Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race - Knowledge Rush

CHAPTER V: TALES OF THE ULTONIAN CYCLE 205follows: An unjust and cruel attack had been made by him onMesgedra, King of Leinster, in which that monarch met his death [240]at the hand of Conall of the Victories. 167 Conall took out thebrains of the dead king and mingled them with lime to makea sling-stone—such “brain balls,” as they were called, beingaccounted the most deadly of missiles. This ball was laid up inthe king's treasure-house at Emain Macha, where the Connachtchampion, Ket son of Maga, found it one day when prowling indisguise through Ulster. Ket took it away and kept it always byhim. Not long thereafter the Connacht men took a spoil of cattlefrom Ulster, and the Ulster men, under Conor, overtook them ata river-ford still called Athnurchar (The Ford of the Sling-cast),in Westmeath. A battle was imminent, and many of the ladiesof Connacht came to their side of the river to view the famousUltonian warriors, and especially Conor, the stateliest man of histime. Conor was willing to show himself, and seeing none butwomen on the other bank he drew near them; but Ket, who waslurking in ambush, now rose and slung the brain-ball at Conor,striking him full in the forehead. Conor fell, and was carried offby his routed followers. When they got him home, still living,to Emain Macha, his physician, Fingen, pronounced that if theball were extracted from his head he must die; it was accordinglysewn up with golden thread, and the king was bidden to keephimself from horse-riding and from all vehement passion andexertion, and he would do well.Seven years afterwards Conor saw the sun darken at noonday,and he summoned his Druid to tell him the cause of the portent.The Druid, in a magic trance, tells him of a hill in a distantland on which stand three crosses with a human form nailed toeach of them, and one of them is like the Immortals. “Is hea malefactor?” then asks Conor. “Nay,” says the Druid, “but [241]the Son of the living God,” and he relates to the king the story167 The story is told in full in the author's “High Deeds of Finn.”