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(Modern ; "the driving-off of the cows of
Cooley Cooley may refer to: * Cooley (surname), a surname (and a list of people with the surname) * Cooley Distillery, an Irish whiskey distillery *Cooley LLP, a Silicon Valley-based law firm *Cooley Peninsula, Ireland *Cooley High School, Detroit, Michiga ...
"), commonly known as ''The Táin'' or less commonly as ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an epic from
Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally oral tradition, passed down orally in the Prehistoric Ireland, prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later Early Irish ...
. It is often called "The Irish
Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Ody ...
", although like most other early Irish literature, the ''Táin'' is written in prosimetrum, i.e. prose with periodic additions of verse composed by the characters. The ''Táin'' tells of a war against
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 Kin ...
by 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 sev ...
of
Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and ...
and her husband King Ailill, who intend to steal the stud bull Donn Cuailnge. Due to a curse upon the king and warriors of Ulster, the invaders are opposed only by the young demigod,
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 ''Táin'' is traditionally set in the
1st century The 1st century was the century spanning AD 1 (Roman numerals, I) through AD 100 (Roman numerals, C) according to the Julian calendar. It is often written as the or to distinguish it from the 1st century BC (or BCE) which preceded it. The 1st c ...
in a
pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. I ...
heroic age, and is the central text of a group of tales known as the
Ulster Cycle 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. It is set far in the past, in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly coun ...
. It survives in three written versions or "
recension Recension is the practice of editing or revising a text based on critical analysis. When referring to manuscripts, this may be a revision by another author. The term is derived from Latin ''recensio'' ("review, analysis"). In textual criticism (as ...
s" in manuscripts of the 12th century and later, the first a compilation largely written in
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 writte ...
, the second a more consistent work in
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 Engl ...
, and the third an
Early Modern Irish Early Modern Irish ( ga, Gaeilge Chlasaiceach, , Classical Irish) represented a transition between Middle Irish and Modern Irish. Its literary form, Classical Gaelic, was used in Ireland and Scotland from the 13th to the 18th century. External ...
version. The ''Táin'' has been influential on Irish literature and culture. It is often considered Ireland's
national epic A national epic is an epic poem or a literary work of epic scope which seeks or is believed to capture and express the essence or spirit of a particular nation—not necessarily a nation state, but at least an ethnic or linguistic group with a ...
.


