The Feast of Bricriu

(Fled Bricrend, translated by George Henderson)

Chapter I

Here beginneth the Feast of Bricriu, and the Champion’s Portion ofEmain, and the Ulster Women’s War-of-Words, and the Hosting of theMen of Ulster to Cruachan, and the Champion’s Wager in Emain.Chapter I§ 1. Bricriu of the Evil Tongue held a great feast for Conchobar macNessa and for all the Ultonians. The preparation of the feast took awhole year. For the entertainment of the guests a spacious house wasbuilt by him. He erected it in Dun Rudraige after the likeness [of thepalace] of the Red Branch in Emain. Yet it surpassed the buildings of thatperiod entirely for material and for artistic design, for beauty ofarchitecture—its pillars and frontings splendid and costly, its carving andlintel-work famed for magnificence.§ 2. The House was made on this wise: on the plan of Tara’sMead-Hall, having nine compartments from fire to wall, each fronting ofbronze thirty feet high, overlaid with gold. In the fore part of the palacea royal couch was erected for Conchobar high above those of the wholehouse. It was set with carbuncles and other precious stones which shonewith a lustre of gold and of silver, radiant with every hue, making nightlike unto day. Around it were placed the twelve couches of the twelveheroes of Ulster. The nature of the workmanship was on a par with thematerial of the edifice. It took a waggon team to carry each beam, andthe strength of seven Ulster men to fix each pole, while thirty of the chiefartificers of Erin were employed on its erection and arrangement.§ 3. Then a balcony[1]was made by Bricriu on a level with the couch ofConchobar [and as high as those] of the heroes of valour. Thedecorations of its fittings were magnificent. Windows of glass wereplaced on each side of it, and one of these was above Bricriu’s couch, sothat he could view the hall from his seat, as he knew the Ulster menwould not suffer him within.§ 4. When Bricriu had finished building the hall and balcony,supplying it both with quilts and blankets, beds and pillows, providingmeat and drink, so that nothing was lacking, neither furnishings norfood, he straightway went to Emain to meet Conchobar and the noblesof Ulster.§ 5. It fell upon a day there was in Emain a gathering of the Ulstermen. He was anon made welcome, and was seated by the shoulder ofConchobar. Bricriu addressed himself to him as well as to the body ofthe Ulster men. “Come with me,” quoth Bricriu, “to partake of a banquetwith me.” “Gladly,” rejoined Conchobar, “if that please the men ofUlster.” Fergus mac Rôig and the nobles of Ulster also made answer:“No; for if we go our dead will outnumber our living, when Bricriu hasincensed us against each other.”§ 6. “If ye come not, worse shall ye fare,” quoth Bricriu. “What then,”asked Conchobar, “if the Ulster men go not with thee?” “I will stir upstrife,” quoth Bricriu, “between the kings, the leaders, the heroes ofvalour, and the yeomen, till they slay one another, man for man, if theydo not come with me to share my feast.” “That we shall not do to pleasethee,” quoth Conchobar. “I will stir up enmity between father and sonso that it will come to mutual slaughter. If I do not succeed in doing so, Iwill make a quarrel between mother and daughter. If that does notsucceed, I will set each of the Ulster women at variance, so that theycome to deadly blows till their breasts become loathsome and putrid.”“Sure ’tis better to come,” quoth Fergus. “Do ye straightway take counselwith the chief Ultonians,” said Sencha, son of Ailill. “Unless we takecounsel against this Bricriu, mischief will be the consequence,” quothConchobar.§ 7. Thereupon all the Ulster nobles assembled in council. Indiscussing the matter Sencha counselled them thus: “Take hostages fromBricriu, since ye have to go with him, and set eight swordsmen abouthim so as to compel him to retire from the house as soon as he has laidout the feast.” Furbaide Ferbenn, son of Conchobar, brought Bricriureply, and showed him the whole matter. “It is happily arranged,” quothBricriu. The men of Ulster straightway set out from Emain, host,battalion and company, under king, chieftain and leader. Excellent andadmirable the march of the brave and valiant heroes to the palace.Chapter II

§ 8. The hostages of the braves had gone security on his behalf, andBricriu accordingly bethought him how he should manage to set theUlster men at variance. His deliberation and self-scrutiny being ended,he betook himself to the company of Loigaire the Triumphant, son ofConnad mac Ilîach. “Hail now, Loigaire the Triumphant, thou mightymallet of Bregia, thou hot hammer of Meath, flame-red thunderbolt, thouvictorious warrior of Ulster, what hinders the championship of Emainbeing thine alway?” “If I so choose, it shall be mine,” quoth Loigaire. “Bethine the sovranty of the braves of Erin,” quoth Bricriu, “if only thou actas I advise.” I will indeed,” quoth Loigaire.§ 9. “Sooth, if the champion’s portion of my house be thine, thechampionship of Emain is thine for ever. The champion’s portion of myhouse is worth contesting, for it is not the portion of a fool’s house,”quoth Bricriu. “Belonging to it is a caldron full of generous wine, withroom enough for three of the valiant braves of Ulster; furthermore, aseven-year-old boar; nought has entered its lips since it was little savefresh milk and fine meal in springtime, curds and sweet milk in summer,the kernel of nuts and wheat in autumn, beef and broth in winter; acow-lord full seven-year-old; since it was a little calf neither heather nortwig-tops have entered its lips, nought but sweet milk and herbs,meadow hay and corn. [Add to this] fivescore cakes of wheat, cooked inhoney withal. Five-and-twenty bushels, that is what was supplied forthese fivescore cakes—four cakes from each bushel. Such is thechampion’s portion of my house. And since thou art the best hero amongthe men of Ulster, it is but just to give it thee, and I so wish it. By the endof the day, when the feast is spread out, let thy charioteer get up, and itis to him the champion’s portion will be given.” “Among them shall bedead men if it is not done so,” quoth Loigaire. Bricriu laughed at that,for it liked him well.§ 10. When he had done inciting Loigaire the Triumphant to enmity,Bricriu betook himself into the company of Conall the Victorious. “Hailto thee, Conall the Victorious, thou art the hero of victories and ofcombats; great are the victories thou hast already scored over the heroesof Ulster. By the time the Ulster men go into foreign bounds thou art adistance of three days and three nights in advance over many a ford;thou protectest their rear when returning, so that [an assailant] may notspring past thee, nor through thee nor over thee; what then shouldhinder the champion’s portion of Emain being thine alway?” Thoughgreat his treachery with regard to Loigaire, he showed twice as much inthe case of Conall the Victorious.§ 11. When he had satisfied himself with inciting Conall the Victoriousto quarrel, he hied to the presence of Cuchulainn. “Hail to thee,Cuchulainn, thou victor of Bregia (ie. Bray), thou bright banner of theLiffey, darling of Emain, belov’d of wives and of maidens, for theeto-day Cuchulainn is no nickname, for thou art the champion of theUlster men, thou wardest off their great feuds and frays, thou seekestjustice for each man of them; thou attainest alone to what all the Ulstermen fail in; all the men of Ulster acknowledge thy bravery, thy valourand thine achievements surpassing theirs. What meaneth therefore thyleaving of the champion’s portion for some one else of the men of Ulster,since no one of the men of Erin is capable of contesting it against thee?”“By the god of my tribe,” quoth Cuchulainn, “his head shall he losewhoso comes to contest it with me.” Thereafter Bricriu severed himselffrom them and followed the host as if no contention had been madeamong the heroes.§ 12. Whereupon they entered the palace, and each one occupied hiscouch therein, king, prince, noble, yeoman, and young brave. The half ofthe palace was set apart for Conchobar and his retinue of valiant Ulsterheroes; the other half [was reserved] for the ladies of Ulster attending onMugan, daughter of Eochaid Fedlech, wife of King Conchobar. Thefollowing were those who attended upon Conchobar in the fore-part ofthe palace, namely, Fergus mac Rôig, Celtchar son of Uthechar, Eoganson of Durthact, and the two sons of the king, namely, Fiacha andFîachaig, Fergna son of Findchôim, Fergus son of Leti, Cûscraidthe-stuttering-of-Macha, son of Conchobar, Sencha son of Ailill, the threesons of Fiachach, namely, Rus and Dâre and Imchad, Muinremur son ofGeirrgind, Errge Echbêl, Amorgene son of Ecit, Mend son of Salchad,Dubtach Dôel Ulad, Feradach Find Fectnach, Fedelmid mac Ilair Chêtaig,Furbaide Ferbend, Rochad son of Fathemon, Loigaire (Leary) theTriumphant, Conall the Victorious, Cuchulainn, Connad son of Mornai,Erc son of Fedelmid, Illand son of Fergus, Fintan son of Nial, Ceterndson of Fintan, Factna son of Sencad, Conla the False, Ailill theHoney-tongued, Bricriu himself, the chief Ultonian warriors, with thebody of youths and artistes.§ 13. While the feast was being spread for them, the musicians andplayers performed. The moment Bricriu spread the feast with itssavouries, he was ordered by the hostages to leave the hall. Theystraightway got up with drawn swords in their hands to expel him.Whereupon Bricriu and his followers went out to the balcony. Arrived atthe threshold of the palace, he called out, “That Champion’s Portion, suchas it is, is not the portion of a fool’s house; do ye give it to the Ulsterhero ye prefer for valour.” He thereupon left them.§ 14. Anon the spencers rose up to serve the food. The charioteer ofLoigaire the Triumphant, to wit, Sedlang mac Riangabra, then rose upand said to the distributors: “Do ye assign to Loigaire the Triumphantthe Champion’s Portion which is by you, for he alone is entitled to itbefore the other young braves of Ulster.” Then Id mac Riangabra,charioteer to Conall the Victorious, got up and spake to the like effect.And Loig mac Riangabra spake thus: “Do ye bring that to Cuchulainn; itis no disgrace for all the Ulster men to give it to him; it is he who is mostvaliant among you.” “That’s not true,” quoth Conall the Victorious andLoigaire the Triumphant.§ 15. They then got up upon the floor and donned their shields andseized their swords. At one another they hewed till the half of the palacewas an atmosphere of fire with the [clash of] sword- and spear-edge, theother half one white sheet from the enamel of the shields. Great alarmgat hold upon the palace; the valiant heroes shook; Conchobar himselfand Fergus mac Rôig got furious on seeing the injury and the injustice oftwo men surrounding one, namely, Conall the Victorious and Loigairethe Triumphant attacking Cuchulainn. There was no one among theUltonians who dared separate them till Sencha spake to Conchobar: “Partthe men,” quoth he. [For at that period, among the Ultonians, Conchobarwas a god upon earth.][2]§ 16. Thereupon Conchobar and Fergus intervened, [the combatants]immediately let drop their hands to their sides. “Execute my wish,”quoth Sencha. “Your will shall be obeyed,” they responded. “My wish,then,” quoth Sencha, “is to-night to divide the Champion’s Portion thereamong all the host, and after that to decide with reference to it accordingto the will of Ailill mac Mâgach, for it is accounted unlucky among themen of Ulster to close this assembly unless the matter be adjudged inCruachan.” The feasting was then resumed; they made a circle round thefire and got ‘jovial’ and made merry.Chapter III

