Discover the MythCloud
The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA), one of Belgium's premier cultural institutions dating back to 1810, houses the bronze sculpture Orpheus, Inventory No. 3876, by the renowned modernist sculptor Ossip Zadkine (1890-1967).
This powerful work interprets the mythical Greek musician and poet Orpheus, whose legendary ability to charm all living things with his music made him one of the most enduring figures in Western mythological tradition. Orpheus's journey to the underworld in an attempt to rescue his beloved Eurydice represents one of mythology's most poignant explorations of love, loss, and the limits of human will against fate.
Zadkine, a Russian-born artist who spent most of his career in France, was known for combining cubist abstraction with more traditional figurative elements. His interpretation of Orpheus likely reflects this modernist approach, using dynamic, expressive forms to convey the emotional intensity of the mythological figure. The sculpture would have been created during a period when artists were reinterpreting classical themes through modern aesthetic sensibilities, finding new relevance in ancient narratives.
The choice of bronze as medium provides both permanence and expressive potential, allowing Zadkine to capture the lyrical and tragic nature of Orpheus's story through the plasticity of form. The sculpture exemplifies how mythological subjects continued to inspire artistic innovation throughout the 20th century, providing rich symbolic material for exploring universal human experiences.
This work stands as a testament to mythology's enduring presence in modern artistic expression, demonstrating how ancient narratives provide frameworks for exploring timeless themes of human existence.
Just after the Easter Rising, as executions of its leaders began, The Irish Times predicted that the rebellion would "pass into history with the equally unsuccessful insurrections of the past."
This raises one of history's great imponderables: what might have happened if the British had not executed the leaders? Would the widespread anger and dismay at the destruction and loss of life have subsided, or would it have fuelled ongoing resentment? Would the initial hostility towards the rebels on the streets of Dublin have persisted if the executions had not occurred, or would the leaders have become martyrs, shifting public sentiment in their favour?
The British decision to execute the leaders undoubtedly intensified support for the cause, helping to galvanise the independence movement. This case demonstrates the power of martyrdom in mythmaking and national narratives—how death in service of a cause transforms individuals into symbols that transcend their historical context, reshaping public memory and political allegiance.
The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA), one of Belgium's premier cultural institutions dating back to 1810, houses a significant collection of mythological artworks, including this pencil sketch simply titled Mythological Scene.
This artwork, measuring 225 x 296 mm and catalogued under inventory number 3172/83, represents an unspecified mythological narrative. While details about the specific mythological content are limited in the museum's documentation, the piece exemplifies how classical mythology continued to provide inspiration for artists well after the Renaissance revival of interest in Greco-Roman culture.
Such sketches often served as preliminary studies for larger works or as exercises in composition and classical subject matter. The continued fascination with mythological themes demonstrates their enduring relevance as a shared visual language through which artists could explore complex human experiences, emotions, and social values.
The preservation of such works in major cultural institutions like KMSKA reflects the ongoing cultural significance attached to mythological representation in European art history. These collections serve as repositories of visual narratives that have shaped Western cultural understanding for centuries, allowing contemporary viewers to engage with historical interpretations of these narratives.
This Lithuanian sakmÄ—, or etiological folk tale, provides a mythological explanation for why lightning strikes trees, particularly tall ones. Such narratives represent humanity's enduring attempt to understand natural phenomena through storytelling before scientific explanations were available.
According to the tale, Perkūnas, the powerful thunder god of Baltic mythology, possessed a pile of stones. When a devil stole one to use in his shed's foundation, Perkūnas became enraged and began striking everywhere in pursuit of the thief. This cosmic conflict manifested in the natural world as lightning strikes.
The devil, attempting to escape Perkūnas' wrath, would hide on stones, in trees, or while swimming. To evade detection, he would climb higher onto stones or ascend taller trees to better spot Perkūnas approaching. This behaviour explains the observation that lightning often strikes the tallest trees in a landscape—the devil's preferred hiding places attracts Perkūnas' vengeful bolts.
This narrative reflects the pre-scientific understanding that tall objects are indeed more likely to be struck by lightning, though explained through mythological rather than physical principles. The tale served both explanatory and cautionary functions, warning people against standing under high trees during storms while providing a comprehensible framework for understanding frightening natural occurrences.
