Book: The Cattle Raid of Cualnge (Tain Bo Cualnge)

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'They will find men to speak with them here,' said Medb.

'I swear by the god by whom my people swear,' said Fergus, 'there
has not been born in Ireland hitherto a man who would check the
host of Ulster.' [Note: Conjectural; the line is corrupt in the MS.]

'Another company has come there,' said Mac Roth. 'Greater than a
cantred its number. A great warrior, brave, with horror and terror,
and he mighty, fiery-faced, before it. Hair dark, greyish on him,
and it smooth-thin on his forehead. Around shield with engraved
edge on him, a spear five-pointed in his hand, a forked javelin
beside him; a hard sword on the back of his head; a purple cloak
folded round him; a brooch of gold on his arm; a shirt, white,
hooded, to his knee.'

'Who is that, O Fergus?' said Ailill.

'He is the putting of a hand on strife; he is a battle champion for
fight; he is judgment against enemies who has come there; that is,
Eogan Mac Durthacht, King of Fermoy is that,' said Fergus.

'Another company has come, great, fierce, to the hill at Slemon
Midi,' said Mac Roth. 'They have put their clothing behind them.
Truly, it is strong, dark, they have come to the hill; heavy is the
terror and great the horror which they have put upon themselves;
terrible the clash of arms that they made in marching. A man thick
of head, brave, like a champion, before it; and he horrible,
hideous; hair light, grey on him; eyes yellow, great, in his head;
a cloak yellow, with white ---- round about him. A shield,
wound-giving, with engraved edge, on him, without; a broad spear, a
javelin with a drop of blood along the shaft; and a spear its match
with the blood of enemies along its edge in his hand; a great
wound-giving sword on his shoulders.'

'Who is that, O Fergus?' said Ailill.

'The man who has so come does not avoid battle or combat or strife:
that is, Loegaire the Victorious, Mac Connaid Meic Ilech, from
Immail from the north,' said Fergus.

'Another great company has come to Slemon Midi to the hill,' said
Mac Roth. 'A warrior thick-necked, fleshy, fair, before that
company. Hair black and curly on him, and he purple, blue-faced;
eyes grey, shining, in his head; a cloak grey, lordly (?), about
him; a brooch of white silver therein; a black shield with a boss
of bronze on it; a spear, covered with eyes, with ---- (?), in his
hand; a shirt, braided(?), with red ornamentation, about him; a
sword with a hilt of ivory over his dress outside.'

'Who is that, O Fergus?' said Ailill.

'He is the putting of a hand on a skirmish; he is the wave of a
great sea that drowns little streams; he is a man of three shouts;
he is the judgment of ---- of enemies, who so comes,' said Fergus;
'that is, Munremar Mac Gerrcind, from Moduirn in the north.'

'Another great company has come there to the hill to Slemon Midi,'
said Mac Roth. 'A company very fair, very beautiful, both in number
and strife and raiment. It is fiercely that they make for the hill;
the clatter of arms which they raised in going on their course
shook the host. A warrior fair, excellent, before the company. Most
beautiful of men his form, both in hair and eyes and fear, both in
raiment and form and voice and whiteness, both in dignity and size
and beauty, both in weapons and knowledge and adornment, both in
equipment and armour and fitness, both in honour and wisdom and
race.'

'This is his description,' said Fergus; 'he is the brightness of
fire, the fair man, Fedlimid, who so comes there; he is fierceness
of warriors, he is the wave of a storm that drowns, he is might
that is not endured, with triumphs out of other territories after
destruction (?) of his foes; that is Fedlimid ---- ---- there.'

'Another company has come there to the hill to Slemon Midi,' said
Mac Roth, 'which is not fewer than a warlike cantred (?). A warrior
great, brave, grey, proper, ----, in front of it. Hair black,
curly, on him; round eyes, grey(?), very high, in his head. A man
bull-like, strong, rough; a grey cloak about him, with a brooch of
silver on his arm; a shirt white, hooded, round him; a sword at his
side; a red shield with a hard boss of silver on it. A spear with
three rivets, broad, in his hand.'

