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Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

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Fairlie

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Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

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Re: Magic of Mythology

PostTue Jun 07, 2016 7:34 pm

Great work Fairlie
My ipad controls my spellings not me so apologies from it in advance :) lol
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 11:43 am

The Birth of Cúchulainn



Dechtire the mother of Cúchulainn was sitting at her wedding feast about to be married to the Ulster chieftain Sualtam. When a mayfly landed in her wine cup. She drank the wine without noticing and fell into a deep sleep. Lugh the god of light appeared to her in a dream and revealed to her that he was the mayfly that she had swallowed. He transformed Dechtire and her fifty serving maidens into a flock of birds and they all disappeared without trace.

Many months later the Warriors of Emain Macha were out hunting when they noticed a wondrous flock of beautiful birds, so they decided to give chase to these birds. They followed in their chariots for a long while until darkness fell and they discovered that they had arrived at Brugh na Boyne the home of the Gods and Goddesses. Suddenly they saw a large hall of such magnificence that they could never remember seeing its like before.

A tall, handsome man greeted them and invited them inside for some food and drink. When they entered they saw a beautiful woman with her fifty serving maidens seated at the table which was laden with the most sumptuous feast they had ever laid eyes on. When they had finished eating and drinking they were offered beds for the night and duly retired. However their sleep was broken by the cries of a new born baby in the middle of the night.

When they awoke their host revealed that he was none other than Lugh the long-handed and that the woman was Dechtire half sister of King Conchobar mac Nessa, and that she had just given birth to a son who was to be taken back to Emain Macha and raised in the court and trained in the ways of the warrior. Thus the warriors escorted Dechtire, her new son and her fifty maidens back to Emain Macha where there was much rejoicing at her safe return. Sualtam received herself and her child into his home and cared for the boy as his own flesh and blood and he was named Setanta, later known as the hero Cúchulainn.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 11:44 am

How Cúchulainn got his name



At first the son of Dechtire and Sualtam was called Setanta. As a child he was the strongest of all his peers and won all the sports competitions. One day while playing Hurley single-handed against a team of other boys and beating them, he was summoned to the court of King Conchobar so that he might attend a feast at the house of the sidhe blacksmith Culann. Setanta promised to come along as soon as his game was finished.

When the Ulster champions entered the smith's hall, the king gave permission for Culann to let loose his fierce guard hound, forgetting that Setanta had not yet arrived. When Setanta came into Culann's front yard the hound attacked him fiercely, Setanta reacted quickly and hurled his sliotar (Hurley ball) into the mouth of the hound choking him, he then grabbed him by his hind legs and smashed out his brains on a rock.

Culann the chief smith was enraged to find that his guard dog had been killed. Setanta apologised and promised to find another hound and train it for Culann but in the meantime he himself would act as Culann's guard. Thus from that time onwards he was known as Cúchulainn - the hound of Culann.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 11:45 am

Cúchulainn and the Morrigan



Cúchulainn attracted the attention of the Morrigan (Celtic Goddess of Birth, Death and War), because of his exploits. While sleeping deeply after an exhausting day of single combats, Cúchulainn was startled awake by a great shout coming from the north, which in Celtic legend is the realm of the dead, justice and the element of Earth. He ordered his charioteer Laeg to get the chariot ready for them to seek out the source of this strange cry.

They travelled north and met a woman riding towards them in another chariot, she wore a red dress, a long red cloak, had red hair and eyebrows and carried a long grey spear. Cúchulainn greeted this woman and asked her who she was, and she replied that she was daughter of a king called Buan (the Eternal One) who had fallen in love with him after hearing about his deeds. Cúchulainn did not recognise the woman as an incarnation of the goddess and brusquely replied that he had better things to do than concern himself with a woman's love. The Morrigan replied that she had been helping him throughout his combats and that she would continue to do so in return for his love. Cúchulainn arrogantly replied that he did not need the help of any woman in battle. "If you will not have my love and help, then you shall have my hatred and enmity" she said. "When you are in combat with an enemy as good as yourself, I shall come against you in many shapes and hinder you, until your opponent has the advantage."

Cúchulainn drew his sword to attack this threatening woman, but saw only a crow sitting on a branch. The crow was the totem bird of the goddess and Cúchulainn finally realised that he had rejected the help of the fearsome Morrigan.

On the following day Cúchulainn met a great warrior called Loch in battle. Loch scorned him as a beardless youth and refused to fight him, so Cúchulainn rubbed blackberry juice into his chin until it appeared darkened with a growing beard he also said an incantation over some grasses and they adhered to his chin. Then he found out what it was like to be on the wrong side of the Morrigan. While he was in combat with Loch, she came against him three times. The first was in the shape of a red-eared heifer who tried to knock him over; the second was in the shape of an eel that wrapped itself about his legs as he stood in the stream; and the third time she came against him as a grey wolf that grabbed his sword arm. Each time his opponent gained an advantage and managed to strike Cúchulainn, however he also managed to strike back at the goddess in her forms, he broke the heifer's leg, he trampled on the eel and poked out the eye of the wolf. In spite of his worsening odds against Loch, he finally managed to kill him with his magical spear - the gae bulga with its thirty barbs.

After he had killed Loch, the Morrigan appeared to him again in the form of an old crone who was milking a cow with three teats. Cúchulainn requested a drink of milk from her, she gave him a drink from the first teat but that did not quench his thirst, so she gave him a drink from the second teat but still his thirst was unquenched and then she gave him a drink from the third teat and finally his thirst was quenched and he was grateful to the old woman and asked what reward she wanted. She requested that he heal the wounds that he had inflicted on her while she was in animal guises as only Cúchulainn could heal the wounds which he caused, which he graciously did.

She appeared to him after that on the day of his death in the form of three old crones who cajole him into eating a piece of cooked dog which was a food forbidden to him, thus he broke a geas which had been imposed on him and this was extremely inauspicious. After he had been killed in the Battle of Muirthemne she appeared as the crow which landed on his shoulder.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 11:46 am

Cúchulainn and Lugh the long-handed



As Cúchulainn was lying asleep exhausted from many combats, his divine father Lugh appeared to him in the shape of a tall handsome man in a green cloak, golden silk shirt covered with embroidery and carrying a black shield and five pointed spear. He cast his son into a magical sleep lasting three days and three nights. While Cúchulainn slept, Lugh healed his many wounds with magical herbs; and when he awoke he was completely refreshed and whole.

Unfortunately during his sleep, the boy troop of warriors from Emain Macha came to fight against the army of Medb, and although they slew three times their own number, they were wiped out entirely. This caused Cúchulainn much heart-ache and he vowed to avenge their deaths.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 11:47 am

Cúchulainn and Fergus Mac Roich



Fergus Mac Roich was foster father to Cúchulainn however it came to pass that during the battle of the Brown Bull of Cooley, he was set against his foster son because he was serving in Medb's army at the time because he had fallen out with King Conchobar of Ulster. Neither really wanted to fight the other, so Fergus suggested to Cúchulainn that when they were in combat Cúchulainn should pretend to be scared and run away, then at a future date Fergus would do the same for Cúchulainn. Cúchulainn was at first indignant that anyone should think him a coward but when he considered the plan he felt it was better to lose face in the short term than lose a friend and future benefits. This showed that he was beginning to mature and gain experience and wisdom. Fergus was able to return to Medb's army and say that he had fulfilled his obligations.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 11:48 am

Cúchulainn trains with the warrior woman Scathach



Forgal the Wily, on hearing that Cúchulainn had made a play for his daughter Emer went to see what manner of a man he was. On seeing him win at every contest and game he declared to King Conchobar that such a skilful youth should train with the great warrior woman Scathach on her island off the coast of Scotland. Forgal was really hoping to get rid of Cúchulainn as only the strongest survived training with Scathach so fierce an opponent was she.

Cúchulainn then set off for the island of Scathach with his two friends Laegaire Battle Winner and Conall the Victorious but the way to Scathach's island had many dangerous territories to cross and also Forgal sent magic hindrances against Laegaire and Conall, and his two friends lost heart and returned to Ulster leaving Cúchulainn to go on alone.

First he crossed the Plain of Ill Luck, here the feet of men could stick fast and be pierced by razor sharp grass blades. Then he crossed the Perilous Glens filled with devouring beasts. Then he came to the Bridge of the Cliff, this bridge tilted upwards whenever anyone tried to cross, throwing all comers to their death. Cúchulainn attempted to cross this bridge three times and each time he failed. However finally his heroic fervour came upon him known as Loin Loich - (the light of the hero) which caused his face to shine like the sun. Taking a great leap called the leap of the salmon, twisting and turning against the flow Cúchulainn landed in the middle of the tilting bridge and as it rose up vertically he slid down to the other side. At last he gained access to the stronghold of Scathach and threatened her with his sword until she agreed to teach him. Scathach's daughter Uathach was very attracted to Cúchulainn and they became lovers while he lived at Scathach's stronghold.

In return for his tuition he had to carry out a task for Scathach. He was to defeat another great warrior woman Aoife in battle, which he did gaining his famous weapon the gae bulga from her. He also made love to her and she conceived a son whom she called Conlaoch.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 11:49 am

Cúchulainn and Ferdiad



Ferdiad had trained with the warrior woman Scathach at the same time as Cúchulainn except that he was a few years ahead in his training and was therefore almost like an older brother to Cúchulainn. Ferdiad was working for Queen Medb during the time of the battle of the Brown Cow, and she wanted him to go fight against his friend Cúchulainn. Ferdiad refused to fight Cúchulainn at first but Queen Medb threatened to have him satirized by a bard so terribly that he would die of shame and his name would be infamous for all eternity. This was a very grave threat to a Celtic warrior as most of Celtic history was preserved in oral form and to be satirized meant to be remembered for centuries as an object of ridicule and shame. Medb also offered Ferdiad financial rewards should he fight against Cúchulainn and bound herself to a six-fold oath of surety that she would keep her promise.

Thus Ferdiad went into combat albeit reluctantly. Cúchulainn greeted him in a friendly manner only to be told by Ferdiad that due to circumstances beyond his control he had come to do battle instead of renewing their friendship. They fought all day then neither gaining advantage over the other until at nightfall they decided to rest. Ferdiad sent a portion of his food to Cúchulainn and Cúchulainn sent a portion of his healing herbs to Ferdiad. Their horses slept and were cared for at the same stable and their charioteers slept by the same fireside. This pattern continued on the second and the third day but that night they parted in great sorrow knowing that tomorrow would be the day of reckoning, that night they slept in separate places, their horses and their charioteers also slept separately.

The next day Cúchulainn used his magical weapon the gae bulga who none could resist and slew his friend Ferdiad with a low cast of the spear. When he saw his friend dying his battle frenzy left him and he took up his friend in his arms and carried him across to die in the camp of the men of Ulster rather than with the army of Medb. He cried and lamented over his friend's body saying that all had been but sport up to that moment but now it was no longer a game 'yesterday Ferdiad was greater than a mountain, today he is less than a shadow.'

At this point Cúchulainn was so covered in wounds from his battles that he could not let his clothes touch him and had to pad his wounds with spaghnum moss and healing herbs. The only part of his body unscathed was his left hand which held his shield.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 11:51 am

Cúchulainn slays Findabair


"Let a message be sent to him," said Ailill, "that Finnabair my daughter will be bestowed on him, and for him to keep away from the hosts." Mane Athremail ('Fatherlike') goes to him. But first he addresses himself to Laeg. "Whose man art thou?" spake Mane. Now Laeg made no answer. Thrice Mane addressed him in this same wise. "Cúchulainn's man," Laeg answers, "and provoke me not, lest it happen I strike thy head off thee!" "This man is mad," quoth Mane as he leaves him.

Then he goes to accost Cuchulainn. It was there Cuchulainn had doffed his tunic, and the deep snow was around him where he sat, up to his belt, and the snow had melted a cubit around him for the greatness of the heat of the hero. And Mane addressed him three times in like manner, whose man he was?" Conchobar's man, and do not provoke me. For if thou provokes me any longer I will strike thy head off thee as one strikes off the head of a blackbird!" "No easy thing," quoth Mane, "to speak to these two." Thereupon Mane leaves them and tells his tale to Ailill and Medb.

"Let Lugaid go to him," said Ailill, "and offer him the girl." Thereupon Lugaid goes and repeats this to Cuchulain. "O master Lugaid," quoth Cuchulain, "it is a snare!" "It is the word of a king; he hath said it," Lugaid answered; "there can be no snare in it." "So be it," said Cuchulain. Forthwith Lugaid leaves him and takes that answer to Ailill and Medb. "Let the fool go forth in my form," said Ailill, "and the king's crown on his head, and let him stand some way off from Cuchulain lest he know him; and let the girl go with him and let the fool promise her to him, and let them depart quickly in this wise. And methinks ye will play a trick on him thus, so that he will not stop you any further till he comes with the Ulstermen to the battle."

Then the fool goes to him and the girl along with him, and from afar he addresses Cuchulain. The Hound comes to meet him. It happened he knew by the man's speech that he was a fool. A slingstone that was in his hand he threw at him so that it entered his head and bore out his brains. He comes up to the maiden, cuts off her two tresses and thrusts a stone through her cloak and her tunic, and plants a standing-stone through the middle of the fool. Their two pillar-stones are there, even the pillar-stone of Finnabair and the pillar-stone of the fool.

Cuchulain left them in this plight. A party was sent out from Ailill and Medb to search for their people, for it was long they thought they were gone, when they saw them in this wise. This thing was noised abroad by all the host in the camp. Thereafter there was no truce for them with Cuchulain.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 11:59 am

The Combat of Ferdiad and Cúchulainn (full version)


Part-1
Then the men of Erin took counsel who would be fit to send to the ford to fight and do battle with Cúchulainn, to drive him off from them at the morning hour early on the morrow. With one accord they declared that it should be Ferdiad son of Daman son of Daré, the great and valiant warrior of the men of Domnann. And fitting it was for him to go thither, for well-matched and alike was their manner of fight and of combat. Under the same instructresses had they done skillful deeds of valour and arms, when learning the art with Scathach ('the Shadowy') and with Uathach ('the Dreadful') and with Aoife ('the Handsome'). And neither of them overmatched the other, save in the feat of the Gae Bulga ('the Barbed Spear') which Cúchulainn possessed. Howbeit, against this, Ferdiad was horn-skinned when fighting and in combat with a warrior on the ford.

Then were messengers and envoys sent to Ferdiad. Ferdiad denied them their will, and sent back the messengers, and he went not with them, for he knew that they would have him, to fight and combat with his friend, with his comrade and foster-brother, Cúchulainn. Then did Medb dispatch the druids and the poets of the camp, the lampoonists and hard-attackers, for Ferdiad, to the end that they might make three satires to stay him and three scoffing speeches against him, that they might raise three blisters on his face, Blame, Blemish and Disgrace, if he came not with them.

Ferdiad came with them for the sake of his own honour, for as much as he deemed it better to fall by the shafts of valour and bravery and skill, than to fall by the shafts of satire, abuse and reproach. And when Ferdiad was come into the camp, he was honoured and waited on, and choice, well-flavoured strong liquor was poured out for him till he became drunken and merry. Great rewards were promised him if he would make the fight and combat, namely a chariot worth four times seven bondmaids, and the apparel of two men and ten men, of cloth of every colour, and the equivalent of the Plain of Muirthemne of the rich Plain of Ai, free of tribute, without duress for his son, or for his grandson, or for his great-grandson, till the end of time and existence. The hand of Medb's daughter Finnabair was also promised to him.

Such were the words of Medb, and she spoke them here and Ferdiad responded:

Medb: "Great rewards in arm-rings,
Share of plain and forest
Freedom of thy children
From this day till doom!
Ferdiad son of Daman,
More than thou couldst hope for,
Why should thou refuse it,
That which all would take?"
Ferdiad: "Naught I'll take without bond--
No ill spearman am I--
Hard on me to-morrow:
Great will be the strife!
Hound that is the height of Culann,
How his thrust is grievous!
No soft thing to stand him;
Rude will be the wound!"

Medb: "Champions will be surety,
Thou need not keep hosting.
Reins and splendid horses
Shall be given as pledge!
Ferdiad, good, of battle,
For that thou art dauntless,
Thou shalt be my lover,
Past all, free of censure !"

Ferdiad: "Without bond I'll go not
To engage in ford-feats;
It will live till doomsday
In full strength and force.
Never I'll yield-- who hears me,
Whoever counts upon me--
Without sun- and moon-oath,
Without sea and land!"

Medb: "Why then dost delay it?
Bind it as it please thee,
By kings' hands and princes',
Who will stand for thee!
Lo, I will repay thee,
Thou shalt have thine asking,
For I know thou will slaughter
Any one that meets thee!"

Ferdiad: "Nay, without six sureties--
It shall not be fewer--
Before I do my exploits
There where hosts will be!
Should my will be granted,
I swear, though unequal,
That I'll meet in combat
Cúchulainn the brave!"

Medb: "Domnall, then, or Cairbre,
Niaman famed for slaughter,
Or even folk of the bards,
Nevertheless, thou shalt have them.
Bind thyself on Morann,
Wouldst thou its fulfillment
Bind on smooth Man's Cairbre,
And our two sons, bind!"

Ferdiad: "Medb, with wealth of cunning,
Whom no spouse can bridle,
Thou it is that herds
Cruachan of the mounds!
High thy fame and wild power!
Mine the fine pied satin;
Give thy gold and silver,
Which were proffered me!"

Medb: "To thee, foremost champion,
I will give my ringed brooch.
From this day till Sunday,
Shall thy respite be!
Warrior, mighty, famous,
All the earth's fair treasures
Shall to thee be given;
Everything be thine!

"Finnabair of the champions,
Queen of western Erin,
When you have slain the Smith's Hound,
Ferdiad, she's thine!"

Then said they, one and all, those gifts were great. "'Tis true,
they are great. But though they are," said Ferdiad, "with
Medb herself I will leave them, and I will not accept them if
it be to do battle or combat with my foster-brother, the man
of my alliance and affection, and my equal in skill of arms,
namely, with Cúchulainn." And he said:

"Greatest toil, this, greatest toil,
Battle with the Hound of gore!
Rather would I battle twice
With two hundred men of Fal!

"Sad the fight, and sad the fight,
I and Hound of feats shall wage!
We shall hack both flesh and blood;
Skin and body we shall hew!

"Sad, O god, yea, sad, O god,
That a woman should us part!
My heart's half, the blameless Hound;
Half the brave Hound's heart am I!

"By my shield, O by my shield,
If Ath Cliath's brave Hound should fall,
I will drive my slender glaive
Through my heart, my side, my breast!

"By my sword, O by my sword,
If the Hound of Glen Bolg fall!
No man after him I'll slay,
Till I over the world's brink spring!

"By my hand, O, by my hand!
Falls the Hound of Glen in Sgail,
Medb with all her host I'll kill
And then no more men of Fal!

"By my spear, O, by my spear!
Should Ath Cro's brave Hound be slain,
I'll be buried in his grave;
May one grave hide me and him!

"Tell him this, O tell him this,
To the Hound of beauteous hue
Fearless Scathach hath foretold
My fall on a ford through him!

"Woe to Medb, yea, woe to Medb,
Who hath used her guile on us;
She hath set me face to face
'Against Cúchulainn-- hard the toil!"

"You men," spoke Medb, in the wonted fashion of stirring up disunion and dissension, "true is the word Cúchulainn speaks." "What word is that?" asked Ferdiad. "He said, then," replied Medb, "he would not think it too much if thou should fall by his hands in the choicest feat of his skill in arms, in the land where he should come." "It was not just for him to speak so," said Ferdiad; "for it is not cowardice
or lack of boldness that he hath ever seen in me. And I swear by my arms of valour, if it be true that he spoke so, I will be the first man of the men of Erin to contend with him on the morrow!" "A blessing and victory upon thee for that!" said Medb; "it pleases me more than for thee to show fear
and lack of boldness. For every man loves his own land, and how is it better for him to seek the welfare of Ulster, than for thee to seek the welfare of Connaught?"

Then it was that Medb obtained from Ferdiad the easy surety of a covenant to fight and contend on the morrow with six warriors of the champions of Erin, or to fight and contend with Cúchulainn alone, if to him this last seemed lighter. Ferdiad obtained of Medb the easy surety, as he thought, to send the aforesaid six men for the fulfillment of the terms which had been promised him, should Cúchulainn
fall at his hands.

Then Fergus' horses were fetched for him and his chariot was yoked, and he came forward to the place of combat where Cúchulainn was, to inform him of the challenge. Cúchulainn bade him welcome. "Welcome is thy coming, O my master Fergus!" cried Cúchulainn. "Truly intended, methinks, the welcome, O fosterling," said Fergus. "But, it is for this I am here, to inform thee who comes to fight and
contend with thee at the morning hour early on the morrow." "Even so will we hear it from thee," said Cúchulainn.

"Thine own friend and comrade and foster-brother, the man thine equal in feats and in skill of arms and in deeds, Ferdiad son of Daman son of Daré, the great and mighty warrior of the men of Domnann."

"As my soul lives," replied Cúchulainn, "it is not to an encounter we wish our friend to come." "It is even for that," answered Fergus, "thou should be on thy guard and prepared. For unlike all to whom it fell to fight and contend with thee on the Cualgne Cattle-raid on this occasion is Ferdiad son of Daman son of Daré." "Truly am I here," said Cúchulainn, "checking and staying four of the five grand
provinces of Erin from Monday at Summer's end till the beginning of spring. And in all this time, I have not put foot in retreat before any one man nor before a multitude, and methinks just as little will I turn foot in flight before him."

So spoke Fergus, putting him on his guard, and he said these
words and Cúchulainn responded:

Fergus: "O Cúchulainn-- splendid deed--
Lo, it is time for thee to rise.
Here in rage against thee comes
Ferdiad, red-faced Daman's son!"

Cúchulainn: "Here am I-- no easy task--
Holding Erin's men at bay;
Foot I've never turned in flight
In my fight with single foe!"

Fergus: "Dour the man when anger moves,
Owing to his gore-red glaive;
Ferdiad wears a skin of horn,
Against which fight nor might prevails!"

Cúchulainn: "Be thou still urge not thy tale,
Fergus of the mighty arms.
On no land and on no ground,
For me is there aught defeat!"

Fergus: "Fierce the man with scores of deeds;
No light thing, him to subdue.
Strong as hundreds-- brave his mien--
Point pricks not, edge cuts him not!"

Cúchulainn: "If we clash upon the ford,
I and Ferdiad of known skill,
We'll not part without we know:
Fierce will be our weapon fight!"

Fergus: "More I'd wish it than reward,
O Cúchulainn of red sword,
Thou should be the one to bring
Eastward haughty Ferdiad's spoils!"

Cúchulainn: "Now I give my word and vow,
Though unskilled in strife of words,
It is I will conquer this
Son of Daman mac Daré!"

Fergus: It is I brought east the host,
Thus requiting Ulster's wrong.
With me came they from their lands,
With their heroes and their chiefs!"

Cúchulainn: "Were not Conchobar in the 'Pains,'
Hard it would be to come near us.
Never Medb of Mag in Scáil
On more tearful march had come!"

Fergus: "Greatest deed awaits thy hand:
Fight with Ferdiad, Daman's son.
Hard stern arms with stubborn edge,
Shalt thou have, thou Culann's Hound!"

After that, Fergus returned to the camp and halting-place. As for Ferdiad, he betook himself to his tent and to his people, and imparted to them the easy surety which Medb had obtained from him to do combat and battle with six warriors on the morrow, or to do combat and battle with Cúchulainn alone, if he thought it a lighter task. He made known to them also the fair terms he had obtained from
Medb of sending the same six warriors for the fulfillment of the covenant she had made with him, should Cúchulainn fall by his hands. The folk of Ferdiad were not joyful, blithe, cheerful or merry that night, but they were sad, sorrowful and downcast, for they knew that where the two champions
and the two bulwarks in a gap for a hundred met in combat, one or other of them would fall there or both would fall, and if it should be one of them, they believed it would be their king and their own lord that would fall there, for it was not easy to contend and do battle with Cúchulainn on the Raid for the Bull of Cualgne.

Ferdiad slept right heavily the first part of the night, but when the end of the night was come, his sleep and his heaviness left him. And the anxiousness of the combat and the battle came upon him. And he charged his charioteer to take his horses and to yoke his chariot. The charioteer sought to dissuade him from that journey. "By our word," said the servant, "it would be better for thee to remain than to go thither," said he. And in this manner he spoke, and he uttered these words, and the henchman responded:

Ferdiad: "Let's haste to the encounter,
To battle with this man;
The ford we will come to,
Over which Badb will shriek!
To meet with Cúchulainn,
To wound his slight body,
To thrust the spear through him
So that he may die!"

The Henchman: "To stay it were better;
Your threats are not gentle
Death's sickness will one have,
And sad will ye part!
To meet Ulster's noblest
To meet whence ill cometh;
Long will men speak of it.
Alas, for your course!"

Ferdiad: "Not fair what thou say;
No fear hath the warrior;
We owe no one meekness;
We stay not for thee!
Hush, boy, about us!
The time will bring strong hearts;
More meet strength than weakness;
Let's on to the tryst!"

Ferdiad's horses were now brought forth and his chariot was hitched, and he set out from the camp for the ford of battle when yet day with its full light had not come there for him. "Come, boy," said Ferdiad, "spread for me the cushions and skins of my chariot under me here, so that I sleep off my heavy fit of sleep and slumber here, for I slept not the last part of the night with the anxiousness of the
battle and combat." The boy unharnessed the horses; he unfastened the chariot under him. He slept off the heavy fit of sleep that was on him.

Now how Cúchulainn fared is related here: He arose not till the day with its bright light had come to him, lest the men of Erin might say it was fear or fright of the champion he had, if he should arise early. And when day with its full light had come, he passed his hand over his face and bade his charioteer take his horses and yoke them to his chariot. "Come, boy," said Cúchulainn, "take out our horses for us
and harness our chariot, for an early riser is the warrior appointed to meet us, Ferdiad son of Daman son of Daré. "The horses are taken out," said the boy; "the chariot is harnessed. Mount, and be it no shame to thy valour to go thither!"

Then it was that the cutting, feat-performing, battle-winning, red-sworded hero, Cúchulainn son of Sualtam, mounted his chariot, so that there shrieked around him the goblins and fiends and the sprites of the glens and the demons of the air; for the Tuatha De Danann ('the Folk of the Goddess Danu')
were wont to set up their cries around him, to the end that the dread and the fear and the fright and the terror of him might be so much the greater in every battle and on every field, in every fight and in every combat wherein he went.

Not long had Ferdiad's charioteer waited when he heard something: A rush and a crash and a hurtling sound, and a din and a thunder, and a clatter and a clash, namely, the shield-cry of feat-shields, and the jangle of javelins, and the deed-striking of swords, and the thud of the helmet, and the
ring of spears, and the striking of arms, the fury of feats, the straining of ropes, and the whirr of wheels, and the creaking of the chariot, and the trampling of horses' hoofs, and thedeep voice of the hero and battle-warrior on his way to the ford to attack his opponent. The servant came and touched
his master with his hand. "Ferdiad, master," said the youth, "rise up! They are here to meet thee at the ford." And the boy spoke these words:

"The roll of a chariot,
Its fair yoke of silver;
A man great and stalwart
Overtops the strong car!
Over Brí Ross, o'er Branè
Their swift path they hasten;
Past Old-tree Town's tree-stump,
Victorious they speed!

"A sly Hound that drives,
A fair chief that urges,
A free hawk that speeds
His steeds towards the south!
Gore-coloured, the Cua,
It is sure he will take us
We know-- vain to hide it--
He brings us defeat!

Woe him on the hillock,
The brave Hound before him;
Last year I foretold it,
That some time he'd come!
Hound from Emain Macha,
Hound formed of all colours,
The Border-hound War-hound,
I hear what I've heard!"

"Come, boy," said Ferdiad; "for what reason do you praise this man ever since I am come from my house? And it is almost a cause for strife with thee that thou hast praised him thus highly. But, Ailill and Medb have prophesied to me that this man will fall by my hand. And since it is for a reward, he
shall quickly be torn asunder by me, but it is time to fetch help." And he spoke these words, and the henchman responded:

Ferdiad: "It is time now to help me;
Be silent! cease praising!
'It was no deed of friendship,
No doom over the river bank
The Champion of Cualnge,
Thou sees amidst proud feats,
For that it's for guerdon,
Shall quickly be slain!"

The Henchman: "I see Cualnge's hero,
With feats overweening,
Not fleeing us,
But towards us he comes.
He runs-- not slowly--
Though cunning-- not sparing--
Like water down high cliff
Or thunderbolt quick!"

Ferdiad: "'Tis cause of a quarrel,
So much thou hast praised him;
And why hast thou chose him,
Since I am from home?
And now they extol him,
They fall to proclaim him;
None come to attack him,
But weaklings."

Here follows the Description of Cúchulainn's chariot, one of the three chief Chariots of the Tale of the Foray of Cualnge.


It was not long that Ferdiad's charioteer remained there when he saw something: a beautiful, five-pointed chariot, approaching with swiftness, with speed, with perfect skill; with a green shade, with a thin-framed, dry-bodied box surmounted with feats of cunning, straight-poled, as long as
a warrior's sword. On this was room for a hero's seven arms, the fair seat for its lord; behind two fleet steeds, large-eared, gaily prancing, with inflated nostrils, broad-chested, quick-hearted, high-flanked, broad-hoofed, slender-limbed, overpowering and resolute. A grey, broad-hipped, small-stepping, long-maned horse was under one of the yokes of the chariot; a black, crisped-maned,
swift-moving, broad-backed horse under the other. Like unto a hawk after its prey on a sharp tempestuous day, or to a tearing blast of wind of Spring on a March day over the
back of a plain, or unto a startled stag when first roused by the hounds in the first of the chase, were Cúchulainn's two horses before the chariot, as if they were on glowing, fiery flags, so that they shook the earth and made it tremble with the fleetness of their course.

And Cúchulainn reached the ford. Ferdiad waited on the south side of the ford; Cúchulainn stood on the north side. Ferdiad bade welcome to Cúchulainn. "Welcome is thy coming, O Cúchulainn!" said Ferdiad. "Truly spoken seemed thy welcome till now," answered Cúchulainn; "but to-day I put no more trust in it. And, O Ferdiad," said Cúchulainn, "it were fitter for me to bid thee welcome than that thou should welcome me; for it is thou that art come to the land and province wherein I dwell, and it is not fitting
for thee to come to contend and do battle with me but it were fitter for me to go to contend and do battle with thee. For before thee in flight are my women and my boys and my
youths, my steeds and my troops of horses, my droves, my flocks and my herds of cattle."

"Good, O Cúchulainn," spoke Ferdiad; "what has ever brought thee out to contend and do battle with me? For when we were together with Scathach and with Uathach and with Aoife, thou wast my serving-man, even for arming my spear and dressing my bed." "That was indeed true,"
answered Cúchulainn; "because of my youth and my littleness did I so much for thee, but this is by no means my mood this day. For there is not a warrior in the world I would not drive off this day."

And then it was that each of them cast sharp-cutting reproaches at the other, renouncing his friendship. And Ferdiad spoke these words there, and Cúchulainn responded:

Ferdiad: "What led thee, O Cua,
To fight a strong champion?
Thy flesh will be gore-red
Over smoke of thy steeds!
Alas for thy journey,
A kindling of firebrands;
In sore need of healing,
If home thou should reach!"

Cúchulainn: "I'm come before warriors
Around the herd's wild Boar,
Before troops and hundreds,
To drown thee in deep
In anger, to prove thee
In hundred-fold battle,
Till on thee comes havoc,
Defending thy head!"

Ferdiad: "Here stands one to crush thee,
'It is I will destroy thee,
. . . . .
From me there shall come
The flight of their warriors
In presence of Ulster,
That long they'll remember
The loss that was theirs!"

Cúchulainn: "How then shall we combat?
For wrongs shall we heave sighs?
Despite all, we'll go there,
To fight on the ford!
Or is it with hard swords,
Or even with red spear-points,
Before hosts to slay thee,
If thy hour hath come?"

Ferdiad: "Before sunset, before nightfall--
If need be, then guard thee--
I'll fight thee at Bairché,
Not bloodlessly fight!
The Ulstermen call thee,
'He has him!' Oh, hearken!
The sight will distress them
That through them will pass!"

Cúchulainn: "In danger's gap fallen,
At hand is thy life's term;
On thee plied be weapons,
Not gentle the skill!
One champion will slay thee;
We both will encounter;
No more shalt lead forays,
From this day till Doom!"

Ferdiad: "Avaunt with thy warnings,
Thou world's greatest braggart;
Nor guerdon nor pardon,
Low warrior for thee!
'Tis I that well know thee,
Thou heart of a cageling--
This lad merely tickles--
Without skill or force!"

Cúchulainn: "When we were with Scathach,
For wonted arms' training,
Together we'd fare forth,
To seek every fight.
Thou wast my heart's comrade,
My clan and my kinsman;
Never found I one dearer;
Thy loss would be sad!"

Ferdiad: "Thou wager's thine honour
Unless we do battle;
Before the cock crows,
Thy head on a spit!
Cúchulainn of Cualnge,
Mad frenzy hath seized thee
All ill we'll wreak on thee,
For thine is the sin!"

"Come now, O Ferdiad," cried Cúchulainn, "not meet was it for thee to come to contend and do battle with me, because of the instigation and intermeddling of Ailill and Medb. And all that came because of those promises of deceit, neither profit nor success did it bring them, and they have fallen by
me. And none the more, Ferdiad, shall it win victory or increase of fame for thee; and, shalt thou too fall by my hand!" Thus he spake, and he further uttered these words and Ferdiad hearkened to him:

"Come not nigh me, noble chief,
Ferdiad, comrade, Daman's son.
Worse for thee than 'tis for me;
Thou will bring sorrow to a host!

"Come not nigh me against all right;
Thy last bed is made by me.
Why should thou alone escape
From the prowess of my arms?

"Shall not great feats thee undo,
Though thou are purple, horny-skinned?
And the maid thou boasts of,
Shall not, Daman's son, be thine!

"Finnabair, Medb's daughter fair,
Great her charms though they may be,
Fair as is the damsel's form,
She's not for thee to enjoy!

"Finnabair, the king's own child,
Is the lure, if truth be told;
Many they whom she's deceived
And undone as she has thee!

"Break not, weightless, oath with me;
Break not friendship, break not bond;
Break not promise, break not word;
Come not nigh me, noble chief!

"Fifty chiefs obtained in plight
This same maid, a proffer vain.
Through me went they to their graves;
Spear-right all they had from me!

"Though for brave was held Ferbaeth,
With whom was a warriors' train,
In short space I quelled his rage;
Him I slew with one sole blow!

"Sru Daré-- sore sank his might--
Darling of the noblest dames,
Time there was when great his fame--
Gold nor raiment saved him not!

"Were she mine affianced wife,
Smiled on me this fair land's head,
I would not thy body hurt,
Right nor left, in front, behind!"

"Good, O Ferdiad!" cried Cúchulainn. "It is not right for thee to come to fight and combat with me; for when we were with Scathach and with Uathach and with Aoife, and it was together we were used to seek out every battle and every battle-field, every combat and every contest, every wood and every desert, every covert and every recess." And thus he spake and he uttered these words:

Cúchulainn: "We were heart-companions once;
We were comrades in the woods;
We were men that shared a bed,
When we slept the heavy sleep,
After hard and weary fights.
Into many lands, so strange,
Side by side we sallied forth,
And we ranged the woodlands through,
When with Scathach we learned arms!"

Ferdiad: "O Cúchulainn, rich in feats,
Hard the trade we both have learned;
Treason hath overcome our love;
Thy first wounding hath been bought;
Think not of our friendship more,
Cua, it avails thee not!"

"Too long are we now in this way," said Ferdiad; "and what arms shall we resort to to-day, O Cúchulainn?" "With thee is thy choice of weapons this day," answered Cúchulainn, "for thou art he that first didst reach the ford." "Do you remember at all," asked Ferdiad "the choice deeds of arms we were wont to practice with Scathach and with Uathach and with Aoife?" "Indeed, and I do remember,"
answered Cúchulainn. "If thou remembers, let us begin with them."

They betook them to their choicest deeds of arms. They took upon them two equally-matched shields for feats, and their eight-edged targes for feats, and their eight small darts,
and their eight straight swords with ornaments of walrus-tooth and their eight lesser, ivoried spears which flew from them and to them like bees on a day of fine weather.
They cast no weapon that struck not. Each of them was busy casting at the other with those missiles from morning's early twilight till noon at mid-day, the while they overcame their various feats with the bosses and hollows of their feat-shields. However great the excellence of the throwing
on either side, equally great was the excellence of the defence, so that during all that time neither of them bled or reddened the other. "Let us cease now from this bout of arms, O Cúchulainn," said Ferdiad; "for it is not by such our decision will come." "Yea, surely, let us cease, if the time
hath come," answered Cúchulainn. Then they ceased. They threw their feat-tackle from them into the hands of their charioteers.

"To what weapons shall we resort next, O Cúchulainn?" asked Ferdiad. "Thine is the choice of weapons till nightfall," replied Cúchulainn; "for thou art he that didst first reach the ford." "Let us begin, then," said Ferdiad, "with our straight-cut, smooth-hardened throwing-spears, with cords of full-hard flax on them." "Aye, let us begin then," assented Cúchulainn. Then they took on them two hard shields, equally
strong. They fell to their straight-cut, smooth-hardened spears with cords of full-hard flax on them. Each of them was engaged in casting at the other with the spears from the middle of noon till the hour of evening's sundown. However great the excellence of the defence, equally great was the excellence of the throwing on either side, so that each of them bled and reddened and wounded the other during that
time. "Let us leave off from this now, O Cúchulainn," said Ferdiad. "Aye, let us leave off, if the time hath come," answered Cúchulainn. So they ceased. They threw their arms
from them into the hands of their charioteers.

Thereupon each of them went toward the other in the middle of the ford, and each of them put his hand on the other's neck and gave him three kisses. Their horses were in one and the same paddock that night, and their charioteers at one and the same fire; and their charioteers made ready a litter-bed of fresh rushes for them with pillows for wounded men on them. Then came healing and curing folk to heal and to cure them, and they laid healing herbs and grasses and a curing charm on their cuts and stabs, their gashes and many wounds. Of every healing herb and grass and curing charm
that was brought and was applied to the cuts and stabs, to the gashes and many wounds of Cúchulainn, a like portion thereof he sent across the ford westward to Ferdiad, so that the men of Erin should not have it to say, should Ferdiad fall at his hands, it was more than his share of care had been
given to him.

Of every food and of every savoury, soothing and strong drink that was brought by the men of Erin to Ferdiad, a like portion thereof he sent over the ford northwards to
Cúchulainn; for the purveyors of Ferdiad were more numerous than the purveyors of Cúchulainn. All the men of Erin were purveyors to Ferdiad, to the end that he might keep Cúchulainn off from them. But only the inhabitants of Mag Breg ('the Plain of Breg') were purveyors to Cúchulainn.
They were wont to come daily, that is, every night, to converse with him.

They bided there that night. Early on the morrow they arose and went their ways to the ford of combat. "To what weapons shall we resort on this day, O Ferdiad?" asked Cúchulainn. "Thine is the choosing of weapons," Ferdiad made answer, "because it was I had my choice of weapons
on the day afore gone." "Let us take, then," said Cúchulainn, "to our great, well-tempered lances to-day, for we think that the thrusting will bring nearer the decisive battle to-day than
did the casting of yesterday. Let our horses be brought to us and our chariots yoked, to the end that we engage in combat over our horses and chariots on this day." "Aye, let us go so," Ferdiad assented.

Thereupon they girded two full-firm broad shields on them for that day. They took to their great, well-tempered lances on that day. Either of them began to pierce and to drive, to
throw and to press down the other, from early morning's twilight till the hour of evening's close. If it were the wont for birds in flight to fly through the bodies of men, they could
have passed through their bodies on that day and carried away pieces of blood and flesh through their wounds and their sores into the clouds and the air all around. And when
the hour of evening's close was come, their horses were spent and their drivers were wearied, and they themselves, the heroes and warriors of valour, were exhausted. "Let us
give over now, O Ferdiad," said Cúchulainn, "for our horses are spent and our drivers tired, and when they are exhausted, why should we too not be exhausted?" And in this wise he spoke, and he uttered these words at that place:

"We need not our chariots break--
This, a struggle fit for giants.
Place the hobbles on the steeds,
Now that din of arms is over!"

"Yea, we will cease, if the time hath come," replied Ferdiad.
They ceased then. They threw their arms away from them
into the hands of their charioteers. Each of them came
towards his fellow. Each laid his hand on the other's neck
and gave him three kisses. Their horses were in the one pen
that night, and their charioteers at the one fire. Their
charioteers prepared two litter-beds of fresh rushes for them
with pillows for wounded men on them. The curing and
healing men came to attend and watch and mark them that
night; for naught else could they do, because of the
direfulness of their cuts and their stabs, their gashes and their
numerous wounds, but apply to them philters and spells and
charms, to staunch their blood and their bleeding and their
deadly pains. Of every magic potion and every spell and
every charm that was applied to the cuts and stabs of
Cúchulainn, their like share he sent over the ford westwards
to Ferdiad. Of every food and every savoury, soothing and
strong drink that was brought by the men of Erin to Ferdiad,
an equal portion he sent over the ford northwards to
Cúchulainn, for the victuallers of Ferdiad were more
numerous than the victuallers of Cúchulainn. For all the men
of Erin were Ferdiad's nourishers, to the end that he might
ward off Cúchulainn from them. But the indwellers of the
Plain of Breg alone were Cúchulainn's nourishers. They were
wont to come daily, that is, every night, to converse with
him.

They abode there that night. Early on the morrow they arose
and repaired to the ford of combat. Cúchulainn marked an
evil mien and a dark mood that day on Ferdiad. "It is evil
thou appears to-day, O Ferdiad," spoke Cúchulainn; "thy
hair has become dark to-day, and thine eye has grown
drowsy, and thine upright form and thy features and thy gait
have gone from thee!" "Truly not for fear nor for dread of
thee is that happened to me to-day," answered Ferdiad; "for
there is not in Erin this day a warrior I could not repel!" And
Cúchulainn lamented and moaned, and he spake these words
and Ferdiad responded:

Cúchulainn: "Ferdiad, ah, if it be thou,
Well I know thou are doomed to die!
To have gone at woman's hest,
Forced to fight thy comrade sworn!"

Ferdiad: "O Cúchulainn-- wise decree--
Loyal champion, hero true,
Each man is constrained to go
beneath the sod that hides his grave!"

Cúchulainn: "Finnabair, Medb's daughter fair,
Stately maiden though she be,
Not for love they'll give to thee,
But to prove thy kingly might!"

Ferdiad: "Proved was my might long since,
Cu of gentle spirit thou.
Of one braver I've not heard;
Till to-day I have not found!"

Cúchulainn: "Thou art he provoked this fight,
Son of Daman, Dare's son,
To have gone at woman's word,
Swords to cross with thine old friend!"

Ferdiad: "Should we then unfought depart,
Brothers though we are, bold Hound,
Ill would be my word and fame
With Ailill and Cruachan's Medb!"

Cúchulainn: "Food has not yet passed his lips,
Nay nor has he yet been born,
Son of king or blameless queen,
For whom I would work thee harm!"

Ferdiad: "Culann's Hound, with floods of
deeds,
Medb, not thou, hath us betrayed;
Fame and victory thou shalt have;
Not on thee we lay our fault!"

Cúchulainn: "Clotted gore is my brave heart,
Near I'm parted from my soul;
Wrongful it is-- with hosts of deeds--
Ferdiad, dear, to fight with thee!"

"to be continued.....
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 12:01 pm

The Combat of Ferdiad and Cúchulainn

Part-2

How much so ever thou find fault with me to-day," said
Ferdiad, "it will be as an offset to my prowess." And he
said, "To what weapons shall we resort to-day?" "With
thyself is the choice of weapons to-day," replied Cúchulainn,
"for it is I that chose on the day gone by." "Let us resort,
then," said Ferdiad, "to our heavy, hard-smiting swords this
day, for we believe that the smiting each other will bring us
nearer to the decision of battle to-day than was our piercing
each other on yesterday." "Let us go then, by all means,"
responded Cúchulainn.

Then they took two full-great long-shields upon them for
that day. They turned to their heavy, hard-smiting swords.
Each of them fell to strike and to hew, to lay low and cut
down, to slay and undo his fellow, till as large as the head of
a month-old child was each lump and each cut, that each of
them took from the shoulders and thighs and
shoulder-blades of the other.

Each of them was engaged in smiting the other in this way
from the twilight of early morning till the hour of evening's
close. "Let us leave off from this now, O Cúchulainn!" cried
Ferdiad. "Aye, let us leave off, if the hour has come," said
Cúchulainn. They parted then, and threw their arms away
from them into the hands of their charioteers. Though it had
been the meeting of two happy, blithe, cheerful, joyful men,
their parting that night was of two that were sad, sorrowful
and full of suffering. Their horses were not in the same
paddock that night. Their charioteers were not at the same
fire.

They passed there that night. It was then that Ferdiad arose
early on the morrow and went alone to the ford of combat.
For he knew that that would be the decisive day of the
battle and combat; and he knew that one or other of them
would fall there that day, or that they both would fall. It was
then he donned his battle-weed of battle and fight and
combat, or ever Cúchulainn came to meet him. And thus was
the manner of this harness of battle and fight and combat: He
put his silken, glossy tunic with its border of speckled gold,
next to his white skin. Over this, outside, he put his
brown-leathern, well-sewed kilt. Outside of this he put a
huge, goodly flag, the size of a millstone. He put his solid,
very deep, iron kilt of twice molten iron over the huge,
goodly flag as large as a millstone, through fear and dread of
the Gae Bulga on that day.

About his head he put his crested war-cap of battle and fight
and combat, whereon were forty carbuncle-gems beautifully
adorning it and studded with red-enamel and crystal and
rubies and with shining stones of the Eastern world. His
angry, fierce-striking spear he seized in his right hand. On his
left side he hung his curved battle-falchion, with its golden
pommel and its rounded hilt of red gold. On the arch-slope
of his back he slung his massive, fine-buffalo shield of a
warrior, whereon were fifty bosses, wherein a boar could be
shown in each of its bosses, apart from the great central
boss of red gold. Ferdiad performed diverse, brilliant,
manifold, marvellous feats on high that day, unlearned from
any one before, neither from foster-mother nor from
foster-father, neither from Scathach nor from Uathach nor
from Aoife, but he found them of himself that day in the face
of Cúchulainn.

Cúchulainn likewise came to the ford, and he beheld the
various, brilliant, manifold, wonderful feats that Ferdiad
performed on high. "Thou see yonder, O Laeg, my master,
the diverse, bright, numerous, marvellous feats that Ferdiad
performs on high, and I shall receive yon feats one after the
other. And, therefore, if defeat be my lot this day, do thou
prick me on and taunt me and speak evil to me, so that the
more my spirit and anger shall rise in me. If, however,
before me his defeat takes place, say thou so to me and
praise me and speak me fair, to the end that the greater may
be my courage!" "It shall surely be done so, if need be, O
Cucuc," Laeg answered.

Then Cúchulainn, too, girded his war-harness of battle and
fight and combat about him, and performed all kinds of
splendid, manifold, marvellous feats on high that day which
he had not learned from any one before, neither with
Scathach nor with Uathach nor with Aoife.

Ferdiad observed those feats, and he knew they would be
plied against him in turn. "To what weapons shall we resort
to-day, Ferdiad?" asked Cúchulainn. "With thee is thy choice
of weapons," Ferdiad responded. "Let us go to the 'Feat of
the Ford,' then," said Cúchulainn. "Aye, let us do so,"
answered Ferdiad. Albeit Ferdiad spoke that, he deemed it
the most grievous place where he could go, for he knew
that in that sort Cúchulainn used to destroy every hero and
every battle-soldier who fought with him in the 'Feat of the
Ford.'

Great indeed was the deed that was done on the ford that
day. The two heroes, the two champions, the two
chariot-fighters of the west of Europe, the two bright torches
of valour of the Gael, the two hands of dispensing favour
and of giving rewards in the west of the northern world, the
two veterans of skill and the two keys of bravery of the
Gael, to be brought together in encounter as from afar,
through the sowing of dissension and the incitement of Ailill
and Medb. Each of them was busy hurling at the other in
those deeds of arms from early morning's gloaming till the
middle of noon. When mid-day came, the rage of the men
became wild, and each drew nearer to the other.

Thereupon Cúchulainn gave one spring once from the bank of
the ford till he stood upon the boss of Ferdiad mac Daman's
shield, seeking to reach his head and to strike it from above
over the rim of the shield. Straightway Ferdiad gave the
shield a blow with his left elbow, so that Cúchulainn went
from him like a bird onto the brink of the ford. Again
Cúchulainn sprang from the brink of the ford, so that he
alighted upon the boss of Ferdiad mac Daman's shield, that
he might reach his head and strike it over the rim of the
shield from above. Ferdiad gave the shield a thrust with his
left knee, so that Cúchulainn went from him like an infant onto
the bank of the ford.

Laeg espied that. "Woe then, Cúchulainn!" cried Laeg;
"it seems the battle-warrior that is against thee hath shaken
thee as a fond woman shakes her child. He hath washed
thee as a cup is washed in a tub. He hath ground thee as a
mill grinds soft malt. He hath pierced thee as a tool bores
through an oak. He hath bound thee as the bindweed binds
the trees. He hath pounced on thee as a hawk pounces on
little birds, so that no more hast thou right or title or claim to
valour or skill in arms till the very day of doom and of life,
thou little imp of an elf-man!" cried Laeg.

Thereat for the third time, Cúchulainn arose with the speed of
the wind, and the swiftness of a swallow, and the dash of a
dragon, and the strength (of a lion) into the clouds of the air,
until he alighted on the boss of the shield of Ferdiad son of
Daman, so as to reach his head that he might strike it from
above over the rim of his shield. Then it was that the
battle-warrior gave the shield a violent and powerful shake,
so that Cúchulainn flew from it into the middle of the ford, the
same as if he had not sprung at all.

It was then the first twisting-fit of Cúchulainn took place, so
that a swelling and inflation filled him like breath in a bladder,
until he made a dreadful, terrible, many-coloured, wonderful
bow of himself, so that as big as a giant or a man of the sea
was the hugely-brave warrior towering directly over
Ferdiad.

Such was the closeness of the combat they made, that their
heads encountered above and their feet below and their
hands in the middle over the rims and bosses of the shields.
Such was the closeness of the combat they made, that their
shields burst and split from their rims to their centres. Such
was the closeness of the combat they made, that their spears
bent and turned and shivered from their tips to their rivets.

Such was the closeness of the combat they made, that the
boccanach and the bananach and the sprites of the glens and
the eldritch beings of the air screamed from the rims of their
shields and from the guards of their swords and from the tips
of their spears.

Such was the closeness of the combat they made, that they
forced the river out of its bed and out of its course, so that
there might have been a reclining place for a king or a queen
in the middle of the ford, and not a drop of water was in it
but what fell there with the trampling and slipping which the
two heroes and the two battle-warriors made in the middle
of the ford.

Such was the closeness of the combat they made, that the
steeds of the Gael broke loose affrighted and plunging with
madness and fury, so that their chains and their shackles,
their traces and tethers snapped, and the women and
children and pygmy-folk, the weak and the madmen among
the men of Erin broke out through the camp southwestward.

At that time they were at the edge-feat of swords. It was
then Ferdiad caught Cúchulainn in an unguarded moment, and
he gave him a thrust with his tusk-hilted blade, so that he
buried it in his breast, and his blood fell into his belt, till the
ford became crimsoned with the clotted blood from the
battle-warrior's body. Cúchulainn endured it not under
Ferdiad's attack, with his death-bringing, heavy blows, and
his long strokes and his mighty, middle slashes at him.

Then Cúchulainn bethought him of his friends from the Faery
land and of his mighty folk who would come to defend him
and of his scholars to protect him, what time he would be
hard pressed in the combat. It was then that Dolb and
Indolb arrived to help and to succour their friend, namely
Cúchulainn. Then it was that Ferdiad felt the onset of the
three together smiting his shield against him, and he gave all
his care and attention thereto, and thence he called to mind
that, when they were with Scathach and with Uathach
[learning together, Dolb and Indolb used to come to help
Cúchulainn out of every stress wherein he was.

Ferdiad spake: "Not alike are our foster-brothership and
our comradeship O Cúchulainn," quoth he. "How so, then?"
asked Cúchulainn. "Thy friends of the Fairy-folk have
succoured thee, and thou didst not disclose them to me
before," said Ferdiad. "Not easy for me were that,"
answered Cúchulainn; "for if the magic veil be once revealed
to one of the sons of Mile, none of the Tuatha De Danann
will have power to practise concealment or magic. And why
complain here, Ferdiad?" said Cúchulainn. "Thou hast
a horn skin whereby to multiply feats and deeds of arms on
me, and thou hast not shown me how it is closed or how it is
opened." Then it was they displayed all their skill and secret
cunning to one another, so that there was not a secret of
either of them kept from the other except the Gae Bulga,
which was Cúchulainn's.

Howbeit, when the Fairy friends found Cúchulainn had been
wounded, each of them inflicted three great, heavy wounds
on him, on Ferdiad, to wit. It was then that Ferdiad made a
cast to the right, so that he slew Dolb with that goodly cast.
Then followed the two woundings and the two throws that
overcame him, till Ferdiad made a second throw towards
Cúchulainn's left, and with that throw he stretched low and
killed Indolb dead on the floor of the ford. Hence it is that
the story-teller sang the rann:

"Why is this called Ferdiad's Ford,
Even though three men on it fell?
None the less it washed their spoils--
It is Dolb's and Indolb's Ford!"

When the devoted equally great sires and champions, and
the hard, battle-victorious wild beasts that fought for
Cúchulainn had fallen, it greatly strengthened the courage of
Ferdiad, so that he gave two blows for every blow of
Cúchulainn's. When Laeg son of Riangabair saw his lord
being overcome by the crushing blows of the champion who
oppressed him, Laeg began to stir up and rebuke Cúchulainn,
in such a way that a swelling and an inflation filled Cúchulainn
from top to ground, as the wind fills a spread, open banner,
so that he made a dreadful, wonderful bow of himself like a
skybow in a shower of rain, and he made for Ferdiad with
the violence of a dragon or the strength of a blood-hound.

And Cúchulainn called for the Gae Bulga from Laeg son of
Riangabair. This was its nature: With the stream it was made
ready, and from between the fork of the foot it was cast; the
wound of a single spear it gave when entering the body, and
thirty barbs had it when it opened and it could not be drawn
out of a man's flesh till the flesh had been cut about it.

Thereupon Laeg came forward to the brink of the river and
to the place where the fresh water was dammed, and the
Gae Bulga was sharpened and set in position. He filled the
pool and stopped the stream and checked the tide of the
ford. Ferdiad's charioteer watched the work, for Ferdiad
had said to him early in the morning: "Now boy, do thou
hold back Laeg from me to-day, and I will hold back
Cúchulainn from thee." "This is a pity," quoth the henchman;
"no match for him am I; for a man to combat a hundred is
he, and that am I not. Still; however slight his help, it shall
not come to his lord past me."

He was then watching his brother thus making the dam till he
filled the pools and went to set the Gae Bulga downwards.
It was then that Id went up and released the stream and
opened the dam and undid the fixing of the Gae Bulga.
Cúchulainn became deep purple and red all over when he
saw the setting undone on the Gae Bulga. He sprang from
the top of the ground so that he alighted light and quick on
the rim of Ferdiad's shield. Ferdiad gave a strong shake to
the shield, so that he hurled Cúchulainn the measure of nine
paces out to the westward over the ford.

Then Cúchulainn called and shouted to Laeg to set about
preparing the Gae Bulga for him. Laeg hastened to the pool
and began the work. Id ran and opened the dam and
released it before the stream. Laeg sprang at his brother and
they grappled on the spot. Laeg threw Id and handled him
sorely, for he was loath to use weapons upon him. Ferdiad
pursued Cúchulainn westwards over the ford. Cúchulainn
sprang on the rim of the shield. Ferdiad shook the shield, so
that he sent Cúchulainn the space of nine paces eastwards
over the ford.

Cúchulainn called and shouted to Laeg. Laeg attempted to
come, but Ferdiad's charioteer let him not, so that Laeg
turned on him and left him on the sedgy bottom of the ford.
He gave him many a heavy blow with clenched fist on the
face and countenance, so that he broke his mouth and his
nose and put out his eyes and his sight. And forthwith Laeg
left him and filled the pool and checked the stream and
stilled the noise of the river's voice, and set in position the
Gae Bulga. After some time Ferdiad's charioteer arose from
his death-cloud, and set his hand on his face and
countenance, and he looked away towards the ford of
combat and saw Laeg fixing the Gae Bulga. He ran again to
the pool and made a breach in the dike quickly and
speedily, so that the river burst out in its booming, bounding,
bellying, bank-breaking billows making its own wild course.
Cúchulainn became purple and red all over when he saw the
setting of the Gae Bulga had been disturbed, and for the
third time he sprang from the top of the ground and alighted
on the edge of Ferdiad's shield, so as to strike him over the
shield from above. Ferdiad gave a blow with his left knee
against the leather of the bare shield, so that Cúchulainn was
thrown into the waves of the ford.

Thereupon Ferdiad gave three severe woundings to
Cúchulainn. Cúchulainn cried and shouted loudly to Laeg to
make ready the Gae Bulga for him. Laeg attempted to get
near it, but Ferdiad's charioteer prevented him. Then Laeg
grew very wroth at his brother and he made a spring at him,
and he closed his long, full-valiant hands over him, so that he
quickly threw him to the ground and straightway bound him.
And then he went from him quickly and courageously, so
that he filled the pool and stayed the stream and set the Gae
Bulga. And he cried out to Cúchulainn that it was served, for
it was not to be discharged without a quick word of warning
before it. Hence it is that Laeg cried out:--

"Ware! beware the Gae Bulga,
Battle-winning Culann's hound!"

Then it was that Cúchulainn let fly the white Gae Bulga from
the fork of his irresistible right foot. Ferdiad prepared for the
feat according to the testimony thereof. He lowered his
shield, so that the spear went over its edge into the watery,
water-cold river. And he looked at Cúchulainn, and he saw
all his various, venomous feats made ready, and he knew
not to which of them he should first give answer, whether to
the 'Fist's breast-spear,' or to the 'Wild shield's
broad-spear,' or to the 'Short spear from the middle of the
palm,' or to the white Gae Bulga over the fair, watery river.

Ferdiad heard the Gae Bulga called for. He thrust his shield
down to protect the lower part of his body. Cúchulainn
gripped the short spear, cast it off the palm of his hand over
the rim of the shield and over the edge of the corselet and
horn-skin, so that its farther half was visible after piercing his
heart in his bosom. Ferdiad gave a thrust of his shield
upwards to protect the upper part of his body, though it was
help that came too late. The servant set the Gae Bulga down
the stream, and Cúchulainn caught it in the fork of his foot,
and threw the Gae Bulga as far as he could cast underneath
at Ferdiad, so that it passed through the strong, thick, iron
apron of wrought iron, and broke in three parts the huge,
goodly stone the size of a millstone, so that it cut its way
through the body's protection into him, till every joint and
every limb was filled with its barbs.

"Ah, that now suffices," sighed Ferdiad: "I am fallen of that!
But, yet one thing more: mightily didst thou drive with thy
right foot. And 'twas not fair of thee for me to fall by thy
hand." And he yet spake and uttered these words:

"O Cu of grand feats,
Unfairly I'm slain!
Thy guilt clings to me;
My blood falls on thee!

"No respite for the wretch
Who treads treason's gap.
Now weak is my voice;
Ah, gone is my bloom!

"My ribs' armour bursts,
My heart is all gore;
I battled not well;
I'm smitten, O Cu!

Thereupon Cúchulainn hastened towards Ferdiad and
clasped his two arms about him, and bore him with all his
arms and his armour and his dress northwards over the ford,
that so it should be with his face to the north of the ford the
triumph took place and not to the south of the ford with the
men of Erin. Cúchulainn laid Ferdiad there on the ground, and
a cloud and a faint and a swoon came over Cúchulainn there
by the head of Ferdiad. Laeg espied it, and the men of Erin
all arose for the attack upon him. "Come, O Cucuc," cried
Laeg; "arise now from thy trance, for the men of Erin will
come to attack us, and it is not single combat they will allow
us, now that Ferdiad son of Daman son of Daré is fallen by
thee." "What avails it me to arise, O servant," moaned
Cúchulainn, "now that this one is fallen by my hand?" In this
wise the servant spoke and he uttered these words and
Cúchulainn responded:

Laeg: "Now arise, O Emain's Hound;
Now most fits thee courage high.
Ferdiad hast thou thrown-- of hosts--
God's fate! How thy fight was hard!"

Cúchulainn: What avails me courage now?
I'm oppressed with rage and grief,
For the deed that I have done
On his body sworded sore!"

Laeg: It becomes thee not to weep;
Fitter for thee to exult!
Yon red-speared one thee hath left
Painful, wounded, steeped in gore!"

Cúchulainn: "Even had he cleaved my leg,
And one hand had severed too;
Woe, that Ferdiad-- who rode steeds--
Shall not ever be in life!"

Laeg: "Rather far what's come to pass,
To the maidens of Red Branch;
He to die, thou to remain;
They grudge not that ye should part!"

Cúchulainn: "From the day I Cualnge left,
Seeking high and splendid Medb,
Carnage has she had-- with fame--
Of her warriors whom I've slain!"

Laeg: "Thou hast had no sleep in peace,
In pursuit of thy great Táin;
Though thy troop was few and small,
Oft thou wouldst rise at early morn!"

Cúchulainn began to lament and bemoan Ferdiad, and he
spake the words:

"Alas, O Ferdiad," spake he, "'twas thine ill fortune thou
didst not take counsel with any of those that knew my real
deeds of valour and arms, before we met in clash of battle!
Unhappy for thee that Laeg son of Riangabair did not make
thee blush in regard to our comradeship! Unhappy for thee
that the truly faithful warning of Fergus thou didst not take!
Unhappy for thee that dear, trophied, triumphant,
battle-victorious Conall counselled thee not in regard to our
comradeship! For those men would not have spoken in
obedience to the messages or desires or orders or false
words of promise of the fair-haired women of Connacht.
For well do those men know that there will not be born a
being that will perform deeds so tremendous and so great
among the Connacht men as I, till the very day of doom and
of everlasting life, whether at plying of spear and sword, at
playing at draughts and chess, at driving of steeds and
chariots."

"There shall not be found the hand of a hero that will wound
warrior's flesh, like cloud-coloured Ferdiad! There shall not
be heard from the gap the cry of red-mouthed Badb to the
winged, shade-speckled flocks! There shall not be one that
will contend for Cruachan that will obtain covenants equal to
thine, till the very day of doom and of life henceforward, O
red-cheeked son of Daman!" said Cúchulainn. Then it was
that Cúchulainn arose and stood over Ferdiad: "Ah, Ferdiad,"
spake Cúchulainn, "greatly have the men of Erin deceived and
abandoned thee, to bring thee to contend and do battle with
me. For no easy thing is it to contend and do battle with me
on the Raid for the Bull of Cualnge! Thus he spake, and he
uttered these words:

"Ah, Ferdiad, betrayed to death.
Our last meeting, oh, how sad!
Thou to die I to remain.
Ever sad our long farewell!

"When we over yonder dwelt
With our Scathach, steadfast, true,
This we thought till end of time,
That our friendship ne'er would end!

"Dear to me thy noble blush;
Dear thy comely, perfect form;
Dear thine eye, blue-grey and clear;
Dear thy wisdom and thy speech!

"Never strode to rending fight,
Never wrath and manhood held,
Nor slung shield across broad back,
One like thee, Daman's red son!

Never have I met till now,
Since I Oenfer Aoife slew,
One thy peer in deeds of arms,
Never have I found, Ferdiad!

Finnabair, Medb's daughter fair,
Beauteous, lovely though she be,
As a gad round sand or stones,
She was shown to thee, Ferdiad!"

Then Cúchulainn turned to gaze on Ferdiad. "Ah, my master Laeg," cried Cúchulainn, "now strip Ferdiad and take his armour and garments off him, that I may see the brooch for
the sake of which he entered on the combat and fight with me." Laeg came up and stripped Ferdiad. He took his armour and garments off him and he saw the brooch and he began to lament and complain over Ferdiad, and he spake these words:

"Alas, golden brooch;
Ferdiad of the hosts,
O good smiter, strong,
Victorious thy hand!

"Thy hair blond and curled,
A wealth fair and grand.
Thy soft, leaf-shaped belt
Around thee till death!

"Our comradeship dear;
Thy noble eye's gleam;
Thy golden-rimmed shield;
Thy sword, treasures worth!

"Thy white-silver torque
Thy noble arm binds.
Thy chess-board worth wealth;
Thy fair, ruddy cheek!

"To fall by my hand,
I own was not just!
'Twas no noble fight.
Alas, golden brooch!

"Come, O Laeg my master," cried Cúchulainn; "now cut open
Ferdiad and take the Gae Bulga out, because I may not be
without my weapons." Laeg came and cut open Ferdiad and
he took the Gae Bulga out of him. And Cúchulainn saw his
weapons bloody and red-stained by the side of Ferdiad,
and he uttered these words:--

"O Ferdiad, in gloom we meet.
Thee I see both red and pale.
I myself with unwashed arms;
Thou lie in thy bed of gore!

"Were we yonder in the East,
Scathach and our Uathach near,
There would not be pallid lips
Twixt us two, and arms of strife!

"Thus spake Scathach trenchantly,
Words of warning, strong and stern.
'Go ye all to furious fight;
German, blue-eyed, fierce will come!'

"Unto Ferdiad then I spake,
And to Lugaid generous,
To the son of fair Baetan,
German we would go to meet!

"We came to the battle-rock,
Over Lake Linn Formait's shore.
And four hundred men we brought
From the Isles of the Athissech!

"As I stood and Ferdiad brave
At the gate of German's fort,
I slew Rinn the son of Nel;
He slew Ruad son of Fornel!

Ferdiad slew upon the slope
Blath, of Colba 'Red-sword' son.
Lugaid, fierce and swift, then slew
Mugairne of the Tyrrhene Sea!

"I slew, after going in,
Four times fifty grim, wild men.
Ferdiad killed-- a furious horde--
Dam Dremenn and Dam Dilenn!

"We laid waste shrewd German's fort
O'er the broad, bespangled sea.
German we brought home alive
To our Scathach of broad shield!

"Then our famous nurse made fast
Our blood-pact of amity,
That our angers should not rise
'Amongst the tribes of noble Elg!

"Sad the morn, a day in March,
Which struck down weak Daman's son.
Woe is me, the friend is fallen
Whom I pledged in red blood's draught!

"Were it there I saw thy death,
Midst the great Greeks' warrior-bands,
I'd not live on after thee,
But together we would die!

"Woe, what us befell there from,
Us, dear Scathach's fosterlings,
Me sore wounded, red with blood,
Thee no more to drive thy car!

"Woe, what us befell there from,
Us, dear Scathach's fosterlings,
Me sore wounded, stiff with gore,
Thee to die the death for aye!

"Woe, what us befell there from,
Us, dear Scathach's fosterlings,
Thee in death, me, strong, alive.
Valour is an angry strife!"

"Good, O Cucuc," spake Laeg, "let us leave this ford now; too long are we here!" "Aye, let us leave it, O my master Laeg," replied Cúchulainn. "But every combat and battle I have fought seems a game and a sport to me compared with the combat and battle of Ferdiad." Thus he spake, and he
uttered these words:

All was play, all was sport,
Till came Ferdiad to the ford!
One task for both of us,
Equal our reward.
Our kind, gentle nurse
Chose him over all!

All was play, all was sport,
Till came Ferdiad to the ford!
One our life, one our fear,
One our skill in arms.
Shields gave Scathach twain
To Ferdiad and me!

All was play, all was sport,
Till came Ferdiad to the ford!
Dear the shaft of gold
I smote on the ford.
Bull-chief of the tribes,
Braver he than all!

Only games and only sport,
Till came Ferdiad to the ford!
Lion furious, flaming, fierce;
Swollen wave that wrecks like doom!

Only games and only sport,
Till came Ferdiad to the ford!
Loved Ferdiad seemed to me
After me would live for aye!
Yesterday, a mountain's size--
He is but a shade to-day!

Three things countless on the Táin
Which have fallen by my hand:
Hosts of cattle, men and steeds
I have slaughtered on all sides!

Though the hosts were ever so great,
That came out of Cruachan wild,
More than third and less than half,
Slew I in my direful sport!

Never trod in battle's ring;
Banba nursed not on her breast;
Never sprang from sea or land,
King's son that had larger fame!"
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 12:03 pm

Cúchulainn and Sualtam



Towards the end of the battle of the Brown Bull of Cooley Cúchulainn lay in a terribly wounded state, his loud groans of pain were heard at great distance by his human father Sualtam who hurried to his side to tend his wounds but Cúchulainn would not let him insisting that he go and try rouse the champions of Ulster from their magical curse of suffering labour pains. Sualtam mounted upon Cúchulainn's great war horse 'Grey of Battle' and quickly rode to the stronghold of Emain Macha. Once there he gave three great shouts:

'Men are being killed, women raped, and cattle raided in Ulster!'

The men of Ulster were too far under the curse of Macha to heed the first two shouts, but on the third he partially awakened the druid Cathbad, who cursed him for trying to disturb King Conchobar at this time. This apathy so enraged Sualtam that he turned his horse very sharply and made it rear in anger, as it reared the sharp edge of the throwing shield pressed against Sualtam's throat and cut off his head. The uncontrolled battle horse charged through the stronghold with Sualtam's severed head still calling out -

'Men are being killed, women raped, and cattle raided in Ulster!'

Now at last the warriors roused themselves and King Conchobar himself was roused and he swore:

'The skies are above us, the earth is beneath us, the seas encircle us; Unless the heavens and all the stars fall down, and the earth beneath us falls away, and the seas flood in to drown us, I will restore every woman to her home and every cow to her byre!

Cúchulainn heard the noise of the Champions of Ulster finally being roused to action and knew his father had succeeded in his quest.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 12:05 pm

The Death of the Bulls

Towards the end of the great cattle raid, after endless minor battles and while the Ulster champion Cúchulainn was engaged in combat, the army of Queen Medb of Connaught finally took the famed Brown Bull of Cooley from his guardians. The task was not simple for one of the herdsmen made a stand at a narrow pass, but Medb's army drove the bull and his cows towards him and they trampled him thirty feet into the ground and made shreds of his body.

The men of Ireland brought the bull to Medb and Ailill in their camp but there was little rejoicing as they had lost so many good warriors and the fighting still continued. When both sides of the conflict were reduced to almost nothing and the men of Ireland were in retreat to Connaught, Medb sent the bull to Cruachu together with fifty of his heifers and eight messengers so that whether the army reached home or not, at least the Brown Bull - Donn Cuailnge would arrive there as she had promised.

Then her issue of blood came upon her and she sent Fergus to cover the retreat.

'By my conscience,' said Fergus 'it is ill-timed.'

'I must pass my water,' Medb replied 'or I'll die.'

Fergus complained bitterly but he went with Medb and shielded her from the view of the retreating army and Medb passed her water and it made three trenches in each of which a household could fit. Cúchulainn came upon her as she was thus engaged but did not wish to strike her from behind and Medb using her womanly wiles used the opportunity to ask him to let her army pass freely until they had gone westward past the Shannon river.

'I grant it,' replied Cúchulainn, and not only that he protected them as they passed by.

Fergus surveyed the sorry sight of all the wounded warriors as they travelled slowly westward. He sighed and went to Medb and said 'This is what happens when an army is led by a woman. You're like a mare leading a band of foals into unknown territory. There's no one to lead and counsel this army and that's why they were plundered and destroyed...'

Medb paid no attention to his rebuke, she gathered what remained of her army and returned to Connaught. When the Donn Cuailnge saw the new surroundings he was in he bellowed loudly three times. The Finnbennach grazing on what he considered to be his territory heard his rival and tossed his head violently and came forward to Cruachu to meet him.

'There is going to be a fight,' the men of Ireland said to each other. No-one was very anxious to watch. The bulls were very dangerous and it was going to be a fight to the death.

There was a man in Cruachu called Bricriu, he was very unpopular with everyone. He had come to Fergus the year before begging for help because his goods had been stolen and Fergus, sorry for him, had taken him into his service. Bricriu had not been grateful, he had insulted Fergus and picked a quarrel with him over a game of chess and Fergus in a rage had struck him so hard that one of the chess-pieces had lodged in his head. During the whole war with Ulster, Bricriu had been convalescing in Cruachu and it was only on the day of the army's return that he got up from his sick-bed.

'Bricriu can be the eye-witness to this fight as he treats his friends and his enemies equally badly, he'll be an excellent referee' said the men of Connaught. Bricriu was brought reluctantly to a gap in the fortifications behind which the Connaught men were sheltering and was told to report on the battle of the bulls.

The bulls faced each other and pawed the ground. Earth flew up over their shoulders and down their backs and their eyes blazed like distended balls of fire. Their cheeks and nostrils swelled like bellows in a forge and they rushed towards each other and collided with a crashing noise. They began to gore and tear at each other and then the Finnbennach with the advantage of being on home-ground, and relying on the confusion of the Donn Cuailnge after his lengthy travels, lunged sideways at the brown bull and thrust his horn into his side. Locked together they rushed violently to the place where Bricriu stood, and before he could move their hooves planted him a man's length into the ground.

They stayed locked together, with the brown bull's hoof planted onto the horn of the white one, for a full day and Fergus, tired of this dead-lock took his spear and slit the back of the Donn Cuailnge in three places.

'You're not much of a bull,' he taunted, 'the Finnbennach is only a calf but he's got the better of you.'

The Donn Cuailnge heard the challenge clearly for he was once in human form. He roared with rage and attacked the Finnbennach with renewed vigour. They fought long and loud until night fell and then all that the men of Ireland could do was listen to the noise and the destruction. That night the bulls travelled the whole of Ireland, fighting over every inch of it. The next morning the men of Ireland went to see the result of the battle.

They saw the Donn Cuailnge coming past Cruachu from the west with the Finnbennach a mangled mass on his horns but at first they could not decipher which bull was which so covered in blood were they.

'Leave him alone,' said Fergus 'whichever bull it is leave him alone in his triumph.' He paused and said 'A mad bull, I have a feeling that whatever happened last night will pale in comparison to what will be done now.'

The Donn Cuailnge came closer. He stamped his foot and shook himself then turned his right side to Cruachu and left a heap of Finnbennach's liver on the ground. He moved on to drink in Finnlethe and left the Finnbennach's shoulder blade behind him there, and then he came to the brink of the Shannon and left the loin of his enemy on the bank. And the place was afterwards called Áth Luain, the Ford of the Loins.

He travelled eastwards into Meath and there he left the rest of the Finnbennach's liver. He tossed his head fiercely and shook of the rest of the mangled bull over Ireland. He threw a thigh as far as Port Láirge, and his rib cage as far as Áth Cliath and after that he faced north and home.

He recognised the land of Cuailnge. It was a land of keening women and children lamenting the loss of their fathers and their sacred bull and he could hear them from afar. They recognised him too and stopped their weeping when they saw him approaching.

Unfortunately the Donn Cuailnge had gone insane with all his trials, and he attacked the women and children who were there to welcome him home, and killed them in their hundreds. And when it was over he turned his back on their mangled bodies and set his face towards the hills, and he was overcome with so much emotion that his heart broke like a nut in his breast and he at last lay down and the life left his body. And there was a deathly silence all around...
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 12:06 pm

Conlaoch the Only Son of Cúchulainn



THE time Cúchulainn came back from Alban, after he had learned the use of arms under Scathach, he left Aoife, the queen he had overcome in battle, with child.

And when he was leaving her, he told her what name to give the child, and he gave her a gold ring, and bade her keep it safe till the child grew to be a lad, and till his thumb would fill it; and he bade her to give it to him then, and to send him to Ireland, and he would know he was his son by that token. She promised to do so, and with that Cúchulainn went back to Ireland.

