The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Tain Bo Cualnge Part 35

[2-2] LU. and YBL. 1535.

[a] In LU. and YBL. it is wine.

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 fellows.h.i.+p and brotherhood, of his friends.h.i.+p 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."

[3]Cuchulain 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."

[3-3] LU. and YBL. 1541-1544.

Lugaid brought back this word to Ferbaeth. [W.2183.] Now inasmuch as Ferbaeth shunned not the parley,[4] he by no means waited till morn but he went straightway [1]to the glen[1] [2]that night[2] to recant his friends.h.i.+p with Cuchulain, [3]and Fiachu son of Ferfebe went with him.[3]

And Cuchulain called to mind the friends.h.i.+p and fellows.h.i.+p and brotherhood [5]that 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 [8]to Medb."[8] [9]"Friends.h.i.+p 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 [10]in the glen,[10] so that it pierced through flesh and bone and skin [11]and came out by his knee.[11] [12]Thereat Cuchulain became frantic, and he gave a strong tug and[12] drew the spit out from its roots, [13]from 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 pa.s.sed out through his [W.2192.] mouth [1]in front[1] and fell to the ground, and thus Ferbaeth fell [2]backward into the glen.[2]

[4-4] LU. and YBL. 1544-1549.

[1-1] Eg. 93.

[2-2] Eg. 93, LU. and YBL. 1549.

[3-3] LU. and YBL. 1550.

[4-4] See page 152, note 4.

[5-5] Stowe.

[6-6] LU. and YBL. 1551-1552.

[a] Reading, with Windisch, from Stowe which gives a better meaning than LL.

[7-7] LU. and YBL. 1552-1553.

[8-8] YBL. 1553.

[9-9] Literally, 'Keep thy covenant, then!'

[10-10] LU. and YBL. 1554.

[11-11] LU. and YBL. 1555.

[12-12] Eg. 93.

[13-13] Eg. 93.

[14-14] LU. and YBL. 1556-1557.

[b] See note, page 137.

[1-1] LU. and YBL. 1559.

[2-2] LU. and YBL. 1559-1560.

"Now that was a good throw, Cucuc!" cried [3]Fiachu son of Ferfebe,[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.

[3-3] "Cormac Conlongas son of Conchobar." Eg. 93.

[4-4] Eg. 93.

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

"Fool's[a] emprise was thine, Ferbaeth, That did bring thee to thy grave.

Ruin hath come on anger here; Thy last end in Croen Corann!

Fithi was the hill's old name, In Croenech in Murthemne.

'Ferbaeth' now shall be the name Of the plain where Ferbaeth fell!"[5]

[5-5] LU. and YBL. 1563-1569.

[a] With a play on the word Ferbaeth, 'a foolish man.'

[Page 155]

XIVa

[1]THE COMBAT OF LARINE MacNOIS[1]

[2]Lugaid 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]

[1-1] LU. fo. 73b, in the margin.

[2-2] LU. and YBL. 1574-1584 and Eg. 1782. Here Eg. 1782 breaks off.

[W.2197.] [3]"Good,[3] my master Laeg," [4]said Cuchulain,[4] "go for me to the camp of the men of Erin to hold converse with Lugaid [5]macNois,[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 friends.h.i.+p with me on the great hosting of the Cattle-raid of Cualnge.[7] And discover [8]in 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 [3]of the men of Erin[3] comes to meet me [4]to fight and do battle with me at the morning hour early[4] on the morrow."

[3-3] Eg. 93.

[4-4] Eg. 93 and Eg. 209.

[5-5] Eg. 93 and Eg. 209.

[6-6] Eg. 93.

[7-7] Eg. 93.