DOCSLIB.ORG

University of Cambridge Faculty of English Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic Pre-Christian Characters in Medieval I

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
University of Cambridge Faculty of English Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic Pre-Christian Characters in Medieval I View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Apollo University of Cambridge Faculty of English Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic Pre-Christian Characters in Medieval Irish Literature: An Examination of Fástini Airt meic Cuind , De Suidigud Tellaig Temra , Aided Chonchobair and Aided Echach maic Maireda Helen Martha Burns Imhoff Newnham College This dissertation is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy July 2009 DECLARATION This dissertation is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is the outcome of work done in collaboration except where specifically indicated in the text. The dissertation does not exceed the regulation length, including footnotes, references and appendices but excluding the bibliography. I have used the stylesheet of Cambridge Studies in Anglo-Saxon England and the ASNC stylesheet. SUMMARY Pre-Christian Characters in Medieval Irish Literature: An Examination of Fástini Airt meic Cuind, De Suidigud Tellaig Temra, Aided Chonchobair and Aided Echach maic Maireda Helen Imhoff This dissertation consists of an analysis of the representation of the pre-Christian protagonists of the four medieval Irish tales Fástini Airt meic Cuind , De Suidigud Tellaig Temra , Aided Chonchobair and Aided Echach maic Maireda . In examining the portrayal of pre-Christian characters, I have addressed a particularly characteristic feature of medieval Irish literature. The four tales discussed here have, for the most part, not previously been studied in detail. For this reason, the dissertation is divided into two parts. Part I (chs. 1–3) focuses on questions of date, literary context and manuscript transmission of three of the tales ( Fástini Airt , De Suidigud and Aided Chonchobair ) and it serves as background to the thematic analysis of all four tales in Part II (chs. 4–8). In the thematic discussion, the bible is shown to have been an important influence on the depiction of the pre-Christian period and its relationship with the Christian present (ch. 4). In addition, biblical characters, God and Christ served as models for the representation of the tales’ protagonists (ch. 5). In Fástini Airt and Aided Echach , saintly characteristics are applied to the protagonists, highlighting the extent to which Christian and pre-Christian ages were presented as part of a continuum (ch. 6). This view was not, however, universally shared, as the poem A chloch thall in Aided Chonchobair shows (ch. 6). In Fástini Airt and De Suidigud , kingship is seen to derive its authority both from the pre-Christian past and from Christian ideas (ch. 7), both tales perhaps illustrating the relevance medieval tales could have to contemporary developments. Finally, the pre-Christians’ salvation in these four tales is in accordance with the teaching of the bible and theological authorities, as all four protagonists have faith in God (ch. 8). A number of aspects emerge as common to the representation of the pre- Christian past in these four tales. The most important of these are the use of the bible as a model, the idea of continuity from the pre-Christian past to the Christian present and the possibility of acquiring Christian faith in pre-Christian times. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes, the Domestic Research Studentship Scheme, the Le Bas Trust Fund, the Cambridge European Trust, Newnham College, the British Association for Irish Studies, the Training Fund of the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic, the Scandinavian Studies Fund and the H. M. Chadwick Fund for the financial support they have given me since I began this PhD dissertation. I am very grateful to my supervisor, Dr Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, who has patiently answered many questions and has provided help and encouragement throughout. I would also like to thank Prof. Erich Poppe for making it possible for me to spend a semester at the Philipps-Universität Marburg. Many people have provided references, advice and encouragement and have made secondary literature available to me, in particular Dr Elizabeth Boyle, Denis Casey, Dr Richard Dance, Eric Denton, Dr Rosalind Love, Anna Matheson, Dr Geraldine Parsons, Dr Judy Quinn, Dr Paul Russell, Dr Dagmar Schlüter and Dr Sheila Watts, and along with others too numerous to mention. Dr Feargal Ó Béarra kindly sent me his PhD thesis and Dr Pam Hirsch helped solve initial funding problems. Dr Helen Foxhall Forbes read a chapter of this dissertation and Dr Antonia Ruppel offered advice on Latin translations. They and Jane Rowan have been good friends and given much encouragement. Elliott Lash has read sections of my dissertation and has been generally supportive. He and Dharshanie Mahadeva have provided practial help and cheerfulness along the way. My greatest thanks are to my family. My parents made it possible for me to undertake the work for this dissertation in the first place, and they and my sister, Jenny, have done everything they can to support me. I am extremely grateful for their patience, interest, encouragement and help. TABLE OF CONTENTS Abbreviations and Conventions i Introduction 1 The Tales 3 The Texts in Lebor na hUidre 3 Aided Chonchobair and De Suidigud Tellaig Temra 6 Structure of the Dissertation 7 PART I: BACKGROUND 9 Chapter 1: Fástini Airt Meic Cuind 10 Language and Date 10 Prose 10 Phonology 10 Morphology 11 Verse 12 Phonology 12 Morphology 14 Textual Tradition 17 Fástini Airt and Related Texts 17 Caith Mhaighe Mochruimhe and Fástini Airt 19 Thematic Structure 22 The Monastery of Treóit: Fástini Airt ’s Place of Origin? 32 Treóit in the Written Sources 33 Treóit’s Political Affiliations 36 Conclusion 38 Chapter 2: De Suidigud Tellaig Temra 39 Literary Context 39 Fintan in Medieval Irish Literature 39 Fintan’s Association with Irish Place-name Lore 42 Trefuilngid and the Trees 44 The Setting of De Suidigud Tellaig Temra 47 The Structure of De Suidigud Tellaig Temra 49 Poems Marking the Resolution of a Problem 50 The Subtales and Poems 3, 5 and 6 54 Conclusion 59 Chapter 3: Aided Chonchobair 60 The Manuscripts and their Textual Relationship 60 Meyer’s Version A 61 Meyer’s Versions B, C and D 65 The Distribution of Narrative Elements 72 Conclusion 79 PART II: THEMES 80 Chapter 4: Past and Present in the Tales 81 The Old Testament and the Pre-Christian Past 82 Explicit Reference to The Crucifixion 89 “Christian” and “Pre-Christian” Sections in De Suidigud Tellaig Temra 89 Ignorance and Enlightenment in Aided Chonchobair 91 The New-Testament Setting of Aided Chonchobair in N 93 Conclusion 95 Chapter 5: Parallels with Biblical and Christian Characters 97 Parallels with Biblical Characters 99 De Suidigud Tellaig Temra and the Old Testament 99 Lí Ban and the New Testament 103 Parallels with God and Christ 106 Art, God and Christ 107 Aided Chonchobair and Parallels with Christ 109 Conchobar’s Poem – Suffering with Christ 110 A Thematically Related Text: Síaburcharpat Con Culaind 117 Conclusion 119 Chapter 6: Saints and Relics 121 Pre-Christian Saints? Lí Ban and Art mac Cuinn 121 ‘Ferta 7 mirmaili’: Hagiographical Elements in Aided Echach 122 ‘Mo thasi for coí bád masi la Día’: Art and his Grave 125 Description of Treóit and of Art’s Grave 126 Art’s Saint-Like Characteristics 129 Saints’ Burial Places and Relics 136 Mess Gegra’s Brain in Pre-Christian and Christian Times 138 Conclusion: Pre-Christian Saints and Sinners 146 Chapter 7: Christian Kingship and the Pre-Christian Past 148 The Basis of Kingship and Royal Authority in Fástini Airt and De Suidigud Tellaig Temra 148 Divinely Derived Tradition and Legal Aspects in De Suidigud Tellaig Temra 148 Law and the Pre-Christian Past 150 Christian Kingship and Ancestral Authority in Fástini Airt 153 Inauguration and Symbols of Kingship 156 Ecclesiastical Involvement in Royal Inauguration 156 Trees as Symbols of Kingship 159 Tara and the Kingship of Ireland in De Suidigud Tellaig Temra 162 Contemporary Concerns in Fástini Airt ? 