Cuchulain of Muirthemne [Paperback]

Lady Gregory (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 21, 2001

Enthralling accounts of the legendary Cuchulain, the greatest of ancient Ireland's Knights of the Red Branch, tell of his birth and boyhood deeds, exploits in love and war, and premature death, all in the same beautifully simple style Lady Gregory first heard them as a child. Preface by W. B. Yeats.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation) --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (March 21, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486417174
• ISBN-13: 978-0486417172
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #605,652 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Fairy Tales

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book about the Legendary Irish hero Cuchulain, June 26, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Santa Fe, New Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cuchulain of Muirthemne: The Story of the Men of the Red Branch of Ulster, arranged and put into English by Lady Gregory (Coole Edition of the Collected Works of) (Paperback)

This book is a translation of many myths, legends, and folk lore of Ireland that make up the Ulster Cycle. The focus of the book is upon Cuchulain, The Hound of Ulster and champion of The Red Branch of Ulster, his life, and his death. A great book for any fan of Celtic myths and legends as well as any lover of fantasy.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Hound of Cullen takes on All Comers, August 30, 2005

By 

Ogma (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cuchulain of Muirthemne (Paperback)

To qualify, I would have given this book 4-and-a-half stars, if possible, because it's a great book, but the material is definitely overrated in precedence in this reviewer's mind. Although a great read, this is not the mythology of Ireland, but rather the regional mythology of Ulster. I'll explain...

I was fortunate enough to stumble upon Lady Gregory's Complete Irish Mythology several years ago, which contained Gods and Fighting Men, and this book, Cuchulain of Muirthemne, in one tome. If you're lucky enough to find a copy of Complete Irish Mythology, buy it.

If not, try to land a copy of Gods and Fighting Men. Gods and Fighting Men contains the Mythological Cycle (the legendary invasions of Ireland up to the coming of the Gael) which contains many stories of the Tuatha De Danaan, or the Great Fae, and the Fenian Cycle, which are the tales of Finn Mac Cumhail (pronounced MacCool) and his warband/policing force.

The Mythological Cycle is the essential root of Irish mythology, and our early introduction to the Gods, Goddesses and Divine Heroes (and Heras), some of whom make guest cameos in Cuchulain of Muirthemne.

The Fenian Cycle is known throughout Ireland and in the Highlands of Scotland. Finn wanders throughout Ireland righting wrongs and providing security against would-be invaders. Magic is alive and well and the Gods walk among the mortal men and women. People are much more interactive with Nature than the (possibly) later Ulster Cycle.

Cuchulain of Muirthemne is the star of the Ulster Cycle. In his youth he was known as Setanta and was born with a radiance on his brow (this ties in with Lugh, who he claims as his father, and also reminds one of the Biblical Nephilim, children born of angels and mortal women). Later on, Setanta arrived late for a supper at the blacksmith's house and fought a life-or-death battle with the blacksmith's dog, the biggest, meanest hound in all of Ireland. When Setanta wins this contest, the blacksmith is very upset. Showing a high degree of Irish honour, Setanta becomes known as Cuchulain (Hound of Cullen) until a new mastiff can be raised and trained to take his place.

The Ulster Cycle is much more urban than the Fenian. The warriors ride to battle in war chariots and spend most of their time in inhabited areas. Magic is much less common, and the Gods no longer walk in this world; rather, they make rare appearances to special individuals.

Although an integral body of lore within the larger corpus of Irish mythology, the Ulster Cycle seems to receive almost exclusive attention from scholars, possibly because of its greater compatibility with written history. Unfortunately, most books with titles like "Early Irish Mythology" almost exclusively detail the Ulster Cycle while largely ignoring the Mythological and Fenian Cycles. This is a misnomer, because, again, the Ulster Cycle is the lore of one region in Ireland and is largely unknown in oral tradition outside of it.

I would list Cuchulain of Muirthemne as required reading AFTER one has been acquainted with the Mythological and Fenian Cycles. This is fascinating supplemental lore of a regional nature, not quite foundational Irish mythology (in this reviewer's mind, anyway). I really did enjoy the lore of Cuchulain of Muirthemne and, with the qualifiers above, would recommend this work to all.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Classic in the Field, March 29, 2000

By 

Raven (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cuchulain of Muirthemne: The Story of the Men of the Red Brand of Ulster (The Coole Edition, 2) (Hardcover)

Lady Gregory's book is one of the jumping-off points and first fruits of the Irish Renaissance in literature. This translation is one of the classics of modern Irish scholarship. It's fairly readable, especially if you like epic stories, and it does an excellent job of introducing you to mythic Ireland. This is one of Lady Gregory's two finest works, in my opinion.