Texts

Compert Con Culainn ‘The conception and birth of Cú Chulainn’

  • Old Irish
  • Ulster Cycle, remscéla to Táin bó Cúailnge
Manuscripts
Version 1:
Cín Dromma Snechtai [s.viii / s. xin]
Lost. This manuscript source is so identified by reviser H of the Lebor na hUidre (a Libur Dromma Snechta).(1)n. 1 Tomás Ó Concheanainn, ‘The textual tradition of Compert Con Culainn’, Celtica 21 (1990): 441.
ff. 128a–128b
Earliest manuscript version, but with an ending which differs from that in the later copies of version 1. What follows is a "fragment of a sequel written over an erasure by the reviser (H) of the manuscript".(2)n. 2 Tomás Ó Concheanainn, ‘The textual tradition of Compert Con Culainn’, Celtica 21 (1990): 441.
ff. 12vb–13rb
Here entitled Gineamain Chonculainn.
ff. 78v–80r
Both versions.
Version 2, “which is ultimately derived from the composite text in LU” (Ó Concheanainn).(3)n. 3 Tomás Ó Concheanainn, ‘The textual tradition of Compert Con Culainn’, Celtica 21 (1990): 455.
ff. 78v–80r
Both versions.
Language
  • Old Irish

Classification

Ulster Cycle
Ulster Cycle
id. 1797
remscéla to Táin bó CúailngeUlster Cycle
remscéla to Táin bó Cúailnge
id. 29262

Subjects

Cú Chulainn
Cú Chulainn
Young Ulster hero and chief character of Táin bó Cuailnge and other tales of the Ulster Cycle; son of Súaltam or Lug and Deichtire (sister to Conchobor); husband of Emer (ingen Forgaill)

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Sources

Notes

Tomás Ó Concheanainn, ‘The textual tradition of Compert Con Culainn’, Celtica 21 (1990): 441.
Tomás Ó Concheanainn, ‘The textual tradition of Compert Con Culainn’, Celtica 21 (1990): 441.
Tomás Ó Concheanainn, ‘The textual tradition of Compert Con Culainn’, Celtica 21 (1990): 455.

Primary sources Text editions and/or modern translations – in whole or in part – along with publications containing additions and corrections, if known. Diplomatic editions, facsimiles and digital image reproductions of the manuscripts are not always listed here but may be found in entries for the relevant manuscripts. For historical purposes, early editions, transcriptions and translations are not excluded, even if their reliability does not meet modern standards.

[ed.] Hamel, A. G. van [ed.], Compert Con Culainn and other stories, Mediaeval and Modern Irish Series, 3, Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1933.
CELT – Compert Con Culainn (1-8): <link> CELT – Aided Óenfir Aífe (9-15): <link> Internet Archive: <link>
1–8.
[ed.] Windisch, Ernst [ed.], Irische Texte mit Wörterbuch, 4 vols, vol. 1, Leipzig, 1880.
Internet Archive: <link> Internet Archive – Originally from Google Books: <link> – Vol. 1, part 1: View in Mirador – Vol. 1, part 2: Wörterbuch: View in Mirador
134–145, 324–325 Editions from LU and Egerton 1782 direct link direct link
[ed.] [tr.] Thurneysen, Rudolf [ed.], Zu irischen Handschriften und Litteraturdenkmälern [I], Abhandlungen der königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, Philologisch-Historische Klasse, 14.2, Berlin, 1912.  
comments: Continued by Rudolf Thurneysen, Zu irischen Handschriften und Litteraturdenkmälern II (1913).
31–41, 41–48 (1) Edition, with translation into German, of the text in LU, Egerton 88, 23 N 10 and Egerton 1782; (2) Edition, with translation, of the first version from D iv 2.
[ed.] Meyer, Kuno [ed.], “Mitteilungen aus irischen Handschriften: Feis Tige Becḟoltaig”, Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 5 (1905): 500–504.
Internet Archive: <link>, <link>, <link>
Edition of Feis Tige Becḟoltaig, the second version from D iv 2.
[tr.] Gantz, Jeffrey [tr.], Early Irish myths and sagas, Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1981.
130–133.
[tr.] Draak, Maartje, and Frida de Jong [trs.], Van helden, elfen en dichters: de oudste verhalen uit Ierland, Amsterdam: Meulenhoff, 1979.
34–36 Translation into Dutch.
[tr.] Even, Arzel [tr.], “La conception de Cuchulainn”, Ogam: tradition celtique 4 (1952): 273–276.
[tr.] Even, Arzel [tr.], “La conception de Cuchulainn, selon le Libur Dromma Snechta”, Ogam: tradition celtique 5 (1953): 313–314.
Bibliotheque.idbe-bzh.org – PDF: <link>
[tr.] Thurneysen, Rudolf [tr.], “Setantas Geburt”, in: Rudolf Thurneysen [tr.], Sagen aus dem alten Irland, Berlin, 1901. 58–62.
Internet Archive: <link>
[tr.] Duvau, Louis [tr.], “La légende de la conception de Cûchulainn”, Revue Celtique 9 (1888): 1–13.  
Reprinted by Arbois de Jubainville (1892): 22-38.
Internet Archive: <link> Internet Archive: <link>

Secondary sources (select)

Ó Concheanainn, Tomás, “The textual tradition of Compert Con Culainn”, Celtica 21 (1990): 441–455.
Dias.ie – PDF: <link>
Hull, Vernam, “The version of Compert Con Culainn in MS. Phillipps G.7”, Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 24 (1954): 128–131.

External links

Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen, Patrick Brown
Page created
October 2010, last updated: January 2024