Session 1: Early Irish Storytelling - Myths and Sagas


I. Cycles of myths and sagas

1. the Mythological Cycle
  • tales: Cath Maige Tuaired (Battle of Mag Tuired), Tochmarc Étaíne (The Wooing of Étain)
  • characters: Tuatha Dé Danann,
  • about their struggle against the Fomorians and their defeat by the Milesians, after which they went underground to live in the sídhes.
2. the Ulster Cycle
  • tales: Táin Bó Cuailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley), Fled Bricrenn (Feast of Bricriu), Togail Bruidhne Da Derga (Destruction of Da Derga Hostel), Táin Bó Fráich (Froech’s Cattle Raid).
  • characters: Connor Mac Nessa and the Red Branch Knights, Cú Chulainn
  • location: Emain Macha (Navan Fort)
3. the Fenian Cycle or the Fionn Cycle or the Ossianic Cycle
  • stories: Tóraigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne (Pursuit of Diarmaid and Gráinne), Oisín i dTír na nÓg (Oisin in the Land of Youth)
  • characters: Fionn Mac Cumhaill (or Mac Cool), the Fianna, Oisín
4. Historical or King Cycle
  • tales: Caith Maithe Rath (The Battle of Moyra), Cath Almaine (The Battle of Allen), Buile Shuibhne (Frenzy of Sweeney)
  • characters: kings of ancient Ireland
  • location: Tara
II. Manuscripts

1. Lebor na hUidre (The Book of the Dun Cow)
  • 12th century in the monastery of Clonmacnoise
  • comprises 37 stories
  • very much is corrupted or missing
  • contains: a complete version of ‘The Birth of Cú Chulainn’, an incomplete version of ‘The Wooing of Étain’, some fragmentary stories of ‘The Cattle Raid of Cooley’
2. The Book of Leinster
  • about 1160
  • much larger and more polished than the first, but still with missing passages, corrupted text or words with obscure meaning
  • includes: the complete version of ‘The Cattle Raid of Fróech’, ‘The Labour Pains of the Ulaid’, a complete, more refined version of ‘The Cattle Raid of Cooley’
3. The Yellow Book of Lecan
  • contains: ‘The Cattle Raid of Cooley’ more inclusive and in better shape, ‘The Wooing of Étain’ which is now complete
IV. The Mythological Cycle
  • about the Tuatha de Danaan / Dannan / Danann
  • contained in: Leabhar Gabhála (or Lebor Gabála Érenn – The Book of Invasions)
  • story: 'Caith Maige Tuaired' ('The Battle of Mag Tuired')
    - the arrival of the Tuatha
    - their conquest over the Fir Bolgs
    - their mythic battle against the Fomorians and
    - the story of Nuada of the Silver Arm
The Tuatha
  • sacrosanct objects they brought along:
    - lia fáil (the stone of destiny)
    - Lug’s spear
    - Nuada’s sword
    - Dagda’s giant cauldron
  • fight against the Fomorians
  • fight against the Milesians – their conquest of Ireland
  • the people of the sídhe
  • tale: The Wooing of Étain (p. 7-8, pages refer to the course Adrian Radu: 'An Introduction to Irish Literature', on loan from the library)
V. The Ulster Cycle
  • contains: TheTáin (An Táin Bó Cuailgne – The Cattle Raid of Cooley)
  • heroes and stories:
    - Connor Mac Nessa
    - the Red Branch Knights
    - Macha and the story of Emain Macha and the spell on the men of Ulster – dinnshenchas story
    - Cú Chulainn and the stories: how Cú Chulainn got his name (Sétanta) (p. 10), presentation of Cú Chulainn (p. 10-11), the battle-frenzy (p. 11).
The Táin
  • from about the 8th century
  • contained in the following manuscripts:
    - the Book of the Dun Cow, in a fragmentary way
    - the Book of Leinster where it appears integral and in a more polished version
    - itself completed in the Yellow Book of Lecan
  • main characters:
    - Queen Medb
    - King Alill
    - the bulls: Finnbenach (the White-Horned Bull) and Donn Cuailnge (the Brown Bull of Cooley) (p. 12)
    - Cú Chulainn
VI. The Fenian / Ossianic Cycle
  • heroes:
    - Fionn mac Cumhaill (Fionn Mac Cool)
    - his son, Oisín
    - the Fianna
  • contained in:
    - The Book of Leinster
    - Acallam na Senorach (Colloquy of the Ancients)
  • stories of the dinnshenchas type. The dinnshenchas stories are stories representing the lore of famous places, how they came to be so or bear the name that they have.
  • Oisín and Caoilte
The Voyage tales. The voyage tales are tales in which adventurousness and love for the sea and the far and away west is expressed. Such tales involve voyages to fantastic realms, such as the Otherworld where time is suspended.
  • the imram (or immram, pl. immrama) – interest on the journey to the Otherworld, usually located on the islands in the Western ocean
    - Imram Brain, (8th century) (p. 15) and
    - Laoi Oisín i dTír na nÓg (Oisin in the Land of Youth) (same period – recovered about 1750) (p. 15-16);
  • the echtra (or eachtra) – the interest focuses on a scene in the Otherworld and the voyage is but a subordinate framework
VII. The Historical / King Cycle
  • tales composed between the 9th and 12th centuries which refer to persons and events between the 6th to 8th centuries
  • tales about rulers, dynastic conflicts, battles and historical events
  • story: Buile Shuibhne (The Madness of Sweeney) (p. 17-20)
  • the buile motif.
    The buile, or frenzy is a motif that recurs consistently in Irish literature and has in common with other cultures the reserved place that is set aside for the knowledge and wisdom of the madman, and of the outlaw. It has the following characteristics:
    - It is associated with transcendental (otherworldly) visions – often about the future of Ireland, or
    - linked with the material world – increased capacity of perception (such as of the territory of Ireland) in relation to a person’s state of mind
Buile Shuibhne / The Madness of Sweeney
  • text of the 12th century, probably composed at Armagh
  • main characters:
    - Suibhne / Sweeney
    - Rónan
    - Saint Molling / Mullins
  • contemporary replicas:
    - Flann O’Brien: At Swim Two Birds
    - Seamus Heaney: Sweeney Astray

VIII. Videos 

The Legend of Sétanta / Cú Chulainn



Davy Spillane - Caoineadh Cú Chulainn / The Lament of Cú Chulainn

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