XIVb. ¹THE COLLOQUY OF THE MORRIGAN AND CUCHULAIN¹

²Then Cuchulain saw draw near him a young woman with a dress of every colour about her and her appearance was most surpassing. "Who art thou?" Cuchulain asked. "Daughter of Buan ('the Eternal'), the king," she answered. "I am come to thee; I have loved thee for the high tales they tell of thee and have brought my treasures and cattle with me." "Not good is the time thou hast come. Is not our condition weakened through hunger? Not easy then would it be for me to foregather with a woman the while I am engaged in this struggle." "Herein I will come to thy help." "Not for the love of a woman^a did I take this in hand." "This then shall be thy lot," said she, "when I come against thee what time thou art contending with men: In the shape of an eel I will come beneath thy feet in the ford; so shalt thou fall." "More likely that, methinks, than daughter of a king! I will seize thee," said he, "in the fork of my toes till thy ribs are broken, and thou shalt remain in such sorry plight till there come my sentence of blessing on thee." "In the shape of a grey she-wolf will I drive the cattle on to the ford against thee." "I will cast a stone from my sling at thee, so shall it smash thine eye in thy head" (said he), "and thou wilt so remain maimed till my sentence of blessing come on thee." "I will attack thee," said she, "in the shape of a hornless red heifer at the head of the cattle, so that they will overwhelm thee on the waters and fords and pools and thou wilt not see me before thee." "I will," replied he, "fling a stone at thee that will break thy leg under thee, and thou wilt thus be lamed till my sentence of blessing come on thee." Therewith she went from him.²

XV. ¹HERE FOLLOWETH THE COMBAT OF LOCH AND CUCHULAIN ON THE TÁIN,^{1 2}AND THE SLAYING OF LOCH SON OF MOFEMIS²

³Then it was debated by the men of Erin who would be fitted to fight and contend with Cuchulain and ward him off from them on the ford at the morning-hour early on the morrow. What they all agreed was that it should be Loch Mor ('the Great') son of Mofemis, the royal champion of Munster.³ W. 2260. It was then that Loch Mor son of Mofemis was summoned ⁴like the rest⁴ to the pavilion of Ailill and Medb, ⁵and he was promised the equal of Mag Murthemni of the smooth field of Mag Ai, and the accoutrement of twelve men, and a chariot of the value of seven bondmaids.⁵ "What would ye of me?" asked Loch. "To have fight with Cuchulain," replied Medb. "I will not go on that errand, for I esteem it no honour nor becoming to attack a tender, young, smooth-chinned, beardless boy. ⁶'Tis not seemly to speak thus to me, and ask it not of me.⁶ And not to belittle him do I say it, but I have ⁷a doughty brother, ⁸the match of himself,"⁸ said Loch,⁷ "a man to confront him, Long macEmonis, to wit, and he will rejoice to accept an offer from you; ⁹and it were fitting for him to contend with Cuchulain for Long has no beard on cheek or lip any more than Cuchulain."⁹

W. 2266. ¹Thereupon¹ Long was summoned to the tent of Ailill and Medb, and Medb promised him great gifts, even livery for twelve men of cloth of every colour, and a chariot worth four^a times seven bondmaids, and Finnabair to wife for him alone, and at all times entertainment in Cruachan, and that wine^b would be poured out for him.

