The Tain

Due to a curse, the men of Ulster are doomed to suffer severe bouts of pain whenever they are faced with great difficulties. So, as Ailill and Medb approach Ulster, only Cuchulain can stand and fight. The 'Tain' and its peripheral tales are the story of Ulster's defense, first by Cuchulain, and finally by the massed men of Ulster, risen from their pangs. Poet Thomas Kinsella's telling of this story starts with the early history of Ulster and then introduces Cuchulain, who will be the hero of many of Ulster's legends.

This is a remarkable effort from a literary standpoint. Whether by Kinsella's art or the nature of the original language of the text, the "Tain bo Cuailnge" is one of the most accessible of the old epics. The language lacks the overblown pretensions of many translations, remaining clear and understandable whether it is prose or verse. Kinsella himself states that this is a translation, not a retelling, but the introduction leaves some doubt about the precise meaning of 'translation.' In any case, Kinsella's efforts have made the story come to life, bringing home beautifully both the glory and tragedy of a conflict that must have decimated the fighting men of an entire country.

The Irish of the "Tain's" writing loved making lists. Lists of heroes, lists of weapons, and lists of places abound. Indeed, every time Cuchulain lists a weapon or moves about, a place in Ulster receives its name. It is as if one of the purposes of this epic is to turn landscape into living literature.

Another purpose, more subtle and controversial is the defining or redefining of the place of women in Irish society. Coming into the "Tain" the key female roles - Medb and Morrigan are not queens or goddesses, but ruler's in their own right. But the blame for the defeat of the Connacht armies is laid clearly in Medb's head. At the end Fergus, an exile form Ulster remarks "It is the usual thing for a herd let by a mare to be strayed and destroyed." This is a conflict that will play out repeatedly in Irish history.

One of the more delightful features of this edition is the brush drawings provided by Louis le Brocquy. Brocquy's style recalls both cave paintings and Greek ceramic decoration. Gradually, it wins the reader over. His rendition of the final massing of the armies is simply stunning. Significant credit must go to Kinsella himself, who has found a way to make ancient prosody appeal to modern ears.