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« Background of the Táin

The tales around the Táin

The pre-tales this book puts first, why they are there, and the later tales that carry the action on.

What the Táin leaves out

Kinsella says the Táin, taken as a unit, lacks four things. It gives no actual motive for the Connacht invasion of Ulster. It gives no reason for the sickness of the Ulster warriors through most of the action. It gives no reason for Fergus's opposition to Conchobor, and none for the troop of Ulster exiles in the Connacht army.

The last three are supplied in separate tales. The motive for the invasion is supplied in chapter I from a later form of the Táin, four centuries younger, whose most famous copy is in the Book of Leinster.

Pre-tales

A remscél is a pre-tale. Kinsella says many of them lead up to the Táin and that, though not strictly part of the story, they are important tributaries. Some tell of the origins, wooings and adventures of the kings and heroes. The first section of this book is a group of them chosen for their contribution to an understanding of the plot and motivations of the Táin.

A separate series, not in this translation, deals with Connacht's build-up of alliances for the war on Ulster and with the arrangements for provisioning the armies. Kinsella's note says the stories used here have been kept to the minimum necessary for the plot and motivations.

The book opens with "How the Táin Bó Cuailnge was Found Again", which is a story about the Táin itself and not one of the preparatory tales. It ends with a list: seven tales that prepare for the Táin. A different list is given in the text, according to the note. Some say the tales before the Táin should also include three more, Cúchulainn's coming to the house of Culann the smith, his taking up arms and mounting into his chariot, and his going to the boy-troop in Emain Macha. Kinsella gives those three inside the body of the Táin.

Pre-tale in this book Irish title What Kinsella's note says
How the Táin Bó Cuailnge was Found Again Dofallsigud Tána Bó Cuailnge A ninth century anecdote, from a text in the Book of Leinster
How Conchobor was Begotten, and how he took the Kingship of Ulster Compert Conchoboir An eighth century tale, with extracts from an early twelfth century text in the Book of Leinster. A later and fuller version exists. The short version was chosen partly on grounds of quality
The Pangs of Ulster Noinden Ulad Taken from the text edited by Windisch. The note gives no date for the tale
Exile of the Sons of Uisliu Longes mac n-Uislenn An eighth or ninth century tale
How Cúchulainn was Begotten Compert ConCulainn Probably eighth century. The first version, from Lebor na hUidre, is taken, with the ending from the second
Cúchulainn's Courtship of Emer, and his Training in Arms Tochmarc Emire Abridged from a tenth or eleventh century tale, because the full text would be disproportionately long
The Death of Aife's One Son Aided Oenfir Aife A ninth or tenth century tale, from the Yellow Book of Lecan
The Quarrel of the Two Pig-Keepers De chophur in dá muccida A ninth century tale, from the Book of Leinster

Kinsella chose the short Conchobor tale partly because in the Táin there is not the same suggestion of the supernatural about Conchobor as there is about Cúchulainn and the two bulls. In the later fuller version the mother is impregnated by swallowing a little creature in her drink, as in the tales of Cúchulainn's begetting and of the pig-keepers.

Other tales named in the notes

Táin Bó Regamna is a separate preparatory tale about Cúchulainn's meeting with the Morrígan. Kinsella says the incident seems to be interpolated in the Táin at the last moment, and he keeps the arrangement of the manuscripts. Echtra Nerai is sometimes counted among the Táin's preparatory tales, and a note summarises its incident of Bricriu's broken head.

What comes after

The story does not finish where the Táin does. Kinsella names the tales that continue the action, as the most important for the plot.

  • Cath Ruis na Ríg, "The Battle of Ros na Ríg", is Ulster's war of revenge for the Táin, in which Cúchulainn kills Coirpre, king of Temair.
  • Aided Con Roi, "The Death of Cúroi", tells how Cúchulainn treacherously murdered Cúroi after being shamed in battle by him.
  • Brislech mór Maige Muirtheimne and Aided ConCulainn, "The Death of Cúchulainn", tell of Ulster's defeat by her united enemies and of Cúchulainn's death at the hands of the sons of Coirpre, Cúroi and Calatín. Kinsella says the first title is not to be confused with the episode of the same title in the Táin.
  • Dergruather Chonaill Chernaigh, "Conall Cernach's Red Onslaught", tells how Conall avenged Cúchulainn's death.

Kinsella says these tales do it in a very different mode, one of high fantasy and free recourse to the supernatural, so that a sequel to this translation would be a very different kind of book. He judges them much inferior in quality to the earlier Táin and the best of the pre-tales.

Tales about other exploits

Another group, some of them among the best in the cycle, deals with exploits not directly related to the Táin. Kinsella names Serglige ConCulainn ocus aenét Emire, in which the goddess Fann loves Cúchulainn and lures him to the underworld, and Fled Bricrenn and Scél mucce Maic Dathó, about the struggles for precedence among the Ulster heroes. In Tochmarc Ferbe, Conchobor attacks a wedding-feast and kills Gerg, Maine Mórgor and their followers. The list ends with the Death Tales, Togail bruidne Da-Choca, and Siaburcharput ConCulainn, in which St. Patrick calls up Cúchulainn's spirit to help convert Laegaire, king of Ireland.

Many remscéla, or pre-tales, lead up to the Táin. Though not strictly part of the story they are important tributaries.

Thomas Kinsella

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