![Cuinbattle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Cuinbattle.jpg)
The Ulster Cycle ( ga, an Rúraíocht), formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, is a body of
medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the
Ulaid
Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or Ulaidh (Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include Ulidia, which is the Latin form of Ulaid, and in ...
. It is set far in the past, in what is now eastern
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
and northern
Leinster
Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...
, particularly counties
Armagh
Armagh ( ; ga, Ard Mhacha, , "Macha's height") is the county town of County Armagh and a city in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Pri ...
,
Down and
Louth Louth may refer to:
Australia
*Hundred of Louth, a cadastral unit in South Australia
* Louth, New South Wales, a town
* Louth Bay, a bay in South Australia
**Louth Bay, South Australia, a town and locality
Canada
* Louth, Ontario
Ireland
* Cou ...
.
It focuses on the mythical Ulster king
Conchobar mac Nessa
Conchobar mac Nessa (son of Ness) is the king of Ulaid, Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Emain Macha (Navan Fort, near Armagh). He is usually said to be the son of the High King of Ireland, High King Fachtna Fáthach, ...
and his court at
Emain Macha
Navan Fort ( sga, Emain Macha ; ga, Eamhain Mhacha, label=Modern Irish ) is an ancient ceremonial monument near Armagh, Northern Ireland. According to tradition it was one of the great royal sites of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland and the cap ...
, the hero
Cú Chulainn
Cú Chulainn ( ), called the Hound of Ulster (Irish: ''Cú Uladh''), is a warrior hero and demigod in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore. He is believed to be an incarnation of the Irish god Lugh, ...
, and their conflict with the
Connachta
The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King Conn Cétchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). The modern western province of Connacht (Irish ''Cúige Chonnacht'', province, literally "f ...
and queen
Medb
Medb (), later spelled Meadhbh (), Méibh () and Méabh (), and often anglicised as Maeve ( ), is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Her husband in the core stories of the cycle is Ailill mac Máta, although she had seve ...
.
The longest and most important tale is the epic ''
Táin Bó Cúailnge
(Modern ; "the driving-off of the cows of Cooley"), commonly known as ''The Táin'' or less commonly as ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an epic from Irish mythology. It is often called "The Irish Iliad", although like most other early Iri ...
'' (Cattle Raid of Cooley). The Ulster Cycle is one of the four 'cycles' of
Irish mythology
Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later written down in the early medieval era by C ...
and legend, along with the
Mythological Cycle
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
, the
Fianna Cycle
The Fenian Cycle (), Fianna Cycle or Finn Cycle ( ga, an Fhiannaíocht) is a body of early Irish literature focusing on the exploits of the mythical hero Finn or Fionn mac Cumhaill and his warrior band the Fianna. Sometimes called the Ossian ...
and the
Kings' Cycle.
Ulster Cycle stories
The Ulster Cycle stories are set in and around the reign of King
Conchobar mac Nessa
Conchobar mac Nessa (son of Ness) is the king of Ulaid, Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Emain Macha (Navan Fort, near Armagh). He is usually said to be the son of the High King of Ireland, High King Fachtna Fáthach, ...
, who rules the Ulaid from
Emain Macha
Navan Fort ( sga, Emain Macha ; ga, Eamhain Mhacha, label=Modern Irish ) is an ancient ceremonial monument near Armagh, Northern Ireland. According to tradition it was one of the great royal sites of pre-Christian Gaelic Ireland and the cap ...
(now Navan Fort near
Armagh
Armagh ( ; ga, Ard Mhacha, , "Macha's height") is the county town of County Armagh and a city in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Pri ...
). The most prominent hero of the cycle is Conchobar's nephew,
Cú Chulainn
Cú Chulainn ( ), called the Hound of Ulster (Irish: ''Cú Uladh''), is a warrior hero and demigod in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore. He is believed to be an incarnation of the Irish god Lugh, ...
. The Ulaid are most often in conflict with the
Connachta
The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King Conn Cétchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). The modern western province of Connacht (Irish ''Cúige Chonnacht'', province, literally "f ...
, led by their queen,
Medb
Medb (), later spelled Meadhbh (), Méibh () and Méabh (), and often anglicised as Maeve ( ), is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Her husband in the core stories of the cycle is Ailill mac Máta, although she had seve ...
, her husband,
Ailill
Ailill (Ailell, Oilioll) is a male name in Old Irish. It is a prominent name in Irish mythology, as for Ailill mac Máta, King of Connacht and husband of Queen Medb, on whom Shakespeare based the Fairy Queen Mab. Ailill was a popular given name in ...
, and their ally
Fergus mac Róich
Fergus mac Róich (literally "manliness, son of great stallion") is a character in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Formerly the king of Ulster, he is tricked out of the kingship and betrayed by Conchobar mac Nessa, becomes the ally and lover ...
, a former king of the Ulaid in exile. The longest and most important story of the cycle is the ''
Táin Bó Cúailnge
(Modern ; "the driving-off of the cows of Cooley"), commonly known as ''The Táin'' or less commonly as ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an epic from Irish mythology. It is often called "The Irish Iliad", although like most other early Iri ...