Synopsis

The ''Táin'' is preceded by a number of ''remscéla'', or pre-tales, which provide background on the main characters and explain the presence of certain characters from Ulster in the Connacht camp, the curse that causes the temporary inability of the remaining Ulstermen to fight and the magic origins of the bulls Donn Cuailnge and Finnbhennach. The eight ''remscéla'' chosen by Thomas Kinsella for his 1969 translation are sometimes taken to be part of the ''Táin'' itself, but come from a variety of manuscripts of different dates. Several other tales exist which are described as ''remscéla'' to the ''Táin'', some of which have only a tangential relation to it. The first recension begins with Ailill and Medb assembling their army in Cruachan; the purpose of this military build-up is taken for granted. The second recension adds a prologue in which Ailill and Medb compare their respective wealths and find that the only thing that distinguishes them is Ailill's possession of the phenomenally fertile bull Finnbhennach, who had been born into Medb's herd but scorned being owned by a woman so decided to transfer himself to Ailill's. Medb determines to get the equally potent Donn Cuailnge from
Cooley Cooley may refer to: * Cooley (surname), a surname (and a list of people with the surname) * Cooley Distillery, an Irish whiskey distillery *Cooley LLP, a Silicon Valley-based law firm *Cooley Peninsula, Ireland *Cooley High School, Detroit, Michiga ...
to equal her wealth with her husband. She successfully negotiates with the bull's owner, Dáire mac Fiachna, to rent the animal for a year. However, her messengers, while drunk, reveal that Medb intends to take the bull by force if she is not allowed to borrow him. The deal breaks down, and Medb raises an army, including Ulster exiles led by
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 lo ...
and other allies, and sets out to capture Donn Cuailnge. The men of Ulster are disabled by an apparent illness, the ''ces noínden'' (literally "debility of nine (days)", although it lasts several months). A separate tale explains this as the curse of the goddess Macha, who imposed it after being forced by the king of Ulster to race against a chariot while heavily pregnant. The only person fit to defend Ulster is seventeen-year-old
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 he lets the army take Ulster by surprise because he is off on a tryst when he should be watching the border. Cú Chulainn, assisted by his charioteer Láeg, wages a guerrilla campaign against the advancing army, then halts it by invoking the right of single combat at fords, defeating champion after champion in a stand-off lasting months. However, he is unable to prevent Medb from capturing the bull. Cú Chulainn is both helped and hindered by supernatural figures from the
Tuatha Dé Danann The Tuath(a) Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deities of pre-Christian Gae ...
. Before one combat the Morrígan, the goddess of war, visits him in the form of a beautiful young woman and offers him her love, but Cú Chulainn spurns her. She then reveals herself and threatens to interfere in his next fight. She does so, first in the form of an eel who trips him in the ford, then as a wolf who stampedes cattle across the ford, and finally as a heifer at the head of the stampede, but in each form, Cú Chulainn wounds her. After he defeats his opponent, the Morrígan appears to him in the form of an old woman milking a cow, with wounds corresponding to the ones Cú Chulainn gave her in her animal forms. She offers him three drinks of milk. With each drink he blesses her, and the blessings heal her wounds. Cú Chulainn tells the Morrígan that had he known her real identity, he would not have spurned her. After a particularly arduous combat Cú Chulain is visited by another supernatural figure, Lug, who reveals himself to be Cú Chulainn's father. Lug puts Cú Chulainn to sleep for three days while he works his healing arts on him. While Cú Chulainn sleeps the youth corps of Ulster come to his aid but are all slaughtered. When Cú Chulainn awakes he undergoes a spectacular '' ríastrad'' or "distortion", in which his body twists in its skin and he becomes an unrecognisable monster who knows neither friend nor foe. Cú Chulainn launches a savage assault on the Connacht camp and avenges the youth corps sixfold. After this extraordinary incident, the sequence of single combats resumes, although on several occasions Medb breaks the agreement by sending several men against Cú Chulainn at once. When Fergus, his foster-father, is sent to fight him, Cú Chulainn agrees to yield to him on the condition that Fergus yields the next time they meet. Finally, Medb incites Cú Chulainn's foster-brother
Ferdiad Ferdiad (; also ''Fer Diad'', ''Ferdia'', ''Fear Diadh''), son of Damán, son of Dáire, of the Fir Domnann, is a warrior of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. In the ''Táin Bó Cúailnge'', Ferdiad finds himself on the side of the ...
to enter the fray, with poets ready to mock him as a coward, and offering him the hand of her daughter Finnabair, and her own "friendly thighs" as well. Cú Chulainn does not wish to kill his foster-brother and pleads with Ferdiad to withdraw from the fight. There follows a physically and emotionally gruelling three-day duel between the hero and his foster-brother. Cú Chulainn wins, killing Ferdiad with the legendary spear, the Gáe Bolga. Wounded too sorely to continue fighting, Cú Chulainn is carried away by the healers of his clan. The debilitated Ulstermen start to rouse, one by one at first, then ''en masse''. King Conchobar mac Nessa vows, that as the sky is above and the Earth is beneath, he will return every cow back to its stall and every abducted woman back to her home. The climactic battle begins. At first, Cú Chulainn sits it out, recovering from his wounds. Fergus has Conchobar at his mercy, but is prevented from killing him by
Cormac Cond Longas Cormac Cond Longas (Connlongas, Connloinges, "Exiled Prince") was the eldest son of Conchobar mac Nessa by his own mother, Ness, in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. His foster father was Fergus mac Róich. Cormac followed Fergus into exile in ...
, Conchobar's son and Fergus' foster-son, and in his rage cuts the tops off three hills with his sword. Cú Chulainn shrugs off his wounds, enters the fray and confronts Fergus, whom he forces to make good on his promise and yield before him. Fergus withdraws, pulling all his forces off the battlefield. Connacht's other allies panic and Medb is forced to retreat. Cú Chulainn comes upon Medb urinating. She pleads for her life and he not only spares her, but guards her retreat. Medb brings Donn Cuailnge back to Connacht, where the bull fights Finnbhennach, kills him, but is mortally wounded, and wanders around Ireland dropping pieces of Finnbhennach off his horns and thus creating placenames before finally returning home to die of exhaustion.


