The Scythed Chariot

Thereupon the charioteer arose and donned his yeoman's suit for charioteering. Of this yeoman's suit for charioteering, this is what he put on him: His soft kirtle of skin which was light and airy, which was smooth and sparkling, which was stitched and of buckskin, so that it hindered not the movements of his arms outside. Over that he put outside an over-mantle of raven's feathers, which Simon Magus had made as a gift for Darius Nero, king of the Romans. Darius bestowed it upon Conchobar; Conchobar gave it to Cuchulain; Cuchulain presented it to his charioteer.

The same charioteer took the crested, plated, four-bordered battle-cap with variety of every colour and every figure, reaching down over the middle of his shoulders behind. It was an adornment for him and not an encumbrance. With his hand he placed the red-yellow frontlet-- like one red-golden strip of glowing gold smelted over the edge of an anvil-- on his forehead as a token of charioteering, to distinguish him from his master. He opened the hobbles that fastened his steeds and grasped his gold-mounted goad in his right hand. In his left hand he seized the lines, that is, the bridle-reins of his horses for restraining his steeds before performing his charioteering.

He next threw the iron-sheathed gold-bedecked coats of mail over his horses, so that they covered them from forehead to forehand. The chariot was studded with dartlets, lancelets, spearlets, and hardened spits, so that every portion of the frame bristled with points in that chariot and every corner and end and point and face of that chariot was a passage of laceration.

Then cast he a spell of concealment over his horses and over his fellow, so that they were not visible to any one in the camp, while all in the camp were visible to them. Well indeed was it that he cast that charm, for on that day the charioteer had to perform the three gifts of charioteership, namely leaping over a cleft in the ranks, unerring driving, and the handling of the goad.

Then arose the champion and battle-warrior and the instrument of Badb's corpse-fold among the men of the earth, Cuchulain son of Sualtaim, and he donned his war-dress of battle and fight and combat. To that wardress of battle and fight and combat which he put about him belonged seven and twenty waxed, board-like, equally close skin-tunics which were girded by cords and swathings and ropes on his fair skin, to the end that his wit and reason might not become deranged when the violence of his nature came over him.

Over him he put on the outside his battle-girdle of a champion, of tough, tanned, stout leather cut from the forequarters of seven ox-hides of yearlings, so that it reached from the slender parts of his waist to the stout part under his arm-pits. He was used to wear it to keep off spears and points and irons and lances and arrows. For in like manner they would bound back from it as if from stone or rock or horn they rebounded. Then he took his silken, glossy trews with their band of spotted pale-gold against the soft lower parts of his loins. His brown, well-sewn kilt of brown leather from the shoulders of four ox-hides of yearlings with his battle-girdle of cow-skins, he put underneath over the shining silken trews on the outside.

Then the king-warrior seized his battle-arms of battle and fight and combat. This is what belonged to those warlike weapons of battle: He took his eight little swords together with the bright-faced, tusk-hilted straight-sword; he took his eight little spears besides his five-pronged spear, he took his eight little darts together with his javelin with its walrus-tooth ornaments; he took his eight little shafts along with his play-staff; he took his eight shields for feats together with his dark-red bent-shield, whereon a show-boar could lie in its hollow boss, with its very sharp razor-like, keen-cutting, hard iron rim all around it, so that it would cut a hair against the stream because of its sharpness and fineness and keenness. When the young warrior would perform the edge-feat withal, it was the same whether he cut with his shield or his spear or his sword.

Next he put round his head his crested war-helm of battle and fight and combat, whereout was uttered the cry of an hundred young warriors with the long-drawn wail from each of its angles and corners. For this was the way that the fiends, the goblins and the sprites of the glens and the demons of the air screamed before and above and around him, what time he went forth for the shedding of blood of heroes and champions, exulting in the mighty deeds wrought underneath it.

His veil of concealment was thrown over him then, of raiment from Tir Tairngirè ('the Land of Promise') which had been brought to him as a gift by Manannan son of Ler ('the Sea') from the king of Tir na Sorcha ('the Land of Light.')

