This book includes three stories

1. The Death of Aife's Only Son

2. The Birth of Cú Chulainn

3. The Cattle Raid of Cooley

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The death of Aife’s son

Cu Chulainn went to be taught craft of arms by Scathach, daughter of Ardgeimm, in Letha, until he attained mastership of great courage skill and strength with her.

After awhile, he fell in love with a beautiful blonde princess named

Aife. Aife became preganant with Cu Chulainn’s son. Cú Chulainn

had to leave to go to Ireland and gave Aife a golden thumb-ring. He

told Aife to keep the ring safe until his son grew up and it eventually

fitted him. Once the ring fitted his son, he told Aife to tell their son to go

and look for him in Ireland.

When the boy was seven years old he went to look for his father, the great Cú Chulainn. The men of Ulster were having a gathering when they saw the young boy approaching them, a skiff of bronze under him, and gilt oars in his hand. In the skiff, he had a heap of stones. He would put a stone in his sling, and launch a stunning shot at the sea-birds, so that he brought them

down alive. Then would he let them up into the air again.

He would perform his marvellous and impressive skill, between both hands, so that it was too quick for anyone to see properly. He would tune his voice for them to understand and bring them down for a second time. The men of Ulster were impressed by the young boys skill and felt slightly threatened.

“Well, now,” said Conchobar, “I wonder which land this young boy comes from! If grown-up men of the place from which he comes were to come, they would grind us to dust, when a small boy makes that practice. Someone should go to meet him! Do not let him come onto our land at all!”

“Who will go meet him? Who should it be?” said Conchobar, “Maybe Condere” he suggested

“Why should Condere go?” said the others.

“I think Condere is the proper person, he has the correct mannerism.”

“I will go to meet him,” said Condere.

Condere went just as the boy got off his skiff and walked on the beach. “What is your name?” Condere asked.

“It is none of your business, I will not tell you!” the boy replied.

“You cannot stay here unless you tell us your name, it will not be safe for you” said Condere.

The boy tried to leave and then Condere said: “Come back! Stay here, my boy; I will get Conchobar will protect you”

Conall the victorious went to speak to the boy. Conall felt instulted by the boy that he believed that he was much stronger than all the others on the island. The boy set a stone in his sling and sent it in a stunning shot into the sky. The roar of its thunder as it rose reach Conall and knocked him on his back. Before he could rise the boy had the shield-strap tied around Conalls arms.

Conall shouted for the rest of his army to come but they were all too ashamed by what had happened.

Then Cú Chulainn challenged the boy. He performed his skills and strengths in order to defeat him. Meanwhile Forgall’s daughter Emer was by Cú Chulainn’s side pleading with him not to fight. She said:

“Don’t go down, it is your only son there, don’t murder your only son Cú Chulainn! Let him be or you will regret your actions! Listen to my advice, I am speaking words of wisdom to you” If the boy down there is Connla then he is the only son of Aife,” said Emer.

The boy replied that he was much stronger than any of the men on this island and that he would not get him to stay. Condere suggested that someone else should speak to the boy so he went to the men of Ulster and explained the situation to them. Conall the victorious went to speak to the boy. Conall felt instulted by the boy that he believed that he was much stronger than all the others on the island. The boy set a stone in his sling and sent it in a stunning shot into the sky. The roar of its thunder as it rose reach Conall and knocked him on his back. Before he could rise the boy had the shield-strap tied around Conalls arms.

Conall shouted for the rest of his army to come but they were all too ashamed by what had happened.

But Cú Chulainn refused to listen to Emer and said:

“Stop Emer, I do not need you right now! I will do what I need to do

this in order to protect and restore the honor of Ulster.”

Then he went down himself. “Delightful, my boy, you have skill and

talent” "And you do not!” said the little boy

But Cú Chulainn refused to listen to Emer and said:

“Stop Emer, I do not need you right now! I will do what I need to do this in order to protect and restore the honour of Ulster.”Then he went down himself. “Delightful, my boy, you have skill and

talent” "And you do not!” said the little boy

" you will die unless you tell me your name, boy!”

