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Cú Chulainn
Cú Chulainn ( ), called the Hound of Ulster ( Irish: ''Cú Uladh''), is a warrior hero and demigod in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore. He is believed to be an incarnation of the Irish god Lugh, who is also his father. His mother is the mortal Deichtine, sister of king Conchobar mac Nessa. 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 defends Ulster single-handedly against the armies of queen Medb of Connacht in the famous ''Táin Bó Cúailnge'' ("Cattle Raid of Cooley"). He is known for his terrifying battle frenzy (''ríastrad''), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gáe Bulg
The ''Gáe Bulg'' () (also ''Gáe Bulga'', ''Gáe Bolg'', ''Gáe Bolga''), meaning "spear of mortal pain/death", "gapped/notched spear", or "belly spear", was the name of the spear of Cúchulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. It was given to him by his martial arts teacher, the warrior woman Scáthach, and its technique was taught only to him. It was made from the bone of a sea monster, the Curruid, that had died while fighting another sea monster, the Coinchenn. Although some sources make it out to be simply a particularly deadly spear, others—notably the Book of Leinster—state that it could only be used under very specialized, ritual conditions: In other versions of the legend, the spear had seven heads, each with seven barbs. In the '' Táin Bó Cuailnge'', Cúchulainn received the spear after training with the great warrior mistress Scáthach in Alba. She taught him and his foster-brother, Ferdiad, everything the same, except she taught the Gáe Bulg feat onl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aided Óenfhir Aífe
''Aided Óenfhir Aífe'' ( en, The Death of Aífe's Only Son) is a story from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. It is a sequel to ''Tochmarc Emire'' ( en, The Wooing of Emer), in which the Ulaid hero Cú Chulainn, while training in arms overseas, left the warrior princess Aífe pregnant. In ''Aided Óefhir Aífe'' their son Connla, at the age of seven, comes to Ireland in search of his father, following instructions that Cú Chulainn had left him not to identify himself. When he arrives on the Irish coast in a bronze boat with golden oars, Connla's prowess alarms the Ulaid. The persuasive Condere mac Echach fails to convince him to turn away, and the hero Conall Cernach is overcome by him. Finally Cú Chulainn, despite the suspicions of his wife Emer that the boy is his own son, fights him and kills him with the Gáe Bulg, a barbed spear the use of which the warrior woman Scáthach taught only to him. Finally, the grief-stricken Cú Chulainn recognises Connla as his son. The te ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Connla
Connla or Conlaoch is a character in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, the son of the Ulster champion Cú Chulainn and the Scottish warrior woman Aífe. He was raised alone by his mother in Scotland. He appears in the story ''Aided Óenfhir Aífe'' (''The Tragic Death of Aífe's Only Son''), a pre-tale to the great epic ''Táin Bó Cúailnge''. Story Connla was the son of Cú Chulainn and Aífe Ardgeimm, identified in this text as the sister of his teacher Scáthach. Leaving to return to Ireland, Cú Chulainn gives Aífe a token, a gold thumb-ring, telling her that when his son is old enough to wear it, he should be sent to Ireland. However, he imposes three '' geasa'' or prohibitions on him. Connla cannot turn back once he starts his journey, he must not refuse a challenge, and must never tell anyone his name. Connla comes ashore at Tracht Eisi, where he practises his martial feats. The Ulaid, observing these, recognise his skill as a warrior, and Conchobar observes that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aífe
(Old Irish), spelled () in Modern Irish, is a character from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. She appears in the sagas ''Tochmarc Emire'' ("the wooing of Emer") and ''Aided Óenfhir Aífe'' ("the death of Aífe's only son"). In ''Tochmarc Emire'' she lives east of a land called ''Alpi'', usually understood to mean Alba (Scotland), where she is at war with a rival woman warrior, Scáthach.Kuno Meyer (ed.)"Tochmarc Emire la Coinculaind (Harleian 5280, fo. 27a)" ''Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie'', Halle an der Saale, Max Niemeyer volume 3, 1901, pp. 229–263. In ''Aided Óenfhir Aífe'' she lives in Letha (the Armorican peninsula), and is Scáthach's sister as well as rival – they are both daughters of Árd-Greimne of Lethra.Kuno Meyer (ed. & trans.), "The Death of Conla", ''Ériu'' 1, 1904, pp. 113–121. Appearances In ''Tochmarc Emire'' the Ulaid hero Cú Chulainn has come to train in arms under Scáthach when a battle breaks against Aífe. Scáthach, fearful of C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emer
Emer (), in modern Irish Eimhear or Éimhear (with variations including Eimer, Eimear and Éimear) and in Scottish Gaelic Eimhir, is the name of the daughter of Forgall Monach and the wife of the hero Cú Chulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Legend ''Tochmarc Emire'' "The Wooing of Emer" The Ulstermen searched all over Ireland for a suitable wife for Cú Chulainn, but he would have none but Emer. He visited her at Forgall's house at Lusk, County Dublin, and wooed her by trading cryptic riddles with her. Emer would accept Cú Chulainn as a husband, but only when his deeds justified it. However, Forgall was opposed to the match. He came to Ulster in disguise and suggested that Cú Chulainn should train in arms with the renowned warrior-woman Scáthach in Scotland, hoping the ordeal would be too much for him and he would be killed. Cú Chulainn took up the challenge. He learned all the arts of war from Scáthach, and while he was there slept with her rival Aoife, or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Liath Macha And Dub Sainglend
