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A crystal ball two and a half inches in diameter surmounts the Scottish scepter. The use of such balls has been traced back to the Druids. They were still known as 'stones of power' in Sir Walter Scott's days. Another sphere of smoky quartz, which the Scots called CAIRNGORM, is now in the possession of the British Museum and is reputed to be the famous 'shew-stone' of Dr. Dee, the court diviner to Queen Elizabeth I of England. See also: DEE, JOHN.
# 701
(koo chul-inn or koo hoo lin) See: CUCHULAIN.
(coo' r" e moc da'i re) A powerful chieftain in Munster with great otherworldly powers. He appropiated many otherworldly Hallows which the Ulsterman had captured, including his wife, Blanaid, loved by CuChulain. She deceived him and enabled CuChulain to kill him. Cu Roi disguised himself as the Wild Herdsman and challenged the heroes of Ulster to play the Beheading Game with him. He is the Celtic prototype of the Green Knight. His death was avenged by Lugaid, his son. See also: CU ROI MAC DAIRI, THE TRAGIC DEATH OF.
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The saga 'The tragic death of Cu Roi mac Dairi' is one of a group which belong to the oldest parts of the Ulster cycle and which center around Cu Roi mac Dairi, a half demonic personage with magic powers, who, according to tradition, resided in the south of Ireland. He is associated especially with Kerry, where the remains of a prehistoric fortification in the Slemish Mountains are still known as Caher Conree, 'Cu Roi's City.' It is not surprising that the composers of the Ulster cycle should conceive the idea of representing their beloved hero, CuChulain, as victorious over this great southern champion. CuChulain, being only a beardless youth, usually wins by startegem rather than by open warfare. The story told in 'The Tragic Death of Cu Roi mac Dairi' must have been widespread; there are numerous versions of it in early Irish and its fame even spread across the channel into Wales.
# 166
(coo-shee) This, the Fairy Dog of the Highlands, was different from other Celtic fairy hounds in being dark green in colour. It is described by J. G. Campbell in SUPERSTITIONS OF THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS. It was the size of a two-year-old stirk (yearling bullock). It was shaggy, with a long tail coiled up on its back, or plaited in a flat plait. Its feet were enormous and as broad as a man's; its great footmarks were often seen in mud or snow, but it glided along silently, moving in a straight line. It did not bark continuously when hunting, but gave three tremendous bays which could be heard by ships far out at sea. As a rule the fairy dogs were kept tied up inside the Brugh to be loosed on intruders, but sometimes they went with women looking for human cattle to milk or to drive into the sithein, and sometimes a cu sith would be allowed to roam about alone, taking shelter in the clefts of the rocks. This cu sith would be terribly formidable to mortal men or dogs, but those loosed in the Brugh in J. F. Campbell's tale of the 'Isle of Sanntragh' were driven back by the mortal dogs when they approached human habitations. Bran, Finn's elfin dog, was different in appearance. Other fairy dogs are generally white with red ears, and the commonest supernatural dogs in England are Black Dogs.
# 100 - 130 - 131
(cooachack) According to Mackenzie in SCOTTISH FOLK LORE AND FOLK LIFE, and also to Professor W. J. Watson in HISTORY OF CELTIC PLACENAMES IN SCOTLAND, the Cuachag was a Fuath. It was a river sprite, which haunted Glen Cuaich in Inverness-shire, which is connected to it by name. Like all the Fuathan, it is a dangerous spirit.
# 100 - 415 - 707
(koo ile nyeh) Táin Bó Cualgne. 'The Cattle-Raid of Cooley' is the central epic of the Ulster cycle. It exists in several versions, the oldest of which goes back probably to the eight century. The tale opens with the famous 'Pillow-Talk' - a racy dialogue between Queen Medb (Maeve) of Connacht and her hen-pecked husband, Ailill. The queen, on finding that her possessions equal those of her husband, except for one bull, the White-Horned of Connacht, determines to make up the deficiency by gaining possession of the most famous bull in Ireland, the Donn of Cooley, which is the property of Daire, a chieftain of Ulster. When Medb learns that she cannot obtain the Donn as a loan, she determines to take the animal by force and gathers an army to invade Ulster. Owing to the temporary debility of all the adult warriors of Ulster, the seventeen-year-old CuChulain undertakes to oppose Medb's host single-handed. When Medb hears of CuChulain, she inquires about him from the Ulster exiles in her army and learns of his boyish exploits.
As the result of an agreement between Medb and CuChulain, the Ulster champion meets at a ford on the border of the two provinces a single Connacht warrior each day over a period extending from Samhain (the beginning of winter 1 November) till the day of spring. The men of Connacht finally succeed in invading Ulster and carrying off the Donn of Cooley, but they are later defeated by the Ulstermen, now restored to their normal strenght. The Donn of Cooley, after slaying the WhiteHorned of Connacht, returns to his native district and utters mad bellowings of triumph till his heart bursts and he dies. In spite of obvious imperfections, THE CATTLE-RAID OF COOLEY is a splendid example of an epic in the making. It shows many evidences of literary artistry and is not without passages of marked power and impressiveness. The combat between CuChulain and his friend Ferdiad is one of the most famous passages in early Irish literature. Cualgne corresponding roughly to the modern parish of Cooley in co. Louth.
