Claíomh_Solais

Claíomh Solais

Claíomh Solais

Great weapon of Celtic myth

This article is about the mythological Sword of Light. For other uses, see Claíomh Solais (disambiguation).

The Sword of Light or Claidheamh Soluis (Old Irish; modern Irish: Claíomh Solais [ˌklˠiːw ˈsˠɔlˠəʃ]) is a trope object that appears in a number of Irish and Scottish Gaelic folktales. The "Quest for sword of light" formula is catalogued as motif H1337.

Definitive 6-pence stamp of Sword of Light, Ireland, 1922–3. Arched caption reads "An Claiḋeaṁ Soluis"

The sword appears commonly as a quest object in the Irish folktale of a hero seeking "The One Story" (or the "Cause of the one story about women"), which culminates in the discovery of a "Tale of the Werewolf" (a man magically turned wolf by an unfaithful wife). However, the sword is uninvolved in the man-wolf portion, and only figures in the hero-adventure frame story.

The sword of light, according to a different commentator, is a fixture of an Irish tale group describable as a quasi-bridal-quest. This characterization is inspired by the formula where the hero gains a beautiful wife (and riches) by gambling against a gruagach aka wizard-champion, but suffers losses which makes him beholden to mount on a hopeless-seeming quest. Like the actual "giant's daughter" bridal quest tales, the sword of light hero often gains assistance of "helpful animals" in completing his tasks or ordeals.

The sword has been regarded as a legacy to the god-slaying weapons of Irish mythology by certain scholars, such as T. F. O'Rahilly, the analogues being the primeval Celtic deity's lightning-weapon, Lugh's sling that felled Balor, the hero Cúchulainn's supernatural spear Gae bulga and his shining sword Cruaidín Catutchenn.

Forms

The spelling as appears in published Irish texts and scholastic commentary is Claidheamh Soluis[1] alternatively (an) cloidheamh solais;[2] but these are pre-reform spelling, and in modernized reformed spelling Claíomh Solais would be used.[3] The name has also been transliterated into Hiberno-English as chloive solais.[4] The sword may be rendered in English as the "Sword of Light", or "Shining Sword".[5]

Likewise, the Scottish Gaelic form is claidheamh solais "glaive of light",[6] or claidheamh geal solais "White Glave of Light".[7][5][lower-alpha 1]

Overview

The folk tales featuring the sword of light may be bridal quests, and the hero's would-be bride often becomes the hero's helper.[9][10][lower-alpha 2]

But also typically the story is a sort of quasi-bridal quest,[lower-alpha 3][12] where the hero wins a bride by wager, but then suffers a loss, becoming oath-bound (compelled by geis[lower-alpha 4]) to never come home until he has completed the quest for the sword (and other objectives). The opponent who tempts the hero with this gambling game is usually a gruagach ("wizard-champion"[16]) or wizard/druid.[lower-alpha 5][12] and the sword's keeper is often a giant[17][18] (athach,[1] Scottish Gaelic: fhamhair[19]) or hag (cailleach),[21][17] or a sibling of the wizard.[22]

The sword-keeper oftentimes must be defeated (killed), which is not possible except by some secret means. Thus the hero or helper may resort to the sword of light as the only effective weapon against this enemy.[23] But often the sword is not enough, and the supernatural enemy has to be attacked on a single vulnerable spot. The weak spot, moreover, may be an external soul[24] (motif index E710) concealed somewhere in the world at large (inside animals, etc.); or, as in the case of "The Young King Of Easaidh Ruadh", this external soul is encased within a nested series of animals.[6][25]

Typically bound up with the quest for the sword of light is the quest for the "One Story" (' truth about women'), namely, the story of the faithless wife who transforms her husband into a wolf.[26][27]

The hero in some examples are compelled to perform (three) sets of tasks, aided by helpers, who may be the would-be bride,[29] "helpful animals",[lower-alpha 6][32] or a supernatural being ("little green/red man").[35]

Texts

The King of Ireland's Son thrusts the sword of light.
—Willy Pogany illustr., frontispiece of Padraic Colum, The King of Ireland's Son (1916).

Below are the lists of tales where the sword of light occurs. Kittredge's sigla (K J L C1 O'F H c m) are given in boldface:[lower-alpha 7][lower-alpha 8]

Irish folktales

Scottish Gaelic folktales

The publication of tales from the Highlands (Campbell (1860), Popular Tales of the West Highlands) predate the Irish tales becoming available in print.

