Fled Bricend – The Feast of Bricriu – An Early Gaelic Saga Transcribed From Older Mss. Into The Book of The Dun Cow

Description

lxVIII + 218 pp. ISBN 1870 16602

The story of Bricriu’s Feast, which is one of the best known tales of the Ulster or heroic cycle, is based on two separate motifs, the ‘Hero’s Portion’ and the ‘Champion’s Bargain’. These motifs link the Celts of Ireland with those of Gaul who, according to the Greek writer Posidonius, told similar tales. Also, through survivals in Arthurian literature, they provide a link with the British Celts. Henderson ‘s volume, although calling out for a new editor, remains the standard edition of this text. Reassessments of the tale provided by various scholars to the annual seminar of the Society, held in conjunction with the Departments of Irish at UCC in 1999, were published in Subsidiary Series No. 10, edited by Pádraig Ó Riain.