Also known as The Cattle Raid of Cooley, this ancient Irish legend recounts the heroic feats of Cu Chulainn. The central epic of the Ulster cycle, it is written mostly in prose and set in the pre-Christian era. Scenes of fierce combat, interwoven with instances of earthy humor and wild exaggeration, form an ultimate moral decrying the futility of war and the worthlessness of possessions. Translated by Joseph Dunn, a prolific 20th-century interpreter of Irish literature.