§ 17. Bricriu, however, and his queen were in their soller. From hiscouch the condition of the palace was observable to him, and how thingswere going on withal. He exercised his mind as to how he shouldcontrive to get the women to quarrel as he had likewise incited the men.When Bricriu had done examining his mind, it just chanced as he couldhave wished that Fedelm-of-the-fresh-heart came from the palace withfifty women in her train, in mood hilarious. Bricriu observed her comingpast him. “Hail to thee to-night, wife of Loigaire the Triumphant!Fedelm-of-the-fresh-heart is no nickname for thee with respect to thineexcellency of form and of wisdom and of lineage. Conchobar, king of aprovince of Erin, is thy father, Loigaire the Triumphant thy husband; Ishould deem it but small honour to thee that any of the Ulster womenshould take precedence of thee in entering the banqueting hall; only atthy heel should all Ultonian women tread. If thou comest first into thehall to-night, the sovranty of queenship shalt thou enjoy for ever over allthe ladies of Ulster.” Fedelm anon takes a leap over three ridges fromthe hall.§ 18. Thereafter came Lendabair, daughter of Eogan mac Derthacht,wife of Conall the Victorious. Bricriu addressed her and spake: “Hail tothee, Lendabair; for thee that is no nickname; thou art the darling andpet of all mankind on account of thy splendour and of thy lustre. As faras thy spouse hath surpassed all the heroes of mankind in valour and incomeliness, so far hast thou distinguished thyself above the women ofUlster.” Though great the deceit he applied in the case of Fedelm, heapplied twice as much in the case of Lendabair.§ 19. Emer came out anon with half-a-hundred women [in her train].“Greeting and hail to thee, Emer, daughter of Forgall Manach (F. thetricky or shifty), wife of the best wight in Erin! Emer of the Fair Hair isfor thee no nickname; Erin’s kings and princes contend for thee in jealousrivalry. As the sun surpasseth the stars of heaven, so far dost thououtshine the women of the whole world in form and shape and lineage,in youth and beauty and elegance, in good name and wisdom andaddress.” Though great his deceit in the case of the other ladies, in thatof Emer he applied thrice as much.§ 20. The three companies thereupon went out till they met at onespot, to wit, three ridges from the hall. None of them wot that Bricriuhad incited them one against another. To the hall they straightwayreturn. Even and graceful and easy their carriage on the first ridge;scarcely did one of them raise a foot before the other. But on the ridgefollowing, their steps were shorter and quicker. Moreover, on the ridgenext the house it was with difficulty each kept up with the other; so theyraised their robes to the rounds of their limbs to compete in the attemptto go first into the hall. For what Bricriu said to each of them regardingthe other was, that whosoever should first enter should be queen of thewhole province. The amount of confusion then occasioned by thecompetition to enter the hall first was as it were the noise of fifty chariotsapproaching. The whole palace shook and the warriors sprang to theirarms and made essay to kill one another within.§ 21. “Stay,” quoth Sencha, “they are not enemies who have come; itis Bricriu who has set a-quarrelling the women who have gone out. Bythe god of my tribe, unless the hall be closed against them our dead willoutnumber our living.” Thereupon the doorkeepers close the doors.Emer, daughter of Forgall the Wily, wife of Cuchulainn, by reason of herspeed, outran the others and put her back against the door, andstraightway called upon the doorkeepers ere the other ladies [came], sothat the men within got up, each of them to open for his own wife thatshe might be the first to come within. “Bad [look-out] to-night,” quothConchobar. He struck the silver sceptre that was in his hand against thebronze pillar of the couch and the folks gat seated. “Stay,” quoth Sencha,“’tis not a warfare of arms that shall be held here; it will be a warfare ofwords.” Each woman went out under the protection of her spouse, andthen followed the Ulster women’s war-of-words.The Women’s War of Words.§ 22. Fedelm of the fresh heart, wife of Loigaire the Triumphant,made speech:—“Born of a mother in freedom, one in rank and in race mine elders;Sprung from loins that are royal, in the beauty of peerless breeding;Lovely in form I am reckoned, and noted for figure and comely,Fostered in warrior virtues, in the sphere of goodly demeanour:Loigaire’s hand, all-noble, what triumphs it scoreth for Ulster!Ulster’s marches from foemen, ever equal in strength, ever hostile—All by himself were they holden: from wounds a defence andprotection,Loigair(e), more famous than heroes, in number of victories greater,Why should not Fedelm the lovely step first in the mead-hall sofestive,Shapelier than all other women, triumphant and jealous of conquest?”§ 23. Thereupon spake Lendabair, daughter of Eogan mac Derthacht,wife of Conall Cernach, son of Amorgen:—“Mine is a mien too of beauty, of reason, with grace of deportment,Finely and fairly stepping in front of the women of Ulster,See me step to the mead-hall, my spouse and my darling the Conall.Big is his shield and triumphant, majestic his gait and commanding,Up to the spears of the conflict, in front of them all as he strideth:Back to me comes he proudly, with heads in his hands as his trophies;Swords he getteth together for the clashing in conflict of Ulster;Guardian of every ford-way, he destroyeth them too at his pleasure;Fords he defendeth from foemen, the wrongful attack he avengeth,Holdeth himself as a hero upon whom shall be raisèd a tombstone:Son of Amorgen noble, his is the courage that speaketh;Many the arts of the Conall and therefore he leadeth the heroes.Lendabair, great is her glory, in every one’s eye is her splendour;Why not the first when she enters the hall of a king so queenly?”§ 24. Emer, daughter of Forgall the tricky, wife of Cuchulainn, madespeech:—I am the standard of women, in figure, in grace and in wisdom;None mine equal in beauty, for I am a picture of graces.Mien full noble and goodly, mine eye like a jewel that flasheth;Figure, or grace, or beauty, or wisdom, or bounty, or chasteness,Joy of sense, or of loving, unto mine has never been likened.Sighing for me is Ultonia,—a nut of the heart I am clearly—(Now were I welcoming wanton, no husband were yoursto-morrow.) My spouse is the hound of Culann, and not a hound that is feeble;Blood from his spear is spurting, with life-blood his sword isdripping;Finely his body is fashioned, but his skin is gaping with gashes,Wounds on his thigh there are many, but nobly his eye lookswestward; [3]Bright is the dome he supporteth and ever red are his eyen,Red are the frames of his chariot, and red are also the cushions;Fighting from ears of horses and over the breaths of men-folk,Springing in air like a salmon when he springeth the spring of theheroes, Rarest of feats he performeth, the leap that is birdlike he leapeth,Bounding o’er pools of water, he performeth the feat cless nonbair; [4]Battles of bloody battalions, the world’s proud armies he heweth,Beating down kings in their fury, mowing the hosts of the foemen.Others to crôn [5] I liken, shamming[6] the travail of women,Ulster’s precious heroes compared with my spouse Cuchulainn.He unto blood may be likened, to blood that is clear and noble,They to the scum and the garbage, as crôn their value I reckon;Shackled and shaped like cattle, [7]as kine and oxen and horses,§ 25. Thus did the men in the hall behave on having heard thelaudatory addresses of the women—to wit, Loigaire and Conall; eachsprang into his hero’s light, and broke a stave of the palace at a like levelwith themselves, so that in this way their wives came in. Moreover,Cuchulainn upheaved the palace just over against his bed, till the stars ofheaven were to be seen from underneath the wattle. By that openingcame his own wife with half a hundred women attendants in her train, asalso half a hundred in waiting upon the other twain. Other ladies couldnot be compared with Emer, while no one at all was to be likened untoher spouse. Thereupon Cuchulainn let the palace down till seven feet ofthe wattle entered the ground; the whole dún shook, and Bricriu’sbalcony was laid flat to the earth, in such wise that Bricriu and his queentoppled down till they fell into the fosse in the middle of the courtyardamong the dogs. “Woe is me,” cried Bricriu, as he hastily got up,“enemies have come into the palace.” He took a turn round andperceived how it was lop-sided and inclined entirely to one side. Hewrung his hands, then betook himself within, so bespattered that none ofthe Ulster folk could recognise him. From his manner of speech only didthey do so.§ 26. Then from off the floor of the house Bricriu made speech: “Alas!that I have prepared you a feast, O Ultonians. My house is more to methan all my other possessions. Upon you, therefore, it is geis to drink, orto eat, or to sleep till ye leave my house as ye found it on your arrival.”Thereupon all the valiant Ulstermen went out of the house and tried totug it, but they did not raise it so much as that even the wind could passbetween it and the earth. That matter was a difficulty for the Ulstermen.“I have no suggestion for you,” quoth Sencha, “save that ye entreat ofhim who has left it lop-sided to set it upright.”§ 27. Whereupon the men of Ulster told Cuchulainn to restore thehouse to its upright position, and Bricriu made speech withal: “Oh kingof the heroes of Erin, if thou set it not straight and erect, none in theworld can do so.” All the Ulstermen then entreated of Cuchulainn tosolve the matter. That the banqueters might not be lacking for food orfor ale, Cuchulainn got up and anon tried to lift the house at a tug andfailed. A distortion thereupon gat hold of him, whilst a drop of bloodwas at the root of each single hair, and he absorbed his hair into hishead, so that, looked on from above, his dark-yellow curls seemed as ifthey had been shorn by scissors, and taking upon him the motion of amillstone he strained himself till a warrior’s foot could find roombetween each pair of ribs.§ 28. His natural resources and fiery vigour returned to him, and hethen heaved the house aloft and set it so that it reached its former level.Thereafter the consumption of the feast was pleasant to them, with thekings and the chieftains on the one side round about Conchobar theillustrious, the noble, high-king of Ulster. Moreover, the queens were onthe other side: Mugain Aitencaetrech, daughter of Eochaid Fedlech, wifeof Conchobar mac Nessa, Fedelm of the nine-shapes, daughter ofConchobar,—nine “shapes” she could assume, and each shape morelovely than the other; also Fedelm of the Fair Hair, another daughter ofConchobar, wife of Loigaire the Triumphant; Findbec, daughter ofEochaid, wife of Cethirnd, son of Fintan; Brîg Brethach, wife of Celtchar,son of Uthichar; Findige, daughter of Eochaid, wife of Eogan macDurthacht; Findchaem, daughter of Cathbad, wife of Amargin of the IronJaw, and Derborcall (Devorgilla), wife of Lugad of the Red Stripes, sonof Tri Find Emna; Emer of the Fair Hair, daughter of Forcall Manach,wife of Cuchulainn, son of Sualdam; Lendabair, daughter of Eogan macDurthacht, wife of Conall the Victorious; Niab, daughter of Celtchar macUthechar, wife of Cormac Condlongus, son of Conchobar. It would beovermuch to recount and to declare who of noble dames besidesChapter V

