The Destruction of Dá Derga's Hostel
by Anonymous · Togail Bruidne Dá Derga
Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 8th-9th century, in an 11th century recension
- Era
- Medieval
- Form
- Romance and tale
- Language
- Other
- Length
- Short · 60 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendThe Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel, translated by Whitley StokesHarvard Classics, P. F. Collier, 1910The public-domain translation used by the Harvard Classics; more recent versions appear in anthologies of early Irish tales.
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An Old Irish prose tale from the Ulster cycle's neighbouring tradition of kings. Conaire Mór, son of a bird-man and a foundling girl, is made high king of Ireland under a set of prohibitions he must never break. Forced by circumstance to violate them one after another, he takes shelter in the hostel of Dá Derga, where his foster-brothers, turned raiders, and the British pirate Ingcél surround him. A long sequence describes each company in the hostel before the assault; Conaire kills hundreds, dies of thirst, and his severed head thanks the warrior who brings it water.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns The Destruction of Dá Derga's Hostel are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