The story exemplifies how mythological narratives often contain accurate observational knowledge embedded within supernatural explanations. Compiled by folklorist Norbertas VÄ—lius in How the Earth Came to Be: Lithuanian Etiological Legends, this tale represents part of Lithuania's rich heritage of nature mythology that connected human experience to cosmic patterns and natural phenomena.
This Lithuanian folk tale about Death, classified as a sakmÄ— or etiological legend, offers a mythological explanation for why death always seems to have a cause. The narrative demonstrates how traditional societies created meaningful frameworks for understanding inevitable but often inexplicable aspects of human existence.
According to the tale, when God assigned various forces of nature their duties, Death was tasked with taking human lives. However, Death expressed concern about facing human anger and resentment for this necessary but unwelcome role. Understanding this dilemma, God promised to provide a reason for each death—whether through injury, illness, drowning, or other circumstances—ensuring that there would always be an explanation for mortality that would deflect blame from Death itself.
This simple yet profound narrative addresses a fundamental human need to find meaning and causality in mortality. By establishing that every death has a specific cause, the legend creates an explanatory framework that helps communities process loss while maintaining belief in a purposeful cosmic order. Death is positioned not as arbitrary or malevolent, but as an agent fulfilling a necessary function within a divinely ordered system.
The story reflects a sophisticated theological perspective that acknowledges death's inevitability while suggesting that the reasons behind individual deaths are part of a greater design, even when they appear harsh or unfair to human understanding. This perspective offers a way to reconcile belief in divine benevolence with the reality of suffering and loss.
Compiled by the noted Lithuanian folklorist Norbertas VÄ—lius in How the Earth Came to Be: Lithuanian Etiological Legends, this tale represents an important element of traditional Lithuanian understanding of mortality, demonstrating how mythological narratives helped communities make meaning from fundamental existential questions.
Philemon and Baucis, Accompanied by Zeus and Hermes, Inventory No. 11001, by Peter Paul Rubens is a masterwork housed at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp.
The piece depicts the mythological tale of Philemon and Baucis, an elderly couple renowned for their hospitality toward Zeus and Hermes, who visited their humble home disguised as travellers. This story, drawn from Ovid's Metamorphoses, exemplifies the virtue of hospitality and the sacred relationship between mortals and gods.
In the myth, the gods reward the couple's generosity by transforming them into intertwined trees, allowing them to remain together for eternity—a metaphor for enduring love and the divine recognition of human virtue. Rubens captures this pivotal moment, illustrating how mythological narratives offer moral frameworks that transcend time and culture.
This woodblock from 1565, crafted by designer Geoffroy Ballain and woodcutter Jean de Gourmont, represents a fascinating intersection of mythology, early scientific inquiry, and Renaissance print culture. Now preserved in the Museum Plantin-Moretus in Antwerp, Belgium—a UNESCO World Heritage site that houses the world's oldest printing presses—this block depicts the Scytale, classified as a subspecies of the mythical serpent Amphisbaena.
The Amphisbaena appears in ancient sources including Pliny's Natural History and Lucan's Pharsalia, described as a serpent with heads at both ends, allowing it to move in either direction without turning. The Scytale represents a variation on this mythological creature, its dual-headed nature symbolising ambiguity and the ability to transcend conventional limitations.
This woodblock was used to illustrate Jacques Grévin's works on poisons, Deux livres des venins (1568) and De venenis libri duo (1571), demonstrating how mythological creatures were integrated into early scientific and medical texts. This integration reflects the Renaissance period's transitional understanding of the natural world, where empirical observation increasingly challenged but had not yet displaced mythological explanations inherited from classical authorities.
The block's artistic execution exemplifies the sophisticated woodcut technique developed in 16th-century Europe, with fine line work capturing detailed anatomical features that blend observational elements with fantastic attributes. This approach typifies Renaissance natural history illustration, which sought to categorise and represent both real and legendary creatures with similar visual language.
Acquired by the Plantin-Moretus Museum in 1876, the block represents a fascinating artifact of 16th-century print culture and intellectual history, illuminating how mythological creatures were documented and disseminated during a period of rapidly evolving understanding of the natural world.
The 2023 artwork by anonymous artist Spicebag depicting GardaĂ in riot gear conducting an eviction represents a powerful example of how contemporary social movements repurpose historical imagery to create resonant modern mythologies. By deliberately echoing a 19th-century painting by Cork artist Daniel MacDonald that depicted a Famine-era eviction, the image establishes continuity between historical trauma and contemporary housing injustice, transforming immediate political concerns into part of a deeper national narrative.
