Cú Roí mac Dáire (Cú Ruí, Cú Raoi) is a king of

Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following t ...

in the

Ulster Cycle The Ulster Cycle ( ga, an Rúraíocht), formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the Ulaid. It is set far in the past, in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly coun ...

Irish mythology Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally oral tradition, passed down orally in the Prehistoric Ireland, prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later Early Irish ...

. He is usually portrayed as a warrior with superhuman abilities and a master of disguise possessed of magical powers. His name probably means "hound of the plain/field", or more specifically, "hound of the battlefield". He is the son of

Dáire mac Dedad Dáire mac Dedad (Dáire, son of Dega) is the eponymous ancestor of the Dáirine of Munster and father of the legendary Cú Roí mac Dáire. These further associate him with the prehistoric Darini of Ulster. He is probably identical with Dáire Do ...

(or

Dáire Doimthech Dáire Doimthech (Dáire "poor house"), alias Dáire Sírchréchtach ("the ever-wounded"), son of Sithbolg, was a legendary King of Tara and High King of Ireland, and one of the eponymous ancestors of the proto-historical Dáirine and historical ...

), and thus belongs to the

Clanna Dedad Deda mac Sin (Deda, son of Sen) was a prehistoric king of the Érainn of Ireland, possibly of the 1st century BC. Variant forms or spellings include Ded, Dedu, Dedad, Degad, Dega, Dego, Deguth and Daig, with some of these occurring as genitives ...

. However, T. F. O'Rahilly believed this to be artificial, stating that "Cú Roí and

Dáire Dáire is an Old Irish name which fell out of use at an early period, remaining restricted essentially to legendary and ancestral figures, usually male. It has come back into fashion since the 18th century. The anglicised form of this name is D ...

are ultimately one and the same". Though often an outsider figure, for instance in the role of intervener or arbitrator, Cú Roí appears in a great number of medieval Irish texts, including '' Forfess Fer Fálgae'', ''Amra Con Roi'', ''Brinna Ferchertne'', ''Aided Chon Roi'' (in several recensions), ''

Fled Bricrenn ''Fled Bricrenn'' (Old Irish " Bricriu's Feast") is a story from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Bricriu, an inveterate troublemaker, invites the nobles of the Ulaid to a feast at his new '' bruiden'' (hostel, banquet hall) at Dún Rudraige ...

'', ''

Mesca Ulad ''Mesca Ulad'' (English: ''The Intoxication of the Ulaid''; the Ulstermen) is a narrative from the Ulster Cycle preserved in the 12th century manuscripts the Book of Leinster and in the Lebor na hUidre. The title ''Mesca Ulad'' occurs only in the ...

'' and ''

Táin Bó Cúailnge (Modern ; "the driving-off of the cows of Cooley"), commonly known as ''The Táin'' or less commonly as ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an epic from Irish mythology. It is often called "The Irish Iliad", although like most other early Iri ...

''. The early Irish tale-lists refer to such titles as '' Aided Chon Roí'', ''Echtra Chon Roí'' (List A), ''Orgain Chathrach Chon Roí'' and ''Cathbúada Con Roí'' (List B), but only the first of these tales can be shown to have survived in some form. Several tales describe the enmity between him and the

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...

hero

Cú Chulainn Cú Chulainn ( ), called the Hound of Ulster ( Irish: ''Cú Uladh''), is a warrior hero and demigod in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore. He is believed to be an incarnation of the Irish god Lugh ...

, who eventually kills him.

''Fled Bricrenn''

Cú Roí plays an important role in the 8th-century tale ''

'' (''Bricriu's Feast''). The trickster

Bricriu Bricriu (also Briccriu, Bricne) is a hospitaller (''briugu''), troublemaker and poet in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. ''Fled Bricrenn'' The story of ''Fled Bricrenn'' ("The Feast of Bricriu") tells how he once held a lavish feast for Conch ...

incites the heroes

Conall Cernach Conall Cernach (modern spelling: Conall Cearnach) is a hero of the Ulaid in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He had a crooked neck and is said to have always slept with the head of a Connachtman under his knee. His epithet is normally transla ...

