The Death of Curoi MacDari

Here is the story of the Death of Curoi Mac Dari, of the red branch of the mythology Irish.

The Death of Curoi MacDari

The Death of Curoi MacDari

1. When the Ulates were at Emain, they saw a Iron Ecencaill come to them on the Plain of Emain. He called Blathin, daughter of Conchobar, and she went with him according to his will. (Yet?) she loved Curoi, son of Dare, the sorcerer and magician. It was Echde Echbel (horse mouth), who did this, and none of the Ulates opposed it, except Curoi alone.

2. So Echde lived in Aird Echdi in Cenn Tire Iron Ecencaill. He had three excellent spotted and beautiful cows. This is why we say "the three erca (spotted) from Echde”. He had brought them back from an expedition in the great world, whence he had brought back the belt of Uar (?) of the brave and the chessboard of the son of Solomon. These three cows used to *** (Ulster) running it from Aird Echdi to Magee and Larne. A copper cauldron was their calf. Sixty sextarii [one sextarius = 0.546 liters], this is what filled the cauldron from day to day. So says Cuchulainn in the Siaburcharpat:

“The cauldron was in the castle,
the "calf of the three cows";
thirty cows in his throat,
they did not fill it.

They (the three cows) inclined to go to the cauldron
– Charming was the competition -;
they did not depart from him,
until they had fully fulfilled it.

Lots of gold and silver was there (or in him)
– Good was the profit –
I took away this cauldron
along with the king's daughter. »

3. That their country was grazed annoyed the Ulates. They guarded their lands. They locked up the cows. These escaped. The Ulates crossed the sea in pursuit of the cows until they came to the tower of Echde. They were all gone (?) apart from Conall and Loégairé. (However) Cuchulainn didn't go, none of them wanted to (?). (Then) finally Cuchulainn went there. When he got into a boat, he saw a young man of discreet appearance: a gray tunic, a gray coat, a muirnech copper in his coat.

4. They sat together on (?). Three nights of hospitality were granted to them. The Ulates got up after Echde fell asleep. They took the cauldron with them and the girl and the cows and many other treasures. When they had traveled a great distance, Echde followed them out to sea. The booty was granted to Curoi, if he relieved them of Echde. The young man jumped (?) out of the ship, so that *** a great flood (strong wave?), the southern man was near him. It was *** his soul. Echde fell. He died.

5. The Ulates and the young man arrived in Ireland. They asked him to take all the treasures, but to leave them the cattle and the daughter until the end of a year. Repeatedly, he was asked the same thing until the end of three years. He accepted it. At the end of the year (third), he came. In the end, they were liars, they wouldn't let him take them (the cows and the girl), and the contracts were canceled.

6. Then he took away, by their own hand, the cows and the cauldron and the maiden. Cuchulainn followed him. He put his hand (?) on the handle of the cauldron. The young man turned against him. He threw him (Cuchulainn) through the earth, once up to the knees, another time up to the buttocks, the next time up to the waist, the next up to the armpits.

7. Then he led the cows and the maiden to Caher Conree between *** and the sea to the west. There, the cows let their milk flow, thereafter without being milked, they wandered around. From this a grass grew. Her name is bo-Eirne. Because Curoi is one of the Erainn.

8. Later Ferchertne the poet of Curoi came, with a ailges, see the Ulates to carry away theLiath of Macha. He took her away because of their honor. After a month he came again. The "People of Saying" used to praise the Midchuairt (the banquet hall) of the Ulates and their king and queen. Once he was irritated. He says, Curoi son of Dare has more glory than they have. [In the following verses, untranslatable in detail, he boasts that the three erca of Echde are in the possession of Curoi.] Since then it was known that it was Curoi who had come to him (Cuchulainn) and insulted him. The Ulates were greatly upset.

9. After this, Cuchulainn went in the form of a pauper (beggar) to Caher Conree. He recognized Conchobar's daughter. He told her(?) of his walks around the Ulates and of his father's interest, lest she betray the man. He (Curoi) had a copper vessel, from which he used to fight (plunder) Albion and the other islands of the sea to the "great world".

10. Then the woman betrays him. For he told the woman, in his simplicity, to comfort her in her pain, that there was a spring to the west on the slope of Sliab Mis, in which a salmon appeared at the end of seven years, an apple of gold was in his belly, that apple could (only) be cut with his own sword, his soul was inside.

11. Seven years had been the woman in the West, until Cuchulainn took the form of the leper, seven years more then, until the salmon appeared. Now she was waiting for the chance (?). The Ulates arrived and they were all to the north, outside of Caher. The man threw large stones at them, so that they could not approach. Then the salmon was killed (?) by Cuchulainn. Immediately this took away the strength and bravery of Curoi. And he said, “No secrets for women! No jewels for slaves! 'So Cuchulainn killed him. And they had victory over him.

12. Two of his men then avenged him. Luach the Great (?), charioteer of Curoi, got into the chariot of Coirbre, the son of Conchobar, and threw him down on the rock, so that they perished. Ferchertne the poet – when he was led to Blathin, he threw his spear between her two breasts, so that she died. He too was killed immediately. Therefore 'Blathin's grave' is at the mouth of the Shannon with Ferchertne's grave.