'Who is that, O Fergus?' said Ailill.

'He is the fierce glow of wrath, he is a shaft (?) of every battle;
he is the victory of every combat, who has so come there, Connad
Mac Mornai from Callann,' said Fergus.

'Another company has come to the hill at Slemon Midi,' said Mac
Roth. 'It is the march of an army for greatness. The leader who is
in front of that company, not common is a warrior fairer both in
form and attire and equipment. Hair bushy, red-yellow, on him; a
face proper, purple, well-proportioned; a face narrow below, broad
above; lips red, thin; teeth shining, pearly; a voice clear,
ringing; a face fair, purple, shapely; most beautiful of the forms
of men; a purple cloak folded round him; a brooch with full
adornment of gold, over his white breast; a bent shield with
many-coloured rivets, with a boss of silver, at his left; a long
spear, grey-edged, with a sharp javelin for attack in his hand; a
sword gold-hilted, of gold, on his back; a hooded shirt with red
ornamentation about him.'

'Who is that, O Fergus?' said Ailill.

'We know, indeed,' said Fergus. 'He is half of a combat truly,'
said he, 'who so comes there; he is a fence(?) of battle, he is
fierce rage of a bloodhound; Rochad Mac Fathemain from Bridamae,
your son-in-law, is that, who wedded your daughter yonder, that is,
Findabair.'

'Another company has come to the hill, to Slemon Midi,' said Mac
Roth. 'A warrior with great calves, stout, with great thighs, big,
in front of that company. Each of his limbs is almost as thick as a
man. Truly, he is a man down to the ground,' said he. 'Hair black
on him; a face full of wounds, purple, has he; an eye parti-coloured,
very high, in his head; a man glorious, dexterous, thus, with
horror and terror, who has a wonderful apparel, both raiment and
weapons and appearance and splendour and dress; he raises himself
with the prowess of a warrior, with achievements of ----, with the
pride of wilfulness, with a going through battle to rout
overwhelming numbers, with wrath upon foes, with a marching on many
hostile countries without protection. In truth, mightily have they
come on their course into Slemon Midi.'

'He was ---- of valour and of prowess, in sooth,' said Fergus; 'he
was of ---- pride(?) and of haughtiness, he was ---- of strength
and dignity, ---- then of armies and hosts of my own foster-brother,
Fergus Mac Leiti, King of Line, point of battle of the north of
Ireland.'

'Another company, great, fierce, has come to the hill, to Slemon
Midi,' said Mac Roth. 'Strife before it, strange dresses on them. A
warrior fair, beautiful, before it; gift of every form, both hair
and eye and whiteness, both size and strife and fitness; five
chains of gold on him; a green cloak folded about him; a brooch of
gold in the cloak over his arm; a shirt white, hooded, about
him; the tower of a palace in his hand; a sword gold-hilted on his
shoulders.'

'Fiery is the bearing of the champion of combat who has so come
there,' said Fergus. 'Amorgene, son of Eccet Salach the smith, from
Buais in the north is that.'

'Another company has come there, to the hill, to Slemon Midi,'
said Mac Roth. It is a drowning for size, it is a fire for
splendour, it is a pin for sharpness, it is a battalion for number,
it is a rock for greatness, it is ---- for might, it is a judgment
for its ----, it is thunder for pride. A warrior rough-visaged,
terrible, in front of this company, and he great-bellied,
large-lipped; rough hair, a grey beard on him; and he great-nosed,
red-limbed; a dark cloak about him, an iron spike on his cloak; a
round shield with an engraved edge on him; a rough shirt,
braided(?), about him; a great grey spear in his hand, and thirty
rivets therein; a sword of seven charges of metal on his shoulders.
All the host rose before him, and he overthrew multitudes of the
battalion about him in going to the hill.'

'He is a head of strife who has so come,' said Fergus; 'he is a
half of battle, he is a warrior for valour, he is a wave of a storm
which drowns, he is a sea over boundaries; that is, Celtchar Mac
Uithechair from Dunlethglaisi in the north.'

