The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Tain Bo Cualnge Part 80

[3-3] YBL. 52b, 1-2.

[4]"How far have the hosts advanced, O Laeg?" Cuchulain asked. "They have come to Garech," Laeg answered. "I give my word for that," Cuchulain cried; "they will not come as far as Ilgarech, if I catch up with them! [4]Quickly unloose the bands, gilla!" cried Cuchulain. [5]"Blood covers men. Feats of swords shall be done. Men shall be spent therefrom!"[5]

[4-4] Stowe.

[5-5] YBL. 52b, 7-8.

[6]Since Cuchulain's going into battle had been prevented, his twisting fit came upon him, and seven and twenty skin tunics were given to him that used to be about him under strings and cords when going into battle.[6]

[LL.fo.103a.] Then Cuchulain gave a mighty spring, so that the bindings of his wounds flew from him to Mag Tuag ('the Plain of the Bows') in Connacht.

His bracings went from him to Bacca ('the Props') in Corcomruad [7]in the district of Boirenn,[7] [8]His supports sprang from him to [9]Rath[9] Cinn Bara ('the Rath of Spithead') in Ulster, and likewise his pins flew from him to Rath Clo ('the Rath of the Nails') in the land of the tribe of Conall.[8] The dry wisps that were stuffed in his wounds rose to the roof [W.6040.] of the air and the sky as highest larks fly on a day of suns.h.i.+ne when there is no wind. Thereupon, his b.l.o.o.d.y wounds got the better of him, so that the ditches and furrows of the earth were full of streams of blood and torrents of gore.

[6-6] YBL. 52b, 17-20.

[7-7] Stowe and Add.

[8-8] Stowe.

[9-9] Add. and H. 1. 13.

[1]Some of the narrators aver that it was the strength of the warrior and champion that hurled these things [2]to the aforementioned places;[2] but it was not that, but his powerful friends, the fairy-folk, that brought them thither, to the end to make famous his history, so that from them these places are named.[1]

[1-1] Stowe, H. 1. 13 and Add.

[2-2] Add.

This was the first exploit of valour that Cuchulain performed on rising [3]out of his weakness:[3] The two women lampoonists that made a feint of weeping and wailing [4]over his head,[4] Fethan and Collach to wit, he smote each of them against the head of the other, so that he[a] was red with their blood and grey with their brains. [5]These women had come from Medb to raise a pretended lamentation over him, to the end that his b.l.o.o.d.y wounds might burst forth on him, and to tell him that the men of Ulster had met with defeat and that Fergus had fallen in meeting the battle.[5] His arms had not been left near him, except his chariot only. And he took his chariot on his back [6]with its frame and its two axle-trees,[6] and he set out to attack the men of Erin, and he smote them with the chariot, until he reached the place where Fergus macRoig was. "Turn hither, O Fergus my master!" he cried. Fergus did not answer, for he heard not. He spoke again, "Turn hither, [7]turn hither,[7] O Fergus my master!" he cried; "and if thou turn not, [8]I swear to G.o.d what the Ulstermen swear,[8] I [W.6052.]

will grind thee as a mill grinds fresh grain; I will wash thee as a cup is washed in a tub; I will bind thee as the woodbine binds the trees; I will pounce on thee as hawk pounces on fledglings; [1]I will go over thee as its tail goes over a cat;[1] [2]I will pierce thee as a tool bores through a tree-trunk; I will pound thee as a fish is pounded on the sand!"[2] "Truly this is my lot!" spake Fergus. "Who [3]of the men of Erin[3] dares to address these stiff, vengeful words to me, where now the four grand provinces of Erin are met on Garech and Ilgarech in the battle of the Raid for the Kine of Cualnge?" "Thy fosterling is before thee," he replied, "and fosterling of the men of Ulster and of Conchobar as well, Cuchulain son of Sualtaim [4]and sister's son to Conchobar," replied Cuchalain.[4] "And thou didst promise to flee before me what time I should be wounded, in pools of gore and riddled in the battle of the Tain.[a] For, [5]when thou hadst not thy sword with thee,[5] I did flee before thee in thine own combat on the Tain; [6]and do thou avoid me," said he. "Even that did I promise," Fergus answered. "Away with thee, then!" cried Cuchulain. "'Tis well," replied Fergus; "thou didst avoid me; now thou art pierced with wounds."[6]

[3-3] Stowe, H. 1. 13 and Add.

[4-4] Stowe, H. 1. 13 and Add.

