The early Finn cycle / Kevin Murray.

Author
Murray, Kevin, 1969- [Browse]
Format
Book
Language
  • English
  • Old Irish (to 900)
Published/​Created
  • Dublin, Ireland : Four Courts Press, [2017]
  • ©2017.
Description
200 pages ; 24 cm

Availability

Copies in the Library

Location Call Number Status Location Service Notes
Firestone Library - Stacks PB1397.F5 M87 2017 Browse related items Request

    Details

    Subject(s)
    Summary note
    The Finn (or Fenian) Cycle (fianaigecht) is classified by modern scholarship as one of four medieval Irish literary cycles along with the Ulster Cycle, the Cycle of Historical Tales (or Cycles of the Kings) and the Mythological Cycle. It is primarily composed of material dealing with the legendary character Finn mac Cumaill, his warrior band (fian), his son Oisin, and his grandson Oscar. In a fashion recalling the expansion of the Arthurian legend throughout Britain and Europe, the traditions centered on Finn grew from localized beginnings to spread throughout the entire Gaelic-speaking world. This study takes as its focus the early Finn Cycle, up to and including the composition of the most significant fianaigecht tale, Acallam na senorach ('The colloquy of the ancients'), at the beginning of the Early Modern Irish period. The volume also deals in detail with topics such as the nature of the fian ; the extent of early fragmentary Finn Cycle sources; the background to Toraigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghrainne ('The pursuit of Diarmaid and Grainne'); the boyhood deeds and death of Finn; and the development of the Fenian lay tradition. The Early Finn Cycle details and investigates the primary and secondary sources for the study of this material and traces the literary development of the early fianaigecht corpus. In so doing, it seeks to account for the emergence of the Finn Cycle from fragmentarily documented beginnings, to become the dominant genre of Gaelic literature after 1200.
    Bibliographic references
    Includes bibliographical references (pages 164-187) and index.
    Contents
    • 1 Acallam na senórach 21
    • 2 The growth of the tradition 50
    • 3 The nature of the fían 57
    • 4 The conflict between Finn and Oisín 64
    • 5 The early tales set around the river Suit 74
    • 6 Further early fíanaigecht sources 84
    • 7 The background to Tóraigheacht Dhiarmada agus Ghráinne 95
    • 5 Tochmarc Ailbe 106
    • 9 Finn's boyhood deeds 117
    • 10 The death of Finn 124
    • 11 The early tradition of Fenian lays 130
    • 12 The portrayal of Finn 140
    • 13 Fothad Canainne 152
    • 14 Later literary developments of the early fíanaigecht corpus 160.
    ISBN
    • 1846826306 ((paperback))
    • 9781846826306 ((paperback))
    LCCN
    2017296997
    OCLC
    968758400
    Other standard number
    • 99973428515
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