Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

CHAPTER V: TALES OF THE ULTONIAN CYCLE 195on his way he saw by the roadside three old crones, each blind ofone eye, hideous and wretched, and they had made a little fire ofsticks, and over it they were roasting a dead dog on spits of rowanwood. As Cuchulain passed they called to him to alight and staywith them and share their food. “That will I not, in sooth,” saidhe. “Had we a great feast,” they said, “thou wouldst soon havestayed; it doth not become the great to despise the small.” ThenCuchulain, because he would not be thought discourteous to thewretched, lighted down, and he took a piece of the roast and ateit, and the hand with which he took it was stricken up to theshoulder so that its former strength was gone. For it was geis toCuchulain to approach a cooking hearth and take food from it,and it was geis to him to eat of his namesake. 164 [232]Death of CuchulainNear to Slieve Fuad, south of Armagh, Cuchulain found thehost of his enemies, and drove furiously against them, plying thechampion's “thunder-feat” upon them until the plain was strewnwith their dead. Then a satirist, urged on by Lewy, came nearhim and demanded his spear. 165 “Have it, then,” said Cuchulain,and flung it at him with such force that it went clean through himand killed nine men beyond. “A king will fall by that spear,” saidthe Children of Calatin to Lewy, and Lewy seized it and flung itat Cuchulain, but it smote Laeg, the king of charioteers, so thathis bowels fell out on the cushions of the chariot, and he badefarewell to his master and he died.Then another satirist demanded the spear, and Cuchulain said:“I am not bound to grant more than one request on one day.” Butthe satirist said: “Then I will revile Ulster for thy default,” andCuchulain flung him the spear as before, and Ere now got it, andthis time in flying back it struck the Grey of Macha with a mortal164 See p. 164 for the reference to geis. “His namesake” refers, of course, tothe story of the Hound of Cullan, pp. 183, 184.165 It was a point of honour to refuse nothing to a bard; one king is said tohave given his eye when it was demanded of him.