Constructing and De-constructing Mythic Heroism

Representations of Cuchulain in Tain Bo Cualgne , W. B. Yeatss Cuchulain plays

and Nuala NiDhumnaills Chuchulain I

Tain Bo Cualgne is the most famous tale in Irish mythology. It is at the centre of the
Ulster Cycle of mythological sagas. Much of the action in the Tain surrounds the efforts of the
teenage hero Cuchulainn to oppose the warriors of Connacht. This long saga contains many
episodes drawn together and formed into a single whole, a kind of Irish Iliad, and the state of
society which it describes from the point of culture-development is considerably older and more
primitive than that of the Greek epic. The Tain Bo Cuailnge has exercised an enormous influence
over the cultural imagination of Ireland. It has served as the basis for numerous cultural
adaptations into numerous literary and artistic forms, including novels, dramas and even comics,
as well as music. Cuchulain, being the Irish epic hero, served as inspiration to many writer such
as Yeats and Nuala Ni Dhumnaill.
From early on in his career, Yeats drew inspiration from legends and myths of pre-
Christian Ireland. Yeats's earlier Cuchulain poems and plays both appropriate and reinforce the
symbol of indomitable Irish manhood evoked by the warrior of the Ulster Cycle, Cuchulain,
whose stories he found in Standish O'Grady's History of Ireland (187880). The Cuchulain plays,
which are one-act, reveal Yeatss preoccupation with limiting the time and space in which the
action unfolds. Yeats was not interested in recounting the legend of Cuchulain for informational
motives, but rather he used the legend of Cuchulain as theme to communicate moments of
intense feeling where the heros plight resonates with the struggles the Irish faced in their day-to-
day lives. Even if Cuchulain is portrayed as a hero and warrior in Yeatss work, the context
surrounding the events are not entirely magical: we see Cuchulain as a man who has flaws,
makes mistakes, and ultimately dies. One aspect of Yeatss use of Cuchulain as a character is his
work is his interest in utilizing theatre as a vehicle to communicate the legend in what seems like
a more effective manner due to the audiences direct exposure to the hero; although Yeats still
used the lyrical format in most of his plays, by showing the actual characters on a stage Yeats
emphasized his point of inspiring the audience instead of merely stating the characters beliefs
and motivations. Moses talks about the representation of Cuchulain and says:
Cuchulains represents an alternative form of Irish independence and of Irish culture that
comes into tragic conflict with Conchubars more modern, practical, and restrictive form of
national identity: an archaic, aristocratic, and cosmopolitan conception of community. (Moses,
Michael Valdez. The Rebirth of Tragedy: Yeats, Nietzsche, the Irish National Theatre, and the
Anti-Modern Cult of Cuchulain. Modernism/Modernity 11.3 (2004), 569)
Cuchulain was an inspiration for Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill, one of the most prominent
poets writing in the Irish Gaelic language, as well. Her writings focus on the rich traditions and
heritage of Ireland and draw upon themes of ancient Irish folklore and mythology combined with
contemporary themes of femininity, sexuality and culture. Her myth poems express an alternative
reality and she speaks of her reasons for writing about myths as those that are an integral part of
the Irish language and Irish culture.