'' or "Cattle Raid of Cooley", in which Medb raises an enormous army to invade the
Cooley peninsula
The Cooley Peninsula (, older ''Cúalṅge'') is a hilly peninsula in the north of County Louth on the east coast of Ireland; the peninsula includes the small town of Carlingford, the port of Greenore and the village of Omeath.
Geography
T ...
and steal the Ulaid's prize bull,
Donn Cúailnge
In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology Donn Cúailnge, the Brown Bull of Cooley, was an extremely fertile stud bull over whom the Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley) was fought.
Prologue
A ninth century ''rémscéla'' or foretale recount ...
, opposed only by the seventeen-year-old Cú Chulainn. In the Mayo Táin, the
Táin Bó Flidhais
''Táin Bó Flidhais'', also known as the ''Mayo Táin'', is a tale from the Ulster Cycle of early Irish literature. It is one of a group of works known as Táin Bó, or "cattle raid" stories, the best known of which is ''Táin Bó Cúailnge''. ' ...
it is a white cow known as the 'Maol' that is the object of desire. One of the better known stories is the tragedy of
Deirdre
Deirdre ( , Irish: ; sga, Derdriu ) is the foremost tragic heroine in Irish legend and probably its best-known figure in modern times. She is known by the epithet "Deirdre of the Sorrows" (). Her story is part of the Ulster Cycle, the best-know ...
, source of plays by
W. B. Yeats
William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...
and
J. M. Synge
Edmund John Millington Synge (; 16 April 1871 – 24 March 1909) was an Irish playwright, poet, writer, collector of folklore, and a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival. His best known play ''The Playboy of the Western World'' was poorly r ...
. Other stories tell of the births, courtships and deaths of the characters and of the conflicts between them.
The stories are written in
Old
Old or OLD may refer to:
Places
*Old, Baranya, Hungary
*Old, Northamptonshire, England
*Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD)
*OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...
and
Middle Irish
Middle Irish, sometimes called Middle Gaelic ( ga, An Mheán-Ghaeilge, gd, Meadhan-Ghàidhlig), is the Goidelic language which was spoken in Ireland, most of Scotland and the Isle of Man from AD; it is therefore a contemporary of late Old Engli ...
, mostly in prose, interspersed with occasional verse passages, with the earliest extant versions dated to the 12th century. The tone is terse, violent, sometimes comic, and mostly realistic, although supernatural elements intrude from time to time. Cú Chulainn in particular has superhuman fighting skills, the result of his semi-divine ancestry, and when particularly aroused his battle frenzy or ''ríastrad'' transforms him into an unrecognisable monster who knows neither friend nor foe. Evident
deities
A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greate ...
like
Lugh
Lugh or Lug (; ga, label=Modern Irish, Lú ) is a figure in Irish mythology. A member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a group of supernatural beings, Lugh is portrayed as a warrior, a king, a master craftsman and a savior.Olmsted, Garrett. ''The God ...
, the
Morrígan,
Aengus
In Irish mythology, Aengus or Óengus is one of the Tuatha Dé Danann and probably originally a god associated with youth, love,Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí. ''Myth, Legend & Romance: An encyclopedia of the Irish folk tradition''. Prentice-Hall Press, ...
and
Midir
In the Mythological Cycle of early Irish literature, Midir (Old Irish) or Midhir (Modern Irish) was a son of the Dagda of the Tuatha Dé Danann. After the Tuatha Dé were defeated by the Milesians, he lived in the sidh of Brí Léith (believed ...
also make occasional appearances.
Unlike the majority of early Irish historical tradition, which presents ancient Ireland as largely united under a succession of
High Kings, the stories of the Ulster Cycle depict a country with no effective central authority, divided into local and provincial kingdoms often at war with each other. The civilisation depicted is a pagan, pastoral one ruled by a warrior aristocracy. Bonds between aristocratic families are cemented by fosterage of each other's children. Wealth is reckoned in cattle. Warfare mainly takes the form of
cattle raids, or single combats between champions at fords. The characters' actions are sometimes restricted by religious taboos known as ''
geasa
A ' or ' (pl. ') is an idiosyncratic taboo, whether of obligation or prohibition, similar to being under a vow or curse, yet the observance of which can also bring power and blessings. It is also used to mean specifically a spell prohibiting s ...
''.
Manuscripts
The stories are preserved in manuscripts of the 12th to 15th centuries but, in many cases, are believed to be much older. The language of the earliest stories is dateable to the 8th century, and events and characters are referred to in poems dating to the 7th.
The earliest extant manuscripts of the Ulster Cycle are ''
Lebor na hUidre
The manuscript known as Lebor na hUidre (English translation: Book of the Dun Cow) is the oldest extant written in Gaelic (Irish), and the texts included therein recount Irish history through an eschatological lens. The Christian authors who c ...
'', "The Book of the Dun Cow", dating to no later than 1106, and ''
The Book of Leinster'', compiled around 1160.
Chronology
The events of the cycle are traditionally supposed to take place around the time of
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
. The stories of Conchobar's birth and death are synchronised with the birth and death of Christ, and the ''
Lebor Gabála Érenn
''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of the Taking of Ireland"), known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'', is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language intended to be a history of Ireland and the Irish fro ...
