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Bibliography

Ostrander, C. C., “Character identity and the political motivation behind the composition of Orgguin trí mac Diarmata meic Cerbaill”, North American Journal of Celtic Studies 5:1 (Spring, 2021): 97–111.

  • journal article
Citation details
Contributors
Article
“Character identity and the political motivation behind the composition of Orgguin trí mac Diarmata meic Cerbaill
Periodical
North American Journal of Celtic Studies 5:1 (2021)
North American Journal of Celtic Studies 5:1–2 (Spring-Autumn, 2021), Ohio State University Press.
Volume
5
Pages
97–111
Description
Abstract (cited)

The ninth-century Irish tale Orgguin trí mac Diarmata meic Cerbaill is something of an outlier, both in terms of the Leinster Cycle, in which it is explicitly included by Rawlinson B 502, and, especially, in terms of the corpus of the tale's featured Uí Néill king, Diarmait mac Cerbaill. So at odds is this tale with elements of the identity established for Diarmait by the rest of his corpus that it appears that he is being used in the text anachronistically and as a proxy. Indeed, certain details in the tale, particularly the names of the titular three sons and the place of the tale's climax, Lagore Crannóg, indicate that the Uí Néill king in the tale would have been better identified as Áed Sláine. However, while Áed is the best match, this reading, too, presents challenges, and it is clear that Orgguin trí mac was not written to describe true events of the sixth or seventh century, but rather to use representatives from the past to comment upon the historical reality contemporary with the tale's composition. Examination of the characters, peoples, and place-names within the tale, as compared to relevant historical figures and events as described in the annals, reveal close ties between the details of the tale and the reality of the ninth century. Specifically, these details combine to provide compelling evidence that Orgguin trí mac Diarmata meic Cerbaill was written ca. 867–868 to explain and justify an alliance between the Laigin and Síl nÁedo Sláine.

Subjects and topics
Headings
Cycles of the Kings
Sources
Texts
History, society and culture
Agents
LaiginLaigin
Leinstermen
No short description available
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Síl nÁedo SláineSíl nÁedo Sláine
Entry reserved for but not yet available from the subject index.

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Uí NéillUí Néill
No short description available
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Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen
Page created
March 2022