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The Tain
- Cattle raid of Cooley
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An
agreement is reached between Meave and
Cu Chulainn after she fails
to lure him away from his loyalties to Ulster. The two parties agree
to meet each other in single combat at a ford on the river Dee a place
today called Ardee in county Louth. It is
at this time that the Morrigan appears to Cu Chulainn. She takes the
form of a beautiful girl and offers to help Cu Chulainn in his battles.
She tells him that she has heard of his great feats in battle and
that she is in love with him. Cu Chulainn takes no notice of her talk
and tells her that he has no interest in women at this time. After
his rejection the Morrigan threatens to take sides with the army of
Connacht she then retreats from sight. Cu Chulainn looks back in the
direction she goes and sees a raven perched on the branch of a tree
and then realises that he had been talking with the Morrigan.
Cu Chulainn
does battle with a warrior names Loch and it is
then the Morrigan takes the form
of a white cow but Cu Chulainn wounds one of her eyes she then returns
in the form of a giant eel, swims up river and wraps herself around
Cu Chulainns legs, Loch takes advantage and wounds Cu Chulainn, they
battle on but soon the Morrigan returnes in the guise of a fierce
grey wolf and again Loch wounds the Ulster warrior, this sends Cu
Chulainn into his Battle frenzy and he drives the Gae Bolg towards
Loch splitting his heart killing him.
After
sending his charioteer Leag to rouse the
men of Ulster Cu Chulainn badly
wounded wearily rests and watches the camp fires of queen Meaves
army and notices a lone figure tall and
handsome carrying a shield and spears walking among them unnoticed
towards him. When Lugh reaches the spot where his son is resting he
relieves Cu Chulainn for three days and takes his place at the ford.
While Lugh defendes the ford and tended to Cu Chulainns wounds the
men of Ulster still lay under the geis. The hound
of Ulster conquers all who is sent to fight him in single combat so
Meave seeks help from one of the Ulstermen in he camp she sends for
Cu Chulainns, friend Ferdia seeking him to fight at the ford.
Meave
offers Ferdia her beautiful daughter Findabair of the fair eyebrows
but he refuses to meet his friend in battle. Meave then threatens
him with the powers of the poets and bards that they would write verses
in his name shaming him in every corner of Ireland, to this Ferdia
could not decline and with much sorrow he prepared himself for battle
with his dear friend the following day.
Day
broke and Ferdia with his charioteer rode out to the ford to do battle.
The two facing each other across the river greeted one another. While
Cu Chulainn couldn’t believe his friend now faced him to do battle
Ferdia stated even though they had grown up and studied together he
was prepared to fight. They chose light
spears to start with and spent the day casting them at each other
to no avail towards the end of the day they agreed to use heavier
spears again they threw them at each other but this time both Ferdia
and Cu Chulainn wounded each other they retired for the night and
rested for the next days fighting.
On the
second day the choice of both warriors this time was the heavy broad
bladed spears used for closer fighting but with both fighters suffering
terrible wounds stalemate was reached at the end of that day too.
On the
third day swords were taken up by both men and fierce battling for
the whole day followed but again they retired to their separate camps
nursing ghastly wounds at the days end. All this time Cu Chulainn
and Ferdia were evenly matched they had grown up together, played
hurling, and studied warfare at scathachs academy in Scotland. |
