Seamus Heaney, Mythmaker | The Stories that Shaped the Poet

For Seamus Heaney, myth was not a distant relic of the past, but a living framework through which to understand human experience.  To him, these ancient narratives offered both a moral compass and a creative language—mapping the ways in which individuals and societies make sense of conflict, belonging, and renewal.

Join us online on Friday, 14 November at 2:30pm for an in-depth exploration of Heaney’s lifelong engagement with myth and storytelling. This talk will trace how myth shaped his poetic imagination, from his early encounters with Celtic legends and the sagas of Cúchulainn, to his later dialogues with the Greek classics of Virgil and Sophocles. We’ll consider how Heaney reinterpreted these enduring tales to speak to the modern condition—transforming them into vessels for exploring identity, politics, and the moral dimensions of history.

Whether you are a long-time reader of Heaney’s poetry or newly discovering his work, this event offers a chance to see how myth provided the deep structures of his art—allowing him to translate timeless stories into a language of renewal, empathy, and enduring human truth.