The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Tain Bo Cualnge Part 56

[5-5] Stowe, and, similarly, Eg. 209 and Eg. 106.

[a] That is, Queen Medb.

[W.3527.] "Good, O Ferdiad!" cried Cuchulain. [1]A pity it is for thee to abandon my alliance and my friendship for the sake of a woman that has been trafficked to fifty other warriors before thee, and it would be long before I would forsake thee for that woman.[1] Therefore, it is not right for thee to come to fight and combat with me; for when we were with Scathach and with Uathach and with Aife, [2]we were together in practice of valour and arms of the world, and[2] it was together we were used to seek out every battle and every battle-field, every combat and every contest, every wood and every desert, every covert and every recess." And thus he spake and he uttered these words:--

Cuchulain: "We were heart-companions once; We were comrades in the woods; We were men that shared a bed, When we slept the heavy sleep, After hard and weary fights.

Into many lands, so strange, Side by side we sallied forth, And we ranged the woodlands through, When with Scathach we learned arms!"

Ferdiad: "O Cuchulain, rich in feats, Hard the trade we both have learned; Treason hath o'ercome our love; Thy first wounding hath been bought; Think not of our friendship more, Cua, it avails thee not!"

[1-1] Stowe, and, similarly, Eg. 106 and Eg. 209.

[2-2] Stowe, and, similarly, Eg. 106 and Eg. 209.

"Too long are we now in this way," quoth Ferdiad; "and what arms shall we resort to to-day, O Cuchulain?" "With thee is thy choice of weapons this day till night time," answered Cuchulain, "for thou art he that first didst reach the ford." "Rememberest thou at all," asked Ferdiad, "the choice deeds of arms we were wont to practise with Scathach and with Uathach and with Aife?" "Indeed, and I do remember," answered Cuchulain. "If thou rememberest, let us begin [3]with them."[3]

[3-3] Stowe.

[W.3555.] They betook them to their choicest deeds of arms. They took upon them two equally-matched shields for feats, and their eight-edged targes for feats, and their eight small darts, and their eight straightswords with ornaments of walrus-tooth and their eight lesser, ivoried spears which flew from them and to them like bees [LL.fo.84b.] on a day of fine weather.

They cast no weapon that struck not. Each of them was busy casting at the other with those missiles from morning's early twilight till noon at mid-day, the while they overcame their various feats with the bosses and hollows of their feat-shields. However great the excellence of the throwing on either side, equally great was the excellence of the defence, so that during all that time neither of them bled or reddened the other. "Let us cease now from this bout of arms, O Cuchulain," said Ferdiad; "for it is not by such our decision will come." "Yea, surely, let us cease, if the time hath come," answered Cuchulain. [1]Then[1] they ceased. They threw their feat-tackle from them into the hands of their charioteers.

"To what weapons shall we resort next, O Cuchulain?" asked Ferdiad. "Thine is the choice of weapons till nightfall," replied Cuchulain; "for thou art he that didst first reach the ford." "Let us begin, then," said Ferdiad, "with our straight-cut, smooth-hardened throwing-spears, with cords of full-hard flax on them." "Aye, let us begin then," a.s.sented Cuchulain. Then they took on them two hard shields, equally strong. They fell to their straight-cut, smooth-hardened spears with cords of full-hard flax on them.

Each of them was engaged in casting at the other with the spears from the middle of noon [2]till yellowness came over the sun[2] at the hour of evening's sundown. However great the excellence of the defence, equally great was the excellence of the throwing on either side, so that [W.3578.]

each of them bled and reddened and wounded the other during that time.

[1]"Wouldst thou fain make a truce, O Cucugan?"[a] asked Ferdiad. "It would please me," replied Cuchulain; "for whoso begins with arms has the right to desist."[1] "Let us leave off from this now, O Cuchulain," said Ferdiad.

"Aye, let us leave off, an the time hath come," answered Cuchulain. So they ceased. They threw their arms from them into the hands of their charioteers.

[1-1] Stowe.

[2-2] H. 2. 12.

[1-1] H. 2. 12.

[a] See note, page 185.