'Another company has come there to the hill, to Slemon Midi,' said
Mac Roth. 'A warrior of one whiteness in front of it, all white,
both hair and eyelashes and beard and equipment; a shield with a
boss of gold on him, and a sword with a hilt of ivory, and a broad
spear with rings in his hand. Very heroic has his march come.'

'Dear is the bear, strong-striking, who has so come,' said Fergus;
'the bear of great deeds against enemies, who breaks men, Feradach
Find Fechtnach from the grove of Sliab Fuait in the north is that.'

'Another company has come there to the hill, to Slemon Midi,' said
Mac Roth. 'A hideous warrior in front of it, and he great-bellied,
large-lipped; his lips as big as the lips of a horse; hair dark,
curly, on him, and he himself ----, broad-headed, long-handed; a
cloak black, hairy, about him; a chain of copper over it, a dark
grey buckler over his left hand; a spear with chains in his right
hand; a long sword on his shoulders.'

'He is a lion red-handed, fierce of ----, who so comes,' said
Fergus. 'He is high of deeds, great in battle, rough; he is a
raging on the land who is unendurable, Eirrgi Horse-lipped from Bri
Eirge in the north,' said Fergus.

'Another company has come there to the hill, to Slemon Midi,' said
Mac Roth. 'Two warriors, fair, both alike, in front of it; yellow
hair on them; two white shields with rivets of silver; they are of
equal age. They lift up their feet and set them down together; it
is not their manner for either of them to lift up his feet without
the other. Two heroes, two splendid flames, two points of battle,
two warriors, two pillars of fight, two dragons, two fires, two
battle-soldiers, two champions of combat, two rods (?), two bold
ones, two pets of Ulster about the king.'

'Who are those, O Fergus?' said Ailill.

'Fiachna and Fiacha, two sons of Conchobar Mac Nessa, two darlings
of the north of Ireland,' said Fergus.

'Another company has come to the hill, to Slemon Midi,' said Mac
Roth. 'Three warriors, fiery, noble, blue-faced, before it. Three
heads of hair very yellow have they; three cloaks of one colour in
folds about them; three brooches of gold over their arms, three
shirts ---- with red ornamentation round about them; three shields
alike have they; three swords gold-hilted on their shoulders; three
spears, broad-grey, in their right hands. They are of equal age.'

'Three glorious champions of Coba, three of great deeds of
Midluachair, three princes of Roth, three veterans of the east of
Sliab Fuait,' said Fergus; 'the three sons of Fiachna are these,
after the Bull; that is, Rus and Dairi and Imchath,' said Fergus.

'Another company has come there to the hill, to Slemon Midi,' said
Mac Roth. 'A man lively, fiery, before it; eyes very red, of a
champion, in his head; a many-coloured cloak about him; a chain of
silver thereon; a grey shield on his left; [a sword] with a hilt of
silver at his side; a spear, excellent with a striking of cruelty
in his vengeful right hand; a shirt white, hooded, to his knee. A
company very red, with wounds, about him, and he himself wounded
and bleeding.'

'That,' said Fergus, 'is the bold one, unsparing; that is the
tearing; it is the boar [Note: Ir. _rop_, said to be a beast that
wounds or gores.] of combat, it is the mad bull; it is the
victorious one of Baile; it is the warlike one of the gap; it is
the champion of Colptha, the door of war of the north of Ireland:
that is, Menn Mac Salchalca from Corann. To avenge his wounds upon
you has that man come,' said Fergus.

'Another company has come there to the hill, to Slemon Midi,' said
Mac Roth, 'and they very heroic, mutually willing. A warrior grey,
great, broad, tall, before it. Hair dark, curly, on him; a cloak
red, woollen, about him; a shirt excellent; a brooch of gold over
his arms in his cloak; a sword, excellent, with hilt of white
silver on his left; a red shield has he; a spear-head broad-grey on
a fair shaft [Note: Conjecture; the Irish is obscure.] of ash in
his hand.

