Cú Chulainn ( ), is an Irish warrior
hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...
and
demigod in the
Ulster Cycle
The Ulster Cycle (), 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 counties Armagh, Do ...
of
Irish mythology
Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally Oral tradition, passed down orally in the Prehistoric Ireland, prehistoric era. In the History of Ireland (795–1169), early medieval era, myths were ...
, as well as in
Scottish and
Manx folklore. He is believed to be an
incarnation
Incarnation literally means ''embodied in flesh'' or ''taking on flesh''. It is the Conception (biology), conception and the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form or an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic form of a god. It is used t ...
of the
Irish god Lugh
Lugh or Lug (; ) is a figure in Irish mythology. A member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a group of supernatural beings, Lugh is portrayed as a warrior, a king, a master craftsman and a saviour.Olmsted, Garrett. ''The Gods of the Celts and the I ...
, who is also his father. His mother is the mortal
Deichtine
In Irish mythology, Deichtine or Deichtire was the sister of Conchobar mac Nessa and the mother of Cú Chulainn. Her husband was Sualtam, but Cú Chulainn's real father may have been Lugh of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
In one version of the story sh ...
, sister of King
Conchobar mac Nessa
Conchobar mac Nessa (son of Ness) is the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Emain Macha (Navan Fort, near Armagh). He is usually said to be the son of the High King Fachtna Fáthach, although in some stories ...
.
Born Sétanta, he gained his better-known name as a child, after killing
Culann's fierce guard dog in self-defence and offering to take its place until a replacement could be reared, hence he became the "Hound (''cú'') of Culann". He was trained in martial arts by
Scáthach, who gave him the spear
Gáe Bulg. It was prophesied that his great deeds would give him everlasting fame, but that his life would be short. At the age of seventeen he defended
Ulster
Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
single-handedly against the armies of Queen
Medb of
Connacht
Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...
in the famous ''
Táin Bó Cúailnge'' ("Cattle Raid of
Cooley"). He is known for his terrifying battle frenzy (''ríastrad''), in which he becomes an unrecognisable monster who knows neither friend nor foe. He fights from his chariot, driven by his loyal charioteer
Láeg
Láeg, or Lóeg, son of Riangabar, is the charioteer and constant companion of the hero Cú Chulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology
Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally Ora ...
and drawn by his horses,
Liath Macha and Dub Sainglend.
Cú Chulainn's wife is
Emer, although he has many other lovers. With
Aífe he has a son named
Connla, whom Cú Chulainn
tragically kills. Cú Chulainn himself is said to have died in battle, binding himself to a
standing stone
A menhir (; from Brittonic languages: ''maen'' or ''men'', "stone" and ''hir'' or ''hîr'', "long"), standing stone, orthostat, or lith is a large upright rock (geology), stone, emplaced in the ground by humans, typically dating from the Eur ...
so he can die on his feet.
The image of Cú Chulainn is often depicted in piece of art such as a bronze sculpture of the dying Cú Chulainn by
Oliver Sheppard in the
Dublin General Post Office
The General Post Office (GPO; ) is the former headquarters of — the Irish Post Office. It remains its registered office and the principal post office of Dublin[Easter Rising
The Easter Rising (), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the aim of establishing an ind ...]
of 1916 and
stained glass
Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
panel of it in
St. Enda's School. In literature, Cú Chulainn has been a central figure in many works.
Lady Gregory retold many of the legends of Cú Chulainn in her 1902 book ''
Cuchulain of Muirthemne'', which paraphrased the originals but also romanticized some of the tales and omitted most of the more violent content.
Name
His birth name ''Sétanta'' may be linked to a
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
*Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Foot ...
tribe, the
Setantii
The Setantii (sometimes read as ''Segantii'') were a possible pre- Roman Briton people who apparently lived in the western and southern littoral of Lancashire in England. It is thought likely they were a sept or sub-tribe of the Brigantes, who ...
, who dwelt on the west coast of
Celtic Britain.
His later name ''Cú Chulainn'', is usually translated "
Culann's hound", and was explained in the tale whereby he stood in for Culann's guard dog. Although ''cú'' literally means "hound", it was also a common figurative term for a warrior in early Irish literature, thus can also mean "Culann's warrior".
Folklorist
Dáithí Ó hÓgáin speculated that the second part of the name could come from an old Irish word for a chariot, ''cul'', thus meaning "chariot-warrior".
