Lerga

Overview

Lerga is a gravemound, and the text gives it one scene. It is where Cúchulainn takes his place when the four provinces settle on Murtheimne Plain at Breslech Mór, and the text puts him near them.

Laeg kindles a fire for him at nightfall. Cúchulainn looks out over the heads of the four provinces and sees the flickering of gold weapons in the evening clouds. Rage and fury seize him at the sight of that army, at the great forces of his foes. He grasps his two spears, his shield and his sword, shakes the shield, rattles the spears, flourishes the sword and gives the warrior's scream from his throat. Demons and devils and goblins of the glen and fiends of the air answer. Then the Nemain stirs the armies to confusion, and a hundred warriors fall dead of fright and terror that night in the heart of the guarded camp.

Then Laeg sees a solitary man crossing the camp toward them out of the northeast. He is tall, broad and fair-seeming, with a green cloak, a silver brooch and a black shield, and no one in the camp takes any notice of him, as though they could not see him. Cúchulainn says he is some friendly one of the síde who has taken pity on him. The man says, "This is a manly stand, Cúchulainn." The man says he is Lug mac Ethnenn, his father from the síde, and that he is going to help. Cúchulainn says his wounds are heavy, and Lug tells him to sleep three days and three nights by the gravemound at Lerga while he stands against the armies.

He sings Cúchulainn to sleep in the man-murmur and examines each wound and cleans it, and drops healing herbs and grasses into them, so that Cúchulainn begins to recover without knowing it.

The boy-troop of Ulster hear that their friend must do without help and send a third of their number, three times fifty sons of Ulster kings, led by Follamain, down from Emain Macha. Three times fifty of Ailill's warriors go out to meet them, and at Lia Toll they all fall at one another's hands. Not one of the choice children comes out alive except Follamain, who swears to bring home Ailill's head and is killed soon after.

Cúchulainn wakes crimson from head to foot, feeling fit for a festival or an ale-house. He asks how long he has slept, and is told. He says, "Alas for that!" because the armies were free all that time. Lug tells him what happened to the boy-troop. Cúchulainn asks him to stay the night and avenge them together. Lug will not stay, since any man who does deeds in Cúchulainn's company sees the glory and fame go to Cúchulainn. He tells him to go against the army by himself, for they have no power over his life at this time.