Early Irish Sagas II

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Early Irish Saga: This is a course in early (i.e., pre twelfth-century) Irish saga literature in which a variety of texts, mainly from the Ulster, Mythological and King cycles will be read in translation and discussed in class. Sagas to be read will include the timeless war of the Gods, Good v Evil in the exemplary myth, The Battle of Moytura; the Saga of Fergus mac Leti and its scandalous treatment of a young mother of an illegitimate child, forced into slavery to save her son; the Death of Conchobar, a case of posthumous revenge and delayed execution allowing for baptism by blood on the night of Christ's persecution and death, the Death of Conla at the hands of his own father, the famous Cu Chulainn, despite the protests and warnings of his wife, Emer; the Pseudo-historical prologue to the Senchas Mar incorporating the showdown at Tara, i.e. the battle between Christianity and Paganism; the hound, hero and hospitaller triptych incorporating 'hound and hero', 'hound and bogus hero' and 'hound and anti-hero'; the Birth-tale of Niall of the Nine Hostages incorporating the loathly Lady at the well, the Irish sovereignty Goddess.