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An Introduction to the Red Branch (Ulster Cycle)
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Originally part of the Gaelic oral tradition, the Red Branch, also called the Ulster Cycle, is a collection of tales that comprise Ireland's only prose epic. These stories were put onto paper for the first time at the monastery of Clonmacnoise around the fifth century in the Book of the Dun Cow. The Book of Leinster also contains one of the earliest literary forms of these stories. These initial transcriptions are unique and valuable because unlike many of the later versions, the pre-Christian deities and the overall pagan flavor remains intact. Eventually the monks began injecting their own religious beliefs into traditional tales as they wrote them down.
The central setting for the Red Branch tales is Emain Macha (now called Navan Fort in County Armagh). As the stories unfold, scenes are enacted all over Ireland and even to the Western Isles of Scotland. The Red Branch tales are named for the houses of Conchobar mac Nessa, king of Ulster, at the royal seat of Emain Macha. In Irish, it is Craobh Ruadh. The origin of this name is lost in the past. Some say it came from the red wood of the roof-tree. Others explain that it was because of the warriors' practice of beheading their combatants and displaying the bloody trophies on tree branches to warn off would-be invaders. Yet another source insists that it was a mistranslation, and the word wasn't "ruadh" at all but "riadh" which means "royal". The place known as Cróeb Ruad or Craoibh Ruadh ("dull red branch") was the royal seat of Emain Macha, and that name is still carried today by the townland of Creeveroe, County Armagh. The Cróeb Derg or Craoibh Dearg ("bright red branch") was the trophy hall where the severed heads and other tokens of battle were stored. Conchobar's third house was the Téite Brec or "speckled hoard" which was the repository for the heroes' weapons. The heroes of the Red Branch, later known as the Red Branch Knights, are all of an elite upper class of warriors affiliated with Conchobar mac Nessa. Some are half god. It is described in colorful detail how they rode to battle in richly furnished chariots, to engaged in fearless and usually brutal combat by spear or by sword. The Red Branch tales are distinguished by accounts of single combat, champion against champion, to determine the outcome of a battle, the focus being on individual heroic feats and not on war bands or group factions. Some of the outstanding heroes of the Red Branch are Fergus mac Roich, Cúchulainn, Conall Cernach, and of course Conchobar himself. There are many powerful women as well, such as the legendary Macha, Medb of Connacht, and the warrior-queen Scáthach. Are the characters and events of the Red Branch historical or mythical? Some scholars, including Kuno Meyer and Eugene O'Curry, believe that true pre-Christian Iron Age traditions are preserved in these tales. Others argue that this body of literature bears a heavy stamp of medieval influence over what may have once been ancient oral traditions. Some of the chronology, especially the historical conflict between Ulster and Connaught, is clearly out of time. The characters could have originally been gods or they could be merely imaginary. The Red Branch stands by itself, regardless of historical debate, as one of the four great cycles of Irish literature. "A Short History of Irish Literature" by Frank O'Connor, Putnam's Sons NY 1967 "Celtic Warriors" by Dáithí O hOgain, St Martin's Press, 1999 Wikipedia |
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~ Table of Contents ~
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