168 Conclusion 171 Chapter 8: Salvation 173 Pre-Christian Faithful 173 The Bible, the Fathers and Medieval Theologians 173 The New Testament 174 The Fathers and Medieval Theologians 176 Divine Revelation in Medieval Irish Texts 179 Faith and Suffering 184 Suffering and the Crucifixion 188 Suffering, Self-Denial and Endurance 190 Baptism 192 Other Forms of Baptism 196 Baptism and Grace in Fástini Airt? 198 Conclusion 199 Conclusion 201 Bibliography 206 ABBREVIATIONS AND CONVENTIONS The following list of abbreviations includes primary sources the title of which is not identical to that of the editions in which they are found. A chloch thall ed. and trans. K. Meyer, The Death-Tales of the Ulster Heroes , Todd Lecture Series 15 (Dublin, 1906), pp. 18–21 AC Aided Chonchobair ; ed, and trans. K. Meyer, The Death-Tales of the Ulster Heroes , Todd Lecture Series 15 (Dublin, 1906), pp. 2–21 AE Aided Echach maic Maireda ; ed. LU , 2925–3134 AFM The Annals of the Four Masters; ed. and trans. J. O’Donovan, Annala Rioghachta Eireann: Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland, by the Four Masters, from the Earliest Period to the Year 1616 , 7 vols., 2nd ed. (Dublin, 1856) AI The Annals of Inisfallen; ed. and trans. S. Mac Airt, The Annals of Inisfallen (MS. Rawlinson B. 503) (Dublin, 1951) Amra Choluim Chille ed. and trans. T. O. Clancy and G. Márkus, ed. and trans., Iona: The Earliest Poetry of a Celtic Monastery (Edinburgh, 1995), pp. 96–128 ATig The Annals of Tigernach; ed. and trans. W. Stokes, ‘The Annals of Tigernach’, Revue celtique 16 (1895), 374–419; 17 (1896), 6–33, 119–263, 337– 420; 18 (1897), 9–59, 150–97, 267–303; reprinted as The Annals of Tigernach , 2 vols. (Felinfach, 1993) (references in the footnotes are to the reprint) AU The Annals of Ulster; ed.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Role of Cú Chulainn in Old and Middle Irish Narrative Literature with Particular Reference to Tales Belonging to the Ulster Cycle
    The role of Cú Chulainn in Old and Middle Irish narrative literature with particular reference to tales belonging to the Ulster Cycle. Mary Leenane, B.A. 2 Volumes Vol. 1 Ph.D. Degree NUI Maynooth School of Celtic Studies Faculty of Arts, Celtic Studies and Philosophy Head of School: An tOllamh Ruairí Ó hUiginn Supervisor: An tOllamh Ruairí Ó hUiginn June 2014 Table of Contents Volume 1 Abstract……………………………………………………………………………1 Chapter I: General Introduction…………………………………………………2 I.1. Ulster Cycle material………………………………………………………...…2 I.2. Modern scholarship…………………………………………………………...11 I.3. Methodologies………………………………………………………………...14 I.4. International heroic biography………………………………………………..17 Chapter II: Sources……………………………………………………………...23 II.1. Category A: Texts in which Cú Chulainn plays a significant role…………...23 II.2. Category B: Texts in which Cú Chulainn plays a more limited role………...41 II.3. Category C: Texts in which Cú Chulainn makes a very minor appearance or where reference is made to him…………………………………………………...45 II.4. Category D: The tales in which Cú Chulainn does not feature………………50 Chapter III: Cú Chulainn’s heroic biography…………………………………53 III.1. Cú Chulainn’s conception and birth………………………………………...54 III.1.1. De Vries’ schema………………...……………………………………………………54 III.1.2. Relevant research to date…………………………………………………………...…55 III.1.3. Discussion and analysis…………………………………………………………...…..58 III.2. Cú Chulainn’s youth………………………………………………………...68 III.2.1 De Vries’ schema………………………………………………………………………68 III.2.2 Relevant research to date………………………………………………………………69 III.2.3 Discussion and analysis………………………………………………………………..78 III.3. Cú Chulainn’s wins a maiden……………………………………………….90 III.3.1 De Vries’ schema………………………………………………………………………90 III.3.2 Relevant research to date………………………………………………………………91 III.3.3 Discussion and analysis………………………………………………………………..95 III.3.4 Further comment……………………………………………………………………...108 III.4.
