Irish Card Game

Rules of the Game

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A Closer Look: Character Cards

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A Closer Look: Battle Cards

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A Closer Look: Culture Cards

Each card is designed to accurately incorporate cultural elements of 11th century Ireland. Offensive and Defensive cards are a blend of the religious and cultural practices of Ireland during this time, which is why they have a mix of Pagan and Christian deities and imagery. Furthermore, each Character Card has an emblem in the centre that is representitive of said character in some way. For example, the Character Card for Brian Boru (pictured on the left) features the image of the harp. The harp is the current official emblem of Ireland, and its symbolic origins are traced back to Brian Boru himself, who was known as being a great harp player and a patron of the arts!

Card Design: Front

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The Irish Arts and Crafts movement (1886-1925) marked a movement of artwork in which Irish artists responded to British colonialism with an exhibition of distinctively Irish fine and applied arts. Inspired by the English Arts and Crafts movement some decades prior, this cultural revival infused pre-Norman celtic styles and motifs into Irish artwork and handicrafts, asserting a separate cultural visual identity. While the English Arts and Crafts movement was a response to the Industrial Revolution, the Irish movement (hailing from a more agricultural country) was decidedly political, set against the backdrop of the 1916 Easter Rising which helped prompt Irish independence in 1922. Former Irish president and scholar Douglas Hyde described early Irish art as “the best claim we have upon the world’s recognition of us as a separate nationality.” This movement rode on the back of the Antiquarian movement and rising cultural nationalism, which promoted the narrative that the Irish “Golden Age” preceded Norman invasion, and that the nation’s rich cultural legacy asserted Ireland’s right to independence from colonial control. This project decided to incorporate artwork from this movement to demonstrate how cultural motifs and themes have been reimagined across periods of Irish history, capturing artists’ and activists’ imaginations as they engage with critical events in their nation’s history. The wood carving pictured on the card backs formed part of a Boston College exhibit called “Making It Irish,” which “offers the first comprehensive examination of the Irish Arts and Crafts movement as it was experienced in the context of cultural nationalism and major political transformation.” Woodcarving revival in particular was promoted by female leaders in the movement, who were active in the formation of artist guilds and the employment of female craftswomen, demonstrating how the cultural revival movements helped shape Ireland’s post-colonial transition, while harking to the past.

Irish Arts & Crafts movement

Card Design: Backs

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This is an Irish history game and is centered around the conflicts going on when Norse invasions were common in Ireland, as well as the conflict between Brian Boru and King Malachy II around the year 1000. At this time Ireland was made up of many regions with provincial kings - a similar political situation to Ancient Greece. In his A Short History of Ireland, J.C. Beckett describes how there was a cultural unity throughout Ireland based on language, religion, and law, but that there was no effective political unity. Because of this, there was no united resistance to the Norse attacks. Some Irish kings would even ally with the Norse to win their wars against each other. This game draws from two important conflicts that happened at this time. In 1002, Brian Boru attacked King Malachy II and usurped the high kingship. For five centuries, the high kingship had belonged to the descendants of the fourth century king Niall of the Nine Hostages; this line was known as the Uí Néill. Once Brian Boru had taken the high kingship, he proclaimed himself ‘emperor of the Irish.’ In 1014, the new árd rí Brian Boru defeated a Norse alliance at the battle of Clontarf - known to be one of the bloodiest battles of the age. This battle is said to have been a turning point, stopping the Norse conquest of Ireland. However, Brian Boru was also killed in the battle of Clontarf and after his death, Malachy resumed the high kingship. This game most directly centers on the conflict between Brian Boru and King Malachy II, before the battle of Clontarf. In this game, King Malachy and Brian Boru are directly pitted against each other. King Malachy must also defend against the Norse Invaders since he is currently the High King, meanwhile Brian Boru may or may not work with them - reflective of the real history that he did use the Norse to his advantage when it suited him to take power. The goal of the Norse in the game is to be the last man standing since they are invading and the goal of Irish people is to defend their King and land against all others. In reality, the Irish people may not have cared much who their árd rí was since they were so decentralized, and once Brian Boru took power he was known to be a great Irish king, especially for defeating the Norse invaders. However, for the sake of the game, the Irish people will be on the side of King Malachy since the game takes place when he is still their High King.