§ 29. Once more the hall became a babel of words, the women laudingtheir men. Then essayed Conall and Loigaire and Cuchulainn to stir updissension. Sencha, son of Ailill, got up and shook his sceptre. To him theUltonians gave ear, and then to restrain the ladies he made speech:—“I restrain ye, ladies of Ulster, noble in name and in glory;Cease ye your words of contention, lest the mien of men folk be paler,In keenness of conflict striving, amid vainglorious combat;Through guile of women, meseemeth, men’s shields are wont to besplintered,In frays the hosts of the heroes are oft contending in anger;To woman’s whims it is owing this use and wont among men folk—They bruise what there’s no upbinding, and attack what they havenot attained to:Heroines gallant and glorious, and noble ones, I restrain ye.”§ 30. Then Emer spake and made answer:—“Fitting for me, meseemeth, to speak as the wife of a heroWho combineth in natural union graces of mind and of body,Since ever his teaching was finished and learning to him came easy. [8].................None will be found who will equal his age, his growth, and his splendour:Of a line that is long descended, he speaketh with grace and with order;A brave and a valiant hero, like a fury he fights in the tumult,Dexterous of aim and so agile, and quick and sure at the hunting;And find ye a man among men folk, a mould that may match withCuchulainn!”§ 31. “Sooth, lady,” quoth Conall the Victorious, “let that famousfellow (lit. gillie of feats) come here that we may inquire of him.” “No,”quoth Cuchulainn. “I am to-day weary and done up. I will not hold aduel till after I have had food and sleep.” In sooth that was really so,inasmuch as it was the day on which he had fallen in with [his steed] theGrey of Macha by the side of the Grey Linn at Sliav Fuait. On its havingcome out of the loch, Cuchulainn crept up to it and put his two handsaround the steed’s neck till they twain got a-wrestling, and on that wisethey made a circuit of Erin, until on that night Cuchulainn came chasingwith his steed (lit. driving horse) to Emain. He got the Black Sainglenn inlike wise from Lough Dubh Sainglenn.§ 32. It was then Cuchulainn spake thus: “To-day have the Grey and Ivisited the great plains of Erin, namely, Bregia of Meath, the seashoremarsh of Muirthemne Macha, Moy Medba, Currech Cleitech Cerna, Liaof Linn Locharn, Fea Femen Fergna, Urros Domnand, Ros Roigne (? ...)Eô. And to sleep and to eat it liketh me better than everything. By thegod of my folk I swear ’twould be but fun and frolic for me to fight aduel had I my fill of food and of sleep.” [“Well,” quoth Bricriu, “this haslasted long enough. The Feast of Bricriu has to be celebrated; let meatand drink (lit. food and ale) be got at once, and let the women’s warfarebe put a stop to till the feast be over.” This was done, and it was apleasant (time) for them till the end of three days and three nights.][9]Chapter VI

§ 33. Again it was their hap to quarrel about the Champion’s Portion.Conchobar with the nobles of Ulster interposed with the view of settlingupon the adjudication of the heroes. “Go to Curoi mac Dairi, the manwho will undertake to intervene,” quoth Conchobar. It was then hespake:“Entreat ye of him the hardy; in the rede which he dealeth for all menCuroí mac Dairi surpasseth; and true the judgment he giveth.He is fair, not given to falsehood, but good and a lover of justice,Noble in mind and a guest-friend, skilful of hand like a hero,And like to a high king in leading; he will adjudge ye truly.To ask him demandeth courage.”Chapter VII