Legends
Birth
There are a number of versions of the story of Cú Chulainn's
miraculous birth. In the earliest version of ''Compert C(h)on Culainn'' ("The Conception of Cú Chulainn"), his mother
Deichtine
In Irish mythology, Deichtine or Deichtire was the sister of Conchobar mac Nessa and the mother of Cú Chulainn. Her husband was Sualtam, but Cú Chulainn's real father may have been Lugh of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
In one version of the story sh ...
is the daughter and charioteer of King
Conchobar mac Nessa
Conchobar mac Nessa (son of Ness) is the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Emain Macha (Navan Fort, near Armagh). He is usually said to be the son of the High King Fachtna Fáthach, although in some stories ...
of
Ulster
Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
, and accompanies him as he and the nobles of Ulster hunt a flock of magical birds. As snow begins to fall, Ulstermen seek shelter in a nearby house. As the host's wife goes into labour, Deichtine assists in the birth of a baby boy, while a mare gives birth to twin colts. The next morning, the Ulstermen find themselves at the ''Brug na Bóinde'' (the Neolithic mound at
Newgrange
Newgrange () is a prehistoric monument in County Meath in Ireland, placed on a rise overlooking the River Boyne, west of the town of Drogheda. It is an exceptionally grand passage tomb built during the Neolithic Period, around 3100 BC, makin ...
)—the house and its occupants have disappeared, but the child and the colts remain. Deichtine takes the boy home and begins raising him as her own, but the boy falls ill and dies. The god
Lug appears to her and tells her he was their host that night, and that he has put his child in her womb, who is to be called Sétanta. Her pregnancy turns into a scandal as she is betrothed to
Sualtam mac Róich, and the Ulstermen suspect Conchobar of being the father, so she aborts the child and goes to her husband's bed "virgin-whole". She then conceives a son whom she names Sétanta.
In the later and better-known version of ''Compert Con Culainn'', Deichtine is Conchobar's sister, and disappears from
Emain Macha, the Ulster capital. As in the previous version, the Ulstermen go hunting a flock of magical birds, are overtaken by a snowstorm and seek shelter in a nearby house. Their host is Lug, a member of the
Tuatha Dé Danann
The Tuatha Dé Danann (, meaning "the folk of the goddess Danu"), also known by the earlier name Tuath Dé ("tribe of the gods"), are a supernatural race in Irish mythology. Many of them are thought to represent deities of pre-Christian Gaelic ...
, but this time his wife, who gives birth to a son that night, is Deichtine herself. The child is named Sétanta.
The nobles of Ulster argue over which of them is to be his foster father, until the wise Morann decides he should be fostered by several of them: Conchobar himself;
Sencha mac Ailella
Sencha mac Ailella is a character from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He acts as an important judge and notable poet during the reign of Conchobar mac Nessa. He volunteered to foster Cúchulainn, but was only an educator. Sencha helped esta ...
, who will teach him judgement and eloquent speech; the wealthy
Blaí Briugu
Blaí Briugu (Blaí the Landholder or Hospitaller) is an Ulaid, Ulster warrior in the Ulster Cycle of Irish Mythology. He was wealthy and kept a hostel, and had a ''geis'' which required him to sleep with any woman who stayed there unaccompanied. ...
, who will protect and provide for him; the noble warrior
Fergus mac Róich, who will care for him and teach him to protect the weak; the poet
Amergin, who will educate him, and his wife
Findchóem
Findchóem (also spelled Finnchóem, Findcháem, Finncháem, Fionnchaomh) is a character from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology.
She is known variously as; the sister of the Ulster king Conchobar mac Nessa
Conchobar mac Nessa (son of Nes ...
, who will nurse him. He is brought up in the house of Amergin and Findchóem on
Muirthemne Plain in modern
County Louth
County Louth ( ; ) is a coastal Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of County Meath, Meath to the ...
(at the time part of Ulster), alongside their son
Conall Cernach.
In another version, the child is named Sédana, and the name is given to him by
Ceat mac Mágach. Ceat takes Sédana into fosterage and gives him to his own foster parents, Srían and Gabur, to nurse; they are the parents of Láeg, Cú Chulainn's charioteer, and so the pair grow up together from infancy.
The County Louth town of
Dundalk
Dundalk ( ; ) is the county town of County Louth, Ireland. The town is situated on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the north-east coast of Ireland, and is halfway between Dublin and Belfast, close to and south of the bor ...
has the motto ''Mé do rug Cú Chulainn cróga''
( Irish) "I gave birth to brave Cú Chulainn". While the County of Louth and the
village of Louth in turn named after Cú Chulainn's father the God Lugh.
Childhood
The stories of Cú Chulainn's childhood are told in a flashback sequence in ''Táin Bó Cúailnge''. As a small child, living in his parents' house on Muirthemne Plain, he begs to be allowed to join the boy-troop at Emain Macha. However, he sets off on his own, and when he arrives at Emain he runs onto the playing field without first asking for the boys' protection, being unaware of the custom. The boys take this as a challenge and attack him, but he has a ''ríastrad'' (transformative battle frenzy) and beats them single-handed. Conchobar puts a stop to the fight and clears up the misunderstanding, but no sooner has Sétanta put himself under the boys' protection than he chases after them, demanding they put themselves under his protection.
