Tuesday, 3 January 2012

Irish Mythology - The Story of the Tain Bo Cuailnge http://bit.ly/xDAlxE

Post by Russell Shortt


Tain Bo Cuailnge meaning the Cattle Raid of Cooley is a legendary epic from early Irish literature. The Táin Bó Cuailnge represents the oldest vernacular tale of Western Europe, predating the two Beowulf and Homer's Odyssey. It describes the invasion of Ulster by the armies of Queen Medb of Connaught and her husband Ailill intending to steal the Brown Bull of Cuailnge. They are faced only by the boy warrior Cuchulainn, the relaxation of the men of Ulster turning into incapacitated by an ancient curse put by the historic Celtic goddess of war, Macha. Cuchulainn is youthful adequate to be cost-free of the curse, he manages to maintain off the invading armies till the Ulstermen are price-cost-free of the curse. Aided only by his charioteer Laeg he wages a guerrilla campaign from the invading hordes. Even so Medb succeeds in capturing the bull but Cuchulainn prevents her from returning to Connaught by invoking the proper of single overcome at fords. For months Cuchulainn problems and defeats warrior after warrior. The greatest of these fights is against his foster brother and really greatest good buddy Ferdiad, a fierce contest rages for three days, Cuchulainn at some level killing his opponent with the mighty spear referred to as the Gae Bulg. Quicker or later the Ulstermen are freed from their curse and a single by one they look on the battlefield and the ultimate conflict takes place in which Medb's armies are routed, nevertheless she manages in hauling the Brown Bull of Cuailnge back again to Conaught specifically wherever he fights her white bull, Finnbheannach. The Brown Bull kills him but is mortally wounded, it wanders all close to Ireland generating spot names prior to returning property to die of exhaustion. The planet portrayed in the Tain is an essentially pre-Christian heroic age. War is executed among warriors armed with swords and spears and mounted in chariots with motorists. Curiously, it is also a planet in which a queen could possess prosperity independently of her husband and, without a doubt, compete with him and raise an army. The Tain Bo Cuailnge has survived in two key recensions, the first is contained in the Lebor na hUidre, an eleventh century text compiled in Clonmacnoise and in the fourteenth century Yellow Book of Lecan. A total text can be compiled by mixing these two sources. The second recension can be situated in the twelfth century Book of Leinster.

Russell Shortt is a journey expert with Exploring Ireland, the primary specialists in customised, private escorted tours, escorted coach excursions and independent self generate tours of Ireland. Report offer: http://bit.ly/yrNww0


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