Myths & Legends of the Celtic RaceRolleston, T. W. (Thomas William)
Religion
Myths & Legends of the Celtic Race
Rolleston, T. W. (Thomas William)
Celts -- Religion; Mythology, Celtic
So she went to Mananan, and Cuchulain, who did not see the god, asked Laeg
what was happening. “Fand,” he replied, “is going away with the Son of the
Sea, since she hath not been pleasing in thy sight.”
Then Cuchulain bounded into the air and fled from the place, and lay a
long time refusing meat and drink, until at last the Druids gave him a
draught of forgetfulness; and Mananan, it is said, shook his cloak between
Cuchulain and Fand, so that they might meet no more throughout
eternity.(161)
*The Vengeance of Maev*
Though Maev made peace with Ulster after the battle of Garech she vowed
the death of Cuchulain for all the shame and loss he had brought upon her
and on her province, and she sought how she might take her vengeance upon
him.
Now the wife of the wizard Calatin, whom Cuchulain slew at the Ford,
brought forth, after her husband’s death, six children at a birth, namely,
three sons and three daughters. Misshapen, hideous, poisonous, born for
evil were they; and Maev, hearing of these, sent them to learn the arts of
magic, not in Ireland only, but in Alba; and even as far as Babylon they
went to seek for hidden knowledge, and they came back mighty in their
craft, and she loosed them against Cuchulain.
*Cuchulain and Blanid*
Besides the Clan Calatin, Cuchulain had also other foes, namely Ere, the
King of Ireland, son to Cairpre, whom Cuchulain had slain in battle, and
Lewy son of Curoi, King of Munster.(162) For Curoi’s wife, Blanid, had set
her love on Cuchulain, and she bade him come and take her from Curoi’s
dūn, and watch his time to attack the dūn, when he would see the stream
that flowed from it turn white. So Cuchulain and his men waited in a wood
hard by till Blanid judged that the time was fit, and she then poured into
the stream the milk of three cows. Then Cuchulain attacked the dūn, and
took it by surprise, and slew Curoi, and bore away the woman. But
Fercartna, the bard of Curoi, went with them and showed no sign, till,
finding himself near Blanid as she stood near the cliff-edge of Beara, he
flung his arms round her, and leaped with her over the cliff, and so they
perished, and Curoi was avenged upon his wife.
All these now did Maev by secret messages and by taunts and exhortations
arouse against Cuchulain, and they waited till they heard that the curse
of Macha was again heavy on the men of Ulster, and then they assembled a
host and marched to the Plain of Murthemney.
*The Madness of Cuchulain*
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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