Mesca Ulad facts for kids
Mesca Ulad means The Intoxication of the Ulaid in English. The Ulaid were a group of people from ancient Ulster, a province in Ireland. This story is part of a collection of old Irish tales called the Ulster Cycle. It tells a wild and exciting adventure about the Ulaid warriors.
The story was written down a long time ago, in the 12th century. You can find it in famous old books like the Book of Leinster and the Lebor na hUidre. The name Mesca Ulad itself only appears in the Book of Leinster version.
The adventure takes place during Samhain, which is an ancient Irish festival. It's like a very old version of Halloween! The Ulaid warriors decide they want to go to two big feasts in one night. The first feast is far north at a place called Dún Dá Bhenn, which is in what we now call County Londonderry. The second feast is to the east, at the fortress of the famous hero Cúchulainn in Dún Delgan, which is now Dundalk.
But things don't go as planned! Instead of heading to their feasts, the Ulaid accidentally travel south, all the way to County Kerry. In Kerry, they meet their old enemies, the Munstermen. The Munstermen pretend to be friendly and offer the Ulaid a place to stay. The Ulaid accept, not knowing it's a trick. The Munstermen then light a huge bonfire right under the Ulaid's wooden and iron building! Luckily, the Ulaid are tough warriors and manage to survive this fiery trap.
Contents
The Story's Old Books
The tale of Mesca Ulad comes from very old Irish manuscripts. These are handwritten books from many centuries ago.
Where the Story Was Found
The main versions of the story are in two important books:
- The Book of Leinster: This book has a longer version of the story.
- The Lebor na hUidre: This book has an older version of the story, but some parts are missing.
Other old books also have parts of the story, like the G4 or Yellow Book of Lecan and another called Ed. XL. These old books help us understand how the story changed over time.
Learning More About the Story
Many people have studied and translated Mesca Ulad over the years.
Different Versions and Translations
Since the story is so old, scholars have worked hard to make it available for everyone to read. They have created different "editions" by comparing the old manuscripts. They have also translated the story from old Irish into modern languages like English and French.
- One of the first English translations was by William M. Hennessy in 1889.
- J. Carmichael Watson made an important edition of the original Irish text in 1941. He also translated it into English.
- Other translators like Jeffrey Gantz and John T. Koch have also made English versions of the story.
These translations help people who don't know old Irish still enjoy this exciting tale from the past.