It was not long after the child was born, word came to Aoife that Cúchulainn had taken Emer to be his wife in Ireland. When she heard that, great jealousy came on her, and great anger, and her love for Cúchulainn was turned to hatred; and she remembered her three champions that he had killed, and how he had overcome herself, and she determined in her mind that when her son would come to have the strength of a man, she would get her revenge through him.

She told Conlaoch her son nothing of this, but brought him up like any king’s son; and when he was come to sensible years, she put him under the teaching of Scathach, to be taught the use of arms and the art of war. He turned out as apt a scholar as his father, and it was not long before he had learnt all Scathach had to teach.

Then Aoife gave him the arms of a champion, and bade him go to Ireland, but first she laid three commands on him: the first never to give way to any living person, but to die sooner than be made turn back; the second, not to refuse a challenge from the greatest champion alive, but to fight him at all risks, even if he was sure to lose his life; the third, not to tell his name on any account, though he might be threatened with death for hiding it. She put him under geasa, that is, under bonds, not to do
these things.

Then the young man, Conlaoch, set out, and it was not long before his ship brought him to Ireland, and the place he landed at was Baile’s Strand, near Dundealgan.

It chanced that at that time Conchobar, the High King, was holding court there, for it was a convenient gathering-place for his chief men, and they were settling some business that belonged to the government of that district.

When word was brought to Conchobar that there was a ship come to the strand, and a young lad in it armed as if for fighting, and armed men with him, he sent one of the chief men of his household to ask his name, and on what business he was come.

The messenger’s name was Cuinaire, and he went down to the strand, and when he saw the young man he said: "A welcome to you, young hero from the east, with the merry face. It is likely, seeing you come armed as if for fighting, you are gone astray on your journey; but as you are come to Ireland, tell me your name and what your deeds have been, and your victories in the eastern bounds of the world."

"As to my name," said Conlaoch, "it is of no great account; but whatever it is, I am under bonds not to tell it to the stoutest man living."

"It is best for you to tell it at the king’s desire," said Cuinaire, "before you get your death through refusing it, as many a champion from Alban and from Britain has done before now." "If that is the order you put on us when we land here, it is I will break it," said Conlaoch, "and no one will obey it any longer from this out."

So Cuinaire went back and told the king what the young lad had said. Then Conchobar said to his people: ‘Who will go out into the field, and drag the name and the story out of this young man?" "I will go," said Conall, for his hand was never slow in fighting. And he went out, and found the lad angry and destroying, handling his arms, and they attacked one another with a great noise of swords and shouts, and they were gripped together, and fought for a while, and then Conall was overcome, and the great name and the praise that was on Conall, it was on the head of Conlaoch it was now.

Word was sent then to where Cúchulainn was, in pleasant, bright-faced Dundealgan. And the messenger told him the whole story, and he said: "Conall is lying humbled, and it is slow the help is in coming; it is a welcome there would be before the Hound."

Cúchulainn rose up then and went to where Conlaoch was, and he still handling his arms. And Cúchulainn asked him his name and said: "It would be well for you, young hero of unknown name, to loosen yourself from this knot, and not to bring down my hand upon you, for it will be hard for you to escape death." But Conlaoch said: "If I put you down in the fight, the way I put down your comrade, there will be a great name on me; but if I draw back now, there will be mockery on me, and it will be
said I was afraid of the fight. I will never give in to any man to tell the name, or to give an account of myself. But if I was not held with a command," he said, "there is no man in the world I would sooner give it to than to yourself, since I saw your face.

But do not think, brave champion of Ireland, that I will let you take away the fame I have won, for nothing."

With that they fought together, and it is seldom such a battle was seen, and all wondered that the young lad could stand so well against Cúchulainn.

So they fought a long while, neither getting the better of the other, but at last Cúchulainn was charged so hotly by the lad that he was forced to give way, and although he had fought so many good fights, and killed so many great champions, and understood the use of arms better than any man living, he
was pressed very hard.

And he called for the Gae Bulga, and his anger came on him, and the flames of the hero-light began to shine about his head, and by that sign Conlaoch knew him to be Cúchulainn, his father. And just at that time he was aiming his spear at him, and when he knew it was Cúchulainn, he threw his spear crooked that it might pass beside him.

But Cúchulainn threw his spear, the Gae Bulga, at him with all his might, and it struck the lad in the side and went into his body, so that he fell to the ground.

And Cúchulainn said: "Now, boy, tell your name and what you are, for it is short your life will be, for you will not live after that wound."

And Conlaoch showed the ring that was on his hand, and he said: "Come here where I am lying on the field, let my men from the east come round me. I am suffering for revenge. I am Conlaoch, son of the Hound, heir of dear Dundealgan; I was bound to this secret in Dun Scathach, the secret in which I have found my grief."

And Cúchulainn said: "It is a pity your mother not to be here to see you brought down. She might have stretched out her hand to stop the spear that wounded you." And Conlaoch said: "My curse be on my mother, for it was she put me under bonds; it was she sent me here to try my strength against yours." And Cúchulainn said:

"My curse be on your mother, the woman that is full of treachery; it is through her harmful thoughts these tears have been brought on us." And Conlaoch said:

"My name was never forced from my mouth till now; I never gave an account of myself to any man under the sun. But, O Cúchulainn of the sharp sword, it was a pity you not to know me the time I threw the slanting spear behind you in the fight."

And then the sorrow of death came upon Conlaoch, and Cúchulainn took his sword and put it through him, sooner than leave him in the pain and the punishment he was in.

And then great trouble and anguish came on Cúchulainn, and he made this complaint:

"It is a pity it is, O son of Aoife, that ever you came into the province of Ulster, that you ever met with the Hound of Cuailgne.

"If I and my fair Conlaoch were doing feats of war on the one side, the men of Ireland from sea to sea would not be equal to us together. It is no wonder I to be under grief when I see the shield and the arms of Conlaoch. A pity it is there is no one at all, a pity there are not hundreds of men on whom I could get satisfaction for his death.

"If it was the king himself had hurt your fair body, it is I would have shortened his days.

"It is well for the House of the Red Branch, and for the heads of its fair army of heroes, it was not they that killed my only son.

"It is well for Laegaire of Victories it is not from him you got your heavy pain.

"It is well for the heroes of Conall they did not join in the killing of you; it is well that travelling across the plain of Macha they did not fall in with me after such a fight.

"It is well for the tall, well-shaped Forbuide;

well for Dubhthach, your Black Beetle of Ulster.

"It is well for you, Cormac Conloingeas, your share of arms gave no help, that it is not from your weapons he got his wound, the hard-skinned shield or the blade.

"It is a pity it was not one on the plains of Munster, or in Leinster of the sharp blades, or at Cruachan of the rough fighters, that struck down my comely Conlaoch.

"It is a pity it was not in the country of the Cruithne, of the fierce Fians, you fell in a heavy quarrel, or in the country of the Greeks, or in some other place of the world, you died, and I could avenge you.

"Or in Spain, or in Sorcha, or in the country of the Saxons of the free armies; there would not then be this death in my heart.

"It is very well for the men of Alban it was not they that destroyed your fame; and it is well for the men of the Gall.

"Och ! It is bad that it happened; my grief ! it is on me is the misfortune, O Conlaoch of the Red Spear, I myself to have spilled your. blood.

"I to be under defeat, without strength. It is a pity Aoife never taught you to know the power of my strength in the fight.

"It is no wonder I to be blinded after such a fight and such a defeat.

"It is no wonder I to be tired out, and without the sons of Usnach beside me.

"Without a son, without a brother, with none to come after me; without Conlaoch, without a name to keep my strength.

"To be without Naoise, without Ainnle, without Ardán; is it not with me is my fill of trouble?

"I am the father that killed his son, the fine green branch;

there is no hand or shelter to help me.

"I am a raven that has no home; I am a boat going from wave to wave; I am a ship that has lost its rudder; I am the apple left on the tree; it is little I thought of falling from it; grief and sorrow will be with me from this time."

Then Cúchulainn stood up and faced all the men of Ulster.

"There is trouble on Cúchulainn," said Conchobar;

"he is after killing his own son, and if I and all my men were to go against him, by the
end of the day he would destroy every man of us. Go now," he said to Cathbad, the Druid, "and bind him to go down to Baile’s Strand, and to give three days fighting against the waves of the sea, rather than to kill us all."

So Cathbad put an enchantment on him, and bound him to go down. And when he came to the strand, there was a great white stone before him, and he took his sword in his right hand, and he said: "If I had the head of the woman that sent her son to his death, I would split it as I split this stone." And he made four quarters of the stone.

Then he fought with the waves three days and three nights, till he fell from hunger and weakness, so that some men said he got his death there. But it was not there he got his death, but on the plain of Muirthemne.

Source: Lady Gregory - Cúchullin of Muirthemne 1902.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 12:07 pm

Cúchulainn kills his son



When Aoife heard that Cúchulainn had married Emer, she was totally enraged because she had borne him a son against her will, (he had raped her after he had defeated her in battle). So she decided to turn her son into a weapon against Cúchulainn. She trained her son in all aspects of being a warrior. She then sent him over to Ireland but first she put three geasa (immutable taboos) on him. First he was not to turn back, the second that he should never refuse a challenge, and the third that he should never tell anyone his name.

When Conlaoch arrived at his father's home in Dundalk, he was met by the warrior Conall, who according to custom asked him his name and lineage. Because of the geas his mother had put on him, Conlaoch could not comply with this request and was immediately challenged to a duel with Conall, which he could not refuse. Conlaoch then came against Cúchulainn himself and was asked his lineage, but again could not tell it and so was challenged by Cúchulainn. In the terrible battle that followed the hero light came upon Cúchulainn and Conlaoch realised that he was fighting his father and that his mother had been treacherous, he cast his spear sideways so that it would miss Cúchulainn and shouted that he was his son, but it was too late Cúchulainn had already thrown the gae bulga (which he had won from Aoife) and it was unstoppable once thrown and thus Conlaoch was slain.

Cúchulainn was thrown into a fit of rage and grief in which he lost his senses and started attacking anything in sight, so in order to save him and his friends from further tragedy, the Druid Cathbad cast a spell upon Cúchulainn causing him to see the waves of the sea as armed opponents. He battled with the waves until he collapsed from exhaustion.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 12:08 pm

Cúchulainn and the sons of the Druid Calatin



During the Cattle Raid of Cooley, Queen Medb of Connaught decided to sent her Druid Calatin against Cúchulainn. Calatin brought his twenty seven sons and his grandson, Queen Medb justified this bending of the rules of fair combat by saying they were all of one body, the progeny of Calatin and therefore in reality one man.

The sons of Calatin were renowned for using poisoned spears which never missed their mark, any man wounded by such spears was certain to die. When Fergus Mac Roich heard of this trick, he sent another Ulster exile working for Queen Medb, Fiacha to watch the combat and report back what he saw. Fiacha when he saw the odds against Cúchulainn felt compelled to help him and between the two of them they killed Calatin and his family.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 12:09 pm

The Awakening of Ulster

Then some of the men of Ulster came to comfort Cúchulainn, and among them were Senoll Uathach and the two Sons of Gege, Muredach and Cotreb. They brought him away to the five streams of Conaille Muirthemne, to wash his hurts in them. And the Sidhe threw all sorts of herbs and plants into the streams for his healing, so that they were all strewed over with green leaves.

Then when Ailell and Maeve heard there were men beginning to come from Ulster, they sent Mac Roth, the herald, to watch at Slieve Fuad, and to warn them if he could see any one coming. And after a while he came back, and Ailell asked news of him. "I saw," he said, "one chariot only, to the north of Slieve Fuad, and it coming straight on, and the man that was in it naked, and without armour or weapons, but only an iron spit in his hand, and he goading on the horses as if he would never get to the army alive."

‘Who do you think was that man, Fergus?" said Ailell. "I think," said Fergus, "it was Cethern, son of Fintan, from the North, and he will soon be upon us." With that, Cethern came bursting into the camp, and he attacked everyone he met with his spit, and he himself got many wounds back again, so that he had to hold up the board of the chariot to his body to keep his bowels from falling out; and at last he made his escape, and came to the place where Cúchulainn was lying.

Then Cúchulainn said to Laeg: "Rise up now, and go into the camp, and bring some of Ailell’s physicians to cure Cethern; for I give my word, if they do not come before this time tomorrow, I will bring death and destruction on them." So Laeg went, and he brought back the physicians with him, and it was only the dread of Cúchulainn that made them come.

Then Cethern showed the first one of them his wounds, and it is what he said, that he could not be cured. Then Cethern gave him a blow that sent him out of the house. And the same thing happened with all the rest, fifteen there were of them altogether.

Then he asked Cúchulainn would he get him another physician, for those of the men of Ireland had done him no good. "Rise up, Laeg," said Cúchulainn; "go to Slieve Fuad, to Fingan, the Druid physician of Conchobar, and bid him to come here and to heal Cethern."

Now, Fingan was the greatest physician in all Ireland, and it was said of him that he could tell what a person’s sickness was by looking at the smoke of the house he was in; and he knew by looking at a wound what sort the person was that gave it.

Then he came, and Cethern showed him his wounds. "Look at this wound for me, good Fingan," he said. "There came at me two young men, with clear noble looks, with strange foreign clothes on them, and each of them threw a spear into me, and I threw my spear into each of them." "I know those two very well," said Cúchulainn; "they are two choice men of Norway, and they were sent against you by Ailell and Maeve."

"Look at this wound for me, Fingan," said Cethern. Fingan looked at it. "That is the work of two brothers," he said. "That is true indeed," said Cethern. "Two young men came at me, and they were like one another; but one had curling brown hair, and the other had curling yellow hair. Two green cloaks about them, with brooches of bright silver; two soft shirts of yellow silk; bright swords in their belts they had, and shields with bright silver fastenings, and spears with veins of silver on their handles."

"I know those two very well," said Cúchulainn; "they are Maine Athremail and Maine Mathremail, two sons of Ailell and Maeve."

"Look at this wound for me, good Fingan," said Cethern. Fingan looked at the wound, and he said: "It was a father and a son made that together."

"That is true," said Cethern; "there came at me two large men with flaming eyes, and they having gold bands on their heads, and the dress of kings, and gold swords at their sides." "I know those two very well," said Cúchulainn; "it was Ailill and his son Maine Andoe that gave you that wound."

"Look at this wound, good Fingan," said Cethern. Fingan looked at the wound. "That is the work of a proud woman," he said. "That is true," said Cethern; "there came at me a beautiful, pale, long-faced woman, with long, flowing yellow hair on her, a crimson cloak with a brooch of gold over her breast, and a straight spear shining red in her hand. It was she gave me that wound, and she got a little wound from me."

"I know that woman well," said Cúchulainn. "She is Maeve, daughter of the High King of Ireland, and Queen of Connaught. She would have thought it a great victory and a great triumph, you to have fallen by her hand."

"Good Fingan," said Cethern then, "tell me now, what do you think of the way I am, and what can you do for me?" "It is what I think," said Fingan, "you will hardly see the calves that are following your cows at this time grow to be yearlings; or if you do itself," he said, "it will not be much use your life will be to you."

"That is what all the others said to me," said Cethern, "and it is not much profit or credit they got by it, and it is not much you yourself will get"; and with that he made a kick at him, to drive him out of the house.

But in spite of that treatment, Fingan gave him his choice of two things: the first to be a long time on his bed, so that he would see the men of Ulster coming in the end to avenge him; or to be made well enough at the end of three days to go out himself and spend what he had of strength on his enemies.

"I will choose that," he said, "for I would not like to leave my enemies after me; and I would sooner get satisfaction from them myself." So then Fingan bade Cúchulainn to make a healing bath that would ease Cethern.

So Cúchulainn went down to the camp, and he brought away with him all that he met of the cattle of the men of Ireland. Then their flesh was cut up with their bones and their skins to make a Druid bath, and Cethern was put in it for the length of three days and three nights.

And at the end of that time he rose up and got into his chariot, to do vengeance on the men of Ireland. And his wife londa, daughter of Eochaid, came to him from the North, and brought him his sword that he had forgotten in his hurry at first setting out.

But it happened that one of the physicians he had driven out with a blow had fallen down outside the tent, and lay there, not able to stir from that. But when Cethern was making ready to set out, he rose up and made his way back to the camp, and he said to the men of Ireland:

"Cethern is after being cured by Fingan, the Druid, and he is coming at you now, and do you lay some trap for him." So it is what they did: they took Ailill’s cloak and shirt, and they put them about the pillar-stone, at the boundary of Ross, and his crown on top of it, and left them there. Cethern came rushing on them, and when he saw the pillar-stone, he thought it was Mel was standing there, and he made at it, and gave a great blow of his sword, that it broke in pieces against the stone.

Then he saw what it was, and he said: "This is some trick they have played on me. And by the oath of my people," he said, "I will not stop my hand from killing, until such time as I have killed some man having a dress like this."

‘When Maine Andoe heard that, he put on his father’s armour, and came out to meet him. And Cethern saw him, and made for him, and threw his shield at him, so that he was cut through and through the body by the rim of the shield.

And when the men of Ireland saw that, they pressed on Cethern from all sides and made an end of him. And his wife londa, daughter of Eochaid, came and cried over him there. And it is what she said:

"It is all one to me, it is all one, since there will be no hand of a man under my head for ever; since a grave has been made in the earth for Cethern from the Dun of the Two Hills.

"Cethern, son of Fintan, he that was like a king, was in no need of arms for his work; with nothing in his hand but a two-headed spit, his anger did not spare the men of Connaught.

"I will not take a mate for ever from the flocks of the living world; I will not wed with a man; my husband is sleeping with no woman.

"Dear the little hill, dear the dun where our fighting men were used to gather; dear the sweet fair water, dear was Inis Ruadh.

"Pitiful the grief, pitiful the grief the War for the Bull has brought on me; I will be keening him until my death, I Ionda, daughter of Eochaid!"

And then Fintan, Cethern’s father, came with three times fifty men to get satisfaction for his son, and he made three attacks on the army, and killed a great many of Ailell’s men; but Fintan lost a good many of his own men, and his son Crimthan was made prisoner.

And the men of Ireland were afraid their army would be too much weakened by little fights of this sort before the great last battle that was foretold would come, and they made an agreement with Fintan to give him back his son, and to fall back themselves a day’s march; and he gave his word not to vex them again until the time of the last battle.

And they found, where the fight had been, one of Fintan’s men and one of Ailell’s men lying dead together, and they with their teeth fixed into one another. And it is from this the fight was given the name of Fintan’s Tooth-fight.

Then Rochad, son of Fatheman, came to help Cúchulainn, and three times fifty men with him. Now Findabair loved him, and when she heard he was coming, she told her secret, and she said to her mother: "That is my love and my choice out of all the men of Ireland." And when Maeve heard that, she made a plan to draw him off, and she said to Findabair: "If he is dear to you, go and spend the night with him, and bid him to go back with his men until the day of the great battle, and I give you my leave to be his wife."

So Findabair went and did as Maeve bid her, and he went back to the North. But this was heard of in the camp, and the twelve kings of Munster that were in Maeve’s army began speaking with one another; and it is what they all said, that Maeve had secretly promised Findabair as a wife to each one of them as a reward, if he would join in the war. "And the best thing we can do now," they said, "is to go and avenge ourselves on Maeve’s men, and on Rochad, for the treachery that was done on us."

So they went out and made an attack on them, and Ailill and Maeve’s men and Rochad made ready to defend themselves; but Fergus went out and tried to make them leave off, and to make peace between them, and before he could do that, seven hundred men had got their death.

And it was told to Findabair how these seven hundred men had got their death on account of her, and how Maeve had promised her in marriage to every one of the twelve kings of Munster. And when she heard that, her heart broke with the shame and the pity that came on her, and she fell dead there and then, and they buried her.

Now at that time Iliach, son of Cas, of the race of Rudraige, was living in the North with his son’s son, Laegaire Buadach. And it was told him how the four provinces of Ireland were plundering and destroying the people of Ulster since the day before Samhain, and driving off their cattle and their goods, and all that they had.

So he consulted with his people, and it is what he said, that he would go out himself and make an attack on the men of Ireland, and let loose his strength on them, and destroy what he could of them, and do what he could for Ulster. "For as to myself," he said, "if I come out of it, or do not come out of it, is all one to me."

Then his two old spent horses, that had been let loose for life, were brought from where they were on the shore by the dun, and yoked to his old chariot, that had neither cushions nor skins in it. And he took his rough, dark, iron shield, with its hard rim of silver, over his shoulder, and his rough, grey, heavy sword at his left side. And he put in the chariot his two rusty, blunt spears, and his people gave him a store of stones and bits of rocks in a heap about him; and that is the way he went out against the army, and no armour on him at all.

When the men of Ireland saw him coming that way, they began mocking and laughing at him, but it is what Maeve said: "I would be glad indeed all the men of Ulster to come and meet us like that." Then Doche, son of Magach, chanced to meet him, and bade him welcome.

"Who is it bids me welcome?" said Iliach. "The comrade and friend of Laegaire Buadach," said he; "Doche, son of Magach." "I am glad of that welcome," said Iliach, "and for the sake of it, let you come to me when I have spent my rage on the army, and when my strength is going, and when my hand is tired, and let you, and no other of the men of Ireland, make an end of me. And keep my sword," he said, "for your friend, Laegaire Buadach."

Then he made an attack on the men of Ireland, and when his spears were all broken in pieces, he began hitting and throwing with the stones he had. And when they were out, he attacked the men that were near him with the strength of his own hands, so that he made an end of some of them.

And when all he could do was done, he saw Doche, son of Magach, near him, and he said: "Come to me now, Doche, and strike my head off, and take charge of my sword for Laegaire Buadach." And Doche did as he bade him, but he brought his head to Ailell and to Maeve.

At this time Sualtam, son of Roig, was told that Cúchulainn had fought with Calatin and his sons, and with Ferdiad, and of the hard fight he had made, and the wounds he had got. And it is what Sualtam said: "Is it the sky bursting I hear, or is it the sea going backward, or the earth breaking up, or is it the groaning of my son in his weakness?"

With that he set out to visit him, and he found him covered with hurts and wounds, and he began to cry over him. But that did not please Cúchulainn, and he knew Sualtam would do no good by stopping there, for he was not the man to avenge him, for he was no great hero; not that he was a coward, but just like any other good fighting man.

And Cúchulainn said to him: "Well, Sualtam, stop your crying over me, and rise up and go to Emain, and tell the men of Ulster they must come themselves and follow on with the war from this out, for I am not able to defend them any more; for after all I went through, not one of them comes to help me or to comfort me.

And tell them," he said, "what way you found me, that I cannot bear to have my clothing next my skin, but it is with crooks of hazel I have to hold it off me, and it is grass that is laid over my wounds; for there is not the place of the point of a needle on me from head to foot but has some hurt on it, except my left hand that was holding my shield; and tell them to make no delay in coming," he said.

Then Sualtam set out on the Grey of Macha to give his message; and when he got close to Emain he called out: "Men are being killed, women brought away, cattle driven off in Ulster," but he got no word of answer. Then he went up to the very wall, and he cried again: "Men are being killed, women brought away, cattle brought away in Ulster"; but the second time he got no answer. Then he went on to the Stone of the Hostages at Emain, and he called out the same words the third time.

Then Cathbad, the Druid, asked: "Who are taken, and who is it is taking them?" "It is Ailell and Maeve that are robbing you and destroying you," said Sualtam; "they are bringing away your women, your little boys, your cattle and your horses, and there is only Cúchulainn to delay and to hinder the four great provinces of Ireland in the gaps and the passes of Muirthemne; the lad is wounded and no one is coming to his help." But Cathbad was vexed at being waked out of his sleep, and he said: "Any man that comes to scold at the king this way has a right to be put to death." But Conchobar, the king, said: "It is true what Sualtam is saying." "It is true indeed," said all the men of Ulster.

Then anger came on Sualtam that he got no better answer than that, and he turned sharply, and the Grey of Macha reared up, the way the sharp edge of Sualtam's shield came against his own head, and cut it clean off. Then the Grey turned again to Emain, and the shield dragged after him by its thongs, and Sualtam's head in the hollow of it, and the head said the same words as before: "Men are being killed, women brought away, cattle brought away in Ulster."

Then Conchobar said: "The sky is over our heads, the earth is under our feet, the sea is round about us; and unless the sky with all its shower of stars comes down on earth, or the earth breaks open under our feet, or the blue sea goes over the whole face of the world, I swear that I will bring back every cow to its own shed, and every woman to her own dwelling-house."

Then he called to one of his messengers, Finnched, son of Troiglethan, that chanced to be there, and he bade him to go and to call out the men of Ulster. But with the sleep that was on him still, and the weakness, he bade him go and call those of his people that were dead, as well as those that were living. And one of the names he gave him to call to was Cúchulainn, son of Sualtam.

It was easy work Finnched had to do now, for the men of Ulster were rising from out of their weakness, and they all made ready to come out with Conchobar, and some of them did not wait for Conchobar at all, but set out on the track of the army of Ireland.

Then Conchobar and his men set out from Emain, and the first day they went as far as Irard Cuillenn, and there they made a halt. "What are we stopping here for?" said Conchubar. "We are waiting for your own two sons," his men said, "Fiachna and Fiacha, that are gone to meet your grandson Erc, son of Fedelm, and of Cairbre, king of Teamhair, to bring him with us." "By my word," said Conchubar, "I will not make any more delay here, for fear the men of Ireland might hear I am risen from my weakness; for they do not know it up to this," he said, "or even if I am alive at all."