“Let it be so!” said the lad. They exchanged blows. The lad, by a properly measured stroke with the sword, cropped off Cu Chulainn’s hair. “You have mocked Ulster again!” said Cu Chulainn. “Now let us wrestle!”

“I cannot reach thy belt,” said the boy. He got upon two stones, and thrust Cu Chulainn twice between two pillar-stones, while the boy did not move either of his feet from the stones until his feet went into the stones up to his ankles. Then they went into the sea to drown each other, and the boy ducked Cú Chulainn head into the water twice. Thereupon Cu Chulainn went at the boy from the water, and played him false with the gae bulga; for to no man had Scathach ever taught the use of that weapon save to Cu Chulainn alone.

He sent it at the boy through the water.

“Now, this is what Scathach never taught me!” cried the boy. “you have wounded me!”

“It is true,” said Cu Chulainn. He took the boy between his arms, and carried him until he let him down before the men of Ulster. “Here is my son for you, men of Ulster,” he said

“Alas!” said the men; and “It is true,” said the boy.

At that point, the boy put his arms around his father and bade him farewell. Then his cry of lament was raised, his grave made, his stone set up, and to the end of three days no calf was left to their cows by the men of Ulster, to commemorate him.

The Birth Of Cú Chulainn

One day a man called Conchobar and the royal people of Ulster were at a town call Emain. A large flock of birds were following them around grazing on the land leaving no grass at all. The Ulster warriors were getting annoyed when they saw this and they gathered their chariots together and went hunting the peckish birds in order to stop them from destroying the land. At the time, this was a sport that they enjoyed playing. On the chariot with Conchobar was his daughter Dechtrine. Dectrine drove the chariot for her father. She was known as the charioteer. Along with Dechtrine and her Father were the people of Ulster known at the Ulaid including Conal, Loeguire and Bricriu. The birds flew across them in a fleeting flock singing and chirping. Night slowly crept in on the Ulaid and it began to snow heavily. The snowflakes were crystal white and the Ulaid needed to find shelter.

Bricriu and Conal found a house for everyone to stay in. They were made very welcome by the warm and kind couple that lived there. They brought their horses into the house with them to rest there for the night. Later that night the Ulaid said that they heard a woman in the pangs of childbirth. Dechtrine went to help the woman while she was having her baby. At the same time, there was a mare outside the door giving birth to two beautiful foals. Later that night, the Ulaid went to visit the baby that was born. They brought the two gifts as a gift for the young child.

When morning came, they found themselves easy of a big mansion with no house, no birds, only the horses, child and the foals. They were very confused as to what had happened. They nursed the baby boy especially Dectrine but soon after a disease spread among them and he sadly passed away as he became so ill.

Everyone was heart-broken of the loss of the baby boy especially Dechrine as he had become her foster son. After the funeral, Dechtrine needed a drink and she was brought a beautiful bronze chalice to drink from. She felt a creature as she drank the drink. . She swallowed the creature and it vanished. She fell asleep there for the night. In her sleep a man addressed her. He said that she [Dechrine] would have a perfect pregnancy, and that it was he who had brought her towards the mansion, and that it was he who would guard her. The son was to be nursed by her, he had brought her to Brú na Boinne and Setanta was to be his name.

When Dectrine became pregnant, the Ulaid were wondering

who the father was. There were many rumors being spread

regarding the father of the child. Later Conchobar gave

permission to Sualtam mac Roich to marry his daughter. After

awhile, she bore a son just like the man in her sleep told her.

Later the Ulaid were gathering at Emain Macha when the son was brought in. After this, they were disputing as to which of them should rear the boy. They asked Conchobar to make a decision for them. Conchobar said:

'Take the child to you, O Findchóem’. Findchóem was Conchobar’s sister.

