The Tain: Translated from the Irish Epic Tain Bo Cuailnge 1st Edition

by Thomas Kinsella (Translator)

46 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0192803733

ISBN-10: 0192803735

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The Táin Bó Cuailnge, center-piece of the eighth-century Ulster cycle of heroic tales, is Ireland's greatest epic. Thomas Kinsella's lively translation is based on the partial texts in two medieval manuscripts, with elements from other versions. This edition includes a group of related stories which prepare for the action of the Táin along with brush drawings by Louis le Brocquy.

The Tain: Translated from the Irish Epic Tain Bo Cuailnge

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Thomas Kinsella is a poet and translator. Among his publications are Blood and Family and From Centre City.

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Product details

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Oxford University Press; 1 edition (November 21, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0192803735
ISBN-13: 978-0192803733
Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 0.9 x 5 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #184,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #163 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Movements & Periods > Medieval
- #186 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Themes & Styles > Epic
- #250 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Literature > English Literature

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Top Customer Reviews

A great old classic, from Ireland

ByPatricia Anne Cousinoon May 17, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I read this classic many years ago in a class of Irish Literature at the University of Michigan. Since I was holding a class on Ancient Epic Literature, I decided to try to read this book with my students. It fit right in with other epic literature that we had read; The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Aeneid, Beowulf. You get a chance to see an ancient culture in Ireland and what they valued and how they thought, and the heroes that they emulated. The names are somewhat difficult to pronounce, but other than that, it was a great translation and a unique coming together of some of the old stories of Ireland.

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Uncommon traits in female characters

ByCloseted Bookwormon May 2, 2012

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

The old story features some surprising themes especially with regard to sexism and gender issues. The young queen, daughter of the high king of Ireland, "Madb" has agency, liberty and power unknown in the post Christian collections of classical literature. Those interested in women's perspectives and avoiding the usual stereotypical roles as applied to a younger and transitioning Ireland, would find this work inspiring and enjoyable.
While the over the top battle scenes seem to go on and on and on and on, Madb's appearances throughout the text make this a worthwhile read. Her discussions and approaches to love, marriage, sexual liberties, politics, property rights, unpreventable reproductive cycles during battle, despite the zealous efforts of a young patriarchy speak volumes regarding where we are, where we've been and where we want to go. I have yet to see such attention to the female voice, agency and autonomy in other classical characters. Make no mistake, the paternalistic players, not yet established as the favored group, demonstrate a perniciousness in their competition and effort to shift the formerly fair distribution of power.

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The men of Ulster are risen from their pangs.

ByMarc Ruby™HALL OF FAMEon August 4, 2002

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is the story of a 'tain' or cattle raid perpetrated on Ulster by Ailill and Medb, king and queen of Connacht, along with their allies from all parts of Ireland. It is arguably the earliest surviving epic of Ireland's pre-Christian heritage. The centerpiece of the story is the great feat of 17 year old Cuchulain, who single handedly halts the massed armies intent on seizing the brown bull of Cuailnge (and a tidy portion of the wealth of Ulster as well.
Due to a curse, the men of Ulster are doomed to suffer severe bouts of pain whenever they are faced with great difficulties. So, as Ailill and Medb approach Ulster, only Cuchulain can stand and fight. The 'Tain' and its peripheral tales are the story of Ulster's defense, first by Cuchulain, and finally by the massed men of Ulster, risen from their pangs. Poet Thomas Kinsella's telling of this story starts with the early history of Ulster and then introduces Cuchulain, who will be the hero of many of Ulster's legends.
This is a remarkable effort from a literary standpoint. Whether by Kinsella's art or the nature of the original language of the text, the "Tain bo Cuailnge" is one of the most accessible of the old epics. The language lacks the overblown pretensions of many translations, remaining clear and understandable whether it is prose or verse. Kinsella himself states that this is a translation, not a retelling, but the introduction leaves some doubt about the precise meaning of 'translation.' In any case, Kinsella's efforts have made the story come to life, bringing home beautifully both the glory and tragedy of a conflict that must have decimated the fighting men of an entire country.
The Irish of the "Tain's" writing loved making lists. Lists of heroes, lists of weapons, and lists of places abound. Indeed, every time Cuchulain lists a weapon or moves about, a place in Ulster receives its name. It is as if one of the purposes of this epic is to turn landscape into living literature.
Another purpose, more subtle and controversial is the defining or redefining of the place of women in Irish society. Coming into the "Tain" the key female roles - Medb and Morrigan are not queens or goddesses, but ruler's in their own right. But the blame for the defeat of the Connacht armies is laid clearly in Medb's head. At the end Fergus, an exile form Ulster remarks "It is the usual thing for a herd let by a mare to be strayed and destroyed." This is a conflict that will play out repeatedly in Irish history.
One of the more delightful features of this edition is the brush drawings provided by Louis le Brocquy. Brocquy's style recalls both cave paintings and Greek ceramic decoration. Gradually, it wins the reader over. His rendition of the final massing of the armies is simply stunning. Significant credit must go to Kinsella himself, who has found a way to make ancient prosody appeal to modern ears.