²They passed there that night and he engaged to do the battle and combat, and early on the morrow² went Long ³to the ford of battle and combat³ to seek Cuchulain, and Cuchulain slew him and ⁵they brought him dead into the presence of his brother, namely of Loch. And Loch ⁴came forth and raised up his loud, quick voice and⁴ cried, had he known it was a bearded man that slew him, he would slay him for it.^{5 6}And it was in the presence of Medb that he said it.^{6 7}"Lead a battle-force against him," Medb cried to her host, "over the ford from the west, that ye may cross, and let the law of fair fight be broken with Cuchulain." The seven Manè the warriors went first, till they saw him to the west of the edge of the ford. He wore his festive raiment on that day and the women clambered on the men that they might behold him. "It grieves me," said Medb. "I cannot see the boy because of whom they go there." "Thy mind would not be the easier for that," quoth Lethrenn, Ailill's horseboy, "if thou shouldst see him." Cuchulain came to the ford as he was. "What man is that yonder, O Fergus?" asked Medb.^c And Medb, too, climbed on the men to get a look W. 2272. at him.^{7 1}Then¹ Medb called upon ²her handmaid for two woman-bands,^{2 3}fifty or twice fifty³ of her women, to go speak with Cuchulain and to charge him to put a false beard on. The woman-troop went their way to Cuchulain and told him to put a false beard on ⁴if he wished to engage in battle or combat with goodly warriors or with goodly youths of the men of Erin;^{4 5}that sport was made of him in the camp for that he had no beard, and that no good warrior would go meet him but only madmen. It were easier to make a false beard:⁵ "For no brave warrior in the camp thinks it seemly to come fight with thee, and thou beardless," ⁶said they.^{6 7}"If that please me," said Cuchulain, "then I shall do it."⁷ Thereupon Cuchulain ⁸took a handful of grass and speaking a spell over it he⁸ bedaubed himself a beard ⁹in order to obtain combat with a man, namely with Loch.⁹ And he came onto the knoll overlooking the men of Erin and made that beard manifest to them all, ¹⁰so that every one thought it was a real beard he had.^{10 11}"'Tis true," spake the women,^a "Cuchulain has a beard. It is fitting for a warrior to fight with him." They said that to urge on Loch.¹¹ Loch son of Mofemis saw it, and what he said was, "Why, that is a beard on Cuchulain!" "It is what I perceive," Medb answered. Medb promised the same great terms to Loch to put a check to Cuchulain. ¹²"I will not undertake the fight till the end of seven days from this day," exclaimed Loch. "Not fitting is it for us to leave that man unattacked for all that time," Medb answered. "Let us put a warrior every night to spy upon him if, peradventure, we might get a chance at him." This then they did. A warrior went every night to spy upon him and he slew them all. These are the names of the men who fell there: the seven Conall, the seven Oengus, the seven Uargus, the seven Celtri, the eight Fiach, the ten Ailill, the ten Delbrath, the ten Tasach. These are the deeds of that week on Ath Grenca.

Medb sought counsel, what was best to be done with Cuchulain, for she was sore grieved at all of her host that had been slain by him. This is the counsel she took: To despatch keen, high-spirited men at one time to attack him when he would come to an appointment she would make to speak with him. For she had a tryst the next day with Cuchulain, to conclude the pretence of a truce with him in order to get a chance at him. She sent forth messengers to seek him to advise him to come to her, and thus it was that he should come, unarmed, for she herself would not come but with her women attendants to converse with him.

The runner, namely Traigtren ('Strongfoot') ¹son of Traiglethan ('Broadfoot')¹ went to the place where Cuchulain was and gave him Medb's message. Cuchulain promised that he would do her will. "How liketh it thee to meet Medb to-morrow, O Cuchulain?" asked Laeg. "Even as Medb desires it," answered Cuchulain. "Great are Medb's deeds," said the charioteer; "I fear a hand behind the back with her." "How is it to be done ²by us² then?" asked he. "Thy sword at thy waist," the charioteer answered, "that thou be not taken off thy guard. For a warrior is not entitled to his honour-price if he be taken without arms, and it is the coward's law that falls to him in this manner." "Let it be so, then," said Cuchulain.

Now it was on Ard ('the Height') of Aignech which is called Fochard to-day that the meeting took place. Then fared Medb to the tryst and she stationed fourteen men of those that were bravest of her bodyguard in ambush against him. These were they: the two Glassinè, the two sons of Buccridi, the two Ardan, the two sons of Liccè, the two Glasogma, the two sons of Crund, Drucht and Delt and Dathen, Tea and Tascur and Tualang, Taur and Glesè.

