy Tales and Legends, pages 16-24

Treatment This story was used in group and independent work, largely at text level and using the appropriate activity/worksheet. In group work, the children read and discussed the story, looking for elements included in fairy tales. In independent work, they read the text and recorded ideas and reflections about the story.

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9. ‘The King’s Secret’

from Irish Fairy Tales & Legends by Una Leavy

Summary There were once two friends named Shane and Éanna. They lived in a village at the foot of the Ox Mountains. Shane was a harper at the king’s fort while Éanna was a barber and cut people’s hair. The king lived in a nearby valley. Labhraigh Loingseach was his name and everyone admired him, for he was handsome and brave. He was kind to his people, helping anyone in need. But something was wrong. The king has a strange secret. ‘Why does he always keep his head covered?’ people asked. ‘Even when he’s swimming he wears a linen cap.’ ‘And that’s not the worst bit!’ they whispered. ‘It must be a dreadful secret, for every time he gets his hair cut, the barber is put to death!’

Éanna was the next barber in line and only escaped death because of his mother’s intervention and his promise not to reveal to anyone that the king had horse’s ears. However, on the advice of the druid, to rid himself of the burden he whispered his secret to the reeds under a certain willow tree. It was from that tree that Shane took wood to carve a new harp to play at a banquet to be attended by Princess Aisling. As soon as Shane tried to play, a rustling wind swept around the hall, saying the king had horse’s ears. Everybody laughed and Éanna cut the king’s hair for the royal wedding. Appraisal Another pleasant story, similar to a tale in Greek mythology. O'Brien Book of Irish Fairy Tales and Legends, pages 35-43

Treatment This story was used in group and independent work, largely at text level and using the appropriate activity/worksheet. In group work, the children read and discussed the story, looking for elements included in fairy tales. In independent work, they read the text and recorded ideas and reflections about the story.

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10. ‘The Children of Lir’

from Irish Fairy Tales & Legends by Una Leavy

Summary ‘There was once a race of people in Ireland called the Tuatha Dé Danann. They knew about magic and casting spells. One of them, Lir, was a king. He lived happily with his wife and four children....’

The children of the recently widowed King Lir were turned into swans by their avaricious aunt, Aoife, after she became Queen and jealous of the attention her new husband paid to her step-children, Finnuala and her three brothers. Too late did the King become aware of Aoife’s evil, changing her into a demon and living in a hut to be near his children. Condemned to remain swans for nine hundred years, first in a lake, then in the harsh and wild Sea of Moyle, they finally land on the island of Inish Glora, becoming humans again at the sound of holy Patrick’s bell only to die and join their father as ‘five night stars’ swooping across ‘the glittering sky’. Appraisal ‘The Children of Lir’ is perhaps the best of the stories in the O’Brien Book of Irish Fairy Tales and Legends. Again, it is an excellent short story with a clear structure, great characters, beautiful descriptions and rich in language, culture and human emotions. The illustrations are particularly evocative. O'Brien Book of Irish Fairy Tales and Legends, ISBN 0 86278 482 4, pages 44-54

Treatment This story was used in group and independent work, largely at text level and using the appropriate activity/worksheet. In group work, the children read and discussed the story, looking for elements included in fairy tales. In independent work, they read the text and recorded ideas and reflections about the story.

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11. ‘The Giant’s Causeway’

from Irish Fairy Tales & Legends by Una Leavy

Summary Fionn Mac Cumhail was very pleased with himself. He was taking a little gentle exercise - jumping over trees, diving from mountain tops, smashing great stones with his bare hands.

‘Oooooh, Fionn!’ giggled the women, ‘you’re wonderful, so strong and brave and handsome!’ Fionn swaggered and smiled. ‘It’s nothing!’ he said. ‘I like to keep myself fit, that’s all.’ His wife, Bláithín, didn’t like it. ‘The Giant’s Causeway’ tells the story of the unfinished construction of a series of stepping stones which were meant to link the north of Ireland with Scotland and enable the bragging and boasting Fionn Mac Cumhail to conquer giants there, despite the warnings of his wife, Bláithín. In the event, it is Bláithín who outwits the Scottish giant, Fathach Mór, who took one long jump from Scotland to Antrim to kill Fionn, by pretending that Fionn is in fact a baby giant: ‘Just ten months ...He’s a fine healthy lad. When he grows up, he’ll be just like his dad.’ Appraisal Fionn ranks with importance with Cúchulainn, though the tales are thought to be of a slightly more recent era. The encounter with Cucullin is the one of the funniest of the many adventures of Fionn. The story was probably a way of explaining the actual Giant’s Causeway in Co. Antrim. and it is engagingly retold here, using a wide range of language, presented in easily-read short paragraphs, and illustrating the plot and characters with engaging illustrations. O'Brien Book of Irish Fairy Tales and Legends, pages 55-63

Treatment This story was used in group and independent work, largely at text level and using the appropriate activity/worksheet. In group work, the children read and discussed the story, looking for elements included in fairy tales. In independent work, they read the text and recorded ideas and reflections about the story.

