XIId. ¹HERE THE COMBAT OF MUNREMAR AND CUROI¹

²While the hosts were there in the evening they perceived that one stone fell on them coming from the east and another from the west to meet it. The stones met one another in the air and kept falling between Fergus' camp, the camp of Ailill and the camp of Nera. This sport and play continued from that hour till the same hour on the next day, and the hosts spent the time sitting down, with their shields over their heads to protect them from the blocks of stones, till the plain was full of the boulders, whence cometh Mag Clochair ('the Stony Plain'). Now it happened it was Curoi macDarè did this. He had come to bring help to his people and had taken his stand in Cotal to fight against Munremar son of Gerrcend.^a The latter had come from Emain Macha to succour Cuchulain and had taken his stand on Ard ('the Height') of Roch. Curoi knew there was not in the host a man to compete with Munremar. These then it was who carried on this sport between them. The army prayed them to cease. Whereupon Munremar and Curoi made peace, and Curoi withdrew to his house and Munremar to Emain Macha and Munremar came not again till the day of the battle. As for Curoi, he came not till the combat of Ferdiad.

"Pray Cuchulain," said Medb and Ailill, "that he suffer us to change our place." This then was granted to them and the change was made.

The 'Pains' of the Ulstermen left them then. When now they awoke from their 'Pains,' bands of them came continually upon the host to restrain it again.

XIIe. ¹THE SLAUGHTER OF THE BOY-TROOP^1a

Now the youths of Ulster discussed the matter among themselves in Emain Macha. "Alas for us," said they, "that our friend Cuchulain has no one to succour him!" "I would ask then," spake Fiachu Fulech ('the Bloody') son of Ferfebè and own brother to Fiachu^b Fialdana ('the Generous-daring') son of Ferfebè, "shall I have a company from you to go to him with help?"

Thrice fifty youths accompany him with their play-clubs, and that was a third of the boy-troop of Ulster. The army saw them drawing near them over the plain. "A great army approaches us over the plain," spake Ailill Fergus goes to espy them. "Some of the youths of Ulster are they," said he, "and it is to succour Cuchulain they come." "Let a troop go to meet them," said Ailill, "unknown to Cuchulain; for if they unite with him ye will never overcome them." Thrice fifty warriors went out to meet them. They fell at one another's hands, so that not one of them got off alive of the number of the youths of Lia Toll. Hence is Lia ('the Stone') of Fiachu son of Ferfebè, for it is there that he fell.

"Take counsel," quoth Ailill; "inquire of Cuchulain about letting you go from hence, for ye will not go past him by force, now that his flame of valour has risen." For it was usual with him, when his hero's flame arose in him, that his feet would turn back on him and his buttocks, before him, and the knobs of his calves would come on his shins, and one eye would be in his head and the other one out of his head. A man's head would have gone into his mouth. There was not a hair on him that was not as sharp as the thorn of the haw, and a drop of blood was on each single hair. He would recognize neither comrades nor friends. Alike he would strike them before and behind. Therefrom it was that the men of Connacht gave Cuchulain the name Riastartha ('the Contorted One').

XIIf. ¹THE SLAUGHTER OF THE KING'S BODYGUARD¹

"Let us ask for a sword-truce from Cuchulain," said Ailill and Medb. Lugaid goes to him and Cuchulain accords the truce. "Put a man for me on the ford to-morrow," said Cuchulain. There happened to be with Medb six royal hirelings, to wit: six princes of the Clans of Deda, the three Dubs ('the Blacks') of Imlech, and the three Dergs ('the Reds') of Sruthair, by name. "Why should it not be for us," quoth they, "to go and attack Cuchulain?" So the next day they went and Cuchulain put an end to the six of them.²

