The Cycle of Kings, although largely fictional, is somewhat grounded in history regarding certain occurrences and figures, earning itself the alternative title of ‘The Historical Cycle’ by professor Miles Dillon. A subdivision of the cycle was also coined ‘The Dalcassian Cycle‘ by Alan Bruford, a collection of ninth century tales revolving around Brian Boru and those relative to him.
The Cycle of Kings is probably the lesser known of the four cycles and is considered less romantic and flamboyant than the others largely due to the absence, for the most part, of the supernatural. It focuses mainly on provincial and petty Kings between the 3rd and 7th centuries with personages such as Cormaic Mac Airt (probably the most famous of all early Irish Kings as the reigning King through most of the Fenian cycle) Labraid Loinseach, Conaire Mór, Con Cethathach (Conn of the hundred battles) and Suibhne Gealt.
Some of the most distinguished and significant tales within the cycle would include the ninth century narrative ‘The Destruction of Dinn Rig’ which is contained in both the book of Leinster and the Yellow book of Lecan. This concerns the ancestor deity to the Laighin, Labraid Longseach who was banished by his insanely jealous uncle Cobhthach. Cobhthach had previously killed Labraid’s father out of jealousy in an attempt to usurp his throne and when Labraid returns with the assistance of the Fir Morca, the people of his new wife Muiriath, he immediately embarks on a strategy to reclaim his position as King by attacking and laying siege to the fortress of Dinn Rig, slaying all therein. From this new base he establishes his power before launching his attack on Cobhthach himself. For some time he and Cobhthach seem to be living in peace but Labraid puts Cobhthach to death by calling him to a feast where he has Cobhthach and 33 lesser kings burnt alive in an iron feasting house along with Labraids very own mother who sacrifices herself to restore his right to rule.
There is also the tale of ‘Buile Suibhne‘ (The frenzy of Sweeney). Suibhne, who is named as a King of the Dal nAraidhe sept is cursed twice by St Ronan and becomes petrified and deranged at the battle of Magh Rath where, upon witnessing the horrors of battle, he flees the battlefield making his home in the wilderness. After some time, his old friend Loingseachan comes and meets Suibhne to try to coax him to return to his place as King. He tells him that Suibhne's family is dead, although they are not, and Suibhne falls weak with grief. Loingseachán then ties him up and brings him back to his people but he does not stay long, and sets off to the wilderness again where he eventually ends up being killed by the husband of a woman who used to feed him by pouring milk into a footprint at morning. The poetry attributed to Suibhne in these tales is some of the finest nature poetry we have and expresses beautifully the reverence for nature among the monks who compiled these works. This heightened reverence and awe in the face of the natural world, having its roots in pre-Christian times, flourished well into Christian times.
Another tale of great significance within the Cycle is the highly symbolic and politically motivated "Tógail Bruidne Da Dearga" which was compiled from two earlier texts during the 11th Century. It is the principal tale regarding the legendary Erainn king Conaire and abounds with motifs of sacral kingship along with echoes of the defeat of the Erainn tribes by the Laighean. After being told to go to Tara by a man of his otherworldly father’s people who comes to him in the guise of a bird, as did his father himself when impregnating Conaires mother Meas Buachailla, he is there inaugurated as the High King. Conaire leads a fruitful reign for many years. But after banishing his three foster brothers for reaving, they seek vengeance and later return from Britain with a huge army of marauders. One by one he starts to break the Geis put upon him by the otherworld bird men. The tale ends when Conaire and his men are surrounded by the Marauders in the hostel of Da Derga. Conaire is brought to his inevitable death which began by the breaking of his Geis by being decapitated after a bloody battle. This is a tale of highly political and religious relevance where Da Dearga could very well be a Leinster version of Donn the God of the dead and is the principal tale in which Conaire is included. Probably the most important figure in the Cycle of Kings is the mythical King Cormac Mac Airt. Cormac whose reign was documented in medieval times as 227 to 266 AD. He is the reigning king through most of the Fenian Cycle as well as being found copiously in the Cycle of Kings. It is believed that Fionn Mac Cumhal was in his service and that his reign was marked by such wisdom and truth that the cattle produced so much milk it could not be contained in vessels, the forests lay full with fruit, the rivers abounded with salmon and the land produced so many crops they could not all be used. The Cycle of Kings is of immense value to us, giving a semi historical window into old Ireland and it shows us clearly the importance of ancestry and pedigree concerning tribes and especially Kings in Irish tradition.
© 2007 Seanchán Mac Conraoi