§ 34. “I accept that then,” quoth Cuchulainn. “I agree (lit. I allow it)then,” quoth Loigaire. “Let us go then,” quoth Conall the Victorious.“Let horses be brought us and thy chariot yoked, O Conall,” quothCuchulainn. “Woe is me!” cried Conall. “Every one,” quoth Cuchulainn,“knows well the clumsiness of thy horses and the unsteadiness of thygoing and of thy turnout; thy chariot’s movement is most heavy; each ofthe two wheels raiseth turf every way thy big chariot careers, so that forthe space of a year there is a well-marked track easily recognised by thewarriors of Ulster.”§ 35. “Dost thou hear that, Loigaire?” said Conall. “Woe is me,” quothLoigaire. “But I am not to blame or to reproach. I am nimble at crossingfords, and more, to breast the storm of spears, outstripping the warriorsof Ulster. Put not on me the precedence of kings till I practise faringbefore kings and champions against single chariots in strait and difficultplaces, in woods and on confines, till the champion of a single chariotessay not to career before me.”§ 36. Thereupon Loigaire had his chariot yoked and he leapt therein.He drove over the Plain-of-the-Two-Forks, over the Gap-of-the-Watch,over the Ford of Carpat Fergus, over the Ford-of-the-Môrrigan to theRowan Meadow of the Two Oxen in the Fews of Armagh (ClitharFidbaidi), by the Meeting of the Four Ways past Dundalk, across MagSlicech, westwards to the slope of Bregia. A dim, dark, heavy mistovertook him, confusing him in such wise that it was impossible for himto fare farther on the way. “Let us stay here,” quoth Loigaire to hischarioteer, until the mist clear up.” Loigaire alighted from his chariot,and his gillie put the horses into the meadow that was near at hand.§ 37. While there, the gillie saw a huge giant approaching him. Notbeautiful his appearance: broad (of shoulder) and fat of mouth, with sackeyes and a bristly face; ugly, wrinkled, with bushy eyebrows; hideousand horrible and strong; stubborn, violent and haughty; fat and puffing;with big sinews and strong forearm, bold and audacious and uncouth. Ashorn black patch of hair on him, a dun covering about him, a tunic over it to the ball of his rump; on his feet old tattered brogues, on his back aponderous club like unto the wheel-shaft of a mill.§ 38. “Whose horses are these, gillie?” he asked, as he gazed furiouslyat him. “The horses of Loigaire the Triumphant.” “Yes! a fine fellow he!”And as he thus spake he brought down his club on the gillie and gavehim a blow from top to toe. The gillie gave a cry, whereupon Loigairecame up. “What is this you are doing to the lad?” asked Loigaire. “’Tisby way of penalty for damage to the meadow,” quoth the giant. “I willcome myself then,” quoth Logaire. They struggle together ... Loigaireanon fled till he reached Emain, after having left his horses and gillie andarms.§ 39. Not long thereafter Conall the Victorious took the same wayand arrived at the plain where the druidical[10] mist overtook Loigaire.The like hideous black, dark cloud overtook Conall the Victorious, sothat he was unable to see either heaven or earth. Conall thereon leapt outand the gillie unharnessed the horses in the same meadow. Not longthereafter he saw the same giant [coming] towards him. He asked himwhose servant he was. “I am servant to Conall the Victorious,” he quoth.“A good man he,” quoth the giant, as he raised his hands till they gave ablow to the gillie from top to toe. The fellow yelled. Anon came Conall.He and the giant got to close quarters. Stronger were the wrestling turnsof the giant. Conall fled, as Loigaire had done, having left behind hischarioteer and his horses and came to Emain.§ 40. Cuchulainn then went by the same way till he came to the samestead. The like dark mist overtook him as fell upon the twain preceding.Cuchulainn sprang down, and Laig brought the horses into the meadow.He had not long to wait till he saw the same man coming towards him.The giant asked him whose servant he was. “Servant (companion) toCuchulainn.” “A good man he,” quoth the giant, plying him with theclub. Laig yelled. Anon Cuchulainn arrived. He and the giant came toclose quarters and either pounded the other. The giant got worsted. Heforfeited horses and charioteer, and Cuchulainn brought along with him his fellows’ horses, charioteers and accoutrements, till he reached Emainin triumph. He gave them to their rightful owners.§ 41. “Thine is the Champion’s Portion,” quoth Bricriu to Cuchulainn.“Well I wot from your deeds ye are not a whit on a par with Cuchulainn.” “Not true, Bricriu,” quoth they, “for we know it is one ofhis friends from Faëry that came to him to play us mischief and deal withus perforce as to the championship. We shall not forego our claim on thataccount.” The men of Ulster, with Conchobar and Fergus, failed to effecta settlement. They sent them either to go to Curoi mac Dairi, or else togo to Cruachan, to Ailill and to Mève.[11]Chapter VIII

§ 42. [Thus to the one stead the men of Ulster assembled in councilconcerning the heroes. The three alike haughty and overweening. Theconclusion the Ulster nobles in Conchobar’s following arrived at was, toaccompany the heroes and have the difficulty adjudged at the abode ofAilill mac Magach and of Mève of Cruachan Ai] [12] with reference to theChampion’s Portion and the mutual rivalry of the women. Fine andlovely and majestic the march of the Ultonians to Cruachan. Cuchulainn,however, remained behind the host entertaining the Ulster ladies,[performing] nine feats with apples, nine with javelins and nine withknives, in such wise that one did not interfere with the other.§ 43. Loig mac Riangabra then went to speak with him to thefeat-stead and said: “You sorry simpleton (squinter?), your valour andbravery have passed away, the Champion’s Portion has gone from ye;the Ultonians have reached Cruachan long since.” “Forsooth we have notat all perceived it, my Loig. Yoke us the chariot then,” quoth Cuchulainn.Loig accordingly yoked it and off they started on their march. By that time the Ulstermen had reached Magh Breg. Cuchulainn having beenincited by his charioteer, marched with such speed from Dun Rudraige,the Grey of Macha and the Black Sainglenn racing in such wise with hischariot across the whole province of Conchobar, across Sliav Fuait (thecountry around the Fews) and across the Plain of Bregia, that the thirdchariot arrived first in Cruachan.§ 44. In virtue then of the swiftness and the impetuous speed withwhich all the valiant Ultonians reached Cruachan under [the lead of]Conchobar and the body of princes, a great shaking seized Cruachan, tillthe war-arms fell from the partitions to the ground, seizing likewise theentire host of the hold, till the men in the royal keep were like untorushes in a stream. Mève thereupon spake: “Since the day I took up homein Cruachan I have not until now heard thunder, there being no clouds.”Thereupon Findabair, daughter of Ailill and of Mève, went to the sollerover the high porch of the hold. “Mother dear,” she said, “I see a chariotcoming along the plain.” “Describe it,” quoth Mève, “its form,appearance and style; the colour of the horses; how the hero looks andhow the chariot courses.”§ 45. “Truly, I see,” quoth Findabair, “the two horses that are in thechariot. Two fiery dappled greys, alike in colour, shape and excellence,alike in speed and swiftness, prancing side by side. Ears pricked, headerect, of high mettle and strangely bounding pace. Nostril fine, maneflowing, forehead broad, full dappled; full slim of girth and broad ofchest, manes and tails curled, they career along. A chariot of fine woodwith wicker-work, having two black revolving wheels [and two beautifulpliant reins.[13]] Itsfertsi hard and straight as a sword. Its body ofwicker-work new and freshly polished, its curved yoke silver-mounted.Two rich yellow looped reins. In the chariot a fair man with long curlinghair; his tresses tri-coloured: brown at the skin, blood-red at the middle,as a diadem of yellow gold the hair at the tips. Three halos encircle hisupturned head, each merging into the other. About him a soft crimsontunic, having five stripes of glittering gold. A shield spotted and indented,with a bright edge of bronze. A barbed five-pronged javelinflames at his wrist. An awning of the rare plumage of birds over hischariot’s frame.”§ 46. “We recognise that man,” quoth Mève, “from his description.”“Compeer of kings, an old disposer of conquest,A fury of war, a fire of judgment,A flame of vengeance; in mien a hero,In face a champion, in heart a dragon;The long knife of proud victories which will hew us to pieces;The all-noble, red-handed Loigaire;His the vigour that cuts the leek with the sword-edge—The back-stroke of the wave to the land.”“By the god of my people,” quoth Mève, “I swear if it be with fury ofhostile feeling Loigaire the Triumphant comes to us, that like as leeks arecut to the ground by a sharp knife, such will be the nicety of theslaughter he will inflict on us, whatever our number at Cruachan Ai,unless his glowing fury, wrath and high-dudgeon are guarded againstand assuaged in accordance with his very wish.”§ 47. “Mother dear,” quoth the daughter, “I see anon another chariotcoming along the plain, not a whit inferior to the first.” “Describe it,”said Mève. “Sooth I see,” she quoth, “in the chariot, on the one hand, aroan spirited steed, swift, fiery and bounding, with broad hoof andexpanded chest, taking strong vigorous strides across fords andestuaries, over obstacles and winding roads, scouring plains and vales,raging with triumph. Judge it from the likenesses of soaring birds,among which my very quick eye gets lost from their most smoothcareering in emulous course. On the other a bay horse, with broadforehead, heavy locks and wavy tresses; of light and long dashing pace;of great strength; full swiftly he courses the bounds of the plain, betweenstone enclosures and fastnesses. He finds no obstacle in the land of oaks,careering on the way. A chariot of fine wood with wicker-work, on twobright wheels of bronze; its pole bright with silver mounting; its framestripes of bronze in the arching of the house, which was of oak, with acovering of shingles. It had twelve windows with glass in the openings.The dais of Ailill and of Mève in the centre of the house, with silverfrontings and stripes of bronze round it, with a silver wand by thefronting facing Ailill, that would reach the mid “hips” of the house so asto check the inmates unceasingly. The Ulster heroes went round fromone door of the palace to the other, and the musicians played while theguests were being prepared for. Such was the spaciousness of the housethat it had room for the hosts of valiant heroes of the whole province inthe suite of Conchobar. Moreover, Conchobar and Fergus mac Rôichwere in Ailill’s compartment with nine valiant Ulster heroes besides.Great feasts were then prepared for them and they were there until theend of three days and of three nights.§ 56. Thereafter Ailill inquired of Conchobar with his Ultonianfollowing what was the purport of his march. Sencha narrated the matteron account of which they had come, viz., the three heroes’ rivalry as tothe Champion’s Portion, and the ladies’ rivalry as to precedence at feasts“They could not stand being judged anywhere else than here by thee.”At that Ailill was silent and was not in a happy mood. “Indeed,” quothhe, “it is not to me this decision should be given as to the Champion’sPortion, unless it be done from hatred.” “There is really no better judge.”“Well,” said Ailill, “I require time to consider.” “We really require ourheroes,” quoth Sencha, “for great to timid folks is their value.” “For thatthen three days and three nights suffice for me,” quoth Ailill. “Thatwould not forfeit friendship,” answered Sencha. The Ultoniansstraightway bade farewell; being satisfied, they left their blessing withAilill and Mève and their curse with Bricriu, for it was he who hadincited them to strife. They then departed from the territory of Mève,having left Loigaire and Conall and Cuchulainn to be judged by Ailill.The like supper as before was given to each of these heroes every nightChapter IX