Liath Macha ("grey orseof Macha") and Dub Sainglend ("black orseof Saingliu") are the two chariot-horses of Cúchulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Both horses appear to Cúchulainn from the pool of Linn Liaith in the mountains of Sliab Fuait, a gift from either Macha or her sister the Morrígan. Cúchulainn leaps onto their backs, and they run around Ireland for a day but cannot throw him off, after which they were tame. On the day of Cúchulainn's death, as his enemies gathered for battle, Liath Macha refuses to allow Láeg, Cúchulainn's charioteer, to harness him to the chariot. He only relents for Cúchulainn himself, but weeps tears of blood. He is hit by the second spear thrown by Lugaid mac Con Roí (the first had killed Láeg), and returns to the pool of Linn Liaith in the mountains of Sliab Fuait, where Cúchulainn had originally found him. The sons of Calatin had prophesied to Lugaid before he threw each spear that it would kill a king. When he challen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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. His horses are Liath Macha and Dub Sainglend. Cú Chulainn sends Láeg to the Otherworld with Lí Ban, sister to Fand, and he brings back bountiful descriptions of the Otherworld in the tale ''Serglige Con Culainn'' (''The Sickbed of Cúchulainn''). In the tale of Cú Chulainn's death he is killed by Lugaid mac Con Roí :''See Lugaid for other figures of the same name, and Lug for the god the name derives from.'' In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, Lugaid mac Con Roí was the son of Cú Roí mac Dáire. He was also known as Lugaid mac Trí Con ("son of thr ... with a spear intended for Cú Chulainn. Notes References * * Characters in Táin Bó Cúailnge Ulster Cycle {{Europe-myth-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Irish Academy
The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier learned society and one its leading cultural institutions. The Academy was established in 1785 and granted a royal charter in 1786. the RIA has around 600 members, regular members being Irish residents elected in recognition of their academic achievements, and Honorary Members similarly qualified but based abroad; a small number of members are elected in recognition of non-academic contributions to society. Until the late 19th century the Royal Irish Academy was the owner of the main national collection of Irish antiquities. It presented its collection of archaeological artefacts and similar items, which included such famous pieces as the Tara Brooch, the Cross of Cong and the Ardagh Chalice to what is now the National Museum of Ireland, but retains its very significant collec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dictionary Of The Irish Language
''Dictionary of the Irish Language: Based Mainly on Old and Middle Irish Materials'' (also called "the DIL"), published by the Royal Irish Academy, is the definitive dictionary of the origins of the Irish language, specifically the Old Irish, Middle Irish, and Early Modern Irish stages up to c. 1700; the modern language is not included. The original idea for a comprehensive dictionary of early Irish was conceived in 1852 by the two preeminent Irish linguists of the time, John O'Donovan and Eugene O'Curry; however, it was more than sixty years until the first fascicle (the letter D as far as the word , compiled by Carl J. S. Marstrander) was published in 1913. It was more than sixty years again until the final fascicle (only one page long and consisting of words beginning with H) was published in 1976 under the editorship of E. G. Quin. The full dictionary comprises about 2500 pages, but a compact edition (four original pages photoreduced onto one page) was published in 1983 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cooley Peninsula
The Cooley Peninsula (, older ''Cúalṅge'') is a hilly peninsula in the north of County Louth on the east coast of Ireland; the peninsula includes the small town of Carlingford, the port of Greenore and the village of Omeath. Geography The peninsula contains the Cooley Mountains, the highest of which, Slieve Foy, is also the highest peak in County Louth at . To the north is Carlingford Lough and the border with Northern Ireland; to the south is Dundalk Bay. The peninsula is ringed by the R173 regional road. The peninsula is geologically diverse, with 440-million-year-old Silurian greywacke sandstones in the northwest and southwest, 340-million-year-old limestones in the east, and 60-million-year-old volcanic rocks forming the Cooley Mountains. Antiquity In Irish mythology, Cooley (Old Irish Cúalnge') was the home of the bull Donn Cuailnge, and the site of the ''Táin Bó Cúailnge'', "Cattle Raid of Cooley". Ancient monuments in Cooley include the Proleek Dolmen, whose ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Táin Bó Cúailnge
(Modern ; "the driving-off of the cows of Cooley"), commonly known as ''The Táin'' or less commonly as ''The Cattle Raid of Cooley'', is an epic from Irish mythology. It is often called "The Irish Iliad", although like most other early Irish literature, the ''Táin'' is written in prosimetrum, i.e. prose with periodic additions of verse composed by the characters. The ''Táin'' tells of a war against Ulster by Queen Medb of Connacht and her husband King Ailill, who intend to steal the stud bull Donn Cuailnge. Due to a curse upon the king and warriors of Ulster, the invaders are opposed only by the young demigod, Cú Chulainn. The ''Táin'' is traditionally set in the 1st century in a pagan heroic age, and is the central text of a group of tales known as the Ulster Cycle. It survives in three written versions or "recensions" in manuscripts of the 12th century and later, the first a compilation largely written in Old Irish, the second a more consistent work in Middle Ir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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