Cuchulain of Muirthemne
by Isabella Gregory
This is the juxtaposition of Lady Gregory's Kuchulen cycle. Kuchulen was a powerful warrior, the 'Ulster Hound' was the hero of the 'Red Dal', a group of elite warriors of ancient Ireland. Kuchulen is set in pre-Christian Ireland and is the subject of numerous stories, including the key 'Battle of Bull Quail'. In this epic, mythological and supernatural elements are tightly intertwined, including the ever-present Sidhe (fairies); and Celtic gods and goddesses, especially Morriga, the goddess of war. As for wars, they consist mainly of individual battles, like any war in the Iliad or the Mahabharata. The female characters are bright and self-motivated. The epic is covered with chapters that may have echoes of ancient myths, such as the story of two shape-shifting pigs. The text contains large chapters of poetry, especially Emer's lamentations for Kuchulen's death.