# 166 - 562
# 166: ( koo hoo lin or koo chul-inn )
# 562: Ulster Hero in Irish saga; duel with Ferdia; son of Lugh and Dectera; loved and befriended by goddess Morrigan; his strange birth; earliest name Setanta; 'his praise will be in the mouths of all men' said Druid Morann. His name derived from the hound of Cullan; claims arms of manhood from Conor; wooes Emer; Laeg, his charoteer; Skatha instructs, in Land of Shadows; overcomes Aifa; father of Connla by Aifa; slays Connla; returns to Erin; slays Foill and his brothers; met by women of Emania; leaps 'the hero's salmon leap'; the winning of Emer; proclaimed the Champion of Ireland by The Terrible; places Maev's host under GEISE; slays Orlam; battle-frenzy and RIASTRADH of CuChulain; compact with Fergus; The Morrigan offers him love; threatens to be about his feet in bottom of Ford; attacked by the Morrigan while engaged with Loch; slays Loch; Ferdia consents to go out against him; Ferdia reproached by CuChulain; their struggle; slays Ferdia; severely wounded by Ferdia; roused from stupor by sword-play of Fergus; rushes into battle of Garach; CuChulain in Fairyland; loved by Fand; vengeance of Maev upon CuChulain; Blanid, Curoi's wife, sets her love on him; Bave personates Niam before; the Morrigan croaks of war before him in his madness; Dectera and Cathbad urge him wait for Conall of the Victories ere setting forth to battle; the Washer at the Ford seen by CuChulain; Clan Calatin cause him to break his GEISE; he finds his foes at Slieve Fuad; the Grey of Macha mortally wounded takes farewell of CuChulain; he is mortally wounded by Lewy (Lugaid); his remaining horse, Black Sainglend, breaks away from him; Lewy slays outright; his death avenged by Conall of the Victories; reappears in later legend of Christian origin found in BOOK OF THE DUN COW; St Patrick's summons from Hell to prove the truths of Christianity to the pagan king.
The Hero. CuChulain son of Sualtam, but really the son of Lugh. The great Ulster hero, guardian of the Sacred Land. Like many heroes in ancient myth, he bridges the human and divine, with parents in both worlds. His entire life is set about with magical obligations and portents, and his sole function is to defend his people and their land, even at the expence of his own life.
# 454: Hero of the Red Branch Knights of Ulster. He was the son of Dechtire and Lugh. His birth name was Setanta but he gained his adult name after killing the fierce hound of Conchobar's smith Culainn. In recompence for the loss, Setanta agreed to guard Culainn's forge until a suitable dog could be found, and so he became Cu Chulainn (Hound of Culainn). He was fostered and trained by the best men in Ulster. He wooed Emer, but her father would not accept him until he had trained with Scathach of Alba. He fought her rival, Aoife and lay with her engendering his only son, Conlaoch, whom he later killed unknowingly. He was famed for his great skills: the salmon-leap, which enabled him to leap over obstacles, and his use of the gaebolg, the great spear which inflicted the death-blow. (This weapon corresponds to the spear of Lugh, his father, whom he represents in mortal realms.) He accepted the challenge of the club-carrying giant (Cu Roi mac Daire, in disguise) to the Beheading Game at Bricriu's Feast at which he was proclaimed supreme champion of Ulster. He later killed Cu Roi mac Daire who had humiliated him by shaving his (CuChulain's) head, with the help of Blanaid. He defended Ulster single-handed at the ford when Maeve of Connacht came against them: Ulster's warriors were prostrate and enfeebled by the curse of Macha. Only CuChulain (who was not a native Ulsterman) was able to fight on their behalf. He accepted many single-combats, slaying all comers until Maeve sent his old friend and fellow-pupil, Ferdiad, whom he reluctantly killed.
He was finally overcome by Lugaid, son of Cu Roi mac Daire, with the help of the daughters of Calatin. He bound himself upright to a pillar-stone in order to face the imaginary host which had been conjured up by his opponents. His death was avenged by Conall Cernach. CuChulain's battle-frenzy was renowned: his body contorted itself horribly, blood spurted from his head in a great gush and his anger was unquenchable unless a host of women were sent out naked to meet his chariot. His sword was Cruaidin Cailidcheann (Hard-Headed). His two horses which yoked his chariot were called Liath Macha and Dubh Sanglainn. CuChulain loved many women apart from his wife, but he refused the love of the Morrighan who became his implacable enemy, causing him to forsake his geasa. His adventures and exploits can only be suggested in this entry. He corresponds to Conchobar as Gawain does to Arthur.
