Aided Chon Culainn

Aided Chon Culainn [ 'aðʴeʴð xon' kuliNʴ ], also Aided Con Culainn ("The Death of Cú Chulainn"), is the name of a story from the Ulster cycle . An incomplete version is contained in Lebor Laignech ("The Book of Leinster"), younger and more complete manuscripts from the 17th to 19th centuries have survived.

Cú Chulainn's Death, Stephen Reid, 1904

The cloch at Fhir Mhoir ("stone of the great man") near Rathiddy ( County Louth ) - in local legends passed down as Cú Chulainn's place of death

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In the more recent traditions, the story is divided into the two chapters Brislech Mór Maige Muirtheimne ("The great felling of Mag Muirtheimne") and Dergruathnar Chonaill Chernaig ("The red [= bloody] onslaught of Conall Cernach "). It reports how the previously invincible Cú Chulainn is killed by a provoked violation of his geis (taboo) and how his foster brother Conall Cernach avenges the murder of the perpetrators.

During the Táin Bó Cuailnge ("The cattle robbery of Cooley ") Cú Chulainn had killed the Connacht magician Calatin and his 27 sons. After Calatin's death, however, his wife gave birth to three sons and three daughters, who were trained as wizards and witches by the vengeful Queen Medb for 17 years. Then she sends them to Scotland for three years , two to the Saxons , as well as to Babylon and to Hell to Vulcanus . To avenge the death of their father, after their return they pretend to Cú Chulainn that an army has invaded his kingdom of Muirtheimne in order to devastate and plunder it. Despite the warnings of all Ulter , including the sorceress Leborcham , and most recently even his charioteer Loeg mac Riangabra and his favorite horse Liath Macha , he goes into battle alone.

The three witch daughters of Calatin are waiting for him on the way and offer him roasted dog meat. Since Cú Chulainn is not allowed to refuse an invitation, but is also not allowed to eat dog meat, he has no choice but to violate his geis . By accepting the flesh, his arm and leg are weakened. In the final battle against his enemies, including Erc mac Cairbri Niad-Fer , who wants to avenge the death of his father Cairbre Nia-Fer , he is forced by a magic curse ( glám dícenn ) to hand over his spear to the mortal enemy, with which Loeg and Liath Macha - handlebar and steed - and finally himself to be hit. Mortally wounded, he drags himself to a stone pillar to which he ties himself to die upright. Cú Chulainn's stallion Liath Macha defends him until his death, only then can Lugaid Lága cut off his head. His foster brother Conall Cernach later avenges his death on the murderers in a bloody fight.

A bronze sculpture of the dying Cú Chulainn, created by the sculptor Oliver Sheppard, is displayed in the hall of Dublin's main post office . It is intended to commemorate the Irish deaths in the 1916 uprising ( Easter Rising ) against the British.

See also

• List of Celtic gods and legendary figures
• Myths and legends from Ireland
• Celtic cauldron cult

literature

• Helmut Birkhan : Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-7001-2609-3 .
• Bernhard Maier : Lexicon of Celtic Religion and Culture (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 466). Kröner, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-520-46601-5 .
• Ingeborg Clarus : Celtic Myths. Man and his otherworld. Walter Verlag, 1991. ppb edition: Patmos Verlag, Düsseldorf 2000, ISBN 3-491-69109-5 , 2nd edition.

Web link

• The Death of Cu Chulainn . In: Celtic Literature Collective

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 830.
2. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. P. 927 f.
3. ^ Ingeborg Clarus: Celtic myths. Man and his otherworld. P. 176 f.
4. ↑ picture Cuchulain at GPO Dublin in the English language Wikipedia