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Orpheus was a Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet, who travelled with the Argonauts and descended into the underworld to rescue his wife Eurydice. He was also a founder of the Orphic mysteries and a composer of various works, including theogonies and hymns.
A bard is a person who creates and performs oral literature, such as poetry, songs, and histories, for a patron or an audience. Learn about the origin, history, and functions of bards in Celtic cultures and other Indo-European societies.
Taliesin was a 6th-century Brittonic poet who sang at the courts of several kings, including Urien of Rheged and Cynan Garwyn. He is also a figure of Welsh myth and legend, associated with the Mabinogion, the Arthurian cycle and the Book of Taliesin.
Väinämöinen is presented as the 'eternal bard', who exerts order over chaos and established the land of Kaleva, and around whom revolve so many of the events in Kalevala. His search for a wife brings the land of Kaleva into, at first friendly, but later hostile contact with its dark and threatening neighbour in the north, Pohjola.
Ossian is the narrator and purported author of a cycle of epic poems published by James Macpherson in the 18th century, based on a legendary bard in Irish mythology. The poems were influential in the Romantic movement and the Gaelic revival, but their authenticity was disputed and questioned.
Learn about the Irish myths and legends that survived from the prehistoric era, including the god-like Tuatha Dé Danann, the Fomorians, the Fenians, and the kings of Ireland. Explore the sources, cycles, motifs, and figures of Irish mythology and their connections to Celtic and pagan traditions.
A skald was a poet who composed skaldic poetry, a complex and ornate form of alliterative verse in Old Norse. Skaldic poetry was often used to praise kings, describe historical events, or compose insults and love poems.
Learn about the druids, the religious and social leaders of ancient Celtic societies, who were literate, knowledgeable, and influential. Explore their etymology, practices, doctrines, and legacy in history and culture.