Hero-Myths & Legends of the British Race
Conor related to him everything as it had occurred--the feast, the
dispute for the Champion's Portion, the women's quarrel, and the
decision to be judged by King Ailill. This angered Ailill, who was a
peaceable man.
"It was no friend of mine who referred you to me, for I shall surely
incur the hatred of two heroes," quoth he.
"You are the best judge of all," replied King Conor.
"Then I must have time--three days and nights--to decide," said
Ailill.
"We can spare our heroes so long," quoth Conor, and therewith the
Ulster men returned to Armagh, leaving the three claimants to the
Championship at Cruachan.
The First Test
That night Ailill put them to an unexpected test. Their feast was
served to them in a separate room, and the king went to his
protectors, the Fairy People of the Hills, in the Good People's Hill
at Cruachan, and begged some help in his judgment. They willingly
aided him, and three magic beasts, in the shape of monstrous cats,
were let into the room where the heroes feasted. When they saw them
Laegaire and Conall rose up from their meal, clambered up among the
rafters, and stayed there all night. Cuchulain waited till one
attacked him, and then drawing his sword, struck the monster. It
showed no further sign of fight, and Cuchulain kept watch all night,
till the magic beasts disappeared at daybreak. When Ailill came into
the room and saw the heroes as they had spent the night he laughed as
he said:
"Are you not content to yield the Championship to Cuchulain?"
"Indeed no," said Conall and Laegaire. "We are used to fighting men,
not monstrous beasts."
The Second Test
The next day King Ailill sent the heroes to his own foster-father,
Ercol, to spend a night with him, that he also might test them. When
they arrived, and had feasted, Laegaire was sent out that night to
fight the witches of the valley. Fierce and terrible were these
witches, and they beat Laegaire, and took his arms and armour.
When Conall went to fight them the witches beat him and took his
spear, but he kept his sword and brought it back with honour.
Cuchulain, who was the youngest, went last, and he too was being
beaten, when the taunts of his chariot-driver, who was watching,
aroused him, and he beat the witches, and bore off in triumph their
cloaks of battle. Yet even after this the other two heroes would not
acknowledge Cuchulain's superiority.
Ercol's Defeat
The next day Ercol fought with each champion separately, and conquered
both Laegaire and Conall, terrifying the former so much that he fled
to Cruachan and told Meave and Ailill that Ercol had killed the other
two. When Cuchulain arrived victorious, with Ercol tied captive at his
chariot-wheels, he found all men mourning for him and Conall as for
the dead.
Meave's Plan to Avoid Strife in Cruachan
Now indeed Ailill was in great perplexity, for he durst not delay his
decision, and he dreaded the wrath of the two disappointed heroes. He
and Queen Meave consulted long together, and at length Meave promised
to relieve him of the responsibility of judgment. Summoning Laegaire
to the king's room, she said:
"Welcome, O Laegaire! You are greatest of the warriors of Ulster. To
you we give the headship of the heroes of Ireland and the Champion's
Portion, and to your wife the right to walk first of all the women of
Ulster. In token thereof we give you this cup of bronze with a silver
bird embossed, to be seen by no man till you be come to King Conor in
the Red Branch House at Armagh. Then show your cup and claim your
right, and none will dispute it with you."
So Laegaire went away well pleased, and they sent for Conall. To him
they gave a silver cup, with a bird embossed in gold, and to him they
pretended to adjudge the Championship, and Conall left them well
content.
Cuchulain, who was playing chess, refused to attend the King of
Connaught when he was summoned, and Queen Meave had to entreat him to
come to their private room. There they gave him a golden cup, with a
bird designed in precious gems, with many words of flattery for
Cuchulain and his fair and noble wife, Emer.
The Return of the Champions
Now the heroes, each well content, bade farewell to the court at
Cruachan, and drove back to Armagh, but none durst ask how they had
sped. That evening, at the banquet, when the Champion's Portion was
set aside, Laegaire arose and claimed it, showing as proof that his
claim was just the bronze cup he brought from Queen Meave.
But alas! Conall the Victorious had a silver cup, and while he was
exulting in this proof of his rightful claim to the championship
Cuchulain produced his golden cup, and the dispute began all over
again. King Conor would have allowed Cuchulain's claim, but Laegaire
vowed that his rival had bribed Ailill and Meave with great treasures
to give him the golden cup, and neither Laegaire nor Conall would
yield him the victory or accept the judgment as final. "Then you must
go to Curoi," said the king, and to that they all agreed.
The Champions Visit Curoi
The next day the three champions drove to Kerry where Curoi dwelt in a
magic dun. He was away from home planning enchantments to test them,
for he knew they were coming, but his wife welcomed them, and bade
them watch the dun for one night each, beginning with Laegaire, as the
eldest. Laegaire took up his sentinel's post outside the dun, and
Curoi's wife worked the charm which prevented entrance after
nightfall. The night was long and silent, and Laegaire thought he
would have a quiet watch, when he saw a great shadow arise from the
sea.
