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Mythological Cycle
The bulk of the legends in the Mythological Cycle tells the story of the invasions of seven mythological tribes. These legends are subsumed under the title Lebor Gabal, or Book of Invasions. The second large part of the Mythological Cycle contains the Dinnshenchas, or the Lore Concerning Places. The Lore Concerning Places consist of relatively short poems which describe the origin of names of places in Ireland.
Book of Invasions
According to the Book of Invasions seven mythical tribes have invaded Ireland since time immemorial.
Their new homeland was not welcoming for the first two tribes. The Cesair drowned and an epidemic disease caused the extinction of the Partholonians.
Other tribes had more success. The hostile Fomorians managed to defeat the Nemedians. The defeated Nemedians spread over Europe and returned to Ireland as Fir Bolg and later as the powerful Tuatha de Danaan. The Tuatha de Danaan stood up against the reign of terror of the Fomorians and forced them to leave Ireland forever.
The arrival of the Milesians was not the end for the Tuatha de Danaan. The two tribes divided Ireland in an interesting manner: the Milesians were allowed to live in Ireland as mortals, while the mystical Tuatha de Danaan lived in Tír na nÓg, or Land of the Young. The mythical Milesians are commonly accepted as the historical Celtic Gaels and therewith the ancestors of all the Irish.
Book of Conquests
It was not until the 830's that a Welsh priest Nennius, or Nemnivus, wrote about series of successive invasions and colonisation's of Ireland by Celtic tribes from the Iberian peninsula. In the eleventh century, well within the Christian era, the legends and poems were written down in a real book called Leabhar Gabhála, or in English Book of Conquests, sometimes also called Lebor Gabála Érren, or Book of Invasions of Ireland.
The Book of Conquests contains ten volumes. The first two volumes of the Book of Conquests are a copy of the Book of Genesis, including the creation of the world and the Fall of Man, and references to the Tower of Babel and the Dispersal of the Nations. Especially by copying the Book of Genesis we have no idea about the religious basics of the ancient Irish. Assuming they had some sort of idea about the creation of the world, the origin of mankind and an afterlife it is completely and literally overwritten.
The following six volumes are containing the mythical cycle known as the Book of Invasions.
Volume eight and nine are recounting the deeds of Irish kings in the pre-Christian and Christian era.
The Book of Conquests is not the only written version of the Book of Invasions. The twelfth century Lebhar Na Núachongbála, or Book of Leinster, for example also contains the Book of Invasions.
Book of Leinster
Book of Leinster, page detail.
The Book of Leinster, which resides in the Trinity College Library in Dublin, describes Irish mythology, history, genealogy and poetry and has caused some confusion by itself.
The Book of Leinster is probably written in the monastery of Noughaval in County Wexford and is based on at least two older manuscripts. The first source was an earlier Book of Leinster, named Lebhar Laighneach, which was initially catalogued as Book of Glendalough, sometimes called the Book of Leinster. The second source appears to be lost.
The existence of two Books of Leinster caused confusion among scholars, who spent years on a quest for a book they already possessed. Of course there are suggestions that the missing book is also standing somewhere in the treasury of a library and the quest continues.
The Book of Leinster is not illuminated as the more famous Book of Kells. Nevertheless the Book of Leinster is an important source of information about ancient Ireland and therewith priceless.