Erc mac Cairbri Niad-Fer

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Erc mac Cairbri Niad-Fer [ eRk mak 'karʼbʼrʼi nʼiað fʼer ], also Erc mac Cairpri ( modern Irish : Earc ), is the name of a legendary figure from the Celtic mythology of Ireland .

In the Táin Bó Cuailnge ("The cattle robbery of Cooley ") Erc mac Cairbri is the son of Cairbre Nia-Fer , the king of Tara , and his wife Fedelm Noíchride , the daughter of the king of Ulster , Conchobar mac Nessa . Without Conchobar's knowledge and against his father's prohibition, Erc mac Cairbri decides to help the Ultern against the army of Connacht under Queen Medb and King Ailill mac Máta . The reason is his mother's infidelity with the Ulter hero Cú Chulainn . When his father Cairbre Nia-Fer falls in a duel against Cú Chulainn in the Cath Ruis na Ríg ("The Battle of Rosnaree "), a Remscéla ("Prehistory") of the Táin Bó Cuailnge , he becomes the new King of Tara and marries Conchbars Daughter Fínscoth and swears allegiance to his father-in-law.

Nevertheless, he decides to avenge the death of his father and therefore allies himself with Lugaid Lága and the children of the Connacht witcher Calatin in order to outsmart and kill Cú Chulainn (see Aided Chon Culainn , "Cú Chulainn's death"). Erc mac Cairbri and the other conspirators are therefore slain by Cú Chulainn's foster brother Conall Cernach , who brings Erc's head to Tara as proof of victory .

See also

literature