ANST - a story ...related to cattle raids, but not yard-apes

[j'lynn yeates]

On 18 Jun 99, at 15:02, karl muller wrote:

> excuse me, my lord. but i think you meant to say gather instead of raid.
> the irish are too good a people to raid. it's those other lowly people who
> raid. the irish are too fine and noble to do such a thing.

don't know the history or litereature, eh (g)... suggest a long lazy afternoon 
reading the Tain.  amongst the keltoi cattle-lords, the cattle raid was a 
important part of their culture

from: The Tain, as presented by Horslips ...

found a interesting a online link ... (Meadhbh, check out the top level link 
for a *great* Horslips site)

http://www.tuatha.org/horslips/tain.html#1

from the liner notes and website ... and a fine summary of the literary 
origional with modern musical overtones (quotations are from the songs):

   One night in bed, the promiscuous Connacht Queen, Maeve,
   quarrels with her husband Ailill. They argue over who has the most
   wealth. Ailill doesn't like the suggestion that he's a kept man. "Her
   words were sharp; they cut him deep, in a war between the sheets".
   Ailill's magnificent White Bull is the deciding factor in their
   subsequent measuring of possessions. Maeve's a bad loser. Mac
   Roth, her messenger, goes to Cooley to rent the famed Brown Bull
   for a year, thus giving Maeve the decider. "I once told her where
   she could find her dream". The Bull's owner is agreeable until Mac
   Roth and his party get very drunk and reveal that had they not been
   allowed to borrow the bull they would have taken it by force. The
   deal breaks down. They go home emptyhanded. Maeve decides on
   war.

   Having marshalled all her warriors, and allies from Munster and
   Tara, and with Ailill's six brothers and their armies standing by
   Maeve receives favourable omens from her Druids. The long march
   to Cooley begins. "The champions and the Seven Sons are come to
   take away the Donn". However, a sorceress appears and warns
   Maeve of impending defeat at the hand of Dearg Doom, Cu
   Chulainn. "Saw the host stained red in war, saw the hero-light
   around the head of a dragon-boy". The warning is ignored.

   Meanwhile, the men of Ulster are ill with labour pains - the legacy
   of a curse put on them for their inhuman treatment of a pregnant
   woman. The one man exempt from this curse is Cu Chulainn,
   whose very birth is shrouded in mystery. Singlehandedly he takes
   on the defence of Ulster, harassing Maeve's soldiers, "And like a
   hawk I'll swoop and swoop again", beheading those who stray from
   the main force. "You can hear me shout 'two heads are better than
   none. One hundred heads are so much better than one'". Cu
   Chulainn is a hard man. Originally called Setanta, he became
   known as Cu Chulainn, the Hound of Culann, because of his
   savagery. As the Connacht losses grow greater, the deposed King of
   Ulster, Fergus MacRoich, who is having a secret affair with Maeve,
   meets Cu Chulainn and arranges a treaty. Cu Chulainn agrees to
   singlehanded combat with any Connacht champion provided
   Maeve's army does not advance. One by one, day after day he
   defeats each warrior until eventually he faces his old foster-brother
   and close friend Ferdia. Cu Chulainn pleads with Ferdia to leave.
   "But Ferdia just laughed and shook his golden head and then they
   fell to battle again".

   For three days they fight at a ford and appear evenly matched until
   on the third day Cu Chulainn flies into a rage and lets loose his
   supernatural javelin, the terrible Gae Bolga, which destroys his
   friend. As Ferdia falls Cu Chulainn catches him and carries him to
   the riverbank, lamenting. "Life was a game, Now I miss your name;
   your golden hair". Then overcome by despair Cu Chulainn
   abandons the fight.

   Maeve's army moves south with the stolen bull. The Ulster men
   rally and with Cu Chulainn in their ranks they give chase. "But
   before you hit off, let me say this time you bit off more than you
   can chew". The Morrigan, Queen of Demons, who has been
   encouraging slaughter all along, prophesies the outcome. In the
   battle which follows the Connacht army is routed. "It seems our
   fortunes lied despite our gain. Our tears fall like our pride".
   Maeve's life is spared by Cu Chulainn. As the Ulstermen are taking
   the Brown Bull home, they meet Ailill's Bull, the White-Horned
   one. The Donn immediately attacks the White. "You can fool them
   alright but can you fool the beast?" All day and night they are
   locked in combat. Morning sees the Donn victorious. The armies
   consider destroying him, the cause of all their suffering, but leave
   him as, dying, he staggers homewards.

'wolf
... "the rythm of the wolf skin drums called men to war in hide and bronze"

... truth is the sword of us all (lords of the new church)
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