'' dates the ''Táin Bó Cúailnge'' and the birth and death of Cú Chulainn to the reign of the High King
Conaire Mor Conaire is an Irish language male given name. It gave rise to the original form of the anglicized surname Connery.
It is borne by two legendary High King of Ireland, High Kings of Ireland:
*Conaire Mór (the great)
*Conaire Cóem (the beautiful)
O ...
, who it says was a contemporary of the
Roman emperor Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...
(27 BC — AD 14). Some stories, including the ''Táin'', refer to
Cairbre Nia Fer
Cairbre Nia Fer (also ''Corpri'', ''Coirpre'', ''Cairpre''; ''Nioth Fer'', ''Niafer'', ''Niaper''), son of Rus Ruad, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a King of Tara from the Laigin.
The earliest reference to Cairbr ...
as the king of
Tara, implying that no High King is in place at the time.
The presence of the Connachta as the Ulaid's enemies is an apparent anachronism: the Connachta were traditionally said to have been the descendants of
Conn Cétchathach
Conn Cétchathach (; "of the Hundred Battles"), son of Fedlimid Rechtmar, was a semi-legendary High King of Ireland and the ancestor of the Connachta, and, through his descendant Niall Noígiallach, the Uí Néill dynasties, which dominated Irelan ...
, who is supposed to have lived several centuries later. Later stories use the name
Cóiced Ol nEchmacht
Cóiced Ol nEchmacht is an ancient name for the province of Connacht, Ireland and including the area of County Clare.
Etymology and extent
Cóiced Ol nEchmacht may be translated as the portion/fifth/province of the Ol nEchmacht, also called the ...
as an earlier name for the province of Connacht to get around this problem. However, the chronology of early Irish historical tradition is an artificial attempt by Christian monks to synchronise native traditions with classical and biblical history, and it is possible that historical wars between the Ulaid and the Connachta have been chronologically misplaced.
Historicity
Along with the
Lebor Gabála Érenn
''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' (literally "The Book of the Taking of Ireland"), known in English as ''The Book of Invasions'', is a collection of poems and prose narratives in the Irish language intended to be a history of Ireland and the Irish fro ...
, elements of the Ulster Cycle were for centuries regarded as historical in Ireland, and the antiquity of these records was a matter of politicised debate; modern scholars have generally taken a more critical stance.
Some scholars of the 19th and early 20th centuries, such as
Eugene O'Curry
Eugene O'Curry ( ga, Eoghan Ó Comhraí or Eoghan Ó Comhraidhe, 20 November 179430 July 1862) was an Irish philologist and antiquary.
Life
He was born at Doonaha, near Carrigaholt, County Clare, the son of Eoghan Ó Comhraí, a farmer, and hi ...
and
Kuno Meyer
Kuno Meyer (20 December 1858 – 11 October 1919) was a German scholar, distinguished in the field of Celtic philology and literature. His pro-German stance at the start of World War I in the United States was a source of controversy. His brother ...
, believed that the stories and characters of the Ulster Cycle were essentially historical;
T. F. O'Rahilly
Thomas Francis O'Rahilly ( ga, Tomás Ó Rathile; 11 November 1882 – 16 November 1953)Ó Sé, Diarmuid.O'Rahilly, Thomas Francis (‘T. F.’). ''Dictionary of Irish Biography''. (ed.) James McGuire, James Quinn. Cambridge, United Kingdom: C ...
was inclined to believe the stories were entirely mythical and the characters
euhemerised
Euhemerism () is an approach to the interpretation of mythology in which mythological accounts are presumed to have originated from real historical events or personages. Euhemerism supposes that historical accounts become myths as they are exagge ...
gods; and
Ernst Windisch
Ernst Wilhelm Oskar Windisch (4 September 1844, Dresden30 October 1918, Leipzig) was a German classical philologist and comparative linguist who specialised in Sanskrit, Celtic and Indo-European studies.
In his student days at the University of L ...
thought that the cycle, while largely imaginary, contains little genuine myth. Elements of the tales are reminiscent of classical descriptions of
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
societies in
Gaul
Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...
,
Galatia
Galatia (; grc, Γαλατία, ''Galatía'', "Gaul") was an ancient area in the highlands of central Anatolia, roughly corresponding to the provinces of Ankara and Eskişehir, in modern Turkey. Galatia was named after the Gauls from Thrace (c ...
and
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
. Warriors fight with swords, spears and shields, and ride in two-horse chariots, driven by skilled charioteers drawn from the lower classes. They take and preserve the heads of slain enemies, and boast of their valour at feasts, with the bravest awarded the ''
curadmír
The ''Curadmír'', modern Curadhmhír (Champion's Portion) was an ancient custom referred to in early Irish literature, whereby the warrior acknowledged as the bravest present at a feast was given precedence and awarded the choicest cut of meat. Th ...
'' or "champion's portion", the choicest cut of meat. Kings are advised by
druid
A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...
s (
Old Irish
Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writt ...