Then Cuchulain comes to meet her. The men rise against him. Fourteen spears are hurled at him at the same time. The Hound defends himself, so that neither his skin nor protection (?) is touched and he turns in upon them and kills them, the fourteen men. Hence these are the 'Fourteen men of Fochard.' And they are also the 'Men of Cronech,' for it is in Cronech at Fochard they were slain. And it is of this Cuchulain spake:—

This is the reason why the name Focherd clung to that place, to wit: Fo 'Good' and Cerd 'Art,' which signifieth 'Good the feat of arms' that happened to Cuchulain there.

Then came Cuchulain and he overtook ¹the hosts¹ pitching camp, and there were slain the two Daigri, the two Anli and the four Dungai of Imlech. And there Medb began to urge on Loch: "Great is the scorn that is made of thee," said she, "that the man that killed thy brother should be destroying our host ²here before thee² and thou not attack him. For sure we are that such as he yonder, that great and fierce madman, will not be able to withstand the valour and rage of a warrior such as thou art. And, further, from one and the same instructress the art was acquired by you both."¹²

W. 2283. "I will go forth and attack him," cried Loch. Loch went to attack Cuchulain, ¹to take vengeance on him for his brother,^{1 2}for it was shown him that Cuchulain had a beard;² so they met on the ford where Long had fallen. "Let us move to the upper ford," said Loch, "for I will not fight on this ford," since he held it defiled, ³cursed and unclean,³ the ford whereon his brother had fallen. ⁴Now when Cuchulain came to look for the ford, the men drove the cattle across.^{4 5}"The cattle^{5 6}will be across thy water here to-day," said Gabran^{6 7}the poet.^{7 8}Hence cometh Ath Tarteise ('the Ford over thy Water') and Tir Mor Tarteise ('the Great Land over thy Water').⁸ Thereafter they fought on the upper ford ⁹between Methè and Cethè at the head of Tir Mor,^{9 10}and they were for a long space and time at their feats wounding and striking each other.¹⁰

Then it was that the Morrigan daughter of ¹¹Aed¹¹ Ernmas came from the fairy dwellings to destroy Cuchulain. For she had threatened on the Cattle-raid of Regomain ^a that she would come to undo Cuchulain what time he would be ¹³in sore distress¹³ when engaged in ¹⁴battle and¹⁴ combat with a goodly warrior, ¹⁵with Loch,¹⁵ in the course of the Cattle-spoil of Cualnge. Thither then the Morrigan W. 2293. came in the shape of a white, ¹hornless,¹ red-eared heifer, with fifty heifers about her and a chain of silvered bronze between each two of the heifers. ²She bursts upon the pools and fords at the head of the cattle. It was then that Cuchulain said, "I cannot see the fords for the waters."² The women ³came with their strange sorcery, and³ constrained Cuchulain by geasa and by inviolable bonds ⁴to check the heifer for them⁴ lest she should escape from him without harm. Cuchulain made an unerring cast ⁵from his sling-stick⁵ at her, so that he shattered one of the Morrigan's eyes.

⁶Now when the men met on the ford and began to fight and to struggle, and when each of them was about to strike the other,⁶ the Morrigan came thither in the shape of a slippery, black eel down the stream. Then she came on the linn and she coiled ⁷three folds^{7 8}and twists⁸ around the ⁹two⁹ feet ¹⁰and the thighs and forks¹⁰ of Cuchulain, ¹¹till he was lying on his back athwart the ford^{11 12}and his limbs in the air.¹²

While Cuchulain was busied freeing himself ¹³and before he was able to rise,¹³ Loch wounded him crosswise through the breast, ¹⁴so that the spear^a went through him^{14 15}and the ford was gore-red with his blood.^{15 16}"Ill, indeed," cried Fergus, "is this deed in the face of the foe. Let some of ye taunt him, ye men," he cried to his people, "to the end that he fall not in vain!"

