Cuchulain of Muirthemne by Lady Gregory

Description

Cuchulain of Muirthemne is a book by Lady Gregory, first published in 1902. It is a readable, carefully arranged retelling of the great Ulster Cycle sagas that follow the life, deeds and doom of Cú Chulainn — the heroic “Hound of Ulster.” Lady Gregory collected material from oral tradition and older Gaelic sources and shaped it into a succinct, narrative account that makes the ancient material accessible to modern readers. The text emphasises character, episode and the ritual quality of early Irish storytelling, preserving the starkness and dramatic momentum of the originals while smoothing awkward literalisms for an English-reading public. The work played a formative role in the Irish Literary Revival, helping to place native myth at the centre of modern Irish cultural identity and inspiring other writers and dramatists of the era. Lady Gregory’s choice of a plain, idiomatic register (often called “Kiltartanese”) and her editorial shaping made the stories feel both archaic and immediate — suitable for performance, study or sober, old-fashioned enjoyment. For readers interested in Irish mythology, the Ulster Cycle, Celtic folklore, or nationalist-era literature, this volume remains a classic entry point to one of Ireland’s most famous heroes.

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