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

section 31

The men of Ireland told Mac Roth, the chief herald, to go to keep watch and ward for them on Slíab Fúait lest the Ulstermen should come upon them unawares. So Mac Roth came to Slíab Fúait. Not long was he there when he saw a single chariot-warrior on Slíab Fúait coming straight towards him from the north. In the chariot was a man, stark-naked, with neither weapon nor garment save only an iron spit in his hand with which he pricked alike his charioteer and his horses, and it seemed to him as if he would never reach the hosts while they were still alive. Mac Roth brought these tidings to the place where were Ailill and Medb and Fergus with the nobles of the men of Ireland. Ailill asked news of him on his arrival. ‘Well, Mac Roth’ said Ailill, ‘have you seen any one of the Ulstermen on the track of this host today?’ ‘I know not indeed’ said Mac Roth, ‘but I saw a solitary chariot-fighter coming straight across Slíab Fúait. In the chariot there is a man, stark-naked, with no garment or weapon at all except for an iron spit in his hand with which he pricks alike both his charioteer and his horses, for it seemed to him that he would not reach this host in time to find them alive’.

‘Who would you think was yonder, Fergus?’ said Ailill. ‘I think’ said Fergus, ‘that it would be Cethern mac Fintain coming there’. It was true for Fergus that it was Cethern mac Fintain arriving there. Then Cethern mac Fintain reached them, and the fort and encampment was overthrown (?) on them and he wounds them all around him in every direction and on all sides. He too is wounded from all sides and points. Then he came from them, with his entrails and intestines hanging out, to the place

p.236

{line 3634-3670} where Cú Chulainn was being cured and healed, and he asked Cú Chulainn for a physician to cure and heal him. ‘Well, my friend Láeg’ said Cú Chulainn, ‘go to the encampment of the men of Ireland and tell their physicians to come forth and cure Cethern mac Fintain. I swear that though they be hidden underground or in a locked house I shall inflict death on them before this hour tomorrow if they do not come’. Láeg came forward to the encampment of the men of Ireland and bade their physicians come forth and cure Cethern mac Fintain. The physicians of the men of Ireland thought it no pleasant task to come and cure one who was to them a foe and an enemy and an outlander, but they feared that Cú Chulainn would inflict death on them if they did not come. So they came. As each man reached him, Cethern mac Fintain would show him his wounds and his gashes, his sores and his bleeding cuts. To each man who would say: ‘He will not live. He cannot be cured’ Cethern mac Fintain would deal a blow with his right fist in the middle of his forehead and drive his brains out through the orifices of his ears and the joinings of his skull. However, Cethern mac Fintain slew up to fifteen of the physicians of the men of Ireland. As for the fifteenth man, only a glancing blow reached him, but he lay unconscious in a heavy swoon among the corpses of the other physicians for a long time. His name was Ithall, the physician of Ailill and Medb.

Then Cethern mac Fintain asked Cú Chulainn for another physician to heal and cure him. ‘Well now, friend Láeg’ said Cú Chulainn, ‘go for me to Fíngin the seer-physician, the physician of Conchobor at Ferta Fíngin in Lecca Slebe Fúait, and let him come hither heal Cethern mac Fintain’. Láeg came on to the seer-physician Fíngin at Ferta Fíngin in Lecca Slebe Fuait and told him to come and cure Cethern mac Fintain showed him his wounds and his stabs, his gashes and his bleeding cuts.

‘Examine this wound for me, master Fíngin’ said Cethern. Fíngin examined the wound. ‘This is a slight wound given unwillingly by one of your own blood’ said the physician, ‘and it would not carry you off prematurely[lt ]’. ‘That is true indeed’ said Cethern. ‘One man came to me there. He had a crest of hair. He wore a blue cloak wrapped around him. A silver brooch in the cloak over his breast. He carried a curved shield with scalloped edge; in his hand a five- pointed spear and beside it a small pronged spear. He dealt this wound and he got a slight wound

p.237

{line 3671-3705} from me too’. ‘We know that man’ said Cú Chulainn. ‘That was Illand Ilarchless the son of Fergus, and he had no desire that you should fall by his hand but gave that mock-thrust at you lest the men of Ireland should say that he was betraying or abandoning them if he did not give it’.

‘Examine this wound also for me, master Fíngin’, said Cethern. Fíngin examined the wound. ‘This is the deed of a proud woman’ said the physician. ‘That is true indeed’ said Cethern. ‘There came to me there a woman, tall, beautiful, pale and long-faced. She had flowing, golden-yellow hair. She wore a crimson, hooded cloak with a golden brooch over her breast. A straight, ridged spear blazing in her hand. She gave me that wound and she too got a slight wound from me’. ‘We know that woman’ said Cú Chulainn. ‘It was Medb the daughter of Eochu Feidlech, the high-king of Ireland, who came in that wise. She would have deemed it victory and triumph and cause for boasting had you fallen at her hands’.

‘Examine then this wound for me, master Fíngin’ said Cethern. Fíngin examined the wound. ‘This is the attack of two champions’ said the physician. ‘It is true indeed’ said Cethern. ‘Two men came to me there. They had crests of hair. Two blue cloaks wrapped about them. Silver brooches in the cloaks above their breasts. A necklace of pure white silver round the neck of each of them’. ‘We know those two men’ said Cú Chulainn. ‘They were Oll and Othine, members of the household of Ailill and Medb. They never go into battle that they are not assured of wounding a man. They would deem it victory and triumph and cause for boasting that you should fall at their hands’.

‘Examine this wound for me now, master Fíngin’ said Cethern. Fíngin examined that wound. ‘Two warriors came to me there of splendid, manly appearance. Each of them thrust a spear in me and I thrust this spear through one of them’. Fíngin examined that wound. ‘This wound is all black’ said the physician. ‘The spears went through your heart and crossed each other within it and I prophesy no cure here, but I would procure for you some herbs of healing and curing so that the wounds should not carry you off prematurely’. ‘We know these two’ said Cú Chulainn. ‘They were Bun and Mecconn of the household of Ailill and Medb. They desired that you should fall at their hands’.

‘Examine this wound for me now, master Fíngin’ said Cethern. Fíngin examined the wound. ‘This was the bloody onset of the

p.238

{line 3706-3740} two sons of the king of Caill’. ‘That is true’ said Cethern. ‘There came to me two warriors, fair-faced, dark- browed, tall, with golden crowns on their heads. Two green mantles wrapped about them. Two brooches of white silver in the mantles over their breasts. Two five-pronged spears in their hands’. ‘Very numerous are the wounds that have inflicted on you’ said the physician. ‘Into your gullet the spears went and their points met within you, nor is it easy to work a cure here’. ‘We know these two’ said Cú Chulainn. ‘They are Bróen and Brudne the sons of three lights, the tow sons of the king of Caill. They would think it victory and triumph and cause for boasting if you should fall by them’.

‘Examine this wound for me, master Fíngin’ said Cethern. Fíngin examined that wound. ‘This was the attack (?) of two brothers’ said the physician. ‘That is true indeed’ said Cethern. ‘There came to me two choice warriors. They had yellow hair. Dark-grey, fringed cloaks wrapped about them. Leaf-shaped brooches of white bronze in the mantles over their breasts. Broad, shining spears in their hands’. ‘We know those two’ said Cú Chulainn. ‘They are Cormac Coloma Ríg, and Cormac mac Maele Foga of the household of Ailill and Medb. They would have wished you to fall at their hands’.

‘Examine for me this wound, master Fíngin’ said Cethern. Fíngin examined that wound. ‘This was the attempt of two brothers’ said the physician. ‘It is true indeed’ said Cethern. ‘There came to me two youthful warriors, both alike. One had curling brown hair, the other curling yellow hair. Two green mantles were wrapped around them and two brooches of bright silver were in the mantles over their breasts, Two shirts of smooth, yellow silk next to their skin. Bright-hilted swords at their girdles. Two bright shields they carried, ornamented with animal designs in silver. Two five- pronged spears with rings of pure white silver they bore in their hands’. ‘We know those two’ said Cú Chulainn. ‘They were Maine Máithremail and Maine Aithremail, two sons of Ailill and Medb. They would deem it victory and triumph and cause for boasting if you should fall at their hands’.

‘Examine this wound for me, master Fíngin’ said Cethern. ‘Two warriors came to me there. A brilliant appearance they had and they were tall and manly. They wore strange, foreign clothes. Each of them thrust a spear into me and I thrust a spear into each of them’. Fingin examined the wound. ‘Severe are the wounds they have inflicted on you’ said the physician. ‘They

p.239

{line 3741-3774} have severed the sinews of your heart within you so that your heart rolls about in your breast like an apple in movement (?) or like a ball of thread in an empty bag, and there is not a sinew supporting it at all, and I cannot effect a cure here’. ‘We know those two’ said Cú Chulainn. ‘They are two of the warriors of Irúath who were chosen expressly by Ailill and Medb that they might kill you, since not often does anyone survive their attack. For they desired that you should fall at their hands’.

‘Examine this wound for me, master Fíngin’ said Cethern. Fíngin examined that wound. ‘This was the thrust of a father and son’ said the physician. ‘It is true indeed’ said Cethern. ‘There came to me two tall men, with shining eyes, with golden diadems flashing on their heads. They wore kingly raiment. Gold-hilted, ornamented swords at their girdles with scabbards of pure white silver and rings of variegated gold outside them’. ‘We know those two’ said Cú Chulainn. ‘They were Ailill and his son Maine Condasgeib Uile. They would deem it victory and triumph and cause of congratulation if you had fallen at their hands’.

Thus far the Wounds of Cethern on the Táin.