    [Show full text]
  • Luigne Breg and the Origins of the Uí Néill. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature, Vol.117C, Pp.65-99
    Gleeson P. (2017) Luigne Breg and the Origins of the Uí Néill. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature, vol.117C, pp.65-99. Copyright: This is the author’s accepted manuscript of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by the Royal Irish Academy, 2017. Link to article: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3318/priac.2017.117.04 Date deposited: 07/04/2017 Newcastle University ePrints - eprint.ncl.ac.uk Luigne Breg and the origins of the Uí Néill By Patrick Gleeson, School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Newcastle University Email: [email protected] Phone: (+44) 01912086490 Abstract: This paper explores the enigmatic kingdom of Luigne Breg, and through that prism the origins and nature of the Uí Néill. Its principle aim is to engage with recent revisionist accounts of the various dynasties within the Uí Néill; these necessitate a radical reappraisal of our understanding of their origins and genesis as a dynastic confederacy, as well as the geo-political landsape of the central midlands. Consequently, this paper argues that there is a pressing need to address such issues via more focused analyses of local kingdoms and political landscapes. Holistic understandings of polities like Luigne Breg are fundamental to framing new analyses of the genesis of the Uí Néill based upon interdisciplinary assessments of landscape, archaeology and documentary sources. In the latter part of the paper, an attempt is made to to initiate a wider discussion regarding the nature of kingdoms and collective identities in early medieval Ireland in relation to other other regions of northwestern Europe.
    [Show full text]
  • 560 – 579 560. the Festival of Temuir [Celebrated] by Diarmait, Son Of
    560 – 579 560. The Festival of Temuir [celebrated] by Diarmait, son of Cerball. 560 Annals of Ulster The Feast of Temair held by Diarmait son of Cerball; and the death of Gabrán son of Domangart. The migration before Máelchú's son i.e. king Bruide. The battle of Cúil Dreimne. 560. Annals of the Four Masters The second year of Domhnall and Fearghus. Daimhin Damhairgitr, i.e. Cairbre, died. From him are the Airghialla. 560.CRONICUM SCOTORUM The last feast i.e. of Temair held by Diarmait son of Cerball. The death of Gabrán son of Domangart, king of Alba. The flight of the Scots before Bruide son of Máelchú, king of the Cruithin. The killing of Curnán, son of Aed son of Eochu, king of Connacht, by Diarmait son of Cerball when under the protection of Colum Cille, and this is why the battle of Cúl Dremne was fought. 560 ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE. This year Ceawlin undertook the government of the West-Saxons; and Ella, on the death of Ida, that of the Northumbrians; each of whom reigned thirty winters. Ella was the son of Iff, Iff of Usfrey, Usfrey of Wilgis, Wilgis of Westerfalcon, Westerfalcon of Seafowl, Seafowl of Sebbald, Sebbald of Sigeat, Sigeat of Swaddy, Swaddy of Seagirt, Seagar of Waddy, Waddy of Woden, Woden of Frithowulf. This year Ethelbert came to the kingdom of the Cantuarians, and held it fifty-three winters. In his days the holy Pope Gregory sent us baptism. That was in the two and thirtieth year of his reign. And Columba, the mass-priest, came to the Picts, and converted them to the belief of Christ.
    [Show full text]
  • Whyte, Alasdair C. (2017) Settlement-Names and Society: Analysis of the Medieval Districts of Forsa and Moloros in the Parish of Torosay, Mull
    Whyte, Alasdair C. (2017) Settlement-names and society: analysis of the medieval districts of Forsa and Moloros in the parish of Torosay, Mull. PhD thesis. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/8224/ Copyright and moral rights for this work are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This work cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Enlighten:Theses http://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] Settlement-Names and Society: analysis of the medieval districts of Forsa and Moloros in the parish of Torosay, Mull. Alasdair C. Whyte MA MRes Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Celtic and Gaelic | Ceiltis is Gàidhlig School of Humanities | Sgoil nan Daonnachdan College of Arts | Colaiste nan Ealain University of Glasgow | Oilthigh Ghlaschu May 2017 © Alasdair C. Whyte 2017 2 ABSTRACT This is a study of settlement and society in the parish of Torosay on the Inner Hebridean island of Mull, through the earliest known settlement-names of two of its medieval districts: Forsa and Moloros.1 The earliest settlement-names, 35 in total, were coined in two languages: Gaelic and Old Norse (hereafter abbreviated to ON) (see Abbreviations, below).
