Story Archaeology

About Story Archaeology

Story Archaeology combines the knowledge and skills of the storyteller with academic exploration of ancient texts. The main focus is the Irish tradition but at https://storyarchaeology.com, you will find an archive of podcast articles, stories and translations as well as new podcast conversations with people from around the world who have ‘Stories in the Landscape’ to share.

Publisher

Chris Thompson and Isolde Carmody

Category

education · society & culture · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

5 May 2012

Latest episode

8 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

4 of 151 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   8 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Sinann ~ The Journey of a Story

   Host Chris traces the ancient story of Sinann, exploring its enduring relevance and personal connection through an interview with Isolde.

2. 

   30 May 2026

   Chris’ Ramble 24 ~ Welcome to the Otherworld

   Host Chris explores the concept of the Irish Otherworld, its mythological significance, and its potential uniqueness in this audio article.

3. 

   13 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Chris’ Ramble 23 ~ Animal Companions in Early Irish Law and Folklore

   Animal companions have played a variety of important roles in human societies over the millenia. Join Chris as she explores how , dogs, cats and even the occasional crane, here or there, have been regarded and regulated both in the comprehensive early Irish law texts as well as the stories, mythology and folklore. Oweynagat: Cave of the Cats Links for this Episode This episode includes Isolde's explanation of the many grades of poet that existed, File, Bards, and even Bramble Hounds A useful article on the background to pre-Norman, early Irish law. The Lost Legal System: Pre-Common Law Ireland and the Brehon Law by Dr Noelle Higgins Fled Bricrenn: The Road to Cruachan

Inside a recent episode

Sinann ~ The Journey of a Story

Published 8 Aug 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] The source for the story was given as the Book of Leinster, and as I understood it then, had been translated into English by the nineteenth-century scholar named Eugène O'Carri. The story as it was given didn't really surprise me, for a number of reasons. It appeared to be a version of the tale of Boand. […]

Who has been a guest on Story Archaeology

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Chris Thompson
• Sana Malik
• Tamlyn Young
• Lisa Bitel

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

58 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 38 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

55

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51