'A man of three strong blows who has so come,' said Fergus; 'a man
of three roads, a man of three highways, a man of three gifts, a
man of three shouts, who breaks battles on enemies in another
province: Fergrae Mac Findchoime from Corann is that.'

'Another company has come there to the hill, to Slemon Midi,' said
Mac Roth. 'Its appearance is greater than a cantred. A warrior
white-breasted, very fair, before it; like to Ailill yonder in size
and beauty and equipment and raiment. A crown of gold above his
head; a cloak excellent folded about him; a brooch of gold in the
cloak on his breast; a shirt with red ornamentation round about
him; a shield wound-giving with rims of gold; the pillar of a
palace in his hand; a sword gold-hilted on his shoulders.'

'It is a sea over rivers who has so come, truly,' said Fergus; 'it
is a fierce glow of fire; his rage towards foes is insupportable:
Furbaidi Ferbend is that,' said Fergus.

'Another company has come there to the hill, to Slemon Midi,' said
Mac Roth. 'Very heroic, innumerable,' said Mac Roth; 'strange
garments, various, about them, different from other companies.
Famously have they come, both in arms and raiment and dress. A
great host and fierce is that company. A lad flame red before it;
the most beautiful of the forms of men his form; ... a shield with
white boss in his hand, the shield of gold and a rim of gold round
it; a spear sharp, light, with in his hand; a cloak purple,
fringed, folded about him; a brooch of silver in the cloak, on his
breast; a shirt white, hooded, with red ornamentation, about him; a
sword gold-hilted over his dress outside.'

Therewith Fergus is silent.


'I do not know indeed,' said Fergus, 'the like of this lad in
Ulster, except that I think it is the men of Temair about a lad
proper, wonderful, noble: with Erc, son of Coirpre Niafer and of
Conchobar's daughter. They love not one another; ---- without his
father's leave has that man come, to help his grandfather. It is
through the combat of that lad,' said Fergus, 'that you will be
defeated in the battle. That lad knows not terror nor fear at
coming to you among them into the midst of your battalion. It would
be like men that the warriors of the men of Ulster will roar in
saving the calf their heart, in striking the battle. There will
come to them a feeling of kinship at seeing that lad in the great
battle, striking the battle before them. There will be heard the
rumble of Conchobar's sword like the barking of a watch-dog in
saving the lad. He will throw three walls of men about the battle
in seeking the lad. It will be with the affection of kinsmen that
the warriors of Ulster will attack the countless host,' said
Fergus.

'I think it long,' said Mac Roth, 'to be recounting all that I have
seen, but I have come meanwhile (?) with tidings to you.'

'You have brought it,' said Fergus.

'Conall Cernach has not come with his great company,' said Mac
Roth; 'the three sons of Conchobar with their three cantreds have
not come; Cuchulainn too has not come there after his wounding in
combat against odds. Unless it is a warrior with one chariot,' said
Mac Roth, 'I think it would be he who has come there. Two horses ...
under his chariot; they are long-tailed, broad-hoofed, broad above,
narrow beneath, high-headed, great of curve, thin-mouthed, with
distended nostrils. Two wheels black, ----, with tyres even,
smooth-running; the body very high, clattering; the tent ...
therein; the pillars carved. The warrior in that chariot four-square,
purple-faced; hair cropped short on the top, curly, very black has
he, down to his shoulders; ... a cloak red about him; four thirties
of feat-poles (?) in each of his two arms. A sword gold-hilted on
his left; shield and spear has he, and twenty-four javelins about
him on strings and thongs. The charioteer in front of him; the back
of the charioteer's head towards the horses, the reins grasped by
his toes (?) before him; the chessboard spread between them, half
the men of yellow gold, the others of white metal; the _buanfach_
[Note: the name of a game; probably in the nature of chess or
draughts.] under their thighs. Nine feats were performed by him on
high.'

'Who is that, O Fergus?' said Ailill.

