Cycle of Ulster

The Cycle of Ulster is also called Cycle of the Red Branch in the Irish Littérature of the Moyen-âge, devoted to the Celtic antiquity.

The mythology of the Celts of Ireland is known to us by a whole of four literary groups: the mythological Cycle, the Cycle Fenian, the historical Cycle and the Cycle of Ulster which is more particularly devoted to the kingdom of this name. Into these mythical times, the island is divided into four kingdoms (or provinces - Connaught, Leinster, Munster, Ulster), plus a fifth in the center, Meath where reign the laughed Ard Érenn (supreme king) with Tara.

The accounts of this cycle are under the reign of the king Conchobar Mac Nessa, wire of the Druide Cathbad and of the queen Ness, who would have lived at the time of Christ (30 before J. - C. with 35 after J. - C). Its capital is Emain Macha. It is at the time of the war that it delivers to the queen Medb and to the king Ailill of Connaught, that intervenes the epic of Cúchulainn.

These texts describe us civilization préchrétienne Âge of iron, deformed by the prism of its writers, who were clerks. But under Christian varnish, one finds the Celtic substrate and the confirmation of testimonys of their contemporaries. One sees a warlike company, under the control of the sacerdotal class of the druids and the bards. The heroism of the warrior is proposed: the singular combat on fords or on board tanks ends in the death of the enemy, which one slices the head to be made a trophy of it. The purpose of this ritual is of exhiber its bravery to the gods, because only the heroes can have access to the Sidh.

This Cycle is composed of approximately eighty stories, the principal one being the Táin Bó Cúailnge , or Razzia of the cows of Cooley , in which the Medb queen Ulster to seize Brown Cooley, a bull which misses its livestock invades to be as rich as her husband. It is there that Cúchulainn intervenes.

Characters

Main characters

Conchobar Mac Nessa, king d' Ulster
Cúchulainn, hero principal of Ulster
Deirdre, heroin tragic
Medb, queen of Connacht, marries of Ailill, in war against Conchobar
Ailill mac Máta, king of Connacht
Fergus Mac Roeg, former king d' Ulster, combined of Medb
Morrigan, goddess of the war and thus of the dead warriors
Lug, the “polytechnician”, solar god of the Tuatha Dé Danann

Important characters

Armogen Mac Eccit, druid and warlike
Aithirne Ailgesach, despotic
Blaí Briuga, landlord
Bricriu, troublemaker
Cathbad, chief of the druids of Conchobar and warlike
Celtchar, warrior of Ulster
This Mac Mágach, warrior of Connacht
Cethern Mac Fintan, warrior of Ulster
Conall Cernach, hero of Ulster
Conla, wire of Cuchulain
Cormac Cond Longas, noble druid of Ulster in exile with Fergus
Cú Roí, king-magician of Munster
Culann, blacksmith of Conchobar
Deichtire, sister of Conchobar and mother of Cuchulain
Dubthach Dóel Ulad, noble of Ulster in exile
Emer, woman of Cuchulain
Fráech Mac Idath, hero of Connacht
Lóegaire Búadach, hero unlucky person
Lugaid Mac Idiot Roí, wire of Cú Roí
Chewed
Noise, hero of Ulster and lover of Deirdre
Ness, mother of the king Conchobar
Scáthach, magician and warlike of Scotland, initiator of Cuchulain

Supporting characters

Achall
Áed Ruad
Bélchú
Cairbre Cuanach
Cairbre Denied Iron
Condere Mac Echach
Cruinniuc
Cúscraid
Fedelm Noíchrothach
Fedlimid Mac Daill
Fergus Mac Leti
Fiachu Mac Fir Febhe
Follomain Mac Concobair
Friuch
Furbaide Ferbend
Garb Mac Stairn
Goll Mac Carbada
Lugaid Reo nDerg
Maine
Mugain
Sencha Mac Ailella
Uathach

Mythological accounts

Compert Conchobuir (Design of Conchobar)
Sealed Conchobuir mac Nessa (History of Conchobar Mac Nessa)
Ferchuitred Medba/Cath Bóinde (Men of Medb/the Battle of Boyne)
Compert Con Culainn (Design of Cúchulainn)
Tochmarc Emire (Courts It of Emer)
Aided Óenfir Aífe (the Violent death of the only son of Aife)
Aided Derbforgaill (the Death of Derbforgaill)
Aided Guill maic Carbada ocus Aided Gairb Glinne Rige (Deaths of Guill Mac Carbada and Gairb Glinne Rige)
Sealed Muicce Maic Dathó (History of the pigs of Mac Datho)
Fled Bricrenn (the Feast of Bricriu)
Longes mac nDuíl Dermait (the Exile of wire of Dóel Dermait)
Longes Mac nUisnech (the Exile of wire of Usnech)
Aislinge Óenguso (the Dream of Œngus)
Táin Bó Fráich (the Raid of Fraich)
Tochmarc Treblainne (Courts It of Treblainne)
Táin Bó Regamain (the Raid of Regamon)
Táin Bó Dartada (the Raid of Dartaid)
Táin Bó Flidaise (the Raid of Flidais)
Tochmarc Ferbe (Courts It of Ferb)
Echtra Nerae (adventures of Nera)
Táin Bó Regamna (the Raid of Ragamna)
Noínden Ulad (the Debility of Ulates)
De Chophur in Dá Muccida (the Argument of the two pig-keepers)
Táin Bó Cuailnge (the Raid of the cows of Cooley)
Aided Con Roí (the Death of Idiot King)
Mesca Ulad (the Intoxication of Ulates)
Tochmarc Luaine ocus Aided Athirni (Courts It of Luaine and the death of Athirne)
Togail Bruidne Da Derga (Destruction of the residence of Da Derga)
Aided Cheltchair maic Uthechair (the Death of Celtchar mac Uthechair)
Serglige Con Culainn ocus Óenét Emire (History of Cúchulainn and jealousy of Emer)
Cath Étair (the Battle of Howth)
Cath Ruis Na Ríg (the Battle of Ros Na Rig)
Aided Con Culainn ( Died of Cúchulainn)
Aided Ceit maic Mágach (the Death of This mac Mágach)
Aided Lóegairi Búadaig (the Violent death of Loegaire the victorious one)
Aided Conchobuir (the Death of Conchobar)
Bruiden Da Chocae (the Residence of Da Choca)
Cath Airtig (the Battle of Airtech)
Aided Fergusa maic Róig (the Death of Fergus Mac Roeg)
Goire Conaill Chernaig ocus Aided Ailella ocus Conaill Chernaig (Love of Conall Cernach and deaths of Ailill and Conall)
Aided Meidbe (the Death of Medb)
Siaburcharpat Idiot Culainn (the Phantom of the tank of Cúchulainn)
De Faillsigud Tána Bó Cuailnge (Redécouverte of the raid of the cows of Cooley)

Celtic - Celtic Mythology - Druidisme - Brown of Cúailnge
History of Ireland - Chronology of Ireland
Irish Literature