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12. ‘The Pot of Gold’

from Irish Fairy Tales & Legends by Una Leavy

Summary Dan Kelly lived alone. He didn’t have a wife, for no girl would marry him. He was lazy and untidy. Not for him the hard work and neat farms of his neighbours. His fields were full of weeds, gates sagged, his cattle rambled the roads. Dan preferred to spend his time dreaming. He had great plans: one day he would be rich and have everything he could wish for. Some bit of luck was sure to happen ...

Dan thought his luck had changed when he captured a leprechaun, since every leprechaun was supposed to possess a pot of gold. In the event Dan was tricked into letting the leprechaun go and marked the piece of ragwort where the gold was supposed to be buried with his red tie.. On returning with a spade, he found the leprechaun gone and ‘red ties fluttered cheerfully on ten thousand clumps of ragwort.’ Appraisal This is not untypical of the many stories about leprechauns and human attempts to find the proverbial pot of gold. It is slighter than the other stories in the book but is again told well. O'Brien Book of Irish Fairy Tales and Legends, pages 72-76

Treatment This story was used in group and independent work, largely at text level and using the appropriate activity/worksheet. In group work, the children read and discussed the story, looking for elements included in fairy tales. In independent work, they read the text and recorded ideas and reflections about the story.

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13. ‘Tír Na n-Óg’

from Irish Fairy Tales & Legends by Una Leavy

Summary Far away in the land of Tír na-Óg, there lived a king. Every seven years there was a race from the fort gates to the top of a steep hill. First to reach the throne on the hilltop was made king. Three times he had won the race, but now he was getting nervous....

‘Tír na n–Óg’ relates the consequences of the chief druid reassuring the anxious king that ‘the only person who will ever defeat you is the man your daughter will marry.’ To ensure that the beautiful Niamh would never marry, he gave her the head of a pig, which would only disappear if she married one of the sons of Fionn Mac Cumhail Fleeing, she meets and eventually marries one of Fionn’s sons, Oisín. They are eventually welcomed back to live in and rule Tir na n-Og - for three centuries, which to Oisín seemed only a few years. When Oisín goes in search of his father and his tribe, the Fionn, he is heartbroken to discover that they have been long dead, falls off his horse and, as Niahm had warned, ‘the proud, handsome warrior disappeared and Oisín became a withered old man.’ Appraisal This is one of the strongest stories in the book, probably because the story of Oisín in the ‘Land of Youth’ is arguably the most famous of all Irish tales. According to Una Leavy, ‘it marks the end of the days of the Fianna with their pagan gods and the coming of Christianity to Ireland.’ O'Brien Book of Irish Fairy Tales and Legends, pages 77-85

Treatment This story was used in group and independent work, largely at text level and using the appropriate activity/worksheet. In group work, the children read and discussed the story, looking for elements included in fairy tales. In independent work, they read the text and recorded ideas and reflections about the story.

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14. ‘The White Gander’

from Irish Fairy Tales & Legends by Una Leavy

Summary ‘In days gone by, there lived a poor widow who had only one son. His name was Séamus and he was the laziest, most foolish lad you could imagine. Every morning his mother got up early to milk the cows and light the fire and bring water from the well. But Séamus lay in bed till midday. He spent his days wandering the fields, talking to himself and making poems in his head.’

In ‘The White Gander’ the feckless son Séamus is transformed one Hallowe’en night after meeting the Púca, a roaming spirit, half-way between a horse and a goat. His playing of the uilleann pipes was transformed by the Púca who taught him to play a new tune ‘The white gander’ at a great banquet in the skies. On being whisked back home, his pockets heavy with gold, he lit the fire, milked the cows and brought water from the well: ‘His mother nearly fainted from shock when he brought her breakfast in bed.’ Appraisal This is an amusing tale, told well with considerable variation in language and the uillenan pipes, which were commonly played in Ireland, underlining its Celtic origins. O'Brien Book of Irish Fairy Tales and Legends, pages 86-93

Treatment This story was used in group and independent work, largely at text level and using the appropriate activity/worksheet. In group work, the children read and discussed the story, looking for elements included in fairy tales. In independent work, they read the text and recorded ideas and reflections about the story.

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15. The Celts The stories prompted investigation into Ireland’s Celtic past. The following proved most useful resources for history, including the simple re-telling of the major myths and legends. Re-tellings Anon.

Strands 1. A History Activity Book, The Educational Company of Ireland, Dublin 1989, paperback 48 pages (especially pages 1-8, 18-20, 24-30, 39-44).

Heron, Liam

Footprints 1. History for Third Standard, C.J. Fallon, Dublin 1985, paperback 96 pages (especially pages 5-10, 17-26, 31-36, 41-44).

Ó Loingsigh, Colm

Pathways in History 1, The Educational Company of Ireland, Dublin 1983, paperback 72 pages (especially pages 2-23).

History of the Celts Anon.

Strands 2. A History Activity Book, The Educational Company of Ireland, Dublin 1989, paperback 48 pages (especially pages 15-18).

Collins, M.E et al.

Uncovering the Past. History in Context 1, The Educational Company of Ireland, Dublin 1989, paperback 248 pages (especially pages 81-126).

