Heroes and Gods in Celtic Mythology: A Structural Comparison of the Ulster and Fenian Cycles
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This paper investigates the distinction between historically plausible heroes and abstract divine figures in Celtic mythology, focusing on the Ulster Cycle (associated with C´ u Chulainn) and the Fenian Cycle (associated with Finn MacCool). By applying a structuralist lens, we compare how these two cycles function as successive ”generations” of myth: the tragic warrior generation versus the poetic and legendary generation. This comparison also highlights the interplay between human memory and mythic abstraction, situating Celtic traditions within a broader Indo-European mythological framework.
Author: Nemoto, Ryusho
Language: English
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7112061307
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