The Essential Tain Bo Cuailnge and Other Stories from the Ulster Cycle

Tain Bo Cuailnge, frequently referred to as the Tain, 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 Tain renders the text in an approachable, colloquial style that nevertheless maintains enough accuracy to support close reading. This edition also contextualizes the Tain itself with numerous selections from the rest of the so-called Ulster Cycle-the related body of legends about the characters of the Tain, including accounts of their origins and their deaths. Also included are a full introduction; extensive footnotes, drawing on the most recent scholarship on the Tain, 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 Tain's large cast of characters and their often complex interrelationships, among other valuable resources.