Scáthach Essays

Cú Chulainn in The Táin is depicted as a gifted warrior who accomplishes heroic deeds with his legendary strength. However, The Táin is full of violence, death, and bloodshed, and Cú Chulainn is the perpetrator of a great deal of it. The depictions and stories of Cú Chulainn as a young man in particular are telling of the The Táin’s message that violence is senseless and often meaningless. The almost farcical nature of the violent acts that Cú Chulainn commits is indicative of the text’s desire

Sir Gawain and Cú Chulainn Tales of heroes who have to fight the temptation of lust and treasure in order to overcome evil have been around since the dawn of mankind. Humanity has always been fascinated by the powerful and otherworldly, concepts they had to contest in their everyday lives. After all, the common notion was that there must be someone out there to glorify, someone who possessed qualities no man could ever possess yet who still had to face the same temptations everyone else faced. Examples