Text


Oral tradition

Like the Icelandic sagas, the Táin is believed to have its origin in oral storytelling and to have only been written down during the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
. Although Romanas Bulatovas believes that the Táin was originally composed at Bangor Abbey between 630–670 AD, there is evidence that it had a far older oral history long before anything was written down. For example, the poem ''Conailla Medb michuru'' ("Medb enjoined illegal contracts") by Luccreth moccu Chiara, dated to c. 600, tells the story of
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 lo ...
's exile with Ailill and Medb, which the poet describes as having come from ''sen-eolas'' ("old knowledge"). Two further 7th-century poems also allude to elements of the story: in ''Verba Scáthaige'' ("Words of Scáthach"), the warrior-woman
Scáthach Scáthach () or Sgàthach ( gd, Sgàthach an Eilean Sgitheanach) is a figure in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She is a legendary Scottish warrior woman and martial arts teacher who trains the legendary Ulster hero Cú Chulainn in the art ...
prophesies
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 ...
's combats at the ford; and ''Ro-mbáe laithi rordu rind'' ("We had a great day of plying spear-points"), attributed to Cú Chulainn himself, refers to an incident in the Boyhood Deeds section of the ''Táin''. The high regard in which the written account was held is suggested by a ninth-century
triad Triad or triade may refer to: * a group of three Businesses and organisations * Triad (American fraternities), certain historic groupings of seminal college fraternities in North America * Triad (organized crime), a Chinese transnational orga ...
, that associated the ''Táin'' with the following wonders: "that the ''cuilmen'' pparently_a_name_for_Isidore_of_Seville's_''Etymologiae.html" ;"title="Isidore_of_Seville.html" ;"title="pparently a name for Isidore of Seville">pparently a name for Isidore of Seville's ''Etymologiae">Isidore_of_Seville.html" ;"title="pparently a name for Isidore of Seville">pparently a name for Isidore of Seville's ''Etymologiae''] came to Ireland in its stead; the dead relating it to the living, viz.
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 lo ...
reciting it to Ninníne the poet at the time of Cormac mac Faeláin; one year's protection to him to whom it is related." Various versions of the epic have been collected from the oral tradition over the centuries since the earliest accounts were written down. Most recently, a version of the Táin was taken down in
Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
by folklore collector Calum Maclean from the dictation of Angus Beag MacLellan, a tenant farmer and '' seanchaidh'' from
South Uist South Uist ( gd, Uibhist a Deas, ; sco, Sooth Uist) is the second-largest island of the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. At the 2011 census, it had a usually resident population of 1,754: a decrease of 64 since 2001. The island, in common with the ...
, in the
Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coas ...
. A transcription was published in 1959.