So he himself and Celthair, and thirty hundred fierce chariot-fighters, went on, and it was not long before they came on eight times twenty strong men belonging to Ailell and to Maeve, and each of them bringing away a woman of the women of Ulster with him. And Conchobar and Celthair struck their heads off, and set the women free; and then they went back to Irard Cuillenn.

Now, as to the men of Ireland, they spent that night at Sleamhain of Meath. And in the night Cormac Conloingeas started up out of his sleep, and he called out that there had a warning dream come to him, and that there was a terrible battle before them.

And after a while Dubhthach, the Beetle of Ulster, started up out of his sleep, and called out the same thing, that there had a warning dream come to him, and that it would not be long till there would be a great dashing of shields. And with these dreams and foretellings, great fear came on the men of Ireland, and it was an uneasy night they spent at Sleamhain that time.

And in the morning Ailell said: "We have been harrying Ulster and Cuailgne this long time, and we have taken the women and the cattle and the goods of the men of Ulster, and we have cut down hills behind us; and now," he said, "it is time for us to turn back to Magh Ai, and they can follow us and fight with us there if they have a mind to.

But before that," he said, "I will send a messenger to look out across the great plain of Meath, to see if any of them are coming against us; and if they are," he said, "I will not go from this without giving battle to them, for he would not be a good king that would be good at running away."

So he sent out Mac Roth, the herald. And he had not long to wait before he heard a noise that was like the falling of the sky, or the breaking in of the sea over the land, or the falling of trees on one another in a great storm.

And he saw the plain covered with wild creatures that had broken away out of the woods. Then he went back to Ailill and to Maeve, and told them his story, and they asked him what he had seen; and he said: "I thought I saw a grey mist far away across the plain, and then I saw something like falling snow, and then through the mist I saw something shining like sparks from a fire, or like the stars on a very frosty night."

"What was it he saw, Fergus?" said Ailell. And Fergus said: "The mist he saw was the dust that went up from the march of the men of Ulster, and the flakes of snow were the foam flakes from the bits of their horses; and what he saw shining like sparks from the fire, or like stars on a frosty night, was the angry light of their eyes shining under their helmets."

"It is little I care for that," said Maeve; "we have good fighting men to meet them." "It is a pity for you to think that," said Fergus; "for there is neither in Alban nor in Ireland an army that can put down the men of Ulster when once their weakness is gone from them and their anger is kindled."

That night the men of Ireland made their camp in Clartha, and they put Mac Roth and another man to keep a good watch, the way the men of Ulster would not fall on them without warning.

Now Conchubar and Celthair, with their thirty hundred men, had followed them to Slieve Sleamhain, and when they found them gone from there they followed on to Clartha, for they thought to get the start of the rest of Ulster in reddening their hands upon the men of Ireland.

So Mac Roth was not long waiting when he saw men and horses coming from the north-east, and he went back into the camp. "Well, Mac Roth," said Ailell, "have you seen any of the men of Ulster on our track?" "I saw men and horses coming," he said. "What is the number of them?" said Ailell. "Not less than thirty hundred chariots." "Those are the men of Ulster coming with Conchobar," said Ailill; "and what did you mean a while ago, Fergus, threatening us with the dust of a great army in the plain, when a little troop like that is all that can be brought against us?"

"You are too quick in complaining of that," said Fergus, "and you will soon know what their number is."

"Let us make some good plan now," said Maeve, "for I am sure it is that hot, rude man, Conchubar, king of Ulster, that is coming to attack us. Let us make a pen before him," she said, "of all the army standing round on three sides, and thirty hundred men ready to shut the mouth of it on him when he comes in.

For we must take these fellows alive and not kill them, for it would be unworthy of our name to do more than make prisoners of them, and they so few."

Now this was one of the most laughable things that was said in the whole course of the war, Conchubar and his thirty hundred of the best men of Ulster to be taken alive. And when Conchubar’s son, Cormac Conloingeas, heard this, there was great anger on him, and it is what he thought: "If I do not get satisfaction now at once from Maeve for this boast of hers, I will never get it again."

So he rose up with his three thousand men to make an attack on her, and on Ailill; and they rose up as well, and their Sons the Maines along with them, and the sons of Magach. But then the Gailiana, and the men of Munster, and of Teamhair, came between them, and made peace, and persuaded them to lay down their arms.

But for all that, Maeve did make a pen of the army of Ireland to shut up Conchobar, and she had men ready to close it up when once he would be in. But it is what Conchobar did, he never so much as looked for an opening, but when he saw the army before him, he went straight through it, and he broke open a gap of two hundred on the right hand, and a gap of two hundred on the left, and went through them all, and cut them down in the very middle, so that eight hundred men of them were killed.

And then he went away from them, back to Slieve Sleamhain, to join the army of Ulster.

Then the men of Ulster began to gather upon the plain in their full strength, and when Ailill heard it, he said: "Let some one go up and watch them coming, and bring us a report of the appearance that is on them, and of the chief men that are leading them." "Let Mac Roth go," said Fergus.

So Mac Roth went out and took a post on the plain from the early light of the morning till the fall of evening, and through all that time the men of Ulster were coming, so that the ground was not naked under them, every division under its own chief man, and every troop under its own lord, and each one of them apart from the others, and they came on till they had covered the Hill of Sleamhain.

And when evening came, Mac Roth came back to Ailill and to Maeve, and they questioned him and said: "What sort were the men of Ulster as they came across the plain?" And Mac Roth said: "The first troop I saw coming had three thousand men in it, and as soon as they got to the hill, they took their armour off, and they began to dig and to make a seat of sods and of earth on the highest part of the hill, for their leader to sit on until the rest of the army would come.

"He had the appearance of a tall, proud man, used to giving orders; and he had yellow, curling hair on him, and a yellow forked beard, and a red, pleasant face, and blue eyes you would be afraid of. A five-folded crimson cloak he had on him, and a gold pin over his breast, and a white shirt with threads of gold woven into it next his body."

"Who was that man, Fergus?" said Ailell. "He was Conchobar, son of Fachtna and of Ness, High King of Ulster." "There was a man stood beside him," said Mac Roth, "with scattered white hair, and a purple cloak, and a shield with bosses of red brass, and a long iron sword of foreign make. And he looked up to the sky, and threw his hand upwards, and with that the clouds seemed like as if they were rushing at one another, and fire came from them towards the men of Ireland." "That was Cathbad the Druid," said Fergus, "and he trying by his enchantments to know how the battle would go to-morrow."

"I saw another man with Conchubar," said Mac Roth, "and he having a smooth, dark face, and white eyes in his head; a long bronze rod in his hand, and a little bell beside him, and when he touched it with his rod, all the people near him began to laugh."

"Who is that man?" said Ailell. "It is easy to know that," said Fergus; "that is Rocmid, the king’s fool. There was never trouble or tiredness on any man of Ulster that he would not forget if he saw Rocmid."

"There came another troop then," said Mac Roth, "and it is what I thought, that the leader they had was the handsomest and the most comely of all the men of Ireland, tall and well formed. Deep red-yellow hair he had, his face wide at the top and narrow below; thin, red lips, and grey eyes that were laughing. A red and white cloak on him, that the wind stirred as he walked, a white shield with gold fastenings at his shoulder, a long, dark green spear in his hand."

"Who was that man, Fergus?" said Ailill. "That man is himself half an army, Rochad, son of Fatheman, from Rachlainn, in the North," said Fergus. Now this was the same Rochad that Findabair had loved.

"There was another troop came then," said Mac Roth, "and a quiet, grey-haired man at the head of it. A dark-green, long-woolled cloak he had about him, and a white shirt, and a silver belt around his waist, and a bell branch at his shoulder. He sat before King Conchubar when he came to the hill, and his whole company sat about him. And the sound of his voice when he spoke before the king, and when he was advising him, was sweeter than a three-cornered harp in the player’s hand."

"Who was that man, Fergus?" said Ailill. "That was Sencha, the orator, the best-spoken of all the men of the whole world, and the peace-maker of the army of Ulster," said Fergus; "and the whole of the men of the world, from the rising to the setting of the sun, he would pacify with his three fair words. But by my word, it is no cowardly or no peaceful counsel that man will give his king to-day, but counsel of courage, and of strength, and of battle."

"There came another troop," said Mac Roth, "and a man at the head of them, and it would not be easy to find a man with better appearance, or with hair more like gold than what he has. There was a sword with an ivory hilt in his hand, and he throwing it up and catching it in his hand again, as it was coming on the heads of the people near him."

"That is Aithirne, the poet and satirist," said Fergus. it was said now of that man that he was very covetous, and that he would ask the one-eyed man for his one eye, and that the rivers and the lakes went back before him when he made a satire on them, and rose when he praised them. And one time when the men of Ulster were fighting to protect him against the men of Leinster, that he had stirred up, and were shut up in Beinn Etair, he had plenty of cows himself in the fort, but he would not give a drop of milk to man or boy, or to a wounded man itself, but left them without food and without drink, unless they would eat the clay or drink the salt water of the sea.

"I saw another troop coming," said Mac Roth, "wild-looking, and in the middle of it a young little lad, red and freckled. He had a silk shirt on him with a border of red gold, and a shield faced with gold, with a golden rim, and a little bright gold sword at his side." "Who is that, Fergus?" said Ailill. "I do not remember leaving any such boy as that when I left Ulster," said Fergus; "but it is likely it may be Erc, son of Cairbre, that has come without leave of his father to help his grandfather, Conchobar; and the men of Teamhair with him.

And if what I think is true," he said, "you will find that troop to be a drowning sea, and it is by that troop and by that little boy the battle will be won against you."

Now that was the same Erc that fought afterwards in the last battle against Cúchulainn at Muirthemne, and some said it was he that made an end of Cúchulainn, but others said it was only the Grey of Macha he made an end of.

And Conall Cernach killed him afterwards in his red vengeance; and his sister Acaill came to Teamhair where he was buried, and cried for him through nine days, till her heart broke like a nut inside her, and she desired that her grave and her mound should be made in a place where the grave and the mound of Erc could be seen from it. And it was made in the place that used to be called the place of the poet Maine, but that is called now the place of Acaill.

"I saw another company," said Mac Roth, "having at its head a tall, large man, with high looks, with soft brown hair in smooth locks on his forehead; a deep grey cloak wrapped around him, having a silver brooch in it; a soft white shirt next his skin." "I know that man," said Fergus; "he is Eoghan, son of Durthacht, king of Fernmag, one of the twelve chief heroes of the Red Branch."

"I saw another company coming," said Mac Roth, "and a great many in it; and they red with the fire of their anger, strong and eager and destroying. At their head an angry man, dreadful to look at, long-nosed, large-eared, with coarse grey hair; a striped cloak on him1 an iron skewer in place of a brooch, a coarse striped shirt next his skin, a great spear in his hand."

"I know that man," said Fergus; "Celthair, son of Uthecar; a head of battle in Ulster. And the spear in his hand is the great spear, the Luin, that was brought back from the East by the three sons of Turenn."

"I saw the troop that came last," said Mac Roth, "and it without a leader. There were thirty hundred in it, of proud, clean, ruddy men; long fair hair they had, and shining eyes, and long shining cloaks with gold brooches, blue shining spears, gold coverings on their heads, and shirts of striped silk. But they seemed to have some great trouble on them, And to be very down-hearted." "What men are those, Fergus?" said Ailill. "I know them well," said Fergus. "It is well for those on whose side they are, and it is a pity for those they are against; for they are able by themselves," be said, "to fight the whole army of Ireland; for they are Cúchulainn's men from Muirthemne."

Now all this time Cúchulainn was lying on his bed, with the dint of his wounds. But when he knew by the noise on the plain that the men of Ulster were gathering for the battle, he used all his strength and tried to rise up; and he gave a great shout, that all his own troop heard it, and all the whole army.

But his people that were about him laid him down on the bed again by force, and put ropes and fastenings over him, the way he could not move from it to open his wounds again. And as he was lying there, two mocking women came from Ailell’s camp, and stood beside his bed, and let on to be crying and lamenting; and it is what they told him, that the men of Ulster were beaten, and that Conchobar was killed, and that Fergus was killed along with him.

And in the night the Morrigu came like a lean, grey-haired hag, shrieking from the one army to the other, hopping over the points of their weapons, to stir up anger between them, and she called out that ravens would be picking men’s necks on the morrow. And with all this outcry, Cúchulainn could not sleep, and when the day began to break he said to Laeg: "Look out now, and bring me word of everything that happens on this day."

So Laeg looked out, and he said: "I see a little herd of cattle breaking out from the west of Ailill’s camp, and there are lads following after them and trying to bring them back; and I see more lads coming out from the army of Ulster to attack them." "That little herd on the plain is the beginning of a great battle," said Cúchulainn, "for it is the Brown Bull of Cuailgne and his heifers are in it, and now the young men of the east and of the west will come out against one another. And go now, Laeg," he said, "for I cannot go out myself, and call to the men of Ulster, and stir them up to the battle." So Laeg went out and called to them in Cúchulainn's name to get themselves ready and to come out to the battle.

When the men of Ulster heard that message from Cúchulainn, they rose up, and rushed out without stopping to put on their clothing, but only taking their weapons in their hands, and such of them as had the door of their tents facing eastwards did not wait to go through it, but broke out to the west.

But Conchobar was not in such haste to bring his own men out, but he said to Sencha: "Keep them back till the right time will have come; when the, sun will have lighted all the valleys and the hills."

Then Laeg went to look out again, and he saw the army of Ireland coming out to meet the men of Ulster, and there began a great fight between them, and it went on a good while without one side getting the better of the other. And when Cúchulainn heard it he said: "My grief ! I not to be able to go among them !"

Now as to Maeve, she was sending out her men, the three Conaires from Slieve Lis, the three red Luachras, the three nimble Suibhnes, the three sky-like Eochaids, the three bards from Lough Riach, the three Fachtnas from the woods of Navan, the three sad-faced Murroughs, the three boiling Laegaires, the three dove-like Conalls, the three sons of Driscoll that fought together, the three Fintans from beside the sea.

And some say that besides these there were three young men of the Sidhe in shining armour, that mixed through the army to stir up courage, and that none of the men of the army could see among them, Delbhaeth, son of Ethlinn, and Cermait Honey-mouth, and Angus Óg, son of the Dagda.

But when Maeve saw the battle going on, and neither side getting the victory, she called to Fergus, and she said: "It is time for you, Fergus, to go out and avenge yourself on your enemy Conchobar; and besides that," she said, "it is right for you to go and to fight for us now, after all the good treatment you got from us in Connaught."

"I would go out willingly," said Fergus, "if I had my own sword again, the Caladcholg, the sword that Leite brought from the country of the Sidhe." Then Ailill said to his chariot-driver, Ferloga: "Go now and bring Fergus’s sword that I bade you to hide away." So Ferloga brought the sword, and put it in Fergus’s hand, and Fergus gave it a great welcome. "Come out now into the battle, Fergus," said Maeve, "and spare no one to-day, unless it might be some very dear friend."

Then Fergus and Maeve and Ailill went out into the battle, and three times they made the army of Ulster go back before them. And when Conchubar heard his people were being driven back, he called out to the household of the Red Branch: "Let you hold the place I am in now, till I go see who has turned back our men against us three times on the north side."

And the men of the Red Branch called back to him: "We will do that, and unless the sky should fall on us, or the earth give way under us, we will not give up one inch of ground before the men of Ireland till you come to us again, or till we get our death."

Then Conchobar went to see who it was that was driving back his army, and it was Fergus he found before him; and Fergus struck three great blows on Conchobar’s shield, the Ochain, so that the shield screamed out loud, and all the shields of the army of Ulster screamed with it, and the three great waves of Ireland answered it.

Then Fergus said: "Who is it is holding his shield against me?"

And Conchobar knew then who was before him, and he cried out:

"It is the man, Fergus, that is greater and more comely and younger and better than yourself, the man whose father and mother were better than your own; the man that put to death the three great candles of the valour of the Gad, the three prosperous sons of Usnach, in spite of your guarantee and your protection;

the man that banished you out of your own country; the man that made your house a dwelling-place for deer and foxes; the man that never left you so much as the breadth of your foot of land in Ulster; the man that drove you to the entertainment of a woman; and the man that will drive you back to-day in the presence of the men of Ireland, Conchobar, son of Fachtna Fathach, High King of Ulster, the High King of Ireland."

When Fergus heard that, he took his sword, the Caladcholg, in his two hands, and he was swinging it over his head, that it seemed to have the size and appearance of a rainbow, and he was about to give his three great strokes on the men of Ulster.

But Conchobar’s son, Cormac Conloingeas, saw what be was doing, and he made a rush at Fergus, and put his arms about his knees, and be said: "Do not put out your great strength, my master Fergus, to destroy the whole army of Ulster."

"Let me go," said Fergus, "for I will not live through the day unless I strike my three blows on the men of Ulster." But Cormac Conloingeas would not leave off from asking him, and then he said: "Tell Conchobar to go back to his own place in the battle, and I will spare the army." So Conchobar went back, and then Fergus struck his three blows on three little hills that were near him, and cut their tops off, and they are called "the three bare hills of Meath" to this day.

But when Cúchulainn heard the scream of Conchubar’s shield the time Fergus struck it, he called out to Laeg: "Who has dared to strike those three blows upon the Ochain, and I still living?"

"It is Fergus, son of Rogh, struck them," said Laeg. "Where is the battle going on now?" said Cúchulainn. "The armies are come as far as Gairech," said Laeg. "By my hand of valour," said Cúchulainn, "they will not have reached to Ilgairech before I will be with them."

With that he put out all his strength, and he broke the ropes that were about him, and threw them off, and he scattered the grass that was on his wounds into the high air. And the two mocking women were there yet, and he dashed them one against the other, and left them there on the ground.

And he looked for his arms, but he could see none of them; but only his chariot, that was broken, was lying there. And he took hold of a shaft of it, and rushed, with all his wounds, straight into the battle, till he found Fergus, and he called to him to go back before him now, as he had promised he would do.

But Fergus gave him no answer. Then Cúchulainn said: "Go back, now, Fergus, or by the oath of my people," he said, "I will grind you to pieces as a mill grinds the malt." Then Fergus said: "Do not be giving out threats to me, for my army is well able for the army of Ulster." "You gave me your promise, Fergus," said Cúchulainn, "to go back before me when we would meet in the great battle, and when I would be covered with wounds. You bound yourself to that the time I went back before you, and you without your sword."

Then Fergus, when he heard that, went back three steps, and then he turned, and his men with him, and gave way before Cúchulainn. And all the men of Ireland turned when they saw that, and broke out of their ranks, and ran over the hill westward, and Cúchulainn and the men of Ulster followed after them, making a great slaughter. And Cúchulainn came up with Maeve, and she called out:

"A gift to me, Cúchulainn." "What is it you are asking of me?" he said. "Take what is left of my army under your protection, and let it pass over the great ford westward." So he agreed to do that, and what was left of the army of Ireland went over the great ford of the Sionnan at Ath Luain, and Maeve and Ailill and Fergus, and the Maines, and the sons of Magach stopped to the last, and drew their shields of protection behind the men of Ireland, till they had got back to Cruachan in Connaught; the place they set out from.

It was mid-day when Cúchulainn came into the battle, and the sun was setting when the last of them went over the ford. And then Cúchulainn took his sword that Laeg had brought him, for he had but a few splinters left of the shaft of the chariot he had used in the fight, and he made three blows at three rocks, and cut the tops off them, for an insult to Connaught for ever, the way if any one should speak of the three bare hills of Meath, the three bare rocks of Ath Luain would be there to give the answer.

And Fergus was watching the army of Ireland going back over the ford, and it is what he said: "This army is swept away to-day; it is wandering and going astray like a mare among her foals that goes astray in a strange place, not knowing what path to take. And it is following the lead of a woman," he said, "has brought it into this distress."

This then was the end of the battle of Gairech and Ilgairech, and the end of the war for the Brown Bull of Cuailgne.

Source: Lady Gregory - Cúculainn of Muirthemne, London, 1905.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 12:10 pm

The Final battle in the War of the Brown Bull



Fergus Mac Roich led the army of Queen Medb against Cúchulainn and he rose to face them despite his many wounds, but rather than fight again he reminded Fergus of their previous agreement and now it was the turn of Fergus to run from Cúchulainn just as Cúchulainn had previously run from him, and when the army of Medb saw their leader running they ran also.

This ended the war over the Brown Bull of Cooley, the army of Medb had been defeated and went home to nurse their wounds. It was all for naught in the end as the Brown Bull was taken to Connaught where he killed the White Bull of Ailill and then he returned to Cualgne where he was so exhausted from the ordeal and his exertions that his heart burst and he died.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 12:13 pm

The Death of Cúchulainn at Muirthemne

The death of Cúchulainn was brought about by the scheming of Queen Medb, whose pride had been deeply wounded at her defeat in the War of the Brown Bull, she sought to get her revenge on him. She held meetings with the families of those slain by Cúchulainn, she kept on at them to seek revenge for the deaths of their loved ones against the Champion of Ulster.

Her deadliest weapons were the three daughters of her magician Calatin (who had been killed by Cúchulainn in the previous War) whom she had sent to Alba (Scotland) and Babylon to learn the magical arts. When the three had returned from their training they were very well versed in the magical arts, and could summon up illusions of battle hosts with their skills.

She waited again until the Curse of Macha fell upon the men of Ulster so that Cúchulainn would have to face the forces of magic and her army alone once again.

As the forces of Queen Medb once again marched on Ulster, King Conchobar Mac Nessa called a council of war. His warriors and druids were too incapacitated to fight, however the King did not want Cúchulainn to fight alone for it was known that if the Champion fell, then the land would be luckless forever.

To keep Cúchulainn occupied and unaware of what was transpiring around him, King Conchobar ordered the women, the bards and the poets to divert his attention in every way possible and to keep him idle at Emain Macha. However while this was under way and Cúchulainn was engaged in feasting and enjoyments, the three daughters of Calatin appeared and they created the illusory army out of grass, thistles and withered leaves, and caused the sound of trumpets and the roar and scream of battle to be heard all about Emain Macha.

Cúchulainn had to be convinced it was all an illusion by King Conchobar's druids to stop him from running into battle immediately. King Conchobar realized he would have to protect Cúchulainn from further enticements and trickery, he was moved to the magical valley of Glean-na-Bodhar which means 'Valley of the Deaf', once inside the valley nothing from the outside world can be heard.

The daughters of Calatin worked their magic once more creating the illusion that a vast army surrounded the valley with fires burning and women shrieking and crying. This illusion was so powerful that the noise of it even reached into the valley and although the druids and women attending Cúchulainn tried to drown it out, Cúchulainn heard it and again wanted to rush out into battle and once more Cathbad the druid managed to calm him down sufficiently to convince him that it was all an illusion yet again and that he need not venture into battle.

However the last trick to be played on Cúchulainn succeeded. One daughter of Calatin took on the form of a previous lover of Cúchulainn's and cried and begged with him saying Ulster was being ravaged and what was he doing? sitting and playing and carousing while all about him burned and was destroyed. Cúchulainn was stung into action and neither the women nor the druids could restrain him this time as he ordered his chariot to be harnessed and rode out to find this invading army.

There were many bad omens preceding this last battle. The Gray of Macha his horse refused to be bridled and wept tears of blood; Dechtire his mother brought him wine three times and each time it turned to blood when he tried to drink it. When he crossed the first ford in the river he saw a woman of the Sidhe who was washing clothes and armour, she turned to him and said 'I am washing the armour of Cúchulainn, who rides to his death..'

The champion then came across three old crones roasting a hound on rowan spits. They asked him to partake in their humble meal, but there was a geas on Cúchulainn forbidding him to eat the flesh of the hound (his totem animal) and also against eating meat cooked over an open fire. Cúchulainn at first refused to eat the meat, but the crones persisted saying 'you are too proud to eat an honest meal from a few old women but will feast on rich foods in the halls of chieftains and kings.' Then Cúchulainn took the meat in his left hand - going against the double taboo and as soon as he ate the food he was paralyzed in the left side of his body. The Three Crones were the Morrigan disguised.

It had been predicted that the three spears that Cúchulainn carried into battle would each kill a king. His enemies thus wanted to get these spears out of his possession and into their own so that they might gain the advantage of the prediction. Three Druids from the opposing army were sent to ask for the three spears as it was considered highly unlucky and dishonourable to refuse a request from a Druid.

The first Druid strode up to Cúchulainn and demanded his spear or else he would satirize him, Cúchulainn replied 'never let it be said that I lack generosity, take this spear' and with that he flung it at the Druid and killed him. Lugaid son of Cúroi, took the spear from the Druid's body however and slew Laeg the charioteer of Cúchulainn. This was a terrible loss for Cúchulainn.

Now the second Druid came forward and asked for the spear saying that he would satirize the whole province of Ulster if he was refused the gift. 'I need not give more than one gift a day according to custom, but never let it be said that I allowed Ulster to be satirized for lack of generosity take the spear!' and with that he flung the spear into the Druid's head and killed him. However Erc the King of Leinster snatched the spear, and killed Cúchulainn's horse the Gray of Macha with it.

The third Druid then approached Cúchulainn and said 'Give me your spear or I will satirize your Clan'. Cúchulainn once again rose to the bait and replied 'My family will not be dishonoured because of my selfishness take the spear!' and he flung it into the Druid's heart and killed him. Lugaid son of Cúroi again reclaimed the spear and this time flung it at Cúchulainn himself, wounding him fatally. Thus was the prophecy of the spears fulfilled for Laeg was king of the charioteers, the Gray of Macha was king of the horses, and Cúchulainn was king of the champions.