§ 57. One night as their portion was assigned them, three cats fromthe Cave of Cruachan were let loose to attack them, i.e. three beasts ofmagic. Conall and Loigaire made for the rafters, having left their foodwith the beasts. In that wise they slept till the morrow. Cuchulainn flednot from his place from the beast which attacked him. But when itstretched its neck out for eating, Cuchulainn gave a blow with his swordon the beast’s head, but [the blade] glided off as ’twere from stone. Thenthe cat set itself down. In the circumstances Cuchulainn neither ate norslept. As soon as it was early morning the cats were gone. In suchcondition were the three heroes found (lit. seen) on the morrow. “Doesnot that trial suffice for adjudging ye?” asked Ailill. “By no means,”quoth Conall and Loigaire, “it is not against beasts we are striving, butagainst men.”Chapter X

§ 58. Ailill having gone to his chamber, set his back against the wall.He was disquieted in mind, for he took the difficulty that faced him to befraught with danger. He neither ate nor slept till the end of three daysand three nights. “Coward!” Mève then called him, “if you don’t decide,I will.” “Difficult for me to adjudge them,” Ailill said; “it is a misfortunefor one to have to do it.” “There is no difficulty,” quoth Mève, “forLoigaire and Conall Cernach are as different as bronze andfindruini;[14] Conall Cernach and Cuchulainn as different as findruini and red gold.”§ 59. It was then, after she had pondered her advice, that Loigaire theTriumphant was summoned to Mève. “Welcome, O Loigaire theTriumphant,” she quoth; “it is meet to give thee a Champion’s Portion.We assign to thee the sovranty of the heroes of Erin from this time forth,and the Champion’s Portion, and a cup of bronze with a bird chased inwhite metal on its bottom. In preference to every one else, take it withthee as a token of award. No one else is to see it till, at the day’s end,thou hast come to the Red Branch of Conchobar. On the Champion’sPortion being exhibited among you, then shalt thou bring forth thy cup inthe presence of all the Ultonian nobles. Moreover, the Champion’sPortion is therein. None of the valiant Ultonian heroes will dispute itfurther with thee. For the thing thou art to take away with thee shall be atoken of genuineness in the estimation of all the Ultonians.” Thereuponthe cup with its full of luscious wine was given to Loigaire theTriumphant. There and then[15]he quaffs the contents at a draught. “Nowyou have the feast of a champion,” quoth Mève. “I wish you may enjoy ita hundred hundred years at the head of all Ulster.”§ 60. Loigaire thereupon bade farewell. Then Conall Cernach in likewise was summoned into the royal presence. “Welcome,” quoth Mève,“O Conall Cernach; meet it is to give thee a Champion’s Portion, with acup of white-metal besides, having a bird on the bottom of it chased ingold.” Thereafter the cup was given to Conall with its full of lusciouswine.§ 61. Conall bade farewell. A herald was then sent to fetchCuchulainn. “Come to speak with the king and queen,” quoth themessenger. Cuchulainn at the time was busy playing chess with Loig, sonof Riangabair, his own charioteer. “No mocking,” he quoth; “you mighttry your lies on some other fool.” Having hurled one of the chessmen, itpierced the centre of the herald’s brain. He got his death-blowtherefrom, and fell between Ailill and Mève. “Woe is me,” quoth Mève;“sorely doth Cuchulainn work on us his fury when his fit of rage is uponhim.” Thereupon Mève got up and came to Cuchulainn, and put her twoarms round his neck. “Try a lie upon another,” quoth Cuchulainn.“Glorious son of the Ultonians and flame of the heroes of Erin, ’tis no liethat is to our liking where thou art concerned. Were all Erin’s heroes tocome, to thee by preference would we grant the quest, for, in regard tofame, bravery and valour, to distinction, youth and glory, the men ofErin acknowledge thy superiority.”§ 62. Cuchulainn got up. He accompanied Mève into the palace, andAilill bade him warm welcome. A cup of gold was given him full ofluscious wine, and having on the bottom of it birds chased in preciousstone. With it, and in preference to every one else, there was given him alump, as big as his eyes twain, of dragon-stone. “Now you have the feastof a champion,” quoth Mève. “I wish you may enjoy it a hundredhundred years at the head of all the Ultonian heroes.” “Moreover, it isour verdict,” quoth Ailill and Mève, “inasmuch as thou thyself art not tobe compared with the Ultonian warriors, neither is thy wife to becompared with their women. Nor is it too much, we think, that sheshould always precede all the Ultonian ladies when entering the MeadHall.” At that Cuchulainn quaffed at one draught the full of the cup, andthen bade farewell to the king, queen, and household all.Chapter XI

[Thereafter he followed his charioteer. “My plan,” quoth Mève toAilill, “is to keep those three heroes with us again to-night, and tofurther test them.” “Do as thou deemest right,” quoth Ailill. The menwere then detained and brought to Cruachan and their horsesunyoked.][16]§ 63. Their choice of food was given them for their horses. Conall andLoigaire told them to give oats two years old to theirs. But Cuchulainnchose barley grains for his. They slept there that night. The women wereapportioned among them. Findabair, with a train of fifty damsels, wasbrought into the stead of Cuchulainn. Sav the Eloquent (Sadb Sulbair),another daughter of Ailill and of Mève, with fifty maids in attendance,was ushered into the presence of Conall Cernach. Conchend, daughter ofCeit mac Magach, with fifty damsels along with her, was brought intothe presence of Loigaire the Triumphant. Moreover, Mève herself waswont to resort to the stead of Cuchulainn. They slept there that night.§ 64. On the morrow they arose early in the morning and went intothe house where the youths were performing the wheel-feat. ThenLoigaire seized the wheel and tossed it till it reached half up the sidewall. Upon that the youths laughed and cheered him. It was in reality ajeer, but it seemed to Loigaire a shout of applause. Conall then took thewheel; it was on the ground. He tossed it as high as the ridge-pole of thepalace. The youths raised a shout at that. It seemed to Conall it was ashout of applause and of victory. To the youths it was a shout of scorn.Then Cuchulainn took the wheel—it was in mid-air he caught it. Hehurled it aloft till it cast the ridge-pole from off the place; the wheel wenta man’s cubit into the ground in the outside enclosure. The youths raiseda shout of applause and of triumph in Cuchulainn’s case. It seemed toCuchulainn, however, it was a laugh of scorn and of ridicule they thengave vent to.§ 65. Cuchulainn anon sought out the womenfolk, and took thricefifty needles from them. These he tossed up one after the other. Eachneedle went into the eye of the other, till in that wise they were joinedtogether. He returned to the women, and gave each her own needle intoher hand. The young braves praised Cuchulainn. Whereupon they badefarewell to the king, the queen, and household as well.Chapter XII.

§ 66. “Go to the abode of my foster-father and to that of mystepmother,” quoth Mève—viz., Ercol and Garmna—“and there put up asguests to-night.” They kept on their way, and after running a race at theCruachan Gathering, thrice did Cuchulainn win the victory of the games.They then went to the abode of Garmna and of Ercol, who bade themwelcome. “For what are ye come?” asked Ercol. “To be adjudged bythee,” they quoth. “Go to the abode of Samera; he will adjudge ye.” Theywent accordingly and guides were sent with them. They were welcomedby Samera, whose daughter Buan fell in love with Cuchulainn. They toldSamera it was in order to be judged they had come to him. Sameradespatched them as they were (lit. in their order) to the Amazons of theGlen.§ 67. Loigaire went first, but left his accoutrements (arms) andclothing with them.[17]Conall also went, and left his spears with them, buttook his chief weapon, to wit, his sword, away with him. On the thirdnight Cuchulainn went. The Amazons shrieked at him. He and theyfought each other till his spear was splintered, his shield broken, hisraiment torn off. The Amazons were beating and overpowering him. “OCuchulainn,” said Loig, “you sorry coward, you squinting savage! goneare your valour and your bravery when it is sprites that beat you.” ThenCuchulainn was enraged at the sprites. He turned back upon theHorrors, and cut and gashed them till the glen was filled with theirblood. He brought off his company’s brave banner with him and turnedback in triumph to the seat of Samera, the place where his companionswere.§ 68. Samera bade him welcome; ’twas then he made speech:—“Not right to share the champion’s fare of the cooking pit,Fatted kine, well-fed swine, honey and bread;Through ladies’ cunning take not his shareFrom Culann’s Hound, of name and fame.Cleaver of shields, raven of prey,That bravery wields, eager for fray—boar of battle.As wood takes fire, strikes his ire Emain’s foes;Of victory-loving women belov’d—plague of death.A judge in deeming, not in seeming, eye flashing far—Hostile ports where ships resort his tributes know;His chariot rides the mountain-side,Pride of his clan, he leads the van, an eagle of war.Why to Loigaire, lion of fences, liken him?Why unto Conall, rider of fame?Why should not Emer, of mantle shining—it is our pleasure throughgrace divining—Of Ultonian ladies high-born and all, enter first the merry Mead-Hall.Cuchulainn’s share, well I wot,It is not just [elsewhere] to allot.“My verdict to ye then: the Champion’s Portion to Cuchulainn, and tohis wife the precedence of the ladies of Ultonia—Cuchulainn’s valour torank above that of every one else, Conchobar’s excepted.”§ 69. After that they went to the abode of Ercol, who bade themwelcome. They slept there that night. Ercol challenged them to combatwith himself and with his horse. Whereupon Loigaire and his horse wentagainst them. The gelding of Ercol killed the horse of Loigaire, who washimself overcome by Ercol, before whom he fled. He took his way toEmain across Assaroe, and brought tidings with him of his comradeshaving been killed by Ercol. Conall likewise fled, his horse having beenkilled by Ercol’s; the way he went was across Snâm Râthaind (Rathand’sPool) on the route to Emain. Moreover, Conall’s gillie, Râthand, wasdrowned in the river there, and after him Snâm Râthaind takes its namesince.§ 70. The grey of Macha, however, killed the horse of Ercol, andCuchulainn took Ercol himself bound behind his chariot along with himto Emain. Buan, daughter of Samera, went on the track of the threechariots. She recognised the track of Cuchulainn’s framed chariot,inasmuch as it was no narrow track it used to take, but underminingwalls, either enlarging or else leaping over breaches. The girl at last leapta fearful leap, following him behind in his chariot’s track till she struckher forehead on a rock, whereof she died. From this is named Buan’sGrave. When Conall and Cuchulainn reached Emain, they found theUltonians holding a keen for them, inasmuch as they felt certain they werekilled. Such the report Loigaire brought. They then related theiradventures and told their news to Conchobar and to the Ultonian noblesgenerally. But the chiefs of chariots and the men of valour as a bodywere reproaching Loigaire for the lying story he told concerning hisfellows.§ 71. Then Cathbath made speech to this effect:—“A tale inglorious! BaseOutlaw, black and false,For shame! thy face from sight!Ultonia’s Champion’s PortionUnhappily didst thou dispute,Nor won it by right,—Thy lying upset—Cuchulainn with Ercol has coped,Victor in battle-fight;Tied at the tail of his car,Hercules strong he held;Nor do men conceal his feats,His great havoc they tell.A champion glorious, battle-victorious,When rageth the fray,Slaughter-head of the hosts,A lord that careers in might,Zealous of valour and stout;With him to disputeThe Champion’s Portion,Unworthy a hero’s repute.Chapter XIII

