L 0 U T K The Echtrae as an Early Irish Literaiy Genre Leorue Duignan, B A P NUI MAYNOOTH OHirell m tElrunn Hi hi) ad Ph D Degree NUI Maynooth School of Celtic Studies Faculty of Arts, Celtic Studies and Philosophy Head of School Di Tadhg O Dushlaine Supervisor Professor Kim McCone January 2010 Table of Contents Abstract vm Chapter I General Introduction ........................................................... 1 I 1 1 The term echtrae 1 I 2 1 Medieval tale-lists 2 I 3 1 Modem scholarship on the nature and function of the echtrae 6 I 3 2 The echtrae, the immram and the otherworld 8 I 3 3 Analysis of the echtrai 10 I 4 1 International heroic biography 11 142 Rites of passage and liminality 12 14 3 Clerical literary influences 14 I 5 1 Conclusion 15 ) Chapter II Sources used and their provenance . 1 6 II 1 Introduction 16 II 1 1 Echtrae Con Culainn 16 II 1 2 Echtrae Chrimthaind Nia Nau 17 II 1 3 Echtrae Fiamain 18 II 1 4 Echtrae Con Roi 19 II 1 5 Echtrae Chonaill 19 II 1 6 Echtrae Chonchobair 19 II 1 7 Echtrae Machae ingme Aeda Ruaid 20 II 1 8 Echtrae Nechtain maic Alfroinn 20 II 1 9 Echtrae Adchind maic Amalgaid 21 III 10 Echtrae Find i nDerc Fern a 2 1 II 1 11 Echtrae Aedain maw Gabrdin 22 II 1 12 EchtiaeMael Uma maic Baitain 22 II 1 13 Echtrae Mongain maic Fiachna 23 II 1 14 Echtrae Fergnssa maic Leti 23 II 1 15 Echtrae Oengusae maic Fergusa Finn 25 II 1 16 Echtrae Chuinn Chetchathaig 25 II 1 17 Echtrae Muirquertoig maic hErco 25 II 1 18 Discussion 26 II 2 1 Echtrae Nerai 27 II 2 2 Echtrae Loegain 28 II 2 3 Echtrae Chonnlai 29 II 2 4 Echtrae Airt 30 II 2 5 Echtrae Chormaic maic Airt 31 II 2 6 Echtrae mac nEchach Mugmedoin 33 II 2 7 Bade in Scad 34 II 2 8 The Five Lugaids’ 37 II 2 9 Tochmarc Emire 38 II 2 10 Serghge Con Chulainn 4 1 II 2 11 Siaburcharpat Con Culaind 43 112 12 burnt am Brain..................................................................... 44 II 3 1 Conclusion 47 I 1 Chapter III A basic taxonomy of the echtrat ‘proper’ (Group 1 ) ............. 49 III Introduction 49 III 1 The spatial and temporal context of the invitation 50 III 11 EN 50 III 1 2 EC 50 III 1 3 EA 50 III 1 4 ECA 51 III1 SEEM 51 III 1 6 BS 51 III 1 7 FL 51 Table III 1 52 III 2 The identity of the person invited 52 III 2 1 EN 52 III 2 2 EC 53 III 2 3 EA 53 III 2 4 ECA 54 III 2 5 EEM 55 III 2 6 BS „ 55 III 2 7 FL ' 56 Table III 2 56 III 3 Identity of the person(s) issuing the invitation 57 III 3 1 EN 57 III 3 2 EC 58 III 3 3 EA 58 III 3 4 ECA 58 III 3 5 EEM 59 III 3 6 BS 59 III 3 7 FL 59 Table III 3 60 III 4 The purpose of the invitation 60 III 4 1 EN 60 III 4 2 ECA 61 III 4 3 EA 61 III 4 4 ECA 61 III 4 5 EEM 62 III 4 6 BS 62 III 4 7 FL 62 Table III 4 63 III 5 The location of the otherworld and the nature of the journey to it 63 III 5 1 EN 63 III 5 2 EC 64 III 5 3 EA 64 III 5 4 ECA 64 III 5 5 EEM 64 III 5 6 BS 65 III 5 7 FL 65 Table III 5 65 III 6 Name and descnption(s) ot the othorwoild 65 III 6 1 EN 66 li Ill 6 2 EC 66 III 6 3 EA 66 III 6 4 ECA 67 III 6 5 EEM 68 III 6 6 BS 68 III 6 7 FL 68 Table III 6 68 III 7 The nature and outcome of the hero’s intervention there 69 III 7 1 EN 69 III 7 2 EC 70 III 7 3 EA 70 III 7 4 ECA 71 III 7 5 EEM 72 III 7 6 BS 74 III 7 7 FL 74 Table III 7 75 III 8 The hero’s relationship with key otherworld figures 75 III 8 1 EN 75 III 8 2 EC 76 III 8 3 EA 77 III 8 4 ECA 78 III 8 5 EEM 78 III 8 6 BS 78 III 8 7 FL 78 Table III 8 79 III 9 Objects acquired from the otherworld 80 III 9 1 EN 80 III 9 2 EC 80 III 9 3 EA 80 III 9 4 ECA 81 III 9 5 EEM 81 III 9 6 BS 82 III 9 7 FL 82 Table III 9 82 III 10 The aftermath of the visit 82 III 10 1 EN 83 III 10 2 EC 83 III 10 3 EA 83 III 10 4 ECA 84 III 10 5 EEM 84 III 10 6 BS 84 III 10 7 FL 84 Table III 10 85 III 11 Summary 85 III 12 Summary Table 88 III 13 Conclusion 89 Chapter IV The basic taxonomy of some thematically similar tales (Group 2 )........ 