and

Lóegaire Búadach In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, Lóegaire Búadach (Lóegaire the Victorious) is a hapless Ulster warrior who mainly functions as comic relief. When he, Cúchulainn and Conall Cernach contend for the champion's portion at Briccriu's fea ...

to compete for the champion's portion at a feast, and Cú Roí is one of those who judged among them. Like all the other judges, he chooses Cú Chulainn, but Conall and Lóegaire refuse to accept his verdict. When the three heroes return to

, Cú Roí appears to each in the guise of a hideous churl (''bachlach'') and challenges them to behead him, then allow him to return and behead them. Only Cú Chulainn is brave and honourable enough to submit himself to the churl's axe, so he is declared champion. This story is related to the "beheading game" motif appearing in many later works in

Arthurian King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...

literature - most famously the 14th-century English poem ''

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight ''Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'' is a late 14th-century chivalric romance in Middle English. The author is unknown; the title was given centuries later. It is one of the best-known Arthurian stories, with its plot combining two types of ...

'', although closer correspondences are to be found in ''

Diu Crône ''Diu Crône'' ( en, The Crown) is a Middle High German poem of about 30,000 lines treating of King Arthur and the Matter of Britain, dating from around the 1220s and attributed to the epic poet Heinrich von dem Türlin. Little is known of the ...

'' and ''

La Mule sans frein ''La Mule sans frein'' (English: ''The Mule Without a Bridle'') or ''La Demoiselle à la mule'' (English: ''The Damsel with the Mule'') is a short romance dating from the late 12th century or early 13th century. It comprises 1,136 lines in octosyl ...

'', both of which feature a revolving fortress like Cu Roi's.

''Táin bó Cúailnge''

Combat of Munremar and Cú Roí

Cú Roí appears in the side-tale "Comlond Munremair & Con Roi" ("The combat of Munremar and Cú Roí") included in Recension I of ''

Táin bó Cúailnge (Modern ; "the driving-off of the cows of Cooley"), commonly known as ''The Táin'' or less commonly as ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an epic from Irish mythology. It is often called "The Irish Iliad", although like most other early Iri ...

''. Cú Roí, who has sent a contingent to the Connacht army but had not hitherto been personally involved in the recent hostilities between Ulster and Connacht, does intervene when he learns that the Ulster warrior Munremar mac Gerrginn (lit. "Fatneck son of Shorthead") has come to assist

in fighting the Connacht army. Since he believes no warrior in the army was able to withstand Munremar, he chooses to rally to the support of "his people" (''muinter''). The resulting encounter (''comlond'') between the two warriors is a spectacular stone-throwing contest, described from the perspective of the Connacht troops, who witness many stones flying in opposite directions from the east and west (Cotal and Ard Róich) and colliding right above their heads. The shower of falling rubble forces them to use their shields for protection, until on their request, Cú Roí and Munremar agree to discontinue the fight and return home. The plain strewn with stones is afterwards called Mag Clochair ("The Stony Plain").

The Trance of Amairgin

Cú Roí further appears in the episode known as "The Trance of Amairgin", variants of which appear in Recension I and II of the ''Táin bó Cúailnge''. The episode appears as ''Aislinge n-Aimirgin'' ("The trance of Amairgin") in Recension I of the ''Táin''. Having followed news of Cú Chulainn's sustained success in single-handedly opposing the Connacht army, Cú Roí once again appears on the scene, this time to fight Cú Chulainn directly. However, on finding Cú Chulainn weak from the injuries which

Ferdiad Ferdiad (; also ''Fer Diad'', ''Ferdia'', ''Fear Diadh''), son of Damán, son of Dáire, of the Fir Domnann, is a warrior of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. In the ''Táin Bó Cúailnge'', Ferdiad finds himself on the side of the ...

had recently inflicted on him, he refused to carry out his original plan. Instead he faces the giant warrior poet Amairgin, who in a trance is hurling stones at the Connacht army in

Tailtiu Tailtiu or Tailltiu (; modern spelling: Tailte) (also known as Talti) is the name of a presumed goddess from Irish mythology. The goddess's name is linked to Teltown (< OI ''Óenach Tailten'') in Co. Meath, site of the

< ...