Commentary

The sword of light (or glaive of light) is a trope artefact that occurs in a number of Gaelic tales.[85] It also occurs in Irish folktales also, as described below. The "Quest for sword of light" (H1337) motif is also listed in Stith Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk-Literature.[86]

Grouping

One strand of the "sword of light" tale has been transmitted in French Canada as the tale of the "Sword of Wisdom",[87] and assigned type 305A. However, the Irish cognate had not been catalogued as a tale type by Aarne-Thompson,[86] though recognized in The Types of the Irish Folktale.[lower-alpha 18][86]

One Story and Werewolf's Tale

The quest for the sword of light is an added layer,[88] attached to the core tale of the quest for "the one story",[lower-alpha 19] which forms a frame story to the Irish versions of the medieval werewolf tale, according to George Lyman Kittredge's 1903 study.[89][27]

"The one story" is actually shorthand, and Kittredge generally uses "the cause of the one story about women", as occurs in O'Foharta's version.[90][30] Similar titles[1][77] or sub-titles occur in Irish as well.[91] The form "news of the death of Anshgayliacht" in "Morraha",[28] is deemed to be a corruption.[92]

The werewolf tale, recounted by a man who had once been magically transformed into a wolf by an unfaithful wife, is analyzed by Kittredge for its compound structure, but the in-tale generally does not concern the Sword of Light.[93][22][lower-alpha 20]

It is pointed out that in the sword of light fails to occur in the Scottish version of the werewolf tale, replaced by the hero obtaining custody of the werewolf himself, by bartering his horse.[27][95]

Quasi-bridal quest

Some tales fall into an actual bridal-quest pattern. In "The Thirteenth Son of the King of Erin", Sean Ruadh (actually the eldest prince) is assisted by the princess who is his would-be bride in slaying the urfeist (sea-serpent).[9] And in the "Widow's Son", the hero promises marriage to the giant's daughter, who also becomes the hero's helper.[10]

Josef Baudiš suggested a slightly different grouping, which similar to the bridal-quest type but distinguishably different: the hero wins a beautiful wife (and riches) as wager in a game played against a gruagach (wizard-champion) figure, but it is a trap, and when the hero suffers a loss, he is compelled to go on a quest, usually for the sword of light.[lower-alpha 21][lower-alpha 22][12]

Helpful animals

Kittredge has recognized the presence of "helpful animals" assisting the hero in the tales,[32] catalogued in the range of Types B300–590, "Helpful Animals" in Thompson's Motif-Index.[97] Kittedge recognizes the Skilful Companions motif in the werewolf in-story, but that portion does not much concern the sword, as aforementioned.[lower-alpha 23][94]

In O'Foharta's Irish text (O'F) the helpers are a hawk, otter, and a fox ("Hawk of the Grey Wood", the "Otter of the Endless Tempests", and the "Fox of the Pleasant Crag").[30] In Campbell's Scottish The Young King of Easaidh Ruadh (c text), the helpers are a dog, hawk, and an otter ("slim dog of the greenwood", "hoary hawk of the grey rock", and "brown otter of the river").[6][lower-alpha 24] In McInnes's Scottish version (m text) there are not three, but four animals.[99][83]

It might be noted that Irish bridal quest of the "giant's daughter" type[lower-alpha 25] is recognized as an equivalent to folktale to the Six Go through the Whole World type (ATU 513A),[100] and this type features "magical helpers" or "extraordinary helpers".[101]

The secret about women

In the Irish folktale, the hero goes on quest for ' The Only Story' (Irish: An t-Aon Scéal) which is thought to mean ' truth about women '.[41] That meaning is illuminated in versions that provide a more fuller title, e. g., "The Shining Sword and the Knowledge of the Cause of the One Story about Women",[30][lower-alpha 26][lower-alpha 27] This has been corrupted to "news of the death of Anshgayliacht" in the L (Larminie) version.[103][104]

Kittredge considered the "secret about women" element to be an essential and original part of the Irish story, as seen in the stemma of texts given by him,[lower-alpha 28] even though the "woman" part of it has been lost in some variants, such as Kennedy's Fios Fath an aon Sceil ("perfect narrative of the unique story")[105]

A more familiar Arthurian tale perhaps than Arthur and Gorlagon which embeds the quest of "What is it that women most desire?" is The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle.[106]

External soul motif

The external soul motif in Sword of Light stories have been noted for example by Gerard Murphy.[24]

The tale "The Young King Of Easaidh Ruadh" was also given as a typical example of "External soul" motif (E 710[107]) by folklorist Katharine Mary Briggs.[25] It has been pointed out that the Easaidh Ruadh refers to a place name in Ireland, probably the Assaroe Falls in Ballyshannon, County Donegal.[108]

A similar Irish tale involving the "external soul" is the Donegal tale "Hung up Naked Man" (Irish: An Crochaire Tarrnochtuighthe; Irish title: "Éamonn Ua Ciórrthais(?)" ed. E. C. Quiggin), studied by Roger Sherman Loomis.[109][110] While Loomis does not explicitly state a connection to the sword of light, he remarks that there is parallel to the Irish giant Cú roí whom he describes a "solar host" or "solar divinity",[111] and notes that Cú roí was "slain with his own sword",[112] (as according to the narrative Aided Chon Roí in which Cú roí's wife Blaíthíne reveals the weakness).

