Get it on Google Play

32. Deirdire of the Sorrows - Part 2

32. Deirdire of the Sorrows - Part 2

Author: The Scottish Folklore Podcast July 13, 2025 Duration: 27:18
The Scottish Folklore Podcast
HistoryCultureFictionSocietySociety & Culture

Jenny is back with Part 2 of Deirdire of the Sorrows, an ancient Gaelic tale that has been told in both Ireland and Scotland for countless years. This half sees Deirdire, Naoise, and his two brothers living as fugitives in Scotland. But all good things must come to an end, and all prophecies must be fulfilled…


In Ireland, the story of Deirdre is part of the Ulster Cycle of mythology, but the version that I am telling comes from a fellow named John Macneil, who told it from his home on the Isle of Barra in 1867. The story of Deirdire was told in Gaelic and taken down by Alexander Carmichael, who later translated it into English and published both versions in 1905. This is the most comprehensive Scottish version of this story on record, and while it differs in some ways from the Irish telling, it’s no less of a cracker!


You can read Alexander Carmichael’s original Gaelic and English translation of it here


Many thanks to Caoimhe Keohane of Wild Anam for helping with the many Irish Gaelic pronunciations in this tale!


This an Irish version of the story of Deirdire of the Sorrows



Follow The Scottish Folklore Podcast on Instagram


Visit the website and view the interactive map


Support Jenny as she makes the show by joining the Patreon

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Step into the misty glens and ancient castles of Scotland with The Scottish Folklore Podcast. Your guide, Jenny Johnstone, has a knack for finding the heartbeat in old stories, sharing traditional tales gathered from every corner of the country. This isn't just a recitation of myths; it's an invitation to sit by a metaphorical fireside and listen as these narratives are woven anew. You'll hear of cunning fairies from the Orkney shores, restless spirits in Edinburgh's closes, and selkies shedding their skins on Hebridean beaches. Each story is a piece of local lore, a fragment of history and culture preserved through telling. The podcast delves into the societal values and fears embedded in these fictions, exploring why certain tales endure. Listening feels like uncovering a hidden layer of the landscape, where every loch and mountain has a story waiting to be told. It’s for anyone curious about the roots of storytelling, the peculiar creatures that haunt a nation's imagination, or simply for those who love a good yarn told with warmth and authenticity. Through Jenny’s engaging retellings, age-old adventures find a fresh voice, ensuring the strange and wonderful creatures of Scottish folklore are never forgotten.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Official website RSS
instagramspotify
The Scottish Folklore Podcast
Podcast Episodes
49. Tam o’ Shanter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:53
It’s Burns Night! On the 25th of January Scots all over the world come together to celebrate the life and works of the Bard himself, Rabbie Burns, and so in this episode Jenny recites his epic poem Tam o’ Shanter. This w…
48. Omens: Good, Bad, Worse and BIRDS! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:43
Learn how to tell the future the old fashioned way! The natural world is teeming with messages about things to come; from bats, to boats, to just about every bird there is, omens can be found throughout Scottish folklore…
47. Christmas Time Tales [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:56
Yuletide is for feasting, festivities, and fireside stories! In this episode Jenny tells two traditional Christmas time tales, ‘Dancing in the Fairy Knoll’ from Glen Etive and Duncan Williamson’s ‘The Hare and The Scarec…
Scottish Yuletide and Hogmanay Traditions [Re-Release] [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:10
Join Jenny as she explores some of the many Yuletide and Hogmanay traditions, customs, rituals, and rites that have been practised in Scotland over the millennia. From ancient burial cairns being aligned with the setting…
46. Assipattle and the Mester Stoorworm [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:36
This is one of Scotland’s greatest wonder tales - it is a story of gargantuan proportions, tremendous sacrifice, and unlikely heroes. It comes from Orkney in the far north and tells of Assipattle, a lazy layabout farm la…
45. Origins of the Selkie Folk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:47
Seals under the waves, humans upon the shore, selkies are some of Scotland’s most well loved folkloric beings, and for good reason too, for their beautiful eyes and gentle nature have captured our imaginations, and heart…
44. Cailleach Beira: The Ancient Hag Deity of Winter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:39
Mountain builder, bone singer, bringer of winter, the Cailleach Beira is a Hag unto her own. Join Jenny in this episode as she tells many tales of the giant blue-faced deity who rules over the cruel, harsh winters of Sco…
43. Samhain: Halloween Traditions & Tales [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:38
The veil is thinning and soon Samhain, the scariest night of the year, will be upon us. But what is it that makes this night, the 31st of October, just so spooky? In this episode Jenny explores the ancient Celtic roots o…
42. Return From the Dead: Witches, Warlocks, and The Water of Life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:40
What happens when death is not final? In Scottish folklore people returning from the dead is not only rare, but also, as we find out in this episode, absolutely terrifying. The three tales Jenny tells make up a spooky sa…

«12345»