Magic, and the doing of it, runs through the whole of Irish story-telling, and not only into pagan but also into Christian legend; for it was easy to change the old gods into devils, to keep the demonic creatures as demons, to replace the wise Druids by the priests and saints, and the wizards by the heretics who gave themselves to sorcery.

Thus the ancient supernaturalism of the Irish has continued, with modern modifications, to the present day.

The body of thought is much the same as it was in the days of Conor and Finn; the clothing is a bit different.
Another characteristic of the stories, especially in the mythological period, is the barbaric brutality which appears in them.

Curiously mingled with this, in direct contrast, is their tenderness.

These extreme contrasts are common in the Celtic nature.