Literature Review
Cu Chulainn
HEROIC BIOGRAPHY
The stages of a heroic biography are universal. The same stages occur in every hero’s life Irish or Japanese, past or present. These stages are what make a hero who they are and they are still relevant today. Everyone from Hercules to Christ all have some or all of these stages in their characters history. They usually have an unusual conception and birth; begotten out of wedlock, life threatened sometimes even before they are BORN, left exposed, reared by a stranger, their is a prophesy of the child’s greatness, exile, trials and tests, triumphant return home and acquiring of their lost status. They usually develop quickly, they are usually invulnerable, fight a monster, seek a wife and have an exceptional death. The stories seem to concentrate on areas of life crisis for ordinary people usually transitional times but are always exaggerated for the hero. Liminality is a theme that runs through the heroic biographies. These stages are what make a hero who they are and they are still just as important and relevant in modem tales as they were in the past. 1 think these stories were a form of Aetiology19 and didactic teaching social behaviour and it’s consequences to ordinary people. O’ Cathasaigh said “The historical event and the heroic legend can be said to oppose one another- as entities… the heroic life is a life sui generis, which does not belong to history and which cannot be lived by ordinary mortals”20in his book on the heroic biography of Cormaic mac Airt it infers that the hero is always different, exemplary and outside the rules of ordinary society but something to aspire to as well. It was De Vries who introduced the notion of the ten point system, which is now internationally recognized. De Vries identified a specific pattern to the presentation of the hero’s life in the literature of many nations and the result of his work is that we can see the heroes of virtually all parts of the world have features in common. It acts as a reference table for those studying the biographies of the heroes to consult. Certain traditions concentrate on different points, i.e. Irish literature concentrated on stories about conception, birth, wooing, and Otherworlds. Monsters don’t feature much in the Irish tradition of the overrode his duty to the Ulsterman so he killed him.93 Cu Chulainn found and rescued Conchubur. He found a man roasting a boar in the forest, the man was a terrifying formidable opponent but Cu Chulainn attacked him stole the boar and beheaded him. We see him here doing his duty; doing what is needed even thought it is a terrible sight to serve and protect the king the symbol of the province, again fulfilling his guardian function. 91 McCone, K: ‘ The Cyclopes in Celtic, Germanic and Indo-European Myth’, Studia Celtica 30, page 89-111. 92 Gray, E: ‘Lug and CuChulainn: king and warrior, God and Man’ Studia C eltica 24-25 1989-90 pg 37-52. 93 Gray, E: ‘Lug and CuChulainn: king and warrior, God and Man’ Studia C eltica 24-25 1989-90 pg 37-52 25
YOUTH AND LIFE THREATENED
Macgnimrada Con Culainn
EPISODE 1
This group of stories are an early part of the Tain, supposedly told by Fergus an Ulsterman in exile who was also Cu Chulainn’s foster father to Medb’s army before the battle against Cu Chulainn. Cu Chulainn was raised by his mother Dechtine and his human father Sualtam in Airgdech of Mag Muirthemni, on the liminal boarders of the province84. Cu Chulainn decided to go to Emhain to join the famous Red Branch Knights, his mother Dechtine warned him to wait for an Ulster hero to accompany him but he refused and impetuously set out on the road with only his toy javelin, shield, hurly and ball for protection. When he reached the boy troop he barged in on them. They knew he was an Ulsterman but could not understand why he ignored the protocol of asking for their protection so they attacked him. This is the first instance that Cu Chulainn’s life is threatened; even though he could defend himself against the attack he is isolated and alienated by society. Like all heroes he must earn the right to participate in society. Nagy argues that Cu Chulainn earns his right to be in society through his martial prowess and is always redeemed and reintegrated after his battle frenzy as opposed to Finn who is never fully accepted into society. Even though these are both liminal heroes Cu Chulainn is apart of the tribe where as Finn is always outside part of the Fianna85. He defended himself with toy weapons from the onslaught of one hundred and fifty boys. The riastrad came upon him for the first time: his hair stood on end full of electricity with a drop of blood on each strand, one eye sunk back into his head and the other became as huge as a saucer, his mouth was so wide you could see his intestines and the hero’s moon rose above his head. The contortions that come upon him here for the first time but successively thought his life have parallels in lots of different Celtic traditions, most notably Scandinavian. We find the same huge eye, and the hero’s moon on the head of Ogmios. All these contortions were obviously familiar to the 84 This is thought to be in present day Co. Louth. 