Culann the smith invites Conchobar to a feast at his house. Before going, Conchobar goes to the playing field to watch the boys play
hurling
Hurling (, ') is an outdoor Team sport, team game of ancient Gaelic culture, Gaelic Irish origin, played by men and women. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goa ...
. He is so impressed by Sétanta's performance that he asks him to join him at the feast. Sétanta has a game to finish, but promises to follow the king later. But when Culann asks if anyone will be arriving late to the feast, Conchobar forgets about Sétanta, and Culann lets loose his ferocious hound to protect his house. When Sétanta arrives, the enormous hound attacks him, but he kills it in self defence, in one version by smashing it against a standing stone, and in another by driving a
sliotar (hurling ball) down its throat with his
hurley. Culann is devastated by the loss of his hound, so Sétanta promises he will rear him a replacement, and until it is old enough to do the job, he himself will guard Culann's house. The
druid
A druid was a member of the high-ranking priestly class in ancient Celtic cultures. The druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no wr ...
Cathbad announces that his name henceforth will be ''Cú Chulainn''—"Culann's Hound".
One day at Emain Macha, Cú Chulainn overhears Cathbad teaching his pupils. One asks him what that day is auspicious for, and Cathbad replies that any warrior who takes arms that day will have everlasting fame. Cú Chulainn, though only seven years old, goes to Conchobar and asks for arms. None of the weapons given to him withstand his strength, until Conchobar gives him his own weapons. But when Cathbad sees this he grieves, because he had not finished his prophecy—the warrior who took arms that day would be famous, but his life would be short. Soon afterwards, in response to a similar prophecy by Cathbad, Cú Chulainn demands a chariot from Conchobar, and only the king's own chariot withstands him. He sets off on a foray and kills the three sons of
Nechtan Scéne, who had boasted they had killed more Ulstermen than there were Ulstermen still living. He returns to Emain Macha in his battle frenzy, and the Ulstermen are afraid he will slaughter them all. Conchobar's wife
Mugain
Mugain, daughter of Eochaid Feidlech, () (sugg. pron. /Moógen Ait-en-hai-rech/ (Leahy)Leahy, Courtship of Ferb, pronunciation guide, p.xxvi; mod. pron. /MOO-in/{{Citation needed, date=January 2012), is a legendary queen in the Ulster Cycle of Ir ...
leads out the women of Emain, and they bare their breasts to him. He averts his eyes, and the Ulstermen wrestle him into a barrel of cold water, which explodes from the heat of his body. They put him in a second barrel, which boils, and a third, which warms to a pleasant temperature.
Emer and Cú Chulainn's training

In Cú Chulainn's youth he is so beautiful the Ulstermen worry that, without a wife of his own, he will steal their wives and ruin their daughters. They search all over Ireland for a suitable wife for him, but he will have none but
Emer, daughter of Forgall Monach. However, Forgall is opposed to the match. He suggests that Cú Chulainn should train in arms with the renowned warrior-woman
Scáthach in the land of Alba (
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
), hoping the ordeal will be too much for him and he will be killed. Cú Chulainn takes up the challenge, travelling to her residence ''
Dún Scáith'' (Fortress of Shadows) on the Isle of
Skye. In the meantime, Forgall offers Emer to Lugaid mac Nóis, a king of
Munster
Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
, but when he hears that Emer loves Cú Chulainn, Lugaid refuses her hand, especially because Cú Chulainn is his foster brother.
Scáthach teaches Cú Chulainn all the arts of war, including the use of the
Gáe Bulg, a terrible barbed spear, thrown with the foot, that has to be cut out of its victim. His fellow trainees include
Ferdiad, who becomes Cú Chulainn's best friend and foster brother. The two foster brothers share a very close relationship, sharing a bed at times and speaking often and at great length of their love for one another; this has at times led to speculation that the two men were lovers (though this theory is controversial). During his time there, Scáthach faces a battle against
Aífe, her rival and in some versions her twin sister. Scáthach, knowing Aífe's prowess, fears for Cú Chulainn's life and gives him a powerful
sleeping potion to keep him from the battle. However, because of Cú Chulainn's great strength, it only puts him to sleep for an hour, and he soon joins the fray. He fights Aífe in single combat, and the two are evenly matched, but Cú Chulainn distracts her by calling out that Aífe's horses and chariot, the things she values most in the world, have fallen off a cliff, and seizes her. With his sword at her throat, he agrees to spare her life on the condition that she call off her enmity with Scáthach, and bear him a son.
