The Red Branch Tales [Hardcover]

Randy Lee Eickhoff (Translator)

Book Description

Series: Ulster Cycle | Publication Date: March 5, 2003

Randy Lee Eickhoff continues his translation of the Ulster Cycle, often referred to as the Red Branch Cycle, the large corpus of work that is primarily responsible for establishing the cultural identity of today's Ireland.

In this collection of Ireland's famous myths, Eickhoff once again proves his mastery of translation and his ability to give these classic tales new life. Here he presents more than twenty stories that reveal ancient Irish culture as it's seldom been seen before.
All of the characters of Irish myth receive new life and are presented in vibrant and unique ways. In addition, by providing introductions to the tales, Eickhoff gives insight into the legends that formed the identity of a people.

In the pre-Christian era, when warriors fought from chariots, Druids provided the mystical answers to the universe, and men and women believed strongly in magic, these stories begin. Prepare to enter Randy Lee Eickhoff's Ireland.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Eickhoff has been writing novelistic translations of the great medieval Irish texts called the Ulster Cycle, sources of the stories of the greatest legendary Irish heroes. In this addition to the series, which includes The Raid (1997) and The Feast (1999), Eickhoff goes for the mythological gold--to wit, the tale of the great raid on northern Ulster by Queen Maeve of the western province of Connaught for the sake of a magical brown bull. This tale, the so-called Iliad of Ireland, is the centerpiece of an interconnected sequence of stories about its main characters: studly Fergus Mac Roich, unbeatable Cuchulainn, sorrowful Macha, evil but magical Cathbad, raped Nessa, sharp-tongued Aithirne, as well as queenly Maeve and the wild goddess who shadows her, the black-winged Morrigan. Eickhoff has kept true to the texts while employing a sleek modern tone that makes these great ancient tales accessible and vital. Patricia Monaghan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Terrific verse that may remind some of Seamus Heaney's brookwater Anglo-Saxon in his recent Beowulf."-Kirkus reviews on The Destruction of the Inn

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; 1st edition (March 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312870191
• ISBN-13: 978-0312870195
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #959,294 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars beautiful lyrical translation, March 1, 2003

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Red Branch Tales (Hardcover)

The thirty stories that make up THE RED BRANCH TALES come from twelfth century Ireland translated into modern English with the beautiful lyrical prose that Dr. Randy Lee Eickhoff has brought to all his previous translations. The tales provide common themes of life among the various clans with the title providing an obvious clue as to what to expect. The stories vary in content with many dealing with heroism, war, and romance.

The anthology is entertaining though like much of medieval literature, formal language is sprinkled with baroque eloquence and comically lewd capers. Also included are "Fragments" of incomplete tales and proverbs. As usual Dr. Eickhoff provides a marvelous collection, that will be of interest to English majors and those readers who recently savored The Canterbury Tales or Beowulf.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars marvelous retelling of Ulster myths, January 7, 2006

By 

Siobhan Olaoghaire Sannes "Art Does Not Apolo... (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Red Branch Tales (Ulster Cycle) (Paperback)

More of a retelling rather than a strict translation, this book is nevertheless researched thoroughly by the author. Covering many of the stories of the Ulster Cycle of myths, there are stories here that I actually hadn't heard before, as I am sure will be the case for many other readers. Overall, a great book, and not to be missed by someone interested in Irish and Celtic mythology.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars AT LAST!!!!, November 29, 2004

By 

H. Espy (Kansas City) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Red Branch Tales (Hardcover)

Finally, translations of the corpus of medieval Irish literature are available!!!I have hunted for years to find little bits and pieces of the texts that Eichoff has so brilliantly brought together. I can't wait to get the rest of the series. Good job!