THE CUCHULAINN CYCLE.

The events of the Cuchulainn cycle are supposed to date from the beginning of the Christian era—­King Conchobar’s death synchronising with the crucifixion.  But though some personages who are mentioned in the Annals figure in the tales, on the whole they deal with persons who never existed.  They belong to a world of romance and myth, and embody the ideals of Celtic paganism, modified by Christian influences and those of classical tales and romantic sagas of other regions, mainly Scandinavian.  The present form of the tales as they exist in the Book of the Dun Cow and the Book of Leinster must have been given them in the seventh or eighth century, but they embody materials of a far older date.  At an early time the saga may have had a more or less definite form, but new tales were being constantly added to it, and some of the longer tales are composed of incidents which once had no connection with each other.

Cuchulainn is the central figure of the cycle, and its central episode is that of the Tain bo Cuailgne, or “Cattle Spoil of Cooley.”  Other personages are Conchobar and Dechtire, Ailill and Medb, Fergus, Conall Cernach, Curoi, Deirdre, and the sons of Usnach.  Some of these are of divine descent, some are perhaps euhemerised divinities; Conchobar is called dia talmaide, “a terrestrial god,” and Dechtire a goddess.  The cycle opens with the birth of Conchobar, son of Cathbad and of Nessa, daughter of one of the Tuatha De Danann, though in an older rescension of the tale he is Nessa’s son by the god Lug.  During Conchobar’s reign over Ulster Cuchulainn was born.  He was son of Dechtire, either by Sualtaim, or by her brother Conchobar, or by the god Lug, of whom he may also be a reincarnation.[453] Like other heroes of saga, he possesses great strength and skill at a tender age, and, setting out for Conchobar’s court, overpowers the king’s “boy corps,” and then becomes their chief.  His next adventure is the slaying of the watch-dog of Culann the smith, and his appeasing the anger of its owner by offering to act as his watch-dog.  Cathbad now announced that his name would henceforth be Cu Chulainn, “Culann’s hound."[454] At the mature age of seven he obtained Conchobar’s spears, sword, shield, and chariot, and with these he overcame three mighty champions, returning in the distortion of his “battle-fury” to Emania.  To prevent mischief from his rage, the women went forth naked to meet him.  He modestly covered his eyes, for it was one of his geasa not to look on a woman’s breast.  Thus taken unawares, he was plunged into three successive vats of cold water until his natural appearance was restored to him, although the water boiled and hissed from his heat.[455]