The artwork's viral spread and emotional impact demonstrate how visual symbols can crystallise complex social and economic realities into accessible narrative frameworks. Just as traditional mythological images condensed complex cultural knowledge into recognisable visual forms, this image distills contemporary housing anxiety into a powerful visual metaphor that connects present circumstances to established historical narratives of displacement and resistance.
Particularly significant is the parallel drawn between historical British colonial power and modern neoliberal forces. By visually equating contemporary GardaĂ enforcing evictions with historical British agents, the image suggests continuity in power structures despite formal political independence. This reframing exemplifies how contemporary mythologies often function to make visible otherwise abstract systemic forces, providing frameworks for understanding complex political and economic relationships through concrete visual metaphors.
The fusion of traditional Irish protest imagery with contemporary social media aesthetics demonstrates how modern mythological thinking adapts traditional forms to new media contexts. Like political cartoons in 19th-century Irish nationalism, this viral image transcends its immediate context to become part of Ireland's evolving mythology of resistance, demonstrating how societies continue to create compelling visual narratives that make sense of complex power dynamics and mobilise collective action against perceived injustice.
This Baltic brass brooch, adorned with sun and plant motifs, exemplifies how material artefacts serve as repositories of cultural mythology. Inspired by archaeological findings from the Roman Iron Age, such decorative objects were never merely ornamental but functioned as wearable expressions of cosmological understanding and social identity.
The sun motif, prevalent throughout Baltic archaeological findings, represents one of humanity's most universal mythological symbols. Its prominence in Baltic decorative arts reflects not simply aesthetic preference but a sophisticated symbolic system connecting human experience to cosmic order. By wearing such symbols, individuals incorporated themselves into a larger narrative framework that explained natural cycles and affirmed cultural continuity.
Plant motifs, frequently paired with solar imagery, create a visual representation of the relationship between celestial influence and earthly fertility—a fundamental pattern in agricultural mythologies worldwide. This symbolic pairing reflects pre-modern understanding of cosmic interconnection, where celestial movements directly influenced terrestrial prosperity.
Beyond their symbolic content, such brooches fulfilled multiple functions simultaneously: practical fasteners, indicators of social status, and protective talismans. This multi-functionality exemplifies how mythological thinking permeated everyday life in traditional societies, collapsing modern distinctions between practical, aesthetic, and spiritual domains. The craftsmanship evident in these pieces demonstrates that technical skill itself was understood within a mythological framework, with metalworking often associated with transformative or even magical properties. These brooches thus provide a tangible link to a world where material objects naturally expressed immaterial values and beliefs.
Folk music has always carried echoes of mythology—a weaving of personal and collective memory that transforms ordinary lives into extraordinary narratives. In Ireland, this mythological dimension has played a vital role in forging national identity, especially during periods of social or political upheaval.
Today, as folk music experiences a remarkable revival in Ireland, it offers a compelling case study in the enduring interplay between myth, culture, and nation-building. Contemporary acts like Lankum, Ye Vagabonds, and The Mary Wallopers are reshaping Irish folk music for a new generation, drawing on traditional forms while incorporating modern sensibilities and concerns. This new movement builds upon earlier revivals while responding to present-day realities and artistic currents.
The early 20th-century Irish folk revival emerged as an assertion of cultural independence, intertwining artistic expression and political consciousness to craft a distinctly Irish identity separate from British influence. Through grassroots traditions like the "session"—a communal gathering of musicians—and later through global successes like The Dubliners and The Pogues, folk music transcended mere entertainment to become a vessel for storytelling, cultural memory, and collective identity.
The 21st-century folk revival carries forward this tradition while addressing contemporary circumstances. Artists like Lankum redefine the genre with their "doom-folk" sound, bridging Ireland's ancient musical heritage with modern sonic experimentation and thematic concerns. Others, like The Mary Wallopers, reclaim folk's populist roots, stripping away commercialised elements of "tourist-oriented" traditional music to present an unvarnished, irreverent expression of Irishness. Meanwhile, younger artists like Muireann Bradley demonstrate the genre's intergenerational resilience.
This revival represents more than nostalgia—it is mythology in real-time, reconstructing authenticity while forging a forward-looking cultural identity that acknowledges tradition without being constrained by it.