Three attempts

In the specimen collected by Kennedy, the hero is assisted by the king who is his own father-in-law, who happens to be the brother of the sword owner, and the hero's antagonist, the Druid demanding the sword.[22]

The Sculloge's rides forth to the dwelling of the sword owner three times, his horse being hacked by the sword in the first two tries, but succeeding on the third.[113] The three time's the charm element that occurs here is also present in the Morraha tale collected by Larminie.[28][114]

As a mythological sword

The assertion has been made that Claidheamh Soluis is "a symbol of Ireland attributed in oral tradition to Cúchulainn" (James Mackillop[3]), although none of the tales listed above name Cuchulainn as protagonist. T. F. O'Rahilly only went as far as to suggests that the "sword of light" in folk tales was a vestige of divine weapons and heroic weapons, such as Cúchulainn's shining sword Cruaidín Catutchenn,[115] whose name means 'the Hard-headed Steeling'.[116] This sword (aka "Socht's sword") is said to have "shone at night like a candle" according to a version of Echtrae Cormaic ("Adventures of Cormac mac Airt").[116]

T. F. O'Rahilly's schema, roughly speaking, the primeval divine weapon was a fiery and bright lightning weapon, most often conceived of as a throwing spear; in later traditions, the wielder would change from god to hero, and spear tended to be replaced by sword. From the heroic cycles, some prominent examples are Fergus Mac Roigh's sword Caladbolg and Mac Cecht's spear. But Caladbolg does not manifest as a blazing sword, and the latter which does emit fiery sparks is a spear, thus failing to fit the profile of a sword which shines. One example which does fit, is Cúchulainn's sword Cruaidín Catutchenn which was aforementioned.[117] And the legacy of these mythological and heroic weapons (Lug's lighting-weapon, his "son" Cúchulainn's remarkable sword, etc. ) survive in the "sword of light" in folklore.[118][119]

Connection to Arthuriana

A broad sweeping parallel has been made between the light or lightning weapons of Celtic tradition and King Arthur's Excalibur, described as brightly shining in several places of the Vulgate cycle Roman de Merlin.[120][lower-alpha 29] Similar passages obviously occur in Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, which uses this as a source.[lower-alpha 30][121]

Wounding by one's own sword

A more precise parallel which has been argued is that just as the sword of light in Irish and Scottish folktales contain a "(fatal) wounding by one's own sword" motif, the Arthurian cycle contains an episode where Arthur is imperiled by his own sword, Excalibur. In the Huth Merlin, Morgan le Fay plots to have Arthur killed with his own Excalibur, by stealing the sword for her lover Accalon, who unbeknownst fights his lord King Arthur with it. The Lady of the Lake intercedes at the right moment to prevent Arthur's death.[122] The episode has been copied by Malory as well[122] (with the knight being called Accolon unlike the French original)[123]

Sleeping giant

Dáithí Ó hÓgáin deduces that certain properties of the sword of light (such as screaming when touched in order to alert its owner) is likely borrowed from Arthurian material, because there is evidence that a version of Fios Fatha an Aonsceil ('the knowledge of the cause of the One Story') had been told about Gearóid Iarla (Earl Gerald FitzGerald) of the 14th century, whose family had close ties with Arthurian tradition.[124] To the Earl is attached a Barbarossa legend (King asleep in mountain motif),[125] which makes the figure conducive to be transformed into a "sleeping giant" of folktale.

Grail sword

Other commentators have equated the Sword of Light to the Grail sword.[126] Loomis also suggested that the sword obtained by Cei (Sir Kay) in the Welsh tale Culhwch and Olwen (i.e., the sword of Gwrnach the giant) must be "related to the sword of light which is the object of the Irish and Scottish folk-tales".[127]

