A Comparative Study of the Hero in Medieval Ireland, Persia, and England
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A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE HERO IN MEDIEVAL IRELAND, PERSIA, AND ENGLAND by Connell Raymond Monette A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of The Centre for Medieval Studies University of Toronto © Copyright by Connell Monette (2008) Library and Bibliotheque et 1*1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-40012-8 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-40012-8 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par Plntemet, prefer, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non sur support microforme, papier, electronique commercial purposes, in microform, et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privee, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont ete enleves de cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. Canada Abstract A Comparative Study of the Hero in Medieval Ireland, Persia, and England. By Connell Raymond Monette. For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Graduate Department of The Centre for Medieval Studies, 2008, University of Toronto. The epic hero of the ancient and medieval world is a problematic character: he simultaneously embodies the bright dream of a protective and courageous aristocrat, and the brutal fact of a violent man with a talent for killing. This dichotomy is often found in the characters of Indo-European heroes, who are at once both responsible for the protection of their society/state and its stability, yet by virtue of their capacity for violence, are bound to exist on the margins of society - they are never fully accepted as trusted members of their community. The hero has several complex functions within epic literature: he serves as a mediator between the mundane and supernatural worlds; he serves to protect his society, but is sometimes the bringer of social chaos; he supports the monarch, yet often this relationship is fraught with tension. Curiously, the biographies of the medieval Irish and Persian heroes Cuchulainn and Rostam demonstrate a number of analogous episodes. This thesis examines these heroes' genesis episodes, boyhood deeds, filicide episodes, heroic duels, Otherworld raids, and death tales; in addition, it finds significant thematic parallels between Old English Beowulf and the Persian Haftkhan-i-Rostam from the epic Shahnameh. These analogous episodes are used as a framework to see how Irish, Persian, and Old English literature deal with such concepts as loyalty, honor, fame, uncontrolled rage, the Otherworld - and the above all - the heroic code. This thesis then considers of the potential modes of narrative transmission (oral and literary) that would explain the occurrence of these analogues, and questions whether the analogues are evidence of a common Indo-European heroic tradition, or rather of early intercultural contact between Celtic and Iranian (including Scythian) tribes. Finally, the conclusion suggests new avenues of study and comparison between Eastern and Western branches of the Indo-European heroic tradition. ii Acknowledgements I wish to express my respect and sincere gratitude to my mentor and thesis supervisor, Professor Ann Dooley - without her this dissertation would not have been possible. Likewise, I am deeply indebted to the other members of my thesis committee, Professor Andy Orchard and Professor Maria Subtelny, who helped guide my research with much insight, time, and patience. I wish to thank my external reader, Professor Dean Miller, for his dissertation report and advice on how to better develop this project. Thanks are due to Grace Desa, the CMS Administrator, for her help in navigating the University of Toronto. I would be badly in error if I did not thank my dear friends from University of Toronto University for their helpful comments and moral support along the way. Though it may not be en vogue, I wish to express my thanks to God for His kindness to me: I believe that I could not have worked through my medical challenges and surgery without His help. Finally, I wish to express my affection and thanks to my parents, Raymond and Marilyn Monette and to my family for their unflagging support over the years it took to complete my doctorate. Certainly, this is as much their success as it is mine. 111 Table of Contents Abstract ii Acknowledgements iii Abbreviations v Introduction 1 Chapter 