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Welcome everybody to another episode of the IrishMyths StoryTime podcast.
Today’s story is Scéla Muicce Meicc Da Thó, or The Tale of Mac Da Thó’s Pig.
Although, in T. W. Rolleston’s retelling of the tale, featured in his book The High Deeds of Finn and other Bardic Romances of Ancient Ireland, he styles the title The Carving of Mac Datho’s Boar.
And that is the version I will be reading for you. It was published in the year 1900.
Meanwhile, the oldest extant copy of The Tale of Mac Da Thó’s Pig appears in the 12th-century Book of Leinster, but the story is undoubtedly much older than that.
It is so old, in fact, that despite being from the Ulster Cycle of Irish Mythology, a cycle that typically sees the hero Cú Chulainn in the starring roles of its adventures, Cú Chulainn does not appear at all.
This is especially interesting given the nature of this story. Without giving too much away, The Tale of Mac Da Thó’s Pig features a gathering of Ireland’s greatest heroes, who engage in some adversarial chitchat.
I liken it to those great scenes in Game of Thrones (the earlier seasons) wherein the characters fight with words rather than swords.
Now, there are two popular explanations for Cú Chulainn’s conspicuous absence here.
Either he wasn’t born yet in the continuity of the story, or Cú Chulainn was actually a late addition to the Ulster Cycle, shoehorned into all of the best stories—stories that used to feature other heroes—and this story just so happens to be one that slipped through the cracks, i.e., it has been preserved in its original form, without the Hound of Ulster’s insertion.
I could go into all of the arguments for and against these two theories, but that’s not what I do here on this podcast.
Check out my explainer videos on the IrishMyths YoutTube channel if you want to journey down rabbit holes.
This is StoryTime.
And now, your story:
Want to learn about the darker side of Irish and Celtic mythology? Check out…
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More the listenin’ type?
I recommend the audiobook Celtic Mythology: Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes by Philip Freeman (narrated by Gerard Doyle). Use my link to get 3 free months of Audible Premium Plus and you can listen to the full 7.5-hour audiobook for free.