In Karol Radziszewski's 2017 mural in Warsaw, Poland, the traditional Warsaw Mermaid (the city's emblem) is joined by a mer-man, a bold addition that adds complexity to the established myth. The mermaid, long a symbol of Warsaw's strength and resilience since at least the 14th century, is reinterpreted by Radziszewski in a contemporary, dynamic form.
The mer-man element, uncommon in Warsaw's traditional iconography, introduces balance and duality, suggesting that the city's spirit isn't defined by a singular symbol but by a broader, more inclusive narrative. By combining these figures, Radziszewski challenges historical gendered interpretations while echoing themes of cooperation and harmony.
This innovative approach to the well-known legend demonstrates the fluidity of myth in modern artistic discourse. The mural transcends simple representation of the city's coat of arms to become a reflection of Warsaw's evolving identity in the 21st century. It exemplifies how traditional mythological symbols can be reinterpreted to address contemporary social concerns while maintaining their connection to cultural heritage.
The artwork stands as a visual dialogue between past and present, traditional and progressive, maintaining the protective symbolism of the original mermaid while expanding its meaning to encompass new values of inclusion and diversity. This adaptation shows how urban mythologies continue to evolve, reflecting changing social attitudes while preserving their function as shared narratives that unite communities.
This woodcut of a dragon, created by Geoffroy Ballain and Jean de Gourmont for Jacques Grévin's publications on poisons and venomous creatures, exemplifies how mythological beings continued to appear in early scientific texts. Published in Deux livres des venins (1568) and later in De venenis libri duo (1571), this image demonstrates the complex relationship between empirical observation and mythological thinking during the transitional period of early modern science.
The dragon's inclusion in texts discussing natural poisons and venoms reveals how the boundaries between observed and imagined creatures remained fluid in early modern natural history. Rather than representing a failure of scientific observation, this inclusion reflects a worldview that understood nature as potentially containing wonders and anomalies beyond everyday experience. The dragon thus occupied an ambiguous ontological status—neither fully factual nor completely fictional within the conceptual framework of the period.
The woodcut technique itself, allowing for intricate visual representation in printed materials, played a crucial role in standardising and disseminating visual depictions of both real and mythological creatures. This technological innovation transformed how knowledge circulated, creating increasingly stable visual references for natural phenomena while simultaneously codifying visual representations of mythological beings.
The acquisition of this woodcut by the Plantin-Moretus Museum in 1876 represents another phase in its cultural evolution—from practical printing element to preserved historical artifact. This transition reflects changing attitudes toward early modern scientific materials, which came to be valued not just for their content but as evidence of evolving approaches to knowledge and representation. The dragon woodcut thus exemplifies how mythological elements in early scientific texts have been reinterpreted through changing frameworks of understanding, becoming valuable resources for examining the complex development of modern scientific thought.
The sustained cultural impact of the life and death of Bobby Sands exemplifies how modern political struggles generate powerful narrative frameworks that function similarly to traditional mythology. Sands's 1981 death on hunger strike while protesting for political prisoner status transformed a contemporary political figure into a symbolic embodiment of resistance and sacrifice that transcends his specific historical circumstances.
The power of the Bobby Sands narrative lies in its resonance with archetypal patterns of martyrdom and self-sacrifice for collective causes. By willingly embracing death for his principles, Sands entered a mythological lineage that transcends specific political contexts—his actions echo patterns found in diverse cultural and religious traditions where individual sacrifice serves as redemptive act for a larger community. This mythological dimension explains why his story resonated far beyond Ireland, inspiring solidarity movements across the globe.
The comparison to historical figures like Wolfe Tone and the 1916 Rising leaders illustrates how new political martyrs are incorporated into existing nationalist mythologies, creating narrative continuity that links contemporary struggles to established historical frameworks. This process demonstrates mythology's adaptive capacity—absorbing new elements while maintaining coherent narrative structures that reinforce collective identity and purpose.
The visual and narrative elements surrounding Sands's death—a young man's deliberate starvation as political protest—created powerful symbolic imagery that fueled the mythological potency of his story. The transformation of his physical suffering into political statement exemplifies how modern political movements generate new mythological frameworks that, while ostensibly secular, follow patterns remarkably similar to religious martyrdom narratives. Sands thus exists simultaneously as historical individual and mythological figure, demonstrating how contemporary events continue to generate powerful cultural narratives that shape collective understanding and inspire political action.