, with devastating effects. Cú Roí attacks him in kind and their stones meet in the air. They pause when on Cú Roí's request, Amairgen allows the cattle to go past Tailtiu, but seeing as the passage had become difficult, Cú Roí agrees to withdraw from the contest altogether. The episode in the

Book of Leinster The Book of Leinster ( mga, Lebor Laignech , LL) is a medieval Irish manuscript compiled c. 1160 and now kept in Trinity College, Dublin, under the shelfmark MS H 2.18 (cat. 1339). It was formerly known as the ''Lebor na Nuachongbála'' "Book ...

(Recension II), called ''Imthúsa Chon Ruí meic Dáire'' (header) or ''Oislige Amargin'' (text), offers by and large the same story, but adds more explicit detail, notably on the point of Cú Roí's sense of honour in his encounters with Cú Chulainn and Amairgin. First, Cú Roí explains his refusal to fight Cú Chulainn not only by pointing out the inequality between a physically healthy and an injured warrior, but also by saying that a victory would not be his, seeing as it was Fer Diad who had laid low his opponent. Second, the conclusion of Cú Roí's fight with Amairgin is told from a perspective which highlights the role of honour in his motives.

Medb Medb (), later spelled Meadhbh (), Méibh () and Méabh (), and often anglicised as Maeve ( ), is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Her husband in the core stories of the cycle is Ailill mac Máta, although she had sev ...

insisted " the truth of your ú Roí'svalour" ('' fír do gascid fritt'') that he should abandon the competition, obstructive as it proved to be to the progress of the expedition. Cú Roí, however, was determined to persist "till the day of doom" (''co brunni brátha'') unless Amairgin agreed to stop. (When the matter was settled and Cú Roí returned to his country, Amairgin resumed his attacks on the invading army, explaining that his agreement was with Cú Roí only.)

Death tale and fragments

Cú Roí's death by Cú Chulainn's hand is the subject of the tale '' Aided Con Roi'', which survives in two versions. A number of tales describe enmity between the two warriors, and some allude to a lost story of its origin. Texts such as '' Forfess Fer Fálgae'' and '' Siaburcharpát Con Culainn'' describe a raid on Inis Fer Falga (possibly the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = " O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europ ...

) in which Cú Roí and Cú Chulainn come into conflict. The texts indicate that two were involved in an Ulster raid on the Fir Falgae, with Cú Roí participating again in disguise. They steal treasure and abduct Bláthnat, daughter of the king of the island, who loves Cú Chulainn. But when Cú Roí is asked to choose his share, he chooses Bláthnat. Cú Chulainn tries to stop him taking her, but Cú Roí drives him into the ground up to his armpits and cuts off his hair before escaping, taking Bláthnat with him.

''Aided Con Roí''

Later, Bláthnat (Blanaid) betrays Cú Roí to Cú Chulainn, who besieges his fort and killed him. In one version of the story, Cú Roí's soul was hidden in an apple in the belly of a salmon which lived in a stream in the Slieve Mish Mountains, and only surfaced once every seven years; Bláthnat discovered the secret and told Cú Chulainn, who killed the fish, enabling him to kill Cú Roí. However Ferchertne, Cú Roí's poet, enraged at the betrayal of his lord, grabbed Bláthnat and leaped off a cliff, killing her and himself. Cú Roí's uncle (or brother or nephew), Conganchnes ("Horn-skinned"), tried to avenge him, but was killed by

Celtchar Celtchar, son of Uthechar or Uthidir, is a character from the Ulster Cycle of Irish Mythology. In '' Scéla Mucce Maic Dathó'' ("The Tale of Mac Dathó's Pig") he is described as "a grey, tall, very terrible hero of Ulster". When he challenges Ce ...

. His son,

Lugaid mac Con Roí :''See Lugaid for other figures of the same name, and Lug for the god the name derives from.'' In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, Lugaid mac Con Roí was the son of Cú Roí mac Dáire. He was also known as Lugaid mac Trí Con ("son of thr ...