91 IV Introduction 91 m IV 1 The spatial and temporal context of the invitation 91 IV 1 1 EL 91 IV 1 2 IB 91 IV 1 3 IE 92 IV 1 4 SCC 92 IV 1 5 SbCC 93 Table IV 1 93 IV 2 The identity of the person(s) invited 93 IV 2 1 EL 93 IV 2 2 IB 94 IV 2 3 TE 94 IV 2 4 SCC 94 IV 2 5 SbCC 96 Table IV 2 96 IV 3 The identity of the figure(s) issuing the invitation 97 IV 3 1 EL 97 IV 3 2 IB 97 IV 3 3 TE 98 IV 3 4 SCC 98 IV 3 5 SbCC 98 Table IV 3 98 IV 4 The purpose of the invitation 99 IV 4 1 EL 99 IV 4 2 IB 100 IV 4 3 TE 100 IV 4 4 SCC 100 IV 4 5 SbCC 101 Table IV 4 101 IV 5 The location of the otherworld and the nature of the journey to it 102 IV 5 1 EL 102 IV 5 2 IB 102 IV 5 3 TE 103 IV 5 4 SCC 103 IV 5 5 SbCC 104 Table IV 5 104 IV 6 Descnption(s) of the otherworld 105 IV 61 EL 105 IV 6 2 IB 105 IV 6 3 TE 107 IV 6 4 SCC 107 IV 6 5 SbCC 108 Table IV 6 110 IV 7 The nature of the hero’s intervention there 110 IV 7 1 EL 110 IV 7 2 IB 111 IV 7 3 TE 111 IV 7 4 SCC 112 IV 7 5 SbCC 113 Table IV 7 ,, 113 IV 8 The hero’s relationship with otherworld figures 114 IV IV 8 1 EL 114 IV 8 2 IB 114 IV 8 3 TE 115 IV 8 4 SCC 115 IV 8 5 SbCC 116 Table IV 8 116 IV 9 Objects acquired from the otherworld 117 IV 9 1 EL 117 IV 9 2 IB 118 IV 9 3 TE 118 IV 9 4 SCC 118 IV 9 5 SbCC 118 Table IV 9 118 IV 10 The aftermath of the visit 119 IV 10 1 EL 119 IV 10 2 IB 119 IV 10 3 TE 120 IV 10 4 SCC 120 IV 10 5 SbCC 121 Table IV 10 122 rv 11 Summary 123 IV 12 Summary Table 125 IV 13 Conclusion 126 Chapter V Overall evidence for the centrality oi sovereignty 128 V Introduction 128 V 1 Royal personages 128 VllNerae 128 V 1 2 Conn Cetchathach 129 V 1 3 Connlae 129 V 1 4 Art mac Cuinn 129 V 1 5 Cormac mac Airt 130 V 1 6 Niall Noigiallach 130 V 1 7 Lugaid Laigde 131 V I 8 Loegaire mac Cnmthamn 132 V 1 9 Bran mac Febail 133 V 1 10 Summary 133 V 1 11 Cu Chulainn 133 V 1 12 Cnmthann nia Nair 135 V 1 13 Fiaman mac Forrol 135 VI 14 Cu Roi mac Daire 135 V 1 15 Fergus mac Leti 136 V 1 16 Conall Cemach 137 V 1 17 Conchobur mac Nessa 137 V 1 18 Machae ingen Aeda Ruaid 138 V 1 19 Nechtan mac Alfroinn and Ailchind mac Amalgaid 138 V 1 20 Oengus mac Fergusa Finn 138 V 1 21 Mael Uma mac Baitain 138 V 1 22 Finn mac Cumaill 139 v V 1 23 Aedan mac Gabrain 139 V 1 24 Mongan macFiachna 139 V 1 25 Muirchertach mac Erca 140 V 1 26 Summary 140 V 2 Royal sites 141 V3 Typical sovereignty motifs 143 V3 1 Woman/goddesses of sovereignty 143 V 3 2 Transmission of sovereignty 145 V 3 3 Behavioural aspects of the woman/goddess of sovereignty 146 V 3 4 Drink o f sovereignty 148 V 4 Otherworld gifts associated with sovereignty 149 V 5 Repercussions for sovereignty in the aftermath 153 V 6 Conclusion 155 Chapter VI* The role of sovereignty and other themes in individual tales 156 VI Introduction 156 VII Attainment of kingship 156 VI 1 1 Textual analysis of EEM 157 VI 1 2 Textual analysis of the Five Lugaids’ 158 VI 1 3 Concealment and transformation 159 VI 1 4 The hunt and further tests 160 VI 1 5 Comparative elements 162 VI 1 6 The colour gold 163 VI 1 7 Niall’s heroic biography 165 VI 1 8 Exposure at birth 167 VI 1 9 Discussion 168 VI 2 Textual analysis of EC 168 VI 2 1 Mag M el I 169 VI 2 2 Firflathemon sovereignty and sid 171 VI 2 3 Corann the druid 172 VI 2 4 The everlasting apple 173 VI 2 5 Discussion 174 VI 3 Textual analysis of IB 175 VI 3 1 Tirnam -B an 176 VI 3 2 The journey 177 VI 3 3 Otherworld hospitality 178 VI 3 4 Discussion 179 VI 4 Textual analysis of BS 180 VI 4 1 Conn and Lug 181 VI 4 2 Conn and the woman 182 VI 4 3 Discussion 183 VI 5 Textual analysis of ECA 184 VI 5 1 Test of truth 187 VI 5 2 Tir Tairngiri 187 VI 5 3 Cormac and conversion 189 VI 5 4 Discussion 190 VI 6 Textual analysis of EA 190 VI 6 1 Conn and the kingship ......