Ireland's journey in the 1990 World Cup offers a compelling case study in how sporting events transform into powerful national mythology. What began as a football tournament became a transcendent cultural moment, demonstrating how societies create narratives that far exceed the literal significance of the events that inspired them.
Set against a backdrop of economic hardship and political uncertainty, Ireland's unexpected success under Jack Charlton provided not merely entertainment but a canvas onto which collective hopes and anxieties could be projected. The nation's first ever World Cup saw the team progress to the quarter-finals catalysing a nationwide catharsis, temporarily unifying a society often divided by political tensions and social challenges. This phenomenon represents a classic example of how successful national mythologies often emerge from moments of shared emotional experience rather than rational planning.
The mythological resonance of Italia '90 invokes universal archetypal patterns—the underdog's journey, the symbolic battle against powerful opponents, the testing of national character on an international stage. The iconic images of packed pubs and streets filled with celebrating crowds have become ritualistic scenes in Ireland's collective memory, functioning as visual shorthand for a moment when national identity was intensely felt rather than merely conceptualised.
Perhaps most significantly, Italia '90 demonstrates how contemporary societies still create and consume mythology in ostensibly secular and rational contexts. The tournament's elevation from sporting event to national touchstone reveals the persistent human need for shared narratives that transcend individual experience. Like all effective mythologies, its power lies not in factual achievements but in symbolic resonance—creating a narrative that continues to function as an emotional reference point in Irish cultural consciousness, far exceeding its significance as a mere football tournament.
This small Baltic purse, adorned with patterns symbolising the cyclic movement of time, exemplifies how everyday objects in traditional societies served as carriers of cosmological understanding. The geometric motifs—spirals and circles—transform a practical item into a tangible expression of abstract concepts, demonstrating how material culture embodies philosophical worldviews.
The prevalence of cyclical imagery in Baltic textile arts reflects a fundamental understanding of time as circular rather than linear—a conception common to many traditional societies whose lives were governed by seasonal rhythms and astronomical cycles. By incorporating such motifs into everyday objects, Baltic peoples literally carried their cosmological framework with them, reinforcing cultural understanding through daily interaction with symbolic material culture.
Spirals and circles, recurring throughout Indo-European symbolic systems, visually represent the continuous flow of time and the eternal principles of renewal. These geometric abstractions function as simplified but profound expressions of complex philosophical concepts, making abstract principles tangible and accessible through material engagement.
The purse's practical function of containing and preserving valuables takes on additional significance when considering its decorative symbolism. Just as the purse secures physical resources, the cyclical imagery references the cosmic patterns that ensure the preservation and renewal of natural resources. This multi-layered functionality demonstrates how traditional Baltic culture integrated practical needs and spiritual understanding rather than treating them as separate domains. Such objects provide valuable insights into worldviews where material and metaphysical concerns were understood as inherently interconnected rather than distinct.
"Spotkanie z WarszawÄ…" ("Meeting with Warsaw") represents contemporary Polish musician Monika Brodka's reinterpretation of a 1964 song originally performed by Irena Santor, a leading figure in Polish popular music of the post-war era. This musical reimagining, featured on Brodka's 2021 album BRUT, demonstrates how cultural narratives evolve through artistic reinterpretation across generations.
Brodka's adaptation maintains a connection to the original composition's melodic structure while transforming it through contemporary alternative sensibilities. The accompanying black-and-white video, which Brodka directed herself, features the artist in the symbolic role of the Warsaw Mermaid (Syrenka Warszawska)—the emblematic figure that has represented Poland's capital since at least the 14th century and appears on the city's coat of arms.
Through this visual narrative, Brodka recounts Warsaw's tumultuous history, particularly focusing on the city's resilience and rebuilding after the devastation of World War II, when approximately 85% of the city was destroyed. This historical reference connects contemporary audiences with the collective memory of trauma and renewal that has shaped Warsaw's urban identity.
By embodying the mermaid figure, Brodka places herself within a lineage of cultural symbols that have helped define Warsaw's character through centuries of political upheaval. Her modern reinterpretation demonstrates how mythological figures can be reinvented to speak to contemporary concerns while maintaining their connection to historical narratives.
This project reflects the fluid nature of cultural mythology in contemporary artistic practice, showing how traditional symbols and narratives can be reimagined to create dialogue between past and present, continuity and innovation, in the ongoing construction of urban and national identities.
