History Literature / TainBoCuailnge

The ''Táin Bó Cúailnge'', a.k.a. ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an ancient Irish story from the Ulster Cycle of Myth/CelticMythology. The oldest surviving manuscripts are in Middle Irish and date to the 12th century, but there are allusions to it in Old Irish poems of the 7th century, and elements of it are strikingly similar to things the [[AncientGreece Greeks]] and [[AncientRome Romans]] used to say of the Celts.

* LoopholeAbuse: When a recurrence of an ancient cure sees the men of Ulster bedridden and unable to fight as they suffer from magic-induced birth pangs (...it's a long story... involving a horse...), the only person able to stand in the kingdom's defense is [[NoManOfWomanBorn a teenage boy who was not even born in Ulster]].

* LoopholeAbuse: When a recurrence of an ancient cure sees the men of Ulster bedridden and unable to fight as they suffer from magic-induced birth pangs (...it's a long story... involving a horse...), the only person able to stand in it's defense is [[NoManOfWomanBorn a teenage boy who was not even born in Ulster]].

* BadassBoast: EVERYONE does this at one point or another. Medb takes the cake though, claiming (through simple multiplication) that her army alone numbers some '''40 billion'''-strong.

* BadassBoast: EVERYONE does this at one point or another. Medb takes the cake though, claim (through simple multiplication) that her army alone numbers some '''40 billion'''-strong.

* BadassBoast: EVERYONE does this at one point or another. At one point, Medb claims (through simple multiplication) that her army alone numbers some 40 '''billion'''-strong.

* Myth/CelticMythology

* TheUnpronounceable: It can be assured that most of the names in this (including the title--''The Toy-n Boh Coon-yah'') are NOT pronounced as they look. See IrishNames for pronunciation help.

* ConservationOfNinjutsu: Justified and defied. Cú Chulainn's massive kill count owed much to his use of guerrilla tactics. CombatByChampion forces him out in the open and, while none of Medb's EliteMooks have a chance against him, they ''can'' wear him down with fatigue and ScratchDamage.

Queen Medb of Connacht and her husband Ailill are talking in bed one night, trying to figure out whose wealth is greater. They eventually conclude that their wealth is exactly equal except for one thing: Ailill owns a great prize bull, while Medb does not. So Medb commands the soldiers of Ireland to invade the kingdom of Ulster and steal its prized bull, Donn Cúailgne, the Brown Bull of Cooley, at any cost. This should be easy, since Ulster is under an unrelated curse that keeps the grown Ulstermen from fighting, and thus Ulster stands nearly defenseless before her army. Medb is thus opposed only by sixteen-year-old hero Cú Chulainn. Of course, Cú Chulainn is a ''hero'' in the classical sense, a demigod of amazing prowess, and the ensuing fight is ''epic'', including several gods and a good deal of magic.

Queen Medb of Connacht and her husband Aillil are talking in bed one night, trying to figure out whose wealth is greater. They eventually conclude that their wealth is exactly equal except for one thing: Aillil has a great prize bull, while Medb does not. So Medb commands the soldiers of Ireland to invade the kingdom of Ulster and steal its prized bull, Donn Cúailgne, the Brown Bull of Cooley, at any cost. This should be easy, since Ulster is under an unrelated curse that keeps the grown Ulstermen from fighting, and thus Ulster stands nearly defenseless before her army. Medb is thus opposed only by sixteen-year-old hero Cú Chulainn. Of course, Cú Chulainn is a ''hero'' in the classical sense, a demigod of amazing prowess, and the ensuing fight is ''epic'', including several gods and a good deal of magic.

Queen Medb of Connacht and her husband Aillil are talking in bed one night, trying to figure out whose wealth is greater. They eventually conclude that their wealth is exactly equal except for one thing: Aillil has a great prize bull, while Medb does not. So Medb commands the soldiers of Ireland to invade the kingdom of Ulster and steal its prized bull, Donn Cúailgne, the Brown Bull of Cooley, at any cost. This should be easy, since Ulster is under an unrelated curse that keeps the grown Ulstermen from fighting, and thus Ulster stands nearly defenseless before her army. Medb is thus opposed only by sixteen-year-old hero Cú Chulainn. Some magic and a few gods make appearances.

