CELTIC AND IRISH MYTH AND FOLKLORE IN THE FICTION OF JAMES JOYCE AND MORGAN LLYWELYN: THE PHYSICAL HERO, THE DEVOURING FEMALE, AND MYTH-MAKING

Abstract

<p>There is a substantial amount of academic criticismon James Joyce, of which only a small percentage is on the influence of Irish myth and folklore. The clear allusions to Greek myth in Ulysses and in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man through the character Stephen Dedalus (and perhaps the popular knowledge of Greek myth) tend to overshadow Joyce's allusions to Irish myth. In a comparison of Joyce to Irish author Morgan Llywelyn, I examine the ancient Irish hero Finn Mac Cumhail, the "Devouring Female," and the value, process, and effects of making myths and folklore. Although there has not been any academic criticism on Morgan Llywelyn ,I believe that the value of her novels will soon be discovered, particularly their worth as rewritings of ancient Irish myth and folklore. My primary texts are Joyce's Ulysses, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and Dubliners, as well as Llywelyn's Finn Mac Cool.</p>