See also

Explanatory notes

  1. While glaive can denote a broadsword, though it may often refer to a polearm.[8]
  2. Or involve the winning of husbands in e.g., Maol a Chliobain.[11]
  3. Joseph Baudiš remarks the tale group is similar to the "quest for the bride".
  4. By laying a geas or geasa (taboo), e.g., Kennedy's version,[13] Ó Cillín ed.[14] Cf. Hyde's version with Eng. tr.[15]
  5. draoidheadóir.[12] sighe draoi, "the Druid",[4]
  6. "Helpful animals" being the phrase in Stith Thompson's motif-index. Examples: a goose, otter, and fox in O'Foharta[30] and three brothers-in-law who transform into a ram, salmon, and eagle in "The Weaver's Son".[31]
  7. Kittredge listed eight "Irish versions" of the werewolf tale, 1) K 2) J 3) L 4) C1 5) C2 6) O'F 7) H 8) S.[36] He refers to the eight versions collectively as I.[37]
  8. However, Kittredge's 5) C2 does not mention the sword of light.[38] Nor 8) S ""How the Great Tuairisgeul was put to death", with Tuairisgeul glossed as 'Description, report, calumny', which is a Scottish version,[39] which contrasts with J. F. Campbell's The Young King Of Easaidh Ruadh which features a "glaive of light".[40] Instead, the hero barters his horse to obtain an old man (the werewolf himself), who turns out to be none other than "the Great Tuairisgeul".[41]
  9. In Irish; this is another version of Kennedy's "Sculloge's son from Muskerry" or Larminie's "Morraha".[44]
  10. Here it is the "sword of sharpness". Cf. footnote in A.C.L. Brown.[45]
  11. Name half-anglicized as to "Domhnal O'Foharty" by William Rooney[49] and anglicized "Donald O'Faherty" by Leland Duncan; Duncan also gave the English-translations of the book-title, story-titles, with summaries.
  12. As for the Irish title, leaduidhe is glossed as a "person who is loath to leave the fireside",[50] and na luaithe (genitive of luaith) signifies "of the ashes".[51] Hiberno-English "leadaí na luatha" is literally 'lazybones of the ashes'.[52] As Dasent notes, "ashypet" is a Scott English word listed in Jamieson's dictionary, and equivalent to Askefis (Askeladden) of the Norwegian Fairy Tales.[53]
  13. Source stated as Curtin's tale published as "Hero Tales of Ireland", New York Sun.[55] It was the 11 December 1892 issue of The Sun.[56]
  14. Assigned AT Type 507A "The Monster's Bride: The King of Greece's Daughter" and 531.[59][60]
  15. Summarized and analyzed for folk motives by James Mackillop,[69] but in this version by Hyde version the hero's party obtains "the sword of the three edges" (Irish: cloiḋeaṁ na tri faoḃar).
  16. Story-line closely follows Hyde's Mac Riġ Eireann above.
  17. Told by Pádraig Ó Loingsigh of Bailén tSlé in Ventry parish, who was a storyteller for Curtin.[78]
  18. Seán Ó Súilleabháin and Reidar Thoralf Christiansen edd.
  19. Kittredge uses "the one story" once Kittredge (1903), pp. 263 but generally adheres to "the cause of the one story about women"; "The Only Story" (Irish: An t-A on-Scéal) is given by [41] Properly, "the cause of the one story about women".
  20. Kittredge analyzes the in-tale (framed tale) of werewolf as containing a lengthy Defence of the Child interpolation, which is in itself a composite consisting of a Faithful Dog tale fused with what he calls the Skilful Companions and The Hand and the Child tale types. The Hand and the Child tale has the motif of a grasping hand that seizes the victim, which gets cut off in some cases, akin to Grendel's arm in Beowulf.[94]
  21. The motif is H942 "Tasks assigned as payment of gambling".[86]
  22. Baudiš was examining parallels to Tochmarc Emire.
  23. Kittredge defers to Theodor Benfey who performed a study of parallel tales known to be widespread all over the world.
  24. Cf. Campbell's Introduction of re suggestion to translated "slim dog" as "lion" or "greyhound".[98]
  25. Which Josef Baudiš recognized as being similar to the sword of light tales[12]
  26. Kennedy's title is partly identical to O'Foharta's title, but Kennedy's translation is inaccurate according to Kittredge.[102]
  27. Cf. "Fios-fáh-an-oyn-scéil (the knowledge of the motive of the unique(?) tale)" given in Ó Ceocháin (1928), An Claiḋeaṁ Soluis: agus Fios-fáṫa-'n-aoin-scéil, summary in English, p. 281.
  28. The "secret about women" being found also in the Latin G text (Arthur and Gorlagon) his assumption is it was also found in their common ancestor y.
  29. Citing Roman de Merlin, ed. H. Oskar Sommer 1894, p. 99, p. 24
  30. "thenne he drewe his swerd Excalibur, but it was so breyght in his enemyes eyen that it gaf light lyke thirty torchys."

