E-text prepared by Nicole Apostola
An Old Irish Prose-Epic
Translated for the first time from Leabhar na h-Uidhriand the Yellow Book of Lecan by
London
Published by David Nutt
At the Sign of the Phoenix
Long Acre
1904
INTRODUCTION
THE CATTLE-RAID OF CUALNGE (from Leabhar na h-Uidhri)
Cuchulainn's Boyish Deeds
The Death of Fraech
The Death of Orlam
The Death of the Meic Garach
The Death of the Squirrel
The Death of Lethan
The Death of Lochu
The Harrying of Cualnge (first version)
The Harrying of Cualnge (second version)
Mac Roth's Embassy
The Death of Etarcomol
The Death of Nadcrantail
The Finding of the Bull
The Death of Redg
The Meeting of Cuchulainn and Findabair
The Combat of Munremar and Curoi
The Death of the Boys (first version)
The Woman-fight of Rochad
The Death of the Princes
The Death of Cur
The Number of the Feats
The Death of Ferbaeth
The Combat of Larine Mac Nois
The Conversation of the Morrigan with Cuchulainn
The Death of Long Mac Emonis
The Healing of the Morrigan
The Coming of Lug Mac Ethlend
The Death of the Boys (second version)
The Arming of Cuchulainn
CONTINUATION (from the Yellow Book of Lecan)
The Combat of Fer Diad and Cuchulainn
The Long Warning of Sualtaim
The Muster of the Ulstermen
The Vision of Dubthach
The March of the Companies
The Muster of the Men of Ireland
The Battle on Garach and Irgarach
The Meeting of the Bulls
The Peace
The Cattle-Raid of Cualnge [Note: Pronounce Cooley] is the chiefstory belonging to the heroic cycle of Ulster, which had its centrein the deeds of the Ulster king, Conchobar Mac Nessa, and hisnephew and chief warrior, Cuchulainn Mac Sualtaim. Tradition placestheir date at the beginning of the Christian era.
The events leading up to this tale, the most famous of Irishmythical stories, may be shortly summarised here from the Book ofLeinster introduction to the Tain, and from the other talesbelonging to the Ulster cycle.
It is elsewhere narrated that the Dun Bull of Cualnge, for whosesake Ailill and Medb [Note: Pronounce Maive.], the king and queenof Connaught, undertook this expedition, was one of two bulls inwhom two rival swineherds, belonging to the supernatural race knownas the people of the Sid, or fairy-mounds, were re-incarnated,after passing through various other forms. The other bull,Findbennach, the White-horned, was in the herd of Medb at CruachanAi, the Connaught capital, but left it to join Ailill's herd. Thiscaused Ailill's possessions to exceed Medb's, and to equalisematters she determined to secure the great Dun Bull, who aloneequalled the White-horned. An embassy to the owner of the Dun Bullfailed, and Ailill and Medb therefore began preparations for aninvasion of Ulster, in which province (then ruled by Conchobar MacNessa) Cualnge was situated. A number of smaller Tana, orcattle-raids, prefatory to the great Tain Bo Cuailnge, relatesome of their efforts to procure allies and provisions.
Medb chose for the expedition th