Re: Re: First of Feats - Cuchulainn and The Tain

From: John Hughes <nysalor_at_...>
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2001 11:17:59 +1000


As Nick noted, the poet Thomas Kinsella's translation simply titled 'The Tain' (Oxford University Press) is readily available, and is the certainly the one I'd recommend.

There are also a number of versions available online, frr instance

http://vassun.vassar.edu/~sttaylor/Cooley/

provides a full translation.

See also

http://indigo.ie/~legends/tain.html

and the Google web directory page on Celtic mythology

http://directory.google.com/Top/Arts/Literature/Myths_and_Folktales/Myths/Br itish_and_Celtic/Irish/

If you're searching, try variant terms such as 'Tain Bo Cuailnge', 'Cattle Raid of Cooley', 'Ulster Cycle' or CuChulainn. There are, alas, variant English renderings of the names.

There are also a number of titles in the Penguin Classics series that are cheap and readily available -

'Early Irish Myths And Sagas' - contains some CuChulainn stories peripheral to the Tain. Scholarly and 'literal', so sometimes difficult.

'A Celtic Miscellany' - a gorgeous anthology of verse, humour, storytelling and epigram. While there are a small number of hero tales, this book inspires me with its colour and background and storytelling style, and would easily sit in my list of all-time-most-useful Gloranthan inspirations.

Hope this helps

John


nysalor_at_... John Hughes

It will be easier on us, no doubt, Ailill said, to lose one man every day than a hundred every night.

> Matthew asked:
>
> > Actually thanks John, I'd not been introduced to that writing, could you
> > point me to a good place where I can read more? Cheers
>
> The Tain, tr. Thomas Kinsella:
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0192810901
>
> Or copy details from here and take them to your favourite
> non-workforce-oppressing bookstore.
>
> Cheers, Nick
>
>
>
>

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