In his final death pangs Cúchulainn asked that he be allowed to go to the lake to get a drink and then return to the battle. His request was granted and he went to the lake where he bound himself to a standing stone by the lakeside so that he might die standing up like a warrior for he was losing all power in his legs. The hero light was fading from Cúchulainn and his face became as white as snow, finally a crow (the totem of Morrigan goddess of death) came and perched on his shoulder. His enemies still slightly afraid to approach the great champion knew for certain he was now dead and cut off his head as a trophy.

With the death of Cúchulainn the power and prosperity of Emain Macha failed as did the fortunes of the army of the Red Branch of Ulster, as predicted centuries before.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 12:15 pm

The Wasting Sickness of Cúchulainn


Every Year the men of Ulster were accustomed to hold festival together for three days before Samhain, on the Samhain itself and for three days after that. They would all assemble at Mag Muirthemne and hold sports contests and have markets and games and pomps and splendours, feasting and revelry.

It was the custom to hold these festivals in order that the champions could give accounts of their feats and adventures. The way they counted their combats was that each man would cut off the tip of the tongue of every enemy he had slain and even the tongues of beasts were cut off in order to bulk out their combats and these were carried in pouches about the waist. Each man publicly declared the fights he had fought one after another. They laid their swords over their thighs as they related their stories and their blades would turn on them and cut them if they uttered any falsehoods.

Everyone came to the festival except two men, Fergus Mac Roig and Conall the Victorious. 'Let the festival commence' cried the men of Ulster.

'No,' said Cúchulainn 'It will not be held until Fergus and Conall arrive.' because Fergus was his foster father and Conall was his friend. Then Sencha Mac Ailella seeking to maintain peace said 'Let us for the present engage in games of chess; and let the bards sing and the jugglers perform their feats.' And it was done as he said.

Now while they were thus employed a flock of birds came down and hovered over a neighbouring lake; never were there such beautiful birds as these seen before in Ireland. The women who were assembled there longed to possess these birds and each began to boast of the prowess of their husbands at bird-catching.

'How I wish,' said Ethne wife of Conchobar 'that I could have two of those birds one on either shoulder.'

'It is what we all long for' said the other women.

'If any should have this gift, I should be the first one to have it,' said Emer wife of Cúchulainn.

'What are we to do now?' said the women.

'That's easy' said Leborcham, the daughter of Oa and Adarc. ' I will go now with a message from you and I will seek Cúchulainn.

She went to Cúchulainn and told him that the women of Ulster would be pleased if he could give them the birds by his own hand. Cúchulainn, annoyed reached for his sword to unsheathe it against her 'Can they not find someone else to chase after their birds?'

'It is not seemly for you to rage against them', said Leborcham for it is on your account that the women of Ulster have assumed one of their three blemishes, the blemish of blindness.' For there were three blemishes that the women of Ulster assumed, that of crookedness of gait after Conall the Victorious, that of stammering in their speech after Cuscraid Menn, Conchobar's son and that of blindness after Cúchulainn, for he was accustomed when he was angry to draw in one of his eyes so far in his head that a crane could not reach it, and he would thrust the other eye out so that it was as large as a cauldron in which a calf is cooked.

At that Cúchulainn relented and asked Laeg his charioteer to yoke up the horses. Cúchulainn went into his chariot and he cast his sword at the birds with a swirling motion so that they all fell down and flapped into the water with their claws and wings. Laeg and Cúchulainn seized all the birds and distributed them among all the women except for Emer the wife of Cúchulainn who did not receive any birds.

Cúchulainn returned to her 'You are angry with me' he said.

'I am not angry' she replied 'It is right that you should give them all the birds for they all love you, and you have a share in each of them; but for me, none has any share in me but you alone.'

'Do not be angry' replied Cúchulainn 'The next birds that come to the Mag Muirthemne or to the Boyne, the two most beautiful of these shall be yours.'

Shortly after that they saw two birds flying over the lake linked by a chain of red-gold. They sang a gentle song and a sleep fell on all the men who were there except Cúchulainn. He rose up to pursue the birds. His charioteer Laeg warned him 'Don't go against those birds, they have a strange power, choose some other birds another day!'

'How can you go against my wishes Laeg? Just put a stone in my sling!' said Cúchulainn.

And so Laeg placed a stone in the sling and Cúchulainn launched it at the birds, but the cast missed. 'Alas' said he and he took another stone and placed it in his sling but this too missed the birds.

'What's going on here? Since the first day I assumed arms, I have never missed a cast until this day!' exclaimed Cúchulainn. And he threw his spear at them and the spear went through the shield of the wing of one of the birds, and the birds flew away and went beneath the lake.

After this Cúchulainn departed, and he rested his back against a stone pillar, and his soul was angry within him, and he fell asleep. Then in his dream he saw two women come to him: the one of them had a green mantle upon her, and the other was a purple mantle folded in five folds. And the woman in the green mantle approached him, and she gave him a stroke of a horsewhip and laughed at him. The other woman approached in the same way and she laughed at him and struck him with the whip also. For a long time this continued each one coming at him until he was all but dead; and then they left him.

Now the men of Ulster perceiving the state that Cúchulainn was in, they cried out that he should be wakened. But Fergus told them no, that he was seeking a vision and should not be disturbed. And shortly after that Cúchulainn awoke.

'What has happened to you' they all asked but he had not got the power of speech to answer them. 'Let me be carried to the sick-bed that is in Tete Brece; not to Dún Imrith, or to Dún Delgan.'

'Will you not return to Dún Delgan your stronghold where Emer awaits you?' they questioned him.

'No, bring me to Tete Brece' he replied.

And so he was carried there where he stayed for one whole year not having communication with anyone.

Now on a certain day before the next Samhain, at the end of the year, when the men of Ulster were in the house where Cúchulainn lay. Fergus being at the side wall, and Conall the Victorious at his head, and Lugaid Red-Stripes at his pillow, and his wife at his feet. A man came to them and seated himself near the entrance of the room in which Cúchulainn lay.

'What has brought you here?' asked Conall the Victorious.

'Not hard to answer' replied the man. 'If the man who lies over there were in health, he would be a good protection to all of Ulster. In the weakness and sickness that he has now, so much more is the protection that they have from him. I have no fear of any of you,' he said, 'for it is to give this man a greeting that I have come.'

'Welcome then and do not fear' said the men of Ulster.

And the man rose up and sang a poem telling Cúchulainn that his sickness would not last much longer and that Fann and Liban the daughters of Aed Abrat would heal him if they could. He said that Fann was in love with Cúchulainn and that he should go to Mag Muirthemne to meet Liban on Samhain night.

'Who are you?' the men asked.

'I am Angus, the son of Aed Abrat,' he answered, and then he left them and none knew from where he had come or where he went to.

Then Cúchulainn sat up, and at last he spoke to them. 'This is fortunate, indeed!' exclaimed the men of Ulster. 'Tell us what has happened to you' they said to him.

'Upon Samhain last year, I saw a vision..' and he told them all he had seen.

'What should I do now?' Cúchulainn asked his uncle Conchobar.

'You should go to the stone on Mag Muirthemne where you were struck with the illness' replied Conchobar.

Then Cúchulainn went to the stone and he saw the woman in the green mantle approach him. 'This is good to see you, Cúchulainn' she greeted him.

'I do not think it is such a good thing' replied Cúchulainn, 'why did you come to me last year?'

'We had no intention of injuring you' she replied, 'we sought your friendship. I have come on behalf of my sister Fann, the daughter of Aed Abrat. Her husband Manannan Mac Lír, has abandoned her, and she has set her love on you. My name is Liban and I have a message for you from my husband Labraid the Swift Sword-Wielder, that he will give you Fann in exchange for one day's fighting service in battle against Senach Siaborthe and Eochaid Iuil, and Eogan Inber.'

'I am not well enough, to fight anyone today' replied Cúchulainn.

'That weakness will fade and you shall regain all the strength you have lost. Labraid shall heal you for he is the best of all the warriors in the world' said Liban.

'Where does Labraid live?' asked Cúchulainn.

'In Mag Mell, the Plain of Delight, and now I myself wish to return there,' said Liban.

'Let my charioteer Laeg go with you that he might learn of your land' said Cúchulainn.

'Let him come then' replied Liban.

Laeg and Liban then went to Mag Mell, and Liban turned to Laeg and placed him by her shoulder and said 'You would never be able to enter here without my protection!' And he replied 'I am not accustomed to the protection of a woman!' and she replied 'It is a great shame that Cúchulainn did not come here himself'

'Indeed', replied Laeg 'It would be better for me if he had come himself.'

They journeyed on and came to the opposite shore of an island, and there they found a skiff of bronze lying on the lake beside them. They entered the skiff and crossed over to the island, and they then came to a palace door, and saw a man and he approached them. Liban spoke to the man and asked him where her husband Labraid was. The man replied that he was preparing for the battle of Mag Fidga.

They entered into the palace and saw there one hundred and fifty couches within and one hundred and fifty women sitting on each of these. The women all bade Laeg welcome.

'Will you go now and speak to Fann?' asked Liban.

'I will go, If you tell me where she is' replied Laeg.

'She is in her own chamber' said Liban and she escorted Laeg there.

Fann was the daughter of Aed Abrat. Aed means fire, and he is the fire of the eye: the eye's pupil. Fann, is the name of the tear that runs down from the eye; it was on account of the clearness of her beauty that she was so called. There is nothing else in the world except a tear-drop to which her beauty could be compared.

As they were walking they heard the sound of Labraid's chariot as he approached the palace. 'Labraid is in low spirits today, I will go to greet him.' said Liban. And she went and greeted him with many pleasantries and flatteries but he was in no mood to hear them and replied 'There is no pride or arrogance in me, We are going into a battle which has a doubtful outcome, against the armies of Eochaid Iuil, I have no presumption of victory, no arrogance in the matter at all, my wife!'

'Then let your mind be appeased' replied Liban 'Laeg, the charioteer of Cúchulainn is here, and Cúchulainn has sent word with him that he will join your hosts.'

And Labraid greeted Laeg and said 'Welcome, Laeg, for the sake of Fann, and for the sake of Cúchulainn. Go back now to your own land and Liban will go with you.'

Then Laeg returned to Emain Macha, and he gave news of what he had seen and heard to all assembled.

Cúchulainn, then rose up out of his sick-bed and greeted Laeg brightly and his mind was strengthened within him for the news that Laeg had brought. Then he said to Laeg 'Go to Dún Delgan and tell my wife Emer that the fairy women have destroyed my strength; but that now things are getting better by the hour, and ask her to come to see me.'

So Laeg went to Emer and brought her the news of Cúchulainn. She was upset about all that had befallen her husband at the hands of the fairy women and said 'You travelled to the Fairy Land, and yet you brought back no cure, Shame upon all the men of Ulster! For they have not sought to do a great deed and heal him. Yet had Conchobar been fettered, had it been Fergus who lost his sleep, had it been Conall the Victorious to whom wounds had been dealt, had it been Laegaire Battle-Winner, Cúchulainn would have saved them!'

Then Emer went to Emain Macha to visit Cúchulainn and she said to him 'Shame on you! to lie in bed pining for a woman's love! It's no surprise that you are ill lying so long in your sick-bed! And she chanted a lay over him advising that sleeping too long made one ill and that it would be better to get up out of the bed and face the world.

At her words Cúchulainn stood up and passed his hand over his face, and he cast all heaviness and weariness away from him and went to the enclosure on Mag Muirthemne. Then Liban appeared to him and she tried to persuade him to go to Fairy Land but Cúchulainn was hesitant and asked her what kind of a place it was.

She told him it was across a pure lake, where troops of women congregated and she spoke in flattering words of the deeds of her husband Labraid there. Cúchulainn replied brusquely that he would not go at a woman's invitation. 'Let Laeg come again, then and tell you all the tidings of our land and people.'

And so Laeg went forth again with Liban and they came to Mag Lauda, and to Bile Buada, and over the fair green of Emain Macha, and over the fair green of Fidga, and in that place lived Aed Abrat with his daughters. Then Fann bade welcome to Laeg and asked why Cúchulainn had not come with him. 'He does not want to be at a woman's beck and call, also he wanted a full account of everything before he makes any move.'

'It was indeed myself who sent the message' said Fann, 'and now, let him come here quickly for it is today that the battle has been set.' Then Laeg returned to Cúchulainn with Liban. And Cúchulainn asked him what he thought of the venture. Laeg replied 'You must go in an hour for the battle is set for today' and he described the marvellous country where he had been where Labraid of the long hair had sat on a cairn of twenty armies, with all his weapons, wearing an apple of gold on his fair head.

He described the palace where the kings Failbe the Fair and Labraid lived with their one hundred and fifty men. He described the richness of the palace with golden posts and an illuminating light which comes from a precious brilliant stone. 'There are horses of grey with dappled manes, and horses of purple-brown in the stables. The trees are made of purple glass and the birds that live in them sing sweetly to the children who live in the palace. At the entrance of the fairy stronghold is a tree from whose branches emanates a beautiful and harmonious music. It is a silver tree and when the light shines on it glistens like gold.

There are one hundred and fifty trees and each one feeds three hundred people with abundant food without rind. There is a well there were you will find one hundred and fifty splendid cloaks, with a brooch of shining gold in each one. There is a cauldron full of invigorating mead which never grows less no matter how many people dip their cup in it. There is a woman there who is beautiful beyond words, she inspires love in every man and wounds him to his heart and she called me to her and asked of you Cúchulainn, it is a pity you did not go yourself and see all the marvels there, if I had the chance I would give up the green land of Erin and go live in that wondrous world instead.'

'So the quest seems like a good one to you, Laeg?' asked Cúchulainn.

'Indeed it is, it would be fitting for you to go there, Cúchulainn, for all things are good and pure in that land.' And he recounted how the women were all beautiful and how Fann was the loveliest of them all. He told of the rich garments of everyone none were dressed like underlings or servants and all wore many-coloured and bright vestments. He said the men were as fair as the women. He said he had to hurry away from the sound of the music being played at the court for fear of falling under a spell of enchantment. 'Indeed, the woman Fann would drive whole armies to madness with her beauty' he finished.

Then Cúchulainn at last decided to go with Liban to that land and he took his chariot with him and they came to the island of Labraid and all there bade him welcome and Fann gave a special welcome to him.

'What must we do now?' asked Cúchulainn.

'We must make a circuit of the army' replied Labraid.

And Labraid and Cúchulainn went to view the opposing army and the host seemed to be innumerable. Cúchulainn then bid Labraid to leave him in peace for a while. So Labraid left him confronting the army. There were two ravens there who spoke and revealed druidic secrets but the opposing army laughed at them and said 'It must surely be the madman from Ireland who is there. It is he who the ravens would make known to us' and then they chased the ravens away so that they found no resting place in that land.

Now at early morning Eochaid Iuil went out in order to bathe his hands in the spring, and Cúchulainn saw his shoulder through the hood of his tunic, and he hurled his spear at him and it pierced him. And by himself he slew thirty-three of the opposition. Then Senach Siaborthe assailed him and a great fight was fought between them, and Cúchulainn slew him. Then Labraid entered the fray and he broke before him those mighty armies.

Then finally Labraid entreated Cúchulainn to stay his hand from the slaying as he had worked himself up to a tremendous heat. Then Laeg said; 'I fear that he will turn his wrath upon us, for he can find none to match him in battle. Go now, and bring here three vats filled with cold water to cool his heat. The first vat he goes into will boil over; after he has gone into the second vat no one will be able to bear the heat of it; but the third vat he goes into will be of moderate heat.'

And after Cúchulainn had cooled himself down he went back to the palace and the women sang his praises; and Fann and Liban made special lays to him and made him welcome.

'Tell us of your deeds' said Liban.

And Cúchulainn replied 'I threw a cast of my spear into the court of Eogan Inber, and then a host of fair, red-complexioned men on horseback appeared and they pierced me from all sides. They were the men of Manannan Mac Lír invoked by Eogan Inber. I heard the death pangs of Eochaid Iuil if I heard rightly it certainly won the battle the cast that I threw.'

Now after all this had happened Cúchulainn went and he lay down with Fann and they were lovers for a month, after which time Cúchulainn came to bid farewell.

'Tell me' said Fann 'which place we may go for our tryst and I will be there.' So they arranged to meet at the yew tree by the strand that is known as Iubar Cinn Trachta (Newry).

Now Emer heard of that tryst and she whetted knives to slay the fairy woman. And she went to the place of the tryst and fifty of her women were with her. And there she found Cúchulainn and Laeg and they were engrossed in playing chess and did not see her approach. But Fann saw the women and called out to Laeg to look up and see what she saw. So the men looked up and saw the host of angry women approaching with whetted knives.

Then Cúchulainn put Fann in his chariot and he promised to protect her against the women. When Emer approached near enough he said to her 'I cannot fight you, I must avoid you as I would a friend in battle, for my power is stronger than yours and I am honour bound not to raise a fist against you, it would be hard for me were I to be conquered by the weak power of a woman.'

'Why did you shame me then, in front of all the women of Ireland? If you leave me you will gain nothing by it' said Emer 'why are you doing this?'.

'Should I not remain with this woman for she is fair, and well-skilled and can ride the waves of the ocean and her mind can guide with firmness.'

'Truly,' answered Emer, 'the woman to whom you cling is in no way better than I am myself! Yet fair seems all that's red; what's new seems glittering; and bright what's set overhead; and sour are things well known! Men worship what they lack and what they have seems weak; in truth you have all the wisdom of the time! O youth!' she said 'once we dwelled in honour together, and we would do so again, if only I could find favour in your sight!' and her grief weighed her down.

'By my word,' said Cúchulainn, 'you do find favour with me, and will find it as long as I live!'

'Desert me, then!' cried Fann.

'No,' replied Emer 'It is more fitting that I should be the deserted one.'

'Not, so indeed' said Fann. 'It is I who must go and danger rushes me from afar.'

Then Fann made a lament for she was heavy in her heart.

Now when she was finished her lament it had been discerned by Manannan Mac Lír that Fann the daughter of Aed Abrat was engaged in unequal warfare with the women of Ulster, and that she was likely to be abandoned by Cúchulainn. And then Manannan came from the east to seek for Fann, and she saw him, but no one else could see him and when Fann saw him she was seized by great bitterness and grief and she sang another song telling of how she loved Manannan and was a worthy wife to him and how he had grieved her by abandoning her and she bade Cúchulainn farewell.

Then Fann rose behind Manannan as he passed, and Manannan greeted her and asked her whether she would stay with Cúchulainn or come away with him. And she replied 'In truth, either of the two of you would be a fitting husband to adhere to, and neither of you is better than the other. Yet Manannan, I will go with you, nor will I go with Cúchulainn for he has betrayed me; and there is another matter that weighs with me and that is that you have no consort of equal worth to you, but Cúchulainn has one already.'

And Cúchulainn saw Fann as she went from him to Manannan, and he cried out to Laeg 'What does all this mean?'

'Fann, is going away with Manannan Mac Lír, since she has not pleased you,' replied Laeg.

Then Cúchulainn bounded three times high into the air, and he made three great leaps south to Tara Luachra, and there he lived for a long time, having neither food nor water, dwelling upon the mountains and sleeping upon the high-road that runs through the middle of Luachra.

Then Emer went on to Emain, and there she sought out King Conchobar, and she told him of the state that Cúchulainn was in. And Conchobar gathered around all his learned men, and his people of skill and all the druids of Ulster, to find Cúchulainn and to bind him fast, and bring him with them to Emain.

And Cúchulainn tried to kill the people of skill, but they chanted incantations against him, and they bound fast his feet and hands until he came a little to his senses. Then he begged for a drink at their hands and the druids gave him a drink of forgetfulness, so that afterwards he had no remembrance of Fann or of anything else that he had done during that time; They also gave Emer a drink of forgetfulness that she might forget her jealousy, for her state was in no way better than the state of Cúchulainn. And Manannan shook his cloak between Cúchulainn and Fann, so that they might never meet again throughout eternity.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 12:16 pm

Conall avenges the death of Cúchulainn

There was a pact between Conall Cernach and Cúchulainn regarding the matter of their deaths it was agreed that whoever survived the other would avenge his death. Therefore when Cúchulainn was slain on the Plain of Muirthemne by Lugaid Mac Cúroi it fell to Conall to avenge his death.

So Conall rode south on his horse 'Dewy-Red' to the banks of the river Liffey where he came upon Lugaid bathing in the river. Lugaid did not really want to fight Conall but was compelled by the other warrior to do his duty. Lugaid's right hand had been cut off by the sword of Cúchulainn as it fell from his hand in death, so he asked Conall if he would be honourable and fight with just one hand also. This Conall agreed to do and they fought for two days but neither gained precedence over the other, then on the third day, Conall's horse 'Dewy-Red' went over to Lugaid and took a bite out of his side. 'That is not honourable conduct' said Lugaid, to which Conall replied 'I gave my own word of honour but I cannot be held accountable for the actions of savage beasts and senseless beings!'

'Now I know that you will not leave this place until you have my head as payment for my taking of the head of Cúchulainn, so take it then in addition to your own and add my realm to your realm, and my valour to your valour, for I prefer that you should be the best hero in Erin.' said Lugaid.

Then Conall the Victorious cut off the head of Lugaid at a place called Ferta Lugdach, and he took it with him to Emain Macha, but there was no triumphal parades or festivities as all were in mourning for the hero Cúchulainn.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 12:17 pm

The Feast of Bricriu

Bricriu of the Venomous Tongue prepared a great feast for King Conchobar and his followers. He built a special house for the purpose, with a chamber set apart for himself: He knew only too well that his guests, while partaking of his hospitality, would never allow him and his poisonous tongue into their company at the feast.

Then he proffered his invitations which were received with scant enthusiasm - 'If we go, our dead will outnumber our living, after Bricriu has incited us to strife,' said some.

But finally they were persuaded to go to the feast as Bricriu threatened to curse them if they did not go - 'I will stir up strife among the kings, leaders, heroes and lesser nobles, till they slay one another But if that be impossible, I will set mother and daughter at variance. And if that be impossible I will cause strife between the two breasts of every woman in Ulster so that they will smite each other till they rot and putrefy.'

However they were right to be doubtful of Bricriu's intentions as he had a hidden agenda which was a plot to set them all against each other. He promised the curadhmhír 'champion's portion' the choicest piece of meat to three different champions namely; Conall Cernach, Loeghaire Buadhach 'The Triumphant' and Cúchulainn. The tradition was that whoever was the bravest warrior would get the curadhmhír and if any warrior contested that claim then he would have to fight a combat against the first claimant.

Of course all three are then in violent competition with each other and they come to blows and the house becomes a seething tumult until the wise man Sencha Mac Ailella intervenes to restore a temporary peace.

Ailill of Connaught is called on to be an arbitrator in the matter. Bricriu however has a second strategy he goes to each of the wives of the three heroes (who had taken a little too much mead and were slightly inebriated) and takes each one aside and waxes eloquent in praise of the virtues and accomplishments of each and promises that the first woman who enters the hall will be queen over all the women of Ulster.

And so the three woman making their way slowly at first as they each near the hall their progress becomes quicker and quicker until they haul up their skirts to their waists so as not to be impeded in the rush for the entrance.

They made such a noise that those within thought the house was being beset by enemies and they slammed the door in the faces of the drunken women. The three husbands decide to help their wives in the venture. Loeghaire and Conall tore down the pillars of the house to allow their wives access, while Cúchulainn simply tilted the whole building over against his bed, admitting Emer his wife and her attendants, and then slammed it down again so hard that it sank seven feet into the earth.

The shock threw Bricriu and his wife out of their private room, and they fell into the filth in the palace courtyard. All bespattered recognizable only by his voice, he came into the house and protested at the way his home had been treated.

Cúchulainn suffered a minor riastradh 'battle-fury' and then when he had recovered he put the house straight. And again they all sat down to the feast, but not for long; the matter of who would receive the champion's portion was still not settled.

The three heroes decided to go forth and prove their claim to the portion. After many competitions and adventures it is decided by King Ailill that Cúchulainn can have the hero's portion, but the decision is contested by Loeghaire and Conall.

Again they venture forth to the hall of Cú Roí Mac Dáire in the south-west of Ireland here after further trials it is decided again that the portion should go to Cúchulainn. They journey back to Emain Macha and again Loeghaire and Conall contest the decision. Weary from all their travels and adventures there does not seem to be a way that any of them can back down due to their pride and so a stale-mate ensues where none can gain an advantage over the other.

One evening as the Ulstermen were gathered at Emain they saw a huge and monstrously ugly churl of a herdsman bachlach enter the hall. He brought a singular challenge; he would allow one of their heroes to cut off his head on condition that they reverse roles on the following night.

Loeghaire and Conall both accept and behead the giant but when it comes to their turn to lay their heads on the block they both shirk their side of the bargain. Finally Cúchulainn takes up the challenge and beheads the giant, who picks up his severed head and walks off.

When he returns the next evening, Cúchulainn places his head on the block in readiness to receive the blow, the giant raises his mighty axe to the ridge-pole of the hall, only to bring it down gently upon his neck, saying 'Rise up, Cúchulainn. Vain is it for any warrior of Ulster or Ireland to seek to contend with you in bravery, and prowess and truth. Henceforth, to you shall belong the primacy of the warriors of Ireland and the curadhmhír 'the champion's portion' is your rightful claim. The giant was none other than Cú Roí Mac Dáire who had come to vindicate his previous judgement.

Source: R.A.S. MacAlister - Ancient Ireland, 1936.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 12:18 pm

Bricriu's Feast and the War of Words of the Women of Ulster

BRICRIU of the Bitter Tongue made a great feast one time for Conchubar, son of Ness, and for all the chief men of Ulster. He was the length of a year getting the feast ready, and he built a great house to hold it in at Dun-Rudraige.

