Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Táin Bó Cúalnge from the Book of Leinster (Author: [unknown])

section 15

Then Cú Chulainn said to Láeg, his charioteer: ‘Go, friend Láeg, to the encampment of the men of Ireland and take a greeting from me to my friends and my fosterbrothers and my coevals. Take a greeting to Fer Diad mac Damáin and to Fer Det mac Damáin and to Bress mac Firb, to Lugaid mac Nóis and to Lugaid mac Solamaig, to Fer Báeth mac Báetáin and to Fer Báeth mac Fir Bend. And take a special greeting to my fosterbrother Lugaid mac Nóis, for he is the only man who keeps faith and friendship with me now on the hosting, and give him a blessing that he may tell you who comes to attack me tomorrow’.

Then Láeg went forward to the encampment of the men of Ireland and took a greeting to the friends and fosterbrothers of Cú Chulainn, and he went too into the tent of Lugaid mac Nóis. Lugaid bade him welcome. ‘I trust that welcome’ said Láeg. ‘You may do so’ said Lugaid. ‘I have come from Cú Chulainn to speak with you’ said Láeg, ‘and he has sent you a true and sincere greeting and wishes you to tell me who comes to attack Cú Chulainn to-day’. ‘The curse of his intimacy and familiarity and friendship on him who comes! It is his very own fosterbrother, Fer Báeth mac Fir Bend. He was taken just now into Medb's tent. The girl Findabair was placed at his side. She it is who pours goblets for him. She it is who kisses him at every drink. She it is who serves him his meal. Not for all and sundry does Medb intend the liquor which is served to Fer Báeth, for only fifty wagon-loads of it were brought to the camp’.


p.191

{line 1881-1913}

Then Láeg went back to Cú Chulainn, crestfallen, sad, joyless and mournful. ‘Crestfallen, sad, joyless and mournful my friend Láeg comes to me’ said Cú Chulainn. ‘It means that one of my fosterbrothers comes to attack me’.—For Cú Chulainn disliked more that a warrior of the same training as himself should come to him rather than some other warrior.—‘Good now, friend Láeg’ said Cú Chulainn, ‘who comes to attack me to-day?’ ‘The curse of his intimacy and brotherhood, of his familiarity and friendship be upon him! It is your very fosterbrother, Fer Báeth mac Fir Bend. He was taken just now into Medb's tent. The girl was placed at his side, and it is she who pours goblets for him. it is she who kisses him with every drink, it is she who serves his meal. Not for all and sundry does Medb intend the liquor which is served to Fer Báeth. Only fifty wagon-loads of it were brought to the camp’.

Fer Báeth waited not until morning but went at once to renounce his friendship with Cú Chulainn. Cú Chulainn adjured him by their friendship and intimacy and brotherhood, but Fer Báeth did not consent to relinquish the combat. Cú Chulainn left him in anger, and trampled a sharp shoot of holly into the sole of his foot so that it injured alike flesh and bone and skin. Cú Chulainn tore out the holly shoot by the roots and cast it over his shoulder after Fer Báeth, and he cared not whether it reached him or not. The holly shoot hit Fer Báeth in the depression at the nape of his neck and went out through his mouth on to the ground, and thus Fer Báeth died. ‘That was indeed a good cast (forcherd), little Cú’ said Fiacha mac Fir Aba. For he considered it a good cast to kill the warrior with the holly shoot. Whence is still the name Focherd Muirtheimne for the spot where they were.