Echtrae Chonnlai


The Cycles of the Kings

Kings Home Updates The Sagas The Kings The Dynasties Copyright Information Early Irish Literature Links D. Wiley Homepage Hastings College Contact	Echtrae Chonnlai "The Otherworld Adventure of Connlae" Editions J. O'B. Crowe (ed & tr), 'Mythological Legends of Ancient Ireland, No. 1: The Adventures of Condla Ruad', JRSAI 13 (1874) 118-133. K. McCone (ed & tr), Echtrae Chonnlai and the Beginning of Vernacular Narrative Writing in Ireland: A Critical Edition with Introduction, Notes, Bibliography and Vocabulary (Maynooth 2000). H. Oskamp (ed & tr), 'Echtra Condla', EC 14 (1974) 207-228. J. Pokorny (ed & tr), 'Conle's abenteuerlische Fahrt', ZCP (1928) 193-205. (The translation is into German.) J. Carey, 'The Rhetoric of Echtrae Chonlai', CMCS 30 (1995) 41-64. (focuses on the rhetoric) Manuscripts Lebor na hUidre The Yellow Book of Lecan Rawlinson B 512 Egerton 1782 Egerton 88 R.I.A. 23 N 10 Harley 5280 TCD H. 1. 13 (a copy of Eg. 1782) Date Classical Old Irish, likely eighth century (McCone 29). Other scholars have dated it to the late seventh century. Characters Conn Cétcathach, king of Ireland and eponymous ancestor of Dál Cuinn (prehistoric ancestors of the Connachta and Uí Néill) Connlae Rúad, son of Conn Corann, Conn's druid Notes This text is part of the Cycle Conn Cétchathach. Summary Standing on the hill of Uisnech with his father, Connlae sees a woman in strange garb coming towards them. He asks her where she is from and she responds in verse, saying that she has come from a land where there is no sin, death or strife. Conn cannot hear or see the woman and asks his son who he is talking to. The women then tells Conn--again speaking in verse--that she loves Connlae and has come to summon him to the Plain of Delights (Mag Meld), where his youth and beauty will never fade. Conn then tells his druid Corann (in verse) that the unseen woman has come to steal away his son. Corann chants a spell that prevents them, Connlae included, from seeing or hearing the woman, but as she leaves, she throws Connlae an apple. For the next month, Connlae eats nothing but the apple which never diminishes. A month after the woman's visit, Connlae and his father are on Mag nArcommin, where the young man sees the same woman approaching. Speaking in verse, she summons him again. Conn calls for his druid, but the woman tells him (in verse) to put no faith in druidry. Connlae says that he loves his people but he longs to be with the woman, who entices him with further descriptions of the otherworld. At last, Connlae rushes to the woman. They board her boat, sail off, and are never seen again.




Copyright 2004 Dan M. Wiley. Last updated 07/07/04