Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal
Document Type
Article
Abstract
The character Fedelm is the only woman described as a poet in the early Irish epic the Táin Bó Cúailnge, and her prophecy which tells of the boy-hero Cúchulainn commences the tale. This paper examines Fedelm’s presence in the tale as a prophetic force in her role as a woman-poet and woman-prophet, as a literary reflection of Cúchulainn’s mentor Scathach, and as a visual parallel to Cúchulainn himself. Ultimately, it is not only Fedelm’s prediction that establishes the legendary Cúchulainn’s place in the narrative, but her very presence as a character provides a literary embodiment of her prophecy.
Recommended Citation
Steblay, Laura
(2019)
"A Woman Wielding Words: The Role of the Woman-Poet and Woman-Prophet Fedelm in the Táin Bó Cúailnge,"
Scholarly Horizons: University of Minnesota, Morris Undergraduate Journal: Vol. 6:
Iss.
1, Article 10.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.61366/2576-2176.1075
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/horizons/vol6/iss1/10
Primo Type
Article