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 ...
of
Irish mythology
Irish mythology is the body of myths native to the island of Ireland. It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric era, being part of ancient Celtic religion. Many myths were later written down in the early medieval era by Ch ...
, Finnbhennach ("white-horned" sometimes rendered as "Whitehorn") was an extremely fertile
stud
Stud may refer to the following terms:
Animals
* Stud (animal), an animal retained for breeding
** Stud farm, a property where livestock are bred
Arts and entertainment
* Stud (band), a British progressive rock group
* The Stud (bar), a gay ba ...
bull
A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions,
includin ...
owned by king
Ailill
Ailill (Ailell, Oilioll) is a male name in Old Irish. It is a prominent name in Irish mythology, as for Ailill mac Máta, King of Connacht and husband of Queen Medb, on whom Shakespeare based the Fairy Queen Mab. Ailill was a popular given name in ...
of
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Del ...
.
He was originally one of
Bodb Dearg
In Irish mythology, Bodb Derg (Old Irish, ) or Bodhbh Dearg (Middle Irish and Modern Irish, ) was a son of Eochaid Garb or the Dagda,"The Children of Lir". P.W. Joyce (translator). 1879. ''Old Irish Romances.'' C. Kegan Paul & Co. and the Dagda' ...
's pig-keepers, who fell out with one of his colleagues. The two fought,
taking a series of animal and human forms, before finally becoming two worms who were swallowed by two cows and reborn as two bulls, Finnbhennach and
Donn Cuailnge
In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology Donn Cúailnge, the Brown Bull of Cooley, was an extremely fertile stud bull over whom the Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley) was fought.
Prologue
A ninth century ''rémscéla'' or foretale recount ...
. Finnbhennach was born into the herds of queen
Medb, but thought belonging to a woman beneath him and joined her husband's herds instead.
Donn Cuailnge was born into the herds of
Dáire mac Fiachna
In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, Dáire mac Fiachna is an Ulster cattle-lord and owner of Donn Cuailnge, the Brown Bull of Cooley, over which the '' Táin Bó Cuailnge'' (Cattle Raid of Cooley) was fought. Following the medieval Irish geneal ...
of Cooley. He bulled a heifer belonging to the
Mórrígan, and the resulting bull-calf fought Finnbhennach, and narrowly lost. After seeing that Medb was determined to see Finnbhennach fight the bull-calf's sire.
When Medb discovered that owning Finnbhennach made Ailill richer than her, she resolved to even the account by possessing Donn Cuailnge. She launched the ''
Táin Bó Cuailnge'' (Cattle Raid of Cooley) and eventually brought Donn back to
Cruachan. The two bulls fought. Finnbhennach was killed, Donn Cuailnge mortally wounded.
Ulster Cycle
Irish legendary creatures
Characters in Táin Bó Cúailnge
Mythological bulls
{{Legendary-creature-stub
de:Donn Cuailnge und Findbennach