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The Tain as a Mythology


            The relationship that exists between literature and history is inextricably tied to our understanding of self-existence. In order to understand one's history is to understand the vernacular; the vernacular is the original language spoken by the ordinary people of a country or region (Google Dictionary). Language is one of the most important components of self-identification; without knowing ones native language, one would lack a sense of belonging and would not be able to identify his or her original belief system. Throughout history of the world, history has been and is recorded by utilizing some form of literature. Without literature humankind would be unable to correlate origins of language, ethnicity, and social and cultural stability with themselves. The language in which the literature is written will indicate the origin of their belief system and who wrote it. Ireland for instance had two languages: Latin and Irish. Those who were influenced by Christianity spoke and wrote in Latin and those who were Gaelic Irish wrote and spoke in the vernacular. .
             Before Ireland was converted to Christianity, there was an attempt to construct the history of Ireland during 400-800 time periods. Cormac mac Cuillenain, Abbot of Cashel and king of Munster, chastised the Irish people calling them a foolish race who were forgetful of their history. He went on to say that they boasted about incredible or completely fabulous deeds but were careless about writing them down. The king of Munster took on the task of writing them down starting with the men of Munster, second the Leinstermen, third the Ui Neill men, and last the men of Connacht. By doing this the king of Munster was able to harmonize different political backgrounds with genealogies so that various strands of tradition could be unified as one. The framework that was done is called Irish proto-history which had the purpose of making sure "the natural outcome of an evolutionary process whose beginnings could be traced back into the dawn of history"; the proto-history represented the status quo of c.


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