The Irish sagas about Kukhulin describe one of the most famous heroes of this people. This is the central character of the so-called Uladian cycle. So in the scientific literature are called medieval Irish works. The main place of their action becomes the residence of King Conkhobar. In this article we will talk about this famous national hero, as well as how he became a character in modern literature.
Bird attack
Irish sagas begin with the birth of the hero, when birds flew to the lands of the villages, devouring everything. To save themselves, the Uladas equipped 9 chariots, on which they went hunting. The leader of the detachment was the ruler Konkhobar with his sister Dehtire.
In pursuit of them, night catches. Looking for shelter, they find a lonely house. Visitors are welcomed by husband and wife. Surprisingly, they all fit inside, finding plenty of blankets and food. After they settle down for the night, a handsome young man of incredibly high stature comes. He states that the time has come for dinner, and everything that guests ate before was just a snack. Satisfied and hungover, they begin to have fun. At this time, the husband asks for help to his wife, who is just giving birth in the next room. A boy is born. When the villages wake up in the morning, they cannot find either the owners, the house, or the birds. They return home with the newborn.
The birth of a hero
Raise a child with Dehtir. A summary of the Irish sagas allows you to find out the main events of this medieval epic without even reading them.
In adolescence, the boy becomes ill and dies. For three days Dehtir does not eat or drink anything, and then she is thirsty. But she cannot drink, because she constantly thinks that a small animal, which no one else notices, is trying to jump from her cup into her mouth. Seizing the moment, the animal nevertheless sneaks into her mouth, after which she falls asleep until the next day.
In a dream, she sees an unknown man who claims that she conceived from him. It turns out that he created the birds and the house, took the form of a boy, and then a beast that penetrated her body. Dehtir really became pregnant.
No one knows from whom she conceived. They even begin to suspect her brother Konkhobar. He gives her in marriage to Sualtam. She is ashamed to go up on her bed while pregnant. Therefore, she begins to hit herself on the hips and back, until she feels that she has freed herself from the fetus. So Dehtir regains his virginity.
After that, she becomes pregnant from Sualtam, giving birth to his son the size of a 3-year-old child. So in the Irish sagas describes the birth of Kuhulin. According to legend, his father was the god of light Luga.
True, at the birth of the hero they call Setanta. As a child, he accomplishes many feats. Myths about them are similar to the legends of Hercules. For example, Kuhulin gets his name after defeating the blacksmith’s monstrous dog. And then he takes care of the house until the puppy of the dead dog has grown.
Disease
A summary of the Irish sagas about Kuhulin will allow you to quickly recall the main events of this epic in preparation for the test or exam.
Ulad are going to the Samhain holiday. Everyone except the adoptive father of Kuhulin Fergus and Konal's milk brother arrive at the celebration. Therefore, the main character does not want to start celebrations without them. While everyone is waiting, beautiful birds appear. Women want to get them and start arguing whose husband can get such beauty.
One of the women in the Irish sagas asks to get Kuhulin's birds. He captures the birds, dividing them among all comers. Each receives two individuals, except for his beloved Inguba, who was left without a gift.
Soon, two more birds appeared over the lake, connected by a gold chain. The Irish sagas about Kuhulin describe how the hero rushes after them. He is warned that a mysterious power is hidden in them, but the young man is not listening to anyone. Piercing the wing of a bird with an arrow, he falls asleep. In a dream he sees women who beat him with lashes. Awakening, he realizes that he is sick, and for a year he cannot get out of bed.
The secret of recovery
Exactly one year later, in the Irish sagas "Legends of the Green Island" it is told how a man appears who says that the daughters of Aid Arbat Fand and Liban will be able to cure Kuhulin. Only their father needs help to deal with enemies.
Cuchulin meets Liban, who says that her sister is in love with him. Long is sent as an envoy to the country of Ayda. Returning, he claims to have seen many beautiful women, and Fand was the best. Kukhulin after this story gets out of bed, goes to the stone, which had his vision. There he really meets Liban and goes to the aid of her father.
Decisive battle
Very interesting extraordinary stories of the Irish epic. In the Irish sagas, it is claimed that the enemy army was untold. Kukhulin advises Labride, the Liban husband, to leave, and in the morning kills the leader of the opponents when he washes himself near the stream.
In the ensuing battle, the enemies manage to be put to flight. To pacify Kukhulin’s fury, he is poured out of three vats of cold water. After that, he spends the night with Fund.
Having returned, he soon again goes to meet with the girl, but his wife Emer finds out about this. A woman wants to kill a rival, but Kukhulin does not allow her to do this. Emer falls into grief, and the amazed hero stays with her, promising to never leave her again.
Fand returns to her husband, who left her when he found out that she fell in love with Kuhulin. Upon learning of this, Kukhulin goes to the mountains, where he lives an ascetic without food and water. Only the druids manage to get him drunk with a drink of oblivion and bring him home.
New feats
Kuhulin is going to the next battle. Some women do not let him go, while others, on the contrary, rebuke him, accusing him of not wanting to defend his country. On the eve of the campaign, the goddess of war smashes the hero’s chariot, as she knows that he will not return home. But Kuhulin anyway sets off.
On the road, he meets old women who roast a dog. On Kukhulin there is a vow not to refuse food from any hearth and not to eat dog meat. The old women notice him and invite him to the table. The hero eats dog meat with his left hand, but still loses his former fortress.
Death
Enemy leader Erk conceived a trick. All troops gather in the wall, and at the corners become spellcasters and warriors. Kuhulin gets involved in the battle, destroying most of the army.
The caster calls him to separate the fighters, and then asks for a spear. Cujulin agrees, rooted in stinginess. One of the opponents throws him at the hero, but kills Loig.
On the other flank, Kukhulin again sees fighting warriors. The caster again asks him for a spear, threatening to disgrace all the ulades. Erk throws him into a hero, but gets into a horse, which escapes into Lake Gray.
For the third time, Kukhulin parted the warriors and gave the spear to the caster, threatening to disgrace his family by avarice. Now throws him into the hero Lugayd, hitting exactly on target. Mortally wounded asks for permission to swim in the Black Lake. Returning, he ties himself to a stone so as not to die while sitting or lying down. But still, the soldiers do not dare to approach him, waiting for the birds to sit on Kuhulin's shoulders. After that, they chop his head.
When Conal the Victorious finds out about the death of Kuhulin, he sets off in the wake of the enemy army to take revenge. With Lugide, they agree on a duel. During the fight, Konal wounds the opponent with a spear, but the battle still lasts a whole day. Only when Konal’s horse rips a piece of meat out of Lugayd’s body does his head be cut off. Upon returning home, the Uladas do not celebrate, believing that all the honors should belong to Kuhulin.
Modern interpretations
The popularity of sagas does not pass in our time. For example, the protagonist is at the center of the story in the fantasy novel "The Vikings. The Irish Saga" by James Nelson.
In this work, the Viking protagonist Torgrim Night Wolf loses his ship. To return to his homeland, he is hired by the Arnbjorn squad with his son Harald. While the soldiers share the booty, the protagonist yearns for his homeland, where Brigitte's bride is waiting for him. He still does not know that she is already expecting a child from him, as well as support when ascending the throne. This fascinating novel tries to adopt the plots of medieval tales and legends, just as captivating readers.