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The Tain (Penguin Classics) Paperback – February 24, 2009

by Ciaran Carson (Translator, Introduction)

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'[A] brilliant and altogether engaging new translation' (Los Angeles Times) of the greatest epic in Irish literature

The Tain Bo Cualinge, centrepiece of the eighth-century Ulster cycle of heroic tales, is Ireland's great epic, on par with Beowulf and The Aeneid. The story of the emergence of a hero, a paean to the Irish landscape, and a bawdy and contentious marital farce, The Tain tells of a great cattle-raid, the invasion of Ulster by the armies of Medb and Ailill, Queen and King of Connacht, and their allies, seeking to carry off the great Brown Bull of Cualige. The hero of the tale is Cuchulainn, the Hound of Ulster, who resists the invaders single-handed while Ulster's warriors lie sick. In its first translation in forty years, Ciaran Carson brings this seminal work of Irish literature fully to life, capturing all of its visceral power in what acclaimed poets Seamus Heaney and Paul Muldoon individually called one of the best books of the year.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Print length

256 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Penguin Classics
Publication date

February 24, 2009
Dimensions

5.07 x 0.58 x 7.79 inches
ISBN-10

0140455302
ISBN-13

978-0140455304
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Carson's landmark translation, the first in forty years, brings this literary gem to life in a fresh, modern retelling that rivals Thomas Kinsella's classic translation of 1969."
- Booklist "In vivid prose Carson has harnessed . . . the tale's tremendous artistic power."-Irish Voice

About the Author

Ciaran Carson was born in Belfast in 1948. His poetry collections include The New Estate; The Irish for No, Belfast Confetti, which won the Irish Book Award and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize; First Language, which won the T.S. Eliot Prize; Opera et Cetera, which was a UK Poetry Book Society Choice; and The Twelfth of Never and The Ballad of HMS Belfast. He has written two prose books, The Pocket Guide to Irish Traditional Music and Last Night's Fun and one novel, Shamrock Tea. He is a member of Aosdána and lives in Belfast.

Product details

Publisher : Penguin Classics; Original edition (February 24, 2009)
Language : English
Paperback : 256 pages
ISBN-10 : 0140455302
ISBN-13 : 978-0140455304
Item Weight : 6.7 ounces
Dimensions : 5.07 x 0.58 x 7.79 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #314,918 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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135 ratings

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Vespasiano

"The Tain" is a text that needs more public recognition as a classic of Western literature

Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2020

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As far as I know there are only two full English translations of the "Táin Bó Cúailnge": this one by the great Ciaran Carson, and the older one by Thomas Kinsella published in the 60's. I have not read the older one but I can vouch that this contemporary English rendering is amazing and so pleasant to read. The very talented Mr. Carson makes translating old Gaelic manuscripts seem easy as his prose is smooth as butter. It flows really well and the poetic parts are also poignant and memorable. He also tries his best to render these obscure and nebulous poetic intermissions called "roscada" into English. Many people have compared the text to the Iliad and I do not disagree, but I think it's somewhat more unintentionally light-hearted than the somber tale of Achilles facing his mortality. After all, the genesis of the Tain's conflict is that Queen Medb and her husband have a quarrel over which of the two is wealthier than the other. It's almost hilarious. Very good stuff. Everyone should read this little gem.

2 people found this helpful

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Maggie

Class Book

Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2019

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I really like the story of Chuhulain (and I know the spelling differs), but I had heard it from other sources so getting to read it was nice. This was an easy read. I never felt myself stuck because I was confused or bored. We read through it really quickly for class and discussed - everyone participated so you know that they at least got something from it.

3 people found this helpful

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Lewis F. Murphy

Gaelic Horace at the Gate; Ulster vs. the Rest of Ireland Vol. I

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2020

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Great, readable translation of the Tain Bo Cuailnge the most famous of Ancient Irish heroic stories. "Courage has a brutal core." "Where heroes congregate a Parliament of graves." "heroic deeds wrought in murk." "The friendship of her thighs." There is much to learn and appreciate in such ancient works. A peek into how they thought and fought, the clothes they wore, armor and arms, morals and sins, their boasting and their sorrows. Some very interesting characters. And two almost celestial bulls.

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Zach J. Kamla

A lot more than what I was expecting!

Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2012

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Irish mythology tends to focus on phenomenal feats of strength and skill, plenty of whimsy, and yarns full of love and vengeance, but the Tain goes beyond this to comment on some deeper themes, such as how the valiant fight on both sides of a conflict due to misplaced loyalty.

The first half of it is primarily amusing--because of a misogynistic act, the Ulstermen fall under a curse (said to resemble menstruation, but the length of the curse is as long as pregnancy) while the Connachtmen, under orders of the sexy but conniving Queen Medb and her quivering husband Ailill, attack in order to steel a prize bull. Cu Chulainn slows the massive army's progress by challenging its heroes to mortal combat one by one, and none can best him.

Eventually, though, we see characters growing and changing, such as when Medb's beautiful daughter who seduces heroes into fighting Cu Chulainn falls in love with one of them and expresses sincere remorse for sending men to their death. The tone changes as Cu Chulainn proves not to be invincible, and the battle between him and his best friend Ferdiad conveys some strong emotion from otherwise haughty characters.

There's no doubt that this story is perhaps the most highly-regarded work of Irish mythology, the only question is the translation. From what I've read, this is a great translation that sacrifices some of the literal meanings to convey the emotion and wit. I know translators who say that a literal translation of an idiomatic expression can and should be substituted with the equivalent in the target language because what is being said is far more important than how it's being said. Others may appreciate the colorful idioms and poetic devices that were used in the Gaelic which don't work well in English in order to get a feel for the linguistics. If you disagree, I'm sure there are translations on Amazon which will better suit your desired experience, but I found this translation able to roll a film in my head and am pleased with my choice.

10 people found this helpful

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R. E. Conary

Heroic fantasy at its best

Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2008

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The Táin is Ireland's heroic fantasy of political intrigue, trickery, deceit, and feats of individual daring on a par with the Iliad. The tale's iconic hero, Cú Chulainn (Hound of Culann), a young, hot-tempered, nearly invincible warrior like Achilles, stands alone against the invading armies of Ireland protecting Ulster and the North.

The story, first recorded between the sixth and eighth centuries from oral tales, is a simple one. Medb, queen of Connacht, is jealous that her husband's riches outnumber her own by one prize bull. There's a bull of equal value in neighboring Ulster. Medb and her husband, Ailill, connive to steal the bull. Although all of the warriors of Ulster are bed-ridden by an annual curse, Medb and Ailill take no chances for failure. In secret alliances, they offer their fair daughter, Finnabair, to every leader and king who'll bring an army to help them. And come they do, like the Greeks rushing to Troy for Helen. The one flaw in their plan is the seventeen-year-old Ulster hero, Cú Chulainn. Apparently, the beardless boy is too young to be afflicted by "The Curse," and he harries and stalls the invaders until the Ulster warriors recover and can join in the final battle.

Cú is the prototype of superheroes from Conan to Wolverine. His rages puff him up like the Hulk that no horde can withstand. Yet he'll fight with all the chivalry of a Dumas' hero in single combat: "'It's your choice of weapons until nightfall,' said Cú, `for you were first at the ford.'" The pathos of war is particularly poignant when Cú battles his foster brother, Fer Diad.

Fer Diad is tricked into fighting Cú; Mebd and Ailill tell him lies that Cú had besmirched his honor, and they offer him their daughter (as they had to nearly everyone else) as a reward.

Cú and Fer Diad fight for several days, meeting each morning to let one or the other choose the weapon and fighting until night; then sharing food and succor as their horses grazed together and their charioteers shared the same fire. "For every amulet and spell and charm that was laid on Cú Chulainn's cuts and gashes, he sent the same to Fer Diad on the south side of the ford. And for every piece of food, and pleasant, wholesome and reviving drink that the men of Ireland gave Fer Diad, he sent the same to Cú Chulainn."

Their battle brings to mind two modern instances:

Winfield Scott Hancock and Lewis Addison Armistead, close friends and soldiers before the Civil War, bid each other tearful farewells after the fall of Ft. Sumter only to come together again on opposite sides during Pickett's Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg. Wounded, Armistead's only concern is for his friend Hancock, and hearing that Hancock has also been wounded mournfully cries, "Not both of us on the same day."

The "Christmas Truce," 1914: On Christmas eve and Christmas day, British and German troops, who had been fighting and killing each other daily, take a momentary pause from chaos. Spontaneously, along the front lines, they come together in comradeship sharing songs, stories, food and drink in "no man's land," knowing full well that afterward they would have to return to slaughter.