Thereupon each of them went toward the other [2]in the middle of the ford,[2] and each of them put his hand on the other's neck and gave him three kisses [3]in remembrance of his fellowship and friendship.[3] Their horses were in one and the same paddock that night, and their charioteers at one and the same fire; and their charioteers made ready a litter-bed of fresh rushes for them with pillows for wounded men on them. Then came healing and curing folk to heal and to cure them, and they laid healing herbs and gra.s.ses and a curing charm on their cuts and stabs, their gashes and many wounds. Of every healing herb and gra.s.s and curing charm that [4]was brought from the fairy dwellings of Erin to Cuchulain and[4] was applied to the cuts and stabs, to the gashes and many wounds of Cuchulain, a like portion thereof he sent across the ford westward to Ferdiad, [5]to put to his wounds and his pools of gore,[5] so that the men of Erin should not have it to say, should Ferdiad fall at his hands, it was more than his share of care had been given to him.

[2-2] H. 2. 12.

[3-3] H. 2. 12.

[4-4] H. 2. 12.

[5-5] H. 2. 12.

Of every food and of every savoury, soothing and strong drink that was brought by the men of Erin to Ferdiad, a like portion thereof he sent over the ford northwards to Cuchulain; for the purveyors of Ferdiad were more numerous than the purveyors of Cuchulain. All the men of Erin were purveyors to Ferdiad, to the end that he might keep [W.3598.] Cuchulain off from them. But only the inhabitants of Mag Breg ('the Plain of Breg') were purveyors to Cuchulain. They were wont to come daily, that is, every night, to converse with him.

They bided there that night. Early on the morrow they arose and went their ways to the ford of combat. "To what weapons shall we resort on this day, O Ferdiad?" asked Cuchulain. [LL.fo.85a.] "Thine is the choosing of weapons till night time," Ferdiad made answer, "because it was I had my choice of weapons on the day aforegone." "Let us take, then," said Cuchulain, "to our great, well-tempered lances to-day, for we think that the thrusting will bring nearer the decisive battle to-day than did the casting of yesterday.

Let our horses be brought to us and our chariots yoked, to the end that we engage in combat over our horses and chariots on this day." "Aye, let us go so," Ferdiad a.s.sented. Thereupon they girded two full-firm broad-shields on them for that day. They took to their great, well-tempered lances on that day. Either of them began to pierce and to drive, to throw and to press down the other, from early morning's twilight till the hour of evening's close. If it were the wont for birds in flight to fly through the bodies of men, they could have pa.s.sed through their bodies on that day and carried away pieces of blood and flesh through their wounds and their sores into the clouds and the air all around. And when the hour of evening's close was come, their horses were spent and their drivers were wearied, and they themselves, the heroes and warriors of valour, were exhausted. "Let us give over now, O Ferdiad," said Cuchulain, "for our horses are spent and our drivers tired, and when they are exhausted, why should we too not be exhausted?" And in this wise he spake, and he uttered these words at that place:--

"We need not our chariots break-- This, a struggle fit for giants.

[W.3626.] Place the hobbles on the steeds, Now that din of arms is o'er!"

"Yea, we will cease, if the time hath come," replied Ferdiad. They ceased [1]then.[1] They threw their arms away from them into the hands of their charioteers. Each of them came towards his fellow. Each laid his hand on the other's neck and gave him three kisses. Their horses were in the one pen that night, and their charioteers at the one fire. Their charioteers prepared [2]two[2] litter-beds of fresh rushes for them with pillows for wounded men on them. The curing and healing men came to attend and watch and mark them that night; for naught else could they do, because of the direfulness of their cuts and their stabs, their gashes and their numerous wounds, but apply to them philtres and spells and charms, to staunch their blood and their bleeding and their deadly pains. Of every magic potion and every spell and every charm that was applied to the cuts and stabs of Cuchulain, their like share he sent over the ford westwards to Ferdiad. Of every food and every savoury, soothing and strong drink that was brought by the men of Erin to Ferdiad, an equal portion he sent over the ford northwards to Cuchulain, for the victuallers of Ferdiad were more numerous than the victuallers of Cuchulain. For all the men of Erin were Ferdiad's nourishers, to the end that he might ward off Cuchulain from them. But the indwellers of the Plain of Breg alone were Cuchulain's nourishers. They were wont to come daily, that is, every night, to converse with him.