    [Show full text]
  • The Chronicle of Ireland (Review) Nicholas Evans
    The Chronicle of Ireland (review) Nicholas Evans The Innes Review, Volume 58, Number 1, Spring 2007, pp. 116-122 (Review) Published by Edinburgh University Press DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/inn.2007.0002 For additional information about this article https://muse.jhu.edu/article/220900 [ This content has been declared free to read by the pubisher during the COVID-19 pandemic. ] The Innes Review vol. 58 no. 1 (Spring 2007) 116-31 Reviews T. M. Charles-Edwards (trans.), The Chronicle of Ireland , Translated Texts for Historians, Volume 44. Liverpool University Press: Liverpool, 2006. Vol. 1: xiv + 349 pp., vol. 2: 192 pp. £70 hardback. ISBN 0 85323 959 2 This major two-volume work contains a translation of the section of the Irish chronicles covering the period A.D. 431-911, when a text known to modern scholarship as the ‘Chronicle of Ireland’ forms the basis for most of the annalistic material relating to Ireland and Scotland. Thomas Charles-Edwards’s stated aim of the translation is ‘to present the evidence for the Chronicle of Ireland’ (Vol. 1, p. 1) and ‘to make early Irish history more accessible’ (Vol. 1, p. xiv). These words are equally applicable to Scottish history, since the Irish annals also form the main basis for constructing the history of the Picts, Gaels and Britons of northern Britain for most of this period. While editions and translations of the Irish chronicles do exist, they vary considerably in quality, and often lack the introductory matter or notes which would help scholars to use these texts in a sophisticated manner.
    [Show full text]
  • Literature and Learning in Early Medieval Meath
    Provided by the author(s) and NUI Galway in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite the published version when available. Title Literature and learning in early medieval Meath Author(s) Downey, Clodagh Publication Date 2015 Downey, Clodagh (2015) 'Literature and Learning in Early Publication Medieval Meath' In: Crampsie, A., and Ludlow, F(Eds.). Information Meath History and Society: Interdisciplinary Essays on the History of an Irish County. Dublin : Geography Publications. Publisher Geography Publications Link to publisher's http://www.geographypublications.com/product/meath-history- version society/ Item record http://hdl.handle.net/10379/7121 Downloaded 2021-09-26T15:35:58Z Some rights reserved. For more information, please see the item record link above. CHAPTER 04 - Clodagh Downey 7/20/15 1:11 PM Page 1 CHAPTER 4 Literature and learning in early medieval Meath CLODAGH DOWNEY The medieval literature of Ireland stands out among the vernacular literatures of western Europe for its volume, its diversity and its antiquity, and within this treasury of cultural riches, Meath holds a prominence greatly disproportionate to its geographical extent, however that extent is reckoned. Indeed, the first decision confronting anyone who wishes to consider this subject is to define its geographical limits: the modern county of Meath is quite a different entity to the medieval kingdom of Mide from which it gets its name and which itself designated different areas at different times. It would be quite defensible to include in a survey of medieval literature those areas which are now under the administration of other modern counties, but which may have been part of the medieval kingdom at the time that that literature was produced.
    [Show full text]
  • The Vikings in Scotland and Ireland in the Ninth Century
    THE VIKINGS IN SCOTLAND AND IRELAND IN THE NINTH CENTURY - DONNCHADH Ó CORRÁIN 1998 ABSTRACT: This study attempts to provide a new framework for ninth-century Irish and Scottish history. Viking Scotland, known as Lothlend, Laithlinn, Lochlainn and comprising the Northern and Western Isles and parts of the mainland, especia lly Caithness, Sutherland and Inverness, was settled by Norwegian Vikings in the early ninth century. By the mid-century it was ruled by an effective royal dyna sty that was not connected to Norwegian Vestfold. In the second half of the cent ury it made Dublin its headquarters, engaged in warfare with Irish kings, contro lled most Viking activity in Ireland, and imposed its overlordship and its tribu te on Pictland and Strathclyde. When expelled from Dublin in 902 it returned to Scotland and from there it conquered York and re-founded the kingdom of Dublin i n 917. KEYWORDS: Vikings, Vikings wars, Vestfold dynasty, Lothlend, Laithlind, Laithlin n, Lochlainn, Scotland, Pictland, Strathclyde, Dublin, York, Cath Maige Tuired, Cath Ruis na Ríg for Bóinn, Irish annals, Scottish Chronicle, battle of Clontarf, Ímar , Amlaíb, Magnus Barelegs. Donnchadh Ó Corráin, Department of History, University College, Cork [email protected] Chronicon 2 (1998) 3: 1-45 ISSN 1393-5259 1. In this lecture,1 I propose to reconsider the Viking attack on Scotland and I reland and I argue that the most plausible and economical interpretation of the historical record is as follows. A substantial part of Scotlandthe Northern and W estern Isles and large areas of the coastal mainland from Caithness and Sutherla nd to Argylewas conquered by the Vikings2 in the first quarter of the ninth centu ry and a Viking kingdom was set up there earlier than the middle of the century.
    [Show full text]
  • Espelhos Distorcidos: O Romance at Swim- Two-Birds De Flann O'brien E a Tradição Literária Irlandesa
    Universidade de Brasília Instituto de Letras Departamento de Teoria Literária e Literaturas Paweł Hejmanowski Espelhos Distorcidos: o Romance At Swim- Two-Birds de Flann O'Brien e a Tradição Literária Irlandesa Tese apresentada ao Programa de Pós-Graduação em Literatura para obtenção do título de Doutor, elaborada sob orientação da Profa. Dra. Cristina Stevens. Brasília 2011 IN MEMORIAM PROFESSOR ANDRZEJ KOPCEWICZ 2 Agradeço a minha colega Professora Doutora Cristina Stevens. A conclusão do presente estudo não teria sido possível sem sua gentileza e generosidade. 3 RESUMO Esta tese tem como objeto de análise o romance At Swim-Two-Birds (1939) do escritor irlandês Flann O’Brien (1911-1966). O romance pode ser visto, na perspectiva de hoje, como uma das primeiras tentativas de se implementar a poética de ficção autoconsciente e metaficção na literatura ocidental. Publicado na véspera da 2ª Guerra, o livro caiu no esquecimento até ser re-editado em 1960. A partir dessa data, At Swim-Two-Birds foi adquirindo uma reputação cult entre leitores e despertando o interesse crítico. Ao lançar mão do conceito mise en abyme de André Gide, o presente estudo procura mapear os textos dos quais At Swim-Two-Birds se apropria para refletí-los de forma distorcida dentro de sua própria narrativa. Estes textos vão desde narrativas míticas e históricas, passam pela poesia medieval e vão até os meados do século XX. Palavras-chave: Intertextualidade, Mis en abyme, Literatura e História, Romance Irlandês do séc. XX, Flann O’Brien. ABSTRACT The present thesis analyzes At Swim-Two-Birds, the first novel of the Irish author Flann O´Brien (1911-1966).
    [Show full text]
  • CELTIC MYTHOLOGY Ii
    i CELTIC MYTHOLOGY ii OTHER TITLES BY PHILIP FREEMAN The World of Saint Patrick iii ✦ CELTIC MYTHOLOGY Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes PHILIP FREEMAN 1 iv 1 Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and certain other countries. Published in the United States of America by Oxford University Press 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States of America. © Philip Freeman 2017 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, by license, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reproduction rights organization. Inquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above. You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer. CIP data is on file at the Library of Congress ISBN 978–0–19–046047–1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed by Sheridan Books, Inc., United States of America v CONTENTS Introduction: Who Were the Celts? ix Pronunciation Guide xvii 1. The Earliest Celtic Gods 1 2. The Book of Invasions 14 3. The Wooing of Étaín 29 4. Cú Chulainn and the Táin Bó Cuailnge 46 The Discovery of the Táin 47 The Conception of Conchobar 48 The Curse of Macha 50 The Exile of the Sons of Uisliu 52 The Birth of Cú Chulainn 57 The Boyhood Deeds of Cú Chulainn 61 The Wooing of Emer 71 The Death of Aife’s Only Son 75 The Táin Begins 77 Single Combat 82 Cú Chulainn and Ferdia 86 The Final Battle 89 vi vi | Contents 5.
