Motif
Rival rulers contest a prized guardian animal
rival_rulers_contest_a_prized_guardian_animal
A motif of the Sacred Combat and Ritual Warfare family, within the sub-family Cattle Raid and Livestock War. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.
1 occurrences
1 traditions
celtic irish
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Heroic Romances of Ireland MAC DATHO'S BOAR / INTRODUCTION / MAC DATHO'S BOAR / FROM THE BOOK OF LEINSTER (TWELFTH-CENTURY MS.); lines 2033-2183 confidence: high
Mac Datho is introduced as king over the men of Leinster; he owns Ailbe, a famed hound described as guardian of all Leinster.
Two royal parties demand the same famed hound, whose possession is valuable enough to draw large payments and threats of conflict.
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