The Voyage of Mael Duin’s Curragh was published in 1989 and is the debut novel of Patricia Aakhus. Voyage of Mael Duin’s Curragh is an old Irish chronicle that possibly dates back to the eighth century. Aakhus retells this tale of Mael Duin as an expedition for vengeance of his father’s murder and happenstance with a Goddess of Celtic religion. In approaching the legendary material, Aakhus takes inspiration from Rosemary Sutcliff and her representation of the Arthurian cycle.
Aakhus regards the Christian elements adorning the original saga as little embellishments added by monks in the retelling of the story. She has encompassed feminist beliefs in her version by making reform in subtle ways that do not supersede the authentic narrative. The choice of allusions to the triple goddesses is driven by feminist ideals and she has included an emphasis on the role of women in the hero’s journey.
The writer has included allusions to druidic lore, Christian iconography, and the Celtic revival in the novel. She has also incorporated symbolic effects to dramatize the story. For the most part, Aakhus uphold the authentic atmosphere of the story and remains faithful to the details. A noticeable anachronism is a reference to the elevation of the chalice at Mass. The host and the Chalice were not lifted for exaltation till the thirteenth century.
The story flows smoothly and contains fantastical occurrences, magic, and prophetic visions. The language is fresh and the lyrical descriptions of the ocean are strikingly artistic. The character development is thin but the early Irish history has been vivified with considerable skill.