References

  1. [1]
    Ó Ceocháin (1928) "An Claiḋeaṁ Soluis: agus Fios-fáṫa-'n-aoin-scéil", pp. 276–282. With English summary: "A widow has an only son. They are very poor".
  2. [2]
    O'Rahilly (1946), EIHM, p. 68; Kennedy (1866), pp. 261ff.
  3. [3]
    "Claidheamh Soluis", Mackillop, James (1998) ed., Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology, p. 90. ISBN 0-19-280120-1
  4. [4]
    Kennedy (1866), p. 270.
  5. [5]
    Puhvel (1972), p. 214, n27
  6. [6]
    Campbell (1860), No. 1, tr. "The Young King Of Easaidh Ruadh", I: 1–11; ed. "Righ og Easaidh Ruagh" 12–19.
  7. [7]
    Campbell (1860), I: lxxvii
  8. [8]
    "glaive", Hoad, T. F. (1996 ) ed., The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology.
  9. [9]
    Curtin (1890), ed. "The Thirteenth Son of the King of Erin", Myths and Folk-lore of Ireland pp. 157–174.
  10. [10]
    Campbell (1860), No. 1, variant 2, paraphrase, "Widow's Son Ruadh", I: 47–48.
  11. [11]
    Campbell (1860), No. 17, tr. "Maol a Chliobain", I: 251–256; ed. "Maol a Chliobain", 256–259.
  12. [12]
    Baudiš (1921–1923), pp. 98–100 notes that the "quest of the Bride" subtype requiring the hero to attempt "apparently unobtainable quests.. resembles, though only partially, the Irish and Gaelic motive of how a gruagach (or draoidheadóir) tricked the hero; the object which the hero of the Irish tales is sent for is usually the sword of light". Further elaborated in notes 2.
  13. [13]
    Kennedy (1866), p. 260: "I lay geasa on you".
  14. [14]
    Ó Cillín (1933), p. 163: "The prince fulfils his obligations (geasa)".
  15. [15]
    Hyde (1890), p. 21: "He put himself under gassa".
  16. [16]
    MacInnes (1890) tr., p. 97, "wizard-champion", and endnote, p. 455 by Alfred Nutt, after P. W. Joyce.
  17. [17]
    Puhvel (1972), p. 214 : "These are the 'swords of light' or 'glaives of light', usually in the possession of some giant or supernatural 'hag'".
  18. [18]
    Campbell (1860), I: xlvii
  19. [19]
    Campbell (1860), No. 6, tr. "Tale of Conal Corvi", I: 125–135; ed. "Sgeulachd Chonail Chrobhie", 135–142.
  20. [20]
    "Baranoir, son of a King in Erin, and the Daughter of King under the Wave" in: Ó Duilearga, Séamus, ed. (December 1942), "Irish Folk-Tales: collected by Jeremiah Curtin (1835-1906)", Béaloideas, 12 (1/2): 50–58 and notes, p. 160, JSTOR 20522051. Originally published by Curtin, The Sun, 28 May 1893.
  21. [21]
    Examples: Curtin ed. "Baranoir": "sword of light from the three evil war hags".[20]
  22. [22]
    Kennedy (1866), "The Story of the Sculloge's son from Muskerry(Sceal Vhic Scoloige)", pp. 255–270.
  23. [23]
    Macalister, R. A. S. (2014) [1935], Ancient Ireland: A Study in the Lessons of Archaeology and History, Routledge, p. 75, ISBN 978-1-317-60258-3 (original printing: London, Methuen & Co., Ltd., 1935 :"The 'sword of light'.. which made the giants of the fairytales invincible.. is always defeated in the end; the hero, the little man, always succeeds in stealing.. and cutting of its lawful owner's head".
  24. [24]
    Murphy, Gerard (1953). Duanaire Finn: The book of the Lays of Fionn. pt. 3. ITS 43. index by Anna O'Sullivan. For the Irish Texts Society, by D. Nutt. p. 195.
  25. [25]
    "Separable soul, or external soul", Briggs (1976), pp. 356–357
  26. [26]
    Kittredge (1903), pp. 163, 167, 217–218: "the cause of the one story about women".
  27. [27]
    Bruford (1966), pp. 158–159.
  28. [28]
    Larminie (1893) ed., "Morraha; Brian More, son of the high-king of Erin, from the Well of Enchantments of Binn Edin", pp. 10–30.
  29. [29]
    As in "The Thirteenth Son of the King of Erin", where the princess aids her rescuer who will win her if he succeeds,[9] or "Morraha".[28]
  30. [30]
    O'Foharta (1897).
  31. [31]
    Curtin (1890), ed. "The Weaver's Son and the Giant of the White Hill", Myths and Folk-lore of Ireland pp. 64–77.
  32. [32]
    Kittredge (1903), p. 216.
  33. [33]
