Dogs o’ War they be. Irish Wolfhounds were used as weapons, as they could take a man off his horse for killing by others. Celtic dogs are also regarded as good luck as they were the protectors of highways and crossroads, and of lost souls in the Celtic Otherworld.

Many Irish myths and legends include mentions of hounds. The most famous involves the Celtic hero Cuchulainn (The Hound of Ulster) or (The Hound of Culann) who stroked a blacksmith’s Celtic hound with his bare hands. When Culann, the blacksmith asked who would now guard his shop the young Cuchulainn offered to take the dog’s place thus gaining himself the title of ‘The hound of Culann’. The offer was turned down and Cuchulainn went on to become one of the greatest warrior legends of that era, but the nickname stuck. Other famous Irish hounds were Bran and Seolan who belonged to the warrior, Fionn mac Cumhaill. The mother of Bran and Sceolan was Tuiren, and was Fionn Mac Cumhaill’s aunt, transformed into a hound by a fairy or Sidhe. [via]

Whether you like it or not, everyone becomes Irish tomorrow, so here’s a big green steaming pile of The Overnight Open Thread.