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Historical Context – People & Events

Irish belief systems at this time are very interesting and complex, because of all the different influences coming in and because Ireland was so decentralized with different kingdoms. Irish pagan belief were strongly tied to nature and natural features and also heavily influenced by Celtic beliefs and gods that had been brought over around 500 BC. In the Gods of the celts, Miranda Green describes Celtic spirituality in Ireland, including the importance of natural features, the Druidic priesthood, the phenomena of head hunting and collecting, and various deities. Irish gods were tribal gods and heroes would swear by the gods of the tribe (Green 32). Irish deities were also, like the Celtic deities that many of them stemmed from, shadowy and multi-functional characters, sometimes overlapping or varying between tribes. The Druidic priesthood also probably relied heavily on tribal chief support to have influence (Green 26). Brehon Academy, an organization whose mission is to connect myths, culture, and laws of early Ireland to the digital age, gives a detailed description of the role of Druids, as spiritual leaders who were also deeply involved in social and political issues. They acted as judges, poets, priests, and advisors, often guiding rulers on warfare, justice, and governance. Bards, judges, and poet-historians were important positions that emerged from the Druids. The legal system was made up of collections of rights and precedents which were recorded and interpreted by “Brehons”, a class of judges emerging from the Druids. Because of this, the legal system was referred to as “Brehon law” - but it was an informal system and had to be enforced by private action or public opinion (Beckett 11). Bards and poets, also powerful roles emerging from the Druid order, could praise and satirize individuals, which were seen as powerful tools and being satirized was greatly feared. According to Brehon Academy, the Druids’ decline began with the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. In the early middle ages, folk tales depicting various monsters and strange creatures became popular, often coming from ancient Celtic tales, Gaelic tales, or other groups such as German groups that had come into Ireland. Because Irish mythology and folklore is so complex, the game utilizes different pieces of Irish folklore, drawing on mythological creatures as well as Gods and other pagan ideas to represent just some of the many incongruous pieces of lore from Ireland’s cultural history.

Historical context – Pagan Beliefs

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Irish belief systems at this time are very interesting and complex, because of all the different influences coming in and because Ireland was so decentralized with different kingdoms. Irish pagan belief were strongly tied to nature and natural features and also heavily influenced by Celtic beliefs and gods that had been brought over around 500 BC. In the Gods of the celts, Miranda Green describes Celtic spirituality in Ireland, including the importance of natural features, the Druidic priesthood, the phenomena of head hunting and collecting, and various deities. Irish gods were tribal gods and heroes would swear by the gods of the tribe (Green 32). Irish deities were also, like the Celtic deities that many of them stemmed from, shadowy and multi-functional characters, sometimes overlapping or varying between tribes. The Druidic priesthood also probably relied heavily on tribal chief support to have influence (Green 26). Brehon Academy, an organization whose mission is to connect myths, culture, and laws of early Ireland to the digital age, gives a detailed description of the role of Druids, as spiritual leaders who were also deeply involved in social and political issues. They acted as judges, poets, priests, and advisors, often guiding rulers on warfare, justice, and governance. Bards, judges, and poet-historians were important positions that emerged from the Druids. The legal system was made up of collections of rights and precedents which were recorded and interpreted by “Brehons”, a class of judges emerging from the Druids. Because of this, the legal system was referred to as “Brehon law” - but it was an informal system and had to be enforced by private action or public opinion (Beckett 11). Bards and poets, also powerful roles emerging from the Druid order, could praise and satirize individuals, which were seen as powerful tools and being satirized was greatly feared. According to Brehon Academy, the Druids’ decline began with the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. In the early middle ages, folk tales depicting various monsters and strange creatures became popular, often coming from ancient Celtic tales, Gaelic tales, or other groups such as German groups that had come into Ireland. Because Irish mythology and folklore is so complex, the game utilizes different pieces of Irish folklore, drawing on mythological creatures as well as Gods and other pagan ideas to represent just some of the many incongruous pieces of lore from Ireland’s cultural history.