XIII. ¹THE COMBAT OF CÛR WITH CUCHULAIN¹

W. 2076. The men of Erin discussed among themselves who of them would be fit to attack ²and contend with² Cuchulain, ^*LL. fo. 74a. ³and drive him off from them on the ford at the morning-hour early on the morrow.³ And what they all said was that Cûr ('the Hero') son of Da Loth should be the one to attack him. For thus it stood with Cûr: No joy was it to be his bedfellow or to live with him. ⁴He from whom he drew blood is dead ere the ninth day.⁴ And ⁵the men of Erin⁵ said: "Even should it be Cûr that falls, a trouble ⁶and care⁶ would be removed from the hosts; ⁷for it is not easy to be with him in regard to sitting, eating or sleeping.⁷ Should it be Cuchulain, it would be so much the better." Cûr was summoned to Medb's tent. "For what do they want me?" Cûr asked. "To engage with Cuchulain," replied Medb, ⁸"to do battle, and ward him off from us on the ford at the morning hour early on the morrow."^{8 9}Cûr deemed it not fitting to go and contend with a beardless boy.⁹ "Little ye rate our worth. Nay, but it is wonderful how ye regard it. Too tender is the youth with whom ye compare me. Had I known ¹⁰I was sent against him¹⁰ I would not have come myself. I would have lads ¹¹enough¹¹ of W. 2086. his age from amongst my people to go meet him on a ford."

"Indeed, it is easy to talk so," quoth Cormac Conlongas son of Conchobar. "It would be well worth while for thyself if by thee fell Cuchulain." ¹"Howbeit," said Cûr, "since on myself it falls,¹ make ye ready a journey ²for me² at morn's early hour on the morrow, for a pleasure I will make of the way ³to this fight,^{3 4}a-going to meet Cuchulain.⁴ It is not this will detain you, namely the killing of yonder wildling, Cuchulain!"

⁵There they passed the night.⁵ Then early on the morrow morn arose Cûr macDa Loth ⁶and he came to the ford of battle and combat; and however early he arose, earlier still Cuchulain arose.⁶ A cart-load of arms was taken along with him wherewith to engage with Cuchulain, and he began to ply his weapons, seeking to kill Cuchulain.

Now Cuchulain had gone early that day ⁷to practise⁷ his feats ⁸of valour and prowess.⁸ These are the names of them all: the Apple-feat, and the Edge-feat, and the Level Shield-feat, and the Little Dart-feat, and the Rope-feat, and the Body-feat, and the Feat of Catt, and the Hero's Salmon-leap,^a and the Pole-cast, and the Leap over a Blow (?), and the Folding of a noble Chariot-fighter, and the Gae Bulga ('the Barbed Spear') and the Vantage (?) of Swiftness, and the Wheel-feat, ⁹and the Rim-feat,⁹ and the Over-Breath-feat, and the Breaking of a Sword, and the Champion's Cry, and the Measured Stroke, and the Side Stroke, and the Running up a Lance and standing erect on its Point, and the Binding of the ¹⁰noble¹⁰ Hero (around spear points).

W. 2121. Now this is the reason Cuchulain was wont to practise early every morning each of those feats ¹with the agility of a single hand, as best a wild-cat may,¹ in order that they might not depart from him through forgetfulness or lack of remembrance.

And macDa Loth waited beside his shield until the third part of the day, ²plying his weapons,² seeking the chance to kill Cuchulain; ³and not the stroke of a blow reached Cuchulain, because of the intensity of his feats, nor was he aware that a warrior was thrusting at him.³ It was then Laeg^{a 4}looked at him⁴ and spake to Cuchulain, "Hark! Cucuc. Attend to the warrior that seeks to kill thee." Then it was that Cuchulain glanced at him and then it was that he raised and threw the eight apples on high ⁵and cast the ninth apple⁵ a throw's length from him at Cûr macDa Loth, so that it struck on the disk of his shield ⁶between the edge and the body of the shield⁶ and on the forehead ⁷of the churl,⁷ so that it carried the size of an apple of his brains out through the back of his head. Thus fell Cûr macDa Loth also at the hand of Cuchulain. ⁸According to another version^{8 9}it was in Imslige Glendamnach that Cûr fell.⁹

¹⁰Fergus greeted each one there and this is what he said:¹⁰ "If your engagements and pledges bind you now," said Fergus, "another warrior ye must send to him yonder on the ford; else, do ye keep to your camp and your quarters here till the bright hour of sunrise on the morrow, for Cûr son of Da Loth is fallen." ¹¹"We will grant that," said Medb, "and we will not pitch tents nor take quarters here now, but we will remain where we were last night in camp.¹¹ W. 2136. Considering why we have come, it is the same to us even though we remain in those same tents."

