I wanted to let you know that I'm slowly going through my old posts and adding pictures to them. On Friday I updated my post about The Snow Queen. If I've got some spare time this week I'll try to do another!
Now, on to the post:
Our story today centers on a young boy known as Setanta. Looking at the name of this post, you might be wondering why we aren't discussing Cu Chulainn - but we are. The naming process of the ancient Celts is fascinating. You see, a boy was given a name at his birth. He was called by this name throughout his childhood, up until the point where he did something to distinguish himself. When that happened, the boy was given a new name, one that signified his deeds.
So, although this story is about the boy called Setanta, it is also about Cu Chulainn - for they are one and the same person.
Setanta was conceived and born amidst odd circumstances. His mother was a woman named Dechtire, who was the sister of a great king named Conchobar. (Spell check reeeeally hates all of these names!) During a time of prosperity in the Conchobar's lands, Dechtire vanished. She returned three years later with a son named Setanta. Dechtire had spent those three years in the land of the Tuatha De Danann, where she was wooed and impregnated by none other than Lugh Long-Arm.
It quickly became obvious that Setanta was not a normal boy. His strength and agility were well beyond that of any other child his age, as was his intellect. Despite this, he was only a boy. Setanta wanted to be around other youngsters and play games with them.
When he was six years old, Setanta heard of a game played near the king's keep. The books I've read call this game either shinty or hurling. Both games involve teams, a ball, and goals - they also utilize a stick. These games were designed to prepare youngsters for their training as warriors, and were quite violent. The boys who played it were all significantly older than Setanta.
None of these facts deterred Setanta. His heart was set on playing shinty/hurling, so one day he set off for the castle. When he arrived on the playing field Setanta was mocked for his youth. King Conchobar happened to be watching from his window, and sent for the young stranger to find out who he was.
Imagine the king's surprise when Setanta introduced himself as Conchobar's nephew! He asked permission to be allowed to play with the other boys. Initially reluctant because of Setanta's youth, Conchobar eventually gave in to his pleading and granted him leave to play.
On the field, Setanta was pitted against twelve boys. They sneered at him and mocked his size, but Setanta soon made them eat their words. The blood of his father ran strong in his veins, for Setanta handily bested the other boys! He scored goal after goal, and nothing they did could stop him.
(Other versions of this story have Setanta single-handedly besting 150 boys at a time. One wonders why anyone agreed to play with him...)
King Conchobar was quite pleased by his nephew's prowess and wanted to reward him. It so happened that Conchobar had been invited to a great feast at the home of Culann, a successful smith. He invited Setanta to accompany him to this feast.
The boy was thrilled, but reluctantly told Conchobar that he couldn't go with him. He had been interrupted mid-game, and didn't want to leave without finishing. (In video game terms: "Just one more level! Please!") Conchobar was amused by Setanta's competitiveness and told him not to worry; he could follow whenever he finished his game.
Shortly after, Conchobar set out with his men and arrived at the house of Culann. Tired from the trip and quite ravenous, the king completely forgot that his nephew would be coming later. This was unfortunate, because Culann chose that moment to ask the king if all of his men were present.
I mentioned that Culann was a very successful smith? Well, with great success comes great wealth. Culann needed his wealth and lands to be guarded, and he had a fearsome hound for that job. He carefully explained to Conchobar just how terrifying it was: how it took multiple men to restrain the hound even when it was kept chained; how the beast would attack anyone it found on Culann's lands; and how even one hundred men could not hope to best it.
Conchobar, of course, still didn't remember that Setanta was coming. The hound was set loose to guard Culann's lands. Inside his home, the feast began.
Setanta knew nothing of any of this. He had finished his game (which he won, of course) and was on his way back to Culann's house, still carrying his stick and ball. He was within sight of Culann's home when the hound came for him, snarling and howling.
At the sound of the vicious hound's snarls, king Conchobar abruptly remembered that his nephew was supposed to be joining him. Horrified, he and the other guests ran to the windows. What they saw made their blood run cold, for the enormous hound was about to attack a six year old boy.
(One wonders what Conchobar would have told Setanta's mother if the hound killed the boy. "Oh, hey sis...I kind of invited Setanta to a party and then forgot, so he got eaten by a hound. My bad!"
Worst uncle EVER. And he runs a kingdom with that memory!)
Setanta was unphased by the approach of the hound. When it attacked, he calmly rammed his shinty/hurling ball down its throat, picked the dog up while it choked, and beat it to death against a rock.
(Sorry, animal lovers.)
Within Culann's house, everyone was speechless. When it became obvious that the hound was dead, the guests raced out of the house, cheering for Setanta. Conchobar, relieved that his nephew was safe and immensely proud of the boy, turned to Culann - but his words died in his throat at the look of sorrow on the smith's face.
The cheering died down as Culann slowly, sadly walked to his hound. His eyes filled with tears as he knelt beside the dog, stroking its fur as he remembered how loyal the hound was, how faithfully it had protected him.
(I always tear up here. There's a quote from Culann in one of the books I have, where he says, "My best friend has been destroyed." That's when the waterworks begin. I kind of hate Setanta for killing the dog.)
Upon seeing this, Setanta was kind instead of cruel. He approached Culann and swore to find a hound to equal the one he had slain. In some versions of the story, the hound itself had a pup, which Setanta promises to raise and train until it can take it's father's place.
(This is why a lot of pictures of Cu Chulainn show him with a wolf or dog beside him.)
Until the hound can be replaced, Setanta promises to guard Culann's lands himself, and to be just as loyal as the hound.
Culann agrees to this arrangement, but the story does not end there. A druid who had been at the party steps forward, looks at Setanta, and gives him his new name: Cu Chulainn, "The Hound of Culann".
Cu Chulainn went on to have many more adventures. The epic that tells his story is actually comparable in length to Greek works like The Iliad or The Odyssey. Other tales of Cu Chulainn include the wooing of his wife, Emer; the battle between Cu Chulainn and his best friend, Ferdiad; the death of Connla, son of Cu Chulainn, at the hands of his own father; and, eventually, the death of Cu Chulainn himself.
(I just loved this artwork! It looks like it belongs in Brave!)
I could do a whole series of posts on Cu Chulainn - and I do plan to return to him in the future. However, for now I'd like to step away from him and let my next post focus on one of the stranger stories in Celtic mythology. Tune in next Monday and I'll tell you about Manawydan, and the curious things that happen to him.
Questions? Comments? Want to rant about Setanta killing the poor loyal hound? I'd love to hear from you! Please post below or shoot me an email.
I'll see you guys next week!
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