Manuscripts

Despite the date of the surviving manuscripts, a version of the ''Táin'' may have been put to writing already in the eighth century. ''Táin Bó Cúailnge'' has survived in three
recension Recension is the practice of editing or revising a text based on critical analysis. When referring to manuscripts, this may be a revision by another author. The term is derived from Latin ''recensio'' ("review, analysis"). In textual criticism (as ...
s. The first consists of a partial text in '' Lebor na hUidre'' (the "Book of the Dun Cow"), a late 11th-/early 12th-century
manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced i ...
compiled in the
monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...
at
Clonmacnoise Clonmacnoise ( Irish: ''Cluain Mhic Nóis'') is a ruined monastery situated in County Offaly in Ireland on the River Shannon south of Athlone, founded in 544 by Saint Ciarán, a young man from Rathcroghan, County Roscommon. Until the 9th cen ...
, and another partial text of the same version in the 14th-century manuscript called the Yellow Book of Lecan. These two sources overlap, and a complete text can be reconstructed by combining them. This recension is a compilation of two or more earlier versions, indicated by the number of duplicated episodes and references to "other versions" in the text. Many of the episodes are superb, written in the characteristic terse prose of the best Old Irish literature, but others are cryptic summaries, and the whole is rather disjointed. Parts of this recension can be dated from linguistic evidence to the 8th century, and some of the verse passages may be even older. The second recension is found in the 12th-century manuscript known as the
Book of Leinster The Book of Leinster ( mga, Lebor Laignech , LL) is a medieval Irish manuscript compiled c. 1160 and now kept in Trinity College, Dublin, under the shelfmark MS H 2.18 (cat. 1339). It was formerly known as the ''Lebor na Nuachongbála'' "Book ...
. This appears to have been a syncretic exercise by a scribe who brought together the ''Lebor na hUidre'' materials and unknown sources for the Yellow Book of Lecan materials to create a coherent version of the epic. While the result is a satisfactory narrative whole, the language has been modernised into a much more florid style, with all of the spareness of expression of the earlier recension lost in the process. The Book of Leinster version ends with a colophon in
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
which says: An incomplete third recension is known from twelfth-century fragments., ''sub verbo''


