2004
Volume 52, Issue 4
  • ISSN: 2542-6583
  • E-ISSN: 2590-3268

Abstract

Abstract

Some early medieval Irish heroic texts give the impression that they stem from the pre-Christian past, whereas the production of them took place in Christian monasteries and their environment. These texts are the subject of the so-called ‘anti-nativist’ debate, in which the opinion that the texts represent uninfluenced, native lore, is passionately disputed. The emphasis is laid instead upon external influences, from Classical and Christian culture. It is posited here that different voices can be detected by reading the texts ‘with a heroic eye and a monastic eye’. To illustrate this, a sword ritual and descriptions of supernatural beings are analysed.

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/content/journals/10.5117/NTT1998.4.001.BORS
1998-10-01
2025-02-18
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