This Baltic leather waistband adorned with brass decorations represents a sophisticated fusion of practical function and mythological expression. Archaeological findings of such items throughout the Baltic region reveal how everyday objects served as carriers of cultural identity and cosmic understanding in traditional societies.
The intricate brass fittings, featuring geometric patterns and solar symbols, transform a utilitarian item into a statement of both social status and spiritual alignment. The sun motif, recurring throughout Baltic decorative arts, connects the wearer to cycles of life, fertility, and temporal order—fundamental concepts in agricultural societies whose prosperity depended on cosmic regularity.
Beyond indicating social standing, such elaborately decorated belts likely served protective functions, with specific motifs believed to safeguard the wearer from various harms. This integration of practical, social, and apotropaic functions illustrates how pre-modern societies operated with more unified conceptual frameworks than modern compartmentalised thinking allows, seeing no contradiction between practical purpose and symbolic meaning.
The combination of leather and brass demonstrates not only technical skill but conceptual sophistication, bringing together animal-derived and earth-derived materials to create an object that mediates between different realms. This material hybridity mirrors the belt's function as a boundary marker on the human body, encircling the waist at the juncture of upper and lower body. Such items provide tangible evidence of how mythological thinking permeated everyday life in traditional Baltic societies, embedding cosmic understanding in the most practical aspects of material culture.
BluirĂnĂ BĂ©aloidis is a podcast from the National Folklore Collection at University College Dublin. It explores the rich landscape of Irish and European folk traditions. Each episode journeys through diverse cultural narratives, revealing how understanding our traditional heritage can illuminate our present and guide our future. By uncovering the stories, beliefs, and practices embedded in folklore, the podcast invites listeners to discover the depth and complexity of our shared cultural inheritance.
The PĂşca
This episode of BlĂşirĂnĂ BĂ©aloidis examines the controversy surrounding Aidan Harte's PĂşca of Ennistymon sculpture, revealing how folkloric entities continue to evoke powerful responses in contemporary society. The public reaction against this artwork—denounced by some as a "pagan idol"—demonstrates the enduring tension between Christian and pre-Christian traditions in Ireland, and how folkloric figures remain potent symbols rather than mere cultural artefacts.
The Púca itself represents a fascinating case study in liminal mythology—a boundary-crossing entity that resists simple categorisation. This amorphous, shape-shifting spirit inhabits the psychological and physical margins of the human world, frequenting transitional spaces like glens, caves, and cliffs. The diverse manifestations of the Púca in folklore—appearing variously as horse, goat, dog, or even light—reflect its function as an embodiment of the unpredictable and uncontrollable elements of nature and human experience.
Particularly revealing are the contradictory narratives surrounding encounters with the PĂşca. Tales of terrifying night-rides across treacherous landscapes exist alongside stories portraying the entity as a protective guardian. This duality exemplifies how folkloric figures often serve as repositories for complex and sometimes contradictory human attitudes toward the mysteries of existence.
The contemporary controversy over Harte's sculpture reflects a broader pattern in which traditional folkloric entities continue to function as active cultural forces rather than mere historical curiosities. The public's visceral response to the PĂşca's representation demonstrates that such figures maintain a psychological potency that transcends rational dismissal, revealing how pre-modern mythological thinking persists beneath the surface of our ostensibly rational society. This episode provides a fascinating window into how ancient folkloric traditions continue to shape modern identity and community boundaries.
'The Irish Rover' as performed by The Dubliners and The Pogues represents more than a traditional folk song—it embodies the dynamic tension between tradition and innovation in Irish cultural expression. This collaborative recording, released in 1987, brought together two generations of Irish musicians to reinvigorate a classic narrative ballad with contemporary energy.
The song itself tells the fantastical tale of an impossible ship and its unlikely crew, capturing the spirit of adventure and hyperbole that characterises much of Irish storytelling tradition. While ostensibly about a maritime journey, the song functions as a vehicle for exploring themes of Irish identity, emigration, and the mythologisation of the past that resonates deeply with the Irish experience.
What makes this particular rendition distinctive is the contrast between the performers. The Dubliners, established in 1962, were revered as guardians of traditional Irish folk music, having played a crucial role in preserving and popularising the genre. The Pogues, formed in 1982, approached traditional material with a punk-infused sensibility that initially faced resistance from traditionalists. Their collaboration represents a dialogue between preservation and innovation.
