Modern Irish - An Garsún gur dhin Gaiscíoch de

‘The lad who became a hero’

Seán Ó Cróinín and Donncha Ó Cróinín (eds.), Scéalaíocht Amhlaoibh Í Luínse. Béaloideas: The Journal of the Folklore of Ireland Society, vols. 35-36 (1967/ 1968), 1-10 (at pp. 3-4).

An Garsún gur dhin Gaiscíoch de ‘The lad who became a hero’ is an oral tale collected from Amhlaoibh Ó Luínse (1872-1947), who was born in Cúil Aodha (Coolea), Co. Cork and renowned for his store of tales, style of storytelling and prodigious knowledge of local tradition. The hero of this story is born the size of a thumb and fails to grow, but he is exceedingly clever. He is fed ‘hero’s food’ by a mysterious visitor and grows rapidly in size and strength, to the amazement of his parents.  At this moment in the tale, he sets out into the world, finds work as a herder, and fearlessly cuts off the heads of the giants (athaig) who inhabit the adjacent woods— all the while concealing his identity as hero. At the end of the tale, he rescues the king’s daughter from a vicious, tyrannical monster and frees the royal city from terror. The tale is narrated here by Dr Seán Ua Súilleabháin in the Munster dialect, as spoken in Mid-Cork.