83 Nagy, J.F: ‘ Heroic destines in Macgrimrada of Finn and CuChulaimT, ZCP 40 1984 pg 23-39. 23 widespread Celtic culture.86 The theme of the “entering of the hero by force into the social circle by force”87 is seen here with him barging in unafraid and demanding his due initiation into society. When Cu Chulainn contorts he reverts to his Formorian ancestry destructive element and he appears as a Cyclops which his killers and his female fans copy. His name meant he was associated with the wolf which was a wild animal and was associated with the liminal band the Fian, who lived by plunder and hunting always living outside society.88 In all cases Cu Chulainn is calmed from his rage and accepted back into society but he is always restless having an uncontrollable force inside him seems to unnerve him but society must see it as an acceptable risk because they always reintegrate him and the next day he appears at the kings side again. He hunted and chased after the boys right past his uncle the King, knocking over his game of chess. The king grabbed him and demanded he explain his behaviour and asked why he didn’t seek the boys protection before entering the playing field, Cu Chulainn replied he didn’t know the protocol so the king gave him his protection instead and he went of to play with the boys. Later a fight broke out because Cu Chulainn wanted to be the boy troops protector; the king broke the fight up and let him guard them. Here he is taking tentative steps towards his guarding destiny. The youthful hero’s strength as a champion grows rapidly and he abandons childish things to intrude into society. Without fear or respect he reject the protection of his elders89. He breaks the rules to join the boy troop and risks his life to do so, he becomes the kings favourite not because he is related to him but he earns it by demonstrating his skill and so can do as he wishes. This is a reoccurring theme in the international heroic biography; the hero is born different, blessed if you will with superhuman abilities but must always fight to earn his right to participate in society. It parallels international ‘initiation rites’. The hero must leave home, fight at contests, get a new name, take arms, spill blood and win his first head. 90 86 Sjoestedt, M-L: G ods and heroes o f the C elts, Chapter 6 ‘The hero of the tribe’ 1948 page 62. 87 Sjoestedt, M-L: G ods and heroes o f the C elts, Chapter 6 ‘The hero of the tribe’ 1948 page 63. 88 McCone, K: ‘ The Cyclopes in Celtic, Germanic and Indo-European Myth’, Studia C eltica SO, page 89-111. 89 Sjoestedt, M-L: G ods and heroes o f the Celts, Chapter 6 ‘The hero of the tribe’ 1948 page 57. 90 Rees A and B: Celtic H eritage, Thames and Hudson 1961.
EPISODE 2
Once there was a battle that the Ulstermen fought while Cu Chulainn was asleep. On the way to the battle he met a horrible sight; half a man carrying another half a man on his back the man pleaded with Cu Chulainn to carry his burden, his brother for him. Cu Chulainn refused and the man slung the half of his brother onto the boy who threw it off This can be taken as Cu Chulainn’s first meeting with a monster he is again unafraid and confronts the spectre, presumably with one eye and a corpse with one eye, leg and arm. Loss of limbs was a down side of the warrior lifestyle and maybe this Formorian pose was just a symbol of being a warrior91. He shows he has his priorities right when he refuses to help a fellow Ulsterman because he must rescue the king. The man and boy wrestled and Cu Chulainn was knocked over. The Badb was among the corpses. Sometimes she is depicted as one eyed a very supernatural trait she is the sister of Macha and the Morrigan these women were supposedly the otherworld goddesses of death. They usually appear as black birds, scavengers among the dead on the battlefield. Again the otherworld birds can be seen. She began to mock him calling him a terrible warriors apprentice, a silly boy scared by spectres. The mocking makes him more determined to win against the phantom and it brings on a frenzy again showing the interference and power of the otherworld. Grey92 suggests that it is the otherworld that is responsible for the contortions within Cu Chulainn. I believe that his frenzy is controlled and triggered by the otherworld. Cu Chulainn was enraged by the satire and attacked the first man, beheaded him with his hurley and drove it like a ball ahead of him. He commits kin slaying, he had a conflict of obligations; it was his duty to the tribe to save the king that overrode his duty to the Ulsterman so he killed him.