Corbishley, Mike

The Celts Activity Book, The British Museum Press, London 1989, ISBN 0 71411 39 3, paperback 16 pages.

Heron, Liam

Footprints 2. History for Fourth Standard, C.J. Fallon, Dublin 1985, paperback 111 pages (especially pages 42-47, 76-83).

Ó Loingsigh, Colm

Pathways in History 2, The Educational Company of Ireland, Dublin 1983, paperback 96 pages (especially pages 30-40).

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Part II - tasks

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16. Worksheets

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Book: ................................................................. Author: ......................................................... CHARACTERISATION: Characterisation is writing about a character in your book. Think about your book’s main character and find a quote in the text. Characteristic

Quote from the text

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Irish Tales CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS: The characters are described in the Irish tales by the author. Find quotes that show these descriptions. Character and story

Description of character

Conor Mac Nessa (‘How Cúchulainn Got His Name’)

p.8

Setanta (‘How Cúchulainn Got His Name’)

p.8

Labhraidh Loingseach (‘The King’s Secret’)

pp 35, 37

Niamh (‘Tir Na N-Og’)

pp 77, 79

Seamus (The White Gander)

pp 86, 89

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Picture of character given to reader (hero, innocent, etc.)

Irish Tales You have discussed the themes that run through the Irish tales you have read in your Literacy Group. Using two stories you have read compare the themes in them.

Themes

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Mir and Aideen (‘The Quest of Aideen’) by Liam Mac Uistin 1.

IN THIS STORY DID YOU FIND ANY EXAMPLES OF:-

Love

Hate

Honour

Betrayal

Pride

Sorrow

Jealousy

Revenge

2.

DID YOU FIND EXAMPLES OF OTHER EMOTIONS NOT MENTIONED HERE?

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Mir and Aideen (‘The Quest of Aideen’) by Liam Mac Uistin HOW WAS MAGIC USED IN THIS STORY? For good

For evil or selfish reasons

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Mir and Aideen (‘The Quest of Aideen’) by Liam Mac Uistin CHARACTER STUDY Mir

Aideen

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The Táin by Liam Mac Uistin 1.

IN THIS STORY DID YOU FIND ANY EXAMPLES OF:-

Love

Hate

Honour

Betrayal

Pride

Sorrow

Jealousy

Revenge

2.

DID YOU FIND EXAMPLES OF OTHER EMOTIONS NOT MENTIONED HERE?

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The Táin by Liam Mac Uistin HOW WAS MAGIC USED IN THIS STORY? For good

For evil or selfish reasons

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17. Whole class work

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‘The Quest for Aideen’ Key questions 1 (page 9 lines 1-16) Where are Aideen and Mir? How has the author set the scene? What happens? How do the characters react? How is the idyllic scene contrasted by the violent action? What effect does this have on the reader? Key questions 2 (page 9 line 17 to page 10 line 15) What is the link between the first passage and this one? How has the author engaged the interest of the reader? What do we learn about the characters? What do you think will happen next in the story? Key questions 3 (page 11 line 26 to page 12 line 28) Who uses magic? How is it used? What is an ‘incantation’? What do we know about the Milesians? How has the author built up the picture of them? (Focus on the choice of language.) Key questions 4 (page 12 last line to page 14 line 9) How does the choice of language affect the action and pace? How has the author used starter sentences to express the feelings of the characters create a sense of noise and action create a sense of immediacy to indicate a change in pace? Key questions 5 (page 16 lines 3-10) How does Fuamnach feel? How does she use her magic? What do you think will happen next? Key questions 6 (page 16 lines 11-26) What has Fuamnach done? What do her actions tell you about this character? Has your opinion of her changed in any way? (Key phrase ‘With her lips twisted in an evil smile’.) Key questions 7 (page 16 line 27 to page 18 line 10) What do we learn about Mir? What do you think he will do next?

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18. Group work

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‘The Quest for Aideen’ 1.

Text work (for pages 9 line 1 to page 10 line 15) GROUP ONE Highlight the nouns, adjectives and verbs. GROUP TWO Write down your prediction..

2.

Text work (for pages 9 line 1 to page 18 line 10) How has magic been used in the story? What do you think of the characters of Aideen and Mir? Support your view with quotations from the text. What range of emotions and characteristics are shown in this story (such as, love, hate, jealousy, revenge, courage, honour, betrayal)?

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Comparing tales - themes 1.

Using two Irish tales, compare the themes running through them.

2.

Using two or more Irish tales,

3.

a. b.

read and compare the story openings; write your own story openings, using pictures from books and starting with different features, such as a description, a character or a conversation.

a. b.

Write a diary of one of the characters including thoughts and feelings. Evaluate and edit the diary.

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19. Individual work

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Comparing tales - themes 1.

a. b.

Make a list of themes running through a variety of Irish tales you have read. Discuss which are present in each tale, giving examples.

2.

a. b.

Find quotes that describe several characters in the text. Think about what impression of the character is given to the reader, that is, hero, innocent etc.

3.

Using quote and/or information from the text, sketch the characters accurately.

4.

Change the structure of sentences by combining 2 or more sentences, re-ordering sentences/word deleting of substituting words.

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