''druí'', plural ''druíd''), and poets have great power and privilege. These elements led scholars such as
Kenneth H. Jackson
Prof Kenneth Hurlstone Jackson CBE FRSE FSA DLitt (1 November 1909 – 20 February 1991) was an English linguistics, linguist and a translator who specialised in the Celtic languages. He demonstrated how the text of the Ulster Cycle of tales, wr ...
to conclude that the stories of the Ulster Cycle preserved authentic Celtic traditions from the pre-Christian
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
. Other scholars have challenged that conclusion, stressing similarities with early medieval Irish society and the influence of classical literature, while considering the possibility that the stories may contain genuinely ancient material from oral tradition.
J. P. Mallory
James Patrick Mallory (born October 25, 1945) is an American archaeologist and Indo-Europeanist. Mallory is an emeritus professor at Queen's University, Belfast; a member of the Royal Irish Academy, and the former editor of the ''Journal of Ind ...
thus found the archaeological record and linguistic evidence to generally disfavour the presence of Iron Age remnants in the Ulster and
Mythological
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
Cycles, but emphasised the links to the
Corlea Trackway
__NOTOC__
The Corlea Trackway () is an Iron Age trackway, or ''togher'', near the village of Keenagh, south of Longford, County Longford, in Ireland. It was known locally as the ''Danes' Road''. It was constructed from oak planks in 148–147 ...
in the earlier
Tochmarc Étaíne
''Tochmarc Étaíne'', meaning "The Wooing of Étaín/Éadaoin", is an early text of the Irish mythology, Irish Mythological Cycle, and also features characters from the Ulster Cycle and the Cycles of the Kings. It is partially preserved in the ma ...
as a notable exception.
It is probable that the oldest strata of tales are those involving the complex relationship between the Ulaid and the
Érainn
The Iverni (, ') were a people of early Ireland first mentioned in Ptolemy's 2nd century ''Geography'' as living in the extreme south-west of the island. He also locates a "city" called Ivernis (, ') in their territory, and observes that this se ...
, represented in the Ulster Cycle by
Cú Roí
Cú Roí mac Dáire (Cú Ruí, Cú Raoi) is a king of Munster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He is usually portrayed as a warrior with superhuman abilities and a master of disguise possessed of magical powers. His name probably means "ho ...
and the
Clanna Dedad
Deda mac Sin (Deda, son of Sen) was a prehistoric king of the Érainn of Ireland, possibly of the 1st century BC. Variant forms or spellings include Ded, Dedu, Dedad, Degad, Dega, Dego, Deguth and Daig, with some of these occurring as genitives ...
, and later by
Conaire Mór
Conaire Mór (the great), son of Eterscél, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. His mother was Mess Búachalla, who was either the daughter of Eochu Feidlech and Étaín, or of Eochu Airem and ...
. It was observed a century ago by
Eoin MacNeill
Eoin MacNeill ( ga, Eoin Mac Néill; born John McNeill; 15 May 1867 – 15 October 1945) was an Irish scholar, Irish language enthusiast, Gaelic revivalist, nationalist and politician who served as Minister for Education from 1922 to 1925, Ce ...
and other scholars that the historical Ulaid, as represented by the
Dál Fiatach
Dál Fiatach was a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic dynastic-grouping and the name of their territory in the north-east of Ireland during the Middle Ages. It was part of the over-kingdom of Ulaid, and they were its main ruling dynasty for most of Ulaid's ...
, were apparently related to the Clanna Dedad.
T. F. O'Rahilly
Thomas Francis O'Rahilly ( ga, Tomás Ó Rathile; 11 November 1882 – 16 November 1953)Ó Sé, Diarmuid.O'Rahilly, Thomas Francis (‘T. F.’). ''Dictionary of Irish Biography''. (ed.) James McGuire, James Quinn. Cambridge, United Kingdom: C ...
later concluded that the Ulaid were in fact a branch of the Érainn. A number of the Érainn appear to have been powerful
Kings of Tara
The term Kingship of Tara () was a title of authority in ancient Ireland - the title is closely associated with the archaeological complex at the Hill of Tara. The position was considered to be of eminent authority in medieval Irish literature a ...
, with a secondary base of power at the now lost
Temair Luachra "Tara of the Rushes" in West Munster, where some action in the Ulster Cycle takes place and may even have been transplanted from the midland Tara. Additionally it may be noteworthy that the several small cycles of tales involving the early dominance of the Érainn in Ireland generally predate the majority of the Ulster Cycle tales in content, if not in their final forms, and are believed to be of a substantially more pre-Christian character. Several of these do not even mention the famous characters from the Ulster Cycle, and those that do may have been slightly reworked after its later expansion with the ''Táin'' and rise in popularity.
Texts
;Earliest strata
*''Conailla Medb míchuru'' "
Medb
Medb (), later spelled Meadhbh (), Méibh () and Méabh (), and often anglicised as Maeve ( ), is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Her husband in the core stories of the cycle is Ailill mac Máta, although she had seve ...
has entered evil contracts" (7th-century poem attributed to
Luccreth moccu Chiara
Luccreth moccu Chíara (''floruit'' c. 665 AD)Eoin MacNeill, "A Pioneer of Nations: part II", ''Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review'' vol 11, no 43, 1922, pp. 435-446 was a poet from County Kerry, Ireland who wrote in archaic Old Irish. ''Moccu'' ...
