Draugr

Posted on November 2, 2024 by - Blog

Draugr in Dublin City, a graphic novel/comic released by Irish artist Gerry Hunt in 2012, tells the story of a reincarnated Viking (Draugr is an old Viking term for a resurrected warrior) who reawakens when his grave is looted by some Dublin locals. The avenging Viking then goes on the rampage to recover his possessions but finds himself increasingly infuriated by modern additions to the city skyline, which include The Spire, Liberty Hall, and the new €380m National Conference Centre on George’s Quay.

Hunt, originally a professional architect (for 25 years) moved to political cartoons and then comics much later in his career (in the 1980s), founding ‘Dublin Comics’ in 2005 to publish his most well-known works. Draugr in Dublin City appears to have been quite a significant creative shift for Hunt, who’s prior work up to that point was very much centred around contemporary Dublin City settings and action. In that regard, there’s a lovely quote in a review from Ian Keogh (The Slings and Arrows Graphic Novel Review site) who describes the effect as “a shock to the system, like seeing the Walking Dead invade Coronation Street”.

A 2010 interview with the Irish Independent reveals some of the rationale behind that creative shift. In the article, Hunt (who was 74 at the time) admitted that it was a day spent taking pictures around Dublin that inspired the actions of his Viking. Clearly, what he saw offended his architectural values.

“I just thought The Spire, that has to go; and I’ve hated the top of Liberty Hall for years. It’s like a bloody accordion you would squeeze in and out. The new Conference Centre isn’t big enough either, with too much contrast between the stone and the glass. Mind you, I had my Viking Draugr borrow a few panes to make a paraglider,” he said.

I haven’t been able to get a copy of ‘Draugr’ so I can’t really comment on the quality of the book (although the reviews are very positive). That said, I get the impression Hunt was very much an innovator and a creative leader in his day. I have to admit, I’m really damn impressed  with the drive of a 74 year-old artist who took on an opponent he couldn’t possibly hope to defeat (the Dublin Skyline) and then thrashed it so effectively in his own way.

Brian Boru – Guerrila Fighter against the Vikings

Posted on February 20, 2021 by - Blog, Folklore/Mythology

Attached is a short but interesting video on Brian Boru from an old television series called ‘Ancient Warriors‘.

This being an American series, much of the pronunuciation of Irish names and terms is pretty dodgy and the producers seem to have got their locations badly mixed up. That said, they do cover the inter-tribal discord and Brian Boru’s early years fighting the Danes quite well.

For several years, when Brian Boru was in his early twenties, he waged a guerilla war against the Danes around Limerick and other parts of western Munster. Although records of the time are sparse, he seems to have created some serious disruption for them over that period. Living a tenuous existence with his fian, his shortage of men, tribal support and resources menat that he coudl never do more than carry out ambushes and surprise attacks before quickly retreating to the relatively safety of marshes and hidden caves.

This and violent lifestyle inevitably led to attrition over time and many of Brian’s followers were either killed or deserted him. It wasn’t until his tribe – the Dal gCais – finally committed some resource, that Brian was able to move on to bigger and better things.

Unlike many of the Irish heroes described as warriors, Brian Boru did appear to deserve that description and the ‘up close and personal’ battle experiences would have helped his later – far more strategic – battle planning.

Over those early two to three years however, Brian and his men lived a life very much like Na Fianna as described in some detail in my own books on the topic.

You can find the link to the video here: Brian Boru

Vikings in Ireland

Posted on August 23, 2019 by - Blog, Folklore/Mythology

An interesting study in the Journal of Archaeological Science suggests that Viking intervention through colonisation etc. had an important impact on Ireland’s population.

Over the last twenty to thirty years or so, the actual impact of Viking influence really only started to become recognised and nowadays it’s pretty much accepted that the vast majority of Irish people carry at least a trace of Scandinavian DNA (which must create some interference for those companies selling DNA tests to people who want to prove that they’re ‘physically’ Irish).

Again, its really only in the last few decades that we’ve also started to understand the cultural links as well. A lot of Irish mythological stories have parallels in Scandinavian mythology and often its hard to know which is the chicken and which is the egg (i.e. whether the story started in Ireland and was adapted in Scandinavia or vis versa). Either way, there’s still plenty under the cultural bedcovers that remains to be discovered.

You can find the link here: https://theconversation.com/viking-migration-left-a-lasting-legacy-on-irelands-population-122148?fbclid=IwAR0ajrg7Y1IVRBvdgyUFgjtXu2d2pRfR7SUMsyqZ3XAUQ6NkbnoerqOKOKw