§ 72. The heroes ceased their discussions and their babblings and fellto eating and enjoying themselves. It was Sualtam mac Rôig, father ofCuchulainn himself, who that night attended upon the Ultonians.Moreover, Conchobar’s ladder-vat was filled for them. Their portionhaving been brought to their presence, the spencers came to serve, but atthe outset they withheld the Champion’s Portion from distribution.“Why not give the Champion’s Portion,” quoth Duach of the ChaferTongue, “to some one of the heroes; those three have not returned fromthe King of Cruachan, having no sure token with them, whereby theChampion’s Portion may be assigned to one of them?”§ 73. Thereupon Loigaire the Triumphant got up and lifted on highthe bronze cup having the silver bird [chased] on the bottom. “TheChampion’s Portion is mine,” he quoth, “and none may contest it withme.” “It is not,” quoth Conall Cernach. “Not alike are the tokens webrought off with us. Yours is a cup of bronze, whereas mine is a cup ofwhite metal (findruini). From the difference between them theChampion’s Portion clearly belongs to me.” “It belongs to neither ofyou,” quoth Cuchulainn as he got up and spoke. “Ye have brought notoken that procures you the Champion’s Portion. Yet the king and queenwhom ye visited were loath in the thick of distress to intensify the strife.But no less than your deserts have ye received at their hands. TheChampion’s Portion remains with me, seeing I brought a tokendistinguished above the rest.”§ 74. He then lifted on high a cup of red gold having a bird chased onthe bottom of it in precious dragon-stone, the size of his eyes twain. Allthe Ultonian nobles in the suite of Conchobar mac Nessa saw it.“Therefore it is I,” he quoth, “who deserve the Champion’s Portion,provided I have fair play.” “To thee we all award it,” quoth Conchobarand Fergus and the Ulster nobles as well. By the verdict of Ailill and ofMève the Champion’s Portion is yours.” “I swear by my people’s god,”said Loigaire and Conall the Victorious, “that the cup you have broughtis purchased. Of the jewels and of the treasures in your possession haveyou given to Ailill and to Mève for it in order that a defeat might not beon record against you, and that the Champion’s Portion might be givento no one else in preference. By my people’s god, that judgment shall notstand; the Champion’s Portion shall not be yours.” They then sprang upone after the other, their swords drawn. Straightway Conchobar andFergus intervened, whereupon they let down their hands and sheathedtheir swords. “Hold!” quoth Sencha, “do as I bid.” “We will,” theyquothChapter XIV

§ 75. “Go forth to the ford of Yellow, son of Fair. He will adjudgeye.” Accordingly the three heroes went to the abode of Yellow (Budi).They told their wants and the rivalries which brought them. “Was notjudgment given you in Cruachan by Ailill and by Mève?” said Yellow. “Insooth there was,” quoth Cuchulainn, “but those fellows don’t stand byit.” “Stand by it,” quoth the other men, “we will not; what has beengiven us is no decision at all.” “It is not easy for another to adjudge yethen,” quoth Yellow, “seeing ye did not abide by Mève and Ailill’sarrangement. I know,” he continued, “one who will venture it, viz.,Terror, son of Great Fear (Uath mac Imomain), at yonder loch. Off thenin quest of him; he will adjudge ye.” A big powerful fellow was Terror,son of Great Fear. He used to shift his form into what shape he pleased,was wont to do tricks of magic and such like arts. He in sooth was thewizard from whom Muni, the Wizard’s Pass, is named. He used to becalled “wizard” from the extent to which he changed his divers shapes.§ 76. To Terror at his loch they accordingly went. Yellow had giventhem a guide. To Terror they told the cause for which they had soughthim out. He said he should venture on adjudgment provided only theywould adhere to it. “We will adhere to it,” they quoth; whereupon hesolemnly pledges them. I have a covenant to make with you,” he quoth,and whoever of you fulfils it with me, he is the man who wins theChampion’s Portion.” “What is the covenant?” they said. “I have an axe,and the man into whose hands it shall be put is to cut off my headto-day, I to cut off his to-morrow.”§ 77. Thereupon Conall and Loigaire said they would not agree tothat arrangement, for it would be impossible for them to live afterhaving been beheaded, although he might. Therefore they declined(shirked) that: [although other books narrate that they agreed to thebargain, to wit, Loigaire to, cut off Terror’s (Uath’s) head the first day,and (on the giant’s returning) that Loigaire shirked his part of thebargain and that Conall likewise behaved unfairly]. [18] Cuchulainn, however, said he would agree to the covenant (bargain) were theChampion’s Portion given to him. Conall and Loigaire said they wouldallow him that if he agreed to a wager with Terror. Cuchulainn solemnlypledged them not to contest the Champion’s Portion if he made covenantwith Terror. And they then pledged him to ratify it. Terror, having putspells on the edge of the axe, lays his head upon the stone forCuchulainn. Cuchulainn with his own axe gives the giant a blow and cutsoff his head. He then went off from them into the loch, his axe and hishead on his breast.§78. On the morrow he comes back on his quest. Cuchulainnstretches himself out for him on the stone. The axe with its edge reversedhe draws down thrice on Cuchulainn’s neck. “Get up,”quoth Terror; “thesovranty of the heroes of Erin to Cuchulainn, and the Champion’sPortion without contest.” The three heroes then hied them to Emain. ButLoigaire and Conall disputed the verdict given in favour of Cuchulainnand the original contest as to the Champion’s Portion continued. TheUltonians advised them to go for judgement unto Curoi. To that too theyagreedChapter XV.

