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The Táin: From the Irish epic Táin Bó Cuailnge: From the Irish Epic "Tain Bo Cuailnge"
 
 
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The Táin: From the Irish epic Táin Bó Cuailnge: From the Irish Epic "Tain Bo Cuailnge" (Paperback)

by Louis Le Brocquy (Illustrator), Thomas Kinsella (Translator) "THE POETS of Ireland one day were gathered around Senchan Torpeist, to see if they could recall the 'Tain Bo Cuailnge' in its entirety ..." (more)
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
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The Táin: From the Irish epic Táin Bó Cuailnge: From the Irish Epic "Tain Bo Cuailnge" + Early Irish Myths and Sagas (Penguin Classics) + Tales of the Elders of Ireland (Oxford World's Classics)
Price For All Three: £16.92

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Product details

  • Paperback: 320 pages
  • Publisher: Oxford Paperbacks (26 Sep 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0192803735
  • ISBN-13: 978-0192803733
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 55,804 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #17 in  Books > Poetry, Drama & Criticism > Poetry > Genres > Epics
    #29 in  Books > Poetry, Drama & Criticism > Poetry > Genres > Myths
    #34 in  Books > Poetry, Drama & Criticism > Essays, Journals & Letters > Classical, Early & Medieval

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  • See Complete Table of Contents

Product Description

Product Description
The Táin Bó Cuailnge, centre-piece of the eighth-century Ulster cycle of heroic tales, is Ireland's greatest epic. It tells the story of a great cattle-raid, the invasion of Ulster by the armies of Medb and Ailill, queen and king of Connacht, and their allies, seeking to carry off the great Brown Bull of Cuailnge. The hero of the tale is Cuchulainn, the Hound of Ulster, who resists the invaders single-handed while Ulster's warriors lie sick. Thomas Kinsella presents a complete and living version of the story. His translation is based on the partial texts in two medieval manuscripts, with elements from other versions, and adds a group of related stories which prepare for the action of the Táin. Illustrated with brush drawings by Louis le Brocquy, this edition provides a combination of medieval epic and modern art.
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THE POETS of Ireland one day were gathered around Senchan Torpeist, to see if they could recall the 'Tain Bo Cuailnge' in its entirety. Read the first page
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The Táin: From the Irish epic Táin Bó Cuailnge: From the Irish Epic "Tain Bo Cuailnge"
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The Táin: From the Irish epic Táin Bó Cuailnge: From the Irish Epic "Tain Bo Cuailnge" 4.5 out of 5 stars (4)
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Early Irish Myths and Sagas (Penguin Classics)
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4 Reviews
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4.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful piece of literature., 10 Aug 2004
This was the second translation of this story I had read, so much of it was familiar to me. It is a brilliant read, sometimes too complex to fathom in your mind, but brilliant anyway.

The unfamiliar names and pronunciation is a small issue that just takes a little time, and when it comes to the crunch it's the essence of the book that matters to me, not my lack of linguistic skills.

The book is a piece of art, not fully understood by the reader, but full of colour and descriptions, ideas from lost times, and more than anything a glimpse of a world or a way of thinking that is long gone. I'll return to it many more times.

Pick this book up as time travel is possible, just jump in and lose the 21st century for a while.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This is my favorite book, 8 Nov 2007
By Jesse G. Larson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Tain (Hardcover)
And I have read a lot of books. Literature, too, not just crap!

Seriously, though. I read this book as an undergraduate literature student in my first mythology class, and this is where I got hooked. Since then I've read everything - Gilgamesh, the classics of Greek literature, the Aeneid, Orlando Furioso, the Arthurian legends, the Ramayana, North American Coyote tales, Welsh tales, even other Irish tales, the Fenian cycle...Heaney's Beowulf translation comes closest...but nothing beats Kinsella's Tain.

It's the humor and the imagination, mainly, that set it apart. It's funny, it's accessible, and it's action-packed, if that matters to you. Kinsella's translation brings across the sense that the original tellers of these tales told them for entertainment. Our hero, Cuchulainn, is about the toughest mythological hero around, and he knows all the tricks: the hero's salmon leap, the apple feat, the riding of the sickle chariot, the feat of the shield rim - and watch out for that warp spasm! The final battle with Ferdia is the most epic battle ever committed to print.

I read my copy once a year. Speaking as someone with a BA in English Literature, as a writer, and most of all as a reader, I must tell you, this is my favorite work. If you are at all interested in mythology, especially Irish mythology, do yourself a favor and pick up this translation. It doesn't get any better.
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9 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars The Tain is a difficult read, yet an interesting story., 12 April 2001
This review is from: The Tain (Oxford Paperbacks) (Paperback)
The Tain was recommended to me during a visit to Sligo in Ireland. I was very excited to read it, having heard from the locals that it was a beautiful story, action-packed with mythological heroes. I found it very difficult to follow, even though I am familiar with other Irish myths. It would have been a smoother read if more pronounciations where given for people and place names, as they are all in Gaelic (as they should be). I would only recommend this book to someone who is familiar with Irish mythology, or else the story can be confusing.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Brought back to life by Kinsella
This version of the Táin was recommended to me by a friend and it has not disappointed.
I found the prose to be very much alive and easy to read. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Irishtone

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