The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Táin Bó Cúalnge. Anonymous

take the name Cuchulain, ('Wolfhound of Culann')?" "Nay, then," answered the lad; "dearer to me mine own name, Setanta son of Sualtaim." "Say not so, lad," Cathba continued; "for the men of Erin and Alba shall hear that name and the mouths of the men of Erin and Alba shall be full of that name!" "It pleaseth me so, whatever the name that is given me," quoth the little lad. Hence the famous name that stuck to him, namely Cuchulain, after he had killed the hound that was Culann's the Smith's.

      "A little lad did that deed," ^*LL. fo. 64b. added Cormac Conlongas son of Conchobar, "when he had completed six years after his birth, when he slew the watch-dog that hosts nor companies dared not approach in the same cantred. No need would there be of wonder or of surprise if he should come to the edge of the marches, if he should cut off the four-pronged fork, if he should slay one man or two men or three men or four men, now when his seventeen years are completed on the Cattle-driving of Cualnge!"

VIIb. ¹THE TAKING OF ARMS BY CUCHULAIN AND^{1 2}THE SLAYING OF THE THREE SONS OF NECHT SCENE IS NOW TOLD HERE²

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      W. 1068. "The little lad performed a third deed in the following year," said Fiachu son of Firaba. "What deed performed he?" asked Ailill.

      "Cathba the druid was ³with his son, namely Conchobar son of Ness,³ imparting ⁴learning⁴ to his pupils in the north-east of Emain, and eight^{a 5}eager⁵ pupils in the class of druidic cunning were with him. ⁶That is the number that Cathba instructed.^{6 7}One of them⁷ questioned his teacher, what fortune and presage might there be for the day they were in, whether it was good or whether it was ill. Then spake Cathba: "The little boy that takes arms ⁸this day⁸ shall be splendid and renowned ⁹for deeds of arms^{9 10}above the youths of Erin ¹¹and the tales of his high deeds shall be told¹¹ forever,¹⁰ but he shall be short-lived and fleeting." Cuchulain overheard what he said, though far off at his play-feats south-west of Emain; and he threw away all his play-things and hastened to Conchobar's sleep-room ¹²to ask for arms.¹² "All W. 1077. good attend thee, O king of the Fenè!" cried the little lad. "This greeting is the speech of one soliciting something of some one. What wouldst thou, lad?" said Conchobar. "To take arms," the lad made answer. "Who hath advised thee, little boy?" asked Conchobar. "Cathba the druid," said the lad. "He would not deceive thee, little boy," said Conchobar. Conchobar gave him two spears and a sword and a shield. The little boy shook and brandished the arms ¹in the middle of the house¹ so that he made small pieces and fragments of them. Conchobar gave him other two spears and a shield and a sword. He shook and brandished, flourished and poised them, so that he shivered them into small pieces and fragments. There where were the fourteen^a suits of arms which Conchobar had in Emain, ²in reserve in case of breaking of weapons or² for equipping the youths and the boys—to the end that whatever boy assumed arms, it might be Conchobar that gave him the equipment of battle, and the victory of cunning would be his thenceforward—even so, this little boy made splinters and fragments of them all.

      ""Truly these arms here are not good, O Conchobar my master," the stripling cried. "Herefrom cometh not what is worthy of me." Conchobar gave him his own two spears and his shield and his sword. He shook and he brandished, he bent and he poised them so that tip touched butt, and he brake not the arms and they bore up against him, ³and he saluted the king whose arms they were.³ "Truly, these arms are good," said the little boy; "they are suited to me. Hail to the king whose arms and equipment these are. Hail to the land whereout he is come!"

      "Then Cathba the druid chanced to come into the tent, and what he said was, "Hath he yonder taken arms?" W. 1101. Cathba asked. "Aye, then, it must be," Conchobar answered. "Not by ¹his¹ mother's son would I wish them to be taken this day," said Cathba. "How so? Was it not thyself advised him?" Conchobar asked. "Not I, in faith," replied Cathba. "What mean'st thou, bewitched elf-man?" cried Conchobar ²to Cuchulain.² "Is it a lie thou hast told us?" ^*LL. fo. 65a. "But be not wroth ³thereat,³ O my master Conchobar," said the little boy. ⁴"No lie have I told;⁴ for yet is it he that advised me, ⁵when he taught his other pupils this morning.⁵ For his pupil asked him what luck might lie in the day, and he said: The youth that took arms on this day would be illustrious and famous, ⁶that his name would be over the men of Erin for ever, and that no evil result would be on him thereafter,⁶ except that he would be fleeting and short-lived. ⁷To the south of Emain I heard him, and then I came to thee."⁷ "That I avow to be true," spake Cathba. ⁸"Good indeed is the day,⁸ glorious and renowned shalt thou be, ⁹the one that taketh arms,⁹ yet passing and short lived!" "Noble the gift!" cried Cuchulain. ¹⁰"Little it recks me,¹⁰ though I should be but one day and one night in the world, if only the fame of me and of my deeds live after me!"

      "¹¹ Another day one of them asked of the druids for what that day would be propitious. "The one that mounts a chariot to-day," Cathba answered, "his name will be renowned over Erin for ever." Now Cuchulain heard that. He went to Conchobar and said to him, "O Conchobar my master, give me a chariot!" He gave him a chariot.¹¹ W. 1113. "Come, lad, mount the chariot, for this is the next thing for thee."

      "He mounted the chariot. ¹He put his hands between the two poles of the chariot,¹ and the first chariot he mounted withal he shook and tossed about him till he reduced it to splinters and fragments. He mounted the second chariot, so that he made small pieces and fragments of it in like manner. Further he made pieces of the third chariot. There where were the seventeen^a chariots which Conchobar kept for the boy-troop and youths in Emain, the lad made small pieces and fragments of them and they did not withstand him. "These chariots here are not good, O my master Conchobar," said the little boy; "my merit cometh not from them." "Where is Ibar^b son of Riangabair?" asked Conchobar. "Here, in sooth, am I," Ibar answered. "Take with thee mine own two steeds for him yonder, and yoke my chariot." Thereupon the charioteer took the horses and yoked the chariot. Then the little boy mounted the chariot ²and Conchobar's charioteer with him.² He shook the chariot about him, and it withstood him, and he broke it not. "Truly this chariot is good," cried the lad, "and this chariot is suited to me." ³The charioteer turned the chariot under him.³ "Prithee, little boy," said Ibar, ⁴"come out^c of the chariot now⁴