The Essential Táin Bó Cúailnge and Other Stories from the Ulster Cycle - Paperback

by Matthieu Boyd (Editor), Matthieu Boyd (Translator)

Back Jacket

T?in B? C?ailnge, frequently referred to as the T?in, is one of the most important works of medieval Irish literature and has been called the national epic of Ireland. This new, judiciously abridged translation of the T?in renders the text in an approachable, colloquial style that nevertheless maintains enough accuracy to support close reading. This edition also contextualizes the T?in itself with numerous selections from the rest of the so-called Ulster Cycle--the related body of legends about the characters of the T?in, including accounts of their origins and their deaths. Also included are a full introduction; extensive footnotes, drawing on the most recent scholarship on the T?in, that provide clarifications, explanations, and background information; four maps showing the sites of major events in the epic; and a series of character trees to help readers keep track of the T?in's large cast of characters and their often complex interrelationships, among other valuable resources.

Author Biography

Matthieu Boyd is Professor of Literature and Chair of the School of the Humanities at Fairleigh Dickinson University. His previous medieval literature translations include The Four Branches of the Mabinogi, also published by Broadview Press.