    [Show full text]
  • CATH BEALAIGH MUGHNA. 908 A.D. Comprehensive Account of the Battle In, Foras Feasa Ar Éirinn, His Seventeenth- Century History of Ireland
    Cath Bealaigh Mughna. 908 A.D. EAMON KANE In the third week of August 908 AD, the Battle of Ballaghmoon was fought between High King, Flann Sinna, Máele Sechnaill (879–916 AD); the King of Leinster, Cerball mac Múirecáin, Uí Dúnlainge, Ui Faeláin and Cathal, son of Conchobhar, king of Connaught. Opposing these were Bishop Cormac mac Cuilennáin, Eóganacht Chaisil, King of Munster (902-908 AD); Flaithbertact, son of Inmainén, abbot of Inis Cathaig and Cellach mac Cerbail, King of Osraige (905-908 AD). Ballaghmoon is a townland in the barony of Kilkea and Moone situated in south Kildare. All that remains of an important post reformation church and rec- tory are ruins standing in a walled graveyard containing ancient and extant graves. There is much written about and many sources available for the battle of Ballaghmoon or Cath Bealaigh-Mughna including the following: Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland by the Four Masters, ed., John O’Donovan, LL.D., M.R.I.A.; Annals of Ulster, ed., William M. Hennessy, M.R.A.I.; The Annals of Inisfallen, ed., Sean Mac Airt.; The Annals of Clonmacnoise, ed., D. Murphy, S.J.; The Book of Ballymote; Keating’s History of Ireland; Book of Leinster; An Leabhar Gabhála; Colgan’s Trias Thaumaturga; Félire Oingusso; Crede Mihi (cir, 1270) ed. Gilbert; Chronicon Scotorum, ed., Hennessy; Ecclesiastical History of Ireland, Dr. Lanigan; and Fragmentary Annals of Ireland, ed., Joan Newton Radner. John O’Donovan, who edited the Four Masters’ Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland, visited the area around Ballaghmoon during his work in Co.
    [Show full text]
  • Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race by Thomas William Rolleston
    The Project Gutenberg EBook of Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race by Thomas William Rolleston This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.org/license Title: Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race Author: Thomas William Rolleston Release Date: October 16, 2010 [Ebook 34081] Language: English ***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF THE CELTIC RACE*** MYTHS & LEGENDS OF THE CELTIC RACE Queen Maev T. W. ROLLESTON MYTHS & LEGENDS OF THE CELTIC RACE CONSTABLE - LONDON [8] British edition published by Constable and Company Limited, London First published 1911 by George G. Harrap & Co., London [9] PREFACE The Past may be forgotten, but it never dies. The elements which in the most remote times have entered into a nation's composition endure through all its history, and help to mould that history, and to stamp the character and genius of the people. The examination, therefore, of these elements, and the recognition, as far as possible, of the part they have actually contributed to the warp and weft of a nation's life, must be a matter of no small interest and importance to those who realise that the present is the child of the past, and the future of the present; who will not regard themselves, their kinsfolk, and their fellow-citizens as mere transitory phantoms, hurrying from darkness into darkness, but who know that, in them, a vast historic stream of national life is passing from its distant and mysterious origin towards a future which is largely conditioned by all the past wanderings of that human stream, but which is also, in no small degree, what they, by their courage, their patriotism, their knowledge, and their understanding, choose to make it.
    [Show full text]
  • The Mast of Macha: the Celtic Irish and the War Goddess of Ireland
    Catherine Mowat: Barbara Roberts Memorial Book Prize Winner, 2003 THE 'MAST' OF MACHA THE CELTIC IRISH AND THE WAR GODDESS OF IRELAND "There are rough places yonder Where men cut off the mast of Macha; Where they drive young calves into the fold; Where the raven-women instigate battle"1 "A hundred generous kings died there, - harsh, heaped provisions - with nine ungentle madmen, with nine thousand men-at-arms"2 Celtic mythology is a brilliant shouting turmoil of stories, and within it is found a singularly poignant myth, 'Macha's Curse'. Macha is one of the powerful Morrigna - the bloody Goddesses of War for the pagan Irish - but the story of her loss in Macha's Curse seems symbolic of betrayal on two scales. It speaks of betrayal on a human scale. It also speaks of betrayal on a mythological one: of ancient beliefs not represented. These 'losses' connect with a proposal made by Anne Baring and Jules Cashford, in The Myth of The Goddess: Evolution of an Image, that any Goddess's inherent nature as a War Goddess reflects the loss of a larger, more powerful, image of a Mother Goddess, and another culture.3 This essay attempts to describe Macha and assess the applicability of Baring and Cashford's argument in this particular case. Several problems have arisen in exploring this topic. First, there is less material about Macha than other Irish Goddesses. Second, the fertile and unique synergy of cultural beliefs created by the Celts4 cannot be dismissed and, in a short paper, a problem exists in balancing what Macha meant to her people with the broader implications of the proposal made by Baring and Cashford.
    [Show full text]