[a] 'The ground,' Stowe, H. 1. 13 and Add.; 'so that each of them was grey with the brains of the other,' YBL. 52b, 13-14.

[5-5] YBL. 52b, 14-17.

[6-6] YBL. 52b, 21.

[7-7] H. 1. 13 and Add.

[8-8] YBL. 52b, 24.

[1-1] YBL. 52b, 24-25.

[2-2] H. 1. 13 and Add.

[3-3] YBL. 52b, 27.

[4-4] YBL. 52b, 28.

[a] See page 207.

[5-5] H. 1. 13 and Add.

[6-6] YBL. 52b, 29-33.

Fergus gave ear to that word of Cuchulain, and he turned and made his three great strides of a hero [7]back from Cuchulain and turned in flight from him.[7] And as he turned [8]with his company of three thousand warriors and the Leinstermen following after Fergus--for it is under Fergus' warrant they had come[8]--[9]and the men of Munster,[9] there turned all the men of Erin.

[7-7] H. 1. 13 and Add.

[8-8] H. 1. 13 and Add.

[9-9] YBL. 52b, 33.

[W.6065.] [1]Then[1] the men of Erin broke their ranks westwards over the hill. The battle raged around the men of Connacht, [2]around Ailill and his division and around Medb with hers and around the Mane with theirs and the mac Magach with theirs.[2] At midday Cuchulain came to the battle. At the time of sunset at the ninth hour [3]as the sun entered the tresses of the wood,[3] [4]when man and tree were no more to be known apart, Medb and[4]

the last company of the men of Connacht fled in rout westwards over the hill.

[1-1] H. 1. 13 and Add.

[2-2] H. 1. 13 and Add.

[3-3] YBL. 52b, 36.

[4-4] H. 1. 13 and Add.

At that time there did not remain in Cuchulain's hand of the chariot but a handful of its spokes around the wheel, and a handbreadth of its poles around the sh.e.l.l, with the slaying and slaughtering of the four grand provinces of Erin during all that time.

Then Medb betook her to a s.h.i.+eld-shelter in the rear of the men of Erin.

Thereafter Medb sent off the Brown Bull of Cualnge along with fifty of his heifers and eight of her runners with him around to Cruachan, to the end that whoso might and whoso might not escape, the Brown Bull of Cualnge should get away safely, even as she had promised.

Then it was that the issue of blood came upon Medb, [5]and she said: "Do thou, Fergus, undertake[5] a s.h.i.+eld-shelter in the rear of the men of Erin till I let my water flow from me." "By my troth," replied Fergus, "'tis an ill hour for thee to be taken so." "Howbeit there is no help for me," Medb answered; "for I shall not live if I do not void water!" Fergus accordingly came and raised a s.h.i.+eld-shelter in the rear of the men of Erin. Medb voided her water, so that it made three large dikes, so that a mill[a]

could find room in each dike. Hence the place is known as Fual Medbha ('Medb's Water').

[5-5] H. 1. 13 and Add.

[a] It is not uncommon in folk-tales that lakes, rivers, etc. arose from the micturition of a giant or fairy. Reading with Add.

[W.6085.] Cuchulain came upon her as she was thus engaged, [1]on his way to the battle,[1] and he did not attack her. He would not strike her a blow from behind. [2]He spared her then because it was not his wont to slay women.[2] [3]"Spare me!" cried Medb. "If I should slay thee, it were just for me," Cuchulain answered.[3] [4]"Arise from hence," said he; "for I deem it no honour to wound thee from behind with my weapons."[4] "I crave a boon of thee this day, O Cuchulain," spake Medb. "What boon cravest thou [5]of me?"[5] asked Cuchulain. "That this host be under thine honour and thy protection till they pa.s.s westwards over Ath Mor ('the Great Ford')."

[LL.fo.103b.] "Yea, I promise that," said Cuchulain. [6]Then[6] went Cuchulain around the men of Erin, and he undertook a s.h.i.+eld-defence on one side of them, in order to protect the men of Erin. On the other side went the governors of the men of Erin. Medb went to her own place and a.s.sumed a s.h.i.+eld-defence in the rear of the men of Erin, and in this manner they convoyed the men of Erin over Ath Mor westwards.

[1-1] YBL. 52b, 41.

[2-2] H. 1. 13 and Add.

[3-3] YBL. 52b, 41-42.

[4-4] H. 1. 13 and Add.

[5-5] H. 1. 13.