Historical context – Pagan Beliefs

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In the years preceding and following the conflicts this game is centered on, Christianity was becoming much more widespread and gaining influence in Ireland. Beckett’s A Short History of Ireland tells us some of the historical details of the rise of Christianity in Ireland. In the 4th century, during the raids of Roman Britain, a Roman Christian boy of sixteen was taken to Ireland as a slave. He escaped to Gaul where he studied and became a bishop and then returned to Ireland where he traversed nearly the whole country establishing churches and appointing bishops. This was St. Patrick. While Christianity was already present in Ireland, St. Patrick’s work was a turning point in its popularity and importance. By the time King Malachy II and Brian Boru came to power, Christianity had a powerful hold over Ireland. Both King Malacy II and Brian Boru were strong Christians. Christianity continued to grow in the years following this conflict. In 1139 St. Malachy (not to be confused with King Malachy) visited Rome and influenced the replacement of old Irish foundations with European style monasteries. This game reflects the belief systems and mythology that was present at the time and since Christianity was a big influence, Christian stories of Saints and the Saints themselves play a role in the game through the culture cards. Some of the Saints included in the game are St. Brigid, St. Patrick, and St. Gobnait. While the game aims to reference popular and important Irish cultural history, it also aims to include less known stories from Irish culture. Thus, rather than having a more generic or straightforward card playing on St. Patrick "driving out the snakes," or his use of the shamrock, the card references a less known story in which St. Patrick is angry at townspeople having stolen his goat and curses them. The reference of St. Gobnait's swarm of bees is also drawn from a lesser known story where St. Gobnait sends a swarm of bees after a thief. The references to these religious stories in the game add humor and will create more curiosity around Irish cultural history.

Historical Context – Christian Beliefs

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Early Irish history and folklore was historically passed down through oral narration from generation to generation. This was in spite of the well-developed writing system and methods present at the time, and reflected a preference for speech and voice harking back to Plato, termed “phonocentrism.” Philosopher Jacques Derrida argues that this preference came from the perceived unmediated nature of speech, in which knowledge is transferred directly from speaker to hearer in its most natural and effective form, in contrast to the “artificial” medium of the written word. Furthermore, Archaeologist and cultural heritage scholar Anne Ross posits that lore and knowledge was considered semi-sacred itself, and oral narratives were preferred as a way to prevent its manipulation from outsiders and preserve the status of those who passed it down, resulting in an active resistance against transcription. The values of eloquence are epitomized in the figure of Ogma, pagan god of storytelling and inventor of the first writing system. Irish philosophy scholar Tom Duddy points to this tradition as a key component of an early Irish hierarchy formed around knowledge-keepers, while noting that the very knowledge we have about these early societies often comes from classical authors from written traditions. The Irish novelist Paul Lynch and rhetoric scholar Richard Johnson-Sheehan follow the history of oral narration to the flourishing monasteries and libraries of Ireland during the Dark Ages. They point to this intellectual and spiritual hotspot in a dark age as a source of distinct Irish pride for the preservation of culture, in an “uninterrupted continuation of the past.” The exercise of oral narratives remained a way for largely rural-based Irish people to promote and preserve precious cultural values and stories. This project seeks to tap into the rich history of Irish oral narration, by re-animating cultural folklore in an interactive, multi-player game. By featuring figures of Irish legend from both pagan and Christian traditions, the game’s creators hope each card can spark a re-telling, continuing a tradition of story-telling as performed through the ages.

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Why a Game Format? Oral Narratives in Irish history

Irish culture is the result of a multi-layered history incorporating many traditions and belief systems. Early megalithic inhabitants were colonized by the Celts in the Iron Age (500-400 BCE), who unified Ireland as we know it today under the same language, and introduced their religious and spiritual influence. Despite its remoteness, Ireland interacted with the greater world as well, through trade and piracy from Britain to the Mediterranean. During this time, mythology expanded to include many pagan gods and goddesses, which we draw from available origin myths and the sets of stories which comprise three major cycles of Irish legend. These include the Cycle of Invasions, the Ultonian Cycle, and the Fenian Cycle, which detail Celtic colonization, the exploits of the King of Ulster, and the feats of High King Finn mac Cumhal. Largely related through oral storytelling, these stories were not set down in writing until the arrival of St. Patrick, but nevertheless comprised a rich cultural tradition. The arrival of Christianity predates St. Patrick’s arrival, according to archaeological evidence of burial practices and sacred objects, and is likely due to the interaction between Ireland and other Christian countries during the Dark Ages (100-300 AD). Given scant archaeological evidence and first-hand accounts from the time, scholars differ on the nature and time frame of the spread of Christianity in Ireland. Archaeologist Lorcan Harney posits that while missionaries seem to have found the Irish fairly receptive to accepting Christian beliefs, widespread conversion may have taken longer. It is strongly likely that pagan and Christian beliefs co-existed for some time, and probably intermingled. This theory is supported by the strategy of missionaries to identify themselves with Irish audiences and draw parallels between pagan figures and themes with Christian equivalents, a tactic promoted by Pope Gregory the Great in AD 601. Lynch and Johnson-Sheehan detail how the trinity of greater gods maps onto the Holy Trinity, and many scholars point to the striking similarities between the figure of Irish goddess Birgid and Irish patron Saint Brigid of Kildare, although the parallel is disputed by the Catholic church. Harney tracks how many pre-Christian ritual and burial grounds form the sites of early churches. The alignment of the pagan and Christian belief systems resulted in a layered cultural and physical landscape in Ireland today. Today, the majority of Irish identify as Catholic, although many contemporary news sources point to a rise in pagan adherents. Yet regardless of religious demographics, the stories and figures from pre-Christian beliefs continue to loom large in the national imagination and self-identification. This project brings those characters to life, allowing the beliefs to appear together in a reflection of the country’s rich and multi-layered cultural history.