Cu Chulainn found and rescued Conchubur. He found a man roasting a boar in the forest, the man was a terrifying formidable opponent but Cu Chulainn attacked him stole the boar and beheaded him. We see him here doing his duty; doing what is needed even thought it is a terrible sight to serve and protect the king the symbol of the province, again fulfilling his guardian function. 91 McCone, K: ‘ The Cyclopes in Celtic, Germanic and Indo-European Myth’, Studia Celtica 30, page 89-111. 92 Gray, E: ‘Lug and CuChulainn: king and warrior, God and Man’ Studia C eltica 24-25 1989-90 pg 37-52. 93 Gray, E: ‘Lug and CuChulainn: king and warrior, God and Man’ Studia C eltica 24-25 1989-90 pg 37-52 25
EPISODE 3
On day Conchubur was invited to a feast by Cualu the smith before leaving the king went to visit his boy troop. Cu Chulainn was defending a goal single handily against all one hundred and fifty boys. Not a single ball went in to his goal but he filled their goal with all his balls. The king was very amused and amazed and all the company were sure this boy would be a great warrior probably the best and would outshine all others before or after him. Her his great future is being prophesised for him. He was so impressed that he invited Cu Chulainn to the feast but the boy replied he was not finished playing and would follow the king later. He is being shown here as the ultimate warrior, fighting off an army of boys single handed. His peers are no match for him now. He also only plays by his own rules; he decides when to go not the king. The king arrived at the feast and forgetting about his fosterling let the smith lock up and he loosed his ferocious hound to protect the lands and cattle. The dog took three chains and nine men to control him. This is accepted as a supernatural dog because of it’s origins, it’s litter was found in a dead mans head. The motif of Celtic triplicity is in the dog’s nature; it was one of a litter of three dogs that all had adventurous tales of their own. Its brothers were Ailbhe Mac Da tho’s dog and the other the hound of Celtchar. All the hounds eventually attacked their home and all the heroes involved were intimately intertwined with the dogs function and destiny94. This may explain why Cu Chulainn could turn on his own people. Cu Chulainn was coming along the path when the hound attacked, Cu Chulainn grabbed him and smacked him against a tree, then he hit his ball with his hurl and it went into the hounds mouth through him and out his back. Cu Chulainn faced the dog and killed it by firfer95 so had to assume the dogs duty which in a way is preparing him for his adult role of the Guard dog of Ulster. Mythical hounds traditionally guarded otherworld hospitallers, possessions and functioned as symbols of the warrior virtues embodied by society.96 They then rushed out, after the dog was defeated and they were all overjoyed to see the king’s nephew alive. All but the smith who was lamenting his dead protector and 94 McCone, K: ‘Aided Cheltchair maic Uthcchair: Hounds, heroes and hospitallers in early Irish myth and story”, Eriu 35 1984 page 1-30. 95 Translated ‘Men’s truth’ or the idea of a fair fight, equally matched opponents. 96 McCone, K: ‘An introduction to early Irish saints lives’ M aynooth Review 11, 1984 page 26-59. 26 pet, his household and all his animal stock were defenceless now and to him his life was ruined. Cu Chulainn replied that he would rear a pup from the same pedigree but until it was big enough he would be the smiths protector. This is how he got his name Cu Chulainn meaning ‘the hound of Culainn’ and he became the protector of Mag Muirthemni. Rees and Rees stated “ it was thought appropriate to name a child from an exclamation made on the spur of the moment as though the truth unwittingly was revealed in a moment of thoughtlessness”97 his name was pronounced in the presence of the king and a druid representing sovereignty and sacred thus affirming his positive role in the social structure.98 Cu Chulainn was six years old when he received his adult name and identity, he has now passed the supreme test of killing a hound that embodies the martial values of the warrior society and assimilates theses virtues and assumes it’s function. The benefits are positive and permanent infusion of both personalities to make the perfect hero.99 In the story Cu Chulainn must protect all of Mag Muirthemni, the earth and they sky, neither flock nor herd can be taken without his knowledge. This is preparing him for his job as provincial defender, one of his geiss is that neither bird can not fly over Ulster lest he bring one down nor fish can show above water lest he catch one. He must protect all aspects of Ulster: earth, sky, water, human and supernatural. He was monster and man at the same time as his name suggests100. Cu Chulainn assuming the role of the hound in this story compares with the Scandinavian idea of a berserker and it’s relationships with wolves. Cu can mean a hound whether wild or domestic and was used to refer to both, wild dogs were as near to wolves as Ireland ever had.101 Bruford suggests that the killing of the dog in this episode is meant to distract from the real pagan meaning behind this naming story. He thinks the smith Cualu represents an otherworld deity and has magical connotations. It is him who bestows Cu Chulainn with his powers as opposed to getting them from the hound102. McCone agrees thinking the Smyth was an otherworld person with druidic connections103 17 Gantz: Early Irish myths and sagas, Penguin 1981 page 24 18 Gantz: Early Irish myths and sagas, Penguin 1981 page 15.
https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/5192/1/Lisa_Gibney_20140711110039.pdf