Poetic knowledge and Christian exegesis in the Mongán tales: a metalanguage of multiple meanings

Abstract

This article examines a group of Cín Dromma Snechtai texts which feature the character of Mongán mac Fíachnai. Recurring attributes of his literary persona include his poetic credentials and connection to the Otherworld through his divine father Manannán as well as certain Christian allusions. It is argued that these elements constitute a metatext which can be read as a commentary on the theory of knowledge and signification which emerged from a synthesis of the methods of Christian exegesis, particularly the dichotomy between historical and spiritual sense, and the secular ideal of poetic inspiration that gives access to transcendent knowledge. The inner logic of the texts reflects the unfolding of the levels of meaning.