Faeries and Folklore Podcast

The Faeries and Folklore Podcast by Ronel: Dagda #podcast #faeries #folklore

Episode 25: Power Players of Faerie: Dagda

The folklore of Dagda in a nutshell and how I reimagined it for my writing.

Written and narrated by Ronel Janse van Vuuren.

Copyright 2022 Ronel Janse van Vuuren — All rights reserved.

Learn more about Dagda here.

Get the transcript here.

Music: Secrets by David Fesliyan (FesliyanStudios.com) and Dramatic Heartbeat by FesliyanStudios.com

Transcript

You’re listening to the Faeries and Folklore podcast by Ronel.

I’m dark fantasy author Ronel Janse van Vuuren. With nearly a decade of digging around in dusty folklore books, researching creatures of imagination that ignited my curiosity, I’m here to share the folklore in a nutshell and how I reimagined it for my writing in an origin of the fae.

This is the Faeries and Folklore podcast.

Hi, I’m your host Ronel Janse van Vuuren. You can just call me Ronel. In today’s episode, we’re continuing our exploration of the fae realm.

This episode is brought to you by my book Once… Tales, Myths and Legends of Faerie available in eBook, audiobook and paperback. Learn more at ronelthemythmaker.com/my-books.

We’re continuing our exploration of the power players of faerie.

Today’s faery: Dagda

Folklore in a Nutshell by Ronel

The Dagda is a father-figure and protector. Tales about him depicts him as a figure of immense power. Early Celts called him “the good god” because he protected their crops.

He is associated with a magic cauldron of plenty; a huge, magic club, a richly ornamented harp made from oak that he uses to put the seasons in correct order (or command the order of battle); ever-laden fruit trees; and two pigs that he constantly slaughters and eats (they return magically to life just to be roasted and eaten again). His harp, Uaithne, not only causes the seasons to change, but it also plays three types of music: the music of sorrow, of joy and of dreaming.

He was once the High King of the Tuatha Dé Danann (a race of supernatural beings that conquered the Fomorians and fell to the Milesians in Ireland). His cauldron, club and harp were magical items the Tuatha Dé Danann had brought with them when they first conquered Ireland.

After the Tuatha Dé Danann retreated to the earth, Dagda became the Irish-Celtic god of the earth and treaties, and the ruler of life and death.

He is a master of magic, a fearsome warrior, a skilled artisan, and possess the wisdom to know when to interfere in the matters of others.

And now for my interpretation of the fae in an origin of the fae: Dagda

Dagda is king of the Underworld. He has four castles – all spectacular – in the four corners of the world. He is perfectly toned with tattoos all over.

He possesses powerful magic.

He controls the growth of wheat and grass topside. Even in droughts he can make it grow so people won’t starve.

He is able to grant wishes – that is why he’s known as the Wishmaster. Wishes don’t come cheap: something has to be bargained.

Dagda was once a powerful figure in Faerie, but he overstepped his bounds and the Dark King punished him by making him the king of the Underworld: a place where souls from the Mortal Realm and Faerie have to wait for judgement once Dullahans have delivered them there.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this episode of the faeries and folklore podcast and that you’ve learned something new about faeries.

Remember that you can get a transcript of this episode in the description. If you’re new to the podcast, why not go and grab your free copy of Unseen, the second book in the Faery Tales series, on my website ronelthemythmaker.com? Loads of folklore, magic and danger await! Take care!

Available at

Audible | Podbean | Amazon Music | Spotify | Youtube | iHeart Radio | Player FM | Listen Notes | Apple Podcasts | TuneIn

You can now support my time in producing the podcast (researching, writing and everything else involved) by buying me a coffee. This can be a once-off thing, or you can buy me coffee again in the future at your discretion.

You can now own the backlist seasons as audiobooks. All proceeds go to hosting the podcast. Exclusively available from Ronel’s store.

Want a taste of my writing? Sign up to my newsletter and get your free copy of Unseen, Faery Tales #2.

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.
fairy
image credit https://pixabay.com/illustrations/ai-generated-fairy-wings-magic-8121013/

No-one writes about the fae like Ronel Janse van Vuuren.

2 thoughts on “The Faeries and Folklore Podcast by Ronel: Dagda #podcast #faeries #folklore”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *