{"product_id":"the-essential-tain-bo-cuailnge-and-other-stories-from-the-ulster-cycle-paperback","title":"The Essential Táin Bó Cúailnge and Other Stories from the Ulster Cycle - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMatthieu Boyd\u003c\/b\u003e (Editor), \u003cb\u003eMatthieu Boyd\u003c\/b\u003e (Translator)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eT?in B? C?ailnge\u003c\/em\u003e (\"TOYN boh KOOL-nyuh\"), \"The Cattle-Raid of Cooley,\" frequently referred to as the \u003cem\u003eT?in\u003c\/em\u003e, is one of the most important works of medieval Irish literature and has been called the national epic of Ireland. Preserved in different versions in a series of manuscripts dating back to the twelfth century but with roots that stretch back centuries earlier, and set in a still earlier era before the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, the \u003cem\u003eT?in\u003c\/em\u003e tells how Queen Maeve of Connacht, the western province of Ireland, leads an invasion of Ulster, the northern province, in order to capture an extraordinary brown bull, and how her invasion is almost single-handedly opposed by Ulster's foremost hero, the demigod C? Chulainn. As it narrates the ensuing war, the \u003cem\u003eT?in\u003c\/em\u003e both exemplifies and probes the limits of some of the central values and institutions of early Irish society.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis new, judiciously abridged translation of the \u003cem\u003eT?in\u003c\/em\u003e includes most of Recension 1, the earliest version of the work, as well as some of the most significant and well-known passages of Recension 2. The translation renders the text of the \u003cem\u003eT?in\u003c\/em\u003e in an approachable and even colloquial style, particularly aimed at university students and non-academic readers in North America, that nevertheless maintains enough accuracy to support close reading. This edition also contextualizes the \u003cem\u003eT?in\u003c\/em\u003e itself with more selections from the rest of the so-called Ulster Cycle--the related body of legends about the characters of the \u003cem\u003eT?in\u003c\/em\u003e, including accounts of their origins and their deaths--than any competing edition of the epic. Also included are a full introduction; extensive footnotes, drawing on the most recent scholarship on the \u003cem\u003eT?in\u003c\/em\u003e, that provide clarifications, explanations, and background information; four maps showing the route of Maeve's invasion and the site of major events in the epic; a series of character trees to help readers keep track of the \u003cem\u003eT?in\u003c\/em\u003e's large cast of characters and their often complex interrelationships; a glossary of key terms and concepts; and a guide to Old Irish spelling and pronunciation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMatthieu Boyd\u003c\/strong\u003e is Professor of Literature and Chair of the School of the Humanities at Fairleigh Dickinson University. His previous medieval literature translations include \u003cem\u003eThe Four Branches of the Mabinogi\u003c\/em\u003e (Broadview Press).\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 378\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 31, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44379191935078,"sku":"9781554815265","price":38.94,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0599\/7255\/0758\/files\/d1gMobOSOp9781554815265.webp?v=1768918011","url":"https:\/\/infinitylightwa.com\/products\/the-essential-tain-bo-cuailnge-and-other-stories-from-the-ulster-cycle-paperback","provider":"Infinity Light","version":"1.0","type":"link"}