The recording exemplifies how Irish identity is continuously negotiated through cultural expression, demonstrating that tradition is not static but rather a living, evolving phenomenon. By blending traditional folk elements with contemporary sensibilities, 'The Irish Rover' showcases the ongoing dialogue between honouring heritage and embracing innovation.
This performance stands as a celebration of Irish cultural continuity, reinforcing a sense of belonging within the Irish diaspora and connecting generations through shared narratives and musical experience.
The evolution of the Irish flag provides a compelling case study in how visual symbols both reflect and shape national mythology. From early green fields bearing golden harps to the modern tricolour, these emblems demonstrate how nations create visual shorthand for complex historical narratives and aspirations, embedding cultural values and political ideologies in immediately recognisable forms.
Early Irish flags drawing on Gaelic iconography—particularly the green field with golden harp—established visual continuity between modern national aspirations and ancient cultural heritage. By incorporating symbols associated with pre-colonial sovereignty, these flags positioned modern independence movements as restoration of historical conditions rather than creation of entirely new political entities. This narrative framing exemplifies how nationalist movements typically construct mythologies of continuity that connect contemporary political struggles to idealised historical precedents.
The introduction of the tricolour in 1848 by Thomas Francis Meagher represents sophisticated attempt to create new mythological framework addressing Ireland's religious divisions. By incorporating green for Catholics/nationalists, orange for Protestants/Unionists, and white for peace between them, this design articulated aspirational vision of national unity that acknowledged existing divisions while suggesting possibility of their reconciliation. The tricolour thus functioned not simply as representation of existing reality but as visual articulation of desired future.
The tricolour's transformation through historical events—particularly its association with the 1916 Easter Rising—demonstrates how symbols acquire additional layers of meaning through connection to dramatic historical moments. By flying above the General Post Office during the rebellion, the flag became permanently associated with narratives of sacrifice and resistance that became foundational to Irish independence mythology. This evolution exemplifies how national symbols develop through historical accretion rather than design alone, acquiring complex resonances that both reflect and shape collective identity.
Flemish theatre in Belgium has recently faced growing criticism for being "too white," with concerns spanning from its organisational structure to casting choices and repertoire selection. This critique reflects broader questions about cultural representation and the evolution of theatrical traditions in increasingly diverse societies.
In response, theatre critic Erwin Jans advocates for the exploration of non-Western theatrical works, particularly highlighting Arabic adaptations of the Greek tragedy Oedipus. By examining these adaptations, Jans situates them within broader cultural and political contexts, challenging the Eurocentric readings that have dominated Western theatre.
This approach represents a significant intervention in how mythological narratives are understood and performed. While the Oedipus myth originated in Greek culture, its themes of fate, identity, and self-knowledge resonate across cultural boundaries. Arabic adaptations often reinterpret these universal elements through specific cultural lenses, adding new dimensions to the story while maintaining its fundamental dramatic power.
By advocating for engagement with these adaptations, Jans encourages a more inclusive and multifaceted interpretation of classical works. This perspective recognises that mythological narratives are not static cultural artefacts but living traditions that gain vitality through cross-cultural dialogue and reinterpretation.
The discussion around diversifying Flemish theatre through engagement with non-Western adaptations of classical myths demonstrates how traditional narratives can serve as bridges between cultures, fostering a richer dialogue between diverse cultural expressions while questioning established canonical interpretations.
The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA), one of Belgium's premier cultural institutions, houses The Fall of Pegasus, Inventory No. 3322/1, a painting by Bill Orix that depicts a dramatic moment from Greek mythology rarely featured in artistic representation.
In classical mythology, Pegasus, the winged horse born from the blood of Medusa after her beheading by Perseus, is most commonly portrayed in his heroic aspects—carrying the thunderbolts of Zeus, helping Bellerophon defeat the Chimera, or creating the Hippocrene spring on Mount Helicon with a strike of his hoof. However, the mythology also includes accounts of Pegasus's downfall, which appears to be the subject of Orix's painting.
According to some versions of the myth, Bellerophon, having successfully tamed Pegasus and accomplished various heroic feats with his aid, became arrogant and attempted to fly to Mount Olympus on the winged horse's back. This hubristic act angered Zeus, who sent a gadfly to sting Pegasus, causing the horse to buck and throw Bellerophon to his death. Pegasus himself continued to Olympus, where he served Zeus by carrying his thunderbolts.
