Early Irish Myths and Sagas (29 page)

It happened, thus, that the dispute over the champion’s portion arose again. Conchubur and the chieftains of Ulaid intervened to pronounce judgement, and Conchubur said ‘Go now to the man who will undertake to decide this matter, Cú Rui son of Dáre.’ ‘I will agree to that,’ said Cú Chulaind. ‘So will I,’ said Lóegure. ‘Let us go, then,’ said Conall Cernach. ‘Let horses be brought and yoked to Conall’s chariot,’ said Cú Chulaind. ‘Alas!’ said Conall. ‘Indeed,’ replied Cú Chulaind, ‘for everyone knows well the clumsiness of your horses and the slowness of your gait and bearing and the great ponderousness with which your chariot moves; each wheel digs a ditch, so that everywhere you leave a track that is visible to the Ulaid for a year.’ ‘Do you hear that, Lóegure?’ Conall asked. ‘Indeed – but it is not I who have been disgraced and embarrassed. I am quick to
cross fords – many fords – and I breast storms of many spears in front of the youths of Ulaid. I will not grant the superiority of kings until I have practised my chariot feats before kings and heroes in single chariots, over difficult and treacherous terrain, in wooded places and along enemy borders, in order that no single-charioted hero might dare to meet me.’

With that, they yoked Lóegure’s chariot, and he sprang into it; he drove across Mag Dá Gabul and Berrnaid na Forare and Áth Carpait Fergussa and Áth na Mórrígna to Cáerthend Clúana Dá Dam and into Clithar Fidbude, into Commur Cetharsliged, past Dún Delga, across Mag Slicech and west towards Slíab Breg. There, a great mist fell, thick and dark and impenetrable, so that he could not see his way. ‘Let us stay here until the fog lifts,’ he said to his charioteer, and he leapt down from the chariot. His charioteer was putting the horses out in a nearby meadow when he saw a giant man coming towards him, not a handsome fellow, either, but broad-shouldered, fat-mouthed, puffy-eyed, short-toothed, horribly wrinkled, beetle-browed, horrible and angry, strong, violent, ruthless, arrogant, destructive, snorting, big-sinewed, strong-forearmed, brave, rough and rustic. Cropped black hair he had, and a dun garment on him, and his rump swelled out under his tunic; there were filthy old shoes on his feet, and on his back he carried a great, heavy club, the size of a mill shaft. ‘Whose horses are these, boy?’ he asked, looking fierce. ‘The horses of Lóegure Búadach these,’ answered the lad. ‘True,’ said the giant, ‘and it is a good man whose horses these are.’ As he said this, he took his club and gave the lad a blow from head to toe. At that, Lóegure came and said ‘Why did you strike my charioteer?’ ‘As punishment for trespassing in my meadow,’ replied the giant. ‘I will meet you myself,’ said Lóegure, and they fought until Lóegure fled back to Emuin, leaving
his horses and his charioteer and his weapons behind.

Not long afterwards, Conall Cernach took the same route and arrived at the same plain where the druidic mist had fallen upon Lóegure. The same thick, dark, heavy clouds confronted Conall, so that he could see neither the sky nor the ground. He leapt down, then, and his charioteer turned the horses out into the same meadow, and soon they saw the giant coming towards them. The giant asked the lad who his master was, and the lad answered ‘Conall Cernach.’ ‘A good man he,’ said the giant, and he raised his club and gave the lad a blow from head to toe. The lad cried out, and Conall came running; Conall and the giant wrestled, but the latter had the stronger holds, so Conall fled, just as Lóegure had done, leaving behind his horses and his charioteer and his weapons.

After that, Cú Chulaind took the same route and arrived at the plain where the dark mist fell, just as before; he leapt down, Lóeg turned the horses out into the meadow. Soon Lóeg saw the giant coming towards him and asking him who his master was, and he answered ‘Cú Chulaind.’ ‘A good man he,’ said the giant, and he struck Lóeg with his club. Lóeg cried out, and Cú Chulaind came and wrestled with the giant; they pounded away at each other until the giant was worsted and forfeited his horses and chariot. Cú Chulaind took these, and his opponent’s weapons, and bore them back to Emuin Machae in great triumph, presenting them as evidence of his victory.

