Description
By Eleanor Hull. Enter the heroic world of ancient Ireland, where warriors battle for honor, kings rule from great halls, and legends echo across the green hills of Ulster.
In The Boys’ Cuchulain: Heroic Legends of Ireland, renowned Celtic scholar Eleanor Hull retells the thrilling adventures of Cú Chulainn, the greatest hero of Irish myth and one of the most legendary warrior figures in all Celtic tradition. Drawing upon the ancient sagas of the Ulster Cycle, Hull brings to life a world of bravery, tragedy, loyalty, and supernatural wonder in a style specially crafted for younger readers and general audiences.
Readers follow the remarkable life of Cú Chulainn from his boyhood feats of strength and courage to his rise as the defender of Ulster against overwhelming enemies. Along the way appear mighty warriors, fierce queens, magical beings, heroic battles, and dramatic adventures rooted in the rich oral traditions of ancient Ireland. Legendary episodes such as the great cattle raid of Cooley unfold with vivid energy, revealing a mythic world filled with honor, sacrifice, and destiny.
Hull’s storytelling preserves the grandeur and atmosphere of the original Celtic legends while presenting them in clear and engaging language accessible to modern readers. The book introduces readers not only to Ireland’s heroic mythology, but also to the values, customs, and imagination of the early Celtic world.
More than a collection of adventure stories, The Boys’ Cuchulain is a gateway into one of Europe’s great mythological traditions and an enduring celebration of Irish cultural heritage.
This carefully restored reprint revives a beloved classic of mythological storytelling for modern audiences. Ideal for students, families, lovers of Celtic mythology, and readers interested in Irish legend and heroic literature, it remains a timeless journey into the legendary age of ancient Ireland.
About the author: Eleanor Henrietta Hull (1860–1935) was a writer, journalist and scholar of Old Irish. She was born in England but educated at Alexandra College, Dublin, where she majored in Irish Studies. In 1899 she was co-founder of the Irish Texts Society for the publication of early manuscripts, and remained that body’s honorary secretary for nearly thirty years. She was also president of the Irish Literary Society, and produced a large number of works on Irish mythology and the history of Ireland and her people.
Contents:
How Conor Became King of Ulster
Queen Meave and the Woman-Seer
The Boy Corps of King Conor
How Cuchulain Got His Name
How Cuchulain Took Arms
Of Cuchulain’s First Feats of Championship
Cuchulain’s Adventures in Shadow-Land
How Cuchulain Wooed His Wife
Meave Demands the Brown Bull of Cooley
The Plucking Out of the Four-Pronged Pole
The Deer of Ill-Luck
Etarcomal’s Well-Deserved Fate
The Fight with Spits of Holly-Wood
The Combat with Ferdia
The Fall of Ferdia
Ulster, Awake!
The End of the Boy-Corps
The “Rising Out of Ulster”
The Humbling of Queen Meave
The Fairy Swan-Maidens
How Cuchulain Went to Fairyland
Deirdre of Contentions
The Upbringing of Deirdre
The Sleep-Wanderer
The Wiles of King Conor
The Sorrowful Death of Usna’s Sons
The Fight of Cuchulain with His Son Conla
The Hound at Bay
Fame Outlives Life
The Red Rout
