Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

CHAPTER V: TALES OF THE ULTONIAN CYCLE 163by. “Surely,” said the charioteer, “thou art seeking for a violentdeath, and now thou wilt find it without delay.” [194]Then Foill son of Nechtan came forth from the dūn, and seeingCuchulain, whom he deemed but a lad, he was annoyed. ButCuchulain bade him fetch his arms, “for I slay not drivers normessengers nor unarmed men,” and Foill went back into the dūn.“Thou canst not slay him,” then said the charioteer, “for he isinvulnerable by magic power to the point or edge of any blade.”But Cuchulain put in his sling a ball of tempered iron, and whenFoill appeared he slung at him so that it struck his forehead,and went clean through brain and skull; and Cuchulain took hishead and bound it to his chariot-rim. And other sons of Nechtan,issuing forth, he fought with and slew by sword or spear; andthen he fired the dūn and left it in a blaze and drove on exultant.And on the way he saw a flock of wild swans, and sixteen ofthem he brought down alive with his sling, and tied them to thechariot; and seeing a herd of wild deer which his horses could notovertake he lighted down and chased them on foot till he caughttwo great stags, and with thongs and ropes he made them fast tothe chariot.But at Emain Macha a scout of King Conor came running in togive him news. “Behold, a solitary chariot is approaching swiftlyover the plain; wild white birds flutter round it and wild stagsare tethered to it; it is decked all round with the bleeding headsof enemies.” And Conor looked to see who was approaching,and he saw that Cuchulain was in his battle-fury, and woulddeal death around him whomsoever he met; so he hastily gaveorder that a troop of the women of Emania should go forth tomeet him, and, having stripped off their clothing, should standnaked in the way. This they did, and when the lad saw them,smitten with shame, he bowed his head upon the chariot-rim.Then Conor's men instantly seized him and plunged him into [195]a vat of cold water which had been made ready, but the waterboiled around him and the staves and hoops of the vat were burst