Scáthach: Warrior Queen from the Isle of Skye

by History Nerds

The Gaelic myths and legends that are prevalent in the British Isles are the very fabric of the Irish, Scottish, Manx, and Cornish people today. They are colorful, steeped in heroic deeds and adventurous demigods, rooted in times long gone, when Europe as we know it was an altogether different land. More precisely, the Irish Mythology and its unique Ulster Cycle are an endless source of inspiration, and are a crystal clear glimpse into the heart and soul of the Irish People. One of the more enigmatic figures from this cycle is Scáthach, a legendary Scottish warrior woman, responsible for many things - but chiefly for teaching warrior skills to the young hero Cú Chulainn. “A Scottish woman in Irish myths?” you might be wondering right now. But you read that Scáthach is the clear connection between two nations of the same origins - Ireland and Scotland. This mythical figure is the connection between brotherly folk, a root that entwines their shared Gaelic culture. But even better, the topic of Scáthach is a great starting point for scholars and historians - from here we can conduct extensive research that would uncover deeper layers of the enigmatic Ulster Cycle and the ancient connection between Ireland and Scotland. From there, we can glimpse into the turbulent fate of the Picts, the unique subject of the Gaels, the Scoti, and the Kingdom of Dál Riata. And last but not least - we can find parallels between the legend of Scáthach and the older, Indo-European myths and beliefs that clearly tell us of the ancient origins of the Gaelic folk.

Genres: History

37 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 19, 2022

Reviews

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Accidentally deleted my review when goodreads marked this read twice for some reason...eep

*teach this stuff in schools! *

This was very interesting, a few things I already knew but most of it was new to me.

I've always been drawn to Irish/Scottish mythology more (almost a quarter Irish and not sure what percentage Scottish). It just has this "quality" about that resonates deep in my soul that's hard to describe.

Was this lady a real person 🤔? I hope so but either way she's fascinating.

Check it out :)

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[Kathleen]

Scáthach: Warrior Queen from the Isle of Skye, by the History Nerds, is a fascinating read. Moreover, it’s a deep dive into some of the earliest recorded history of Scotland and Ireland. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in myths and legends. As a person of both Irish and Scottish descent and an anthropology major interested in Cultural Anthropology, I loved the way it delved into known history and archaeology and, as much as possible, fact checked the myths about Scáthach. She is a wonderful example of a warrior and witch woman before modern history tried to assign recessive roles to women and dominant ones to men. It also reflects a time when Paganism and the Wiccans were respected, not depicted as evil the way modern society, driven by modern religion, has cast them. So, on all levels, I rate this book five stars.

[Audrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ancient women weren't always oppressed. In fact, some of them were ferocious warriors. Here is an account of one of the famous, legendary fighters from the Island of Skye. Whether she was a goddess, queen, or princess, or just a regular woman, is slightly unlear. Her legend abounds among Gaelic peoples today and other European legends. She has also been revived among modern pagan and Wiccan cults, which is unfortunate. However, whoever she was, she was a force to be reckoned with.

[Christina Frøkjær · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is no doubt that this book has a lot of sources behind it and the result is a well-written and interesting history of a woman I never heard about.

I was confused by the format and the target audience. The book is only 37 pages. Most books that are this short are for kids and learning how to read. It threw me off, but I get why, with the limited sources.

[Blair Hodgkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ancient origins for this possibly historical, possibly mythical Scotswoman are explored in this brief book. Much time is spent on analysis of the warrior women's name and its potential meanings. Was she based on a real person? Or was hers an existence of pure myth, mostly lost? Interesting.

[Ceitag · Rating 1 out of 5]

It feels like this was written by someone who has little knowledge of Gaelic culture.

[JP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too in-depth but still very interesting and informative.