¹The four great provinces of Erin¹ remained in that camp till Cûr son of Da Loth had fallen, and Loth son of Da Bro and Srub Darè son of Feradach and ²Morc² son of Tri Aigneach. These then fell in single combat with Cuchulain. But it is tedious to recount one by one the cunning and valour of each man of them.

XIV. ¹THE SLAYING OF FERBAETH ('THE WITLESS')¹

²Then again the men of Erin took counsel who would be fit to fight and do combat with Cuchulain and to ward him off from them on the ford at the morning-hour early on the morrow. What they each and all said was, that it would be his own friend and companion and the man who was his equal in arms and feats, even Ferbaeth son of Ferbend.

Then was Ferbaeth son of Ferbend summoned to them, to the tent of Ailill and Medb. "Wherefore do ye call me to you?" Ferbaeth asked. "In sooth, it would please us," Medb answered, "for thee to do battle and contend with Cuchulain, and to ward him off from us on the ford at the morning hour early on the morrow."

Great rewards they promised to him for making the battle and combat.^{2 3}Finnabair is given to him for this and the kingdom of his race, for he was their choice to combat Cuchulain. He was the man they thought worthy of him, for they both had learned the same service in arms with Scathach.³

⁴"I have no desire to act thus," Ferbaeth protested. "Cuchulain is my foster-brother and of everlasting covenant with me. Yet will I go meet him to-morrow, so shall I strike off his head!" "It will be thou that canst do it," Medb made answer.⁴

W. 2143. Then it was that Cuchulain said to his charioteer, namely to Laeg: "Betake thee thither, O master Laeg," said Cuchulain, "to the camp of the men of Erin, and bear a greeting ^*LL. fo. 74b. from me to my comrades and foster-brothers and age-mates. Bear a greeting to Ferdiad son of Daman, and to Ferdet son of Daman, and to Brass son of Ferb, and to Lugaid son of Nos, and to Lugaid son of Solamach, to Ferbaeth son of Baetan, and to Ferbaeth son of Ferbend, and a particular greeting withal to mine own foster-brother, to Lugaid son of Nos, for that he is the one man that still has friendliness and friendship with me now on the hosting. And bear him a blessing. ¹Let it be asked diligently of him¹ that he may tell thee who ²of the men of Erin² will come to attack me on the morrow."

Then Laeg went his way to the camp of the men of Erin and brought the aforementioned greetings to the comrades and foster-brothers of Cuchulain. And he also went into the tent of Lugaid son of Nos. Lugaid bade him welcome. "I take ³that welcome³ to be truly meant," said Laeg. "'Tis truly meant for thee," replied Lugaid. "To converse with thee am I come from Cuchulain," said Laeg, "and I bring these greetings truly and earnestly from him to the end that thou tell me who comes to fight with Cuchulain to-day." ⁴"Truly not lucky is it for Cuchulain," said Lugaid, "the strait wherein he is alone against the men of Erin.⁴ The curse of his fellowship and brotherhood and of his friendship and affection ⁵and of his arms⁵ be upon that man; even his own real foster-brother himself, ⁶even the companion of us both,⁶ Ferbaeth son of Ferbend. ⁷He it is that comes to meet him to-morrow.⁷ He was invited into the tent of ⁸Ailill and⁸ Medb a while W. 2165. since. The daughter Finnabair was set by his side. It is she who fills up the drinking-horns for him; it is she who gives him a kiss with every drink that he takes; it is she who serveth the food ¹to him.¹ Not for every one with Medb is the ale^a that is poured out for Ferbaeth ²till he is drunk.² Only fifty wagon-loads of it have been brought to the camp."