Leaving Aífe pregnant, Cú Chulainn returns from Scotland fully trained, but Forgall still refuses to let him marry Emer. Cú Chulainn storms Forgall's fortress, killing twenty-four of Forgall's men, abducts Emer and steals Forgall's treasure. Forgall himself falls from the ramparts to his death. Conchobar has the "
right of the first night" over all marriages of his subjects. He is afraid of Cú Chulainn's reaction if he exercises it in this case, but is equally afraid of losing his authority if he does not. Cathbad suggests a solution: Conchobar sleeps with Emer on the night of the wedding, but Cathbad sleeps between them.
[ Kuno Meyer (ed. & trans.), "The oldest version of ''Tochmarc Emire''", '' Revue Celtique'' 11, 1890, pp. 433–57]
Killing his son
Eight years later,
Connla, Cú Chulainn's son by Aífe, comes to Ireland in search of his father, but Cú Chulainn takes him as an intruder and kills him when he refuses to identify himself. Connla does not identify himself, as his mother Aífe bound him to not identify himself or back down from a challenge. She does this as she wishes revenge upon Cú Chulainn for loving another woman after her. Connla was also trained and almost beat his father in battle, but misses his spear shot on purpose as he finds out Cú Chulainn is his father. However Cú Chulainn hits Connla with his spear, the Gae Bulg, which mortally wounds him. Connla's last words to his father as he dies are that they would have "carried the flag of Ulster to the gates of Rome and beyond", leaving Cú Chulainn grief-stricken. The story of Cú Chulainn and Connla shows a striking similarity to the legend of
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
n hero
Rostam
use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) -->
, death_place = Kabulistan
, death_cause = With the conspiracy of his half-brother Shaghad, he fell into a we ...
who also kills his son
Sohrab. Rostam and Cú Chulainn share several other characteristics, including killing a ferocious beast at a very young age, their near invincibility in battle, and the manner of their deaths. Another similar myth is found in the
Hildebrandslied, in which Hildebrand is thought to kill his son, Hadubrand, though the poem's ending is lost.
Lugaid and Derbforgaill
During his time abroad, Cú Chulainn had rescued Derbforgaill, a Scandinavian princess, from being sacrificed to the
Fomorians
The Fomorians or Fomori (, Modern ) are a supernatural race in Irish mythology, who are often portrayed as hostile and monstrous beings. Originally they were said to come from under the sea or the earth. Later, they were portrayed as sea raider ...
. She falls in love with him, and she and her handmaid come to Ireland in search of him in the form of a pair of swans. Cú Chulainn, not realising who she is, shoots her down with his sling, and then saves her life by sucking the stone from her side. Having tasted her blood, he cannot marry her, and gives her to his
foster-son Lugaid Riab nDerg. Lugaid goes on to become
High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland ( ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and was later sometimes assigned anachronously or to leg ...
, but the ''
Lia Fáil'' (stone of destiny) fails to cry out when he stands on it, so Cú Chulainn splits it in two with his sword. When Derbforgaill is mutilated by the women of Ulster out of jealousy for her sexual desirability and dies of her wounds, Lugaid dies of grief, and Cú Chulainn avenges them by demolishing the house the women are inside, killing 150 of them.
The Cattle Raid of Cooley

At the age of seventeen, Cú Chulainn single-handedly defends Ulster from the army of
Connacht
Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...
in the ''
Táin Bó Cúailnge''.
Queen Medb of
Connacht
Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...
mounted the invasion to steal the stud bull
Donn Cúailnge, Cú Chulainn allows her to take Ulster by surprise because he was with a woman when he should have been watching the border. The men of Ulster were disabled by a curse that caused them to suffer from labour pains, so it becomes Cú Chulainn's job to stop
Medb's army from advancing further. He does this by invoking the right of single combat at fords. He defeats champion after champion in a standoff that lasts for months.
Before one combat a beautiful young woman comes to him, claiming to be the daughter of a king, and offers him her love, but he refuses her. The woman reveals herself as the
Morrígan, and in revenge for this slight, she attacks him in various animal forms while he is engaged in combat against Lóch mac Mofemis. As an eel, she trips him in the ford, but he breaks her ribs. As a wolf, she stampedes cattle across the ford, but he blinds her eye with a sling stone. Finally, she appears as a heifer at the head of the stampede, but he breaks her leg with another sling stone. After Cú Chulainn finally defeats Lóch, the Morrígan appears to him as an old woman milking a cow, with the same injuries he had given her in her animal forms. She gives him three drinks of milk, and with each drink he blesses her, healing her wounds.
After one particularly arduous combat, Cú Chulainn lies severely wounded but is visited by Lug, who tells him he is his father and heals his wounds. When Cú Chulainn wakes up and sees that the boy-troop of Emain Macha have attacked the Connacht army and been slaughtered, he has his most spectacular ''ríastrad'' yet:
He attacks the army and kills hundreds, building walls of corpses.

