The Tale of Mac Dathó's Pig
Also known as: Scéla Muicce Meic Dathó, Mac Dathó's Pig, The Story of Mac Dathó's Pig
An Old Irish Ulster Cycle tale in which the Leinster hospitaller Mac Dathó hosts rival warbands from Connacht and Ulster to divide a colossal pig, sparking a champion’s-portion contest that erupts into violence.
Description
This brisk Old Irish saga centers on Mac Dathó of Leinster, owner of a famed hound, Ailbe, and a monumental boar. Coveted by both Ailill and Medb of Connacht and the Ulstermen of Conchobar, Mac Dathó promises favor to each side, inviting both to a feast. The carving of the pig becomes a test of precedence: boasting challenges escalate as champions trade deeds and insults. Connacht’s Cet mac Mágach initially holds the floor, but the late-arriving Conall Cernach reverses the tide, shaming his opponent. The dispute ignites a melee that spills from hall to battlefield, entwined with the fate of Ailbe and the duplicity of double promises. Both satire and heroic tale, the story dramatizes hospitality strained by honor culture and interprovincial rivalry within the Ulster Cycle.
Historiography
Preserved chiefly in the 12th-century Lebor na hUidre and the Book of Leinster, the tale reflects an older stratum of Ulster Cycle narrative. Scribes transmit overlapping recensions with characteristic Old Irish prose interspersed with rhetorical flourishes. Scholarly attention notes parallels to champion’s-portion disputes elsewhere (e.g., Fled Bricrenn) and situates the piece within a milieu of courtly satire and heroic ethos. Modern translations typically derive from these manuscript witnesses, with editorial normalization of orthography and occasional lacunae.
Date Notes
The tale survives in 12th-century manuscripts (e.g., Lebor na hUidre; Book of Leinster) but likely circulated earlier in Old Irish oral tradition.
Major Characters
- Mac Dathó
- Ailill mac Máta
- Medb
- Conchobar mac Nessa
- Cet mac Mágach
- Conall Cernach
Myths
- The Feast of Mac Dathó and the Champion’s Portion
- The Boast-Contest of Ulster and Connacht
- The Massacre at the Hostel
Facts
- An Old Irish prose tale of the Ulster Cycle centered on a champion’s-portion contest.
- Survives principally in Lebor na hUidre and the Book of Leinster, both 12th-century manuscripts.
- Features the famed Leinster hound Ailbe and a monumental boar as plot catalysts.
- Dramatizes interprovincial rivalry between Connacht (Ailill and Medb) and Ulster (Conchobar).
- Cet mac Mágach and Conall Cernach embody competing heroic ideals through boast-contests.
- Mac Dathó’s duplicity (promising favor to both sides) satirizes strained hospitality obligations.
- The champion’s-portion motif closely parallels scenes in “Fled Bricrenn” (Bricriu’s Feast).
- Language and style mark an early stratum of Ulster Cycle narrative, with rhetorical set-pieces.
- The tale is often read alongside the Táin Bó Cúailnge due to overlapping courts and champions.
- Modern editions normalize orthography; minor lacunae and variant readings exist across witnesses.