Bibliography
Doris (Doris Rita)
Edel
Works authored
Edel, Doris, Inside the Táin: exploring Cú Chulainn, Fergus, Ailill, and Medb, Berlin: curach bhán, 2015. xii + 372 pp.
abstract:
This is the first literary-critical study of the Táin Bó Cúailnge in its entirety, and as an autonomous literary work. The key to a more deeply probing understanding of the semiliterate epic is the study of its characters: what they do and why they do it – why more important than what. Why reveals the differences between the various versions. Most promising is the multilayered Recension I, mainly preserved in Lebor na hUidre, which testifies of the keen interest of its compilers in the portrayal of the characters, while the version in the Book of Leinster, with its tendency to omit what might lessen the heroes’ prestige, pays for its greater unity with loss of depth.
The multifacetedness of the characters in the early version, combined with the deceptive simplicity of the plot, lends the work a remarkable pragmatism. Despite occasional baroque descriptions of battle frenzy, the main heroes Cú Chulainn and Fergus embody a heroism reined in by prudence. All through the war they do everything in their power to limit the use of force. Ailill and Medb represent a new type of ruler-entrepreneur, who seeks to realize his aim at the lowest possible cost and accepts failure matter-of-factly. So the epic has no fatal end-point. The greater part of the two armies are able return to their countries. The theme of mutual destruction is relegated to the Battle of the Bulls. The lasting antagonism between the North and the remainder of the island must have endowed the Táin with contemporary significance at various points in time, as the allusions to (near-)contemporary events suggest.
(source: publisher)
abstract:
This is the first literary-critical study of the Táin Bó Cúailnge in its entirety, and as an autonomous literary work. The key to a more deeply probing understanding of the semiliterate epic is the study of its characters: what they do and why they do it – why more important than what. Why reveals the differences between the various versions. Most promising is the multilayered Recension I, mainly preserved in Lebor na hUidre, which testifies of the keen interest of its compilers in the portrayal of the characters, while the version in the Book of Leinster, with its tendency to omit what might lessen the heroes’ prestige, pays for its greater unity with loss of depth.
The multifacetedness of the characters in the early version, combined with the deceptive simplicity of the plot, lends the work a remarkable pragmatism. Despite occasional baroque descriptions of battle frenzy, the main heroes Cú Chulainn and Fergus embody a heroism reined in by prudence. All through the war they do everything in their power to limit the use of force. Ailill and Medb represent a new type of ruler-entrepreneur, who seeks to realize his aim at the lowest possible cost and accepts failure matter-of-factly. So the epic has no fatal end-point. The greater part of the two armies are able return to their countries. The theme of mutual destruction is relegated to the Battle of the Bulls. The lasting antagonism between the North and the remainder of the island must have endowed the Táin with contemporary significance at various points in time, as the allusions to (near-)contemporary events suggest.
(source: publisher)
Edel, Doris, Off the mainstream: a literature in search of its criteria, Utrecht: Utrecht University, 2001.
Utrecht University – Farewell speech (Facultaire rede): <link>
Theses
Works edited
comments: The bibliography occupies pp. 291-309.
Edel, Doris, W. P. Gerritsen, and Kees Veelenturf (eds), Monniken, ridders en zeevaarders: opstellen over vroeg-middeleeuwse Ierse cultuur en Middelnederlandse letterkunde; aangeboden aan Maartje Draak; met een bibliografie van haar publikaties alsmede een autobiografische bijdrage, Amsterdam: Gerard Timmer Prods, 1988.
Contributions to journals
Edel, Doris, “Off the mainstream: a literature in search of its criteria”, Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 58 (2011): 23–44.
comments: Revised edition of valedictory lecture, held on 14 December 2001.
comments: Revised edition of valedictory lecture, held on 14 December 2001.
Edel, Doris, “De Ierse achtergronden van de Reis van Sint Brandaan”, Nederlandse Letterkunde 2 (1997): 365–373.
Dbnl.org: <link>
Edel, Doris, “Táin Bó Cúailnge and the dynamics of the matter of Ulster”, Études Celtiques 29 (1992): 161–169.
abstract:
[FR] Táin Bó Cúailnge et la dynamique de la matière d’Ulster.
Depuis l’édition monumentale de la Táin Bó Cúailnge par Ernst Windisch en 1905, on a lancé un certain nombre de théories pour expliquer comment cette épopée, capitale dans la littérature irlandaise, est arrivée à l’existence, et néanmoins les celtisants n’ont pas réellement saisi et dominé (les différentes versions de) l’œuvre elle-même. Si importants que soient le débat opposant l’oral et le littéraire, et des questions comme la représentation (Weltbild) de l’Irlande médiévale ou le fonctionnement de la littérature irlandaise ancienne dans son contexte européen, ces problèmes ne doivent pas servir d’excuse pour ne pas examiner attentivement les textes eux-mêmes. L’auteur répond aux deux questions suivantes : (1) Qu’est ce que la structure (Bauplan ) de la version ancienne de la Táin nous apprend sur la genèse (Entstehungsgeschichte ) de l’œuvre ? ; (2) quel était le rapport entre la Táin et la «matière d’Ulster» dans son intégralité ?