Then took place the first twisting-fit and rage of the royal hero Cuchulain, so that he made a terrible, many-shaped, wonderful, unheard of thing of himself. His flesh trembled about him like a pole against the torrent or like a bulrush against the stream, every member and every joint and every point and every knuckle of him from crown to ground. He made a mad whirling-feat of his body within his hide. His feet and his shins and his knees slid so that they came behind him. His heels and his calves and his hams shifted so that they passed to the front. The muscles of his calves moved so that they came to the front of his shins, so that each huge knot was the size of a soldier's balled fist. He stretched the sinews of his head so that they stood out on the nape of his neck, hill-like lumps, huge, incalculable, vast, immeasurable and as large as the head of a month-old child.

He next made a ruddy bowl of his face and his countenance. He gulped down one eye into his head so that it would be hard work if a wild crane succeeded in drawing it out on to the middle of his cheek from the rear of his skull. Its mate sprang forth till it came out on his cheek. His mouth was distorted monstrously. He drew the cheek from the jaw-bone so that the interior of his throat was to be seen. His lungs and his lights stood out so that they fluttered in his mouth and his gullet. He struck a mad lion's blow with the upper jaw on its fellow so that as large as a wether's fleece of a three year old was each red, fiery flake which his teeth forced into his mouth from his gullet.

There was heard the loud clap of his heart against his breast like the yelp of a howling bloodhound or like a lion going among bears. There were seen the torches of the Badb, and the rain clouds of poison, and the sparks of glowing-red fire, blazing and flashing in hazes and mists over his head with the seething of the truly wild wrath that rose up above him. His hair bristled all over his head like branches of a redthorn thrust into a gap in a great hedge. Had a king's apple-tree laden with royal fruit been shaken around him, scarce an apple of them all would have passed over him to the ground, but rather would an apple have stayed stuck on each single hair there, for the twisting of the anger which met it as it rose from his hair above him.

The Lon Laith ('Champion's Light') stood out of his forehead, so that it was as long and as thick as a warrior's whetstone. As high, as thick, as strong, as steady, as long as the sail-tree of some huge prime ship was the straight spout of dark blood which arose right on high from the very ridge-pole of his crown, so that a black fog of witchery was made thereof like to the smoke from a king's hostel what time the king comes to be ministered to at nightfall of a winter's day.

When now this contortion had been completed in Cuchulain, then it was that the hero of valour sprang into his scythed war-chariot, with its iron sickles, its thin blades, its hooks and its hard spikes, with its hero's fore-prongs, with its opening fixtures, with its stinging nails that were fastened to the poles and thongs and bows and lines of the chariot.

It was then he delivered over his chariot the thunder-feat of a hundred and the thunder-feat of two hundred and the thunder-feat of three hundred and the thunder-feat of four hundred, and he ceased at the thunder-feat of five hundred. For he did not deem it too much that such a great number should fall by his hand at his first onset and first battle-assault on four of the five grand provinces of Erin. In such wise fared he forth for to seek his foes, and he drove his chariot in a wide circuit round about the hosts of the four grand provinces of Erin. And he led his chariot a heavy way.

The chariot's iron wheels sank into the ground so that the earth dug up by the iron wheels might have served for a dûn and a fortress, so did the chariot's iron wheels cut into the ground. For in like manner the clods and boulders and rocks and the clumps and the shingle of the earth arose up outside on a height with the iron wheels. It was for this cause he made this circling hedge of the Badb round about the hosts of four of the five grand provinces of Erin, that they might not escape him nor get away before he would come on them to press a reprisal for the boys. And he went into the midst of the ranks and mowed down huge walls of the corpses of his foes and enemies and opponents in a great circle round about the host.

