The Táin (TAWN) is an ancient Irish tale. People passed it on by word of mouth for a very long time before anyone wrote it down. They carried it in their heads, by the fire, on the road, and from one generation to the next.
So here is the question for today: what changes when a story is finally written?
Eyes on the storyteller. Listen first. Picture each scene as you hear it.
Three beats to hold in your mind:
Names you will hear:
Long after people told this tale aloud, it was written down. A spoken telling can stretch or lean toward the listeners in the room. A written telling holds still, so the next reader meets nearly the same words.
The Táin is not set in a made-up kingdom. Its ground, the real places under the story, is Ulster.
Watch the placename decoder on the board. Volunteers tap a place. Look for Irish roots inside names you already half-know, and notice how a story's map can still sit under today's map.
Open your copy. Write the moment from the story you would keep if you could keep only one, and why.
One moment. One reason. Use your own words.
Tales like the Táin were carried for a long time in Irish. Listen to each short clip.
Your job: Show 1 finger for Irish. Show 2 fingers for not sure or another language. Wait for the reveal. No calling out.
Listen for the music of the language, not for words you already know.
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