When his foster father Fergus mac Róich, now in exile in Medb's court, is sent to face him, Cú Chulainn agrees to yield, so long as Fergus agrees to return the favour the next time they meet. Finally, he fights a gruelling three-day duel with his best friend and foster brother,
Ferdiad, at a ford that was named ''Áth Fhir Diadh'' (
Ardee,
County Louth
County Louth ( ; ) is a coastal Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of County Meath, Meath to the ...
) after him.
The Ulstermen eventually rouse, one by one at first, and finally ''en masse''. The final battle begins. Cú Chulainn stays on the sidelines, recuperating from his wounds, until he sees Fergus advancing. He enters the fray and confronts Fergus, who keeps his side of the bargain and yields to him, pulling his forces off the field. Connacht's other allies panic and Medb is forced to retreat. At this inopportune moment she gets her period, and although Fergus forms a guard around her, Cú Chulainn breaks through as she is dealing with it and has her at his mercy. However, he spares her because he does not think it right to kill women, and guards her retreat back to Connacht as far as
Athlone
Athlone (; ) is a town on the border of County Roscommon and County Westmeath, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located on the River Shannon near the southern shore of Lough Ree. It is the second most populous town in the Midland Region, Ir ...
.
Bricriu's Feast
The troublemaker
Bricriu once incites three heroes, Cú Chulainn,
Conall Cernach and
Lóegaire Búadach
In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, Lóegaire Búadach (Lóegaire the Victorious) is a hapless Ulaid, Ulster warrior who mainly functions as comic relief. When he, Cúchulainn and Conall Cernach contend for the champion's portion at Briccriu' ...
, to compete for the
champion's portion at his feast. In every test that is set, Cú Chulainn comes out on top, but neither Conall nor Lóegaire will accept the result.
Cú Roí mac Dáire of Munster settles it by visiting each in the guise of a hideous churl and challenging them to behead him, then allow him to return and behead them in return. Conall and Lóegaire both behead Cú Roí, who picks up his head and leaves, but when the time comes for him to return they flee. Only Cú Chulainn is brave and honourable enough to submit himself to Cú Roí's axe; Cú Roí spares him and he is declared champion. This beheading challenge appears in later literature, most notably in the
Middle English
Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman Conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English pe ...
poem ''
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight''. Other examples include the 13th century
French ''
Life of Caradoc'' and the English romances ''The Turke and
Gowin'', and ''
Sir Gawain and the Carle of Carlisle''.
The Death of Cú Roí
Cú Roí, again in disguise, joins the Ulstermen on a raid on
Inis Fer Falga (probably the
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...
), in return for his choice of the spoils. They steal treasure, and abduct
Blathnát, daughter of the island's king, who loves Cú Chulainn. But when Cú Roí is asked to choose his share, he chooses Blathnát. Cú Chulainn tries to stop him taking her, but Cú Roí cuts his hair and drives him into the ground up to his armpits before escaping, taking Blathnát with him. Like other heroes such as the
Biblical
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...
Samson,
Duryodhana
Duryodhana (, Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ̪ʊɾjoːd̪ʱən̪ᵊ ), also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He is the eldest of the Kaurava, Kauravas, the hundred sons of King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gan ...
in the
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...
and the
Welsh Llew Llaw Gyffes, Cú Roí can only be killed in certain contrived circumstances, which vary in different versions of the story. Blathnát discovers how to kill him and betrays him to Cú Chulainn, who does the deed. However, Ferchertne, Cú Roí's poet, enraged at the betrayal of his lord, grabs Blathnát and leaps off a cliff, killing her and himself.
Emer's only jealousy

Cú Chulainn has many lovers, but Emer's only jealousy comes when he falls in love with
Fand, wife of
Manannán mac Lir. Manannán has left her and she has been attacked by three
Fomorians
The Fomorians or Fomori (, Modern ) are a supernatural race in Irish mythology, who are often portrayed as hostile and monstrous beings. Originally they were said to come from under the sea or the earth. Later, they were portrayed as sea raider ...
who want to control the
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea is a body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel and to the Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland in the north by the North Ch ...
. Cú Chulainn agrees to help defend her as long as she marries him. She agrees reluctantly, but they fall in love when they meet. Manannán knows their relationship is doomed because Cú Chulainn is mortal and Fand is a fairy; Cú Chulainn's presence would destroy the fairies. Emer, meanwhile, tries to kill her rival, but when she sees the strength of Fand's love for Cú Chulainn she decides to give him up to her. Fand, touched by Emer's magnanimity, decides to return to her own husband. Manannán shakes his cloak between Cú Chulainn and Fand, ensuring the two will never meet again, and Cú Chulainn and Emer drink a potion to wipe the whole affair from their memories.
