The Essential Táin Bó Cúailnge and Other Stories from the Ulster Cycle
  • Publication Date: September 26, 2025
  • ISBN: 9781554815265 / 1554815266
  • 378 pages; 5½" x 8½"

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The Essential Táin Bó Cúailnge and Other Stories from the Ulster Cycle

  • Publication Date: September 26, 2025
  • ISBN: 9781554815265 / 1554815266
  • 378 pages; 5½" x 8½"

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

Comments

“Matthieu Boyd is one of the best young scholars in the field of medieval Celtic studies today. His accessible rendering of one of the classics of medieval Irish literature, accompanied by detailed introduction, copious notes, and translations of other relevant texts, is bound to be read and used by many scholars, students, and general readers interested in Irish heroic saga and the fascinating world, both real and imagined, it reflects.” — Joseph Falaky Nagy, Harvard University

“Matthieu Boyd’s multilayered presentation of this epic text—enriched by maps, family trees, short prequels, and tales of the Táin’s ‘aftermath’—offers the reader a vivid glimpse into the universe of this extraordinary narrative cycle. The translation is accessible and student-friendly, with a colloquial, spontaneous tone that makes the mythic past feel immediate while also acknowledging the historical distance that separates us from the ancient days of Maeve and Cú Chulainn. The Táin shines here as a work of World Literature, while the detailed notes will satisfy even the most enthusiastic budding Celticist.” — Suzanne Akbari, Institute for Advanced Study

“A mesmerizing version of the Táin, complete with historical and geographical information that is essential for the modern student. … The Táin is … here rendered with elegance and wit for fortunate contemporary audiences.” — Bonnie Wheeler, Southern Methodist University

Maps, by Paul Gosling

  • A note on the maps
  • Map 1: Ireland and the overall route of Táin Bó Cúailnge
  • Map 2: Route of Táin Bó Cúailnge in the Midlands
  • Map 3: Route of Táin Bó Cúailnge in north Leinster and south Ulster
  • Map 4: Route of Táin Bó Cúailnge in north Louth and south Armagh

Character trees

  • The factions in the Táin
  • Tree 1: Conchobor, Cú Chulainn, and Ulster
  • Tree 2: Maeve and her siblings
  • Tree 3: Ailill and his brothers
  • Tree 4: Cú Chulainn’s network

Introduction

  • Recensions
  • Prequels
  • Aftermath
  • Reception
  • About the translation
  • Key terms and concepts
  • The cast of characters
  • Placenames
  • Further reading

Abbreviations

A possible timeline for the prequels and sequels

Prequels

  • The Unveiling of the Táin
  • The Ulstermen’s Paralysis and the Twins of Macha
  • The Birth of Conchobor and The Story of Conchobor mac Nessa
  • Maeve’s Series of Husbands, or The Battle of the Boyne
  • The Story of Mac Da Thó’s Pig
  • The Birth of Cú Chulainn
  • The Wooing of Emer
  • The Death of Aífe’s Only Son
  • Other Stories about Cú Chulainn
  • The Exile of the Sons of Uisliu
  • The Pig-Keepers’ Feud
  • Other Prequels

The Body of the Táin

Aftermath

  • The Death of Cú Chulainn
  • The Death of Conchobor
  • The Death of Fergus
  • The Death of Ailill and Conall Cernach
  • The Death of Maeve

Glossary of terms and concepts
List of important and recurring characters
Early Irish spelling and pronunciation
Acknowledgments

Matthieu Boyd is Professor of Literature and Chair of the School of the Humanities at Fairleigh Dickinson University. His previous medieval literature translations include The Four Branches of the Mabinogi, also published by Broadview Press.