What is Cool about Cú Chulainn? The Story of an Ancient Irish Mythic Hero

by Lisa Caulfield

As we prepare ourselves for a day of celebrating all that is Irish this St Patrick’s Day let us take a moment to rediscover a national icon who embodies the Celtic spirit and by his own right belongs in the cannon of great mythic heroes.

The story of Cú Chulainn was found in a collection of ancient manuscripts detailing the exploits of various men in the province of Ulster. Known as the Ulster cycle, only a few hundred of the tales have survived. The prominence awarded to the warrior in the early literature of Ireland demonstrates how important a skilled individual was for the military life.  Since all wars are waged for gain the Irish who were cattle raisers treated cattle as their chief symbol of wealth and measure of value. Marauding expeditions were routinely led by warring chiefs from one region to another and were considered a necessary occurrence (similar to the North American Indian tribal wars which were primarily waged for the acquisition of horses). At the heart of Cú Chulainn’s story is the tale of when, at the age of seventeen, he defended Ulster single-handedly against the armies of queen Medb of Connacht, in the Irish epic Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley). Cú Chulainn’s deathly skill was unmatched and he became feared by the other warriors for his terrifying battle frenzy or ríastrad which would consume him in moments of anger and battle fierceness. This berserk rage could only be calmed by embarrassment such as the parading of over a hundred and fifty naked women. (A scene parodied and made infamous by J.M. Synge (1871-1909) in Playboy of the Western World performed at the Abbey Theatre, 1907).

Cú Chulainn earned his place amongst legendary figures such as Romulus and Achilles because of great feats he was able to achieve in a relatively short life. Combined with certain fantastic or supernatural elements, his was a life bookended with a remarkable birth and premature demise. Cú Chulainn was prophesied to be a great warrior and had many youth filled adventures that would mark him above the ordinary child and so in adulthood his warrior skill would be unmatched. Cú Chulainn was a semi-divine figure born from the union of the pagan sun god Lugh and the mortal princess Deichtine. He was originally named Setanta and earned his more well-known name after he killed Culann's fierce guard-dog in self-defense - with a deathly and precise shot fired from his hurly with a sliotar (hurling ball). The sliotar struck the dog in the throat and killed him. After realizing that the dog was his host’s most prized possession he offered to take its stead as guardian to the keep until a replacement could be reared. This is an explanation as to why Cú Chulainn is also referred to as the “Hound of Ulster”.

Cú Chulainn often fought from his chariot, driven by his loyal charioteer Láeg, and drawn by his horses, Liath Macha and Dub Sainglend. In keeping with the heroic theme Cú Chulainn was a prolific lover and participated in many affairs with various forms of the female which included fairies, goddesses and mortal women. His penultimate love was for Emer, a daughter of the chieftain, Forgall Monach. Forgall opposed the mutual love match and challenged Culchlainn to rigorous military training with the renowned warrior-woman Scáthach in the land of Alba (Scotland), hoping the ordeal would be too great for Cú Chulainn and that he would be killed. Despite the danger and peril in the foreign country Cú Chulainn proved his prowess in Scotland and returned to Ireland a trained and most skillful warrior. He attempted to claim Emer for his own however in typical father fashion Forgall refused him Emer’s hand in marriage despite his accomplishment. Cú Chulainn enraged by Forgall’s unfulfilled promise abducted Emer by storming their keep and killing many of Forgall’s men during which Forgall met an unfortunate end by falling of the rampart of his own castle.  Cú Chulainn whisked Emer away and married her.

Queen Medb is still angry at her loss and conspires with varies chieftains,  Lugaid, son of Cú Roí, Erc, son of Cairbre Nia Fer, and the sons of others Cú Chulainn had killed, in order to goad him to a fight and ultimately his death. Cú Chulainn’s fate is sealed when he mistakenly breaks a geasa or taboo. Cú Chulainn's geasa included a ban against eating dog meat, but in early Ireland there was also a more powerful taboo against refusing hospitality, so when Medb disguised as an old woman offers him a meal of dog meat, Cú Chulainn has no choice but to break his geis and eat. With this consumption of the forbidden food 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, 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 in order to die on his feet. (This stone is traditionally identified as one still standing at Knockbridge, County Louth.) As a result of his ferocity even when death had overtaken him, 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 a "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. The artist Oliver Sheppard (1865 -1941) captured Cú Chulainn’s death with his bronze sculpture located at the GPO in Dublin.  A story is known of Saint Patrick who when trying to convert the King of Tara or high King of Ireland Lóegaire (d. 462) to Christianity the ghost of Cú Chulainn appeared in his chariot, warning him of the torments of hell if he did not accept the religion. Lóegaire accepted the faith and was baptized.