And he made the onslaught of a foe amongst foes upon them, so that they fell sole to sole, neck to neck, such was the closeness of their bodies. Thrice again in this manner he circled them round, so that he left them in beds of six in a great ring around them, even the soles of three to the backs of three men in a circle around the camp. Hence Sessrech Bresligè ('Great sixfold Slaughter') is the name of this event on the Tain, and it is one of the three unreckonable events of the Tain, which were, to wit, Sessrech Bresligè, Immsligè Glennamnach ('the Mutual Slaying at Glennamain') and the battle of Garech and Ilgarech; only that here, hound and horse and man were one to him.

What others say is that Lug son of Ethliu fought on Cuchulain's side at the Sessrech Bresligè.

Their number is not known and it cannot be reckoned how many fell there of the rabble rout, but only their chiefs have been counted. Here below are their names to wit:

The two Crnad, two Calad, two Cir, two Ciar, two Ecell, three Cromm, three Cur, three Combirgè, four Feochar four Furachar, four Cassè, four Fota, five Caur, five Cerman, five Coblach, six Saxan, six Duach, six Darè, [six Dunchadh, six Daimiach,] seven Rochad, seven Ronan, seven Rurthech, eight Rochlad, eight Rochtad, eight Rindach, eight Corprè, eight Malach, nine Daigith, nine Darè, nine Damach, ten Fiach, ten Fiacach, ten Fedlimid.

Ten and six-score kings, leaders and men of the land, Cuchulain laid low in the great slaughter on the Plain of Murthemne, besides a countless horde of dogs and horses and women and boys and children and common folk; for there escaped not a third man of the men of Erin without a lump or without having half his skull or an eye hurt, or without an enduring mark for the course of his life.

In carpat serda.

Is and-sin atracht in t-ara & ro gab a fianeirred araidechta immi. Ba dond ian- eirriud aradachta sin ro gabastar-som imbi: a inar bláith biannaide, isé étrom áerda, isé súata srebnaide, isé uaigthe osslethair, conna gebethar ar luamairecht lám dó anechtair. Ro gabastar-som forbratt fainhg taris sein anechtair doringni Simón drúi (do Dair) do ríg Román, conatarad Dair do Chonchobur, conatarat Conchobar do Choinchulaind, co tarat Cuchulaind da araid.

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Ro gabastar in t-ara cétna a chathbarr cirach clarach cetharchoir co n-ilur cech datha & cach delba dar a midguallib sechtair. Ba somaissi dó-som sin & nir bo thortrommad. Tarraill a lám leis in gipni n-dergbuide mar bad land dergóir do bronnór bruthi dar or n-indeóna re étan do ind[o]chomartha a[i]raidechta sech a thigerna. Ro gab idata aurslaicthi a ech & a del intlaissi ina dessa. Ro gabastar a éssi astuda ech ina thuasri, .i. aradna a ech ina laím chlí, re imchommus a araidecta.

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Is and-sin focheird a lurecha iarnaidi intlaissi immo echraid, con-gebethar dóib o thaul co aurdorn do gaínib & birínib & slegínib & birchruadib, cor bo birfocus cach fonnud issin charput sin, cor bo chonair letartha cach n-uill & cach n-ind & cach n-aird & cach n-airchind don charput sin.

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Is and-sin focheird bricht comga tar a echraid & tar a chomalta, connar bo léir do neoch issin dunud íat, & cor bo leir dóib-sium cách issin dunud sin. Ba deithbir ém ce focheirded-som inní sin, daíg ar bíth batar teora búada araidechta for ind araid in la sin, .i. leím dar boilg & foscul n-diriuch & immorchor n-delind.

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Is and-sin ro gab in caur & in cathmilid & in t-innell chró Bodba fer talman Cuchulaind mac Sualtaim, ro gab a chatheirred catha & comraic & comlaind imbi. Ba don chatheirred catha sin & comraic & comlaind ro gab-som imbi secht cneslénti fichet ciartha clarda comdlúta bitis ba thétaib & rothaib & refedaib i custul ri gelchnes dó, ar nacha n-dechrad a chond nach a chiall, o dofíced a luth láthair.