§ 79. On the morning of the morrow the three heroes, Cuchulainn,Conall and Loigaire, then set off to Fort Curoi. They unyoked theirchariot at the gate of the hold, then entered the court. WhereuponBlathnat, Mind’s daughter, wife of Curoi mac Dairi, bade them warmwelcome. That night on their arrival Curoi was not at home. Butknowing they would come, he counselled his wife regarding the heroesuntil he should return from his oriental expedition into Scythianterritory. From the age of seven years, when he took up arms, until hisdemise, Curoi had not reddened his sword in Erin, nor ever had thefood of Erin passed his lips. Nor could Erin contain him for hishaughtiness, renown and rank, overbearing fury, strength and gallantry.His wife acted according to his wish in the matter of bathing and ofwashing, providing them with refreshing drinks and beds most excellent.And it liked them well.§ 80. When bedtime was come, she told them that each was to takehis night watching the fort until Curoi should return. “And, moreover,thus said Curoi—that ye take your turn watching according to seniority.”In what airt soever of the globe Curoi should happen to be, every nighto’er the fort he chaunted a spell, till the fort revolved as swiftly as amill-stone. The entrance was never to be found after sunset.§ 81. The first night, Loigaire the Triumphant took the sentry,inasmuch as he was the eldest of the three. As he kept watch into thelater part of the night, he saw a giant (Scath) approaching him far as hiseyes could see from the sea westwards. Exceeding huge and ugly andhorrible he thought him, for in height, it seemed to him, he reached untothe sky, and the sheen (broad expanse) of the sea was visible between hislegs. Thus did he come, his hands full of stripped oaks, each of whichwould form a burden for a waggon-team of six, at whose root not astroke had been repeated after the single sword-stroke. One of thestakes he cast at Loigaire, who let it pass him. Twice or thrice herepeated it, but the stake reached neither the skin nor the shield ofLoigaire. Then Loigaire hurled a spear at him and it hit him not.§ 82. The giant stretched his hand towards Loigaire. Such its lengththat it reached across the three ridges that were between them as theywere throwing at each other, and thus in his grasp he seized him.Though Loigaire was big and imposing, he fitted like a year old into theclutch of his opponent, who then ground him in his grasp[19] as a chessmanis turned in a groove. In that state, half-dead, the giant tossed him outover the fort, till he fell into the mire of the fosse at the palace-gate. Thefort had no opening there, and the other men and inmates of the holdthought he had leapt outside over the fort, as a challenge for the othermen to do likewise.§ 83. There they were until the day’s end. When the night-watchbegan, Conall went out on sentry, for he was older than Cuchulainn.Everything occurred as it did to Loigaire the first night. The third nightCuchulainn went on sentry (lit. into the seat of watch). That night thethree Goblins (Greys) of Sescind Uairbeoil, the three Ox-feeders (?) ofBregia and the three sons of Big-Fist the Siren met by appointment toplunder the hold. This too was the night of which it was foretold, thatthe Spirit of the Lake by the fort would devour the whole host of thehold, man and beast.§ 84. Cuchulainn while watching through the night had many uneasyforebodings. When midnight was come he heard a terrific noise drawingnigh to him. “Holloa, Holloa, Cuchulainn shouted, “who is there? Iffriends they be, let them not stir; if foes, let them flee.” Then they raiseda terrific shout at him. Whereupon Cuchulainn sprang upon them, so thatthe nine of them fell dead to the earth. He heaped their heads indisorder into the seat of watching and resumed sentry. Another nineshouted at him. In like manner he killed the three nines, making onecairn of them, heads and accoutrements.§ 85. While he was there far on into the night, tired and sad andweary, he heard the rising of the loch on high, as it were the booming ofa very heavy sea. How deep soever his dejection, his spirit could notbrook his not going to see what caused the great noise he heard. He thenperceived the upheaving monster, and it seemed to him to be thirtycubits in curvature above the loch. It raised itself on high into the air,sprang towards the fort, opened its mouth so that one of the palacescould go into its gullet.§ 86. Then he called to mind his swooping feat, sprang on high, andwas as swift as a winnowing riddle right round the monster. Heentwined his two arms about its neck, stretched his hand till it reachedinto its gullet, tore out the monster’s heart, and cast it from him on theground. Then the beast fell from the air till it rested on the earth, havingsustained a blow on the shoulder. Cuchulainn then plied it with hissword, hacked it to atoms, and took the head with him into thesentry-seat along with the other heap of skulls.§ 87. While there, depressed and miserable in the morning dawn, hesaw the giant approaching him westwards from the sea. “Bad night,”says he. “’Twill be worse for you, you uncouth fellow,” quothCuchulainn. Then the giant cast one of the branches at Cuchulainn, wholet it pass him. He repeated it two or three times, but it reached neitherthe skin nor the shield of Cuchulainn. Cuchulainn then hurled his spear atthe giant, but it reached him not. Whereupon the giant stretched his handtowards Cuchulainn to grip him as he did the others. Cuchulainn leaptthe hero’s “salmon leap,” and called to mind his swooping-feat,[20] withhis drawn sword over the monster’s head. As swift as a hare he was, andin mid-air circling round the monster, till he confused it by making itgiddy (lit. till he made a water wheel of him). “Life for life, OCuchulainn,” he quoth. “Give me my triad of wishes,” quoth Cuchulainn.At a breath [21]they are thine,” he said.“The Sovranty of Erin’s Heroes be henceforth mineThe Champion’s Portion without disputeThe Precedence to my wife o’er Ultonia’s ladies forever.”“It shall be thine, he at once quoth. Then he who had been conversingwith him vanished he knew not whither.§ 88. He then mused within himself as to the leap his fellows leaptover the fort, for their leap was big and broad and high. Moreover, itseemed to him it was by leaping it that the valiant heroes had gone overit. He essayed it twice and failed. “Alas!” Cuchulainn quoth, “myexertions hitherto about the Champion’s Portion have exhausted me, andnow I lose it through being unable to take the leap the others took.” Ashe thus mused, he essayed the following feats: He would keep springingbackwards in mid-air a shot’s distance from the fort, and then he wouldrebound from there until his forehead would strike the fort. Anon hewould spring on high till all that was within the fort was visible to him,while again he would sink up to his knees in the earth owing to thepressure of his vehemence and violence. At another time he would nottake the dew from off the tip of the grass by reason of his buoyancy ofmood, vehemence of nature, and heroic valour. What with the fit andfury that raged upon him he stepped over the fort outside and alightedin the middle at the door of the palace. His two footprints are in the flagon the floor of the hold at the spot where was the royal entrance. Hethereafter entered the house and heaved a sigh.§ 89. Then Mind’s daughter, Blâthnat, wife of Curoi, made speech:“Truly, not the sigh of one dishonoured, but a victor’s sigh of triumph.”The daughter of the king of the Isle of the Men of Falga knew full well ofCuchulainn’s evil plight that night. They were not long there when theybeheld Curoi coming towards them, carrying into the house with him thestandard of the “three nines” slain by Cuchulainn, along with their headsand that of the monster. He put the heads from off his breast on to thefloor of the stead, and spoke: “The gillie whose one night’s trophies arethese is a fit lad to watch a king’s keep for aye. The Champion’s Portion,over which you have fallen out with the gallant youths of Erin, trulybelongs to Cuchulainn. The bravest of them, were he here, could notmatch him in number of trophies.” Curoi’s verdict upon them was:“The Champion’s Portion to be Cuchulainn’s.With the sovranty of valour o’er all the Gael.And to his wife the precedence on entering the Mead Hall before allthe ladies of Ultonia.”And seven cumals [22]of gold and of silver he gave him in reward for his one night’s performance.§ 90. They straightway bade Curoi farewell and kept on till they gatseated in Emain ere the day closed. When the spencers came to deal andto divide, they took the Champion’s Portion with its share of ale out ofthe distribution that they might have it apart. “Sooth, sure are we,”quoth Duach of the Chafer Tongue, “ye think not to-night of contendingas to the Champion’s Portion? The man ye sought out mayhap hasundertaken your adjudging.” Whereupon quoth the other folk toCuchulainn: “The Champion’s Portion was not assigned to one of you inpreference to the other. As to Curoi’s judgment also upon those three,not a whit did he concede to Cuchulainn upon their arriving at Emain.”Cuchulainn then declared he by no means coveted the winning of it. Forthe loss thence resulting to the winner would be on a par with the profitgot from it. The championship was therefore not fully assigned until theadvent of the Champion’s Covenant in Emain.Chapter XVI

The Champion’s Covenant.