, later succeeds in avenging him by killing Cú Chulainn, a story told in '' Aided Con Culainn''. Lugaid is himself killed by

. In another version Cú Roí takes Bláthnat to the fort and keeps her captive there. Bláthnat communicates with Cú Chulainn and a plan is hatched. Taking an opportunity when most of Cú Roí's men are absent from the fort, Bláthnat gives the signal to Cú Chulainn by pouring milk into the Fionnghlaise (white stream - now the Derrymore River). Cú Chulainn, on seeing the stream become white, storms the fort, kills Cú Roí, and carries off Bláthnat. As Cú Roí's men return up the valley, Bláthnat places a spell which makes the valley walls dance in front of the men's eyes. Walkers who ascend Caherconree via the Derrymore River valley can still see this effect which is caused by an optical illusion.

Clanna Dedad

According to the genealogical schemes, Cú Roí is cousin to the famous monarch

Conaire Mór Conaire Mór (the great), son of Eterscél, was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, a High King of Ireland. His mother was Mess Búachalla, who was either the daughter of Eochu Feidlech and Étaín, or of Eochu Airem and ...

, son of Eterscél, son of

Íar mac Dedad Íar mac Dedad (Íar, son of Deda mac Sin) was a legendary King of Munster. He is the father, or in some sources more distant ancestor, of Eterscél Mór, and grandfather (or great-grandfather) of the famous Conaire Mór, both High Kings of Ireland ...

, brother of Cú Roí's father

. All belong to the

, a leading dynasty of the

Érainn The Iverni (, ') were a people of early Ireland first mentioned in Ptolemy's 2nd century ''Geography'' as living in the extreme south-west of the island. He also locates a "city" called Ivernis (, ') in their territory, and observes that this se ...

Caherconree

The

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...

ruin of

Caherconree Caherconree () at , is the 20th–highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin scale, and the 27th–highest peak on the Vandeleur-Lynam scale.Mountainviews, (September 2013), "A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderin ...

(

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

''Cathair Con Raoi'', Cú Roí's castle) in the Slieve Mish Mountains, on the

Dingle Peninsula The Dingle Peninsula ( ga, Corca Dhuibhne; anglicised as Corkaguiny, the name of the corresponding barony) is the northernmost of the major peninsulas in County Kerry. It ends beyond the town of Dingle at Dunmore Head, the westernmost point ...

or Corcu Duibne,

County Kerry County Kerry ( gle, Contae Chiarraí) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and forms part of the province of Munster. It is named after the Ciarraige who lived in part of the present county. The population of the co ...

, preserves Cú Roí's name.

Cú Roí in Welsh literature

Cú Roí's name also appears in two examples of

medieval Welsh literature Medieval Welsh literature is the literature written in the Welsh language during the Middle Ages. This includes material starting from the 5th century AD, when Welsh was in the process of becoming distinct from Common Brittonic, and continuing to ...

. First, it occurs in the corrupt form ''Cubert m. Daere'' in the

Middle Welsh Middle Welsh ( cy, Cymraeg Canol, wlm, Kymraec) is the label attached to the Welsh language of the 12th to 15th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This form of Welsh developed directly from Old Welsh ( cy, Hen G ...

tale ''

Culhwch ac Olwen ''Culhwch and Olwen'' ( cy, Culhwch ac Olwen) is a Welsh tale that survives in only two manuscripts about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors: a complete version in the Red Book of Hergest, c. 1400, and a fragmented version in the Whit ...

'', along with the names of other characters of the Ulster Cycle – Conchobor, Fergus, Conall Cernach and Lóegaire Búadach. Here the Irish heroes form one group out of a long list of

King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...

's warriors whose names

Culhwch Culhwch (, with the final consonant sounding like Scottish "loch"), in Welsh mythology, is the son of Cilydd son of Celyddon and Goleuddydd, a cousin of Arthur and the protagonist of the story '' Culhwch and Olwen'' (the earliest of the medie ...

invokes as his sureties when he demands entry to

's court. Second, an elegy (''marwnat'') for ''Corroi/Corroy m bDayry'' is preserved in the

Book of Taliesin The Book of Taliesin ( cy, Llyfr Taliesin) is one of the most famous of Middle Welsh manuscripts, dating from the first half of the 14th century though many of the fifty-six poems it preserves are taken to originate in the 10th century or before ...