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Ro gabastar a chathchriss curad taris anechtair do chotutlethar cruaid coirtchide do formna secht n-damseiched n-dartada con-gabad do o thana thaib co tiug a oxaille. Ro bíth imbi ic dichur gai & rend & iaernn & slég & saiget. Daig is cumma focherdditis de & mar bad de chloich no charraic no chongna ro chiulaitis. Is and-sin ro gabastar a úathbróic srebnaide sróil cona cimais de banór bricc friá fri moethichtur a medoin. Ro gabastar (a dond-) uathbróic n-dondlethair n-degsúata do formna cethri n-damseiched n-dartada, cona chathchris do cholomnaib ferb fua dar a fuathróic srebnaide sróil sechtair.

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Iss andsin ro gabastar in rigniath: a chatharm catha & comraic & comlaind. Ba don chatharm chatha sin: Ro gabastar a ocht claidbini im cholg n-dét n-drechsolus. Ro gabastar a ocht sleigini imma sleig coícrind. Ro gabastar a ocht gothnata ma goth n-dét. Ro gabastar a ocht cleittini ma deil chniss. Ro gabastar a ocht sciathu cliss imma chrommscíath n-dubderg ina teiged torc taisselbtha ina thaul tárla, cona bil aithgéir ailtnidi imgeír ina urthimchiull, con tescfad finna i n-agid srotha ar aithi & ailtnidecht & imgéiri. Inbaid fogníth in t-oclach faeborchless di, is cumma imthescad dia sciath & dia sleig & da chlaideb.

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Is and-sin ro gab a chirchathbarr catha & comlaind & comraic imma chend asngaired gair cet n-óclach do síreigim cecha cúli & cecha cerna de. Daig is cumma co n-gairitis de bánanaig & bocanaig & geiniti glinni & demna aeóir ríam & úasu & ina thimchiull cach ed imma-teiged re testin fola na míled & na n-anglond sechlair.

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Ro chres a cheltar chomga tharis don tlacht dillat Tire Tairnhgire dobretha dó ó Manannán mac Lir, o ríg Thire na Sorcha.

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Is and-sin cét-riastarda im Choinculaind, co n-derna úathbásach n-ilrechtach n-ingantach n-anachnid de. Crithnaigset a chairíni imbi immar chrand re sruth no immar bocsimind ri sruth cach ball & cach n-alt & cach n-inn & cach n-áge de o mulluch co talmain. Ro lá saebchless díbirge dia churp immedón a chracaind. Táncatar a thraigthe & a luirgne & a glúne, co m-bátar dá éis. Tancatar a sala & a orccni & a escata, co m-batar riam remi. Tancatar tullféthi a orcan co m-batar for tul a lurggan, co m-ba meitithir muldorn míled cech meccon dermár díb-ide. Srengtha tollféithe a mullaig, co m-batar for cóich a munéoil, co m-bá mei(ti)thir cend meic mís cach mulchnoc dímór dírím direcra dimesraigthe dib-ide.

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And-sin doringni cuach cera dia gnúis & da agaid fair. Imsloic indara súil dó ina chend, issed mod danastarsed fíadchorr tagraim do lár a gruade a iarthor a chlocaind, sesceing a seitig co m-bói for a grúad sechtair. Riastarda a bél co urthrachda. Srengais in n-ól don fidba chnáma, comtar inecnáig a inchroes. Tancatar a scoim & a thromma, co m-batar ar eittelaig ina bél & ina bragit. Benais béim n-ulgaib leomain don charput uachtarach for a forcli, co m-ba metithir moltcraccand teora m-bliadan cech slamsruam teined doniged ina bél asa brágit.

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Ro clos bloscbeimnech a chride re chlíab imar glimnaig árchon i fotha, no mar leoman ic techta fo mathgamnaib. Atchessa na caindle (?) bodba & na cidnélla nime & na haible teined trichemrúaid innéllaib & i n-aeraib uas a chind re fiuchud na fergge firgairbe itrácht úaso. Racanig a folt imma chend imar craibred n-dercscíath im bernaid athálta. Ce ro craiteá rígaball fo rígthorud immi, ised mod da risad utull díb dochum talman taris, acht ro sesed ubull for cach n-oenfinna and re frithchassad na ferge atracht da felt uaso.

