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{{Text | {{Text | ||
|Title= | |Title=<i>Tochmarc Étaíne</i> | ||
|TranslatedTitle=The wooing of Étaín | |TranslatedTitle=The wooing of Étaín | ||
| | |TitleInfo=Title headings in the manuscripts do not give the third tale a separate title other than indicating that the story of ''Tochmarc Étaíne'' is being continued, e.g. ''Tochmarc Etaine beos'' (‘''Tochmarc Étaíne'' again’), etc. It appears from other sources, however, that a version of the tale, or an individual episode, may have been known by the title ''Tromdám Echach Aireman'', which is attested in the introduction to the LU version of ''[[Orgain brudne Uí Dergae]]'' and in the section of so-called ''gnáthscéla'' in [[medieval Irish tale lists | ||
|tale list B]]. | |||
|Defaultsort=Tochmarc Etaine | |||
|Classification=Subject:Irish Mythological Cycle;Subject:Ulster Cycle | |||
|NarrativeWorlds=Subject:Cycle of Conaire Mór | |||
|AgentCategory=Eochaid Airem;Midir;Étaín ... mythological figure | |||
| | |||
|Categories=Mythological Cycle; Ulster Cycle | |Categories=Mythological Cycle; Ulster Cycle | ||
|Summary=Following Bergin and Best (1938), ''Tochmarc Étaíne'' can be divided into three tales. | |||
The third tale concerns the attempts by Midir of Brí Léith to (re)gain Étain, whose former incarnation used to be his lover (part I), but who has been reborn around the time of the Ulaid to become the wife of Eochaid Airem, king of Tara (part II). Without revealing his true intentions, Midir engages Eochaid in a series of ''fidchell'' games, at the height of which he takes her back. Eochaid tracks down the couple, but is tricked into choosing his own daughter from a company of doubles and begets a daughter (the mother of Conaire Mór, future king of Tara). Finally, an epilogue tells of Eochaid’s violent death. | |||
|LanguageAuto=Middle Irish | |||
|Textual relationships=The Book of Leinster preserves a poetic adaptation of the beginning of the tale. It is attributed to [[Cináed ua hArtacáin]] and begins ‘[[Secht o. f. n.]]’. The ''dindsenchas'' poem ''[[Sund dessid domunemar]]'' also relates. | |||
|Manuscripts2={{MS | |||
|Select=Manuscript | |||
|prefix=* | |||
|MS=Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS 23 E 25 | |||
|comments=This copy contains all three tales, but it is wanting in parts: (1) pp. 129a-129b line 19: story I (fragment due to a gap in the manuscript); (2) 129b line 20-130b: story II (complete); (3) pp. 130b-132a: story III (lacks the middle and end of the text). Incipit: ‘Tochmarc nÉtaine da''no'' so sís’. | |||
|pages=129a-132a | |||
}}{{MS | |||
|Select=Manuscript | |||
|prefix=* | |||
|MS=Dublin, Trinity College, MS 1318/16 | |||
|comments=Complete copy of story 2 | |||
|pages=175a–175b (in facsimile) | |||
|columns=876–877 | |||
|MS title=Tochmarc Etaine andso | |||
}}{{MS | |||
|Select=Manuscript | |||
|prefix=* | |||
|MS=Dublin, National Library of Ireland, MS G 4 | |||
|comments=Complete copy: (1) col. 985 ff: story I; (2) col. 990 ff: story II; (3) cols 992-997: story III. Incipit: ‘Tochmarc Etaine beos’. | |||
|columns=985–997 | |||
}}{{MS | |||
|Select=Manuscript | |||
|prefix=* | |||
|MS=London, British Library, MS Egerton 1782 | |||
|comments=A somewhat expanded version, including some versifications. It precedes a copy of <em>Togail bruidne Da Derga</em>. | |||
|folios=106r–108v | |||
}}{{MS | |||
|Select=Manuscript | |||
|prefix=* | |||
|MS=Dublin, Trinity College, MS 1337/19 | |||
|comments=Glossed extracts | |||
|pages=605–606 | |||
}} | }} | ||
|FormPrimary=prose | |||
|FormSecondary=verse | |||
|StatusDescription=Re: "which is attested in the introduction to the LU version of ''[[Orgain brudne Uí Dergae]]''" - LU and Eg. ? | |||
MSS: | |||
London, British Library, MS Egerton 1782 | |||
205 a, the finding of Étaín -- from ''Togail bruidne Da Derga'' ? | |||
|Published=Yes | |||
}} | }} | ||
Latest revision as of 11:00, 7 January 2024
Texts
Tochmarc Étaíne ‘The wooing of Étaín’
- Middle Irish
- prose
- Mythological Cycle, Ulster Cycle
Title
Tochmarc Étaíne
‘The wooing of Étaín’
Title headings in the manuscripts do not give the third tale a separate title other than indicating that the story of Tochmarc Étaíne is being continued, e.g. Tochmarc Etaine beos (‘Tochmarc Étaíne again’), etc. It appears from other sources, however, that a version of the tale, or an individual episode, may have been known by the title Tromdám Echach Aireman, which is attested in the introduction to the LU version of Orgain brudne Uí Dergae and in the section of so-called gnáthscéla in [[medieval Irish tale lists
|tale list B]].
