Essay Questions

How do the earthly and mythical worlds converge in this text?

Because this text was written in an essentially pre-Christian time, the people of the day were still firmly rooted in paganism. This meant that they believed fully in the folkloric tales that were passed by word of mouth and consequently their writings included both human and mythical characters and both had equal effect on what happens. For example, the men of Ulster are sick because they have been cursed by the goddess Macha which ultimately turns the tide of the whole tale. Similarly Cu Chulainn is engaged in combat with the Morrjgan who transforms from human looking to amphibian to reptile and to human again. The Mortigan is written in the same way as the human characters because the reader is going to automatically believe in the existence of mythical figures. This is common to writings of the time and this account bears a great similarity to the tales of the Legend of King Arthur.

What do we learn about the role of women in first century civilization?

Women are in a position of great strength during this time. The King and the Queen are equal and the entire invasion is really precipitated by the Queen's realization that she is less wealthy than her husband and her determination to rectify this immediately. There is no expectation of her being the subordinate partner in the marriage and it is seen as perfectly understandable that she wants to be equally wealthy as her husband. She is also commanding the army and engaging in battle. The "little woman' was not expected to take a back seat to the men at this time and consequently were empowered to rule, to defend their realm and to govern their people in the same way as the King.

How does Kinsekla's translation enable the reader to understand both the text and its context of the writings?

The story of the Tain explains the unwritten back-stories that the reader really needs to be aware of in order to understand what is happening in the text. For example, his edition of the translation includes background history of Fergus and the foster brothers whom Cu Chulainn battles, giving the reader a far greater understanding of how Fergus came to be involved in the battle. By including additional and seemingly stand-alone background stories in the translation Kinsella gives a far more rounded picture of the Invasion and enables us to fully comprehend its importance in Irish folklore.