Later Findchóem saw the boy and said:

"This child is the love of my heart,' said she, "so that he shall be the same to me as Conall Cernach is.'

'There is little between them in your eyes,' said Conchobar, 'namely between your own son and the son of your niece’

The Ulaids began to argue with Conchobar as to who would take care of the boy, love and nourish him best. Take you the boy,' said Conchobar to his sister. "She will not nurse him,' said Sencha, 'for it is I who will not permit it, I who am strong, am skilful, am noble, am nimble, am a learned man, am wise.

I am praised before every rank for my valour, for my intelligence, for my age, for my eloquence, for the nobility and courage of my children.

For whomsoever reigns, I am the poet, I am worthy of the respect of the king.

Conchobar said: 'There is no profit in all of this. Let Findchóem take the boy and reach Emain and find Morann.' Afterwards they went out to Emain and the boy was with Findchóem. Later Moran arrived at Emain and gave a judgement: 'Conchobar has handed over the boy to Findchóem since she is a relation. Sencha can invoke eloquence. Blai Bruigu can nourish him, he was carried to the knee of Fergus. Amergin was his foster father. The boy would have a multitude of friends and followers. The little child was named Setanta until he slew the hound of Culann the smith, after which he was known as Cu Chulainn.

The End

Táin Bó Cúalnge – The cattle raid of Cooley

The war was one against the region of Ulster by the region of Connacht. Queen Medb and her husband Ailill intended to steal the bull, named Donn Cuailnge. He is a brown bull like our Irish cow this year! Of course, this bull wasn’t just any old bull. It was a special, magical bull

Then there was Medb. She was a proud queen and was determined to be every bit as powerful as her husband. One day Queen Medb and King Ailill were comparing wealth.

Likewise, their rings and their bracelets and their thumbrings and their golden treasures were fetched to them, and their apparel, both purple and blue and black and green, yellow, vari-coloured and gray, dun, mottled and brindled.

Their numerous flocks of sheep were led in from fields and meeds and plains. These were counted and compared, and found to be equal, of like size, of like number; however, there was an uncommonly fine ram over Medb's sheep, and he was equal in worth to a bondmaid, but a corresponding ram was over the ewes of Ailill.

Next they brought before them their droves of cattle and their herds and their roaming flocks from the brakes and wastes of the province.

These were counted and numbered and claimed, and were the same for both, equal in size, equal in number, except only there was an especial bull of the bawn of Ailill, and he was a calf of one of Medb's cows, and Finnbennach ('the Whitehorned') was his name. But the bull did not want to be part of medbh’s herd so went over to the kings herd. And it was the same to Medb as if she owned not a pennyworth, forasmuch as she had not a bull of his size amongst her cattle.

Then it was that macRoth the messenger was summoned to Medb, and Medb strictly asked macRoth to learn where she might find a bull of the same worth of her husband’s in Ireland. "I know where the bull is that is best and better again, in the province of Ulster, in Cualnge, in the house of Darè son of Fiachna; even Donn Cualnge ('the Brown Bull of Cualnge') he is called."

The queen sent messengers over to the county to offer to rent the bull for a year. She also told them that if they are denied, then they are to take the bull by force. At first, the county agreed to let her rent it. Unfortunately, her messengers get drunk after talking over the deal, and they told the others that they were going to steal the bull if they couldn’t borrow it. Naturally, the deal fell apart when the other side heard those claims

"I swear by the gods whom I worship," spoke Darè, " they shall in no wise take by foul means what they cannot take

by fair!"

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"A book of medieval Irish Sagas"

Name: A book of medieval Irish Sagas
Author: ash95xx

ash95xx

A collection of three classic Irish myths following the life and tragic battles of the hero Cú Chulainn, accompanied by educational teacher notes and activities.

(30 pages)

Privacy level: PUBLIC

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