The Tain

Early medieval epics like The Táin would have been transmitted orally rather than read silently. How does this performative aspect come through in the text?

What are some of the cultural values evident in the text? Consider both material and immaterial values. What is worth fighting for?

Cúchulainn is guided by a sense of honor in battle. Choose a moment in The Táin and analyze how Cúchulainn’s actions reflect what is honorable (and dishonorable) for a warrior in Ireland.

In many ways the gender roles in The Táin are traditional, and in others they are surprisingly fluid. Choose one or two characters (either male or female) to analyze, demonstrating how gender expectations are affirmed or undermined in the text.

How does fostering play an important role in The Táin? What does this say about family structures in early medieval Ireland?

The supernatural and the real intersect throughout The Táin, from druids and shapeshifters to the Morrígan and “fathers” from the síde. What role do these encounters play in the text for Cúchulainn, and what does this tell us about the perception of nature in pre-Christian Irish culture?

Why are the two bulls—Finnbennach and Donn Cuailnge—so central to the epic? What do they represent, and what is resolved in their final battle?

Many of the text’s verse passages are obscure, offering an approximation of the translator’s best reading. Choose a passage in verse and analyze it within the context of the narrative. If it is particularly obscure, what feelings, associations, and links can you derive from the poetic words chosen for the passage?