The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Tain Bo Cualnge Part 16

[4-4] LU. and YBL. 644-645.

"The little lad raised his face from the ground and drew his hand over his face, and he became as one crimson wheelball from his crown to the ground. [5]"Not a child am I, at all, but it is to seek battle with a man that this child here is come.[5] Aye, but I am fit for deeds!" the lad cried. [6]"That pleaseth me well," said the champion;[6] "but more like than what thou sayest, meseemeth, thou art not fit for deeds." "Thou wilt know that better if we go to the ford. But, go fetch thy weapons, for I see it is in the guise of a churl thou art come, and I slay nor charioteers nor grooms nor folk without arms." The man went apace after his arms.

[7]"Now[7] thou shouldst have a care for us against yonder man [8]that comes to meet thee,[8] little lad," said Ibar. "And why so?" [W.1262.]

asked the lad. "Foill son of Necht is the man thou seest. Neither points nor edges of weapons can harm him." "Not before me shouldst thou say that, O Ibar," quoth the lad. "I will put my hand to the lath-trick for him, namely, to the apple of twice-melted iron, and it will light upon the disc of his s.h.i.+eld and on the flat of his forehead, and it will carry away the size of an apple of his brain out through the back of his head, so that it will make a sieve-hole outside of his head, till the light of the sky will be visible through his head."

[5-5] LU. and YBL. 645-646.

[6-6] LU. and YBL. 647.

[7-7] LU. and YBL. 649.

[8-8] LU. and YBL. 649.

"Foill son of Necht came forth. Cuchulain took the lath-trick in hand for him and threw it from him the length of his cast, so that it lighted on the flat of his s.h.i.+eld and on the front of his forehead and carried away the bulk of an apple of his brain out through the back of his head, so that it made a sieve-hole thereof outside of his head, till the light of the sky might be seen through his head. [1]He went to him then[1] and struck off the head from the trunk. [2]Thereafter he bore away his spoils and his head with him.[2]

[1-1] LU. and YBL. 665.

[2-2] LU. and YBL. 655.

"Then came the second son out on the green, [3]his name[3] Tuachall ('the Cunning') son of Necht. "Aha, I see thou wouldst boast of this deed," quoth Tuachall. "In the first place I deem it no cause to boast for slaying one champion," said Cuchulain; "thou shalt not boast of it this time, for thou shalt fall by my hand." "Off with thee for thine arms, then, for 'tis not as a warrior thou art come." The man rushed after his arms. "Thou shouldst have a care for us against yon man, lad," said Ibar. "How so?" the lad asked. "Tuachall son of Necht is the man thou beholdest. [4]And he is nowise miss-named, for he falls not by arms at all.[4] Unless thou worstest him with the first blow or with the first shot or with the first touch, [LL.fo.67a.] thou wilt not worst him [W.1283.] ever, because of his craftiness and the skill wherewith he plays round the points of the weapons." "That should not be said before me, O Ibar," cried the lad. [1]"I swear by the G.o.d by whom my people swear, he shall never again ply his skill on the men of Ulster.[1] I will put my hand on Conchobar's well-tempered lance, on the Craisech Neme ('the Venomous Lance'). [2]It will be an outlaw's hand to him.[2] It will light on the s.h.i.+eld over his belly, and it will crush through his ribs on the farther side after piercing his heart in his breast. That would be the smiting cast of an enemy and not the friendliness of a fellow countryman![a] From me he shall not get sick-nursing or care till the brink of doom."

[3-3] Stowe.

[4-4] LU. and YBL. 662-663.

[1-1] LU. and YBL. 651-652.

[2-2] LU. and YBL. 653; probably a proverbial expression.

[a] The force of Cuchulain's boast lay in the fact that, according to the Brehon Laws, if the aggressor were not a native or of the same cla.s.s as the injured party, he was exempt from the law of compensation.

"Tuachall son of Necht came forth on the green, and the lad laid his hand on Conchobar's lance against him, and it struck the s.h.i.+eld above his belly and broke through the ribs on the farther side after piercing his heart within his breast. He struck off his head or ever it reached the ground.

[3]Thereafter Cuchulain carried off his head and his spoils with him to his own charioteer.[3]

[3-3] LU. and YBL. 666.

"Then came the youngest of the sons forth on the green, namely, Fandall son of Necht. "Fools were the folk who fought with thee here," cried Fandall.

"How, now!" cried the lad. "Come down to the pool, where thy foot findeth not bottom." Fandall rushed on to the pool. "Thou shouldst be wary for us of him, little boy," said Ibar. "Why should I then?" asked the lad.

"Fandall son of Necht is the man whom thou seest. For this he bears the name Fandall ('the Swallow'): like a swallow or weasel[b] he courseth the sea; the swimmers of the world [W.1302.] cannot reach him." "Thou shouldst not speak thus before me, O Ibar," said the lad. [1]"I swear, never again will he ply that feat on the men of Ulster.[1] Thou knowest the river that is in our land, in Emain, the Callann. When the boys frequent it with their games of sport and when the water is not beneath them, [2]if the surface is not reached by them all,[2] I do carry a boy over it on either of my palms and a boy on either of my shoulders, and I myself do not even wet my ankles under the weight of them."

[b] LU. and YBL. have 'a swan.'

[1-1] LU. and YBL. 657-658.

[2-2] Stowe. That is, when the water is over their heads.