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Layered Histories

Academy, Brehon. “The Old Religion and the Druids: Lifting the Veil on the Mysterious Priests of Early Ireland.” The Brehon Academy, 26 Mar. 2023, brehonacademy.org/the-old-religion-and-the-druids-lifting-the-veil-on-the-mysterious-priests-of-early-ireland/. Aldhouse-Green, Miranda J. The Gods of the Celts. The History Press, 2011. Beckett, J. C. A Short History of Ireland. The Cresset Library, 1987. Bowe, Nicola Gordon. “The Irish Arts and Crafts Movement (1886-1925).” Irish Arts Review Yearbook, 1990, pp. 172–85. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20492642. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "St. Brigid of Ireland". Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Feb. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Brigit-of-Ireland. D. H. Moutray Read. “Some Characteristics of Irish Folklore.” Folklore, vol. 27, no. 3, 1916, pp. 250–78. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1255137. ​​ Heist, William W. “MYTH AND FOLKLORE IN THE LIVES OF IRISH SAINTS.” The Centennial Review, vol. 12, no. 2, 1968, pp. 181–93. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23737495. Irish Literature, Mythology, Folklore, and Drama, www.luminarium.org/mythology/ireland/. Johnson-Sheehan, Richard, and Paul Lynch. “Rhetoric of Myth, Magic, and Conversion: A Prolegomena to Ancient Irish Rhetoric.” Rhetoric Review, vol. 26, no. 3, 2007, pp. 233–52. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20176789. Keely, Vivienne. “(Re)Thinking out Gobnait: Memory and Presence In ...” (Re)Thinking Out Gobnait: Memory and Presence in Folklore and Landscape, Women and Pilgrimage, 25 Mar. 2022, www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.1079/9781789249392.0007. Kiely, Hilary. “Women of the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement - Silver Branch Heritage.” Silver Branch Heritage - Women of the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement , Silver Branch Heritage, 27 Mar. 2022, silverbranchheritage.ie/women-of-the-irish-arts-and-crafts-movement/. Lorcan Harney. “Christianising Pagan Worlds in Conversion-Era Ireland: Archaeological Evidence for the Origins of Irish Ecclesiastical Sites.” Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature, vol. 117C, 2017, pp. 103–30. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.3318/priac.2017.117.07. Macneill, Máire. “Irish Folklore as a Source for Research.” Journal of the Folklore Institute, vol. 2, no. 3, 1965, pp. 340–54. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3814154. Ní Mhaonaigh, Máire. Brian Boru : Ireland’s Greatest King? Stroud, Gloucestershire: Tempus, 2007. Print. Pellegrini, Rosanne. “‘Making It Irish.’” “Making It Irish” at BC’s McMullen Museum, 6 Feb. 2016, www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/art-and-culture/fine-arts/mcmullen-museum-making-it-irish.html. Pilgrimagemedievalireland. “Holy Cow. the Miraculous Animals of the Irish Saints: Part 8, St Patrick and His Goat.” Pilgrimage In Medieval Ireland, 13 Sept. 2021, pilgrimagemedievalireland.com/2017/08/20/holy-cows-the-miraculous-animals-of-the-irish-saints-part-8-st-patrick-and-his-goat/. T.M. Charles-Edwards. “Early Irish Saints’ Cults and Their Constituencies.” Ériu, 2017. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.3318/eriu.2017.0079. Turpin, John. “The Irish Design Reform Movement of the 1960s.” Design Issues, vol. 3, no. 1, 1986, pp. 4–21. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1571637. Walker, Stephanie Kirkwood. “Brigit of Kildare as She Is: A Study of Biographical Image.” Biography, vol. 17, no. 2, 1994, pp. 111–24. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23539666.

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Works Cited