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Atrácht in lond láith asa etun, co m-ba sithe remithir áirnem n-ocláig. Airddithir remithir tailcithir tressithir sithithir séolchrand prímlunhgi móre in bunne diriuch dondfola atrácht a fírchleithe a chendmullaig i certairddi, co n-derna dubchíaich n-druidechta de amail chiaich de rígbruidin, in tan tic rí dia tenecur hi fescur lathi gemreta

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Iarsin riastrad sin riastarda im Choinculaind, iss andsin dorroeblaing ind err gaiscid ina chathcharpat serda cona erraib íarnaidib, cona faebraib tanaidib, cona baccanaib & cona birchruadib, cona thairbirib níath, cona glés aursloicthi, cona tharngib gaithe bítis ar fertsib & iallaib & fithisib & folomnaib dun charput sin.

Is and-sin focheirt torandchless ceit & torandchles dá cet & torandchless tri cét & torandchless cethri cet & tarrasair aice for torandchless cóic cet, úair nír bo furail leis in comlín sin do thuitim leis ina chétchumscli & ina chétchomlinhg catha for cethri choicedaib hErend, & dothaet ass fon cumma sin do innsaigid a námat & dobreth a charpat morthimchell cethri n-ollchóiced n-hErend amaig anechtair.

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Ocus dos-bert séol trom for a charpat. Dollotar rotha iarnaidi in carpait hi talmain, cor bo leór do dún & do daingen, feib dollotar rotha iarnaide in charpait i talmain, uair is cumma atraachtatar cluid & coirthe & carrge & táthlecca & murgrian in talman aird i n-aird frisna rothaib iarnaidib súas sell sechtair. Is airi focheird in circul m-bodba sin morthimchell chethri n-ollchoiced n-hErend ammaig anechtair, ar na teichtis úad & ar ná scáiltís immi, co tórsed re tenta fritharggain na maccraide forro, & dothaét issin cath innond ar medón & falgis falbaigi móra de chollaib a bidbad mórthimchell in t-slóig ammaig annechtair.

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Ocus dobert fobairt bidbad fo bidbadaib forro, co torcratar bond fri bond & meide fri meide, ba sé tiget a colla. Dos-rimchel aridisi fathrí in chruth sin, co farggaib cossair sessir impu fa mórthimchell .i. bonn tríir fri meide triir fóchuairt timchell immon dunad. Conid Seisrech bresslige a ainm issin táin, & issed tres n-dírime na tána, .i. Sesrech breslige, & Imslige Glennamnach, & in Cath for Gáric & Irgáirich, acht bá cumma cú & ech & duine and.

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Issed atberat araile, ro fích Lug mac Eithlend la Coinculaind sesrig m-bresslige.

Ni con fess a árim & ní chumangar a rím cia lín dorochair and do daescarslóg, acht ro rímthé a tigerna nammá. It é inso sís a n-anmand side .i.

da Chrúaid, da Chalad, da Chír, dá Chíar, da Ecell, tri Cruim, tri Caurith, tri Combirgi, cetri Feochair, cetri Furachair, cetri Caiss, cetri Fotai, V Caurith, V Cermain, V Cobthaig, VI Saxain, VI Dáich, VI Dári, VII Rocháid, VII Ronáin, VII Rurthig, VIII Roclaid, ocht Rochtaid, ocht Rindaich, ocht Corpri, ocht Mulaich, IX n-Daigith, IX n-Dári, IX n-Dámaig, X Féic, X Fiacaich, X Fedelmid.

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Deich ríg ar sé fichtib rig ro bí Cuchulaind issin Bresslig móir Maige Murthemne. Díríme immorro archena di chonaib & echaib & mnáib & maccaib & mindoenib & drabarslóg, ar nir érna in tres fer do feraib hErend cen chnáim leissi no lethchind no lethsúil do brissiud, no cen bithanim tria bithu betha.