Mount Brandon, Slieve Donard, and hundreds of smaller local hills.
University College Dublin houses the original archives that MacNeill used, providing digital context to her source material.
The Festival of Lughnasa is not just a historical text; it is an active resource for cultural anthropologists and folklorists.
MacNeill extracted a recurring narrative paradigm from local legends. The myths usually involve a dramatic struggle between two figures: an old, established chthonic deity (often associated with Crom Dubh) who guards the earth’s wealth, and a younger, dynamic newcomer (Lugh, later replaced in folklore by St. Patrick) who wins the harvest fruits for humanity. the festival of lughnasa maire macneill pdf
Because the book is a vital academic text, unauthorized PDFs found on free file-sharing websites often contain poor-quality scans, missing pages, or security risks. To access legitimate, high-quality digital versions, researchers should look to official academic and archival repositories:
UCD Press periodically reprints classic folklore texts. Purchasing a digital e-book version directly from academic publishers supports the preservation of Irish folklore scholarship. Legacy and Impact
Fairs and assemblies held near sacred wells or lakes, often featuring horse-racing through water and ritual bathing. Mount Brandon, Slieve Donard, and hundreds of smaller
The specific you are researching (e.g., Lugh, Crom Dubh)
The custom of gathering Bilberries (a fruit) and the "pattern" (pilgrimage) were vital components.
A figure who arrives to win the harvest for humanity, subduing the older god and confining him to the earth or converting him. MacNeill extracted a recurring narrative paradigm from local
An examination of early literary references to the god Lugh and the legendary origins of the Tailteann Games.
For those interested in exploring MacNeill's work in more depth, "The Festival of Lughnasa" is available in PDF format through various online archives and libraries, including:
MacNeill identified that the most prevalent survival of Lughnasa was the custom of ascending specific high places on the last Sunday of July or the first Sunday of August.
: MacNeill reconstructs a ritual drama involving the cutting of the first corn, a meal of new food and bilberries, and a ritual struggle between a youthful god (Lugh) and an older earth figure (Crom Dubh). Christianization