[1-1] Stowe.

[2-2] Stowe.

They abode there that night. Early on the morrow they arose and repaired to the ford of combat. Cuchulain marked an evil mien and a dark mood that day [3]beyond every other day[3] on Ferdiad. "It is evil thou appearest to-day, O Ferdiad," spake Cuchulain; "thy hair has [W.3653.] become dark[a] to-day, and thine eye has grown drowsy, and thine upright form [LL.fo.85b.] and thy features and thy gait have gone from thee!" "Truly not for fear nor for dread of thee is that happened to me to-day," answered Ferdiad; "for there is not in Erin this day a warrior I could not repel!" [1]"Alas, O Ferdiad,"

said Cuchulain, "a pity it is for thee to oppose thy foster-brother and thy comrade and friend, on the counsel of any woman in the world!" "A pity it is, O Cuchulain," Ferdiad responded. "But, should I part without a struggle with thee, I should be in ill repute forever with Medb and with the n.o.bles of the four grand provinces of Erin." "A pity it is, O Ferdiad," said Cuchulain; "not on the counsel of all the men and women in the world would I desert thee or would I do thee harm. And almost would it make a clot of gore of my heart to be combating with thee!"[1]

[3-3] Eg. 209 and Eg. 106.

[a] An unusual colour of the hair betokened misfortune.

[1-1] Eg. 106.

And Cuchulain lamented and moaned, and he spake these words and Ferdiad responded:--

Cuchulain: "Ferdiad, ah, if it be thou, Well I know thou'rt doomed to die!

To have gone at woman's hest, Forced to fight thy comrade sworn!"

Ferdiad: "O Cuchulain--wise decree-- Loyal champion, hero true, Each man is constrained to go 'Neath the sod that hides his grave!"

Cuchulain: "Finnabair, Medb's daughter fair, Stately maiden though she be, Not for love they'll give to thee, But to prove thy kingly might!"

Ferdiad: "Proved was my might long since, Cu of gentle spirit thou.

Of one braver I've not heard; Till to-day I have not found!"

Cuchulain: "Thou art he provoked this fight, Son of Daman, Dare's son, To have gone at woman's word, Swords to cross with thine old friend!"

Ferdiad: [W.3679.] "Should we then unfought depart, Brothers though we are, bold Hound, Ill would be my word and fame With Ailill and Cruachan's Medb!"

Cuchulain: "Food has not yet pa.s.sed his lips, Nay nor has he yet been born, Son of king or blameless queen, For whom I would work thee harm!"

Ferdiad: "Culann's Hound, with floods of deeds, Medb, not thou, hath us betrayed; Fame and victory thou shalt have; Not on thee we lay our fault!"

Cuchulain: "Clotted gore is my brave heart, Near I'm parted from my soul; Wrongful 'tis--with hosts of deeds-- Ferdiad, dear, to fight with thee!"

[1]After this colloquy, Ferdiad spake:[1] "How much soever thou findest fault with me to-day," said Ferdiad, [2]"for my ill-boding mien and evil doing, it will be as an offset to my prowess." And he said,[2] "To what weapons shall we resort to-day?" "With thyself is the choice of weapons to-day till night time," replied Cuchulain, "for it is I that chose on the day gone by." "Let us resort, then," said Ferdiad, "to our heavy, hard-smiting swords this day, for we trow that the smiting each other will bring us nearer to the decision of battle to-day than was our piercing each other on yesterday." "Let us go then, by all means," responded Cuchulain.

[1-1] Stowe, Eg. 106.

[2-2] Eg. 106.

Then they took two full-great long-shields upon them for that day. They turned to their heavy, hard-smiting swords. Each of them fell to strike and to hew, to lay low and cut down, to slay and undo [3]his fellow,[3] till as large as the head of a month-old child was each lump and each cut, [4]each clutter and each clot of gore[4] that each of them took from the shoulders and thighs and shoulder-blades of the other.