Scéla mucce Meic Dathó
Scéla mucce Meic Dathó [ 'ʃkʴeːla' mukʴe mikʴ 'daθoː ] (“The story of Mac Dathó's pig”) is the title of a story from the Ulster cycle of Celtic mythology in Ireland . The oldest version of the work, which was probably written around 800, is preserved in the Lebor Laignech ("The Book of Leinster"). This legend is seen on the one hand as a Remscéla (prehistory, pre-narration) of the Táin Bó Cuailnge ("The cattle robbery of Cooley "), on the other hand as a parody of older heroic stories.
Structure of the text
Like almost all old Irish legends, Scéla mucce Meic Dathó is not exclusively written in prose, but in particularly emphasized, dramatic scenes in metrically bound speech , the so-called "rhetorical" passages ( roscada [ 'Roskaða ], retorics, rhetorics ). These sections in archaic metrics were sometimes replaced with poem insertions in later records. An example of the bound form, partly with alliteration (equalization), is the challenge of Cet mac Mágach by Conall Cernach :
|
Fo chen Cet |
"Welcome Cet, |
The “rhetorical” passages were preserved in the course of the oral tradition and the associated change in form and language and thus became increasingly dark and incomprehensible, which they particularly emphasized. They are often seen as remnants of the oral narratives that the authors of the written tradition combined with the prose story in order to create a meaningful process. It is not very likely that these roscada always go back to pre-Christian oral tradition. This change between prose and bound form can also be found in both Old Germanic and Old Indian poetry and could therefore represent a Urindo-European form of poetry.
content
King Conchobar mac Nessa of Ulster and King Ailill mac Máta of Connacht both want to acquire the dog Ailbe des Briuga (large farmer) Mac Dathó [ mak 'daθoː ] from Leinster . The real name Mac Dathós is Mes Roeda ("Acorn Harvest of the Great Forest"). He got this dog from Celtchar mac Uthechair as a present (see Aided Cheltchair maic Uthechair , "The death of Cheltchars, the son of Uthechars"). Since Mac Dathó does not want to spoil himself with anyone, he promises the emissaries of both kings the animal and at the same time invites them to a large feast in his bruiden (hall). The roast is a huge pig and a fight begins between the heroes of Ulster and Connacht over the hero's bite ( curad-mír ). The Connacht Cet mac Mágach sees himself as the winner, after first shaming the son of Eogan mac Durthacht , then Cúscraid Menn Macha and finally Celtchar mac Uthechair, but has to admit defeat to Ulaid (Ulter) Conall Cernach in a battle of words.
- "Now get away from the pig," said Conall.
- "How did you come up with that?" Asked Cet.
- “Cet, it is right that you challenge me,” replied Conall, “I will face you in a duel. [...] and I've never slept without a Connachter's head under my knee. "
- "It is true you are a better warrior than me," said Cet. “But if Anlúan were here, he would have contradicted you differently. It is our misfortune that he is not in this house. "
- "But he's here!" Shouted Conall, took Anlúan's head out of its sack and threw it so hard against Cet's chest that a mouthful of blood splattered his lips.
Then Conall Cernach sits down by the roast pork and begins to cut it up. He sucks all the fat out of his stomach, only the front feet he leaves the Connachtern. This leads to a fight with many dead and a stream of blood flowing through the door, "... so strong that it could have turned a mill" ( ... cor-ralsat grith mór co suifed fuil mol for lár ind liss ).
The Ulter put the Connachters to flight and the dog Ailbe therefore chooses the Ulter as his new masters. However, when he attacks the chariot of Ailill and Medbs , he is killed by Fer Loga, Ailill's charioteer. The plain where this happened was therefore called Mag Ailbe . Fer Loga also brings Conchobar into his power and he has to buy himself out. Fer Loga is allowed to live as a guest of honor in Emain Macha , the royal castle of Ulster, for one year and the women and girls of the court have to sing every day: “Fer Loga is our favorite!” ( Ferloga mo lennan-sa! ). After that year he returns to Leinster with two of Conchobar's best horses and gold bridles.
In the story Fled Bricrenn ("Bricrius Fest"), a banquet is also described with the dispute between Ultern Loegaire Buadach , Cú Chulainn and Conall Cernach over the hero bite. Here, however, the invincible hero Cú Chulainn is the winner.
See also
literature
- Helmut Birkhan : Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-7001-2609-3 .
- Bernhard Maier : Lexicon of Celtic Religion and Culture (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 466). Kröner, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-520-46601-5 .
- Wolfgang Meid : The Celts. Reclams Universal Library , Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-15-017053-3 .
Web link
Individual evidence
- ^ Bernhard Maier: Lexicon of the Celtic religion and culture . P. 284.
- ↑ Nora Kershaw Chadwick : The Story of Mac Dathó's Pig , introduction.
- ↑ Wolfgang Meid: The Celts. P. 184.
- ↑ a b c Wolfgang Meid: The Celts. P. 174 f.
- ↑ Wolfgang Meid: The Celts. P. 168 f.
- ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. Pp. 467, 981.
- ^ Bernhard Maier: Lexicon of the Celtic religion and culture. P. 280.
- ^ Bernhard Maier: Lexicon of the Celtic religion and culture. P. 218.
- ↑ Rudolf Thurneysen : Legends from ancient Ireland. Berlin 1901, reprint Insel Taschenbuch 1301, Frankfurt / M. 1991, p. 16 f.
- ↑ Barry Cunliffe : The Celts and Their History. 7th edition, Gustav Lübbe Verlag, Bergisch Gladbach 2000, p. 43.
- ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 962 f.
- ↑ Nora Kershaw Chadwick: The Story of Mac Dathó's Pig , Sections 19 and 20.