Death
(Irish: ''Aided Con Culainn'', also known as ''Brislech Mór Maige Muirthemne''). Medb conspires with
Lugaid, son of Cú Roí,
Erc, son of
Cairbre Nia Fer, and the sons of others Cú Chulainn had killed, to draw him out to his death. His fate is sealed by his breaking of the ''
geasa'' (taboos) upon him. Cú Chulainn's ''geasa'' included a ban against eating dog meat, but in early Ireland there was a powerful general taboo against refusing
hospitality
Hospitality is the relationship of a host towards a guest, wherein the host receives the guest with some amount of goodwill and welcome. This includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Louis de Jaucourt, Louis, ...
, so when an old crone offers him a meal of dog meat, he has no choice but to break his ''geis''. In this way he is spiritually weakened for the fight ahead of him. Lugaid has three magical spears made, and it is prophesied that a king will fall by each of them. With the first he kills Cú Chulainn's charioteer
Láeg
Láeg, or Lóeg, son of Riangabar, is the charioteer and constant companion of the hero Cú Chulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology
Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally Ora ...
, king of chariot drivers. With the second he kills Cú Chulainn's horse,
Liath Macha, king of horses. With the third he hits Cú Chulainn, mortally wounding him. Cú Chulainn ties himself to a standing stone to die on his feet, facing his enemies. This stone is traditionally identified as
Clochafarmore, located near
Dundalk
Dundalk ( ; ) is the county town of County Louth, Ireland. The town is situated on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the north-east coast of Ireland, and is halfway between Dublin and Belfast, close to and south of the bor ...
.
[James MacKillop, ''Dictionary of Celtic Mythology'', Oxford University Press, 1998, p. 104] Due to his ferocity even when so near death, it is only when a
raven lands on his shoulder that his enemies believe he is dead. Lugaid approaches and cuts off his head, but as he does so the "hero-light" burns around Cú Chulainn and his sword falls from his hand and cuts Lugaid's hand off. The light disappears only after his right hand, his sword arm, is cut from his body. According to the Annals, Cú Chulainn died in the year AD 1.
Conall Cernach had sworn that if Cú Chulainn died before him he would avenge him before sunset, and when he hears Cú Chulainn is dead he pursues Lugaid. As Lugaid has lost a hand, Conall fights him with one hand tucked into his belt, but he only beats him after his horse takes a bite out of Lugaid's side. He also kills Erc, and takes his head back to
Tara, where Erc's sister
Achall dies of grief for her brother.
Appearance
Cú Chulainn's appearance is occasionally remarked on in the texts. He is usually described as small, youthful and beardless. He is often described as dark: in ''The Wooing of Emer'' and ''
Bricriu's Feast'' he is "a dark, sad man, comeliest of the men of Erin", in ''
The Intoxication of the Ulstermen'' he is a "little, black-browed man", and in ''The Phantom Chariot of Cú Chulainn'' "
s hair was thick and black, and smooth as though a cow had licked it... in his head his eyes gleamed swift and grey"; yet the prophetess
Fedelm in the ''Táin Bó Cúailnge'' describes him as blond. The description of his appearance comes later in the ''Táin'':
Later stories
Siabur-Charpat Con Culaind
The ''Siabur-Charpat Con Culaind'' (or "Demonic Chariot of Cu Chulaind") tells the story of when
Saint Patrick was trying to convert King
Lóegaire to
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
.
In the tale St. Patrick visited King Loegaire, attempting to convert him to the Christian faith. The king agreed but on a condition: that the saint call up Cu Chulainn from the dead, bringing him to the king's presence. St. Patrick agreed, and then the hero appeared, complete with the chariot, and his two horses Liath Macha and Dub-Sainglend, together with his charioteer Loeg. The saint asks if the king is convinced – he replies that the appearance was so short he was not yet sure. The saint responds that God is so powerful that the king would see the hero again.
The ghostly hero returns, and this time salutes and addresses the saint, he then turns to the king, confirms it is Cu Chulainn he sees and not some demon, and implores him to believe in the saint and his god. A dialogue between king and ghostly hero takes place, in which the old hero recounts his life, including a poetic telling of his heroic deeds, ending with a request to Patrick to allow him too into heaven – the king is convinced. At the end of this, the saint declares that Cu Chulainn is welcome in heaven.
The date of the tale is possibly around late tenth century or perhaps to the early eleventh century.
A Legend of Knockmany
Cú Chulainn was later reimagined as an evil giant at odds with
Fionn mac Cumhaill
Fionn mac Cumhaill, often anglicised Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is the leader of the ''Fianna'' bands of young roving hunter-warriors, as well as being a seer a ...
(or Finn McCool).
Unrecorded before the nineteenth century, the earliest known version was "A Legend of Knockmany" in the 1845 ''Tales and Sketches ... of the Irish Peasantry'' by
William Carleton.
