INTRODUCTION
The Táin Bó Cuailnge, ‘Driving of the Kine of Cuailnge,’ is the principal story in the collection known as the Cúchulainn Saga, ‘the oldest existing literature of any of the peoples who dwelt to the north of the Alps.’[1] The written tale is as Old as the seventh century. The chief characters flourished, according to tradition, about the beginning of the Christian era. Ireland was at that period divided into the five provinces of Ulaidh, Connachta, Laighin, and the two divisions of Mumha. Each of these was ruled by its own king, while an over-king of the whole country ruled at Tara. The armies opposed in the Táin are Fir Éireann (The Men of Ireland), or Ceithre Ollchóigidh Eireann (The four great Provinces of Ireland) on one side, and on the other Fir Uladh (The Men of Ulster). The latter seem to have been regarded as a distinct race. In the tale called ‘The Sick Bed Of Cú Chulainn,’ there is a reference to the election of a high king, the electors being the rulers of Connachta, Laighin and Mumha. ‘These men,’ continues the redactor, ‘used not to take kingly counsel with the Ulaidh, for they were united against Ulaidh’ (Irische Texte I., p 212). The three principal races of Ireland according the Laws (I. 70, 78) were the Féne, the Ulaidh and the Gailiain or Laighin (Leinstermen).
[ viii ]In the chronology of the Sagas the Táin follows a shorter but more famous story ‘Oidhe Clainne Uisnigh,’ ‘The Destruction of the Children of Uisneach.’ Because of Conchobhar’s treachery in slaying these youths a number of Ulster noblemen, including Fearghus mac Róigh, Cormac Conloingeas and Dubhthach Daol Uladh, departed from Eamhain with their followers, and took refuge at the court of Oilill and Méibh in Connacht. Here we find them at the opening of the drama, and the conflict between their duty to their adopted leaders and their sympathy with their own people forms an interesting feature of the plot.
The question as to which of the extant copies of the Táin represents the oldest tradition need not be raised here. Those interested in the matter can consult the works enumerated in Best’s Bibliography, pp. 95-6, and Prof. Thurneysen’s ‘Die Ueberlieferung der Táin Bó Cúailnge,’ Zeitschrift fur Celtische Philologie IX., pp. 418-43. The present version follows closely enough the more modern recensions of the tale.
With one or two exceptions the old forms of the proper names have been retained. The rarer words are collected in the Foclóir. The notes are intended merely to translate the more unusual idioms and explain puzzling allusions whenever possible. Notes referring to personal and place names will be found in the Indexes. In a book like the present it would be idle, even were it possible, to discuss the hundreds of interesting problems, literary, linguistic, historical, mythological and topographical presented by the Táin. To deal satisfactorily with the tale in any one of these aspects a separate volume would be necessary.
- ↑ W. Ridgeway, “The date of the first shaping of the Cuchulainn Saga,” Proc. British Academy, 1905, p. 135.