The Destruction of the Inn (Ulster Cycle) (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A hodgepodge of lusty elves, magical spells and powerful Druids augments this tale of greed and death the fourth installment of the Ulster Cycle translated from the Gaelic by Eickhoff (Fallon's Wake). One of Ireland's treasured legends, it traces the rise and fall of Conaire, king of Erin. Born to the granddaughter of ta¡n, a princess of the people of the elf-mounds, Conaire is fathered by a bird-man before his mother's marriage to Etersc‚l, king of Erin. At his mother's request, he is subsequently fostered by a shepherd, two warriors and herself. The benevolent king allows the sons of his most trustworthy warrior to be fostered with the prince as well. Closer than siblings, the four youths fill their days with practical jokes and boyish pursuits. Upon the death of the king, Conaire is called back to the castle by a bird-man messenger and instructed to rule his kingdom peacefully and wisely. When he is proclaimed king above his three foster brothers, jealousy rears its head, and they begin raiding the land until Conaire is forced to act, banishing them from the kingdom. The brothers join with fellow raiders from England and terrorize the countryside, always setting their sights on Conaire. Originally an epic poem passed down orally, the story loses something in the translation into sometimes awkward English prose; its shifting time frames and viewpoints disrupt the flow of the story; and the Old Irish names are too similar and far too numerous to keep track of. While the story will intrigue students of Irish history, it may prove too confusing and scattered for the general reader.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

In this translation of a famous Irish epic, Eickhoff brings this rousing adventure tale to a modern audience. Tracing the family line of Connaire, the Irish high king in the last century before the common era, the story begins with his great-grandparents' courtship (he is a king and she is a fairy) and ends with Connaire's untimely demise at the Inn of Da Derga. In between, babies are condemned to death only to be raised in secret, foster brothers turn into werewolves, a bird seduces a maiden, and elves and fairies freely traipse over from the Other World. Connaire's downfall, which serves as an examination of the role of fate in a person's life, is ultimately a result of his breaking the elaborate taboos of his kingship placed on him by the gods. Eickhoff supplements the story with comprehensive endnotes, illuminating arcane Irish historical references as well as providing helpful background information on Irish mythology. Readers interested in mythology and Irish folklore will thrill to this fast-paced epic, which should please both scholar and layperson alike. Brendan Dowling
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books (March 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312870221
• ISBN-13: 978-0312870225
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,210,303 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Translated From The 11th Century Original, September 4, 2001

By	taking a rest - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Destruction of the Inn (Ulster Cycle) (Hardcover)

And if that seems a bit fresh the story is believed to have been written in the 8th or 9th Century. The number of, "Countries", that have experienced one or more millennia are fortunate not only to have ancient tales, but also someone who can bring them to modern readers. Randy Lee Eickoff is such a scholar, and he has translated ancient texts from Ireland many times. This is the first work of his I have read, however I certainly intend to search out his previous efforts.

"Togail Bruidne Da Durga", or, "The Destruction Of The Inn", is a tale of Kings, Queens, their Heirs, deceptions, and battles fought by Knights of mythic stature and powers. It includes the Druidic Priests said to cast spells, not unlike Merlin of Arthurian fame, to effect the outcome of battles. This tale of a King who was warned never to take certain steps, travel a given route, or have contact with various characters is the center of the tale. There is no way to know whether this story was unique when written, or as is more likely, derived from stories told for centuries prior to this version being committed to vellum. And in the reading it really is not an issue, the experience of being able to hear a tale that was related over one millennia ago, a tale that is said to have appeared centuries before Gutenberg's Press, that is what makes this a wonderful read.

Apart from the story the Author explains how these old tales took the form they did. How even in their written form, they maintained a structure that would help the stories to be passed verbally with as little change as possible. He is candid about the difficulties in translation, and leaves footnoted blanks rather than attempt to divine a word. The notes are extensive, and it is here among a great deal of material that he offers possible words that may reasonably have filled these spaces. The omissions are very few, I do not want to leave the impression that this is a fragmented read it is quite the opposite.

There were aspects of the tale that sadly exist to this day. I believe them to be a comment on human nature as a whole, and not restricted to those people and nations represented in this book. The fact that the battle involved Irish fighting Irish and that of the British fighting Irish brings the reader up short. It is not only sad, it is a reminder of how old grievances can be, and how they seem to be among the few human actions that are truly perpetual. It is not an issue of repeating the past, rather the question of how long it will persist.

An unqualified recommended read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars for fans of Irish historical poetry, March 1, 2002

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Destruction of the Inn (Ulster Cycle) (Hardcover)

Conaire Mor's mother is an elf princess who marries the king of Erin. The altruistic monarch permits his stepson to foster with three sons of loyal warriors. The foursome become quite tight as friends pulling pranks and capers until the monarch dies. Conaire is named king over his three friends.
His former buddies resent the anointing of Conaire and abuse the power of being associated with him by ravaging the country. Though he knows he should put them to death, Conaire is averse to harming his childhood friends. Out of control their petty jealousy forces a reluctant Conaire to banish them to Scotland for the good of his subjects. However, the trio joins other looters to continue to plunder Erin with their goal to destroy their former pal.

Though well done in performing the difficult task of "translating" an epic poem written during medieval times in "Old Irish" into English, the tale loses some of its imagery and lyrics. Still Randy Lee Eickhoff captures the essence of this insightful poem that focuses on the varying perspectives providing a full look at the same event. Different eyes paint relatively different panoramas. This is a strong transliteration, but it fails to match the easy flow of Seamus Heaney's Beowulf rendition, making THE DESTRUCTION OF THE INN more for fans of Irish historical poetry.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A return to ancient words, February 15, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Destruction of the Inn (Ulster Cycle) (Hardcover)

Perhaps a different type of reader would have found this a better book. I could barely get through it. The difficulty of pronouncing many of the words in my mind along made the reading difficult. It is the story of Conaire Mor, one of the great kings of Ireland. Descended from a fey princess of the Sidhe and a warrior, he should never have been born, as his mother was to have been killed at birth; her cruel father desiring a son instead. Yet, she is rescued by two of his servants who later find a home for her with a herdsman and stay rather than face the king's wrath. A king later sees her and falls in love with her beauty, instantly claiming her for a wife, if she will agree, which she does He is fostered with them and also with his mother, a most unusual arrangement, and grows up to become king.Right before he is chosen, his true father's people, a man bird race, place a number of geis on him, ones that ultimately lead to his downfall. For Conair can not obey one without breaking another, and this contradictory situation leads to the breaking of all of them. HIs most difficult time comes when he must exile his foster brothers who have become vicious bandits. Unable to keep all of his obligations to the Sidhe, Conair's death is inevitable, foretold by a series of dreams.

Told in a form somewhere crossed between an epic poem such as Beowulf or Idylls of the King, and Shakespeare, the writing style is one that many readers may not be able to adjust to. The legend in itself looks fascinating, and is clearly well researched, but this is not for everyone.