Irish Mythology: Three new books show the continued appeal of Celtic myths and legends.
Never failing in its appeal since the early Middle Ages, the Ulster Cycle is enjoying the concentrated interest of a new generation of readers, both academic and "lay". The latter distinction is of course to a large extent a subjective one, for everybody - and with justification - can regard oneself as a scholar. These three books are as good a selection as any to underline the current vogue.
Carlo Gébler's publishing house cites the motto "we bring stories to life", and the subtitle of his book echoes this by claiming that "heroes live for ever". I can't say whether that comment is true or otherwise, but in his offering - a novel for young people - Gébler definitely has the gift of portraying heroes as real people. To his intended audience he introduces Cú Chulainn and the other larger-than-life personages of the Táin in a style quite different to the original medieval texts. Imagine, as Gébler does, the young Cú Chulainn sojourning abroad learning the tricks of his martial trade and in the course of that becoming homesick: "Cuchulainn nodded. He had heard of it of course. He had come across the concept in songs and poems but he had never felt it." Here the hero is something like a modern teenager beginning to probe his more abstract emotions, and being somewhat academic and research-conscious to boot. A Junior or Leaving Cert student perhaps? There is nothing wrong with this, for all epochs and groups must determine the nature and value of heritage for themselves. Gébler writes well, and his book is as good an introduction as any youngster can get to these ultra-dramatic stories.
Many people are indebted to Eoin Neeson for an introduction to many aspects of Irish tradition. His books cover traditional literature, history, religious lore, the environment, and several other things, and he always writes succinctly and well. His work also includes historical novels and drama, and so he is ideally suited to the task of creating atmosphere and retelling the Ulster Cycle for a grown-up audience.
He also shows great interest in the psychological aspects of the stories, but, for him, actions speak louder than words, and he depends much on the flowing narrative to portray human relations and to bring out their significance. Even the inanimate shows emotional movement, eg when "a mutter of questions travelled the hall, into its corners, crannies, and across its tables; round its pillars and supports until it became first a hum and then a buzz". In this alternating narrowing and distancing, Neeson is near to the sentiment and humour of the medieval writers in Irish.
There have been many other colours in the spectrum of the Ulster Cycle - one thinks of the retellings by Standish James O'Grady, Eleanor Hull, Lady Gregory, TW Rolleston, Eileen O'Faolain and Rosemary Sutcliff, not to mention the good translations from the original Irish by such as AH Leahy, Joseph Dunn, Thomas Kinsella, Jeffrey Gantz, TP Cross and CH Slover. Others have given fine translations with their editions of the actual texts - most notably Whitley Stokes, Kuno Meyer, George Henderson, Ernst Windisch, JG O'Keeffe, Vernam Hull and, above all, Cecile O'Rahilly.
It is indeed a tribute to this old cycle of stories that so many writers of differing tendency have found inspiration in them, and have devoted so much attention to them. I may remark in passing that most of the literary treatments for over a century have been in English. There is a crying need for a full edition in Modern Irish. That fine book by Cormac Ó Cadhlaigh, entitled An Rúraíocht, has long been out of print, and it would be nice to see it reissued in the modern standardised orthography.
It is a pity, of course, that the writers in English have not settled on a satisfactory way in which to write the names of the great characters and of the locations of their imagined actions. They switch between some Old Irish written forms and some anglicised ones which have become customary. I would strongly recommend to all writers, when dealing with such material by way of discourse or retelling, to accept clear Classical Irish forms, which are identifiable to all intelligent readers and which contain the genuine flavour of the Irish language at all stages. Thus Cú Chulainn, Conchobhar mac Neasa, Meadhbh, Fear Diadh, Eamhain Mhacha, and perhaps even Teamhair (although "Tara" has become so well known that in English it may suffice).
One expects no such need to call the author of our third book to task. MacKillop chooses the Old and Middle Irish written forms almost exclusively, but even here there are lapses and he too gets the name of the much-discussed young houndish warrior wrong (it must be two words, Cú Chulainn, otherwise it makes no sense). Researchers into Irish, Welsh, and other traditions are much indebted to Professor MacKillop for his previous Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. In the present book he adopts a more speculative approach, presenting much valuable information in a very readable way.
It goes without saying that medieval fiction should be identified and should not be given a functional role in a discussion of the mythology of a people directly referred to as Celts. MacKillop shows awareness of this problem, citing dates for texts where relevant and giving necessary information on background. He states that "from the ancient sources, written and material, we have gathered only shards of what was once a great edifice", and he himself has done more than his share to assist us in examining these shards, even if on occasion sounding slightly removed from the actual context.
What we would really wish to know is what lay behind the received tradition - in other words, what aspects of that tradition can be accepted as being of genuine antiquity, and what are likely to have been the original structures in terms of ritual and lore? Such a starting point would allow for the placing of many things in the context of their development. Since we have been dealing with the Ulster Cycle, for instance, we may regret that MacKillop's good general discussion of that Cycle concerns itself little with issues of genesis and early growth. But, as the old saying goes, "ní bhfaightear saoi gan locht". All will recognise that this is a well-organised and well-produced book, and one must laud its inclusiveness. The author gives a very useful introduction to the materials, he covers the entire generally accepted range of the subject, is well aware of differences in interpretation by modern scholars, and even tries to detect detritus from Celtic myth in later folk tradition. The book is a valuable educational tool, for MacKillop obviously loves his subject and has devoted much care and attention to it.
It is clear that the appeal of the Táin does not abate: the major Irish commission of this year's forthcoming Dublin Theatre Festival is The Bull, inspired by the epic, and created by Michael Keegan-Dolan.
Dáithí Ó hÓgáin is associate professor of Irish folklore at UCD. Author of many books in both Irish and English, his most recent works are his collected poems, Footsteps from Another World, and The Celts: a History
The Bull Raid by Carlo Gébler Egmont Books, 403pp. £12.99
An Táin: Cuchulain's Saga by Eoin Neeson Prestige Books, 307pp. €17.99
Myths and Legends of the Celts by James MacKillop Penguin Books, 416pp. £25