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This module will introduce students to the medieval Irish saga literature which comprises the so-called ‘Ulster Cycle’. This body of literature centres on the deeds of the warriors of Ulster and is set in an imagined pre-Christian Irish past. Particular attention will be given to the different recensions of the epic Táin Bó Cúailnge (‘Cattle-raid of Cooley’), and its associated tales. The circumstances within which this literature was composed, and its debt to biblical and classical literature will be considered. Literary, moral, political and historical interpretations of the tales will be explored. Students will gain an understanding of the composition and reworking of ‘Ulster Cycle’ tales throughout the Middle Ages and there will be discussion of the reception and adaptation of this literature in the modern era.
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CELTIC CIVILISATION 2 - WARRIORS AND CATTLE-RAIDS