    Hyde, Douglas (1890), "Mac Righ Éireann" [The King of Ireland's Son], Beside the Fire, London: David Nutt, pp. 18–47. Taken down from Seáġan O Cuineagáin (John Cunningham), village of Baile-an-phuill (Ballinphil), County Roscommon, half mile from Mayo.
  34. [34]
    MacManus (1900).
  35. [35]
    "little green man" (Irish: fear gearr glas) in Hyde,[33] "little red man" in MacManus's variant.[34]
  36. [36]
    Kittredge (1903), p. 166.
  37. [37]
    Kittredge (1903), p. 167.
  38. [38]
    Curtin (1894) ed., "The Cotter's Son and the Half Slim Champion", Hero-tales of Ireland, pp. 356–373
  39. [39]
    Campbell, John Gregorson, ed. (1885), "Mar a chaidh an Tuairisgeul Mor a chur gu bàs" [How the Tuairisgeul Mór was put to death], The Scottish Celtic Review (1), tale dictated by John Campbell of Hianish, in the Island of Tiree. Rev. John G. Campbell ed. tr., pp. 61–77, with notes, 137–138.
  40. [40]
    Campbell (1885), pp. 137–138.
  41. [41]
    Bruford (1966), p. 158.
  42. [42]
    Kennedy (1866), pp. 266–269.
  43. [43]
    Ó Briain, Pádruig (1889), "Eachtra air an sgolóig agus air an ngruagach ruadh" [Adventure of the Sgolog and the Red Gruagach], Gaelic Journal, 4: 7–9, 26–28, 35–37
  44. [44]
    Duncan, Leland L. (1894), "Review of The Gaelic Journal Vol. IV", Folklore, 5 (2): 155, JSTOR 1253651
  45. [45]
    Brown, Arthur C. L. (1910), "The Bleeding Lance", PMLA, 25 (1): 20, note., doi:10.2307/456810, hdl:2027/mdp.39015014539368, JSTOR 456810, S2CID 163517936
  46. [46]
    Duncan, Leland L. (September 1895), "Irish Folktales", Folklore, 6 (3): 309, JSTOR 1253011
  47. [47]
    Rooney, William (1909). Prose Writings. M.H. Gill. p. 28.
  48. [48]
    O'Fotharta, Domhnall (1892), Siamsa an gheimhridh no Cois an teallaigh in Iar gConnachta .i. Sceulta, dánta, abhráin, tomhsanna, &c. [Siamsa an gheimhridh: Sports of the Winter or Beside the Hearth in Iar-Connacht; Stories, poems, songs, riddles, &c., gathered by Donald O'Faherty], Eoghan Ó Gramhnaigh, Dublin: Patrick O'Brien, pp. 60–69
  49. [49]
    Rooney (1909), pp. 25–33.
  50. [50]
    leaduidhe", Ó hEochaidh, Seán (1950, 1952)"Is Iomdha Sin Duine ag Dia", Béaloideas 20 : 73-95.
  51. [51]
    luaithe", Ó Dónaill, (1977) Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla.
  52. [52]
    Dolan, Terence Patrick, ed. (2006). "leadaí na luatha". A Dictionary of Hiberno-English: The Irish Use of English (Rev. ed.). University of Chicago Press. p. 138. ISBN 0-717-14039-3.
  53. [53]
    Dasent, G. W., ed. (1859). Popular Tales from the Norse. Translated by Dasent, G. W. Asbjørnsen and Moe (orig. eds.) (2nd, enlarged ed.). Edinburgh: Edmonston and Douglas. p. cliii. ISBN 978-1-5087-2269-4.
  54. [54]
    Jacobs (1894) No. XXXIX, "Smallhead and the King's Sons", pp. 135–155. Source is given as Curtin's tale published in "Hero Tales of Ireland" series for the New York Sun, endnote p. 230.
  55. [55]
    Jacobs (1894), endnote p. 230.
  56. [56]
    Ó Duilearga (1942), p. ix, n1.
  57. [57]
    Curtin, Jeremiah. "hero Tales of Ireland" In: The Sun (New York [N.Y.]), 28 May 1893. Part 2, page 13. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1893-05-28/ed-1/seq-13/>
  58. [58]
    (Reprinted in): Gose, Elliott B. Jr. (1985). "Baranoir, son of a King in Erin, and the Daughter of King under the Wave". The World of the Irish Wonder Tale: An Introduction to the Study of Fairy Tales. University of Toronto Press. pp. 140ff. ISBN 0-8020-5646-6.
  59. [59]
    Gose (1985), p. 204.
  60. [60]
    Ó Duilearga (1942), p. 160.
  61. [61]
    Jacobs (1894) No. XXXIV, "Smallhead and the King's Sons", pp. 80–96. Source is Larminie, endnote p. 228.
  62. [62]
    Larminie (1893) ed., "Simon and Margaret", pp. 130–138.
  63. [63]
    Larminie (1893) ed., "Beauty of the World", pp. 155–167.
  64. [64]
    Larminie (1893) ed., "The King who had Twelve Sons", pp. 196–210.
  65. [65]