)
*The lost manuscript
Cín Dromma Snechtai
or ("book of Druimm Snechta"; la, label= Modern Irish, Leabhar Dhroim Sneachta, ) is a now lost early Irish manuscript., thought to have been written in the 8th century AD.
Name
Old Irish ''cín'', derived from the Latin ''quinio'' "five", was ...
, associated with Bangor, is thought to have included versions of these five texts:
**''Compert Con Culainn'' "The Birth of
Cú Chulainn
Cú Chulainn ( ), called the Hound of Ulster (Irish: ''Cú Uladh''), is a warrior hero and demigod in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore. He is believed to be an incarnation of the Irish god Lugh, ...
"
**''Compert Conchobuir'' "The Birth of
Conchobor"
**''Fíl and grían Glinne Aí''
**''Forfess fer Falchae'' "Night-watch against the men of Falgae"
**''Verba Scathaige'' "The words of
Scáthach
Scáthach () or Sgàthach ( gd, Sgàthach an Eilean Sgitheanach) is a figure in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She is a legendary Scotland, Scottish Women warriors in literature and culture, warrior woman and martial arts teacher who train ...
"
*Material related to Cú Roí, such as ''Amra Con Roí'' and ''Aided Con Roi''
*References in Old Irish law, e.g. ''Cethairslicht Athgabálae''.
Here follows a list of tales which are assigned to the Ulster Cycle, although it does not claim to be exhaustive. The classification according to 'genre' followed here is merely a convenient tool to bring clarity to a large body of texts, but it is not the only possible one nor does it necessarily reflect contemporary approaches of classifying texts.
;''Compert'' Birth
*''
Compert Con Culainn
''Compert Con Culainn'' ( en, The Conception of Cú Chulainn) is an early medieval Irish narrative about the conception and birth of the hero Cú Chulainn. Part of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, it survives in two major versions.
Manuscri ...
'' "The Birth of
Cú Chulainn
Cú Chulainn ( ), called the Hound of Ulster (Irish: ''Cú Uladh''), is a warrior hero and demigod in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore. He is believed to be an incarnation of the Irish god Lugh, ...
"
*''Compert Conchobuir'' "The Birth of
Conchobor"
;Wooings and elopements
*''Aided Conrói maic Dáiri''
*''Aithed Emere (le Tuir nGlesta)'' "The Elopement of Emer (with Tuir Glesta)"
*''Aislinge Óenguso'' "The Dream of Óengus"
*''Longes mac n-Uislenn'' "The Exile of the sons of Uisliu"
*''Oided mac n-Uisneg''
*''
Tochmarc Emire
''Tochmarc Emire'' ("The Wooing of Emer") is one of the stories in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology and one of the longest when it received its form in the second recension (below). It concerns the efforts of the hero Cú Chulainn to marry Eme ...
''
*''
Tochmarc Étaíne
''Tochmarc Étaíne'', meaning "The Wooing of Étaín/Éadaoin", is an early text of the Irish mythology, Irish Mythological Cycle, and also features characters from the Ulster Cycle and the Cycles of the Kings. It is partially preserved in the ma ...
''
*''Tochmarc Ferbe'' (or ''Fís Conchobair'')
*''Tochmarc Luaine 7 aided Arthirne'' (second half of the 12th century)
*''Tochmarc Treblainne''
;Feasts
*''Da Gábail int sída'' "On the Taking of the (''síd''-)Mound"
*''Echtra Neraí''
*''
Scéla mucce maic Dathó'' "The Tale of
Mac Da Thó's Pig"
*''
Mesca Ulad
''Mesca Ulad'' (English: ''The Intoxication of the Ulaid''; the Ulstermen) is a narrative from the Ulster Cycle preserved in the 12th century manuscripts the Book of Leinster and in the Lebor na hUidre. The title ''Mesca Ulad'' occurs only in the ...
'' "The Intoxication of the Ulstermen"
*''
Fled Bricrenn
''Fled Bricrenn'' (Old Irish "Bricriu's Feast") is a story from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Bricriu, an inveterate troublemaker, invites the nobles of the Ulaid to a feast at his new ''bruiden'' (hostel, banquet hall) at Dún Rudraige ( ...
'' "The Feast of Bricriu"
*''Fled Bricrenn 7 Longes mac n-Duil Dermait''
*''Bruiden da Chocae'' "The Hostel of Da Choca"
*''Togal Bruidne Da Derga'' "The Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel"
**''De Shíl Chonairi Móir'' "On the Descendants of Conaire Mór"
**''De Maccaib Conaire'' "On the sons of Conaire (Mór)"
;''Cath'' 'Battle'
*''Cath Airtig'' "The Battle of Airtech"
*''Cath Aenaig Macha'' "The Battle of the Assembly of Macha"
*''Cath Cumair'' "The Battle of Cumar" or ''Cath Atha Comair''
*''Cath Findchorad'' "The Battle of Findchorad"
*''Cath Leitrich Ruide'' "The Battle of Leititr Ruide"
*''Cath Ruis na Ríg'' "The Battle of
Rosnaree
Rossnaree (; Old Irish ''Ros na Ríg'' or ''Ros na Ríogh'') is a small village and townland in County Meath, Ireland, on the south bank of the River Boyne. The Brú na Bóinne complex of neolithic monuments is nearby, on the north bank of the B ...