1. The Genesis of the Hero 28 Chapter 2. Epic Boyhood Deeds and Totemic Animal Associations 54 Chapter 3. The Filicide Episodes in the Shahnameh and Aided OenfirAife: the Hero as Social Disruptor 91 Chapter 4. Overwhelming Rage 122 Chapter 5. The Hero as Otherworld Mediator 140 Chapter 6. Mortality and Immortal Fame 192 Conclusion 220 Bibliography 235 IV Abbreviations ccc Compert Con Culainn DIL Dictionary of the Irish Language IE Indo-European LL The Book of Leinster LL TBC Tain Bo Cuailgne from the Book of Leinster LU Lebor na hUidre MU Mesca Ulad S Shahnameh STBC The Stowe Verson of Tain Bo Cuailgne TBC Tain Bo Cuailgne V Introduction In The Epic Hero, Dean Miller states that 'behind the potently projected dream of an aristocratic dominance lurks the brutal, material fact of the superior force of the weapon wielder and war maker, the warrior; while before him - the aristocrat - is projected the image of the hero, the warrior ideal, encased in the special epic description of his adventures and his fate, known, feared, and admired in so many guises and so many cultures.' The passage is a useful entry to my entire discussion since it points out the stark contrast between the bright dream of a protective and courageous aristocrat, and the brutal fact of a violent man with a talent for killing. This dichotomy is often found in the characters of Indo-European heroes, who are at once both responsible for the protection of their society/state and its stability, yet by virtue of their capacity for violence, are bound to exist on the margins of society - they are never fully accepted as trusted members of their community. In this group we might place heroes such as Achilles, Beowulf, Hadingus, IPja, and Hercules; certainly so in the case of the Irish and Iranian heroes Cuchulainn and Rostam, for reasons which will be discussed below.2 It 1 D. Miller, The Epic Hero (Baltimore, 2000), vii-viii. As to the Persian editions cited in this thesis, I use primarily: Firdausi, Shdhnama 6 vols, ed. D. Khalegi-Motlagh (New York, 1987-2006). I have also consulted the Mohl and Bertels Shahnameh editions: see J. Mohl, ed., Le Livre des Rois 7 vols (Paris, reprinted 1976) and E. Z. Bertels, ed., Shdhnama 9 vols (Moscow, 1967-71). The reader is recommended to see the excellent new English translation by Dick Davis: D. Davis, trans., Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings (New York, 2006). As to the Irish editions cited in this thesis, I use primarily: C. O'Rahilly, ed., Tain Bo Citalnge from the Book of Leinster (Dublin, 1967); also C. O'Rahilly, ed., Tain Bo Cuailnge Recension 1 (Dublin, 1976); and C. O'Rahilly, ed., The Stowe version of Tain Bo Cuailnge (Dublin, 1961). Other editions featuring tales from the Ulster Cycle are: M. Dillon, Serglige Con Culainn (Dublin, 1953); A. G. Hamel, ed., Compert Con Culainn and Other Stories (Dublin, 1956); G. Henderson, Fled Bricrend (London, 1899); and J. C. Watson, Mesca Ulad (Dublin, 1967). For an edition of Beowulf, 1 use B. Mitchell & F. Robinson, eds. Beowulf: An Edition with Relevant Shorter texts (Boston: Blackwell Publishers, 1998). All translations are my own. I am indebted to Professors Ann Dooley, Andy Orchard, and Maria Subtelny for their constant assistance and helpful suggestions; any and all errors are mine. Olga Davidson states: 'Dumezil's investigation of these patterns leads him to postulate a type of solar hero, one who vacillates between being either disruptive or regulated and helpful to society: such heroes are the Norse Hadingus, the Irish Cuchullain, and the Russian Il'ja. I would add to this list the Iranian 1 2 seems a paradox, that the very attributes which empower the hero to defend his home and people are the same attributes which - if unmoderated - make that same hero a menace to society; but perhaps it is the very purpose of the warrior which is itself the threat to society. This thesis will focus on the functions of the epic hero, followed by the attributes which are identified with this enigmatic figure.3 For several reasons, I will be limiting this study specifically to address the champions of the Irish and Iranian traditions, but the model produced by this process of comparison may demonstrate parallels with other traditions, such as Anglo-Saxon, Greek, and Welsh.4 The question may be asked: why a study of specifically Irish and Iranian champions, when such a wide range of characters from other Indo-European epics is available? The answer is two-fold.