    An Irish text "Cod, Cead agus Mícead" was given in An Seaḃac (1932), "Ḋá Scéal ó Ḋuiḃneaċaiḃ", Béaloideas Iml. 3, pp. 381–400. Where it is noted that the storyteller of Curtin's version was found and its Irish version transcribed by Seán Mac Giollarnáth.
  66. [66]
    Curtin (1894) ed., "Cud, Cad, and Micad", Hero-tales of Ireland, pp. 198–222
  67. [67]
    Curtin (1894) ed., "Coldfeet and Queen of Lonesome Island", Hero-tales of Ireland, pp. 242–261
  68. [68]
    Curtin (1894) ed., "Art, the King's son, and Balor Beimenach, Two Sons-in-Law of King under the Wave", Hero-tales of Ireland, pp. 312–334
  69. [69]
    "King of Ireland's Son", Mackillop, James (1998) ed., Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology, pp. 284–285. ISBN 0-19-280120-1
  70. [70]
    French translation by Dottin is given, accompanying the Irish text.
  71. [71]
    Hyde, Douglas (1899), "An Sgeulidhe Gaodhalach XXIX: Mac Rígh Eireann agus Ceann Gruagach na g-Cleasann" [XXIX:Le fils du roi d'Irlande et le Chef-Magicien aux tours d'adresse], Annales de Bretagne, 15, G. Dottin (French tr.): 268–291 (Gallica)
  72. [72]
    MacManus 1900, "The Snow, Crow, and the Blood", pp. 151–174.
  73. [73]
    Andrews, Elizabeth, ed. (1919) [1913], Ulster Folklore, New York: E.P. Dutton, pp. 91–95 (London edition, Elliot Stock, 1913)
  74. [74]
    O'Leary, Philip (1994), The Prose Literature of the Gaelic Revival, 1881–1921: Ideology and Innovation, Eoghan Ó Gramhnaigh, Penn State Press, ISBN 978-0-271-07630-0, endnote 276. ISBN 0-271-07630-5
  75. [75]
    Cf. "soibh-sgéalaìdhe, an Evangelist", in: O'Brien, John, ed. (1768). Focalóir gaoidhilge-sax-bhéarla, or An Irish-English dictionary. Paris: Nicolas-Francis Valleyre. p. 444.
  76. [76]
    Ó Cillín joins "an-sgéalaiḋe" into an unhyphenated name "Ansgéalidhe (?)", but sgéalaidhe appears to signify "storyteller".[74][75]
  77. [77]
    Ó Cillín (1933) An Claiḋeaṁ Soluis: agus Fios-fáṫa-'n-aoin-scéil, pp. 155–163. With English summary: " The son of the king of Connacht is worsted in a game of cards, and must satisfy his opponent's demands, which are that he discovers the Sword of Light and tidings of the death of the Ansgéalaidhe (?)".
  78. [78]
    Ó Cillín (1933), p. 163.
  79. [79]
    Campbell (1860), No. 7, tr. "The Tale of Connal", I: 143–148; ed. "Sgeulachd Chonaill", 148–152.
  80. [80]
    Campbell (1860), No. 41, variant 2, paraphrased or condensed, "The Widow and her Daughters, 2d", II: 274–275.
  81. [81]
    Campbell (1860), No. 46, tr. "Mac Iain Direach", II: 328–340; ed. "Sgeulachd Mic Iain Dirich", 341–350.
  82. [82]
    Campbell (1860), No. 46, variant 4, tr. "(variant) 4. An Sionnach, the Fox", II: 353–360.
  83. [83]
    MacInnes (1890), No. 4, "The Herding of Cruachan (Buachaillechd Chruachain)" Folk and Hero Tales, pp. 95–125.
  84. [84]
    Bruford & MacDonald (1994) "The History of Kitty Ill-Pretts", pp. 185–190
  85. [85]
    Campbell (1860), I, 24, "The sword of light is common in Gaelic stories;.." etc.
  86. [86]
    Dorson, Richard M., ed. (2016) [1975]. "Le Sabre de la vertu de sagesse" [The Sword of Wisdom]. Folktales Told Around the World. University of Chicago Press. pp. 455–462, 578. ISBN 978-0-226-37534-2.
  87. [87]
    Roy, Carmen. La Littérature Orale En Gaspésie. Bulletin / [National Museum of Canada]. no. 13. Ottawa: 1955. pp. 200, 220.
  88. [88]
    Kittredge (1903), p. 213: "the frame-story is complicated by a quest for the Sword of Light".
  89. [89]
    Kittredge (1903), pp. 167, 209ff
  90. [90]
    Kittredge (1903), pp. 163, 167, and passim.
  91. [91]
    The in-story, "Fios Fath an aon Sceil", Kennedy (1866), p. 266–269
  92. [92]
    Kittredge (1903), pp. 218, 163
  93. [93]
    Kittredge (1903), pp. 163–165, p. 211, n2, n3.
  94. [94]
    Kittredge (1903), pp. 222–230 and seq.
  95. [95]
    Also, the wife is replaced by a stepmother in the Scotch variant S.[36][39]
  96. [96]