Variants were published in
Patrick Kennedy's ''Legendary Fictions of the Irish Celts'' (1866), and republished and brought to a larger audience by
W. B. Yeats in ''Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry'' (1888), followed by numerous adaptations and variants, many uncredited.
The work was included in later collections of 'folk tales' by other editors such as
Joseph Jacobs in his ''Celtic Fairy Tales'' (1890).
In this tale, Cú Chulainn's power was contained in his middle finger. Wishing to defeat Finn, he came to Finn's house, but Finn disguised himself as a baby while his wife Oona baked cakes, some with griddle irons inside, some without. When Cú Chulainn could not bite through his cake (which had an iron in it) but the baby could (Finn's cake had no iron), in amazement Cú Chulainn felt to see how sharp the baby's teeth were, allowing Finn to bite his middle finger off and deprive Cú Chulainn of both his strength and size.
Indo-European parallels
Cú Chulainn shows striking similarities to the legendary
Persian hero
Rostam
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, death_place = Kabulistan
, death_cause = With the conspiracy of his half-brother Shaghad, he fell into a we ...
, as well as to the
Germanic Lay of Hildebrand
Lay or LAY may refer to:
Places
*Lay Range, a subrange of mountains in British Columbia, Canada
*Lay, Loire, a French commune
*Lay (river), France
*Lay, Iran, a village
*Lay, Kansas, United States, an unincorporated community
*Lay Dam, Alabama, ...
and the labours of the Greek epic hero
Heracles
Heracles ( ; ), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a Divinity, divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of ZeusApollodorus1.9.16/ref> and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive descent through ...
, suggesting a common
Indo-European
The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia (e. ...
origin, but lacking in linguistic,
anthropological
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behaviour, wh ...
and archaeological material. Cú Chulainn's smiting of the hound with a hurling stick is reminiscent of the tenth labour of Heracles, in which Heracles is charged with stealing the cattle of Geryon and is attacked by a two-headed hound, which he dispatches with a club.
Additional Indo-European typological parallels include Lithuanian Velnias, who like Cú Chulainn is the protector of cattle, and Romulus, who is associated with a canine in his youth and is surrounded by a youthful band of warriors (the ''maccrad'' in the case of Cú Chulainn).
Cultural depictions
Images
The image of Cú Chulainn is often invoked by
Irish nationalists. The
Gaelic revival
The Gaelic revival () was the late-nineteenth-century national revival of interest in the Irish language (also known as Gaelic) and Irish Gaelic culture (including folklore, mythology, sports, music, arts, etc.). Irish had diminished as a sp ...
fed into the
Irish revolutionary period
The revolutionary period in Irish history was the period in the 1910s and early 1920s when Irish nationalist opinion shifted from the Home Rule-supporting Irish Parliamentary Party to the republican Sinn Féin movement. There were several ...
, with elements of Irish mythology adopted in nationalist symbolism. In
St. Enda's School, run by revolutionary
Patrick Pearse
Patrick Henry Pearse (also known as Pádraig or Pádraic Pearse; ; 10 November 1879 – 3 May 1916) was an Irish teacher, barrister, Irish poetry, poet, writer, Irish nationalism, nationalist, Irish republicanism, republican political activist a ...
, there was a
stained-glass
Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
panel of Cú Chulainn.
A bronze
sculpture
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
of the dying Cú Chulainn by
Oliver Sheppard stands in the
Dublin General Post Office
The General Post Office (GPO; ) is the former headquarters of — the Irish Post Office. It remains its registered office and the principal post office of Dublin[Easter Rising
The Easter Rising (), also known as the Easter Rebellion, was an armed insurrection in Ireland during Easter Week in April 1916. The Rising was launched by Irish republicans against British rule in Ireland with the aim of establishing an ind ...]
of 1916.
Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera (; ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was an American-born Irish statesman and political leader. He served as the 3rd President of Ire ...
unveiled the statue in 1935 as
President of the Executive Council (Prime Minister) and described Sheppard's work as "symbolising the dauntless courage and abiding constancy of our people". The statue's image is reproduced on the obverse of
1916 Medal awarded to republican veterans of the rising,
the
Military Star of the
Irish Defence Forces,
and the commemorative
ten shilling coin issued in 1966 for the rising's 50th anniversary. He is also depicted in several murals in nationalist areas of Northern Ireland. An example is the mural painted in 1996 on Lenadoon Avenue,
Belfast
Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
commemorating
Provisional IRA
The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provisional IRA), officially known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA; ) and informally known as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary force that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland ...
members from the area, which shows Cú Chulainn in the centre.
