Although The Mythological Cycle, The Ulster Cycle,
the Fenian Cycle and the Historical Cycle. There are also a number of extant mythological
texts that do not fit into any of the cycles. The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland
represents the best preserved of all the branches of Celtic mythology with religious
meanings in medieval Irish literature surviving the periodical conversion to Christianity.
A group of four manuscripts originated in the West of Ireland containing material
that some of the early folk tales which feature personages from one or more of
the cycles. The Yellow Book of Lecan, The Great Book of Lecan, The
Book of Hy Many, and The Book of Ballymote . The first of these
contains part of the earliest known version of the Táin Bó Cúailnge
and is housed in Trinity College. The linguistic age of the manuscripts is said
to be closer back to the 5th and 6th century and Lebor na hUidre and Book
of Leinster survive the settlement from Normandy.
Like the Ulster Cycle, the Fenian Cycle
is concerned with the deeds of Irish heroes during the 3rd century in the provinces
of Leinster and Munster. The stories concern the doings of Fionn mac Cumhail and
his band of soldiers, the Fianna. The verse in text in the tone are nearer to
the tradition of romance than epic. Acallamh na Senórach (Colloquy
of the Old Men), which is found in two 15th century manuscripts, the Book
of Lismore and Laud 610, as well as a 17th century manuscript from Killiney,
County Dublin. Dates from the 12th century, few Fenian prose tales are a Celtic
source of Tristan and Isolde. The text records conversations between the
last surviving members of the Fianna and St Patrick and runs to some 8,000 lines.
Manuscripts reflective of dated Fenian stories-Toraigheacht Dhiarmada agus
Ghrainne ( The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne) and Oisin in
Tir na nOg .
The Fianna of the story in the Fenian Cycle are divided into the Clann
Baiscne, led by Fionn, and the Clann Morna, the professional warriors spend their
time hunting, fighting, and engaging in adventures in the spirit world. Led by
his enemy, Goll mac Morna. Goll killed Fionn's father, Cumhal, in battle and the
boy Fionn was brought up in secrecy. As a youth, while being trained in the art
of poetry, he accidentally burned his thumb while cooking the Salmon of Knowledge,
which allowed him to suck or bite his thumb in order to receive bursts of stupendous
wisdom in a world of professional warriors spend their time hunting, fighting,
and engaging in adventures in the spirit world The Historical Cycle
was partly the duty of the medieval Irish bards, or court poets, to record the
history of the family and the genealogy of the king they served. The kings that
are covered range from the almost entirely mythological Labraid Loingsech, who
became High King of Ireland around 431 BCE to the entirely historical Brian Boru.
Buile Shuibhne ( The Fren of Suibhne), a 12th century tale told
in verse and prose. When Suibhne, king of Dál nAraide was cursed by St Ronan
and became a kind of half man, half bird, condemned to live out his life in the
woods, fleeing from his human companions. Most
of the action that takes place in the Ulster Cycle in the beggining of
the Christian era in the provinces of Ulster and Connacht are lived by the friends,
lovers and enemies. The lives of Conchobar Mac Nessa, king of Ulster is one great
hero Cuchulainn, the son of Lug. The cycle are reflective of the warrior society-
mainly single combats and wealth that is measured mainly in cattle. Unlike meters
or rhyme, the stories are written in prose instead of semantics where once-being
deities are mortal. The Ulaid people of the North-Eastern corner of Ireland and
the action of the stories centres round the royal court at Emain Macha, close
to the modern city of Armagh. This Heroic Age of Ireland's Ulster Cycle involves
some of the element of the Golden Age of the Mythological one. |