'An easy question,' said Fergus. 'Cuchulainn Mac Sualtaim from the
_Sid_, [Note: Cuchulainn was of fairy birth.] and Loeg Mac
Riangabra his charioteer. Cuchulainn is that,' said Fergus.

'Many hundreds and thousands,' said Mac Roth, 'have reached the
camp of Ulster. Many heroes and champions and fighting-men have
come with a race to the assembly. Many companies,' said Mac Roth,
'were reaching the same camp, of those who had not reached or come
to the camp when I came; only,' said Mac Roth, 'my eye did not
rest on hill or height of all that my eye reached from Fer Diad's
Ford to Slemon Midi, but upon horse and man.'

'You saw the household of a man truly,' said Fergus.

Then Conchobar went with his hosts and took camp near the others.
Conchobar asked for a truce till sunrise on the morrow from Ailill,
and Ailill ratified it for the men of Ireland and for the exiles,
and Conchobar ratified it for the Ulstermen; and then Conchobar's
tents are pitched. The ground between them is a space, ----, bare,
and the Ulstermen came to it before sunset. Then said the Morrigan
in the twilight between the two camps: [Note: Rhetoric, seven lines]

***

Now Cuchulainn was at Fedan Chollna near them. Food was brought to
him by the hospitallers that night; and they used to come to speak
to him by day.

He did not kill any of them to the left of Fer Diad's Ford.

'Here is a small herd from the camp from the west to the camp to
the east,' said the charioteer to Cuchulainn. 'Here is a troop of
lads to meet them.'

'Those lads shall come,' said Cuchulainn. 'The little herd shall
come over the plain. He who will not ---- (?) shall come to help
the lads.'

This was done then as Cuchulainn had said.

'How do the lads of Ulster fight the battle?'

'Like men,' said the charioteer.

'It would be a vow for them, to fall in rescuing their herds,' said
Cuchulainn. 'And now?'

'The beardless striplings are fighting now,' said the charioteer.


'Has a bright cloud come over the sun yet?'

'Not so,' said the charioteer.

'Alas, that I had not strength to go to them!' said Cuchulainn.


'There will be contest without that to-day,' said the charioteer,
'at sunrise; haughty folk fight the battle now,' said the
charioteer, 'save that there are not kings there, for they are
still asleep.'

Then Fachna said when the sun rose (or it is Conchobar who sang in
his sleep):

'Arise, Kings of Macha, of mighty deeds, noble household, grind
your weapons, fight the battle,' etc.

'Who has sung this?' said every one.

'Conchobar Mac Nessa,' said they; 'or Fachtna sang it,' said they.
'Sleep, sleep, save your sentinels.'

Loegaire the Victorious was heard: 'Arise, Kings of Macha,' etc.

'Who has sung that?' said every one.

'Loegaire the Victorious, son of Connad Buide Mac Ilech. Sleep,
sleep, except your sentinels.'

'Wait for it still,' said Conchobar, 'till sunrise ... in the glens
and heights of Ireland.'

When Cuchulainn saw the kings from the east taking their crowns on
their heads and marshalling (?) the companies, Cuchulainn said to
his charioteer that he should awaken the Ulstermen; and the
charioteer said (or it is Amairgen, son of Eccet the poet, who
said):

'Arise, Kings of Macha,' etc.

'I have awakened them,' said the charioteer. 'Thus have they come
to the battle, quite naked, except for their arms only. He, the
door of whose tent is east, has come out through it west.'

'It is a "goodly help of necessity,"' said Cuchulainn.

The adventures of the Ulstermen are not followed up here now. As
for the men of Ireland, Badb and Net's wife and Nemain [Note:
Nemain was the wife of Net, the war-god, according to Cormac.]
called upon them that night on Garach and Irgarach, so that a
hundred warriors of them died for terror; that was not the most
peaceful of nights for them.

THE MUSTER OF THE MEN OF IRELAND HERE

Ailill Mac Matae sang that night before the battle, and said:
'Arise, arise,' etc [Note: Here follows a list of names.]

As for Cuchulainn, this is what is told here now.

'Look for us, O my friend, O Loeg, how the Ulstermen are fighting
the battle now.'