"
*''Cogadh Fheargusa agus Chonchobhair'' "The Battle of
Fergus and
Conchobor"
*''Forfess fer Falchae'' "Night-watch against the men of Falgae"
*''Comracc Con Chulainn re Senbecc'' "The Combat of Cú Chulainn with Senbecc"
*''Cathcharpat Serda'' "The Scythed Battle-Chariot"
;''
Táin Bó
The ''Táin Bó'', or cattle raid (literally "driving-off of cows"), is one of the genres of early Irish literature. The medieval Irish literati organised their work into genres such as the Cattle Raid (''Táin Bó''), adventure ('' Echtra''), the ...
'' 'Cattle-raid'
*''
Táin Bó Cúailnge
(Modern ; "the driving-off of the cows of Cooley"), commonly known as ''The Táin'' or less commonly as ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an epic from Irish mythology. It is often called "The Irish Iliad", although like most other early Iri ...
'' I
*''
Táin Bó Cúailnge
(Modern ; "the driving-off of the cows of Cooley"), commonly known as ''The Táin'' or less commonly as ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an epic from Irish mythology. It is often called "The Irish Iliad", although like most other early Iri ...
'' II
*''
Táin Bó Cúailnge
(Modern ; "the driving-off of the cows of Cooley"), commonly known as ''The Táin'' or less commonly as ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an epic from Irish mythology. It is often called "The Irish Iliad", although like most other early Iri ...
'' III
*''De Faillsigud Tána Bó Cuailnge'' "On the finding of the ''Táin Bó Cúailnge''"
*''Táin Bó Dartada'' "The Cattle Raid of Dartaid"
*''
Táin Bó Flidhais
''Táin Bó Flidhais'', also known as the ''Mayo Táin'', is a tale from the Ulster Cycle of early Irish literature. It is one of a group of works known as Táin Bó, or "cattle raid" stories, the best known of which is ''Táin Bó Cúailnge''. ' ...
'' I "The Cattle Raid of
Flidais
Flidas or Flidais (modern spelling: Fliodhas, Fliodhais) is a female figure in Irish Mythology, known by the epithet ''Foltchaín'' ("beautiful hair"). She is believed to have been a goddess of cattle and fertility.
Mythology
Flidas is mentioned ...
" I
*''
Táin Bó Flidhais
''Táin Bó Flidhais'', also known as the ''Mayo Táin'', is a tale from the Ulster Cycle of early Irish literature. It is one of a group of works known as Táin Bó, or "cattle raid" stories, the best known of which is ''Táin Bó Cúailnge''. ' ...
'' II "The Cattle Raid of
Flidais
Flidas or Flidais (modern spelling: Fliodhas, Fliodhais) is a female figure in Irish Mythology, known by the epithet ''Foltchaín'' ("beautiful hair"). She is believed to have been a goddess of cattle and fertility.
Mythology
Flidas is mentioned ...
" II
*''Tain Bó Fraích'' "The Raid of Fróech's Cattle"
*''Tain Bó Regamain'' "The Cattle Raid of Regamon"
*''Tain Bó Regamna'' "The Cattle Raid of Regamain"
;''Remscéla'' (Fore-tales) to the ''Táin Bó Cúailnge''
*''Ces Noínden'', ''In Ceas Naigen''
*''De Chophur in Dá Mucado''
*''Echtra Nerai''
*see further: ''
Táin Bó Cúailnge
(Modern ; "the driving-off of the cows of Cooley"), commonly known as ''The Táin'' or less commonly as ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an epic from Irish mythology. It is often called "The Irish Iliad", although like most other early Iri ...
''
;''Aided'' "Violent death"
*''Aided Chonchobuir'' "The Death of
Conchobor"
*''Aided Áenfir Aífe'' "The Death of
Aífe
(Old Irish), spelled () in Modern Irish, is a character from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She appears in the sagas '' Tochmarc Emire'' ("the wooing of Emer") and '' Aided Óenfhir Aífe'' ("the death of Aífe's only son"). In ''Tochmarc ...
's Only Son"
*''Cuchulinn 7 Conlaech'' "Cú Chulainn and Conla"
*''
Aided Con Culainn'' or ''Brislech Mór Maige Muirthemne''
*''Aided Ceit maic Mágach'' "The Death of Cét mac Mágach"
*''Aided Cheltchair mac Uthechair'' "The Death of Celtchar mac Uthechair"
*''Aided Derbforgaill'' "The Death of Derbforgaill"
*''Aided Fergusa maic Roig'' "The Death of Fergus mac Róig"
*''Imthechta Tuaithe Luachra 7 Aided Fergusa'' "The Proceedings of the People of Luchra and the Death of Fergus (mac Léti)"
*''Aided Guill meic Garbada ocus Aided Gairb Glinne Ríge''
*''Aided Laegairi Buadaig'' "The Death of Loegaire Buadach"
*''Goire Conaill Chernaig 7 Aided Aillela 7 Conall Chernaig'' "The Cherishing of Conall Cernach and the Deaths of Ailill and Conall Cernach"
*''Aided Meidbe'' "The Death of
Medb
Medb (), later spelled Meadhbh (), Méibh () and Méabh (), and often anglicised as Maeve ( ), is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Her husband in the core stories of the cycle is Ailill mac Máta, although she had seve ...