    Kete, Kathleen (2012). Making Way for Genius: The Irish Aristocracy in the Seventeenth Century. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-18343-6., chapter 4, endnote 57. ISBN 0-300-18343-7
  97. [97]
    Thompson, Stith Motif-Index 1: 422–460: Types B300–590, "Helpful Animals", apud Kete.[96]
  98. [98]
    Campbell 1860, I:lxiv
  99. [99]
    Kittredge (1903), pp. 214–216.
  100. [100]
    Owen, Douglas David Roy (1968). The Evolution of the Grail Legend. Oxford: University Court of the University of St. Andrews. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-05-001836-1.
  101. [101]
    Bruford (1966), pp. 78, 118.
  102. [102]
    Kittredge (1903), p. 218, note 2
  103. [103]
    Larminie (1893), pp. 10–30.
  104. [104]
    Kittredge (1903), p. 163.
  105. [105]
    Summary of I in: Kittredge (1903), pp. 217–218
  106. [106]
    Day, Mildred Leake (2005), Latin Arthurian Literature, Brewer, p. 42, ISBN 978-1-84384-064-0
  107. [107]
    Briggs (1976), p. 469.
  108. [108]
    "New Book: The Fians", The Highland Monthly, 3: 510, 1892, observation attributed to Gaelic scholar Hector Maclean (1818–1893).
  109. [109]
    Loomis (1997), pp. 18-
  110. [110]
    The Irish text is Edmund Crosby Quiggin, Dialect of Donegal (1906), 201 wikisource
  111. [111]
    Loomis (1997), pp. 49, 73
  112. [112]
    Loomis (1997), p. 14.
  113. [113]
    Krappe (1933), p. 221.
  114. [114]
    Milne & Nutt (1904), pp. 61–62.
  115. [115]
    O'Rahilly (1946), EIHM, p. 68, "Cúchulainn possessed not only the spear of Bulga, but also a sword, known as in Cruaidín Catutchenn, which shone at night like a torch. In folk tales the lightning-sword has survived as "the sword of light" (an cloidheamh solais), possessed by a giant and won from him by a hero."
  116. [116]
    Stokes, Whitley, ed. tr., Scél na Fír Flatha, Echtra Chormaic i Tír Tairngiri ocus Cert Claidib Chormaic ("the Irish Ordeals, Cormac's Adventure in the Land of Promise, and the Decision as to Cormac's Sword"), in Irische Texte III, 1 (Leipzig 1891) pp. 183–229. See translation, § 59 (p. 218ff): "Socht had a wonderful sword..It shone at night like a candle.. the Hard-headed Steeling, Cúchulainn's sword". The Irish name of the sword, it can be confirmed, was "Cruadín Catutchend", as per endnote to the section on p. 227, or the Irish text on p. 199.
  117. [117]
    O'Rahilly (1946)(EIHM)
  118. [118]
    Puhvel (1972), pp. 210, 214–215.
  119. [119]
    G. M. (September 1946), Review of O'Rahilly (1946) EIHM, Studies, an Irish Quarterly Review 35 (139), pp. 420–422 JSTOR 30100108, p. 421: "the Divine Hero overcomes his father the Otherworld-god with that god's own weapon, the thunderbolt, known variously in story-telling by names such as the Gaí Bulga (Cú Chulainn's weapon), the Caladbolg (Arthur's Escalibur), or the Claidheamh Soluis of our halfpenny postage-stamps".
  120. [120]
    Puhvel (1972), p. 214.
  121. [121]
    Book I, p. 19, from The Works of Sir Thomas Malory, ed. Vinaver, Eugène, 3rd ed. Field, Rev. P. J. C. (1990). 3 vol. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-812344-2, ISBN 0-19-812345-0, ISBN 0-19-812346-9. (This is taken from the Winchester Manuscript).
  122. [122]
    Puhvel 1972, pp. 214–215.
  123. [123]
    Malory, Le Morte D'Arthur, Book IV, Chapters 8-30. Strachey, Sir Edward 1899 ed., Macmillan, pp.80–
  124. [124]
    Ó hÓgáin (1991), p. 206.
  125. [125]
    Ó hÓgáin 1991, p. 197.
  126. [126]
    Nitze, Wm. A. (1909), "The Fisher King in the Grail Romances", PMLA, 24 (3): 406, doi:10.2307/456840, JSTOR 456840, S2CID 163171547
  127. [127]
    Loomis, Roger Sherman (1961), Arthurian Literature in the Middle Ages: A Collaborative History, Chicago: Clarendon Press, p. 574, ISBN 978-0-19-811588-5

Bibliography

Irish or Scottish Gaelic texts, some with translations

Translations or tales collected in English

Critical studies

Popularized versions
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Claíomh_Solais, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.