Date of Award
5-2023
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
English
Committee Chair/Advisor
Lee Morrissey
Committee Member
Kendra Slayton
Committee Member
Elizabeth Rivlin
Abstract
This thesis examines the role of the Irish hero Cú Chulainn as a guardian of both supernatural and human borders in the popular medieval Irish saga, the Táin Bó Cuailnge. As a descendent of both the human inhabitants of Ireland and the supernatural síd, Cú Chulainn is uniquely situated to negotiate the border between the two worlds these peoples inhabit. The ambiguous distinction between these two worlds is reflected by the river borders that divide Ireland into its shifting land holdings and kingdoms. The ambiguity at the heart of this saga has given it enormous potential for adaptation through the years, which has contributed to its lasting prominence despite the lack of narrative clarity in the extant manuscripts.
Recommended Citation
Atkinson, David, "Cú Chulainn's "Vigil on the Hound Fords": The Centrality of Borders in the Táin Bó Cuailnge" (2023). All Theses. 4025.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4025