The Raid

A retelling of the Tain Bo Cualigne, one of the defining myths of ancient Ireland, this is a rousing tale of love, war, sex, passion, jealousy, honor and fabulous heroic feats. Queen Maeve of Connaught, part fertility goddess, part soldier queen, kicks off the action when she seeks to compare wealth with her husband, Ailill, the king. The pair discover they are equal in all possessions except for a prized white bull owned by the king. Maeve learns of a bull of massive strength, the Brown Bull of Cooley, in the neighboring province of Ulster. Determined to capture the beast, she wages war on unprepared Ulster. But she has not counted on Cuchulainn, a boy warrior, who is even today a symbol of the Irish spirit and resistance to oppression. Helped by Morrigan, the Celtic goddess of war, Cuchulainn fights back with fury and cunning, materializing out of darkness to kill, only to disappear again. By rendering the Tain Bo Cuailnge into vernacular American English rather than making a literal translation (some of the original poetic construction is maintained, but also vigorously rendered: ""And you will die for what?/ Maeve's white thighs and butt?""), Eickhoff (The Gombeen Man) creates an earthy, vibrant text that suits the spirit and events of the tale, which through his reworking will, hopefully, prompt further exploration of the ancient Gaelic mythological cycle, long underrated in world literature. A valuable introduction, pronunciation guide and glossary are provided. (Mar.)