Review: Táin Bó Cúailgne

Yesterday, my best friend and I listened to the soundtrack of EPIC the musical. As if my mind wasn't already fixated on mythology, this reminded me I need to review a different epic: The Cattle Raid of Cooley (Táin Bó Cúailgne).

What it's about: An Irish queen steals a brown bull from Ulster to one-up her husband's white bull and starts a massive war (livestock are currency, remember?) While the men of Ulster are subdued by a goddess's curse, the demigod Cú Chulainn fends off the armies of Connacht, Leinster and Munster for six or so months.

Why did I read it: Research for Terminal Lucidity

The Táin is the oldest epic in Western Europe. It feels odd to "review" it, since it's not exactly the hottest book on #booktok, was written over a millennium ago, and has already been analyzed by people far more qualified than me. Even as I'm writing this, I've almost fallen into a rabbit hole of re-reading the thing in Irish because I'm genuinely unsure how I can explain it without adding factoids and cultural/historical context. So, to focus this post, I want to explore what I enjoyed about it, what questions remain, and what lessons it can teach us.

There are a few elements I want to briefly laud:

1. The depiction of deities

2. The writing

3. The bonds between characters and critique of power

4. The legacy of place names

Deities

For my own research purposes, finally catching The Badb, the Mórrígan, Lugh, and the faeries in action was fantastic. With so many conflicting contemporary sources out there, and quite a few druidic/neo-pagan groups misrepresenting Celtic deities, it was a treat to read about Lugh showing up to heal Cú Chulainn, or the Badb just swooping in to incite terror at random moments. I love when the text mentions, albeit towards the end, that the Tuatha Dé Dannan (the deities) like to "send up their cries around [Cú Chulainn], to the end that dread and fear and the fright and terror of him might be so much greater in every battle..."

Just imagining that is breathtaking.

Writing Style

Obviously this is just one translation of an (unfortunately) fragmented tale, so reviewing the writing style is difficult. Nonetheless, I have some thoughts. Whenever the text switches to verse, it's worth considering why; the most common theme I can discern is that verse is used for proclamations or expressions of intense emotion, such as prophecies, warnings, arguments, or keenings (vocal expressions of grief common in Celtic writing and music). These moments drew me in, and marked key points that often came up later.

Queen Medb's one-liners really caught me at times, as did Cú Chulainn's. The poets and chroniclers who composed the Táin also provide vivid descriptions of different warriors' attire, the landscape, and the feats of battle that I don't think I could match. Exhibit A:

That's a description of the armies of Ulster emitting so much steam from their bodies as they gear up for battle, mixed with their horses kicking up dust, over Slane Hill.

Bonds and Critique of Power

Where the Táin really gripped me was during the battles that broke Cú Chulainn's heart. When Medb runs out of warriors to send to fight the demigod, she summons Ulstermen from her ranks—those in exile for various reasons—instead. In what could be parallels/foreshadowing of the Brown Bull and White Bull's final battle, these warriors are Cú Chulainn's friends or foster brothers, and usually match him in strength and skill. However, these battles are often described as excruciating, with Cú trying to resist or convince his friend to retreat. This works with Fergus, but Ferbaeth and (most tragically) Ferdiad insist on combat.

I don't want to spoil the Ferdiad battle, since it's the fulcrum of the tale, but I would like to discuss its role in an overall criticism of Queen Medb's psychological warfare against Cú Chulainn. Like many contemporary leaders who have gone too far in their campaigns, she uses her power to manipulate others and justify her ongoing pursuit of her goals—which involves basically razing Cooley and killing 100 young men of Ulster at their training ground. As Medb and Aillil grow desperate, they promise their daughter, Fiannbair, to each warrior as a reward for killing Cú Chulainn—knowing the man will probably not return, but that the lure of a young woman could convince them to fight, and even betray their countryman. Cú Chulainn, fed up with this, states, "because of their deceitful terms and of the maiden have many good men been slain. And all that came because of those promises of deceit, neither profit nor success did it bring them, and they have fallen by me."

While the Celts were by no means pacifists, they did value fairness and reciprocity. And they understood the futility of deceit/manipulation as a shortcut to victory.

Place Names

This wouldn't be an epic without some cultural lore. It's not just the story of grand battle with morals after each event and long descriptions of each person's legacy; the Táin also traces a map of Ireland through Cúchulainn's pursuit of the armies of Erin. There are rivers with healing powers, as well as fields and mountains scarred from battle. Right up to the final chapter, even prominent places like Dublin (Baile Átha Cliath) receive their names due to the legendary events that take place there. I can't claim that every place has retained their names since the Táin, but if you ever do embark on reading this, I recommend having Google Maps or a map of Ireland open. You might be surprised.

Questions

While some questions remain, I appreciate they may never be answered. A consequence of colonization is the destruction of cultural texts and the suppression of tradition. With the relative loss of oral tradition mixed with some important documents being destroyed over the centuries, some details that have been preserved have lost their context. So I'd love to know more about Roen and Roi, the supposed "chroniclers of the Táin", or why a mad naked man shows up just before the end to be a bit of a nuisance, or why the brown bull decides to slaughter the women and children of Cooley. But I can't expect answers to appear anytime soon.

Final thoughts

The Táin is a national epic, as much a story of greed and power as it is a celebration of fraternal bonds and the role of magic and myth in great battles. Most importantly, the Táin teaches us when to step away from battle, however close you believe victory to be; it is always possible to stop. I wish we upheld that now more than ever.

I also want to return to EPIC, and some advice my friend David gave me last year: accuracy is important, especially if you want to respect your source material. However, you are also a writer, and allowed to take liberties in service of your story. As long as you are sensitive, use robust sources, and whatever you create still resonates with an audience, then you could write something so powerful readers gladly overlook the inaccuracies. Audiences want to suspend disbelief and enjoy art, whether it's a musical or a good book. And I'm going to write one. I promise.