The Giant Fights Laegaire and Conall
This shadow took the shape of a huge giant, whose spears were mighty
branch-stripped oaks, which he hurled at Laegaire. They did not touch
him, however, and Laegaire made some show of fight; but the giant took
him up, squeezed him so tightly as nearly to slay him, and then threw
him over the magic wall of the dun, where the others found him lying
half dead. All men thought that he had sprung with a mighty leap over
the wall, since no other entrance was to be found, and Laegaire kept
silence and did not explain to them.
Conall, who took the watch the second night, fared exactly as Laegaire
had done, and likewise did not confess how he had been thrown over
the wall of the dun, nor what became of the giant in the dawn.
Cuchulain's Trials
The third night was Cuchulain's watch, and he took his post outside
the dun, and the gates and wall were secured by magic spells, so that
none could enter. Vainly he watched till midnight, and then he thought
he saw nine grey shadowy forms creeping towards him.
"Who goes there?" he cried. "If you be friends, stop; if foes, come
on!" Then the nine shadowy foes raised a shout, and fell upon the
hero; but he fought hard and slew them, and beheaded them. A second
and a third time similar groups of vague, shadowy foemen rushed at
him, and he slew them all in like manner, and then, wearied out, sat
down to rest.
The Dragon
Later on in the night, as he was still watching, he heard a heavy
sound, like waves surging in the lake, and when he roused himself to
see what it was he beheld a monstrous dragon. It was rising from the
water and flying towards the dun, and seemed ready to devour
everything in its way. When the dragon perceived him it soared swiftly
into the air, and then gradually sank towards him, opening its
terrible jaws. Cuchulain sprang up, giving his wonderful hero-leap,
and thrust his arm into the dragon's mouth and down its throat; he
found its heart, tore it out, and saw the monster fall dead on the
ground. He then cut off its scaly head, which he added to those of his
former enemies.
The Giant Worsted by Cuchulain
Towards daybreak, when feeling quite worn out and very sleepy, he
became slowly aware of a great shadow coming to him westward from the
sea. The shadow, as before, became a giant, who greeted him in a surly
tone with, "This is a bad night." "It will be worse yet for you," said
Cuchulain. The giant, as he had done with the other heroes, threw
oaks, but just missed him; and when he tried to grapple with him the
hero leaped up with drawn sword. In his anger the hero-light shone
round him, and he sprang as high as the giant's head, and gave him a
stroke that brought him to his knees. "Life for life, Cuchulain," said
the giant, and vanished at once, leaving no trace.
Cuchulain Re-enters the Dun
Now Cuchulain would gladly have returned to the fort to rest, but
there seemed no way of entrance, and the hero was vexed at his own
helplessness, for he thought his comrades had jumped over the magic
walls. Twice he boldly essayed to leap the lofty wall, and twice he
failed; then in his wrath his great strength came upon him, the
hero-light shone round him, and he took a little run and, leaning on
his spear, leaped so high and so far that he alighted in the middle of
the court, just before the door of the hall.
As he sighed heavily and wearily, Curoi's wife said: "That is the sigh
of a weary conqueror, not of a beaten man"; and Cuchulain went in and
sat down to rest.
The Decision
The next morning Curoi's wife asked the champions: "Are you content
that the Championship should go to Cuchulain? I know by my magic skill
what he has endured in the past night, and you must see that you are
not equal to him."
"Nay, that we will not allow," quoth they. "It was one of Cuchulain's
friends among the People of the Hills who came to conquer us and to
give him the Championship. We are not content, and we will not give up
our claim, for the fight was not fair."
"Go home now to Armagh, is Curoi's word, and wait there until he
himself brings his decision," said Curoi's wife. So they bade her
farewell, and went back to the Red Branch House in Armagh, with the
dispute still unsettled; but they agreed to await peaceably Curoi's
decision, and abide by it when he should bring it.
Uath, the Stranger
Some time after this, when Curoi had made no sign of giving judgment,
it happened that all the Ulster heroes were in their places in the Red
Branch House, except Cuchulain and his cousin Conall. As they sat in
order of rank in the hall they saw a terrible stranger coming into the
room. He was gigantic in stature, hideous of aspect, with ravening
yellow eyes. He wore a skin roughly sewn together, and a grey cloak
over it, and he sheltered himself from the light with a spreading tree
torn up by the roots. In his hand he bore an enormous axe, with keen
and shining edge. This hideous apparition strode up the hall and leant
against a carved pillar beside the fire.
"Who are you?" asked one chieftain in sport. "Are you come to be our
candlestick, or would you burn the house down? Is this the place for
such as you? Go farther down the hall!"
"My name is Uath, the Stranger, and for neither of those things am I
come. I seek that which I cannot find in the whole world, and that is
a man to keep the agreement he makes with me."
The Agreement
"What is the agreement?" asked King Conor.
"Behold my axe!" quoth the stranger. "The man who will grasp it
to-day may cut my head off with it, provided that I may, in like
manner, cut off his head to-morrow. Now you men of Ulster, heroes of
the Red Branch, have won the palm through the wide world for courage,
honour, strength, truth, and generosity; do you, therefore, find me a
man to keep this agreement. King Conor is excepted, because of his
royal dignity, but no other. And if you have no champion who dare face
me, I will say that Ulster has lost her courage and is dishonoured."