‘Yours is the champion’s portion,’ Bricriu then said to Cú Chulaind, ‘for it is clear that no one else’s deeds deserve comparison with yours.’ But Lóegure and Conall said ‘Not true, Bricriu. We know that it was one of his friends from the Síde who came to play tricks on us and do us out of the champion’s portion. We will not acknowledge his superiority on that account.’ Conchubur and Fergus and the Ulaid failed
to resolve the dispute, so they decided to seek out either Cú Ruí son of Dáre or Ailill and Medb at Crúachu. The Ulaid assembled in council to discuss the pride and haughtiness of the three champions, and their decision was that the three should go to the house of Ailill son of Mágu and Medb in Crúachu for a judgement as to the champion’s portion and the dispute of the women.

Handsome and graceful and effortless the procession of the Ulaid to Crúachu; Cú Chulaind, however, lagged behind the hosts, for he was entertaining the women of Ulaid with his feats of nine apples and nine javelins and nine knives, no one feat interfering with either of the others. His charioteer, Lóeg son of Ríangabur, went to where he was performing these feats and said ‘Pitiful wretch, your valour and your weaponry have disappeared, and the champion’s portion has gone with it, for the Ulaid have long since reached Crúachu. ‘I had not noticed that, Lóeg. Yoke up the chariot, then,’ said Cú Chulaind. By that time, the rest of the Ulaid had already reached Mag mBreg, but, after being scolded by his charioteer, Cú Chulaind travelled with such speed that the Líath Machae and the Dub Sainglend drew his chariot from Dún Rudrige across the length of Conchubur’s province, across Slíab Fúait and Mag mBreg, and reached Crúachu before either Lóegure or Conall.

By reason of the speed and noise with which Conchubur and the warriors and chieftains of Ulaid reached Crúachu, the latter was badly shaken; weapons fell from their racks on the walls, and the host in the stronghold trembled like rushes in a river. Thereupon Medb said ‘Since the day I took possession of Crúachu, I have never heard thunder from a clear sky.’ Findabair, the daughter of Ailill and Medb, went up to the balcony over the outer door of the fort, and she said ‘I see a chariot on the plain, dear mother.’ ‘Describe it,’ said Medb, ‘its form and appearance and equipment,
the shape of its men, the colour of its horses and the manner of its arrival.’ ‘I see a chariot with two horses,’ said Findabair, ‘and they are furious, dapple grey, identical in form and colour and excellence and triumph and speed and leaping, sharp-eared, high-headed, high-spirited, wild, sinuous, narrow-nostrilled, flowing-maned, broad-chested, spotted all over, narrow-girthed, broad-backed, aggressive and with curly manes and tails. The chariot is of spruce and wicker, with black, smooth-turning wheels and beautifully woven reins; it has hard, blade-straight poles, a glistening new body, a curved yoke of pure silver, and pure yellow braided reins. The man has long, braided, yellow hair with three colours on it: dark brown at the base, blood red in the middle and golden yellow at the tip. Three circlets on his head, each in its proper place next to the others. A fair scarlet tunic round him and embroidered with gold and silver; a speckled shield with a border of white gold in his hand; a barbed, five-pointed spike in his red-flaming fist. A flock of wild birds above the frame of his chariot.’

‘We recognize that man by his description,’ said Medb. ‘I swear by what my people swear by, if it is in anger and rage that Lóegure Búadach comes to us, his sharp blade will cut us to the ground like leeks; a nice slaughter he will bring upon the host here at Crúachu unless his strength and ardour and fury are heeded and his anger is diminished.’

‘I see another chariot on the plain, dear mother,’ said Findabair, ‘and it looks no worse.’ ‘Describe it,’ said Medb. ‘I see one of a pair of horses,’ Findabair said, ‘white-faced, copper-coloured, hardy, swift, fiery, bounding, broad-hooved, broad-chested, taking strong victorious strides across fords and estuaries and difficulties and winding roads and plains and glens, frenzied after a drunken victory like a bird in flight; my noble eye cannot describe the step by which it careers on its jealous course. The other horse is red, with
a firmly braided mane, a broad back and forehead and a narrow girth; it is fierce, intense, strong and vicious, coursing over wide plains and rough and heavy terrain; it finds no difficulty in wooded land. The chariot is of spruce and wicker with wheels of white bronze, poles of pure silver, a noble, creaking frame, a haughty, curved yoke and reins with pure yellow fringes. The man has long, braided, beautiful hair; his face is half red and half white and bright and glistening all over. His cloak is blue and dark crimson. In one hand, a dark shield with a yellow boss and an edge of serrated bronze; in the other, which burns red, a red-burning spear. A flock of wild birds above the frame of his dusky chariot.’

‘We recognize that man by his description,’ said Medb. ‘I swear by what my people swear by, we will be sliced up the way speckled fish are sliced by iron flails against bright red stones – those are the small pieces Conall Cernach will cut us into if he is raging.’

