Horslips: The Tain (1974) CD Track Listing

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Horslips The Tain (1974) (1974)
Concerning The Tain\n\nIreland's most exciting saga is, undoubtedly, Tain Bo\nCuailgne (The Cattle Raid of Cooley), the centerpiece of\nthe Ulster cycle of Heroic tales. Normally referred to as\n"The Tain", it deals with the conflict between the forces of\nConnacht and Ulster for the posession of a prize bull. The\nevents of the Tain are estimated to have taken place in\nIreland approximately 500 B.C. The earliest written version\nof the Tain known to us is contained in the Book of the Dun\nCow, which dates from the 12th century. Before this the\nstory was kept alive by storytellers. Two other manuscript\nversions are also available; the 12th century Book of\nLeinster and the 14th century Yellow Book of Lecan.\nThe Tain, as Ireland's equivalent of the Aeneid, has long\ninspired academics and storytellers.\n\n The Story\n\nOne night in bed, the promiscuous Connacht Queen, \nMaeve, quarrels with her husband Ailill. They argue over\nwho has the most wealth. Ailill doesn't like the suggestion\nthat he's a kept man. "Her words were sharp; they cut him\ndeep, in a war between the sheets". Ailill's magnificent\nWhite Bull is the deciding factor in their subsequent measure\nof possessions. Maeve's a bad loser. MacRoth, her\nmessenger, goes to Cooley to rent the famed Brown Bull for\na year, thus giving Maeve the decider. "I once told her\nwhere she could find her dream". The Bull's owner is\nagreeable, until MacRoth and his party get very drunk and\nreveal that, had they not been allowed to borrow the bull\nthey would have taken it by force. The deal breaks down.\nThey go home emptyhanded. Maeve decides on war.\n\nHaving marshalled all her warriors, and allies from Munster\nand Tara, and with Ailill's six brothers and their armies\nstanding by, Maeve receives favourable omens from her\nDruids. The long march to Cooley begins. "The Champions\nand the Seven Sons are come to take away the Donn".\nHowever, a sorceress appears and warns Maeve of\nimpending defeat at the hands of Dearg Doom, Cu Chulainn.\n"Saw the host stained red in war, saw the hero-light around\nthe head of a dragon-boy". The warning is ignored.\nMeanwhile the men of Ulster are ill with labour pains - the\nlegacy of a curse put on them for their inhuman treatment of\npregnant women. The one man exempt from this curse is\nCu Chulainn, whose very birth is shrouded in mystery.\nSingle-handedly he takes on the defence of Ulster,\nharassing Maeve's soldiers, "And like a hawk I'll swoop and\nswoop again", beheading those who stray from the main\nforce. "You can hear me shout; two heads are better than\nnone". Cu Chulainn is a hard man. Originally called Setanta,\nhe became known as Cu Chulainn, the Hound of Culann,\nbecause of his savagery. As the Connacht losses grow\ngreater, the deposed King of Ulster, Fergus MacRoich, who\nis having a secret affair with Maeve, meets Cu Chulainn\nand arranges a treaty. Cu Chulainn agrees to single-handed\ncombat with any Connacht champion provided Maeve's\narmy does not advance. One by one, day after day he\ndefeats each warrior until eventually he faces his old\nfoster-brother and close friend Ferdia. Cu Chulainn pleads\nwith Ferdia to leave. "But Ferdia just laughed and shook his\ngolden head and then fell to battle again". For three days\nthey fight at a ford and appear evenly matched until on the\nthird day Cu Chulainn flies into a rage and lets loose at his\nfriend. As Ferdia falls Cu Chulainn catches him and carries\nhim to the riverbank, lamenting "Life was a game, now I miss\nyour name, your golden hair". Then overcome by despair,\nCu Chulainn abandons the fight.\n\nMaeve's army moves south with the stolen bull. The Ulster\nmen rally and with Cu Chulainn back in their ranks they give\nchase. "But before you hit off, let me say this time you bit off\nmore than you can chew". The Morrigan, Queen of Demons,\nwho has been encouraging slaughter all along, prophesises\nthe outcome. In the battle which follows the Connacht army\nis routed. "It seems are fortune lies despite our gain. Our\ntears fall like our pride". Maeve's life is spared by\nCu Chulainn. As the Ulstermen are taking the Brown Bull\nhome they meet Ailill's Bull, the White-Horned One. The\nDonn immediately attacks the White. "You can fool them\nalright but can you fool the beast"? All day and all night\nthey are locked in combat. Morning sees the Donn\nvictorious. The armies consider destroying him, the cause\nof all their suffering, but leave him as, dying, he staggers\nhomewards. YEAR: 1973
This rock cd contains 15 tracks and runs 42min 41sec.
Freedb: b409f70f
Buy: from Amazon.com

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