Story Archaeology

Harder, Faster, Stronger, Better! In this episode, we get to examine some remarkable exploits of one of the central figures in the Tain tradition: Cú Chulainn.  We explore stories told by some of the characters who know the hero, remembering him as a child. Join the Story Archaeologists as we try to decide if  the young Cú Chulainn can be considered a 'child prodigy'  or merely a 'precocious brat'. Read the texts for yourself! Here are links to the texts and translations that we used for the childhood deeds of Cú Chulainn: "The Boyhood Deeds of Cú Chulainn." Ancient Irish Tales. ed. and trans. Tom Cross and Harris Slover. NY: Barnes and Noble, 1996. reprint The Boyhood of Cú Chulainn, from Táin Bó Cuailgne Recension 1; pp 135-148 [translation]: ed. and trans. Cecile O'Rahilly The sections we refer to are under the following titles: The Eulogy of Cú Chulainn The Boyhood Deeds The Death of the Boys The Fight between Eógan mac Durthacht and Conchobar [aka Cú Chulainn and the Battlefield Phantoms] The f