In translation and adaptation

19th century translations of the work include Bryan O'Looney's translation made in the 1870s, as ''Tain Bo Cualnge'', based on the
Book of Leinster The Book of Leinster ( mga, Lebor Laignech , LL) is a medieval Irish manuscript compiled c. 1160 and now kept in Trinity College, Dublin, under the shelfmark MS H 2.18 (cat. 1339). It was formerly known as the ''Lebor na Nuachongbála'' "Book ...
in Trinity College Library, Dublin. John O'Daly's also translated the work in 1857, but it is considered a poor translation. No published translation of the work was made until the early 20th century – the first English translation was provided L. Winifred Faraday in 1904, based on the Lebor na hUidre and the Yellow Book of Lecan; a German translation by Ernst Windisch was published at around the same time based on the
Book of Leinster The Book of Leinster ( mga, Lebor Laignech , LL) is a medieval Irish manuscript compiled c. 1160 and now kept in Trinity College, Dublin, under the shelfmark MS H 2.18 (cat. 1339). It was formerly known as the ''Lebor na Nuachongbála'' "Book ...
. Translated sections of the text had been published in the late 19th century, including one from on the Book of Leinster by Standish Hayes O'Grady in ''The Cuchullin Saga'' (ed.
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, ...
, 1898), as well as extracts, and introductory text.
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 ''Cuchulain of Muirthemne'' is a version of the Cú Chulainn legends based on previous oral and written versions, as collected and translated by Lady Augusta Gregory. First published in 1902, it is one of the earliest such collections to appear i ...
'' (1903) also contains a paraphrased version of the tale. There were also several works based on the tale published in the very late 19th and early 20th century often with a focus on 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 ...
, such as ''Cuchulain, the Hound of Ulster'' (E.Hull, 1911); ''Dun Dealgan, Cuchulain's Home Fort'' (H.G. Tempest, 1910); ''Cuchulain of Muirtheimhne'' (A.M. Skelly, 1908); ''The Coming of Cuculain'' (S. O'Grady, 1894); and several others; additionally a number of prose works from the same period took the tale as basis or inspiration, including works 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 ...
, Aubrey Thomas de Vere, Alice Milligan,
George Sigerson George Sigerson (11 January 1836 – 17 February 1925) was an Irish physician, scientist, writer, politician and poet. He was a leading light in the Irish Literary Revival of the late 19th century in Ireland. Doctor and scientist Sigerson was b ...
, Samuel Ferguson, Charles Leonard Moore, Fiona Macleod, as well as ballad versions from Scotland. Peadar Ua Laoghaire adapted the work as a
closet drama A closet drama is a play that is not intended to be performed onstage, but read by a solitary reader or sometimes out loud in a large group. The contrast between closet drama and classic "stage" dramas dates back to the late eighteenth century. Al ...
, serialized in the ''Cork Weekly Examiner'' (1900–1). In 1914 Joseph Dunn authored an English translation ''The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Táin Bó Cúalnge'' based primarily on the Book of Leinster. Cecile O'Rahilly published academic editions/translations of both recensions, ''Táin Bó Cúalnge from the Book of Leinster'' (1967), and ''Táin Bó Cúailnge Recension 1'' (1976), as well as an edition of the later Stowe Version, ''The Stowe version of Táin Bó Cuailnge'' (1961). two translations by Irish poets are available in mass-market editions: Thomas Kinsella's ''The Táin'' (1969) and
Ciarán Carson Ciaran Gerard Carson (9 October 1948 – 6 October 2019) was a Northern Ireland-born poet and novelist. Biography Ciaran Carson was born in Belfast into an Irish-speaking family. His father, William, was a postman and his mother, Mary, wo ...
's ''The Táin'' (2007). Both are based primarily on the first recension with passages added from the second, although they differ slightly in their selection and arrangement of material. Kinsella's translation is illustrated by Louis le Brocquy (see
Louis le Brocquy Táin illustrations The Tain illustrations are a series of drawings that illustrated ''Táin Bó Cúailnge''. In 1967 Louis le Brocquy was commissioned by publisher Liam Miller to illustrate Thomas Kinsella's inspired version of the ''Táin Bó Cúailnge'', the r ...
) and also contains translations of a selection of ''remscéla''. Victorian era adapters omitted some aspects of the tale, either for political reasons relating to
Irish Nationalism Irish nationalism is a nationalist political movement which, in its broadest sense, asserts that the people of Ireland should govern Ireland as a sovereign state. Since the mid-19th century, Irish nationalism has largely taken the form of c ...
, or to avoid offending the sensibilities of their readers with bodily functions or sex. , focusing on translations and adaptation of "The Táin", analysed how 19th- and 20th-century writers used the original texts in creating Irish myths as part of the process of
decolonization Decolonization or decolonisation is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. Some scholars of decolonization focus especially on separatism, in ...
(from the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
), and so redacted elements that did not show Cuchulain in a suitably heroic light. Not only was sex, and bodily functions removed, but also humor. The version by took on a more 'folkish' aspect, whereas in O'Grady's version (see ) the protagonists more resembled chivalrous medieval knights. Several writers
bowdlerized Expurgation, also known as bowdlerization, is a form of censorship that involves purging anything deemed noxious or offensive from an artistic work or other type of writing or media. The term ''bowdlerization'' is a pejorative term for the practi ...
the source: for example the naked women sent to attempt to placate Cú Chulainn were omitted by most adapters of the Victorian period, or their nakedness reduced. Others interpreted the tale to their own ends - One of Peadar Ua Laoghaire's adaptations of the work, the play ''"Méibh"'', included a temperance message, blaming the conflict over the bull on the drunkenness of the Connacht messengers. In Ua Laoghaire's serialization ''Medb'' retains her role as a powerful woman, but her sexuality, exploitation of her daughter Fionnabhair, and references to menstruation are heavily euphemized. Slightly later works such as ''Stories from the Táin'' and the derived ''Giolla na Tána'' were more accurate. The version by is considered to be the first (English) translation that accurately included both
grotesque Since at least the 18th century (in French and German as well as English), grotesque has come to be used as a general adjective for the strange, mysterious, magnificent, fantastic, hideous, ugly, incongruous, unpleasant, or disgusting, and thus ...
and sexual aspects of the tale; however the German translation by is considered to be complete, and lacks alterations and omissions due to conflicts of interests in the mind of contemporary Irish scholars.


