Heroes and Gods in Celtic Mythology: A Structural Comparison of the Ulster and Fenian Cycles

This paper investigates the distinction between historically plausible heroes and abstract divine figures in Celtic mythology, focusing on the Ulster Cycle (associated with C´ u Chulainn) and the Fenian Cycle (associated with Finn MacCool). By applying a structuralist lens, we compare how these two cycles function as successive ”generations” of myth: the tragic warrior generation versus the poetic and legendary generation. This comparison also highlights the interplay between human memory and mythic abstraction, situating Celtic traditions within a broader Indo-European mythological framework.