"They met upon the water [3]and they engaged in wrestling upon it,[3] and the little boy closed his arms over Fandall, so that the sea came up even with him, and he gave him a deft blow with Conchobar's sword and chopped off his head from the trunk, and left the body to go down with the stream, and he carried off the head [4]and the spoils[4] with him.

[3-3] Stowe.

[4-4] LU. and YBL. 661.

"Thereupon Cuchulain went into the dun and pillaged the place and burned it so that its buildings were no higher than its walls. And they turned on their way to Sliab Fuait and carried the three heads of Necht's sons with them. [5]Soon Cuchulain heard the cry of their mother after them, of Necht Scene, namely."[5] [6]"Now I will not give over my spoils," cried Cuchulain, "till I reach Emain Macha." Thereupon Cuchulain and Ibar set out for Emain Macha with their spoils. It was then Cuchulain spoke to his charioteer: "Thou didst promise us a good run," said Cuchulain, "and we need it now because of the storm and pursuit that is after us." Forthwith they hasten to Sliab Fuait. Such was the speed of the course they held over Breg, after the urging of the charioteer, that the horses of the chariot overtook the wind and the birds in [W.1317.] their flight and Cuchulain caught the throw he had cast from his sling or ever it reached the ground.

[5-5] LU. and YBL. 667-668.

[6-6] LU. and YBL. 669-679.

"When they came to Sliab Fuait[6] they espied a herd of wild deer before them. "What are those many cattle, O Ibar, those nimble ones yonder?" asked the lad; "are they tame or are they other deer?" "They are real wild deer, indeed," Ibar answered; "herds of wild deer that haunt the wastes of Sliab Fuait." [1]"Which," asked Cuchulain, "would the men of Ulster deem best, to bring them dead or alive?" "More wonderful, alive," answered the charioteer; "not every one can do it so; but dead, there is none of them cannot do it. Thou canst not do this, carry off any of them alive." "Truly I can," said Cuchulain.[1] "Ply the goad for us on the horses [2]into the bog,[2] to see can we take some of them." The charioteer drove a goad into the horses. It was beyond the power of the king's overfat steeds to keep up with the deer. [3]Soon the horses stuck in the marsh.[3] The lad got down from the chariot and [4]as the fruit of his run and his race, in the mora.s.s which was around him,[4] he caught two of the swift, stout deer. He fastened them to the back poles and the bows and the thongs of the chariot.

[6-6] LU. and YBL. 669-679.

[1-1] LU. and YBL. 681-686.

[2-2] LU. and YBL. 686.

[3-3] LU. and YBL. 687.

[4-4] Stowe.

"They continued their way to the mound-seat of Emain, where they saw flocks of white swans flying by them. "What are those birds there, O Ibar?" the lad asked; "are yonder birds tame [LL.fo.67.] or are they other birds?"

"Indeed, they are real wild birds," Ibar answered; "flocks of swans are they that come from the rocks and crags and islands of the great sea without, to feed on the plains and smooth spots of Erin." "Which would be stranger [5]to the Ulstermen,[5] O Ibar, for them to be fetched alive to Emain or dead?" asked the lad. "Stranger far, alive," [W.1333.] Ibar answered, "for not every one succeeds in taking the birds alive, [1]while they are many that take them dead."[1] Then did the lad perform one of his lesser feats upon them: [2]he put a small stone in his sling,[2] so that he brought down eight[a] of the birds; and then he performed a greater feat: [3]he threw a large stone at them[3] and he brought down sixteen[b] of their number. [4]With his return stroke all that was done.[4] He fastened them to the hind poles and the bows and the thongs and the ropes and the traces of the chariot.

[5-5] LU. and YBL. 692.

[1-1] Stowe.

[2-2] Stowe.

[a] 'Seven,' LU. and YBL. 695.

[3-3] Stowe.

[b] 'Twelve,' LU. and YBL. 696.

[4-4] LU. and YBL. 696-697.

"Take the birds along with thee, O Ibar," cried the lad [5]to his charioteer. If I myself go to take them," he added, "the wild deer will spring upon thee."[5] "I am in sore straits," answered Ibar; "[6]I find it not easy to go."[6] "What may it be?" asked the lad. "Great cause have I. [7]The horses have become wild, so that I cannot go by them.[7] If I stir at all from where I am, the chariot's iron wheels will cut me down [8]because of their sharpness[8] and because of the strength and the power and the might of the career of the horses. If I make any move, the horns of the deer will pierce and gore me, [9]for the horns of the stag have filled the whole s.p.a.ce between the two shafts of the chariot."[9] "Ah, no true champion art thou any longer, O Ibar," [10]said the lad;[10] [11]"step thus from his horn.[11] [12]I swear by the G.o.d by whom the Ulstermen swear,[12]

because of the look I shall give at the horses they will not depart from the straight way; at the look I shall give at the deer they will bend their heads in fear and awe of me; [13]they will not dare move,[13] and [W.1346.]

it will be safe for thee e'en though thou goest in front of their horns."

[1]And so it was done. Cuchulain fastened the reins.[1] [2]Then[2] [3]the charioteer[3] [4]went and collected the birds, and he bound them to the hind poles and to the thongs and the traces of the chariot.[4] [5]Thus it was that he proceeded to Emain Macha: the wild deer behind his chariot, and the flock of swans flying over the same, and the three heads of the sons of Necht Scene [6]and the jewels, treasures and wealth of their enemies arranged[6] in his chariot.[5]

[5-5] LU. and YBL. 698-699.

[6-6] LU. and YBL. 699.

[7-7] LU. and YBL. 700.