''Remscéla''

The story of the Táin relies on a range of independently transmitted back-stories, known as ''remscéla'' ('fore-tales'). Some may in fact have been composed independently of the ''Táin'' and subsequently linked with it later in their transmission. As listed by Ruairí Ó hUiginn, they are: * '' De Faillsigud Tána Bó Cuailnge'' (How the Táin Bó Cuailnge was found), recounting how the story of the ''Táin'' was lost and recovered. * '' Táin Bó Regamna'' (The cattle raid of Regamain) * ''
Táin Bó Regamon The Táin Bó Regamon is an Irish story written c. A.D.800–c. A.D. 900. A version of it exists in the Yellow Book of Lecan. One of the Táin Bó tales of early Irish literature, the Táin Bó Regamon was by one of more authors during the 9th c ...
'' (The cattle raid of Regamon) * '' Táin Bó Fraích'' ('The cattle Raid of Froech'): Froech mac Idaith is a Connacht warrior, killed by Cú Chulainn in the ''Táin''; this tale gives him some back-story. * '' 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' ...
'' ('The cattle raid of Flidais'), a relatively late story drawing on older material * '' Echtrae Nerai'' ('The Adventure of Nera') * '' Aislinge Oengusa'' ('The Dream of Oengus'). Oengus Mac ind Óc, son of the Dagda has no part in the ''Táin Bó Cúailnge'' as we have it, but this tale relates how the otherworld woman Caer Ibormeith came to him in a vision how Oengus found her through the aid of Medb and Ailill. According to the story, this is why he helped them in their cattle-raid. * '' Compert Con Culainn'' ('The Conception of Cú Chulainn') * '' De Chophur in Dá Mucado'' (Of the ''cophur'' of the two swineherds) * '' Fochann Loingsi Fergusa meic Róig'' (The cause of Fergus mac Róich's exile), only the beginning of which survives, apparently explaining how Fergus came to be part of the army of Connacht * '' Longas mac nUislenn'' ('The Exile of the Sons of Uisliu'), explaining how Fergus and various other Ulster exiles came to be in the army of Connacht * '' Tochmarc Ferbe'' (The wooing of Ferb). * '' Ces Ulad'' (The debility of the Ulstermen), not actually considered one of the ''remscéla'', but providing an important account of why Macha curses the Ulaid: they made her race against the king's horses while she was pregnant. The tale's primary purpose, however, is to provide an etiology for the place-name '' Emain Machae''.


Cultural influence

: ''See Irish mythology in popular culture''


See also

*
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' ...
* Táin Bó


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * *


Texts and Translations

* * * * * *, with illustrations by
John Patrick Campbell John Patrick Campbell (1883–1962) was a Belfast-born artist known for his illustrations in publications by members of the Gaelic League published under the name ''Seaghan MacCathmhaoil''.In some works, such as Mary Ann Hutton's ''The Tái ...
* * **Translation * **Translation : * *


Further reading

*, a paraphrase of the tale and others based on an oral translation * *, in Roman type with English introduction and glossary *, in Gaelic type, same text as * Gene C. Haley,
Places in the Táin: The Topography of the 'Táin Bó Cúailnge' Mapped and Globally Positioned
' (2012-).


External links


Táin Bó Cúailnge (Ernst Windisch's Irish transcription & Joseph Dunn's translation)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tain Bo Cuailnge Narratives of the Ulster Cycle Medieval literature Early Irish literature Irish-language literature Irish texts Ireland in fiction