THE NAMING OF CUCHULAINN
by Philip McCormac
note: Cuchulainn, pronounced 'koo-cull-in'
Setanta, pronounced 'seh-tanta'
When the Hero of Ulster was born he was not called Cuchulainn, but Setanta. Even from his birth he was unusual in strength and dexterity. He was walking unaided after only weeks and within a few months he was sitting at table and eating the same food as were the adults. While still a toddler Setanta was never still but constantly exploring and examining the world around him.
One day he wandered out into the yard of his home. Like all the folk at that time the farm animals were kept close to their houses to protect them from the depredations of their brothers in the wild as well as rustlers. Hens and pigs and goats wandered freely around the dwelling.
Setanta was delighted to find this world of crowing, clucking, bleating and barking animals. However there was one animal that was kept in a separate enclosure and that was the bull.
This huge animal was particularly brutal and bad-tempered. It had a ring through its nose so that Setanta's father could hook a long pole into the ring. This enabled him to control the animal's movements. As the nose is very tender the bull usually came meekly for fear of having the ring jerked or pulled too harshly. Even with this form of control the bull could still act unpredictably and had already killed one man and gored another so severely he had to get about on wooden crutches.
Usually it took two or three men with these poles hooked in the bull's nose ring to control it. Setanta spotted the great monster in the corral and cooing with delight crawled under the stout wooden posts that kept it fenced in.
No one missed Setanta until a neighbour who happened to be passing by saw the boy with the beast. He immediately rushed to the house and raised the alarm.
'It's the boy, Setanta,' he yelled.
'He's in with the bull!'
Fearing the worst, Setanta's mother rushed to the bull's enclosure while his father gathered up the hooked poles in the forlorn hope of rescuing his son.
To the adults' horror Setanta was astride the bull and kicking his little heels into the animal's flanks to encourage the beast to take him for a ride. To the amazement of all, the great beast was obeying the child's wishes and was lumbering around the enclosure like the most docile of household pets. From that day on when his father wanted the bull moved he sent Setanta to carry out the task.
As was the custom at that time, when a boy was of age he was fostered out to his clan lord in order to learn the warrior skills of the Celts. When Setanta was seven years of age he was sent to live with King Conor, a wise and worthy leader.
At Conor's court Setana lived with other boys his age and older. They were there to learn the skill of using a spear in combat, the art of protecting oneself with a shield and proficiency in swordplay.
From the very beginning Setanta excelled in weapon skills. His javelins went twice as far as the other boys. When he picked up his shield it seemed twice as large as the others for no one could penetrate his guard. As for his sword, he learned to wield it with extraordinary dexterity and skill.
In order to develop character and team spirit the boys were encouraged to play games. One of the favourite sports amongst the boys was hurly. This was played with a long handled stick that had a curved end for hitting and controlling the ball. The ball itself was made of hide, roughly the size of a clenched fist. Teams of eleven boys played against each other.
One day a famed sword maker named Culann the Smith invited Conor to a feast. Riding on his way to the entertainment, the king saw a group of boys playing hurly. He pulled up in his chariot to watch.
'That's odd,' he observed,
'there seems to be one boy playing against all the rest.'
And indeed there was Setanta, running rings around the other boys and scoring time after time. Eventually Setanta's exploits annoyed the boys so much they left off playing the game and attacked the youngster with their hurly sticks. Setana fought back with great ferocity and soon several boys were lying on the pitch felled by the lone fighter. Conor strode onto the pitch and berated the boys for their unsporting behaviour.
'Shame on you for ganging-up on one of your fellows. You are here to learn comradeship and team spirit and there I find you behaving in this cowardly manner.' Having chastised the youngsters he turned to the object of all this animosity.
'Setanta, you will come with me. I am on my way to Culann who is giving a great feast. I want you there with me.'
'But I'm having such a good time here,' Setanta pleaded.
'Can't I come along behind when the game is finished?'
Conor smiled and agreed.
'But don't you be late,' he admonished the boy and continued his journey leaving Setanta to finish the match.
When Conor arrived at Culann's abode the host asked him if all his men were present. Conor, forgetting Setanta would be following behind, answered in the affirmative.
'Good, then I'll shut the gates and let loose my hound. It is the most savage of beasts and it requires five men with chains to restrain him. With it prowling outside my house I have no fear of enemies attacking me.'
So the huge dog was released and the gates were shut while the preparations for the feast went ahead.
In the meantime Setanta followed along after his king, carrying his hurly stick and ball and javelin. He was young and full of energy so he played a game as he travelled. He would hit his ball with the hurly high in the air then throw his javelin after it and run swiftly after them and catch both before they fell to the ground.
As the boy approached Culann's house the ferocious guard dog scented the newcomer and gave vent to the most blood-curdling howling. Setanta took no notice of the terrible clamour and continued with his game.
The men inside the house heard the dog and climbed to the walls to see what was upsetting the hound.
King Conor groaned, when he saw Setanta, remembering too late he had invited the boy to join them at the feast. He could do nothing to help as the boy and the dog were too far out. By the time they would get the gates open and rush to his aid it would be too late.
The men on the ramparts yelled and banged their shields against the ramparts to distract the dog but it had eyes only for this small boy who was so foolish as to venture near the house it was trained to guard. Snarling ferociously the great beast bounded towards Setana.
The men on the ramparts could see that the youngster was doomed and a great cry of despair went up. Conor and his men had witnessed the lad's valour at the hurling match and they regretted the loss of such a gallant young blood.
As the dog rushed towards him, Setanta seemed to notice the animal for the first time. The men watching groaned audibly as they saw the boy throw down his hurly and javelin. They assumed the sight of the beast had terrified the boy so much he had dropped his weapon and meekly awaited his fate. They watched in despair as they anticipated the outcome of the encounter expecting the poor boy to be torn limb from limb.
As the dog leapt towards him, instead of fleeing or remaining still while the animal attacked, Setanta ran to meet it. To the watching men it seemed the boy slipped and fell beneath the snarling brute. A cry of despair went up and they waited to see the boy ripped to pieces. To their amazement Setanta stood upright with the howling dog held above his head.
Ferociously it struggled and slavered and gnashed the air with its razor-sharp fangs. Setanta ran a few steps and flung the hound against a tree. The dog smashed into the tree and toppled to the ground. Setanta crouched at the ready and waited for another attack but the creature, after raising its head and making a pitiable whimper collapsed. It was obvious the dog was either dying or dead.
Great was the rejoicing from the ramparts as the men cheered and hammered their swords on their shields. The gates were opened and Conor and his men rushed out to greet Setanta. Triumphantly they carried him on their shoulders shouting with glee and praising his bravery.
There was one man who was not too pleased with Setanta's deed and that was Culann.
'What am I to do now that you have killed my guard dog?' he complained.
'When my enemies hear of this I will never be able to have a peaceful night's sleep again. I will have to stand guard myself.'
The boy drew himself up before the distraught sword maker.
'I will replace your hound. Until you find another big dog to guard your house I shall patrol in its place.'
Conor laughed heartily and his men cheered all the more at the boy's boldness.
'Then you must have a new name,' the king shouted.
'From now on we will call you Cuchulainn, the Hound of Culann.' From then on that was his name - Cuchulainn and sometimes too he was known as the Hound of Ulster.
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