He built it in the likeness of the House of the Red Branch in Emain, but it was entirely beyond all the buildings of that time in shape and in substance, in plan and in ornament, in pillars and in facings, in doors and in carvings, so that It was spoken of in all parts.

It was on the plan of the drinking-hall at Emain it was made inside, and it having nine divisions from hearth to wall, and every division faced with bronze that was overlaid with gold, thirty feet high.

In the front part of the hail there was a royal seat made for Conchubar, high above all the other seats of the house. It was set with carbuncles and other precious stones of all colours, that shone like gold and silver, so that they made the night the same as the day; and round about it were the twelve seats of the twelve heroes of Ulster.

Good as the material was, the work done on it was as good. It took six horses to bring home every beam, and the strength of six men to fix every pole, and thirty of the best skilled men in Ireland were ordering it and directing it.

Then Bricriu made a sunny parlour for himself, on a level with Conchubar’s seat and the seats of the heroes of valour, and it had every sort of ornament, and windows of glass were put on every side of it, the way he could see the hall from his seat, for he knew the men of Ulster would not let him stop inside.

When he had finished building the hall and the sunny parlour, and had furnished them with quilts and coverings, beds and pillows, and with a full supply of meat and drink, so that nothing was wanting, he set out for Emain Macha to see Conchubar and the chief men of Ulster.

It happened that day they were all gathered together at Emain Macha, and they made him welcome, and they put him to sit beside Conchubar, and he said to Conchubar and to them all, "Come with me to a feast I have made ready." "I am willing to go," said Conchubar, "if the men of Ulster are willing."

But Fergus, son of Rogh, and the others, said: "We will not go, for if we do, our dead will be more than our living, after Bricriu has set us to quarrel with one another."

"It will be worse for you if you do not come," said Bricriu.

"What will you do if they do not go with you?" said Conchubar. "I will stir up strife," said Bricriu, "between the kings and the leaders, and the heroes of valour, and the swordsmen, till every one makes an end of the other, if they will not come with me to use my feast"

"We will not go for the sake of pleasing you," said Conchubar.

"I will stir up anger between father and son, so that they will be the death of one another," said Bricriu; "if I fail in doing that, I will make a quarrel between mother and daughter; if that fails, I will put the two breasts of every woman of Ulster striking one against the other, and destroying one another."

"It is better for us to go," said Fergus. "Let us consult with the chief men of Ulster," said Sencha, son of Ailell. "Some harm will come of it," said Conchubar, "if we do not consult together against this man.

On that, all the chief men met together in council, and it is what Sencha advised: "It is best for you to get securities from Bricriu, as you have to go along with him; and put eight swordsmen around him, to make him leave the house as soon as he has laid out the feast for you."

So Ferbenn Ferbeson, son of Conchubar, brought the answer to Bricriu. "I am satisfied to do that," said Bricriu. With that the men of Ulster set out from Emain, host, troop, and company under king, chief, and leader, and it was a good march they all made together to Dun-Rudraige.

Then Bricriu set himself to think how with the securities that were given for him, he could best manage to set the men of Ulster one against the other. After he had been thinking a while, he went over to Laegaire Buadach, son of Connad, son of Iliath.

"All good be with you, Laegaire, Winner of Battles, you mighty mallet of Bregia, you hot hammer of Meath, you flame-red thunderbolt, what hinders you from getting the championship of Ireland for ever?"

"If I want it I can get it," said Laegaire. "You will be head of all the champions of Ireland," said Bricriu, "if you do as I advise." "I will do that, indeed," said Laegaire.

"Well," said Bricriu, "if you can get the Champion’s Portion at the feast in my house, the championship of Ireland will be yours for ever. And the Champion’s Portion of my house is worth fighting for," he said, "for it is not the portion of a fool’s house. There goes with it a vat of good wine, with room enough in it to hold three of the brave men of Ulster; with that a seven-year-old boar, that has been fed since it was born on no other thing but fresh milk, and fine meal in spring-time, curds and sweet milk in summer, the kernel of nuts and wheat in harvest, beef and broth in the winter;

with that a seven-year-old bullock that never had in its mouth, since it was a sucking calf, either heather or twig tops, but only sweet milk and herbs, meadow hay and corn; along with that, five-score wheaten cakes made with honey.

That is the Champion’s Portion of my house. And since you are yourself the best hero among the men of Ulster," he said, "it is but right to give it to you; and that is my wish, you to get it. And at the end of the day, when the feast is spread out, let your chariot-driver rise up, and it is to him the Champion’s Portion will be given."

"There will be dead men if that is not done," said Laegaire. Then Bricriu laughed, for he liked to hear that.

When he had done stirring up Laegaire Buadach, he went on till he met with Conall Cearnach. "May good be with you, Conall," he said. "It is you are the hero of fights and of battles; it is many victories you have won up to this over the heroes of Ulster.

By the time the men of Ulster cross the boundary of a strange country, it is three days and three nights in advance of them you are, over many a ford and river; it is you who protect their rear coming back again, so that no enemy can get past you or through you, or over you. What would hinder you from being given the Champion’s Portion of Emain to hold for ever?"

Great as was his treachery with Laegaire, he showed twice as much in what he said to Conall Cearnach.

When he had satisfied himself that Conall was stirred up to a quarrel, he went on to Cuchulain. "May all good be with you, Cuchulain, conqueror of Bregia, bright banner of the Life, darling of Emain, beloved by wives and by maidens.

Cuchulain is no nickname for you to-day, for you are the champion of the men of Ulster; it is you keep off their great quarrels and disputes; it is you get justice for every man of them; it is you have what all the men of Ulster are wanting, in; all the men of Ulster acknowledge that your bravery, your valour, and your deeds are beyond their own.

Why, then, would you leave the Champion’s Portion for some other one of the men of Ulster, when not one of them would be able to keep it from you?"

"By the god of my people," said Cuchulain, "whoever comes to try and keep it from me will lose his head." With that Bricriu left them and followed after the army, as if he had done nothing to stir up a quarrel at all.

After that they came to the feasting-houses and went in, and every one took his place, king, prince, landowner, swordsman, and young fighting man. One half of the house was set apart for Conchubar and his following, and the other half was kept for the wives of the heroes of Ulster.

And there were attending on Conchubar in the front part of the house Fergus, son of Rogh; Celthair, son of Uthecar; Eoghan, son of Durthacht; the two Sons of the king, Fiacha and Fiachaig; Fergus, son of Leti; Cuscraid, the Stutterer of Macha; Sencha, son of Ailell;

the three sons of Fiachach, that is Rus and Dare and Imchad; Muinremar, son of Geirgind; Errge Echbel; Amergin, son of Ecit; Mend, son of Salchah;

Dubthach Doel Uladh, the Beetle of Ulster; Feredach Find Fectnach; Fedelmid, son of Ilair Cheting; Furbaide Ferbend; Rochad, son of Fathemon; Laegaire Buadach; Conall Cearnach; Cuchulain; Conrad, son of Mornai; Erc, son of Fedelmid; lollan, son of Fergus; Fintan, son of Nial; Cethern, son of Fintan; Factna, son of Sencad; Conla the False; Ailell the Honey-Tongued; the chief men of Ulster, with the young men and the song-makers.

While the feast was being spread out, the musicians and players made music for them. As soon as Bricriu had spread the feast with its well-tasting, savoury meats, he was ordered by his sureties to leave the hall on the moment; and they rose up with their drawn swords in their hands to put him out.

So he and his followers went out, and when he was on the threshold of the house he turned and called out: "The Champion’s Portion of my house is not the portion of a fool’s house; let it be given to whoever you think the best hero of Ulster." And with that he left them.

Then the distributors rose up to divide the food, and the chariot-driver of Laegaire Buadach, Sedlang, son of Riangabra, rose up and said to them, "Let you give the Champion’s Portion to Laegaire, for be has the best right to it of all the young heroes of Ulster."

Then Id, son of Riangabra, chariot-driver to Conall Cearnach, rose up, and bade them to give it to his master. But Laeg, son of Riangabra, said, "It is to Cuchulain it must be brought; and it is no disgrace for all the men of Ulster to give it to him, for it is he is the bravest of you all." "That is not true," said Conall, and Laegaire said the same.

With that they got up upon the floor, and put on their shields and took hold of their swords, and they attacked and struck at one another till the one half of the hall was as if on fire with the clashing of swords and spears, and the other half was white as chalk with the whiteness of the shields.

There was fear on the whole gathering; all the men were put from their places, and there was great anger on Conchubar himself and on Fergus, son of Rogh, to see the injustice and the hardship of two men fighting against one, Conall and Laegaire both together attacking Cuchulain; but there was no one among the men of Ulster dared part them till Sencha spoke to Conchubar. "It is time for you to part these men," he said.

With that, Conchubar and Fergus came between them, and the fighters let their hands drop to their sides. "Will you do as I advise?" said Sencha. "We will do it," they said. "Then my advice is," said Sencha, "for this night to divide the Champion’s Portion among the whole gathering, and after that to let it be settled according to the judgment of Ailell, king of Connaught, for it will be better for the men of Ulster, this business to be settled in Cruachan."

So with that they sat down to the feast again, and gathered round the fire and drank and made merry.

All this time Bricriu and his wife were in their upper room, and from there he had seen how things were going on in the great hall. And he began to search his mind how he could best stir up the women to quarrel with one another as he bad stirred up the men. When be had done searching his mind, it just chanced as he could have wished, that Fedelm of the Fresh Heart came from the hail with fifty women after her, laughing and merry. Bricriu went to meet her. "All good be with you to-night; wife of Laegaire Buadach.

Fedelm of the Fresh Heart is no nickname for you, with respect to your appearance and your wisdom and your family. Conchubar, king of Ulster, is of your kindred; Laegaire Buadach is your husband. I would not think well of it that any of the women of Ulster should go before you into the hall, for it is at your heel that all the other women of Ulster should walk. If you go first into the hall to-night; you will be queen over them all for ever and ever."

Fedelm went on after that, the length of three ridges from the hall.

After that there came out Lendabair, the Favourite, daughter of Eoghan, son of Durthacht, wife of Conall Cearnach.

Bricriu came over to her, and he said, "Good be with you, Lendabair; and that is no nickname, for you are the favourite and the darling of the men of the whole world, because of the brightness of your beauty. As far as your husband is beyond the whole world in bravery and in comeliness, so far are you before the women of Ulster." Great as his deceit was in what he said to Fedelm, it was twice as great in what he said to Lendabair.

Then Emer came out and fifty women after her. "Health be with you, Emer, daughter of Forgall Manach, wife of the best man in Ireland! Emer of the Beautiful Hair is no nickname for you; the kings and princes of Ireland are quarrelling with one another about you. So far as the sun outshines the stars of heaven, so far do you outshine the women of the whole world in form, and shape, and birth, in youth, and beauty, and nicety, in good name, and wisdom, and speech." However great his deceit was towards the other women, it was twice as much towards Emer.

The three women went on then till they met at one spot, three ridges from the house, but none of them knew that Bricriu had been speaking to the other. They set out then to go back to the house.

Their walk was even and quiet and easy on the first ridge; hardly did one of them put her foot before the other. But on the next ridge their steps were closer and quicker; and when they came to the ridge next the house, it was hardly one of them could keep up with the other, so that they took up their skirts nearly to their knees, each one trying to get first into the hall, because of what Bricriu had said to them, that whoever would be first to enter the house, would be queen of the whole province.

And such was the noise they made in their race, that it was like the noise of forty chariots coming. The whole palace shook, and all the men started up for their arms, striking against one another.

"Stop," said Sencha, "it is not enemies that are coming, it is Bricriu has set the women quarrelling. By the god of my people!" he said, "unless the hall is shut against them, those that are dead among us will be more than those that are living."

With that the doorkeepers shut the doors. But Emer was quicker than the other women, and outran them, and put her back against the door, and called to the doorkeepers before the other women came up, so that the men rose up, each of them to open the door before his own wife, so that she might be the first to come within.

"It is a bad night this will be," said Conchubar; and he struck the silver rod he had in his hand against the bronze post of the ball, and they all sat down. "Quiet yourselves," said Sencha; "it is not a war of arms we are going to have here, it is a war of words." Each woman then put herself under the protection of her husband outside, and then there followed the war of words of the women of Ulster.

Fedelm of the Fresh Heart was the first to speak, and it is what she said:

"The mother who bore me was free, noble, equal to my father in rank and in race; the blood that is in me is royal; I was brought up like one of royal blood.

I am counted beautiful in form and in shape and in appearance; I was brought up to good behaviour, to courage, to mannerly ways. Look at Laegaire, my husband, and what his red hand does for Ulster.

It was by himself alone its boundaries were kept from the enemies that were as strong as all Ulster put together; he is a defence and a protection against wounds; he is beyond all the heroes; his victories are greater than their victories. Why should not I, Fedelm, the beautiful, the lovely, the joyful, be the first to step into the drinking-hall to-night?"

Then Lendabair spoke, and it is what she said:

"I myself have beauty too, and good sense and good carriage; it is I should walk into the hall with free, even steps before all the women of Ulster.

"For my husband is pleasant Conall of the great shield, the Victorious; he is proud, going with brave steps up to the spears of the fight; he is proud coming back to me after it, with the heads of his enemies in his hands.

"He brings his hard sword into the battle for Ulster; he defends every ford or he destroys it to keep out the enemy; he is a hero will have a stone raised over him.

"The son of noble Amergin, who can speak against his courage or his deeds? It is Conall who leads the heroes.

"All eyes look on the glory of Lendabair; why would she not go first into the hall of the king?"

Then Emer spoke, and it is what she said:

"There is no woman comes up to me in appearance, in shape, in wisdom; there is no one conies up to me for goodness of form, or brightness of eye, or good sense, or kindness, or good behaviour.

"No one has the joy of loving or the strength of loving that I have; all Ulster desires me; surely I am a nut of the heart. If I were a light woman, there would not be a husband left to any of you to-morrow.

"And my husband is Cuchulain. It is he is not a hound that is weak; there is blood on his spear, there is blood on his sword, his white body is black with blood, his soft skin is furrowed with sword cuts, there are many wounds on his thigh.

"But the flame of his eyes is turned westward; he is the strong protector; his chariot is red, its cushions are red; he fights from over the ears of horses, from over the breath of men; he leaps in the air like a salmon when he makes his hero leap; he does strange feats, the dark feat, the blind feat, the feat of nine; he breaks down armies in the hard fight; he saves the life of proud armies; he finds joy in the terror of the ignorant.

"Your fine heroes of Ulster are not worth a stalk of grass compared with my husband, Cuchulain, letting on to have a woman’s sickness on them; he is like the clear red blood, they are like the scum and the leavings, worth no more than a stalk of grass.

"Your fine women of Ulster, they are shaped like cows and led like cows, when they are put beside the wife of Cuchulain."

When the men in the hall heard what the women said, Laegaire and Conall made a rush at the wall, and broke a plank out of it at their own height, to let their own wives in.

But Cuchulain raised up that part of the house that was opposite to his place, so that the stars and the sky could be seen through the wall. By that opening Emer came in with the fifty women that waited on her, and with them the women that waited on the other two.

None of the other women could be compared at all with Emer, and no one at all could be compared with her husband. And then Cuchulain let the wall he had lifted fall suddenly again, so that seven feet of it went into the ground, and the whole house shook, and Bricriu’s upper room was laid flat in such a way that Bricriu himself and his wife were thrown into the dirt among the dogs.

"My grief," cried Bricriu, "enemies are come in!" And he got up quickly and took a turn round, and he saw that the hall was now crooked and leaning entirely to one side. He clapped his hands together and went inside, but he was so covered with dirt that none of the Ulster people could know him, it was only by his way of speaking they made out who he was.

Then he said, from the middle of the floor, "It is a pity I ever made a feast for you, men of Ulster. My house is more to me than everything else I have. I put geasa, that is, bonds, on you, not to drink or eat or to sleep till you leave my house the same way as you found it." At that; all the men of Ulster went out and tried to pull the house straight, but they did not raise it by so much as a hand’s breadth.

"What are we to do?" they said. "There is nothing for you to do," said Sencha, "but to ask the man that pulled it crooked to set it straight again."

Upon that they bid Cuchulain to put the wall up straight again, and Bricriu said, "O king of the heroes of Ireland, unless you can set it up straight, there is no man in the world can do it." And all the men of Ulster begged and prayed of Cuchulain to settle the matter. And that they might not have to go without food or drink, Cuchulain rose up and tried to lift the house with a tug, and he failed.

Anger came on him then, and the hero light shone about him, and he put out all his strength, and strained himself till a man’s foot could find place between each of his ribs, and he lifted the house up till it was as straight as it was before. After that they enjoyed the feast, with the chief men on the one side round about Conchubar, High King of Ulster, and their wives on the other side — Fedelm of the Nine Shapes (nine shapes she could take on, and each shape more beautiful than the other), and Findchoem, daughter of Cathbad, wife of Amergin of the Iron Jaw, and Devorgill, wife of Lugaid of the Red Stripes, besides Emer, and Fedelm of the Fresh Heart, and Lendabair; and it would be too long to count and to tell of all the other noble women besides.

There was soon a buzzing of words in the hall again, with the women praising their men, as if to stir up another quarrel between them. Then Sencha, son of Ailell, got up and shook his bell branch, and they all stopped to listen to him, and then to quiet the women he said:

"Have done with this word-fighting, lest you drive the men of Ulster to grow white-faced in the anger and the pride of battle with one another.

"It is through the fault of women the shields of men are broken, heroes go out to fight and struggle with one another in their anger.

"It is the folly of women brings men to do these things, to bruise what they cannot bind up again, to strike down what they cannot raise up again. Wives of heroes, keep yourself from this."

But Emer answered him, and it is what she said:

"It is right for me to speak, Sencha, and I the wife of the comely, pleasant hero, who is beyond all others in beauty, in wisdom, in speaking, since the learning that was easy to him is done with.

"No one can do his feats, the over-breath feat, the apple feat, the ghost feat, the screw feat, the cat feat, the red-whirling feat, the barbed-spear feat, the quick stroke, the fire of the mouth, the hero’s cry, the wheel feat, the sword-edge feat; no one can throw himself against hard-spiked places the way he does.

"There is no one is his equal in youth, in form, in brightness, in birth, in mind, in voice, in bravery, in boldness, in fire, in skill; no one in his equal in hunting, in running, in strength, in victories, in greatness. There is no man to be found who can be put beside Cuchulain."

"If it is truth you are speaking, Emer," said Conall Cearnach, "let this lad of feats stand up, that we may see them."

"I will not," said Cuchulain. "I am tired and broken to-day, I will do no more till after I have had food and sleep." It was true what he said, for it was on that morning he had met with the Grey of Macha by the side of the grey lake at Slieve Fuad.

When it came out of the lake, Cuchulain slipped his hands round the neck of the horse, and the two of them struggled and wrestled with one another, and in that way they went all round Ireland, till late in the day he brought the horse home to Emain. It was in the same way he got the Black Sainglend from the black lake of Sainglen.

And Cuchulain said: "To-day myself and the Grey of Macha have gone through the great plains of Ireland, Bregia of Meath, the seashore marsh of Muirthemne Macha, through Moy Medba, Currech Cleitech Cerna, Lia of Linn Locharn, Fer Femen Fergna, Curros Domnand, Ros Roigne, and Eo.

And now I would sooner eat and sleep than do any other thing. But I swear by the gods my people swear by," he said, "I would be ready to fight with any man of you if I had but my fill of food and of sleep." "Well," said Bricriu, "this has gone on long enough. Let food and drink be brought, and let the women’s war be put a stop to till the feast is done."

They did so, and it was a pleasant time they had till the end of three days and three nights.

Source: Lady Gregory - Cuchulain of Muirthemne, first published 1902.
republished by Colin Smythe Ltd. 1970, reprint 1993.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 12:20 pm

Manannan

Now as to Manannan the Proud, son of Lir, after he had made places for the rest of the Tuatha de Danaan to live in, he went away out of Ireland himself.

And some said he was dead, and that he got his death by Uillenn Faebarderg, of the Red Edge, in battle. And it is what they said, that the battle was fought at Magh Cuilenn, and that Manannan was buried standing on his feet, and no sooner was he buried than a great lake burst up under his feet in the place that was a red bog till that time.

And the lake got the name of Loch Orbson, from one of the names of Manannan. And it was said that red Badb was glad and many women were sorry at that battle.

But he had many places of living, and he was often heard of in Ireland after. It was he sent a messenger to Etain, mother of Conaire the High King, the time she was hidden in the cowherd’s house.

And it was he brought up Deirdre’s children in Emhain of the Apple Trees, and it was said of that place, "a house of peace is the hill of the Sidhe of Emhain." And it was he taught Diarmuid of the Fianna the use of weapons, and it was he taught Cuchulain the use of the Gae Bulg, and some say it was he was Deirdre’s father, and that he brought Conchubar, king of Ulster, to the place she was hidden, and he running with the appearance of a hare before the hounds of the men of Ulster to bring them there.

And it is what they say, that the time Conchubar had brought the sons of Usnach to Emain Macha, and could not come at them to kill them because of their bravery, it was to Manannan he went for help.

And Manannan said he would give him no help, for he had told him at the time he brought Deirdre away that she would be the cause of the breaking up of his kingdom, and he took her away in spite of him.

But Conchubar asked him to put blindness for a while on the sons of Usnach, or the whole army would be destroyed with their blows. So after a while he consented to that. And when the sons of Usnach came out against the army of Ulster, the blindness came on them, and it was at one another they struck, not seeing who was near them, and it was by one another’s hands they fell.

But more say Manannan had no hand in it, and that it was Cathbad, the Druid, put a sea about them and brought them to their death by his enchantments.

And some say Culain, the Smith, that gave his name to Cuchulain afterwards, was Manannan himself, for he had many shapes.

Anyway, before Culain came to Ulster, he was living in the Island of Falga, that was one of Manannan’s places. And one time before Conchubar came into the kingdom, he went to ask advice of a Druid, and the Druid bade him to go to the Island of Falga and to ask Culain, the smith he would find there, to make arms for him. So Conchubar did so, and the smith promised to make a sword and spear and shield for him.

And while he was working at them Conchubar went out one morning early to walk on the strand, and there he saw a sea-woman asleep on the shore. And he put bonds on her in her sleep, the way she would not make her escape.

But when she awoke and saw what had happened, she asked him to set her free. "And I am Tiabhal," she said, "one of the queens of the sea. And bid Culain," she said, "that is making your shield for you, to put my likeness on it and my name about it. And whenever you will go into a battle with that shield the strength of your enemies will lessen, and your own strength and the strength of your people will increase."

So Conchubar let her go, and bade the smith do as she had told him. And when he went back to Ireland he got the victory wherever he brought that shield.

And he sent for Culain then, and offered him a place on the plains of Muirthemne. And whether he was or was not Manannan, it is likely he gave Cuchulain good teaching the time he stopped with him there after killing his great dog.

Manannan had good hounds one time, but they went hunting after a pig that was destroying the whole country, and making a desert of it. And they followed it till they came to a lake, and there it turned on them, and no hound of them escaped alive, but they were all drowned or maimed.

And the pig made for an island then, that got the name of Muc-inis, the Pigs Island afterward; and the lake got the name of Loch Conn, the Lake of the Hounds.

And it was through Manannan the wave of Tuaig, one of the three great waves of Ireland, got its name, and this is the way that happened.

There was a young girl of the name of Tuag, a fosterling of Conaire the High King, was reared in Teamhair, and a great company of the daughters of the kings of Ireland were put about her to protect her, the way she would be kept for a king’s asking.

But Manannan sent Fer Ferdiad, of the Tuatha de Danaan, that was a pupil of his own and a Druid, in the shape of a woman of his own household, and he went where Tuag was, and sang a sleep-spell over her, and brought her away to Inver Glas.

And there he laid her down while he went looking for a boat, that he might bring her away in her sleep to the Land of the Ever-Living Women. But a wave of the flood-tide came over the girl, and she was drowned, and Manannan killed Fer Ferdiad in his anger.

And one time Manannan’s cows came up out of the sea at Baile Cronin, three of them, a red, and a white, and a black, and the people that were there saw them standing on the strand for a while, as if thinking, and then they all walked up together, side by side, from the strand.

And at that time there were no roads in Ireland, and there was great wonder on the people when they saw a good wide road ready before the three cows to walk on. And when they got about a mile from the sea they parted; the white cow went to the north-west, towards Luimnech, and the red cow went to the south-west, and on round the coast of Ireland, and the black cow went to the north-east, towards Lis Mor, in the district of Portlairge, and a road opened before each of them, that is to be seen to this day.

And some say it was Manannan went to Finn and the Fianna in the form of the Gilla Decair, the Bad Servant, and brought them away to Land-under-Wave. Anyway, he used often to go hunting with them on Cnoc Aine, and sometimes he came to their help.

