The Letter, Issue 63, Autumn 2016, Pages 83 - 95
A PERFECT CONSTRUCTION
Marion Deane
This fore-tale to the Táin Bó Cualnge is a 9th century representation of an event in the 7th century when the poets of Ireland set about reconstituting a book whose original contents are imagined to have happened around the time of Christ. In this paper, I will examine, in light of Christian Fierens’ work on L’Étourdit, how its basic assumptions about what constitutes truth in its entirety do not stand up to scrutiny.
Keywords: Táin Bó Cualnge; assertory propositions; body; concept; knowledge; memory
Do Fallsigud Tána Bó Cualnge[1]
Concomgarthá trá filid Herend do Senchán Torpeist, dús in ba mebor leo Táin Bo Cualngi inna ógi. Asbertatar nach fetar di acht bloga nammá. Asbert iaram Senchán ria daltu dús cia dib no ragad ara bennacht i tíre Letha do foglaim na Tána berta in suí sair dar éis in chulmeinn … Iss ed dollotar do fertai Fergusa meic Róig ocus sech a liic oc Énloch la Connachta. Suidid Murgein a oenur oc liic Fergusa. & luid cách úad Gabais Murgen tra laíd don lííc amal bid Fergus fessin adgladad. a n-asbert riss iarum. ‘Manib do liic luaich-thech malgel mac Róig … Cuailngi in cech follus ... La sodain forrubai in ceó mór imbi connach fúair a muntir co cend tri laa ocus tri n-aidche. Intí Fergus fo chongraimimm chain … Adfét Fergus dó iarum in Táin uili amal doringned o thossuch co dead … Tiagait uli co Senchán iarum ocus adfiadat a n-imthechta dó ocus ba buidechside dííb iarum dano.