Early Irish Myths & Sagas Cu Chulaind

Irish Mythology Dates back to the 12th Century AD Set in historic Ireland and the mythic otherworld. The Side, home of Ireland’s fairy people who live in burial mounds and exhibit magical powers. The line is not well demarcated; it is blurred.

Style Romantic, idealistic, stylized, and concrete. Focuses on the tension between reality and fantasy. “The pride and energy of reality are allied with the magic and beauty of fantasy – and the result is infused with a rare degree of idealism.” Oral storytellers Clearly corrupted Inconsistent, deteriorated, misunderstood by scribes. Far from the best representations.

Map of Ireland Tribe = Tuath Ulaid = Ulster Connachta = Connaught Lagin = Leinster Mumu = Munster Mide = Meath (Mythical 5th Province)

The Celts Surfaced with the beginning of the Iron Age, about 1000 BC. Became the dominant people in non-Mediterranean Europe . Wiped out – or assimilated - by Romans, except for Ireland because it is isolated (and awesome).

Celtic Spread The more green, the longer the Celts were present in this area.

Irish Art Developed Hallstatt and La Tene, a baroque development with all curves and spirals and luxuriant plant and animal outgrowths.

Description of Celts “Keltoi were tall [. . .] and with light skin and hair and eyes, boastful and vainglorious but demonic in battle, childlike and ostentatious but hospitable, fond of hunting and feasting and music and poetry and glittering jewellery and bright colours.” - Herodotos, Greek historian

Ulaid Aristocratic Concubur, King Cu Chulaind, Mythic Hero Much like Agamemnon and Achilles, and Arthur and Lancelot. Warrior Class, headed by a king Priestly Class Famers and Free Men

Irish Deities Localized deities, such as: No power of life over death Lug, or Lugos: called the Celtic Mercury (Hermes) (The father of Cu Chulaind.) Belenos Ogmios No power of life over death More like ordinary humans Barely euhemerized

Cu Chulaind Only true hero of Ulster cycle Son of Lug & Deichtine Originally named Setantae (“one who has knowledge of roads and ways”), but he earned the name Cu Chulaind (“Culand’s hound”). Often more superhuman than heroic.

Riastarthae Battle-frenzy, warp-spasm. “Every hair driven into his head”; “a spark of fire on every hair”; one eye closed, one eye gigantic; “bares teeth from jaw to ear”; voice modulation. Similar to wael-raes and aristeia

“The Birth of Cu Chulaind” Divine birth of the hero Shows the matrilinear descent in Ireland (Compare with the patrilinear aspect of Greek myths) Three portents: 1.)Flock of birds, from the otherworld, arrives at the birth. 2.) A great snow fell. 3.) A mare gave birth to two foals. In a dream, Cu Chulaind’s mother, Deichtine, is visited by the god Lug and informed she was pregnant. Clearly corrupt (two fathers?) and disjointed.

“The Boyhood Deeds of Cu Chulaind” At the age of 6 or 7… 1.) Defeats three fifties of children 2.) Saves Concubar 3.)Defeats the “Hound of Culand” At the age of 17… 4.) Chooses short life

YouTube Links http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B_fOGS5AnM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdMCAV6Yd0Y

Cathub Irish druid in the priest class Wise sage Has the ability to tell the future Informs Cu Chulaind of an omen that says, “a warrior who took arms that day would be famous among the men of Eriu (Ireland) and that stories of him would be told forever” and “he who takes arms today will be great and famous- and short lived” (141).

“The Death of Aife’s Only Son” Cu Chulaind learned weaponry from Scathach, a warrior-woman. Cu Chulaind has a son named Condlae, with the woman Aife. He is taught: 1.)Turn aside from no one, 2.) Identify himself to no one, 3.) Refuse to fight no one. Shows matrilinear descent Cu Chulaind kills his son because Condlae does not know the Gae Bolgia technique.

Gae Bolgia A kind of “spear-thrust” Scathach, a warrior-woman, teaches this technique to Cu Chulaind, but not Condlae.

“The Wasting Sickness of Cu Chulaind” & “The Only Jealousy of Emer” Cu Chulaind has his riastarthae on 156 and 170. Cu Chulaind upsets his wife; he sees two birds coupled by a red-gold chain, and he grabs them for Emer. He dreams (?) he’s severely beaten by two women. He remains sick for a year without speaking to anyone.

“The Wasting Sickness of Cu Chulaind” & “The Only Jealousy of Emer” Cu Chulaind falls for Fand, who Emer wants to kill because Cu Chulaind has dishonored her. Emer lays into him. He goes on his rampage. One of the women “cloaks” Cu and Emer so they forget the incident.

The Pogues “The Sick Bed of Cu Chulaind” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcPIA6_zKX4&feature=related