Then with heavy head, sorrowful, downcast, heaving sighs, Laeg retraced his steps to Cuchulain. "With heavy head, sorrowful, downcast and sighing, my master Laeg comes to meet me," said Cuchulain. "It must be that one of my brothers-in-arms comes to attack me." For he regarded as worse a man of the same training in arms as himself than aught other warrior. "Hail now, O Laeg my friend," cried Cuchulain; "who comes to attack me to-day?" "The curse of his fellowship and brotherhood, of his friendship and affection be upon him; even thine own real foster-brother himself, namely Ferbaeth son of Ferbend. A while ago he was summoned into the tent of Medb. The maiden was set by his side; It is she who fills up the drinking-horns for him; it is she who gives him a kiss with every drink; it is she who serveth his food. Not for every one with Medb is the ale that is poured out for Ferbaeth. Only fifty wagon-loads of it have been brought to the camp."

³Cuchulain bade Laeg go to Lugaid, that he come to talk with him. Lugaid came to Cuchulain. "So Ferbaeth comes to oppose me to-morrow," said Cuchulain. "Aye, then," answered Lugaid.^{3 4}"Evil is this day," cried Cuchulain. "I shall not be alive thereafter. Two of the same age are we, two of equal deftness, two of equal weight, when we come together. O Lugaid, greet him for me. Tell him, also, it is not the part of true valour to come to oppose me. Tell him to come meet me to-night to speak with me."

Lugaid brought back this word to Ferbaeth. Now inasmuch as Ferbaeth shunned not the parley,⁴ W. 2183. he by no means waited till morn but he went straightway ¹to the glen^{1 2}that night² to recant his friendship with Cuchulain, ³and Fiachu son of Ferfebè went with him.³ And Cuchulain called to mind the friendship and fellowship and brotherhood ⁵that had been between them,^{5 6}and Scathach, the nurse of them both;⁶ and Ferbaeth would not consent to forego the fight.^{a 7}"I must fight," said Ferbaeth. "I have promised it ⁸to Medb."^{8 9}"Friendship with thee then is at an end,"⁹ cried Cuchulain,⁷ and in anger he left him and drove the sole of his foot against a holly-spit ¹⁰in the glen,¹⁰ so that it pierced through flesh and bone and skin ¹¹and came out by his knee.^{11 12}Thereat Cuchulain became frantic, and he gave a strong tug and¹² drew the spit out from its roots, ¹³from sinew and bone, from flesh and from skin.^{13 14}"Go not, Ferbaeth, till thou seest the find I have made." "Throw it then," cried Ferbaeth.¹⁴ And Cuchulain threw the holly-spit over his shoulder after Ferbaeth, and he would as lief that it reached him or that it reached him not. The spit struck Ferbaeth in the nape of the neck,^b so that it passed out through his W. 2192. mouth ¹in front¹ and fell to the ground, and thus Ferbaeth fell ²backward into the glen.²

"Now that was a good throw, Cucuc!" cried ³Fiachu son of Ferfebè,^{3 4}who was on the mound between the two camps,⁴ for he considered it a good throw to kill that warrior with a spit of holly. Hence it is that Focherd Murthemni ('the good Cast of Murthemne') is the name of the place where they were.