§ 91. Once upon a time as the Ultonians were in Emain, fatigued afterthe gathering and the games, Conchobar and Fergus mac Rôig, withUltonia’s nobles as well, proceeded from the sporting field outside andgat seated in the Royal Court (lit. Red Branch) of Conchobar. NeitherCuchulainn nor Conall the Victorious nor Loigaire the Triumphant werethere that night. But the hosts of Ultonia’s valiant heroes were there. Asthey were seated, it being eventide, and the day drawing towards theclose, they saw a big uncouth fellow of exceeding ugliness drawing nighthem into the hall. To them it seemed as if none of the Ultonians wouldreach half his height. Horrible and ugly was the carle’s guise. Next hisskin he wore an old hide with a dark dun mantle around him, and overhim a great spreading club-tree (branch) the size of a winter-shed, underwhich thirty bullocks could find shelter. Ravenous yellow eyes he had,protruding from his head, each of the twain the size of an ox-vat. Eachfinger as thick as another person’s wrist. In his left hand a stock, aburden for twenty yoke of oxen. In his right hand an axe weighing thricefifty glowing molten masses [of metal]. Its handle would require aplough-team (a yoke of six) to move it. Its sharpness such that it wouldlop off hairs, the wind blowing them against its edge.§ 92. In that guise he went and stood by the fork-beam beside thefire. “Is the hall lacking in room for you,” quoth Duach of the ChaferTongue to the uncouth clodhopper, “that ye find no other place than bythe fork-beam, unless ye wish to be domestic luminary?—only soonerwill a blaze be to the house than brightness to the household.” “Whatproperty soever may be mine, sooth ye will agree, no matter how big Iam, that the household as a whole will be enlightened, while the hall willnot be burnt.§ 93. “That, however, is not my sole function; I have others as well.But neither in Erin nor in Alba nor in Europe nor in Africa nor in Asia,including Greece, Scythia, the Isles of Gades, the Pillars of Hercules, andBregon’s Tower (Brigantium), have I found the quest on which I havecome, nor a man to do me fairplay regarding it. Since ye Ultonians haveexcelled all the folks of those lands in strength, prowess, valour; in rank,magnanimity, dignity; in truth, generosity and worth, get ye one amongyou to give me the boon I crave.”§ 94. “In sooth it is not just that the honour of a province be carriedoff,” quoth Fergus mac Rôich, “because of one man who fails in keepinghis word of honour. Death, certainly, is not a whit nearer to him than toyou.” “Not that I shun it,” quoth he. “Make thy quest known to us then,”quoth Fergus mac Rôich. “If but fairplay be vouchsafed me, I will tell it.”“It is right also to give fairplay,” quoth Sencha, son of Ailill, “for itbeseemeth not a great clannish folk to break a mutual covenant over anyunknown individual. To us too it seemeth likely, if at long last you findsuch a person, you will find here one worthy of you.” “Conchobar I putaside,” he quoth, “for sake of his sovranty, and Fergus mac Rôich also onaccount of his like privilege. These two excepted, come whosoever of youthat may venture, that I may [23]cut off his head to-night, he mineto-morrow night.”§ 95. “Sure then there is no warrior here,” quoth Duach, “after thesetwo.” “By my troth there will be this moment,” quoth Fat-Neck, son ofShort Head, as he sprang on to the floor of the hall. The strength then ofyon Fat Neck was as the strength of a hundred warriors, each armhaving the might of a hundred “centaurs.” “Bend down, bachlach,”quoth Fat-Neck, “that I may cut your head off to night, you to cut offmine to-morrow night.” “Were that my quest, I could have got itanywhere,” quoth the bachlach. “Let us act according to our covenant,”he quoth, “I to cut off your head to-night, you to avenge it to morrownight.” “By my people’s god,” quoth Duach of the Chafer Tongue, “deathis thus for thee no pleasant prospect should the man killed to-night attackthee on the morrow. [24] It is given to you alone if you have the power,being killed night after night (lit. to be killed every night), to avenge itnext day.” “Truly I will carry out what you all as a body agree upon byway of counsel,[25] strange as it may seem to you,” quoth the bachlach. Hethen pledged the other to keep his troth in this contention as to fulfillinghis tryst on the morrow.§ 96. With that Fat-Neck took the axe from out of the bachlach’s hand.Seven feet apart were its two angles. Then did the bachlach put his neckacross the block. Fat-Neck dealt a blow across it with the axe till it stuckin the block underneath, cutting off the head till it lay by the base of thefork-beam, the house being filled with the blood. Straightway thebachlach rose, recovered himself, clasped his head, block and axe to hisbreast, thus made his exit from the hall with blood streaming from hisneck. It filled the Red Branch on every side. Great was the folk’s horror,wondering at the marvel that had appeared to them. “By my people’sgod,” quoth Duach of the Chafer Tongue, “if the bachlach, having beenkilled to-night, come back tomorrow, he will not leave a man alive inUltonia.” The following night, however, he returned, and Fat-Neckshirked him. Then began the bachlach to urge his pact with Fat-Neck.“Sooth it is not right for Fat-Neck not to fulfil his covenant with me.”§ 97. That night, however, Loigaire the Triumphant was present.“Who of the warriors that contest Ultonia’s Champion’s Portion willcarry out a covenant to-night with me? Where is Loigaire theTriumphant?” quoth he. “Here,” said Loigaire. He pledged him too, yetLoigaire kept not his tryst. The bachlach returned on the morrow andsimilarly pledged Conall Cernach, who came not as he had sworn.§ 98. The fourth night the bachlach returned, and fierce and furiouswas he. All the ladies of Ultonia came that night to see the strangemarvel that had come into the Red Branch. That night Cuchulainn wasthere also. Then the fellow began to upbraid them. “Ye men of Ultonia,your valour and your prowess are gone. Your warriors greatly covet theChampion’s Portion, yet are unable to contest it. Where is yon poor madwight that is hight Cuchulainn? Fain would I know if his word be betterthan the others’.” “No covenant do I desire with you,” quoth Cuchulainn.“Likely is that, you wretched fly;[26] greatly thou dost fear to die.”Whereupon Cuchulainn sprang towards him and dealt him a blow withthe axe, hurling his head to the top rafter of the Red Branch till the wholehall shook. Cuchulainn again caught up the head and gave it a blow withthe axe and smashed it. Thereafter the bachlach rose up.§ 99. On the morrow the Ultonians were watching Cuchulainn to seewhether he would shirk the bachlach as the other heroes had done. AsCuchulainn was awaiting the bachlach, they saw that great dejectionseized him. It had been fitting had they sung his dirge. They felt sure hislife would last only till the bachlach came. Then quoth Cuchulainn withshame to Conchobar:[27]“Thou shall not go until my pledge to thebachlach is fulfilled; for death awaits me, and I would rather have deathwith honour.”§ 100. They were there as the day was closing when they saw thebachlach approaching. “Where is Cuchulainn?” he quoth. “Here am I,” heanswered. “You’re dull of speech to-night, unhappy one; greatly you fearto die. Yet, though great your fear, death you have not shirked.”Thereafter Cuchulainn went up to him and stretched his neck across theblock, which was of such size that his neck reached but half-way. “Stretchout your neck, you wretch,” the bachlach quoth. “You keep me intorment,” quoth Cuchulainn. “Despatch me quickly; last night, by mytroth, I tormented you not. Verily I swear if you torment me, I shallmake myself as long as a crane above you.” “I cannot slay you,” quoththe bachlach, “what with the size of the block and the shortness of yourneck and of your side” (sic!).§ 101. Then Cuchulainn stretched out his neck so that a warrior’sfull-grown foot would have fitted between any two of his ribs; his neckhe distended till it reached the other side of the block. The bachlachraised his axe till it reached the roof-tree of the hall. The creaking of theold hide that was about the fellow and the crashing of the axe—both hisarms being raised aloft with all his might—were as the loud noise of awood tempest-tossed in a night of storm. Down it came then ... on hisneck, its blunt side below,—all the nobles of Ultonia gazing upon them.§ 102. “O Cuchulainn, arise! ... Of the warriors of Ultonia and Erin, nomatter their mettle, none is found to be compared with thee in valour,bravery and truthfulness. The sovranty of the heroes of Erin to thee fromthis hour forth and the Champion’s Portion undisputed, and to thy ladythe precedence alway of the ladies of Ultonia in the Mead Hall. Andwhosoever shall lay wager against thee from now, as my folks swear Iswear, while on life he will be in [sore scathe].” Then the bachlachvanished. It was Curoi mac Dairi who in that guise had come to fulfil thepromise he had given to Cuchulainn.

And thus henceforth the Champion’s Portion of Emain

And the Ulster Women’s War of WordsAnd the Champion’s Wager in EmainAnd the Hosting of the UltoniansTo Cruachan.

FINIT.

Foot notes

lit.soller.

Gloss of the Christian scribe.

This is a mythic reference to Cuchulainn as sun-hero.

lit. feat of nine.

Some metal of inferior value.

Emer, who is represented as coming from the Celtic province of Meath, alludes to the Ultonian couvade. She implies those Ulster heroes were shams.

bodelbae = cow-shapes, may refer to some old practice of cow worship; cf. the Burghead stones.

Here follows an enumeration of Cuchulainn’s feats. It is not easy to figure them mentally with accuracy, so that we can be sure we know what we are speaking about: word for word they mean:—both over-breath-feat, apple-feat, ghost- (or sprite-) feat, screw-feat, cat-feat, valiant-champion’s whirling-feat, barbed spear, quick stroke, mad roar, heroes’ fury, wheel-feat, sword-edge-feat, climbing against spike-pointed things (or places) and straightening his body on each of them.

After Eg and H, which represent a different recension and pass on at once to § 42.

magic

The scribe of LU was harmonising two written accounts; he is not sure which to follow.

For the section in square brackets read: Then after three days and three nights the Ultonians as a body went to be adjudged to Ailill mac Magach to Cruachan Ai.— Eg and H, where this comes at once after § 32 and represents a different recension.

Wrongly inserted, from a different recension.

White metal.

Lit. on the floor of the palace.

This passage in brackets is clearly the work of the compiler ofLU. The reading in H is: And he went till he arrived at Emain Macha at the end of day, and there was none of the Ultonians who would venture to ask news as to any of the three until the time came to eat and to drink in the Mead Hall. The narrative in H passes on to § 72, which seems in sequence.

i.e.with the Amazons.

Evidently an interpolation of the compiler of LU. He expressly refers to other books (araili libair).

Lit. between his two palms.

The circling motion of a bird of prey suggests itself.

it. Thou hast them as they will come to thee with thy breath.The three things were to be got for asking, provided they were asked at one breath. Thus, too, they were incitements to strife. In a Welsh fairy story, also, a woman gets all the animals she can count at one breath.

A cumal had the value of three cows.

LU ends; tale continued by Edinburgh MS. In this clause LU, Eg, and Ed were at one. But there is no confusion in the tale, for according to § 76 the giant agrees to be beheaded first; and this form of the giant's covenant is resumed in § 96, and continued to the end. The giant in § 94 is dissembling for the nonce. His real mind is seen from § 95.

“You do not care for death, then, if the man whom you slay to-night clings to you on the morrow.” Professor Kuno Meyer renders it thus, but I take this clause to be addressed to Fat-Neck, the following to the giant.

The natural plan would be to behead the giant the first night. It is on this the story turns; it is what “seemeth strange.” It thus becomes clear he is a supernatural being.

Cuil, “fly” conveys a pun upon Cuchulainn's name incapable of being reproduced.

According to the textual reading, it is Conchobar that addresses Cuchulainn. I have altered the translation to suit the context. The scribe is inaccurate.