Riassunto
Trama e riassunto di L’antico poema epico irlandese Táin Bó Cúailnge
A chi è rivolto
For readers who love myth, epic and heroic tales, and anyone curious about early Ireland and its stories. Warrior feats, dark humour and friendships tested by honour bring this saga's world to life.
Che cos’è questo libro
A queen wants a bull, and a whole country goes to war. The Táin Bó Cúalnge, or The Cattle Raid of Cooley, is the central tale of early Irish literature. It is an anonymous saga in prose with passages of verse, told by poets from memory before monastic scribes wrote it down. Queen Medb of Connacht marches an army toward Ulster. In her way stands one young warrior, Cú Chulainn, while Ulster's men lie helpless. Along the way come a shape-shifting war goddess, a prophetess who sees blood, and two sworn friends made to fight. It is a vivid picture of a world that prizes honour, a good name, and cattle.
In questo riassunto
- 1A quarrel in bed starts a warFree
- 2Medb gathers an army and a warning
- 3One boy holds the whole border
- 4The boyhood deeds that made him
- 5Goddess, friend and the price of glory
- 6How the saga is told and what it means
Punto chiave 1 di 6
A quarrel in bed starts a war
The story opens at Cruachan, where Queen Medb and her husband King Ailill lie in bed and compare their wealth. Everything matches except one thing. Ailill owns a splendid bull, Finnbennach, and Medb has nothing to set beside it.
She learns that the finest bull in Ireland is the Brown Bull of Cooley, in Ulster. She sends envoys to ask for a loan of it, and its owner, Daire, is pleased to agree. Then the envoys drink and boast that they would have taken the bull by force. Daire withdraws his consent.
Medb answers as she always does. If the bull will not be lent, it will be taken. A slight to honour is enough to send thousands to their deaths, and the one who sets them marching is a queen as proud as any king.
That’s 1 of 6 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Who’s who
- Cú Chulainn
- A young Ulster champion, he defends its border against Medb's army while his fellow warriors lie helpless.
- Medb
- Queen of Connacht and wife of Ailill, she seeks the Brown Bull to match her husband's wealth.
- Ailill
- King of Connacht and Medb's husband, he owns the White-Horned bull that tips their comparison of possessions.
- Fergus mac Róich
- A former king of Ulster serving in Medb's army, he retains strong ties to his homeland.
- Ferdiad
- Cú Chulainn's close friend and fellow pupil of Scáthach, he faces pressure from Medb to fight his companion.
- Conchobar
- King of Ulster and ruler of its warriors, he is estranged from Fergus through his treachery.
- The Morrígan
- A shape-changing war goddess, she offers Cú Chulainn her love and becomes hostile when he rejects her.
- Daire
- The Ulster owner of the Brown Bull, he receives Medb's request to borrow his prized animal.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 135,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 9 h
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 13 other languages
Questions about L’antico poema epico irlandese Táin Bó Cúailnge
What is the Táin Bó Cúalnge about?
It tells how Queen Medb of Connacht invades Ulster to steal the Brown Bull of Cooley. Ulster's men are struck down by a curse, so the young warrior Cú Chulainn defends the border alone.
Who is Cú Chulainn?
He is the hero of the Ulster Cycle, a young warrior born Sétanta. He gets his name, the Hound of Culann, after killing a smith's guard dog and offering to take its place.
What does Táin Bó Cúalnge mean?
The title means The Cattle Raid of Cooley. Bó means cows or cattle, and Cúalnge is Cooley, a district in the north-east of Ireland.
Is the Táin Bó Cúalnge a true story?
It is legend, not history. It was passed on orally and written down by medieval Irish scribes. Its setting is a heroic past, and historians treat it as myth shaped by real customs of cattle raiding.
Is the Táin hard to read?
The central story is clear, and the vivid scenes and dark humour make it rewarding.