batch.motif.celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg-l1622-l1689
---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg-l1622-l1689
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
passage_locator:
label: PREFACE / WORKS ON THE TAIN BO CUALNGE / THE PILLOW-TALK / THIS IS THE ROUTE
OF THE TAIN; lines 1622-1689
start: '1622'
end: '1689'
translation: The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Tain Bo Cualnge
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: "“On Monday after Summer's end they set forth and proceeded”"
summary: The passage gives the route and road-names of the Tain expedition. The
hosts of four of the five grand provinces of Erin set out from Cruachan Ai toward
Ulster, pass through a long sequence of named places, roads, woods, ridges, streams,
and other landmarks, and at Finnabair of Cualnge divide across the province in
pursuit of the bull.
language: English
quote_policy: quoted
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The passage identifies the section as the route of the Tain, the beginning
of the expedition, and the names of the roads used by the hosts.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The hosts are described as those of four of the five grand provinces of Erin
going into the land of Ulster.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The hosts set forth on Monday after Summer's end.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The itinerary begins south-east from Cruachan Ai and proceeds through a long
list of named places and landmarks toward Finnabair of Cualnge.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: obs:5
text: At Slechta, swords are said to have hewed out roads before Medb and Ailill.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: At Finnabair of Cualnge, the hosts of Erin divided over the province in pursuit
of the bull.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: The passage includes several kinds of landmarks, including loughs, woods,
streams, ridges, fields, towns, and trees named as points on the route.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: hosts of the four of the five grand provinces of Erin
description: The collective hosts who take the roads into Ulster and later divide
across the province.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Medb
description: A named leader before whom roads are hewed by swords at Slechta.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Ailill
description: A named leader before whom roads are hewed by swords at Slechta.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: the bull
description: The animal pursued by the hosts after they divide at Finnabair of Cualnge.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
roles:
- id: role:1
label: expeditionary host
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The hosts set forth, travel into Ulster, and divide over the province.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: role:2
label: leaders preceded by road-clearing
assigned_to:
- fig:2
- fig:3
basis: The passage states that swords hewed out roads before Medb and Ailill.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:3
label: pursued animal
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The hosts divide over the province in pursuit of the bull.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: route and roads
literal_form: Named roads and itinerary through multiple places from Cruachan Ai
toward Finnabair of Cualnge
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: sym:2
label: swords clearing roads
literal_form: Swords hewing out roads before Medb and Ailill
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:3
label: bull
literal_form: The bull pursued by the hosts of Erin
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:4
label: tree place-names
literal_form: The little Eo Dond and the great Eo Dond, translated as Brown Tree
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:5
label: water landmarks
literal_form: Named water places on the route, including Dubloch, Findglassa Assail,
and Dub / Blackwater
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Opening of the expedition route
summary: The hosts of four of the five grand provinces of Erin begin the expedition
after Summer's end and take roads into Ulster.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Itinerary through named landmarks
summary: The passage lists the course of the expedition from Cruachan Ai through
many named places, with directional notes and translated place-name glosses.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: scene:3
label: Roads hewed before Medb and Ailill
summary: At Slechta, swords are described as hewing out roads before Medb and Ailill.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Division in pursuit of the bull
summary: At Finnabair of Cualnge, the hosts of Erin divide over the province in
pursuit of the bull.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: departure of an expedition
taxonomy_refs:
- departure
basis: The passage explicitly frames the beginning of the expedition and states
that the hosts set forth after Summer's end.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The passage is primarily an itinerary, not a developed narrative of departure
rites or emotional separation.
- id: motif:2
label: quest-like pursuit of a prized animal
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The hosts divide over the province in pursuit of the bull after following
the route into Ulster.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage names the pursuit of the bull but does not narrate capture,
theft, contest, or ritual significance in this excerpt.
- id: motif:3
label: heroic or martial road-making
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The passage states that swords hewed out roads before Medb and Ailill.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The wording is brief and may be formulaic or geographical; no further
martial action is described in the passage.
- id: motif:4
label: sacred or epic itinerary through named landscape
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The passage preserves a long sequence of place-names, directions, and landmark
glosses as the formal route of the expedition.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: No explicit sacred status is assigned to the landscape in this excerpt;
the label is limited to the epic itinerary pattern.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 1622-1628
quote_or_summary: The section is titled as the route of the Tain, the beginning
of the expedition, and the names of the roads taken by the hosts of four of the
five grand provinces of Erin into Ulster.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:2
type: quote
locator: lines 1627-1629
quote_or_summary: "“On Monday after Summer's end they set forth and proceeded”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt from supplied passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 1635-1654
quote_or_summary: The itinerary begins south-east from Cruachan Ai and proceeds
by many named places, including Mag Cruimm, Tuaim Mona, Turloch Teora Crich, Dubloch,
Fid Dubh, the Shannon, Tethba, Slechta, and other landmarks.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:4
type: quote
locator: lines 1649-1651
quote_or_summary: "“by Slechta, where swords hewed out roads before Medb and Ailill”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt from supplied passage.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 1668-1672
quote_or_summary: From Finnabair of Cualnge, the hosts of Erin divided over the
province in pursuit of the bull; the passage says they traveled by the listed
places until they reached Finnabair.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 1655-1668
quote_or_summary: The later portion of the itinerary continues through places such
as Ath Gabla, Ardachad, Finnabair, Druim Salfind, Druim Cain, the little and great
Eo Dond, Ross Mor, Fid Mor, Colbtha, Crond in Cualnge, and Druim Cain on the road
to Midluachar.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: The itinerary, named figures, road-clearing detail, and bull pursuit are
explicit. Motif labeling beyond departure and pursuit is cautious because the
excerpt is mostly a route list.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Used only the supplied passage and metadata. No comparison claims were added because the passage itself does not support a specific comparison to another text or tradition.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg__l1622-l1689
passage_sha256=08a58388986630f96302dcac8fd2bc2a26b1dc43dae5b7cb5dd1e2c82b2c72ee