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Táin: The Women’s Stories
"TÁIN: The Women's Stories" is the first publication from Bard Mythologies. Written by Karina Tynan the book reimagines Ireland's most famous mythological tale "The Táin Bó Cúailnge" ("Cattle Raid of Cooley") from the female character's perspective. The stories are complemented with ink illustrations throughout by Kathy Tynan.
109 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 8, 2023
The book itself is stunning. The way the pages are bound and the embossed cover. Gorgeous!
The stories are a really enjoyable interpretation of the myths and legends we grew up with. Beautifully written and definitely a book I'll keep coming back to.
The stories are a really enjoyable interpretation of the myths and legends we grew up with. Beautifully written and definitely a book I'll keep coming back to.
December 24, 2022
This book is written quite beautifully, the art work and the actual hard copy of the book itself are stunning. I love the idea behind the book, really interesting premise. Truthfully I found the stories a bit hard to follow at times. And perhaps it was a conscious choice, but the story narration and writing style seemed a bit disjointed from chapter to chapter. Overall, it was a nice read
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November 12, 2025Retelling of the Táin from the POV of its female characters in a series of short stories. For simpletons such as myself, the Táin is THE biggest and/or oldest story in Irish mythology that was passed down from generation to generation. Sometimes referred to as "the Irish Odyssey", I think?
Would have been considerably more impactful if I'd been exposed to these stories (to this story?) as a child, because it is the same kind of reinterpretation movement that we're seeing today with Greek myths, but the latter resonate a lot more for me because I've been hearing them forever.
This was my first time reading and being 'properly exposed'/really immersing myself in Irish mythology and it's funny to see how different it is from "typical" Western culture (different taboos, different approaches to relationships and sex, etc). Of course, I'm aware it might be due to the writer's subjectivity - although, from the pages I've read from Motherfoclóir, I think it may be an actual cultural thing.
Also, this is a mother/daughter collaboration, so I'm absolutely here for it.
Would have been considerably more impactful if I'd been exposed to these stories (to this story?) as a child, because it is the same kind of reinterpretation movement that we're seeing today with Greek myths, but the latter resonate a lot more for me because I've been hearing them forever.
This was my first time reading and being 'properly exposed'/really immersing myself in Irish mythology and it's funny to see how different it is from "typical" Western culture (different taboos, different approaches to relationships and sex, etc). Of course, I'm aware it might be due to the writer's subjectivity - although, from the pages I've read from Motherfoclóir, I think it may be an actual cultural thing.
Also, this is a mother/daughter collaboration, so I'm absolutely here for it.
October 21, 2024
This was a great read, and the book itself is a pleasure to hold (the paper, the binding, the embossing!) I always enjoy a good retelling of women in old, masculine dominated stories, and this one is definitely on my recommended list now.
The only reason it's not 5 stars is more to do with my own inner logic of rating than a reflection on the book itself. I would have liked something like a family tree or character list, but because the stories were almost chronological (and I read it in two days) I was able to keep track of most of the connections. I don't think something that "factual" would have taken away from the expressive of handling and reading, so it would have been nice to have as reference.
But definitely one to pick up if you have even a passing interest in the Tuatha De Dannan, with a sharply raised eyebrow to the eternal lack of women.
The only reason it's not 5 stars is more to do with my own inner logic of rating than a reflection on the book itself. I would have liked something like a family tree or character list, but because the stories were almost chronological (and I read it in two days) I was able to keep track of most of the connections. I don't think something that "factual" would have taken away from the expressive of handling and reading, so it would have been nice to have as reference.
But definitely one to pick up if you have even a passing interest in the Tuatha De Dannan, with a sharply raised eyebrow to the eternal lack of women.
March 7, 2022
A nicely produced little volume. It works well as an accompaniment to a more mainstream translation rather than as a stand alone version. The focus on the female perspective is interesting. The images are nice but they don't add a great deal.
July 17, 2022
An exciting, emotional book full of brilliant stories!
July 20, 2024
Some of the stories were really interesting, but the writing lacks craft and feels a bit awkward at times.
July 19, 2024
Found this collection of stories in a small bookshop while visiting Kilkenny, and - boy - what a discovery! It's an amazing retelling of some of my favorite myths with such a unique voice and perspective. Karina created something truly magical. The goddess comes out of the page. I highly recommend her second collection, Sídh, as well.
April 3, 2024
One of my favourite books - beautiful inside and out!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews