page_title: Claíomh Solais
hierarchical_section_title: Claíomh Solais
caption_attribution_description: English: 1922/3 Ireland definitive 6p postage stamp showing An Claidheamh Soluis (The Sword of Light).
context_page_description: The Sword of Light is a trope object that appears in a number of Irish and Scottish Gaelic folktales. The "Quest for sword of light" formula is catalogued as motif H1337.
  The sword appears commonly as a quest object in the Irish folktale of a hero seeking "The One Story" (or the "Cause of the one story about women"), which culminates in the discovery of a "Tale of the Werewolf" (a man magically turned wolf by an unfaithful wife). However, the sword is uninvolved in the man-wolf portion, and only figures in the hero-adventure frame story.
  The sword of light, according to a different commentator, is a fixture of an Irish tale group describable as a quasi-bridal-quest. This characterization is inspired by the formula where the hero gains a beautiful wife (and riches) by gambling against a gruagach or wizard, but then suffers loses making him beholden to mount a hopeless-seeming quest. Like the actual "giant's daughter" bridal quest tales, the sword of light hero often gains the assistance of "helpful animals" help him complete his tasks or ordeals.
  The sword has been regarded as a legacy to the god-slaying weapons of Irish mythology by certain scholars, such as T. F.
context_section_description: The Sword of Light (Irish: Claíomh Solais, Claidheamh Soluis ([klˠiːvˠ ˈsˠɔl̪ˠəʃ]; Old Irish: claidheamh soluis) is a trope object that appears in a number of Irish and Scottish Gaelic folktales. The  "Quest for sword of light" formula is catalogued as motif H1337.
  The sword appears commonly as a quest object in the Irish folktale of a hero seeking "The One Story" (or the "Cause of the one story about women"), which culminates in the discovery of a "Tale of the Werewolf" (a man magically turned wolf by an unfaithful wife). However, the sword is uninvolved in the man-wolf portion, and only figures in the hero-adventure frame story.
  The sword of light,  according to a different commentator, is a fixture of an Irish tale group describable as a quasi-bridal-quest. This characterization is inspired by the formula where the hero gains a beautiful wife (and riches) by gambling against a gruagach or wizard, but then suffers loses making him beholden to mount a hopeless-seeming quest. Like the actual "giant's daughter" bridal quest tales, the sword of light hero often gains the assistance of "helpful animals" help him complete his tasks or ordeals.
  The sword has been regarded as a legacy to the god-slaying weapons of Irish mythology by certain scholars, such as T. F. O'Rahilly, the analogues being the primeval Celtic deity's lightning-weapon, Lugh's sling that felled Balor, the hero Cúchulainn's supernatural spear Gae bulga and his shining sword Cruaidín Catutchenn.
caption: Definitive 6-pence stamp of Sword of Light, Ireland, 1922-3. Arched caption reads "An Claiḋeaṁ Soluis"
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