‘I see yet another chariot on the plain,’ said Findabair. ‘Describe it,’ said Medb. ‘One horse,’ said Findabair, ‘is grey, broad-thighed, fierce, swift, flying, ferocious, war-leaping, long-maned, noisy and thundering, curly-maned, high-headed, broad-chested; there shine the huge clods of earth that it cuts up with its very hard hooves. Its victorious stride overtakes flocks of birds; a dreadful flash its breath, a ball of flaming red fire, and the jaws of its bridle-bitted head shine. The other horse is jet black, hard-headed, compact, narrow-hooved, narrow-chested, strong, swift, arrogant, braided-maned, broad-backed, strong-thighed, high-spirited, fleet, fierce, long-striding, stout-blow-dealing, long-maned, long-tailed, swift at running after fighting, driving round paths and runs, scattering wastes, traversing glens and plains. The chariot is of spruce and wicker with iron wheels of rust yellow, poles of white gold, a bright, arching body of copper,
and a curved yoke of pure gold and two braided reins of pure yellow. The sad, dark man in the chariot is the most beautiful man in Ériu. He wears a beautiful scarlet tunic, and over his white breast the opening is fastened by a brooch ornamented with gold, and his chest heaves violently. Eight dragon-red gems in his two eyes. His bright-shining, blood-red cheeks emit vapours and missiles of flame. Above his chariot he performs the hero’s salmon leap, a feat for nine men.’

A drop before the storm that,’ said Medb. ‘We recognize that man by his description. I swear by what my people swear by, if it is in anger that Cú Chulaind comes to us, we will be ground into the earth and gravel the way a mill stone grinds very hard malt – even with the men of the entire province gathered round us in our defence – unless his anger and fury are diminished.’

Medb then went to the outer door of the courtyard, and she took with her three fifties of women and three vats of cold water with which to cool the ardour of the three heroes who were advancing before the host. The heroes were offered one house each or one house for the three of them. ‘A house for each of us,’ Cú Chulaind said, so magnificent bedding was brought into the houses, and the heroes were given their choice of the three fifties of girls, but Findabair was taken by Cú Chulaind into his own house.

The rest of the Ulaid arrived later; Ailill and Medb and their entire household went to greet the visitors, and Senchae son of Ailill replied ‘We are content.’ The Ulaid entered the fort, then, and the royal house was given over to them. There were façades of bronze and partitions of red yew, and three strips of bronze in the vault of the roof. The house itself was of oak and was covered with shingles, and there was glass for each of the twelve windows. The apartments of Ailill and Medb were in the centre of the house and had
silver façades and strips of bronze; Ailill’s façade had in it a silver wand that extended to the rafters of the house, and he used this to chastise the household. The warriors of Ulaid went round the house, from one door to the next, and the musicians played while everything was being prepared. The house was so large that there was room for all the Ulaid to gather round Conchubur; Conchubur himself, however, and Fergus son of Roech and nine other Ulaid warriors gathered round Ailill’s couch. A great feast was set out, and the visitors stayed three days and three nights.

Thereafter, Ailill inquired of Conchubur and the Ulaid why they had come, and Senchae explained the problem that had brought them: the rivalry of the three heroes for the champion’s portion, the contention of the women over being first in to the feast, and how they would not suffer being judged by anyone but Ailill. Ailill fell silent at hearing that, and he was not happy. ‘It would not be proper for me to give a judgement here,’ he said, ‘unless I were to do it out of hatred.’ ‘But no one is better qualified than you,’ said Senchae. ‘I would need time to ponder the matter,’ said Ailill. ‘I expect three days and three nights would be enough.’ ‘No loss of friendship for that much time,’ said Senchae.

Being satisfied, the Ulaid said farewell and took their leave of Ailill and Medb; they cursed Bricriu, for he had brought about the contention, and they returned to their own land, leaving behind Lóegure and Conall and Cú Chulaind to be judged by Ailill. That night, as the three heroes were being given their food, three cats, three druidic beasts, were loosed from the cave of Crúachu. Lóegure and Conall left their food to the beasts and fled to the rafters of the house, and they remained there all night. Cú Chulaind did not budge when the beasts approached him; when one beast stretched its neck out to eat, Cú Chulaind dealt it a blow on the head,
but his sword glided off as if the creature were made of stone. The cat settled itself, then, and Cú Chulaind neither ate nor slept until morning. At dawn, the cats left, and the heroes were found where they had spent the night. ‘Does this contest not suffice for judgement?’ Ailill said. ‘Not at all,’ replied Lóegure and Conall, ‘for it is not beasts that we fight but men.’