Queen Medb of Connacht commands the soldiers of Ireland to invade the kingdom of Ulster and steal its prized bull, Donn Cúailgne, the Brown Bull of Cooley, at any cost. Though Ulster stands defenseless before her army, she is opposed only by sixteen-year-old hero Cú Chulainn. Some magic and a few gods make appearances.

* InspirationalInsult: [[NoMasterToHisValet Laeg]] favorite means of aiding Cú Chulainn in a fight is to taunt him from the sidelines.

* BlackCommedy: Quite often, particularly anything that involves [[RasputinianDeath Cethern]].

* DoNotTauntCthulhu: When Fergus goes to negotiate with Cú Chulainn, Medb's son Etarcomol insists on coming along, which Fergus allows ''only'' if Etarcomol can keep his mouth shut and not insult the unstoppable demigod that's been decimating their army. Etarcomol then proceeds to insult the unstoppable demigod. Then he challenges the unstoppable demigod to a duel. ''Then'' he insists on continuing after the unstoppable demigod quickly kicks his ass and tells him to scram.

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The Táin has been adapted into comics on a couple of occasions. (There's one [[http://paddybrown.co.uk/?cat=171 here]], and another in Modern Irish [[http://www.leabhar.com/shop.htm here]]). Irish Celtic-rock band ''{{Horslips}}'' made a concept album based on the story in 1973. Music/TheDecemberists' EP ''The Tain'' is a setting of Colin Meloy's interpretation/abridgment of the epic to EpicRocking.

* FriendlyEnemy: Fergus [=MacRoach=]. The one-time king of Ulster and leader of the Ulster Exiles who fight for Medb. He's also Cú Chulainn's foster father, and is the only person in Medb's ranks whom he never raises arms against.

The ''Táin Bó Cúailnge'', a.k.a. ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an ancient Irish story from the Ulster Cycle of Myth/CelticMythology. The oldest surviving manuscripts are in Middle Irish and date to the 12th century, but there are allusions to it in poems of the 7th century, and elements of it are strikingly similar to things the [[AncientGreece Greeks]] and [[AncientRome Romans]] used to say of the Celts.

The ''Táin Bó Cúailnge'', a.k.a. ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an ancient Irish story from the Ulster Cycle of Myth/CelticMythology. The oldest surviving manuscripts date to the 12th century, but there are allusions to it in poems of the 7th century, and elements of it are strikingly similar to things the [[AncientGreece Greeks]] and [[AncientRome Romans]] used to say of the Celts.

The Táin has been adapted into comics on a couple of occasions. (There's one [[http://paddybrown.co.uk/?cat=171 here]], and another in modern Irish [[http://www.leabhar.com/shop.htm here]]). Irish Celtic-rock band ''{{Horslips}}'' made a concept album based on the story in 1973. Music/TheDecemberists' EP ''The Tain'' is a setting of Colin Meloy's interpretation/abridgment of the epic to EpicRocking.

* CelticMythology

The ''Táin Bó Cúailnge'', a.k.a. ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an ancient Irish story from the Ulster Cycle of CelticMythology. The oldest surviving manuscripts date to the 12th century, but there are allusions to it in poems of the 7th century, and elements of it are strikingly similar to things the [[AncientGreece Greeks]] and [[AncientRome Romans]] used to say of the Celts.

[[caption-width-right:275:How's the scheming today, Medb?]]

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* ConservationOfNinjutsu: Justified and defied. Cu Chulainn's massive kill count owed much to his use of guerrilla tactics. CombatByChampion forces him out in the open and, while none of Medb's EliteMooks have a chance against him, they ''can'' wear him down with fatigue and ScratchDamage.

Queen Medb of Connacht commands the soldiers of Ireland to invade the kingdom of Ulster and steal its prized bull, Donn Cúailgne, the Brown Bull of Cooley, at any cost. Though Ulster stands defenseless before her army, she is opposed only by sixteen-year-old hero Cú Chulainn. Some magic, and a few gods make appearances.

A graphic novel based on the epic can be found [[http://paddybrown.co.uk/?cat=171 here]]. Irish Celtic-rock band ''{{Horslips}}'' made a concept album based on the story in 1973. Music/TheDecemberists' EP ''The Tain'' is a setting of Colin Meloy's interpretation/abridgment of the epic to EpicRocking.