The Legends Read Free Page A

Because he was Maeve’s champion long before she began to covet the brown bull and he had pledged himself to her cause, Ferdia believed he had little choice but to fight Cúchulainn.
    The two great champions met at the river where Cúchulainn reminded Ferdia of their long friendship which began when they were young boys being training in the court of Conchubar. He also reminded Ferdia of the pledge of eternal friendship they made to each other. Cúchulainn attempted to convince Ferdia that he should not fight because Maeve’s dishonorable deeds released him from any bond he may have made with the queen of Connaught. In the end, he was unable to convince his friend that there was no dishonor in refusing to fight for Maeve. The contest that followed was the greatest man-to-man fight in the history of Ireland and, perhaps, the history of the world. Day after day, the two great champions, and friends, met at the water’s edge and fought with swords, spears, slings and rocks. At times they fought with their fists striking each other with fearful blows that would have felled nearly anyone else. Each evening they fell asleep totally exhausted but when the dawn broke, they rose to fight again.
    The days of fighting took their toll and neither warrior had any strength left when the end finally came. Sensing his own life was about to end, the fury came over Cúchulainn, the hero light shone and before Ferdia could react, Cúchulainn’s great spear, Gae Bulg, passed over Ferdia’s shield and through his armor. Although he won the battle and was proclaimed Ireland’s greatest hero, Cúchulainn could not enjoy this honor because it came at the death of his closest friend.
    The battle with Ferdia effectively ended the siege by the army of Maeve and Ailell because soon after the men of Ulster recovered from the spell that had been cast. Faced with a battle against a fresh and superior force, the depleted army of Connaught returned home. Maeve, however, never forgot the disgrace brought on her by young Cúchulainn and she vowed that she would have her revenge. In the years that followed, Cúchulainn fought many great battles and killed many enemies of Ulster. In time, he became a living legend among the men and women of Ireland even though he was still a very young man who had not yet even grown a proper beard.
    The difficulty with being so great a champion is that the families of those who have been defeated will often seek revenge for the death of their loved ones. In one case the sons of Curoi, who Cúchulainn killed in battle, sought revenge for their father’s death. First, however, they went to Maeve who saw an opportunity to even her own score with Cúchulainn. Maeve trained the boys for seven years and then cast a spell on the young men to give them false courage.
    Finally, she sent the sons of Curoi out with poisoned spears to seek revenge. Without the spell, the young men would have been no challenge for the great Cúchulainn because they would have run before they even threw the first spear. In addition, there was no doubt that a mere spear thrust would have little effect on the great champion even if it happened to crease his flesh. This time, however, any advantage Cúchulainn might have enjoyed was offset by Maeve’s deceit and trickery.
    The first poisoned spear thrown by a son of Curoi killed Laeg, Cúchulainn’s chariot driver, and the second killed Macha, Cúchulainn’s great war horse. Having lost his loyal friends, perhaps he was a little slow in reacting to the third spear, which brushed against his side and, when the poison took hold, cost Cúchulainn his life.
    When the news of Cúchulainn’s death spread, all of Ireland mourned the passing of their greatest hero. No one was more distraught than Emer who lost her beloved husband. She could not imagine spending the rest of her days without him and no one could console her on her loss. When Cúchulainn was laid in his grave Emer followed him in and putting her