[EN] Since Ernst Windisch’s monumental edition of the Táin Bó Cúailnge in 1905, a number of theories have been launched to explain how this central epic of Irish literature came into being, but still Celticists have not come to grips with the (various versions of the) work itself. However important the orality-literacy debate and matters like the mentality (Weltbild ) of early medieval Ireland and the functioning of early Irish literature in its European context are, these problems do not absolve Celticists from taking a close look at the texts themselves. In this paper I shall try to answer the following two questions : (1) What does the structure (Bauplan ) of the oldest version of the Táin teach us about the genesis (Entstehungsgeschichte ) of the work ? ; (2) what was the relation between the Táin and the matter of Ulster as a whole ?
Depuis l’édition monumentale de la Táin Bó Cúailnge par Ernst Windisch en 1905, on a lancé un certain nombre de théories pour expliquer comment cette épopée, capitale dans la littérature irlandaise, est arrivée à l’existence, et néanmoins les celtisants n’ont pas réellement saisi et dominé (les différentes versions de) l’œuvre elle-même. Si importants que soient le débat opposant l’oral et le littéraire, et des questions comme la représentation (Weltbild) de l’Irlande médiévale ou le fonctionnement de la littérature irlandaise ancienne dans son contexte européen, ces problèmes ne doivent pas servir d’excuse pour ne pas examiner attentivement les textes eux-mêmes. L’auteur répond aux deux questions suivantes : (1) Qu’est ce que la structure (Bauplan ) de la version ancienne de la Táin nous apprend sur la genèse (Entstehungsgeschichte ) de l’œuvre ? ; (2) quel était le rapport entre la Táin et la «matière d’Ulster» dans son intégralité ?
[EN] Since Ernst Windisch’s monumental edition of the Táin Bó Cúailnge in 1905, a number of theories have been launched to explain how this central epic of Irish literature came into being, but still Celticists have not come to grips with the (various versions of the) work itself. However important the orality-literacy debate and matters like the mentality (Weltbild ) of early medieval Ireland and the functioning of early Irish literature in its European context are, these problems do not absolve Celticists from taking a close look at the texts themselves. In this paper I shall try to answer the following two questions : (1) What does the structure (Bauplan ) of the oldest version of the Táin teach us about the genesis (Entstehungsgeschichte ) of the work ? ; (2) what was the relation between the Táin and the matter of Ulster as a whole ?
Persée – Études Celtiques, vol. 29, 1992: <link>
abstract:
[FR] Táin Bó Cúailnge et la dynamique de la matière d’Ulster.
Depuis l’édition monumentale de la Táin Bó Cúailnge par Ernst Windisch en 1905, on a lancé un certain nombre de théories pour expliquer comment cette épopée, capitale dans la littérature irlandaise, est arrivée à l’existence, et néanmoins les celtisants n’ont pas réellement saisi et dominé (les différentes versions de) l’œuvre elle-même. Si importants que soient le débat opposant l’oral et le littéraire, et des questions comme la représentation (Weltbild) de l’Irlande médiévale ou le fonctionnement de la littérature irlandaise ancienne dans son contexte européen, ces problèmes ne doivent pas servir d’excuse pour ne pas examiner attentivement les textes eux-mêmes. L’auteur répond aux deux questions suivantes : (1) Qu’est ce que la structure (Bauplan ) de la version ancienne de la Táin nous apprend sur la genèse (Entstehungsgeschichte ) de l’œuvre ? ; (2) quel était le rapport entre la Táin et la «matière d’Ulster» dans son intégralité ?
[EN] Since Ernst Windisch’s monumental edition of the Táin Bó Cúailnge in 1905, a number of theories have been launched to explain how this central epic of Irish literature came into being, but still Celticists have not come to grips with the (various versions of the) work itself. However important the orality-literacy debate and matters like the mentality (Weltbild ) of early medieval Ireland and the functioning of early Irish literature in its European context are, these problems do not absolve Celticists from taking a close look at the texts themselves. In this paper I shall try to answer the following two questions : (1) What does the structure (Bauplan ) of the oldest version of the Táin teach us about the genesis (Entstehungsgeschichte ) of the work ? ; (2) what was the relation between the Táin and the matter of Ulster as a whole ?
