1989; 491 pages. New Author? : No, but it’s been 9 years since
I last read one of her novels. Genre : Ancient
Historical Fiction; Fantasy; Irish Legends.
Overall Rating : 8½*/10.
Over the course of his life, he
was known by several names. As a boy
growing up, he was called Setanta. When
he learning the skills of a warrior in the “Boy’s Troop” though, they started
calling him Cuchulain. When he became
champion of the kingdom, even his foes called him the Hound of Ulster.
His eyes were silver-colored,
far different from the eyes of his father, Sualtim. There were whispers that he was actually
sired by someone else, perhaps even a god.
The only one who knows for sure is his mother, Dectara, and she
refuses to talk about it.
The druids have lots to say
about him, though. They have prophesied
that he will quickly amass a legendary amount of fame and glory, both in battles
on behalf of the kingdom of Ulster and in personal duels. But it will come at a terrible cost – he is
fated to die young.
It says something about Cuchulain that he doesn’t see any downside to that prophecy.
What’s To Like...
Morgan Llywelyn drew upon several ancient
Irish legends to write Red Branch, in
particular The Ulster Cycle and The Cattle Raid on Cooley. You can read about both of these in
Wikipedia; I was impressed by how closely this book stays true to those
tales. The title refers to the
king of Ulster’s “personal band of warriors”, and they play
a prominent part in the storyline. But really this is the story of Cuchulain.
The book is divided into two
sections, which I’m pretty sure corresponds to the two legends. Part 1 (pgs.
1-272), details Cuchulain’s early life, rise to fame and the
shattering of the Red Branch. Part 2 (pgs. 273-491) focuses on the rival kingdom of
Connaught’s attempt to subjugate Ulster, using the pretext of stealing a prize
bull currently residing in Ulster territory.
I liked the balance of “natural
vs. supernatural” in the story. There’s
a talking “battle raven” (aka “the Morrigan”)
who at times both helps and hinders Cuchulain.
Curses can be cast that last for lifetimes, and magical weapons can be
forged, such as the “Gae Bulga”, a
spear that our hero acquires that will always hit its intended target. The mythic “Tuatha
de Danann” get blamed for various things here, although they don't actually show up
in the storyline; and Cuchulain learns how to do the “Incredible Hulk” routine,
which is aptly dubbed “The Rage”. Still,
this is the Age of Humans, the gods can influence but they will never again be
numerous enough to outright rule mankind.
There's a lot of neat interplay of mindsets
between some of the male and female characters.
Ailell may be king of Connaught, but Maeve is the brains behind its
strategic aims. Cuchulain may be the
hero of the book, but his wife usually has the keener insight about current
events. Deirdre may be Naisi’s
significant other, but if he had listened to her regarding where to put down roots, he
would’ve lived a lot longer.
The ending is bittersweet with
a neat little twist to the key prophecy.
It felt somewhat “telegraphed” to me, but I suspect it is constrained by
having to conform to the original legend. The last five pages are an Afterword, where Morgan Llywelyn discusses
the “facts versus fiction” aspects of
the story; I always like when authors do that. Red Branch is a standalone story, and
although not part of a formal series, it's one of several books by Morgan
Llywelyn where she fictionalizes ancient Irish myths and lore.
Ratings…
Amazon:
4.4/5
based on 76 ratings and 38 reviews.
Goodreads: 4.21/5 based on 1,804 ratings and 75 reviews.
Kewlest New Word ...
Beeves (n., plural) : cows, bulls, or oxen
fattened for their meat. (Singular = “beef”)
Excerpts...
“Let me tell you something, my Hound from
Ulster. I am wise in ways beyond your
princely education. From my own
experience during a long lifetime. I
have learned that the world you see with your eyes is only the thinnest of
skins. Beyond it lies the Otherworld. This is a place of fixed forms., that one is
a kingdom of fluid fire. Creatures dwell
there who are more aware of us than we are of them, for their vision is
different.” (pg. 152)
“Now who will challenge Cuchulain and kill
him for me?” she inquired.
A man called Fraech mac Fidaig winked at
Finavir and stepped forward. “The
champion of Ulster is as good as dead!” he promised.
Leaving the group behind, he went out alone
with all the weapons he could carry and began shouting at the distant
hills. “I challenge the champion to
single combat!”
Maeve collected nine additional warriors
and told them to go after him in case he should need assistance; she wanted to
be certain Cuchulain was slain.
Ailell was appalled. “That’s not the way it’s done, woman! You dishonor us. You don’t understand warfare.”
Her face was set in hard lines. “I understand winning.” (loc. 350)
Coincidence is the
tool the gods use to keep their workings anonymous. (pg. 336)
The quibbles are minor. There is a “Phonetic Glossary” at the
beginning, which tells the reader how to pronounce the names of the major characters
correctly, but there’s a slew of people (plus a
couple of gods) to keep track of, and it would’ve been nice to have a
comprehensive Cast of Characters to supplement this.
I don’t recall any cusswords
in the text, but there were several fairly explicit rolls-in-the-hay, as well as references to parts of the male genitalia and things that can be done with
them.
Finally, and sadly, the dog
dies. Then the pig dies. Then another dog dies, this time at the hands
of our hero. Then the horse dies. Lassie and Timmy would be crying.
But I pick at nits. For me, Red
Branch was yet another enlightening and enjoyable story by Morgan
Llywelyn; this is my fourth book by her,
and I’ve yet to be disappointed in anything she’s written. Now I need to hit the used-book stores and
see if I can find another one of her highly-regarded novels, Grania.
8½ Stars. One last thing. The game of chess crops up several times in the story, and Cuchulain is said to be quite good at it. I’m a lifelong chess player, so this resonated with me, but I have to wonder how accurate it is to have it being played in, say, the first century AD in isolated Ireland. Chess is generally believed to have originated in Asia, and not reaching western Europe until the 9th century AD or so. Just saying.