More recently, some
Ulster loyalists have also invoked the image of Cú Chulainn, depicting him as an ancient "defender of Ulster" from Irish enemies to the south. This is based on
Ian Adamson's widely rejected
theory
A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...
that Cú Chulainn was a
Cruthin
The Cruthin (; or ; ) were a people of early medieval Ireland. Their heartland was in Ulster and included parts of the present-day counties of Antrim, Down and Londonderry. They are also said to have lived in parts of Leinster and Connacht ...
hero and that they were a non-Celtic people who were at war with the
Gaels
The Gaels ( ; ; ; ) are an Insular Celts, Insular Celtic ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. They are associated with the Goidelic languages, Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languages comprising ...
.
He is depicted in a loyalist mural on Highfield Drive, and was formerly depicted in another on the Newtownards Road, Belfast.
A statue of Cú Chulainn carrying the body of Fer Diad stands in
Ardee,
County Louth
County Louth ( ; ) is a coastal Counties of Ireland, county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. Louth is bordered by the counties of County Meath, Meath to the ...
, traditionally the site of their combat in the ''
Táin Bó Cúailnge''. A sculpture by
Martin Heron, entitled "For the Love of Emer", depicting Cú Chulainn balancing on a tilting 20-foot pole, representing the feat of balancing on the butt of a spear he learned from
Scáthach, was installed in
Armagh
Armagh ( ; , , " Macha's height") is a city and the county town of County Armagh, in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Primates of All ...
in 2010.
Literature
Augusta, Lady Gregory
Isabella Augusta, Lady Gregory (; 15 March 1852 – 22 May 1932) was an Anglo-Irish people, Anglo-Irish dramatist, Folklore, folklorist and theatre manager. With William Butler Yeats and Edward Martyn, she co-founded the Irish Literary Theatre a ...
retold many of the legends of Cú Chulainn in her 1902 book ''
Cuchulain of Muirthemne'', which paraphrased the originals but also romanticized some of the tales and omitted most of the more violent content. It was very popular, supported by the
Celtic Revival
The Celtic Revival (also referred to as the Celtic Twilight) is a variety of movements and trends in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries that see a renewed interest in aspects of Celtic culture. Artists and writers drew on the traditions of Gae ...
movement. It featured an introduction by her friend
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th century in literature, 20th-century literature. He was ...
, who wrote several pieces based on the legend, including the plays ''On Baile's Strand'' (1904), ''The Green Helmet'' (1910), ''
At the Hawk's Well'' (1917), ''The Only Jealousy of Emer'' (1919) and ''The Death of Cuchulain'' (1939), and the poems ''Cuchulain's Fight with the Sea'' (1892) and ''Cuchulain Comforted'' (1939), the latter completed two weeks before his death.
An tAthair
Peadar Ua Laoghaire, a priest from
Castlelyons in County Cork, serialised the ''
Táin Bó Cúailnge'' on a weekly basis in
''The Cork Examiner'' between 1900 and 1901 as part of the
Gaelic revival
The Gaelic revival () was the late-nineteenth-century national revival of interest in the Irish language (also known as Gaelic) and Irish Gaelic culture (including folklore, mythology, sports, music, arts, etc.). Irish had diminished as a sp ...
.
Pádraig Pearse, another revivalist age writer and member of
Conradh na Gaeilge mentions Cú Chulainn in his 1912 his
Irish language
Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...
poem ''
Mise Éire'' where Pearse personifies Ireland as a mother figure who gave birth to Cú Chulainn, but whose glory days are behind her.
Sheppard's statue of Cú Chulainn is depicted in
Samuel Beckett
Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish writer of novels, plays, short stories, and poems. Writing in both English and French, his literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal, and Tragicomedy, tra ...
's 1938 novel
''Murphy'' as a vice to mock the
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State (6 December 192229 December 1937), also known by its Irish-language, Irish name ( , ), was a State (polity), state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-ye ...
and the attitude of its inhabitants. The story of Cú Chulainn and many other characters from Irish
Béaloideas tales such as
Fionn mac Cumhaill
Fionn mac Cumhaill, often anglicised Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is the leader of the ''Fianna'' bands of young roving hunter-warriors, as well as being a seer a ...
are still taught as part of the Irish primary school curriculum in both the Republic and Northern Ireland.
See also
*
Setanta College, a sports college, named after Cu Chulainn's given name, due to his legendary
hurling
Hurling (, ') is an outdoor Team sport, team game of ancient Gaelic culture, Gaelic Irish origin, played by men and women. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goa ...
prowess.
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
Modern literature
*
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
Texts in translation
The Birth of Cú ChulainnThe Wooing of Emer* The Cattle Raid of Cooley
*
The Battle of Ross na Ríg
The Death of Cú Roí
Retellings
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cuchulainn
Characters in Táin Bó Cúailnge
Demigods
Hurling culture
Heroes in Irish mythology
Ulster Cycle
Lugh