hero-tales

In medieval Irish literature, stories of mythical and pseudo-historical heroes, told in prose with some interspersed verse. They include tales of Celtic deities and the mythological origins of Ireland, the Fianna and Ulster warrior cycles, and the legends surrounding supposed ancient kings. The sources were traditions which survived from ancient Celtic culture, floating folklore of medieval times, and to a lesser extent adaptations of borrowings from Latin literature and fiction. Several of these stories survived in folklore, either through continuous narrative usage or springing in recent centuries from manuscript compilations.

Mythological stories feature a range of characters called Tuatha Dé Danann (‘people of the goddess Danu’), who were originally a pantheon of Celtic deities ruled by the Dagda (‘the good god’). The most elaborate and influential tale is Cath Muighe Tuireadh/The Battle of Moytirra and describes how the Tuatha Dé Danann struggled against their oppressors, the Fomorians (‘underworld spirits’), and gained their freedom. The story culminates in the victory of the hero Lugh in single combat against his adversary Balar. Other Celtic deities include Brigit (‘the exalted one’), daughter of the Dagda and goddess of crafts, poetry, and healing.

The Fianna Cycle This cycle of stories combined ancient druidic lore of the seer Finn Mac Cumhaill with the cult of young trainee warriors called Fianna. This combination seems to have occurred in prehistoric Leinster, but through the Middle Ages it attracted a myriad of narrative plots and spread throughout the whole Gaelic world. The legendary hero and bard Ossian, reputedly the son of Finn, is said to have related his father's deeds to St Patrick in the 5th century. Stories of the seer-warrior Finn and his companions were immensely popular in the literary and oral streams down to recent times.

The Ulster Cycle This was based on wars in the 5th century AD between the people of Ulster and an expansionist clan of Connacht. The cycle was developed by professional storytellers in the Middle Ages for rulers of various parts of Ireland who had a taste for warlike lore. The central story is Taín Bó Cuailnge/The Cattle Raid of Cooley, in which the super-hero Cuchulain (Cú Chulainn) thwarts the efforts of Queen Medhbh of Connacht to gain possession of the great brown bull of Cooley.

Stories of ancient kings Several stories dramatized the lives of supposed ancient kings, such as Conchobar, King of Ulster, and the tragic Deirdre, his betrothed. The most influential of these, in literature and folklore, concerned Cormac MacArt, a worthy king who was said to have ruled at Tara Hill. After a threatened youth, Cormac acceded to the kingship from which his father had been removed, and his reign was marked by great prosperity, wisdom, and peace.

Later developments In post-medieval times, writers continued to compose hero-tales, though the style became more picaresque (a florid episodic genre). This type of fiction combined references to ancient characters with influences from romance literature in other languages, and had a taste for burlesque and extravagance.