Irish mythology is rife with ruthless and ritual death. So is there a god and/or goddess from the Irish pantheon who is in charge of the recently deceased, à la the Grim Reaper or Charon from Greek mythology? Turns out there’s not just one Irish god of death, there are (at least) three.
Tag Archives: Halloween
What Is a Banshee? The Mythic Origins of Ireland’s Most Infamous Shrieking Spirit
A brief biography of Irish folklore’s most frightening fay, the banshee. Learn why this vociferous, vatic vocalist haunts the households of those about to perish.
6 Halloween Rituals Rooted in the Ancient Celtic Festival of Samhain
The origins of Halloween are rooted in the ancient Celtic harvest festival of Samhain. But how, specifically, did Samhain give rise to all those wacky Halloween rituals?
Samhain Reading List: 13 Frightening Works of Fiction for Celebrating Halloween’s Celtic Roots
Get in the Samhain spirit with these spine-tingling Celtic horror novels and short story collections
Abhartach Explained: Was Bram Stoker’s Vampire Dracula Inspired by an Irish Chieftain?
No, Dracula wasn’t based on Vlad the Impaler. Uncover the Irish origins of Bram Stoker’s vampire.
Did the Dullahan, the Irish Headless Horseman, Really Inspire ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’?
An in-depth history of the Dullahan and how he may (or may not) have influenced Washington Irving’s headless horseman