Summary
Following Bergin and Best (1938), Tochmarc Étaíne can be divided into three tales.
The third tale concerns the attempts by Midir of Brí Léith to (re)gain Étain, whose former incarnation used to be his lover (part I), but who has been reborn around the time of the Ulaid to become the wife of Eochaid Airem, king of Tara (part II). Without revealing his true intentions, Midir engages Eochaid in a series of fidchell games, at the height of which he takes her back. Eochaid tracks down the couple, but is tricked into choosing his own daughter from a company of doubles and begets a daughter (the mother of Conaire Mór, future king of Tara). Finally, an epilogue tells of Eochaid’s violent death.
Manuscripts
pp. 129a–132a
This copy contains all three tales, but it is wanting in parts: (1) pp. 129a-129b line 19: story I (fragment due to a gap in the manuscript); (2) 129b line 20-130b: story II (complete); (3) pp. 130b-132a: story III (lacks the middle and end of the text). Incipit: ‘Tochmarc nÉtaine dano so sís’.
pp. 175a–175b (in facsimile) cols 876–877
rubric: ‘Tochmarc Etaine andso’
Complete copy of story 2
Dublin, National Library of Ireland, MS G 4 = originally part of the Yellow Book of Lecan [s. xivex]
cols 985–997
Complete copy: (1) col. 985 ff: story I; (2) col. 990 ff: story II; (3) cols 992-997: story III. Incipit: ‘Tochmarc Etaine beos’.
London, British Library, MS Egerton 1782 [1516-1518]
ff. 106r–108v
A somewhat expanded version, including some versifications. It precedes a copy of Togail bruidne Da Derga.
Language
- Middle Irish
Form
prose (primary)
verse (secondary)
Textual relationships
The Book of Leinster preserves a poetic adaptation of the beginning of the tale. It is attributed to Cináed ua hArtacáin and begins ‘Secht o. f. n.’. The dindsenchas poem Dinnshenchas of Ráith Ésa also relates.
Related: Cles Con CulainnCles Con Culainn
A repertory of Cú Chulainn's feats, similar to that contained in Scéla Conchobuir meic Nessa.
Associated items
A Bé Find in rega limA Bé Find in rega limEarly Irish syllabic poem (7 qq) in which the speaker encourages Bé Find to join him in the delightful Otherworld. It is preserved in the third part of Tochmarc Étaíne, where the poem is attributed to Midir as he woos Étaín, addressing her as Bé Find.
Sources
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.] 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
118–133 “Das Freien um Etain”, based on Lebor na hUidre and Egerton 1782.
[tr.] Carey, John [tr.], “[Various contributions]”, in: John T. Koch, and John Carey (eds), The Celtic Heroic Age. Literary sources for ancient Celtic Europe and early Ireland & Wales, 4th ed., 1, Aberystwyth: Celtic Studies Publications, 2003. [Various].
§ 89
[tr.] Corthals, Johan, Altirische Erzählkunst, Forum Celticum: Studien zu keltischen Sprachen und Kulturen, 1, Münster: Lit, 1996.
Translation into German
[tr.] Draak, Maartje, and Frida de Jong [trs.], Van helden, elfen en dichters: de oudste verhalen uit Ierland, Amsterdam: Meulenhoff, 1979.
120–147 Versions 1, 2 and 3 translated into Dutch.
[ed.] [tr.] Leahy, A. H. [tr.], Heroic romances of Ireland, 2 vols, Irish Saga Library, 2, London, 1905–1906.
[tr.] Thurneysen, Rudolf [tr.], “Etain und Alill Anguba”, in: Rudolf Thurneysen [tr.], Sagen aus dem alten Irland, Berlin, 1901. 77–80.
Internet Archive: <link>
Story 2 from from YBL and LU.
Secondary sources (select)
Gwynn, Lucius, “The two versions of Tochmarc Étáine”, Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 9 (1913): 353–356.
Internet Archive: <link>
web page identifiers
page name: Tochmarc Étaíne
page url: https://codecs.vanhamel.nl/Tochmarc_%C3%89ta%C3%ADne
redirect: https://codecs.vanhamel.nl/Special:Redirect/page/2027
numerical alternative: https://codecs.vanhamel.nl/index.php?curid=2027
page ID: 2027
page ID tracker: https://codecs.vanhamel.nl/index.php?title=Show:ID&id=2027
Contributors
Dennis Groenewegen, Patrick Brown
Page created
March 2011, last updated: January 2024