Alternatively, some accounts describe Pegasus eventually falling from the sky due to the intervention of the gods, perhaps as a consequence of his association with Bellerophon's pride or as part of a separate mythological episode. This fall represents the classic mythological theme of punishment for hubris—the dangerous pride that leads mortals or their allies to transgress divine boundaries.
Orix's painting captures this dramatic moment of divine intervention and consequent fall, illustrating how mythological narratives often served as vehicles for exploring themes of human limitation, divine power, and the consequences of overreaching ambition.
National Treasures is an innovative crowdsourced archive project that collects everyday objects and cultural stories to highlight Ireland's heritage throughout the past century. Developed by RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcaster, in collaboration with the National Museum of Ireland, this initiative represents a democratic approach to heritage documentation and preservation.
The project invites the public to submit objects representing significant moments and experiences, creating a digital archive that reflects Ireland's diverse narratives. Rather than focusing exclusively on items of monetary value or those associated with famous figures, National Treasures prioritises objects that carry personal and community significance, democratising the concept of what constitutes "treasure."
This approach emphasises how personal memories and seemingly mundane artefacts contribute to national history, demonstrating that even simple items can reveal profound social changes and cultural values. By involving ordinary citizens in the curation process, National Treasures honours individual stories while connecting viewers to shared Irish experiences, creating a more inclusive understanding of national identity.
The multi-platform campaign encompasses a website, roadshow events, a four-part television series, and a physical exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland. This comprehensive approach fosters broad participation and community engagement, allowing people from diverse backgrounds to see their experiences reflected in the national narrative.
By highlighting the importance of personal memory in shaping collective history, National Treasures strengthens the understanding of Irish identity for future generations while demonstrating how shared narratives emerge from individual experiences.
This Baltic brass brooch, featuring sun and plant motifs derived from archaeological findings, illustrates how material culture embodies cosmological understanding. The intricate designs are not merely decorative but represent a sophisticated visual language through which Baltic peoples expressed their relationship to cosmic order and natural cycles.
The sun symbol, central to Baltic iconography, functioned simultaneously as a representation of a physical celestial body and as a metaphysical concept embodying life, order, and regeneration. This dual reference—material and spiritual—characterises mythological thinking across cultures, where physical phenomena are understood as manifestations of deeper metaphysical principles.
Plant imagery, frequently paired with solar symbols in Baltic decorative arts, creates a visual narrative of cosmic influence on earthly fertility. This relationship between celestial forces and terrestrial growth reflects a fundamental mythological pattern found in agricultural societies worldwide, where human prosperity depends on correctly understanding and ritually acknowledging cosmic interdependencies.
Such brooches served multiple functions simultaneously: practical fasteners, markers of social identity, and potentially protective talismans. This multidimensionality reflects how pre-modern societies integrated practical, social, and spiritual concerns within unified symbolic systems rather than separating them into distinct domains as modern thinking tends to do. The craftsmanship evident in these pieces demonstrates that technical skill itself was understood within a mythological framework, with metalworking often associated with transformative or even magical properties in traditional European societies.
Mythes Op. 30, composed by Karol Szymanowski in 1915, stands as one of his most significant works and a landmark of musical impressionism. Created during a pivotal period in European history amid World War I, this three-part suite for violin and piano represents a distinctive approach to musical storytelling that draws on mythological themes.
The composition blends evocative melodies with atmospheric textures, capturing the mystical and otherworldly essence of mythology through sound. Mythes reflects Szymanowski's engagement with the symbolic and poetic qualities of music, drawing inspiration from both European classical traditions and Eastern influences, which increasingly fascinated him during this period of artistic development.
The work's connection to mythology extends beyond its title to its sonic character, with each piece evoking a different mythological or fantastical scene. The composer's innovative exploration of texture and tone creates an evocative soundscape where violin and piano intertwine to convey emotion and narrative without relying on conventional musical storytelling.
This approach to composition demonstrates how mythology can transcend textual expression to manifest in purely musical terms. Szymanowski's work exemplifies how abstract art forms can capture the essence of mythological thinking—the evocation of wonder, the blurring of boundaries between the natural and supernatural, and the expression of profound emotional states.
Mythes serves as a profound example of how music, like mythology itself, can transcend language barriers, offering a powerful exploration of human experience through its expressive, abstract forms.