⁵Straightway Ferbaeth died in the glen. Hence cometh Glenn Ferbaeth. Something was heard. It was Fergus who sang:—

XIVa. ¹THE COMBAT OF LARINE MacNOIS¹

²Lugaid spake: "Let one of you be ready on the morrow to go against that other." "There shall not any one at all be found to go," quoth Ailill, "unless guile be used. Whatever man comes to you, give him wine, so that his soul may be glad, and let him be told that that is all the wine that has been brought to Cruachan: 'It would grieve us that thou shouldst drink water in our camp.' And let Finnabair be placed on his right hand and let him be told, 'She shall go with thee if thou bring us the head of the Contorted.'" So a summons was sent to each warrior, one on each night, and those words used to be told him. Cuchulain killed every man of them in turn. At length no one could be got to attack him.²

W. 2197. ³"Good,³ my master Laeg," ⁴said Cuchulain,⁴ "go for me to the camp of the men of Erin to hold converse with Lugaid ⁵macNois,^{5 6}my friend, my companion and my foster-brother,^{6 7}and bear him a greeting from me and bear him my blessing, for he is the one man that keeps amity and friendship with me on the great hosting of the Cattle-raid of Cualnge.⁷ And discover ⁸in what way they are in the camp,⁸ whether or no anything has W. 2199. happened to Ferbaeth,^{a 1}whether Ferbaeth has reached the camp;^{1 2}and inquire for me if the cast I made a while ago reached Ferbaeth or did not reach, and if it did reach him,² ask who ³of the men of Erin³ comes to meet me ⁴to fight and do battle with me at the morning hour early⁴ on the morrow."

Laeg proceeds to Lugaid's tent. Lugaid bids him welcome. ⁵"Welcome to thy coming and arrival, O Laeg," said Lugaid.⁵ "I take that welcome as truly meant," Laeg replied. "It is truly meant for thee," quoth Lugaid, ⁶"and thou shalt have entertainment here to-night."^{6 7}"Victory and blessing shalt thou have," said Laeg; "but not for entertainment am I come, but⁷ to hold converse with thee am I come from ⁸thine own friend and companion and⁸ foster-brother, ⁹from Cuchulain,⁹ that thou mayest tell me whether Ferbaeth ¹⁰was smitten."¹⁰ "He was," answered Lugaid, "and a blessing on the hand that smote him, for he fell dead in the valley a while ago." "Tell me who ¹¹of the men of Erin¹¹ comes to-morrow to ¹²combat and¹² fight with Cuchulain ¹³at the morning hour early on the morrow?"¹³ "They are persuading a brother of mine own to go meet him, a foolish, haughty arrogant youth, yet dealing stout blows and stubborn. ¹⁴And he has agreed to do the battle and combat.¹⁴ And it is to this end they will send him to fight Cuchulain, that he, my brother, may fall at his hands, so that I myself must then go to avenge him upon Cuchulain. But I will not go there till the very day of doom. Larinè great-grandson W. 2211. of Blathmac is that brother. ¹And, do thou tell Cuchulain to come to Ferbaeth's Glen and¹ I will go ²thither² to speak with Cuchulain about him," said Lugaid.

³Laeg betook him to where Cuchulain was.³ Lugaid's two horses were taken and his chariot was yoked to them ⁴and⁴ he came ⁵to Glen Ferbaeth⁵ to his tryst with Cuchulain, so that a parley was had between them. ⁶The two champions and battle-warriors gave each other welcome.⁶ Then it was that Lugaid spake: ⁷"There is no condition that could be promised to me for fighting and combating with thee," said Lugaid, "and there is no condition on which I would undertake it, but⁷ they are persuading a brother of mine to come fight thee ⁸on the morrow,⁸ to-wit, a foolish, dull, uncouth youth, dealing stout blows. ⁹They brought him into the tent of Ailill and Medb and he has engaged to do the battle and combat with thee.^{9 10}He is befooled about the same maiden.¹⁰ And it is for this reason they are to send him to fight thee, that he may fall at thy hands, ¹¹so that we two may quarrel,¹¹ and to see if I myself will come to avenge him upon thee. But I will not, till the very day of doom. And by the fellowship that is between us, ¹²and by the rearing and nurture I bestowed on thee and thou didst bestow on me, bear me no grudge because of Larinè.¹² Slay not my brother ¹³lest thou shouldst leave me brotherless."¹³

"By my conscience, truly," cried Cuchulain, ¹⁴kill him I will not, but¹⁴ the next thing to death will I inflict on him. ¹⁵No worse would it be for him to die than what I W. 2222. will give him."¹⁵ "I give thee leave. ¹It would please me well shouldst thou beat him sorely,¹ for to my dishonour he comes to attack thee."