Source: Lady Gregory - Gods and Fighting Men, first published 1904.
republished by Colin Smythe Ltd. 1970.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 12:21 pm

Volume One Metrical Dindshenchas
(Tara)

Temair I



Temair Breg, whence is it named?
declare O sages!
when did the name part from the stead?
when did Temair become Temair?
Was it under Partholan of the battles?
or at the first conquest by Cesair?
or under Nemed of the stark valour?
or under Cigal of the knocking knees?
Was it under the Firbolgs of the boats?
or from the line of the Lupracauns?
tell which conquest of these it was
from which the name Temair was set on Temair?
O Duban, O generous Findchad,
O Bran, O quick Cualad,
O Tuain, ye devout five!
what is the cause whence Temair is named?
There was a time when it was a pleasant hazel-wood
in the days of the noble son of Ollcan,
until the tangled wood was cut down
by Liath son of Laigne Lethan-glas.
Thenceforward it was called Druim Leith-
its corn was rich corn-
until there came Cain free from sorrow,
the son of Fiachu Cendfindan.
Thenceforward it was called Druim Cain,
the hill whither chieftains used to go,
until Crofhind the chaste came,
the daughter of all-famous Allod.
Cathair Crofhind ('twas not amiss)
was its name under the Tuatha De Danand,
till there came Tea, never unjust,
the wife of Erimon lofty of mien.
Round her house was built a rampart
by Tea daughter of Lugaid;
she was buried beyond the wall without,
so that from her is Temair named.
The Seat of the Kings was its name:
the kingly line of the Milesians reigned in it:
five names accordingly were given it
from the time when it was Fordruim till it was Temair.
I am Fintan the poet,
I am a salmon not of one stream;
it is there I was exalted with fame,
on the sod-built stead, even Temair.
TEMAIR II

Temair free from feebleness hides not
the glory due to women for its building;
the daughter of Lugaid obtained in her possession
an open plain that it were pity to pillage.
The wife of Gede begged a dower
from her husband, as I have heard,
the clear-hued fortress, stately ascent;
keen was the game for graves.
The abode was a keep, was a fortress,
was a pride, a rampart free from ravage,
whereon was to be the grave of Tea after her death,
so that it should be an increase to her fame.
Erimon the lowly had
a wife in the very midst of imprisonment;
she got from him all her eager desires;
he granted everything she spoke of.
Brega Tea, a teeming home,
is famed because Tea was a noble dame;
the funeral mound under which is the great one of the standards,
the burying ground that was not rifled.
The daughter of Pharaoh, with tale of warriors,
Tephi the bright, who used to cross the hill-slope,
framed a stronghold (hardy the labourer!)
with her staff and with her brooch she traced it.
She gave a name to her fair stronghold,
the king's wife gracious and lovely:
the Rampart of Tephi, who would affront an army,
who would dare without dread any deed.
Not hidden is the secret place that it should not be spoken of,
the Rampart of Tephi in the east, as I have heard;
in such wise at that place with no unworthy tradition
did many queens build their sepulchres.
The length and breadth of the House of Tephi
not ignorantly the learned measure-
sixty feet in full;
diviners and druids beheld it.
I have heard in many-cornered Spain
of a maiden fair and indolent, heroic in fight,
offspring of Bachtir son of Buirech;
Camson, gentle champion, bore her away.
Tephi was her name, from every warrior;
ill-luck to him whom her entombment should wear out!
a rath of sixty feet, full measure,
was built by them for her concealment.
The king of Bregon free from sorrow did not bear her away,
though there was strife between him and Camson,
that she might be restored to her . . .
were it for better or for worse, or were she dead.
The tutelar of Camson, not hidden,
Etherun (he was transitory),
and the host of the clear grey eyes
were sent by him as a pledge for the restitution of mighty Tephi.
The sad death of Tephi who came to the north,
was a deed not concealed for a moment;
Camson launched a vessel without payment
with her over the surface of the cold and treacherous sea.
The chief of Britain sent them from the shore,
(for Etherun was pure;)
with the lifeless body to do it honour in the rampart
in the south, on which settled the name Tephirun.
It was after this likeness in this place
was made boldly the first frame
of Temair, that has no match nor mate
for beauty and for gaiety.
'Temair' is the name of every lofty and conspicuous spot
whereon are dwellings and strong keeps;
'Temair' is the name of every peaked and pointed hill
except the far-seen Emain.
Temair of the cantred, and of the house,
without hurry, without frenzy of heroes,
was mother of the wealth of every tribe
till a foolish crime destroyed her.
It was a shield of lords and chiefs
it was a home of heroes, valiant in fray,
Temair free from feebleness and faintness
hides not its glory from womankind.
TEMAIR III

Temair noblest of hills,
under which is Erin of the forays,
the lofty city of Cormac son of Art,
son of mighty Conn of the hundred fights.
Cormac, constant was his prosperity,
he was sage, he was poet, he was prince;
he was a true judge of the men of Fene.
he was a friend, he was a comrade.
Cormac, who gained fifty fights,
disseminated the Psalter of Temair;
in this Psalter there is
all the best we have of history.
It is this Psalter that tells of
seven warlike high kings of Erin;
five kings of the provinces it makes,
the king of Erin and her viceroy.
In it is set down on every hand
what is the right of every king of a province,
what is the right of the king of Temair eastward
from the kind of every songful province;
The correlation, the synchronising of every man,
of each king one with another together;
the limits of every province marked by a stone-rick,
from the foot to the full barony.
Baronies thirty in number it finds
in the baronies of each province;
in each province of them there are
seven noble score of chief fortresses.
Cormac knew the number being king;
he made the circuit of Erin thrice;
he brought away a hostage for every walled town,
and showed them in Temair.
Duma na Giall (purity of palms),
is called from the hostages Cormac brought;
to Cormac was revealed in their house
every marvel that is in Temair.
There was revealed to Fergus, as it is,
the place in which is Fergus' Cross;
the Slope of the Chariots marks the limits
between it and the Crooked Trenches.
The Crooked Trenches where they slew the maidens,
The Crooked Trenches of the crooked dealings
west from Rath Grainde below,
they remain free from decay both of them.
Eastward from Rath Grainde in the glen
is the Marsh of strong Temair;
east of the Marsh there are
Rath Nessa and Rath Conchobair.
The Measure of the Head of grim Cuchullin
lies north-east from Rath Conchobair;
the dimension of his Shield under its Boss
is wonderful and huge.
The Grave of Mal and Midna
is in Temair since their slaying:
thence is their grave and their sepulchre,
on account of the head they boasted.
Let us consider too the Hall of the Heroes
which is called the Palace of Vain Women;
the House of the Warriors, it was no mean hall,
with fourteen doors.
The Mound of the Women after their betrayal
was hard by the upper structure;
south of it are Dall and Dorcha,
they were bowed down both alike.
Dall is south-west of sad Dorcha,
from them was called Duma Dall-Bodra;
each of them killed the other
in fighting over their alms.
The dwarf came, to his sorrow,
to interpose between them,
so they killed the dwarf
under their feet, through their dimness of sight.
Westward from the Grave of this dwarf
are Mael, Bloc, and Bluicne - foolish their wisdom!
over them are the three stones
that the Prince of great Macha flung.
The secret Rampart of the three Whispers
is between the Hall and the Heroes' Well;
the Stone of the Warriors is east of the road,
over against the Rath of the Synod.
The Rath of the Synods, noble excellence,
lies north of the Precinct of Temair;
eastward from the Rath beside the Stone
is the house whence Beniat escaped.
The Synod of Patrick was at the noble Rath,
The Synod of Brendan and of Ruadan,
The Synod of Adamnan thereafter,
assembled to curse Irgalach.
Below from the Rath of the Kings (it is not false)
are the Grave of Cu, the Grave of Cethen, the hill of the Ox;
east of the Rath is
the grave of Maine son of Munremar.
There remains south of the Rath of the King
the Rath of Loegaire and his Keep
and his Grave on the floor of his Keep;
the righteous one of the Lord overcame him.
Behold the noble House of Mairise
chief for beauty in Erin;
it is high to the west, very high to the north,
level eastward of it,–it was a triumph of the mason.
It is there was situated
the house, on the margin of Nemnach;
about this house away across Meath
were scattered the houses of Temair.
Temair, whence Temair Breg is named,
Rampart of Tea wife of the son of Miled,
Nemnach is east of it, a stream through the glen
on which Cormac set the first mill.
Ciarnait, hand-maid of upright Cormac,
used to feed from her quern many hundreds,
ten measures a day she had to grind,
it was no task for an idler.
The noble king came upon her at her task
all alone in her house,
and got her with child privily;
presently she was unable for heavy grinding.
Thereupon the grandson of Conn took pity on her,
he brought a mill-wright over the wide sea;
the first mill of Cormac mac Art
was a help to Ciarnait.
The Caprach of Cormac is in the Rath of the Kings;
eastward from the Rath of the Kings (that is the truth of it)
is the Well of the Numbering of the Clans,
which is called by the three names:
Liaig Dail Duib Duirb, Tuath Linde,
and Tipra Bó Finne,
three names to designate it,
to make known the well of Temair.
Another spring (mighty force),
which flows south-west from Temair;
Calf is its name, though it never sucked a cow;
Cormac's Kitchen is on its margin.
There rise north of Temair
Adlaic and Diadlaic of the host;
two springs flow diverse thence
down to the Carn of the Boys.
Between the two Carns of the Lads
is the Deisel of Temair south of Crinna,
a sward that brings luck before going to death,
where men used to make a turn right-hand-wise.
North of the great hill
is the Rath of Colman, the brown Domnan;
the Grave of Caelchu under a like heap of stones,
lies north-east from the Hall of the Women of Temair.
Caelchu son of Loarn son of Ruad
son of Cormac Cas, who loved victory,
was the first hostage out of the men of Munster;
from him descend the princes of Ros Temrach.
The House of Temair, round which is the rath,
from it was given to each his due;
honour still continues to such as them
at the courts of kings and princes.
King and Chief of the Poets,
sage, farmer, they received their due,
couches that torches burn not,
the thighs and the chine-steaks.
Leech and spencer, stout smith,
steward, portly butler,
the heads of the beasts to all of them
in the house of the yellow-haired king.
Engraver, famed architect,
shield-maker, and keen soldier,
in the king's house they drank a cup;
this was the special right of their hands.
Jester, chess-player, sprawling buffoon,
piper, cheating juggler,
the shank was their share of meat in truth,
when they came into the king's house.
The shins were the share of the noble musician,
of the castle-builder and artificer, round the bowl;
the cup-bearer, the lusty foot-servant,
both consumed the broken meats.
A charge on the prince of Meath,
were the cobblers and comb-makers,
the due of the strong skilled folk
was the fat underside of the shoulder.
The backs, the chines in every dwelling
were given to druids and doorkeepers.
there was protection for maidens with never an "ach"!
after serving the house of Tara.
Colum Cille, who used to redeem captives,
broke the battle against Diarmait;
before he went away over-sea
the lords of Temair gave him obedience.
The faith of Christ who suffered in the flesh
has brought all strength to nought;
because of the sorrow of the people of God in its house
He gave not protection to Temair.
TEMAIR IV

This world, transient its splendour!
perishable gathering of an hundred hosts;
deceitful to describe is the multitude of delights,
save only the adoration of the King of all things.
Perished is every law concerning high fortune,
crumbled to the clay is every ordinance;
Temair, though she be desolate to-day,
once on a time was the habitation of heroes.
There was no exhaustion of her many-sided towers,
where was the assembly of storied troops;
many were the bands whose home was
the green-soiled grassy keep.
It was a stronghold of famous men and sages,
a castle like a trunk with warrior-scions,
a ridge conspicuous to view,
in the time of Cormac grandson of Conn.
Fair is the title that adorns it,
the name he chose [to mark it out] among cities;
the Fort of Crofind, pen of victory,
excels Boand, millstone of combat.
When Cormac was among the famous
bright shone the fame of his career;
no keep like Temair could be found;
she was the secret place of the road of life.
Strong before hosts was the might
of this king who used to ride through Temair;
better for us than tribes unnumbered
is the tale of his household retinue.
The great house with thousands of soldiers
was not obscure to posterity;
the shining fort with distinctions of the illustrious,
seven hundred feet was its measure.
Fierce folly did not hold sway over it,
nor strictness of harsh wisdom;
there was no violence to annoy it,
six times five cubits was its height.
Nine walls it had, fierce fight could not demolish,
with nine ramparts round about them;
with noble equipment of the noble scions,
it was a fort illustrious and impregnable.
The dwelling of the king, commotion of lances,
whereon was poured out the sparkling wine,
was a refuge, a keep, a fortress,
there were thrice fifty chambers in it.
Thrice fifty heroes with coronets,-
(it was a castle not foolish and brawling)
that was the tale, according to the counts of fortresses,
in every chamber of the number.
Goodly was the throng in this wise,
the gold gleamed from their weapons;
thrice fifty stately couches there were,
and fifty men to each shining couch.
Seven cubits, without any dividing,
before the crowded warlike company,
with blazing torches burning,
that was the measure of the hearth.
Other seven, I have heard,
made in truth a brightness beyond denial,
majestic, notable, noble,
beautiful chandeliers of brass.
This sunny shining citadel,
festive, martial, with cask-staves,
therein, amid radiant hospitality,
were doors twice seven in number.
This was the right of that king-
a vessel from which that host would drink,
a vast capacity was the full content thereof,
three hundred draughts there were in that vessel.
Harmonious and stately was the carouse
of the fiery chieftains and noblemen;-
there were none neglected of the number;
three hundred cupbearers dispensed the liquor.
Nine times fifty beakers to choose from;
this was the custom,-a plentiful choice for all;
except what was carbuncle, clear and strong,
all was gold and silver.
Thrice fifty steaming cooks,
in attendance unceasingly,
with victuals, an abundant supply,
on the jolly kings and chieftains.
Fifty noble stewards
with the lordly honourable prince,
fifty festive spruce lackeys,
with [each] fifty of kingly champions.
Fifty men standing
guarded the sturdy wolf,
as long as the king was a-drinking,
that no trouble might visit him.
It was glory to the prince that was greatest,
every day [his retinue] was more numerous;
thirty hundreds whom he kept in attendance
the son of Art counted daily.
The chief company of the good genuine poets
who declared the rule of their assembly,
along with the professors of every art in general,
'tis certain whatever that company says is not folly.
Let us tell in full tale the household
of the house of Temair for posterity;
this is their right number,
thirty thousands in all.
When Cormac was in Temair,
beyond all high prowess for his great might,
a kingly equal to the son of Art Oenfer
was not to be found among the men of the world.
Cormac, fair of form,
was the firm set foundation of the kingdom;
he was born of white-skinned Echtach,
[he was] son of the daughter of Ulc Acha.
Since Solomon was . . .
who was better than all progenies together,
what offspring that would match Cormac
hath the earth devoured, O God?
Source: Edward Gwynn - Metrical Dindshenchas vols 1 - 7 pub 1904 - 1925.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 12:23 pm

The Tragic Death of Cu Roi mac Dairi


”The Tragic Death of Cu Roi mac Dairi” is one of a group of sagas which belong to the oldest parts of the Ulster cycle and which center around Cu Roi mac Dairi, a half demonic personage with magic powers who, according to tradition, resided in the south of Ireland. He is associated especially with Kerry, where the remains of a prehistoric fortification in the Slemish Mountains are still known as Caher Conree, ”Cu Roi’s City.” It is not surprising that the composers of the Ulster cycle should conceive the idea of representing their beloved hero, Cu Chulainn, as victorious over this great southern champion. Cu Chulainn, being only a beardless youth, usually wins by strategem rather than by open warfare. The story told in ”The Tragic Death of Cu Roi mac Dairi” must have been widespread; there are numerous versions of it in early Irish and its fame even spread across the channel into Wales.

Why did the men of Ulster slay Cu Roi mac Dairi? Easy to say Because of Blathnat who was carried off from the siege of the Fir Falgae, because of the three cows of luchna and the ”three men of Ochain,” that is, the little birds that used to be on the ears of Iuchna’s cows. And a cauldron was carried off with the cows. This cauldron was their calf. Thirty cows’ milking was the capacity of the cauldron and the full of it was milked from them every time while the birds were singing to them. Hence said Cu Chulainn in the Siaburcharpat: (1)

There was a cauldron in the fort:
The calf of the three cows,
Thirty cows within its gullet,
That was its portion.
They used to go to that cauldron,
Delightful was the struggle,
Nor did they come away from it again
Until they left it full.
There was much gold and silver it,
It was a goodly find.
I carried off that cauldron
With the daughter of the king.

Cu Roi mac Dairi went with the men of Ulster then to the siege, and they did not recognize him, that is, they called him the man in the grey mantle. Every time a head was brought out of the fort, ”Who slew that man? Conchobar would say ”I and the man in the grey mantle,” each answered in turn. When, however, they were dividing the spoil,’ they did not give Cu Roi a share, for justice was not granted him.

He then ran in among the cows and gathered them before him, collected the birds in his girdle, thrust the woman under one of his armpits, and went from them with the cauldron on his back. And none among the men of Ulster was able to get speech with him save Cu Chulainn alone. Cu Roi turned upon the latter, thrust him into the earth to his armpits, cropped his hair with his sword, rubbed cow-dung into his head, and then went home.

After that Cu. Chulainn was a whole year avoiding the Ulstermen. One day, however, when he was on the peaks of Bairche, he saw a great flock of black birds coming towards him over the sea. He killed one of them forthwith. After that he killed one of the flock in every land he passed through until he came to Srub Brain (Raven’s Beak) in the west of Ireland, that is, the black bird’s head which he cut off Srub Brain is named therefrom.

This took place west of Cu Roi’s stronghold; and the Cu Chulainn knew that it was he who had brought him to shame and he held converse with the woman Blathnat, for he had loved her even before she was brought over sea; she was a daughter of Iuchna king of the Fir Falgae (Men of Falga), that is, they were a ”sea-wall” in the islands of the sea. He made a tryst with her again in the west on the night of Samain.

Moreover, a province of the Erainn set forth to go with Cu Chulainn. It was on that day Blathnat advised Cu Roi that he should build a splendid enclosure for his stronghold of every pillar-stone standing or lying in Ireland. The Clan Dedad set out one day for the building of the stronghold, so that he was all alone in his fortress on that day. There was an agreement between Blathnat and Cu Chulainn, namely, to pour the milk of Iuchna’s cows down the river in the direction of the Ulstermen, so that the river might be white when she was bathing Cu Roi.

So it was done. It was poured down to them, and the river then became ”Finnglas (White Flecked).” She then began lousing his head in front of the stronghold
”Come into the stronghold,” said she, ”and get washed before the hosts come back with their burdens of stones.” Just then he lifted up his head and saw the host of Ulster coming towards him along the glen, both foot and horse ”Who are those yonder, woman?” said Cu Roi. ”Thy people,” said Blathnat, ”with the stones and oak for building the stronghold ”If they are oaks, ’tis swiftly they travel; it is a triumph, if they are stones,” said Cu Roi.

He raised his head again and continued to scan them. ”Who are these?” said he.

”Herds of kine and cattle,” said she.

If they are cattle, so that they are cattle,
They are not herds of lean kine.
There is a little man brandishing a sword
On the back of every cow.
Thereupon Cu Roi went inside, and the woman bathed him, and she bound his hair to the bedposts and rails, and took his sword out of its scabbard and threw open the stronghold. He heard naught, however, until the Ulstermen had filled the house, and had fallen upon him. He rose up straightway against them, and slew a hundred of them with kicks and blows of his fists. An attendant who was within rose up against them and slew thirty of them. Thereof it was sung:

Though the attendant of the prince,
He was skilled at the battle-game,
He slew thirty armed men,
Then he let himself be slain.
Senfiacal first came at the cry, whereof it was said:

Senfiacal came first;
He slew a hundred men of the host.
Though great was the might of his combat,
He got his death through Cu Chulainn.
Then Cairbre Cuanach came upon them:

Cairbre Cuanach came upon them.
He slew a hundred men, a mighty encounter,
He would have grappled with Conchobar,
If the monster-abounding sea had not drowned him.
That is to say, when he was contending with Conchobar, he saw his stronghold in flames to the north of the sea. So he went into the sea to save it. His swim was great, and he was drowned there.

The fight of Eochaid son of Daire
From the promontory to the glen.
He slew a hundred men, it was a great achievement.
It was to avenge his good king.
Then it was the Clan Dedad cast from them every pillar-stone which was standing or lying in Ireland, when they heard the shouting, and came up to the slaughter around the fortress, whereof it was said:

After that came the Clan Dedad
To seek their king,
Five score and three hundred,
Ten hundred and two thousand.
When, however, they were slaying one another by the fortress, and Cu Chulainn had cut off Cu Roi’s head, and the fortress was aflame, Ferchertne, Cu Roi’s poet, was by his horses in the glen, and he said:

Who is the youth that fights
By the side of Cu Roi’s fortress
If Daire’s son were alive
It would not burn.
Fer Becrach, however, Cu Roi’s charioteer, had made submission to Cairbre son of Conchobar, and he went into his chariot with him. He drove the horses against the rock, and the rock crushed both horses and men, whereof it was said:

Fer Becrach...
Perchance it is no lie thou sayest
He bore Cairbre son of Conchobar
Under the bitter sea waves.
Then Ferchertne came. ”Art not thou Ferchertne?” said Conchobar. ”I am, indeed,” said he. ”Was Cu Roi kind to thee? said Conchobar. ”He was kind, indeed,” said he. ”Tell us somewhat of his bounty.”

”I cannot now,” said he. ”My heart is sad after the slaying of my king, for mine own hand shall slay me, if no one else slay me! Then Ferchertne the poet said (2)

”That was a kingly gift,” said Conchobar. ”It was little from him,” said Ferchertne. ”Where is Blathnat?” said he. ”She is here,” said the youths; ”but it was only by striking off Cu Roi’s head that we obtained her deliverance.”

It was after that she was crushed against the rock, that is, the promontory of Cenn Bera. For the man Ferchertne made a rush towards her and caught her between his arms, so that her ribs broke in her back; and he hurled her down the cliff before him so that the rock crushed them both, and their grave is on the strand under the rock Hence it was sung:

Sad was the struggle together
Of Blathnat and Ferchertne,
And the graves of them both are
In the powerful land of Cenn Bera.
Nevertheless the slaughter increased on them every day from Samain to the middle of spring The Ulstermen made a count of their forces, going and coming, and a half or a third of their heroes they left behind, as was said:

Blathnat was slain
In the slaughter above Argat-glenn.
A grievous deed for a woman to betray her husband.
Now that is the tragic death of Cu Roi mac Dairi.

1. The Phantom Chariot of Cúchulainn
2. The poem is omitted because of the difficulties of translation
Source: Ancient Irish Tales, ed. Tom P. Cross and Clark H. Slover, Henry Holt & company, 1936.
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Re: Magic of Mythology Cúchulainn

PostFri Jun 17, 2016 12:24 pm

THE HIDDEN HOUSE OF LUGH

AND after Lugh had held the kingship for a long time, the Dagda was made king in his place.

And Lugh went away out of Ireland, and some said he died at Uisnech, the place where the five provinces meet, and the first place there was ever a fire kindled in Ireland. It was by Mide, son of Brath, it was kindled, for the sons of Nemed, and it was burning through six years, and it was from that fire every chief was kindled in Ireland.

But Lugh was seen again in Ireland at the time Conchubar and the Men of the Red Branch went following white birds southward to the Boinn at the time of Cuchulain’s birth. And it was he came and kept watch over Cuchulain in his three days’ sleep at the time of the War for the Bull of Cuailgne.

And after that again he was seen by Conn of the Hundred Battles, and this is the way that happened.

Conn was in Teamhair one time, and he went up in the early morning to the Rath of the Kings at the rising of the sun, and his three Druids with him, Maol and Bloc and Bhuice; and his three poets, Ethain and Corb and Cesarn. And the reason he had for going up there with them every day, was to look about on every side, the way if any men of the Sidhe would come into Ireland they would not come unknown to him. And on this day he chanced to stand upon a stone that was in the rath, and the stone screamed under his feet, that it was heard all over Teamhair and as far as Bregia.

Then Conn asked his chief Druid how the stone came there, and what it screamed for. And the Druid said he would not answer that till the end of fifty-three days. And at the end of that time, Conn asked him again, and it is what the Druid said: "The Lia Fail is the name of the stone; it is out of Falias it was brought, and it is in Teamhair it was setup, and in Teamhair it will stay forever. And as long as there is a king in Teamhair it is here will be the gathering place for games, and if there is no king to come to the last day of the gathering, there will be hardness in that year. And when the stone screamed under your feet," he said, "the number of the screams it gave was a foretelling of the number of kings of your race that would come after you. But it is not I myself will name them for you," he said.

And while they were in the same place, there came a great mist about them and a darkness, so that they could not know what way they were going, and they heard the noise of a rider coming towards them. "It would be a great grief to us," said Conn, "to be brought away into a strange country." Then the rider threw three spears at them, and every one came faster than the other. "It is the wounding of a king indeed," said the Druids, "any one to cast at Conn of Teamhair."

The rider stopped casting his spears on that, and he came to them and bade Conn welcome, and asked him to come to his house. They went on then till they came to a beautiful plain, and there they saw a king’s rath, and a golden tree at its door, and inside the rath a grand house with a roof of white bronze. So they went into the house, and the rider that had come to meet them was there before them, in his royal seat, and there had never been seen a man like him in Teamhair for comeliness or for beauty, or the wonder of his face.

And there was a young woman in the house, having a band of gold on her head, and a silver vessel with hoops of gold beside her, and it full of red ale, and a golden bowl on its edge, and a golden cup at its mouth. She said then to the master of the house: "Who am I to serve drink to?" "Serve it to Conn of the Hundred Battles," he said, "for he will gain a hundred battles before he dies." And after that he bade her to pour out the ale for Art of the Three Shouts, the son of Conn; and after that he went through the names of all the kings of Ireland that would come after Conn, and he told what would be the length of their lifetime. And the young woman left the vessel with Conn, and the cup and the bowl, and she gave him along with that the rib of an ox and of a hog; twenty-four feet was the length of the ox-rib.

And the master of the house told them the young woman was the Kingship of Ireland for ever. "And as for myself," he said, "I am Lugh of the Long Hand, son of Ethlinn."

Source: Lady Gregory - Gods and Fighting Men, 1904.

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