Birth-tales of Cuchulainn

Abstract

This thesis investigates the design and purpose of the Birth-tales of Cuchulainn. and questions the chronological order of the two versions in relation to each other. Version 1 expands from a solar paradigm- the marriage between sun and earth - to the marriage between king and sovereignty goddess. It draws upon two contract theories in early Irish law -marriage and clientship-to illustrate that the model for fertility offered by the union of king and goddess is no longer desirable as a template for fertility in the natural or human world. It shows how in the interests of kin welfare, fertility must be controlled by law. It demonstrates the principles of reciprocity, that legal contracts entail, in the form of a foundational narrative, to show how culture emerged from the prohibition of incest. It reveals how in this transition, agriculture together with kingship, arising from the charisma of a ruler who could create institutions of which clientship and exogamous marriage were paradigmatic, were established. As kingship replaced sacred marriage, a corollary shift in the representation of the goddess occurred, and sovereignty is shown to have been transferred to the king. The solar myth also provides a paradigm for the deposition and election of the ruler, showing how attendant seasonal and inauguration ceremonies provide, if not immediate ritual precedents, at least, a paradigm for the structure of the narrative. Version 2 converts the same seasonal paradigm into one that deals with the political and spiritual decline and growth of an individual king in his journey towards the acquisition of fir jlathemon. It also illustrates how every other individual was expected to aspire to the principles of fir jlathemon in the interests of both personal and communal good.

Date of Award	Oct 2004
Original language	English