batch.motif.celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg-l843-l946
---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg-l843-l946
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
passage_locator:
label: MY MOTHER / CONTENTS / PREFACE / WORKS ON THE TAIN BO CUALNGE; lines 843-946
start: '843'
end: '946'
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: ''
summary: The passage is a bibliographic and prefatory section listing studies, translations,
retellings, poems, ballads, and dramatic works connected with the Tain Bo Cualnge
and Cuchulain. It also includes footnotes on cattle-rearing in Ireland, cattle
as a measure of value, clan raiding customs, pronunciation notes, manuscript references,
and a Latin-Irish note on Cuchulain’s death and ages.
language: English, with some French, German, Latin, and Irish bibliographic or quoted
material
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The passage lists scholarly studies on the Tain by Heinrich Zimmer and other
named scholars, along with related editions and catalogues.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The passage mentions English translations or versions of the Tain from Scottish
Gaelic material recorded in Benbecula and Eigg.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The passage lists retellings and related prose works centered on Cuchulain
and other Irish heroic material, including works for younger readers.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: The passage states that many poems have taken their theme from the Tain and
the deeds of Cuchulain.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: The passage lists dramatic works or performed scenes from the Tain, including
works about the naming and boy-deeds of Cuchulain and the triumph of Maeve.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:6
text: A footnote says Ireland’s humid climate is unfavorable to cereal cultivation
but favorable to cattle-raising, especially bovine cattle.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:7
text: A footnote says that a female slave was sometimes appraised at three head
of cattle among the ancient Gaels.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:8
text: A footnote records that Clan Mackay was known as the Clan of the creaghs and
says the practice was enjoined on the rising generation from the cradle.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:9
text: A note gives a death notice for Cuchulain and states ages associated with
his taking up arms, the Tain Bo Cualnge, and his death.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Cuchulain / Cuchulainn / Cuculain
description: A named heroic figure associated with the Tain, called the Hound of
Ulster, a boy hero, and a hero in cited work titles and notes.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:9
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Queen Meave / Queen Maeve
description: A queen named in titles connected with the Tain, including a foray,
old age, and triumph.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Scathach
description: A named figure appearing in the title The Laughter of Scathach.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Finn
description: A named figure appearing in the title The High Deeds of Finn.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: female slave
description: A generic person mentioned in a footnote as sometimes appraised at
three head of cattle among the ancient Gaels.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
roles:
- id: role:1
label: heroic figure
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The passage cites titles and notes that call Cuchulain a hound of Ulster,
a boy hero, and a hero, and refers to his deeds.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:9
- id: role:2
label: queen
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The passage names Meave/Maeve with the title Queen in cited poetic titles.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:3
label: named figure in related Irish heroic material
assigned_to:
- fig:3
- fig:4
basis: The passage mentions these figures only through titles of related literary
works.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:4
label: appraised person
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The footnote says a female slave could be valued at three head of cattle.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: cattle wealth
literal_form: cattle / bovine cattle / three head of cattle
associated_figures:
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: sym:2
label: creaghs
literal_form: creaghs
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: sym:3
label: ford
literal_form: ford
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Survey of studies and versions of the Tain
summary: The passage lists scholarly studies, translations, Gaelic versions, and
retellings connected with the Tain Bo Cualnge.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:2
label: Poetic and dramatic reception of the Tain
summary: The passage lists poems, ballads, and dramatic works based on the Tain,
the deeds of Cuchulain, Queen Maeve, Scathach, and scenes such as naming and boy-deeds.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:3
label: Cattle and social value in prefatory notes
summary: The footnotes present cattle-rearing as important in Ireland and mention
cattle as a standard for appraising a female slave among the ancient Gaels.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: heroic deeds of Cuchulain
taxonomy_refs:
- culture_hero
basis: The passage repeatedly frames Cuchulain through heroic titles and works about
his deeds, naming, boy-deeds, and death.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:9
confidence: medium
cautions: This passage is bibliographic and does not narrate Cuchulain’s deeds directly;
the taxonomy link is based on cited titles and descriptors.
- id: motif:2
label: cattle as wealth and social measure
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The footnotes emphasize bovine cattle-raising and state that a female slave
could be valued at three head of cattle among the ancient Gaels.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage gives cultural-economic context rather than a mythic episode.
- id: motif:3
label: queen-led foray and triumph
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Titles cited in the passage include The Foray of Queen Meave, The Old Age
of Queen Maeve, and The Triumph of Maeve.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: low
cautions: Only titles are provided; the passage does not describe the events or
functions of Maeve’s actions.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The passage records a scholarly/literary comparison of Cuchulain to Achilles
through the cited title Cuchulainn, the Irish Achilles.
claim_level: same_function
target: Achilles as heroic analogue
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: low
limitations: The comparison is present only as a cited work title; the passage does
not explain the basis of the analogy.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 843-856
quote_or_summary: The passage lists studies by Heinrich Zimmer and others, including
Alfred Nutt’s Cuchulainn, the Irish Achilles.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 856-864
quote_or_summary: The passage mentions Scottish Gaelic versions from Benbecula and
Eigg and their publication or translation history.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 864-876
quote_or_summary: The passage lists retellings and related works, including Cuchulain,
the Hound of Ulster, Dun Dealgan, Cuchulain’s Home Fort, The Coming of Cuculain,
The High Deeds of Finn, and The Boy Hero of Erin.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 878-891
quote_or_summary: The passage says poems have taken their theme from the Tain and
the deeds of Cuchulain and lists titles including The Foray of Queen Meave, The
Old Age of Queen Maeve, The Defenders of the Ford, The Tain-Quest, and The Laughter
of Scathach.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 893-899
quote_or_summary: The passage says scenes from the Tain have been dramatized and
lists The Naming of Cuchulain, The Triumph of Maeve, Cuchulain, and The Boy-Deeds
of Cuchulain.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: quote
locator: lines 901-906, note [1]
quote_or_summary: French note states that Ireland’s humid climate is unfavorable
to cereals but favorable to cattle-rearing, especially the bovine race.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized with brief reference.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 908-910, note [2]
quote_or_summary: The note says that in ancient Gaelic practice a female slave was
sometimes appraised at three head of cattle.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 912-915, note [3]
quote_or_summary: The note says Clan Mackay was known as the Clan of the creaghs
and that their perpetuation was enjoined from the cradle.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 921-927, note [6]
quote_or_summary: A Latin-Irish note records the death of Cuchulain, names attackers,
and gives ages for taking up arms, the Tain Bo Cualnge, and death.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: medium
motif_candidates: low
comparison_claims: low
notes: The passage is mainly bibliographic and prefatory rather than narrative.
Motif extraction is therefore limited to titles, descriptors, and contextual footnotes
explicitly present in the passage.
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: |-
No unsupported taxonomy IDs were added beyond the available culture_hero motif family, and only where the passage repeatedly labels Cuchulain through heroic descriptors.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg__l843-l946
passage_sha256=26ca8f542435afafbdc27fb7ac4ca8cf1d86a18baabdd893debadf49ac097270