Depuis l’édition monumentale de la Táin Bó Cúailnge par Ernst Windisch en 1905, on a lancé un certain nombre de théories pour expliquer comment cette épopée, capitale dans la littérature irlandaise, est arrivée à l’existence, et néanmoins les celtisants n’ont pas réellement saisi et dominé (les différentes versions de) l’œuvre elle-même. Si importants que soient le débat opposant l’oral et le littéraire, et des questions comme la représentation (Weltbild) de l’Irlande médiévale ou le fonctionnement de la littérature irlandaise ancienne dans son contexte européen, ces problèmes ne doivent pas servir d’excuse pour ne pas examiner attentivement les textes eux-mêmes. L’auteur répond aux deux questions suivantes : (1) Qu’est ce que la structure (Bauplan ) de la version ancienne de la Táin nous apprend sur la genèse (Entstehungsgeschichte ) de l’œuvre ? ; (2) quel était le rapport entre la Táin et la «matière d’Ulster» dans son intégralité ?
[EN] Since Ernst Windisch’s monumental edition of the Táin Bó Cúailnge in 1905, a number of theories have been launched to explain how this central epic of Irish literature came into being, but still Celticists have not come to grips with the (various versions of the) work itself. However important the orality-literacy debate and matters like the mentality (Weltbild ) of early medieval Ireland and the functioning of early Irish literature in its European context are, these problems do not absolve Celticists from taking a close look at the texts themselves. In this paper I shall try to answer the following two questions : (1) What does the structure (Bauplan ) of the oldest version of the Táin teach us about the genesis (Entstehungsgeschichte ) of the work ? ; (2) what was the relation between the Táin and the matter of Ulster as a whole ?
Contributions to edited collections or authored works
Edel, Doris, “What did Ailill and Medb really quarrel about? A legal approach to the ‘Pillow Talk’”, in: Raimund Karl, and Katharina Möller (eds), Proceedings of the second European Symposium in Celtic Studies: held at Prifysgol Bangor University from July 31st to August 3rd 2017, Hagen/Westfalen: curach bhán, 2018. 131–140.
Edel, Doris, “Cú Chulainn on the couch: character portrayal in Táin bó Cúailnge”, in: Gregory Toner, and Séamus Mac Mathúna (eds), Ulidia 3: proceedings of the Third International Conference on the Ulster Cycle of Tales, University of Ulster, Coleraine 22–25 June, 2009. In memoriam Patrick Leo Henry, Berlin: curach bhán, 2013. 127–136.
Edel, Doris, “Charakterzeichnung in der Táin bó Cúailnge am Beispiel des exilierten Fergus”, in: Helmut Birkhan (ed.), Kelten-Einfälle an der Donau. Akten des Vierten Symposiums deutschsprachiger Keltologinnen und Keltologen ... Linz/Donau, 17.-21. Juli 2005, Denkschriften, Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2007. 183–193.
Edel, Doris, “Stability and fluidity in the transmission of narrative texts: the delineation of characters in Táin bó Cúailnge”, in: Próinséas Ní Chatháin, and Michael Richter (eds), Ireland and Europe in the early Middle Ages: texts and transmissions / Irland und Europa im früheren Mittelalter: Texte und Überlieferung, Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2002. 313–325.
Reprint.
Edel, Doris, “Die Táin bó Cúailnge zwischen Mündlichkeit und Schriftlichkeit: Prolegomena zu einer Geschichte ihrer Entwicklung”, in: Martin Rockel, and Stefan Zimmer (eds), Akten des ersten Symposiums Deutschsprachiger Keltologen (Gosen bei Berlin, 8.–10. April 1992), 11, Tübingen: Niemeyer, 1993. 83–99.
Edel, Doris, “Die inselkeltische Erzähltradition zwischen Mündlichkeit und Schriftlichkeit”, in: Stephen N. Tranter, and Hildegard L. C. Tristram (eds), Early Irish literature — media and communication / Mündlichkeit und Schriftlichkeit in der frühen irischen Literatur, 10, Tübingen: Narr, 1989. 99–124.
Edel, Doris, “De plaats van Maartje Draak in de keltologie”, in: Doris Edel, W. P. Gerritsen, and Kees Veelenturf (eds), Monniken, ridders en zeevaarders: opstellen over vroeg-middeleeuwse Ierse cultuur en Middelnederlandse letterkunde; aangeboden aan Maartje Draak; met een bibliografie van haar publikaties alsmede een autobiografische bijdrage, Amsterdam: Gerard Timmer Prods, 1988. 9–16.
comments: On the Irish backgrounds to the St Brendan legend in Europe.
Edel, Doris, “Antipoden, ankers en een wereld-onder-het-water”, in: A. M. J. van Buuren, H. van Dijk, O. S. H. Lie, and F. P. van Oostrom (eds), Tussentijds: bundel studies aangeboden aan W. P. Gerritsen ter gelegenheid van zijn vijftigste verjaardag, 5, Utrecht: HES Uitgevers, 1985. 101–114, 339–342.