Thereupon Cuchulain went back and Lugaid returned to the camp ²lest the men of Erin should say it was betraying them or forsaking them he was if he remained longer parleying with Cuchulain.²

Then ³on the next day³ it was that Larinè son of Nos, ⁴brother of Lugaid king of Munster,⁴ was summoned to the tent of Ailill and Medb, and Finnabair was placed by his side. It was she that filled up the drinking-horns for him and gave him a kiss with each draught that he took and served him his food. "Not to every one with Medb is given the drink that is poured out for Ferbaeth or for Larinè," quoth Finnabair; "only the load of fifty wagons of it was brought to the camp."^a

⁵Medb looked at the pair. "Yonder pair rejoiceth my heart," said she.⁵ "Whom wouldst thou say?" asked ⁶Ailill.⁶ "The man yonder, ⁷in truth,"⁷ said she. "What of him?" asked Ailill. "It is thy wont to set the mind on that which is far from the purpose (Medb answered). It were more becoming for thee to bestow thy thought on the couple in whom are united the greatest distinction and beauty to be found on any road in Erin, namely Finnabair, ⁸my daughter,⁸ and Larinè macNois. ⁹'Twould be fitting to bring them together."⁹ "I regard them as thou dost," answered Ailill; ¹⁰"I will not oppose thee herein. He shall have her if only he brings me the head of Cuchulain."^a "Aye, bring it I will," said Larinè.¹⁰ W. 2235. It was then that Larinè shook and tossed himself with joy, so that the sewings of the flock bed burst under him and the mead of the camp was speckled with its feathers.

¹They passed the night there.¹ Larinè longed for day with its full light ²to go² to attack Cuchulain. At the early day-dawn on the morrow he came, ³and the maiden came too to embolden him,³ and he brought a wagon-load of arms with him, and he came on to the ford to encounter Cuchulain. The mighty warriors of the camp and station considered it not a goodly enough sight to view the combat of Larinè; only the women and boys and girls, ⁴thrice fifty of them,⁴ went to scoff and to jeer at his battle.

Cuchulain went to meet him at the ford and he deemed it unbecoming to bring along arms ⁵or to ply weapons upon him,⁵ so Cuchulain came to the encounter unarmed ⁶except for the weapons he wrested from his opponent.^{6 7}And when Larinè reached the ford, Cuchulain saw him and made a rush at him.⁷ Cuchulain knocked all of Larinè's weapons out of his hand as one might knock toys out of the hand of an infant. Cuchulain ground and bruised him between his arms, he lashed him and clasped him, he squeezed him and shook him, so that he spilled all the dirt out of him, ⁸so that the ford was defiled with his dung^{8 9}and the air was fouled with his dust⁹ and an ¹⁰unclean, filthy¹⁰ wrack of cloud arose in the four airts wherein he was. Then from the middle of the ford Cuchulain hurled Larinè far from him across through the camp ¹¹till he fell into Lugaid's two hands¹¹ at the door of the tent of his brother. W. 2252. Howbeit ¹from that time forth^{1 2}for the remainder of his life² he never got up without a ³sigh and a³ groan, and ⁴he never lay down without hurt, and he never stood up without a moan;^{4 5}as long as he lived⁵ he never ate ⁶a meal⁶ without plaint, and never thenceforward was he free from weakness of the loins and oppression of the chest and without cramps and the frequent need which obliged him to go out. Still he is the only man that made escape, ⁷yea though a bad escape,⁷ after combat with Cuchulain on the Cualnge Cattle-raid. Nevertheless that maiming took effect upon him, so that it afterwards brought him his death. Such then is the Combat of Larinè on the Táin Bó Cualnge.