"
*''Ferchuitred Medba'', ''Cath Boinne''
;Miscellaneous
*''Verba Scathaige'' "The words of
Scáthach
Scáthach () or Sgàthach ( gd, Sgàthach an Eilean Sgitheanach) is a figure in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She is a legendary Scotland, Scottish Women warriors in literature and culture, warrior woman and martial arts teacher who train ...
"
*''Scéla Conchobair maic Nessa'' "The Story of Conchobor mac Nessa"
*''Siaburcharpat Con Culaind'' "Cú Chulainn's Phantom Chariot"
*''Foglaim Con Culainn'' "Cú Chulainn's Training"
*''
Serglige Con Culainn
''Serglige Con Culainn'' ( en, The Sick-Bed of Cú Chulainn or The Wasting Sickness of Cúchulainn), also known as ''Oenét Emire'' ( en, The Only Jealousy of Emer) is a narrative from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. It tells of a curse tha ...
'' "The Wasting Sickness of Cú Chulainn"
*''Immacaldam in dá thuarad'' "The Colloquy of the Two Sages"
*''Talland Étair'' "The Siege of
Howth
Howth ( ; ; non, Hǫfuð) is an affluent peninsular village and outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The district as a whole occupies the greater part of the peninsula of Howth Head, which forms the northern boundary of Dublin Bay, and includes ...
"
*''Cath Étair'' "The Battle of
Howth
Howth ( ; ; non, Hǫfuð) is an affluent peninsular village and outer suburb of Dublin, Ireland. The district as a whole occupies the greater part of the peninsula of Howth Head, which forms the northern boundary of Dublin Bay, and includes ...
"
*''
Tromdámh Guaire
''Tromdámh Guaire'' (also known as ''Imtheacht na Tromdhaimhe'', ''Imthecht na Tromdaime'') is an Irish piece of prose satire about the relationship between the patron and poet and the abuse of privilege. Although the text itself is difficult to ...
'' (or ''Imthecht na Tromdáime'')
*''Lánellach Tigi Rích 7 Ruirech'' "The Full Complement of the House of a King and an Overlord"
*''Fochonn Loingse Fergusa meic Róig'' "The cause of the exile of
Fergus mac Róig"
*''Nede 7 Caier'' "
Néde and
Caier"
*''Echtra Fergusa maic Léti''"The Adventures of Fergus mac Léti"
Texts in translation
Most of the important Ulster Cycle tales can be found in the following publications:
*
Thomas Kinsella
Thomas Kinsella (4 May 192822 December 2021) was an Irish poet, translator, editor, and publisher. Born outside Dublin, Kinsella attended University College Dublin before entering the civil service. He began publishing poetry in the early 1950s ...
, ''The Táin'', Oxford University Press, 1969
*Stephen Dunford,
Táin Bó Flidhais
''Táin Bó Flidhais'', also known as the ''Mayo Táin'', is a tale from the Ulster Cycle of early Irish literature. It is one of a group of works known as Táin Bó, or "cattle raid" stories, the best known of which is ''Táin Bó Cúailnge''. ' ...
or The Mayo Táin, Enniscrone, 2008
*Jeffrey Gantz, ''Early Irish Myths and Sagas'', Penguin, 1981
*Tom Peete Cross & Clark Harris Slover, ''Ancient Irish Tales'', Henry Holt & Company, 1936 (reprinted by Barnes & Noble, 1996)
*John T Koch & John Carey, ''The Celtic Heroic Age'', Celtic Studies Publications, 2000
*
Kuno Meyer
Kuno Meyer (20 December 1858 – 11 October 1919) was a German scholar, distinguished in the field of Celtic philology and literature. His pro-German stance at the start of World War I in the United States was a source of controversy. His brother ...
, ''The Death-Tales of the Ulster Heroes'', Todd Lecture Series, 1906
*A H Leahy, ''Heroic Romances of Ireland'', 2 vols, 1905–1906
Online at Sacred Texts
Online translations
The Martial Career of Conghal CláiringhnechThe War of Fergus and ConchobarThe Conception of Conall CernachThe Wooing of EmerThe Story of Mac Dathó's Pig*The Courtship of Fer
*The Cattle Raid of Coole
*
The Battle of Ross na RígThe Death of Cú RoíThe Revealing of the ''Táin Bó Cúailnge''
Adaptations
The Ulster Cycle provided material for Irish writers of the
Gaelic revival
The Gaelic revival ( ga, Athbheochan na Gaeilge) was the late-nineteenth-century Romantic nationalism, national revival of interest in the Irish language (also known as Gaelic) and Irish Gaelic culture (including Irish folklore, folklore, Iri ...
around the turn of the 20th century.
