Cúchulainn's Courtship of Emer, and his Training in Arms

Summary

A wife for Cúchulainn

The men of Ulster are with Conchobor in Emain Macha, drinking from the vat Ol nguala, which holds a hundred measures of coal-black drink. The chariot-warriors practise their feats on spearcords stretched the length of the house. Cúchulainn outdoes Conall Cernach, Fergus mac Roich, Laegaire Buadach, Celtchar mac Uthidir and Dubthach mac Lugdach, and the women of Ulster fill with love for him.

The men decide he needs a wife, so that he will be less likely to ruin their daughters and steal their wives' love, and will not die young without a son. Conchobor sends nine men into each province for a year. They come back without one.

Emer

Cúchulainn goes himself to the Gardens of Lug, Luglochta Logo, with his charioteer Laeg mac Riangabra. He finds Emer, daughter of Forgall Monach on the green with her foster-sisters. They speak together in riddles. He sees her breasts over the top of her dress and says he sees a sweet country where he could rest his weapon. Emer sets the price. No man will travel that country until he has killed a hundred men at every ford from Scenmenn ford on the river Ailbine to Banchuing, done the salmon-leap carrying twice his weight in gold, struck down three groups of nine men with a single stroke leaving the middle man of each unharmed, and gone sleepless from Samain until autumn. He agrees to each condition.

Forgall's trick

Forgall hears it all, says he will put an end to it, and goes to Emain Macha dressed as a royal messenger from Gaul. He tells Cúchulainn he would fight more marvellously still after a visit to Domnall Míldemail in Alba, and would beat any hero in Europe if he studied with Scáthach. He hopes Cúchulainn will never come back, since he fears Cúchulainn's wildness will bring about his own death if Cúchulainn marries Emer. Cúchulainn promises to go at once. Emer tells him it was Forgall, and warns him that Forgall will try to destroy him wherever he goes. Each promises to stay pure until they meet again, unless the other dies.

Alba

Domnall teaches him the Pierced Flagstone, with the bellows blowing under it, then sends him on to Scáthach. Her island lies across the Pupils' Bridge, which is low at each end and high in the middle, so that the far end flies up and throws on his back anyone who steps on the near end. Three times he fails and the men jeer him. Then he goes into his warp-spasm, gives his salmon-leap onto the middle and is across before the bridge can rise. Scáthach says this is someone who has had his full training somewhere.

She sends her daughter Uathach to see who he is, and tells her to take him to bed if she wants. In overpowering her, Cúchulainn hurts her finger and she cries out. Cochar Cruibne, one of Scáthach's soldiers, rushes at him, and after a long fight Cúchulainn cuts his head off. Uathach then tells him to leap to the yew tree where Scáthach rests, put his sword between her breasts and make her promise three things: thoroughness in his training, a dowry for his marriage, and tidings of his future. She will grant them if he can ask in one breath. He does.

Aife

Scáthach is at war with the woman Aife. She gives Cúchulainn a sleeping draught to keep him out of the battle, but he springs up after one hour and kills three of Aife's soldiers alone. Next morning he kills the three sons of Eis Enchenn. Scáthach's two sons are named Cúar and Cat, and so are two of Aife's soldiers; the text does not say whether they are the same men.

Aife challenges Scáthach to single combat. Scáthach tells Cúchulainn that Aife holds dearest her two horses, her chariot and her charioteer. Aife smashes his weapon, leaving a piece of sword no bigger than a fist. He cries out that her charioteer, horses and chariot have fallen into the valley, all dead. She looks round, and he seizes her by the two breasts and carries her back to his army on his back like a sack. Her life buys three desires: hostages for Scáthach, her company that night, and a son. She will send the boy to Ireland in seven years. He leaves a gold thumb-ring to fit when the boy's finger has grown, and the name Connla, which the boy is to reveal to no man. He is to make way for no man and refuse no man combat.

On the way home a one-eyed hag begs him to give way on the path. He leaves it to her except where he clings by his toes. She strikes at his big toe to knock him down the cliff, but he leaps and strikes off her head. She is Eis Enchenn, mother of the three warriors he killed last.

The prophecy

His training is done, from the apple-feat, juggling nine apples with never more than one in his palm, to the gae bolga. Scáthach chants to him through the Light of Foresight, in verse Kinsella calls very conjectural. It speaks of cattle stolen out of Breg, of the white-horned bull roaring against the brown bull of Cuailnge, of one man against an army, and of Medb fighting with Ailill.

Forgall's fort

Back in Ulster, Cúchulainn spends a year at Forgall's ramparts without reaching Emer. Then he drives the sickle-chariot at the fort and kills three hundred and nine men with a thunder-feat. He leaps the three enclosures and strikes at three groups of nine men, killing eight from each and leaving one standing: Emer's three brothers. Forgall leaps from the rampart in flight, falls and kills himself. Cúchulainn takes Emer and her foster-sister, with their weight in gold and silver, and jumps the rampart again.

Pursuit follows. Scenmenn catches up and Cúchulainn kills him, and the place is Ath Scenmenn, Scenmenn's Ford. At Glondáth he kills a hundred men and says Glondáth, Ford of the Deed, will be its name forever. At Crúfóit, until then Rae Ban, the White Plain, streams of blood break over the place, and Emer says he has made a hill of bloody sods. It is called Crúfóit, Sod of Blood. At Ath Imfóit on the Boann he chases the pursuers northward over the ford with sods flying from his horses' hooves, then chases them back and the sods fly southward. The ford is called Ath Imfóit from the sods flying this way and that.

Emer in Emain

At Emain Macha, Bricriu mac Carbad, a sour sharp-tongued man, says Emer must sleep that night with Conchobor, since the first forcing of girls in Ulster is always his. Cúchulainn trembles so hard that the cushion bursts under him and the feathers fly around the house. Conchobor sends him to bring in all the herds about Sliab Fuait, and he drives the swine, wild deer and flying creatures in one flock onto the green at Emain, and his anger is gone. The men of Ulster decide that Emer will sleep in Conchobor's bed with Fergus and Cathbad in it as well, to protect Cúchulainn's honour. He accepts. Conchobor pays her dowry the next day, and Cúchulainn sleeps ever after with his wife. They never part until they die.