'Like men,' said the charioteer.

'Though I were to go with my chariot, and Oen the charioteer of
Conall Cernach with his chariot, so that we should go from one wing
to the other along the dense mass, neither hoofs nor tyres shall go
through it.'

'That is the stuff for a great battle,' said Cuchulainn. 'Nothing
must be done in the battle,' said Cuchulainn to his charioteer,
'that we shall not know from you.'

'That will be true, so far as I can,' said the charioteer. 'The
place where the warriors are now from the west,' said the
charioteer, 'they make a breach in the battle eastwards. Their
first defence from the east, they make a breach in the battle
westwards.'

'Alas! that I am not whole!' said Cuchulainn; 'my breach would be
manifest like the rest.'

Then came the men of the bodyguard to the ford of the hosting. Fine
the way in which the fightingmen came to the battle on Garach and
Irgarach. Then came the nine chariot-men of the champions of
Iruath, three before them on foot. Not more slowly did they come
than the chariot-men. Medb did not let them into the battle, for
dragging Ailill out of the battle if it is him they should defeat,
or for killing Conchobar if it is he who should be defeated.

Then his charioteer told Cuchulainn that Ailill and Medb were
asking Fergus to go into the battle; and they said to him that it
was only right for him to do it, for they had done him much
kindness on his exile.

'If I had my sword indeed,' said Fergus, 'the heads of men over
shields would be more numerous with me than hailstones in the mire
to which come the horses of a king after they have broken into the
land (?).'

Then Fergus made this oath: 'I swear, etc., there would be broken
by me cheeks of men from their necks, necks of men with their
(lower) arms, arms of men with their elbows, elbows of men with
their arms, arms of men with their fists, fists of men with their
fingers, fingers of men with their nails, [nails] of men with their
skull-roofs, skull-roofs of men with their middle, middle of men
with their thighs, thighs of men with their knees, knees of men
with their calves, calves of men with their feet, feet of men with
their toes, toes of men with their nails. I would make their necks
whizz (?) ---- as a bee would move to and fro on a day of beauty (?).'

Then Ailill said to his charioteer: 'Let there come to me the
sword which destroys skin. I swear by the god by whom my people
swear, if you have its bloom worse to-day than on the day on which
I gave it to you in the hillside in the boundary of Ulster, though
the men of Ireland were protecting you from me, they should not
protect you.'

Then his sword was brought to Fergus, and Ailill said: 'Take thy
sword,' etc. [Note: Rhetoric, twelve lines.]

'A pity for thee to fall on the field of battle, thick [with slain ?],'
said Fergus to Ailill.

The Badb and Net's wife and the Nemain called on them that night on
Garach and Irgarach; so that a hundred warriors of them died for
terror. That was not the quietest of nights for them.

Then Fergus takes his arms and turns into the battle, and clears a
gap of a hundred in the battle with his sword in his two hands.
Then Medb took the arms of Fergus (?) and rushed into the battle,
and she was victorious thrice, so that she was driven back by force
of arms.

'I do not know,' said Conchobar to his retinue who were round him,
'before whom has the battle been broken against us from the north.
Do you maintain the fight here, that I may go against him.'

'We will hold the place in which we are,' said the warriors,
'unless the earth bursts beneath us, or the heaven upon us from
above, so that we shall break therefrom.'

Then Conchobar came against Fergus. He lifts his shield against
him, i.e. Conchobar's shield Ochan, with three horns of gold on it,
and four ----- of gold over it. Fergus strikes three blows on it,
so that even the rim of his shield over his head did not touch him.

'Who of the Ulstermen holds the shield?' said Fergus.

'A man who is better than you,' said Conchobar; 'and he has brought
you into exile into the dwellings of wolves and foxes, and he will
repel you to-day in combat in the presence of the men of Ireland.'

Fergus aimed on him a blow of vengeance with his two hands on
Conchobar, so that the point of the sword touched the ground behind
him.

Cormac Condlongas put his hands upon him, and closed his two hands
about his arm.

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