Okay, okay, okay. I get really excited about these kinds of things. I've been researching a decent amount on Celtic lore, and I have found several interesting things, and it does tie into the game, as well as parts of G22. That being said spoilers for like the whole game, and beware of the wall of text cause boi. There's also some theories I have about G22 towards the end. I also have not finished G22 just yet. I just got Iron Will. So if there's stuff in G22 that contradicts what I'm saying, I apologize. This is also based off of some research I did for a history class with some really old texts. I haven't seen or researched everything, either, so there's that.
For a research paper I did, I found a book called the Lebor Gablála Érenn or the Taking of Ireland. Now, a lot of things from the Celts were passed down orally, and many of the legends told in this were as well, until they were written down by Christian monks. The text itself is more of a pseudo-history, from what other scholars have been saying, because of how heavily Christianized the text is. Like, the whole first volume is just Genesis over and over again. Anyway, what the text itself is about the varying invading groups of Ireland up until the Celts, essentially. You can find the text online, however it's a tad...confusing to read. It constantly repeats entire stories, but they're slightly different? I dunno, it was weird.
It starts with Cessair, who was described as the grand-daughter of Noah who came to Ireland after the flood. Now, I was sitting there like, huh, interesting, I haven't seen much on Mabi having stuff with a flood until last night when I got to a part in G22 that mentions a flood. And maybe the Samhain event, but I can't remember since it's been a hot minute. Any who, following this were the follows of Partholon, a group of people who has been in Mabi for a while. They were, of course, wiped out by a disease. It also seems as though they were behind the death of Cichol, but if I remember it had seemed unclear to me. At the same time, there were the Nemedians, who I believe showed up briefly in Saga II? Either way, they didn't last long as they had to pay a tax to the Fomors that was like, 2/3 of milk and children. If I remember, this was paid on either Samhain or May 1st, which would be Beltaine. Which, fun fact, was apparently an important date in lore? It's the day that like, everyone came to Ireland. The Partholonians maybe died on May 1st, it was pretty unclear.
The Fir Bolg come (I don't think they've shown up yet?) and, of course, the Tuatha Dé Dannan. Now here's when things become fascinating. So, the inhabitants of Erinn are the Tuatha Dé Dannan, yeah? But in lore, so would be Morrighan, Macha, Nuadha, and other deities. Scathach maaaaaay be a part of the Tuatha Dé Dannan, but maaaaay be a militian? I don't know. Ya'll remember in Saga I, how it was spread to the elves and giants that the milletians would take over Erinn? Yeah, that happens. Supposedly, that's where the Celts are descended from. There was a battle of some form that I can't remember as it's kinda late right now and I don't have the books that made it easy to summarize this anymore, but the milletians barely won, if I remember. Something sea battle oriented? Anyway, the deal was with the Tuatha Dé Dannan was that they would go into sidhes in exchange for being worshipped as gods.
Also, side note, I had wondered why Morrighan was the savior goddess. I had been introduced to her as a death goddess form other forms of fiction. Turns out she had a key roll in defeating the fomorians.
From what I'm briefly seeing on wikipedia, the Ulster Cycle is around Jesus, so I'm thinking that's like, in Milletian era, but I'm not sure on this.
That's weird, isn't it? We lost, but we're your gods now? How does that make any sense? Remember the Christians? I believe, keeping in mind with no real backing here, that this part was fabricated. Another source (I think written by Charles Squire) stated something that the transcribing of the legends existed to discredit the original religion. I think that's what this part does. It takes Christian influences, puts it into the text to tie it to the bible, and then takes a normal group of people who lost and put the whole deal in. It seems fishy.
But, this leads into the next thing I noticed. At my university's library, I found a book that essentially documents every single god and goddess to ever appear in any myth, ever. Guess who doesn't appear? Aton Cimeni and Lymilark. I would also bet that the other two gods mentioned in G22 don't show up either. After doing a quick google search on the other two, nothing comes up aside from pretty much Mabi stuff. Interesting, right? It makes me think that they were added to the lore to help fill in some of the gaps left out from the Taking of Ireland. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, I had never heard of the other two until G22. Were they mentioned in game lore in the past?
Anyway, in G22, it is mentioned that the three different sects were essentially the same doctrine, but interpreted slightly different. I also may not be remembering this correctly, so keep that in mind. Having studied some premodern history and a bit about religions, what I found fascinating was the similarities between these three groups and Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. What had been explained to me as being the biggest differing things with the three groups was just a different interpretation of the word of God. Keep in mind that I have not really studied ANY of the doctrines of these groups so, I can't say for sure. I think that these three groups in Mabi and their respective gods are supposed to represent Abrahamic religions. Followers of Lymilark are, most likely, supposed to be the Christians, as I've always heard of Jesus being associated with love and the number of Christians out there. Perhaps Hymerark would represent Judaism, because they were constantly scapegoated, such as during the black death, but I don't really know.