The Táin is a wonderful tale of intrigue, honor, sacrifice and the worthlessness of war.

17 people found this helpful

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Omeath

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2018

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Just as described and the order was processed promptly!

One person found this helpful

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Walter Gehl

Ireland's Iliad

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 9, 2017

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This is a very accessible translation of the great epic of Ireland. The Táin is the Irish equivalent of the Iliad or the Odyssey (although in my opinion it is vastly superior), and here it is presented by Carson in accessible modern English, without losing the feel of the original. For those who aren't used to Irish names, there is a guide to pronunciation in the front of the book.

9 people found this helpful

Bigfran

Really looking forward to emersing myself in ancient Irish myth ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 28, 2018

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Really looking forward to emersing myself in ancient Irish myth,one of the Hound of Ulster's epics.the language is archaic as it should be having been directly translated from the ancient text,yes as such it will take a bit of reading but the poetry of that ancient form will be integral to the whole experience,it's gonna be ace!

One person found this helpful

Ó Donnabháin

Excellent translation

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 9, 2020

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Excellent translation into English of a classic

2 people found this helpful

Mr T Faloona

Review

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 10, 2018

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One person found this helpful

Jill S.

Caputring the epic feel

Reviewed in Germany on January 11, 2017

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Ciaran Carson succeeds in translating the Tain in a manner that it becomes an epic and understand why Cu Chulainn is a legendary hero to these people. There is no canonical Tain, but several sources and recensions from several anonymous authors written in different styles. Ciaran used Recension I as base text, but added from the Book of Leinster, notably the pillow-talk scene between Ailill and Medb to set of the raid for the Ulster bull, and the episode between Fer Diad and Cu Chulainn. When Ailill's and edb's army encounter issues, the Ulster exiles in their army reveal their guerilla opponent is Cu Chulainn and tell of his prior deeds. Ciaran chose to leave out most of the pre-face stories, but summarizes them in the notes. In other words Ciaran's Tain becomes like the Illiad and other oral epics of long days past, in that the reader or listener is supposed to know the general story of the Trojan War and the background stories of its main characters. The Illiad does not chronologically start out with the begetting of Helen, or fostering of Paris, Agamemnon's sacrifice of his daughter, etc. Even in today's literature, a story of a character is not told chronologically at his or her conception. The raid is the main setting, and we are gradually introduced to Cu Chulainn's legend from hearsay to actual deeds, as well as other characters such as Fergus, in a manner that makes for both natural and great storytelling. In this way, we as modern readers are gradually pulled into understanding the values of the people of that time, especially regarding fair-play in battle and duels. Aside from being a superhero with an arrogance bordering the obnoxious (in the hearsay stories), Cu Chulainn also enforces his opponents to play by the battle rules of his culture (even though of course we can wonder how much fair-play there can be in a duel, when your opponent is Cu Chulainn). In that way, Ciaran manages to naturally make us familiar with the cultural mores of a time and people that are now alien to us. If someone were to lay a log across the road and leave a note with a challenge to only continue unless we can jump the log with our truck (chariot back then), we would consider it silly and plainly ignore the challenge, have people move the log away from the road and simply continue. But despite Medb and Ailill marching with the goal to steal a bull from Ulster's cattle, they consider it dishonorable just like Cu Chulainn if they do not meet his chalenge. In one go, the reader learns that stealing cattle is not by itself dishonorable (winner takes it all principle), but that there is an honor code when raiding. We might still think it folly and humorous, but our imaginative powers enables us to understand how Cu Chulainn then is such a hero in their eyes.

In some ways the translation remains formulaic and archaic, but not in a way that it is a hindrance. It is an epic story of a time that is archaic to us, and a translation of archaic texts. It is not meant to be a modern retelling of an old story, but rather a modernized recension, so that the old texts in an unfamiliar language become readable to us. This is for example noticeable in how Ciaran treats names of characters and places. On the one hand, Ciaran Carson preserves the gaelic names, but also adds their meaning in the text itself, as a character's name or a place name are often double layered, rather than explaining it all in notes. In that way we can enjoy the humorous layers in the story as much as the original listenere would have, without having to interrupt reading and read the notes.

That said, in some parts I feel the notes could have been expanded on, which is why I give it 4 stars and not 5. In general, I also think the Tain (and this counts for any adaption or translation or recension) could benefit from a crude map. This is not about a siege where all the characters are in one place, but on the move.

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