The Role of Solar Deities in Irish Megalithic Monuments

Abstract

In the great body of Irish myths that became part of an oral tradition and would, much later, be documented and preserved, associations can be found between Sun gods and solar heroes and the great Neolithic monuments of Ireland, including Newgrange, the most well-known monument in the large complex of passage tombs in the valley of the Boyne River that today is known as the World Heritage Site, Brú na Bóinne. In all four cycles of Irish mythology, from the Tuatha De Danaan of the Mythological Cycle to the kings of Tara in the Historical Cycle, repeated mention is made of Brú na Bóinne, the home of the Sun gods, Dagda and Lugh, and the place of the conception and birth of the warrior hero, Cú Chulainn. This chapter examines the roles the monuments played in the myths and their strong association with mythological solar figures and asks if the myths can tell us something about the meaning the monuments held for people from different periods of time.