Augusta, Lady Gregory
Isabella Augusta, Lady Gregory (''née'' Persse; 15 March 1852 – 22 May 1932) was an Irish dramatist, folklorist and theatre manager. With William Butler Yeats and Edward Martyn, she co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre and the Abbey Theatre, ...
's ''Cuchulain of Muirthemne'' (1902) retold most of the important stories of the cycle, as did
Eleanor Hull
Eleanor Henrietta Hull also known as Eibhlín Ní Choill (15 January 1860 – 13 January 1935) was a writer, journalist and scholar of Old Irish.
Life and family
Hull was born on 15 January 1860 in Manchester, England. Her father, Edward Hull, ...
for younger readers in ''The Boys' Cuchulain'' (1904).
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...
wrote a series of plays – ''On Baile's Strand'' (1904), ''Deirdre'' (1907), ''The Green Helmet'' (1910), ''
At the Hawk's Well
''At the Hawk's Well'' is a one-act play by William Butler Yeats, first performed in 1916 and published in 1917. It is one of five plays by Yeats which are loosely based on the stories of Cuchulain the mythological hero of ancient Ulster. It ...
'' (1917), ''The Only Jealousy of Emer'' (1919) and ''The Death of Cuchulain'' (1939) – and a poem, ''Cuchulain's Fight with the Sea'' (1892), based on the legends, and completed the late
John Millington Synge
Edmund John Millington Synge (; 16 April 1871 – 24 March 1909) was an Irish playwright, poet, writer, collector of folklore, and a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival. His best known play ''The Playboy of the Western World'' was poorly r ...
's unfinished play ''
Deirdre of the Sorrows
''Deirdre of the Sorrows'' is a three-act play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge in 1909. The play, based on Irish mythology, in particular the myths concerning Deirdre, Naoise, and Conchobar, was unfinished at the author's death o ...
'' (1910), in collaboration with Synge's widow Molly Allgood.
More recent literary adaptations include
Rosemary Sutcliff
Rosemary Sutcliff (14 December 1920 – 23 July 1992) was an English novelist best known for children's books, especially historical fiction and retellings of myths and legends. Although she was primarily a children's author, some of her novel ...
's children's novel ''The Hound of Ulster'' (1963), Morgan Llewelyn’s "Red Branch" (1989),
Patricia Finney
Patricia Finney (born 1958) is an English author and journalist with Hungarian forebears. She is a graduate of Oxford University ( Wadham, 1977–80) with a degree in History. She has written under the pen names "P. F. Chisholm" and "Grace Caven ...
's novel ''A Shadow of Gulls'' (1977), and
Vincent Woods
Vincent Woods (born 1960) is an Irish poet and playwright.
His life
Woods was born in County Leitrim. He studied Journalism in the College of Commerce, Rathmines. Woods lived in the United States, New Zealand, and Australia and worked as a jour ...
' play ''
A Cry from Heaven
''A Cry from Heaven'' is a 2005 play by Irish playwright Vincent Woods. It retells the story of the beautiful Deirdre and the Sons of Usna which is one of the great tragedies of Irish myth. The birth of a girl heralded by omens of a vulture-shrou ...
'' (2005). Randy Lee Eickhoff has also created a series of six novelistic translations and retellings, beginning with ''The Raid'' (2000).
Parts of the cycle have been adapted as
webcomic
Webcomics (also known as online comics or Internet comics) are comics published on a website or mobile app. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers, or comic books.
Webcomics can be co ...
s, including Patrick Brown's ''Ness'' and ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley''; and M.K. Reed's ''About a Bull'' based around Queen Medb.
The dramatic musical program "Celtic Hero" in the ''
Radio Tales
''Radio Tales'' is an American series of radio drama which premiered on National Public Radio on October 29, 1996. This series adapted classic works of American and world literature such as ''The War of the Worlds'', ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Un ...
'' series for
National Public Radio
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...
, was based on the Ulster Cycle story ''
Tochmarc Emire
''Tochmarc Emire'' ("The Wooing of Emer") is one of the stories in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology and one of the longest when it received its form in the second recension (below). It concerns the efforts of the hero Cú Chulainn to marry Eme ...
''.
Paul J Bolger and
Barry Devlin
Barry Devlin (born 27 November 1946) is an Irish musician, screen writer and director.
Early life
Devlin is from Moortown in Ardboe, County Tyrone. He initially began to train as a Columban priest, but left to study English at University Col ...
adapted the Ulster Cycle into ''Hound'', a 3-volume comic book series that got limited release from 2014 to 2018 before
Dark Horse
A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, or a contestant that on paper should be unlikely to succeed but yet still might.
Origin
Th ...
published an
omnibus edition
An omnibus edition or omnibus is a creative work containing one or more works by the same or, more rarely, different authors. Commonly two or more components have been previously published as books but a collection of shorter works, or shorter wor ...
.
References
External links
*
Timeless Myths: Ulaid Cyclewww.theulstercycle.org Analysis of Texts
{{Authority control
Early Irish literature
Medieval literature
Ireland in fiction
pl:Mitologia irlandzka#Cykl Ulsterski