# 100: The unusual features of his appearance were that he had seven pupils in each eye, seven fingers on each hand and even seven toes on each foot. His cheeks were streaked yellow, green, blue and red. His hair was dark at the roots, red as it grew out and fair at the tips. He was bedizened with ornaments, a hundred strings of jewels on his head and a hundred golden brooches on his chest. Such was his appearance in times of peace, and it was apparently admired. When he was seized by war frenzy he was completely changed. He turned round inside his own skin, so that his feet and knees were to the rear and his calves and buttocks were to the front. His long hair stood on end and each hair burned with a spark of fire, a jet of flame came out of his mouth and a great arch of black blood spouted from the top of his head. One eye shot out on to his cheek and the other retreated back into his skull; on his forehead shone 'the hero's moon'. His frenzy was so great that he had to be plunged into three vats of icy water to bring him down to normal temperature. These strange transformations seem to have been characteristic of heroes, for something similar is reported of Lancelot of the Lake in LANCELET, the German translation of a twelft-century romance. Eleanor Hull's book THE CUCHULLIN SAGA gives a scolarly account of the whole legend.
# 62: The pagan Iron-Age Celtic world of Ulster (ancient Ulaid) is graphically preserved, albeit as a mythological fantasy, in the Ulster cycle of early Irish storytelling. The young hero of the tales was CuChulain, who bears some resemblance to the Welsh Pryderi: both births are associated with colts which the heroes later own, and both are renamed later in life. These stories served as an education for young Celtic noblemen, the vivid heroic characters providing them with models of youthful warrior behaviour. Details such as the miniature weapons and sports equipment reflect the military and athletic training of them.
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# 166: Cuchulain is the greatest figure in ancient Irish heroic literature. He has been appropriately compared to Achilles in Greek and to Siegfried in Germanic tradition. The story-tellers of ancient Ireland never tired of recounting his deeds and attributing to him new exploits. His original name, Setanta, appears to go back to remote times, and it is possible that he may be a personage adopted by the Gaels from a still older population. The story of his birth, composed originally in the eighth or ninth century, exists in two versions, one of which is a combination of several conflicting accounts. According to what seems the oldest tradition, CuChulain was the son of the Tuatha De Danann prince Lugh and Dechtire (or Dechtine), the sister of King Conchobar of Ulster. Later accounts represent him as son of Conchobar by his own sister, or of the princess and Sualtam (or Sualtach), a petty chieftain of Ulster, who is generally regarded as her mortal husband. The version here mentioned, though probably later than that found in the oldest manuscripts, is less obviously a patchwork of several accounts. Throughout his short but brilliant career CuChulain reveals his supernatural origin. Even as a child of five years he possesses remarkable strength and skill; when only six he slays the terrible watchdog of Culann the Smith, thereby winning the name 'Hound of Culann' (CuChulain); at seven he becomes a full-fledged warrior; at seventeen he holds at bay the entire army of Connacht and her allies; and he is only twenty-seven when he meets his death, fighting against overpowering odds.
# 236: 'The Birth of CuChulain' exists in two quite different versions, one going back, in written form, to the (now lost) Book of Druimm Snechtai, the other being somewhat later; it is the earlier version that Jeffrey Gantz present in his book 'Early Irish Myths and Sagas'. CuChulain, like Conare Mar, has two fathers, but the story of his birth is clearly corrupt. In the original version, Lug must have come to Deichtine (perhaps as a bird) in the strange house and slept with her and left her pregnant; in this version, Deichtine's visit to the Bruig accomplishes nothing, and there is no connection between Lug and the tiny creature in the copper vessel. Lug himself was one of the most important Irish deities.
His continental counterpart, who was probably named Lugos, is identified by Caesar as the Celtic Mercury and the most important of the Celtic gods, and he gave his name to a number of European towns, including Lyon, Leiden and Liegnitz (Legnica). In Irish literature, Lug is the most prominent of the Tuatha De Danann in 'The Second Battle of Mag Tured'; while it is thus appropriate that CuChulain, the greatest Irish hero, should be his son, the tradition that makes him so may not be very old. The last section of the story represents a not very refined attempt to explain why CuChulain was known as the son of Sualtaim when his real father was Lug. Like the birth of the Welsh hero Pryderi, the birth of CuChulain is contemporaneous with the birth of a horse; and each hero subsequently receives the animal as a gift. CuChulain's birth, however, is marked by other portents: the appearance and guidance of the flock of birds, which clearly is from the otherworld, and the great snowfall. The event takes place, oddly, at Bruig na Boinde (New Grange), a site associated with the mythological tales and not with those about the Ulaid, but it may have been chosen to underline the assertion that he is of divine origin. That CuChulain is the son of Conchobar's sister suggests a system of matrilinear descent in Ireland.
CuChulain is also like Pryderi in that the name by which he is best known is not the one he is given at birth. His original name, Setanta, means 'one who has knowledge of roads
and ways' and would have been suitable for a divinity whose influence was widespread.
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