Giants after Dark

There was a time when Beowulf was young.

A time when he could swim through the black sea with a sword in his hand, wrestle monsters in the dark, and tear the arm from a creature that had been eating men in their sleep.

You’ve heard those tales.

You’ve heard how he fought Grendel in the great hall of Heorot, how he went down beneath the waters to fight Grendel’s mother, and how he came home to the Geats with gold on his arms and glory on his name.

But that was a long, long time ago.

Fifty winters had passed.

Fifty winters of frost on the fields, of lambs born in spring, of ships sailing out and ships coming home. Fifty winters of weddings and funerals, feasting and fighting, children growing into warriors, warriors growing into old men.

And Beowulf?

Well, Beowulf had grown old too.

His beard had gone grey. His hands were knotted and scarred. His back ached when the cold winds blew in from the sea.

And those great shoulders that had once wrestled monsters?

They were still broad, mind you.

But even the strongest oak grows old.

Beowulf was king now, king of the Geats, and for fifty years he had kept his people safe.

Then, one night, something woke beneath the earth.

There was a girl who refused all men, but the Sun came and, during a dream, made her his wife and took her aloft upon white deer. They travelled along a sun’s ray and reached the sky. Journeying on', they stopped at the Milky Way. “ I will go and seek a ford,” said the husband, “ but you must stay here.” As soon as he had gone, a small black beetle crawled forward.and said, “ Take care ! On the way a flying devil will attack you and carry you off to his home. It would be well for the pair of us to exchange clothes; thus, you put on my black garment, and I will put on your light one ; then the flying devil will become confused and not know whom to seize.”

THERE WAS ONCE a large lake in Persia around which many

small creatures had built their homes. The golden sun shining

from the clear blue sky warmed its waters and all along its

banks there grew large shady trees, while by the shore flowers

and small bushes were growing. Some of the creatures had nests in the trees and bushes, while others lived in the flowers and under grasses; still others lived in the crystal waters of the lake itself...

The heart of the kind mother wolf was touched, for she thought of her own little ones at home, and how sad it would be to see them so helpless and lonely and forgotten. So she picked the baby up in her mouth carefully and ran home with him to her den in the rocks at the foot of the mountain. Here the little one, whose name was Ailbe, lived with the baby wolves, sharing their breakfast and dinner and supper, playing and quarreling and growing up with them. The wolf-mother took good care of him and saw that he had the best of everything, for she loved him dearly indeed. And Ailbe grew stronger and stronger, taller and taller, handsomer and handsomer every day, living his happy life in the wild woods of green Ireland...

There was once a fisherman and his wife who lived together in a hovel by the sea-shore, and the fisherman went out every day with his hook and line to catch fish, and he angled and angled.

One day he was sitting with his rod and looking into the clear water, and he sat and sat.At last down went the line to the bottom of the water, and when he drew it up he found a great flounder on the hook.

And the flounder said to him, "Fisherman, listen to me; let me go, I am not a real fish but an enchanted prince. What good shall I be to you if you land me? I shall not taste well; so put me back into the water again, and let me swim away."

Every one has heard of Bridget, the little girl saint of Ireland. Her name is almost as well known as that of Saint Patrick, who drove all the snakes from the Island. Saint Bridget had long golden hair; and she was very beautiful. Many wonderful things happened to her that are written in famous books. But I suspect that you never heard what she did about the King’s Wolf. It is a strange, mysterious story.

A starving hunter attempts the impossible - to hide for four days from a magic spyglass. If he can do it, he gains the hand of a princess and food for his famished mother to eat. If he fails, it’s his head.

The story follows the adventures of Beowulf, a noble warrior of the Geats, who journeys to the kingdom of the Danes to help King Hrothgar rid his mead hall, Heorot, of the fearsome monster Grendel. After a fierce battle, Beowulf defeats Grendel with his bare hands. However, his victory is short-lived, as Grendel’s mother seeks revenge. Beowulf pursues her to her underwater lair and slays her with a magical sword.

After his heroic feats, Beowulf returns to Geatland and eventually becomes king, ruling wisely for many years. In his old age, he faces his final challenge—a mighty dragon that threatens his kingdom. Although he slays the beast, Beowulf is mortally wounded and dies a hero’s death. His people mourn him and honor his legacy with a grand funeral.

The story of The Woman Who Married a Bear is a fascinating tale that has been passed down through generations of indigenous communities. It tells the story of a young woman who falls in love with a bear and marries him, only to discover that he is actually a human in disguise.

This story explores themes of kindness, fate, and the human experience, following a soldier's journey after years of serving the King and how his choices affect his life and those around him. The narrative centers around a soldier who, after generously giving away his meager rations to beggars, encounters a mysterious old man who gifts him magical items. These items give him the ability to win at cards and control other creatures, which leads him to confront devils in an empty palace.

It is late in the afternoon, and a Hunter is trudging back to his hut. Belly stuck to spine, an unsuccessful day. As he's approaching the hut, he sees something that terrifies him. There is a thin column of smoke coming from the chimney. Someone's in there. So he makes his way over to the hut, peers through the door. There's no one in there by now, but someone has clearly prepared a meal. The place smells better than it did before, it feels better than it did before. You know, I would suggest possibly a feminine touch. All we know is the guy has never been in a presence like that before, he feels that somehow something is tending for him in that hut. - Dr. Martin Shaw, Introduction to the Tale of the Hunter & Fox Woman Spirit

Far to the north, where the mountains rise like jagged crowns and the valleys lie deep beneath veils of mist, there once lived a giant whose cruelty was known across all the lands. This giant had no heart in his body. Because of that, he could never be wounded, never grow weary, and never die. His power struck fear into every kingdom nearby, for he turned to stone all who dared oppose him. Yet, as every tale of darkness has its light, so too did this one, for there was a brave prince who would not rest until the giant’s wickedness was ended forever.

Born with only half her body, Neem never quite fit in with her village. As a young woman, then, she sets out into the world, driven by a quiet hope to find her missing half.

The story of Oisín and Niamh is one of the most beloved tales in Irish mythology, blending romance, tragedy, and the passage of time.

It comes from the Fenian Cycle, a collection of stories about the legendary warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) and his band of warriors, the Fianna.