This week we continue our investigation of some very powerful stories from ancient Ireland: “How Cúchulainn was Begotten,” “Cúchulainn’s Wooing of Emer and His Training in Arms with Scáthach,” and “The Death of Aife’s One Son.” The first story about Cú Chullain’s conception and birth, offers readers some particularly bizarre events, and we need to remember that there’s no logical explanation for these sorts of details! Our exploration of stories about the Irish superhero Cú Chulainn come to an end with “Cú Chulainn’s Boyhood Deeds.” These stories, which are more like short anecdotes than complete stories, offer readers more of the “weird and wonderful” or simply those bizarre events have come to expect with this ancient Irish material. We just have to accept it – there is no explanation, no logic possible to make sense of what we encounter here. We have to accept what we read, and enjoy!!
Discussion Question:
Why do the men of Ulster decide that Cú Chulainn needs his own wife? What are the men so concerned about? What does this indicate about the young superhero in the making? The men send out search parties all over Ireland to find the woman who’d make the best wife for Cú Chulainn, but after one year of active searching, the men return to Ulster empty-handed!
Use the book and the links below to help you answer this discussion question
The Táin: Before the Táin (21-45) https://youtu.be/JcUbIZk6NKk
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