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Kindle version problem

ByJ. Brookson February 24, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I gave this book 4 stars for the content, but I'm writing this review mostly to let people know about a technical issue with the Kindle version. On some pages the text is far to the left and it gets partially cut off by the margins. There doesn't seem to be any way to fix it. I tried changing font, font size, and margin size, but to no avail. It's not enough to completely ruin the book since it occurs on a limited number of pages, but it's still really annoying.

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Awesome Epic

ByNickolas Morgaanon March 18, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is the epic story of the the Tain Bo Cuailnge or the Battle of Cooley. Featuring Cuchalain, there is so much history and metaphor in this book. I used it for a few reading assignments and absolutely loved the whole thing. Buying used was no problem either because the book was in great condition.

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Step into an ancient time full of oaths, deeds, prose and riddles!

ByJudyon August 20, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This collection of Irish legends and myths was recommended to me by Cathie Ryan, my teacher at The Swannanoa Gathering. She has the original print of it and this one was reissued in 2002. I love it! I'm starting a mythology group just to rehash the stories and explore their themes.

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A great read!!

ByAlexandra Aulumon February 22, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This translation of The Táin is fantastic. I really appreciate the fact that it acknowledges the different versions of the narrative. I highly recommend this book! It is an enjoyable read even for people who are not specialists in epics, medieval history, or Celtic history.

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The height of fantasy very funny hard to think that the long detailed tale could ...

ByJoe R. Silvaon August 10, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

The height of fantasy very funny hard to think that the long detailed tale could be memorized in the oral tradition.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Five Stars

Excellent Read more

Published 2 months ago by ila

but I really enjoy reading this book so far

I haven't read the whole book yet, but I really enjoy reading this book so far.Read more

Published 3 months ago by Ó Ciarmhaic

Five Stars

I was delighted to find a clean copy of this for such a reasonable price.Read more

Published 7 months ago by Rupert Neve

Great classic stories

Great classic stories. Lots of twists, but well-written mythology.Read more

Published 8 months ago by Eric C Bronson

Lovley release for Kindle.

Ancient and classic.

The original writing is ancient and classic; the quality of the translation is unknown.Read more

Published 1 year ago by Peg

Very accessible for the novice into Irish myths

I was blown away by how amazing this story was. I ended up spending a few late nights reading it. I loved the story.Read more

Published on March 10, 2015 by Matt M.

One Star

The book was okay I wouldn't read it again.it was little bit confusing.Read more

Published on March 5, 2015 by Jaleesa Boyd

Five Stars

love it Read more

Published on February 9, 2015 by Judith Delaugere

Most readable english version, great story.

My father had the paperback version years ago, and I loved it. But it was lost to a borrower (Oh, can i read that? I'll give it right back, I PROMISE). Never saw it again.Read more

Published on November 30, 2014 by Brian Lacey

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