Now, what does that mean? I think that, if the other two religious groups were just added, the devs are trying to keep the game going. I think that they ran out of source material, maybe around G9-12, with a resurgence on the more ancient things for Saga I and II. It would explain sudden Shakespeare, for sure, and why G19-21 wasn't really associated with Celtic lore, either. I feel like by adding the other religious groups, it keeps the game going in an interesting fashion. Also, by tying in some small things, such as Balor, it makes it so that there's still Celtic roots. If the Ulster Cycle IS about milletians, it would make sense as to why it is hardly ever used; the devs may be trying to not bring in other great heroes to compete with the player?
Another side note that has nothing to do with the game but is hilarious; Arthurian lore as you know it is a lie. Lancelot in someone's OC in a fanfiction of Arthurian legend and came about in like the 12th or 13th century. Something with a 12. Maybe this is why Merlin is the only one to appear...?
Anyway, feel free to share thoughts as well as other tidbits of lore you know! Sorry if the text is sloppy; I'm very tired, but I can't sleep because this is just in my head
Comments
Christianize + mythical version of Irish history.
Cessair mythical settlers/exiles from the continent, died out. + mythical endings etc.
Muintir Partholóin - Greco-Christians died from plague (as outlined in Shakespeare/Avon storylines)
settlement of Nemedians (British and Continental Celts, Iberian), defeated and subjugated by Fomorians mythical; likely had fled Iberia from turmoil and returned to Iberia afterwards
Fir Bolg - Parts of groups of Nemedians who left for the continent (settling in Greece) and then returning to Ireland) defeated by Tuatha de Dannan)
Conquest/Unification of Irish Gallic tribe (Tuatha de Dannann), mythically other descendants of Nemedians overthrowing Fir Bolg (1st Battle of Mag Tuireadh) def Fomorians (2nd Battle of Mag Tuireadh)
invasion by Germanic tribes (mostly Iberian), potentially Gallic (Celtiberians) unification of all tribes (Milletians/Milesians (3rd Battle of Mag Tuireadh) Final settlers of old Irish groups from Classical Age through actual Christianization of British Isles and Nordic invasions leading into high Middle Ages and thereafter.
From Wiki of Tuatha de Dannan
"Led by their king, Nuada, they fought the First Battle of Magh Tuireadh on the west coast, in which they defeated and displaced the native Fir Bolg, who then inhabited Ireland. In the battle, Nuada lost an arm to their champion, Sreng. Since Nuada was no longer "unblemished", he could not continue as king and was replaced by the half-Fomorian Bres, who turned out to be a tyrant. The physician Dian Cecht replaced Nuada's arm with a working silver one and he was reinstated as king. However, Dian Cecht's son Miach was dissatisfied with the replacement so he recited the spell, "ault fri halt dí & féith fri féth" (joint to joint of it and sinew to sinew), which caused flesh to grow over the silver prosthesis over the course of nine days and nights.[23][24] However, in a fit of jealous rage Dian Cecht slew his own son. Because of Nuada's restoration as leader, Bres complained to his family and his father, Elatha, who sent him to seek assistance from Balor, king of the Fomorians.
The Tuatha Dé Danann then fought the Second Battle of Magh Tuireadh against the Fomorians. Nuada was killed by the Fomorian king Balor's poisonous eye, but Balor was killed himself by Lugh, the champion of the Tuatha Dé, who then took over as king.
A third battle was fought against a subsequent wave of invaders, the Milesians, from the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (present day Galicia and Northern Portugal), descendants of Míl Espáine (who are thought to represent the Goidelic Celts). The Milesians encountered three goddesses of the Tuatha Dé Danann, Ériu, Banba and Fodla, who asked that the island be named after them; Ériu is the origin of the modern name Éire, and Banba and Fodla are still sometimes used as poetic names for Ireland.
Their three husbands, Mac Cuill, Mac Cecht and Mac Gréine, who were kings of the Tuatha Dé Danann at that time, asked for a truce of three days, during which the Milesians would lie at anchor nine waves' distance from the shore. The Milesians complied, but the Tuatha Dé Danann created a magical storm in an attempt to drive them away. The Milesian poet Amergin calmed the sea with his verse, then his people landed and defeated the Tuatha Dé Danann at Tailtiu. When Amergin was called upon to divide the land between the Tuatha Dé Danann and his own people, he cleverly allotted the portion above ground to the Milesians and the portion underground to the Tuatha Dé Danann. The Tuatha Dé Danann were led underground into the Sidhe mounds by Manannán mac Lir."
In other words, in the Middle Ages when the British Isles were already Christian since the Roman Empire, tried to eliminate pagan myths by integrating them with Christian origins. Thus, Irish mythology as we know today is mixed between Christian (altered) versions of what was passed down since Antiquity of ancient/prehistoric Ireland.