Bricriu Nemthenga ('Of the Venom-tongue') son of Carbad arose and began to revile Cuchulain. "Thy strength has gone from thee," said he, "when a little salmon overthrows thee even now when the Ulstermen are about to come out of their 'Pains.'^{16 1}Hard it would be for thee to take on thee warrior's deeds in the presence of the men of Erin and to repel a stout warrior clad in his armour!"¹

²Then^{2 3}at this incitation^{3 4}Cuchulain arose,^{4 5}and with his left heel he smote the eel on the head,^{5 6}so that its ribs broke within it^{6 7}and he destroyed one half of its brains after smashing half of its head.^{7 8}And the cattle were driven by force past the hosts to the east and they even carried away the tents on their horns at the thunder-feat the two warriors made on the ford.⁸

W. 2302. The Morrigan next came in the form of a rough, grey-red bitch-wolf ⁹with wide open jaws^{9 10}and she bit Cuchulain in the arm^{10 11}and drove the cattle against him westwards,^{11 12}and Cuchulain made a cast of his little javelin at her, strongly, vehemently, so that it shattered one eye in her head.¹² During this space of time, whether long or short, while Cuchulain was engaged in freeing himself, Loch wounded him ¹³through the loins.¹³ Thereupon Cuchulain chanted a lay.^a

¹⁴Then did Cuchulain to the Morrigan the three things he had threatened her on the Cattle-raid of Regomain,¹⁴ and his anger arose within him and he ^*LL. fo. 75a. wounded Loch with the Gae Bulga ('the Barbed-spear'), so that it passed through W. 2307. his heart in his breast. ¹For truly it must have been that Cuchulain could not suffer the treacherous blows and the violence of Loch Mor the warrior, and he called for the Gae Bulgae from Laeg son of Riangabair. And the charioteer sent the Gae Bulga down the stream and Cuchulain made it ready. And when Loch heard that, he gave a lunge down with his shield, so that he drove it over two-thirds deep into the pebbles and sand and gravel of the ford. And then Cuchulain let go the Barbed-spear upwards, so as to strike Loch over the border of his hauberk and the rim of his shield.^{1 2}And it pierced his body's covering, for Loch wore a horn skin when fighting with a man,^{2 3}so that his farther side was pierced clear after his heart had been thrust through in his breast.³

⁴"That is enough now," spake Loch; "I am smitten by that.^{4 5}For thine honour's sake^{5 6}and on the truth of thy valour and skill in arms,⁶ grant me a boon now, O Cuchulain," said Loch. "What boon askest thou?" "'Tis no boon of quarter nor a prayer of cowardice that I make of thee," said Loch. "But fall back a step from me ⁷and permit me to rise,⁷ that it be on my face to the east I fall and not on my back to the west toward the warriors of Erin, to the end that no man of them shall say, ⁸if I fall on my back,⁸ it was in retreat or in flight I was before thee, for fallen I have by the Gae Bulga!" "That will I do," answered Cuchulain, "for 'tis a ⁹true⁹ warrior's prayer that thou makest."

And Cuchulain stepped back, ¹⁰so that Loch fell on his face, and his soul parted from his body and Laeg despoiled him.^{10 11}Cuchulain cut off his head then.¹¹ Hence cometh W. 2314. the name the ford bears ever since, namely Ath Traged ('Foot-ford') in Cenn Tire Moir ('Great Headland'). ¹It was then they broke their terms of fair fight that day with Cuchulain, when five men went against him at one time, namely the two Cruaid, the two Calad and Derothor. All alone, Cuchulain killed them. Hence cometh Coicsius Focherda ('Fochard's Fortnight') and Coicer Oengoirt ('Five Warriors in one Field'). Or it may be, fifteen days Cuchulain passed in Fochard and it is hence cometh Coicsius Focherda on the Táin.¹

And deep distress^a possessed Cuchulain that day ²more than any other day² for his being all alone on the Táin, ³confronting four of the five grand provinces of Erin,^{3 4}and he sank into swoons and faints.⁴ Thereupon Cuchulain enjoined upon Laeg his charioteer to go to the men of Ulster, that they should come to defend their drove. ⁵And, on rising, this is what he said:^{5 6}"Good, O Laeg, get thee to Emain to the Ulstermen, and bid them come henceforward to look after their drove for I can defend their fords no longer. For surely it is not fair fight nor equal contest for any man for the Morrigan to oppose and overpower him and Loch to wound and pierce him."⁶ And weariness of heart and weakness overcame him, and he gave utterance to a lay:—