, which mentions his contention with "Cocholyn", or

.Book of Taliesin XLII.

Notes

Primary sources

*''Amra Con Roí'' **Henry, P.L. (ed. and tr.). "''Amra Con Roi'' (ACR): discussion, edition, translation." ''

Études Celtiques ''Études Celtiques'' (EC) (, ''Celtic Studies'') is a French academic journal based in Paris. It started life under the name ''Revue Celtique'', which was founded in 1870 by Henri Gaidoz. Between 1870 and 1934, 52 volumes were published under th ...

'' 31 (1995): 179-94: 186-94. ** Stokes, Whitley. "The Eulogy of Cúrói (Amra Chonroí)." ''

Ériu In Irish mythology, Ériu (; modern ga, Éire ), daughter of Delbáeth and Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was the eponymous matron goddess of Ireland. The English name for Ireland comes from the name Ériu and the Germanic (Old Norse or Ol ...

'' 2 (1905): 1-4. *''Táin bó Cúailnge'' (Recension I), ed. and tr. Cecily O'Rahilly, ''Táin Bó Cúalnge Recension 1''. Dublin: DIAS, 1976
Text
an
translation
available from CELT. *''Táin bó Cúailnge'' (Recension II, Book of Leinster), ed. and tr. ed. and tr. Cecily O'Rahilly, ''Táin Bó Cúalnge from the Book of Leinster''. Dublin: DIAS, 1967 (reprinted: 1970)
Text
an

available from CELT. *''

'', ed. Rachel Bromwich and D. Simon Evans, ''Culhwch and Olwen: An Edition and Study of the Oldest Arthurian Tale''. University of Wales Press, 1992. . *The tragic death of Cúrói mac Dári. Edited and translated by Irish scholar

Richard Irvine Best Richard Irvine Best (17 January 1872 – 25 September 1959), often known as R. I. Best, was an Irish scholar who specialised in Celtic Studies. Best was born into a Protestant family in Derry and educated at Foyle College before working for ...

. In ''

,Royal Irish Academy., School of Irish Learning (Dublin, I. (1904)
Ériu
Dublin: Royal Irish Academy.'' II (1905), pp. 18–35. *Brinna Fercherne. Translated by

Kuno Meyer Kuno Meyer (20 December 1858 – 11 October 1919) was a German scholar, distinguished in the field of Celtic philology and literature. His pro-German stance at the start of World War I in the United States was a source of controversy. His brother ...

. In ''

Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie The ''Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie'' is an academic journal of Celtic studies, which was established in 1897 by the German scholars Kuno Meyer and Ludwig Christian Stern.Busse, Peter E. "''Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie''." In ''Ce ...

,''Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie.
Halle a. S., tc. M. Niemeyer tc. Volume III (1901).

References

*Hellmuth, Petra Sabine. "A Giant Among Kings and Heroes: Some preliminary thoughts on the character Cú Roí mac Daire in medieval Irish literature." ''Emania'' 17 (1998): 5-11. *Sims-Williams, Patrick. "The Significance of Irish Personal Names in ''Culhwch ac Olwen''." '' Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies'' 29 (1982): 600-20. *Caherconree: **Joyce, P.W. ''A Smaller Social History of Ancient Ireland, Treating of the Government, Military System, and Law; Religion, Learning and Art; Trades, Industries, and Commerce; Manners, Customs, and Domestic Life, of the Ancient Irish People.'' 1906
Online source
**Cuppage, Judith. ''Archeological Survey of the Dingle Peninsula''. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne, Ballyferriter, 1986. **CAMP Historical & other Information, An Cam. Oidhreacht agus Gnéithe Eile Suimiúla an Cheantair

''Fled Bricrenn''

''Táin bó Cúailnge''

Combat of Munremar and Cú Roí

The Trance of Amairgin

Death tale and fragments

''Aided Con Roí''

Clanna Dedad

Caherconree

Cú Roí in Welsh literature

Notes

Primary sources

References

Further reading