The violent death of Aife's only son

This is the story of the violent death of Aifé's only son, of the red branch of the mythology Irish.

The violent death of Aifé's only son

Why did Cuchulainn kill his son?

It's not difficult.

Cûchulainn had gone to learn arms with Scathach Uanaind, daughter of Ardgeimm, in Letha, until he had acquired mastery of fencing with her.

Aifé, daughter of Ardgeimm, came to find him; he made her pregnant, and told her that she would bear a son. Keep this ring, he said, until it goes to your son. When it suits him, let him pick me up Ireland; let no one divert him from his path, let him make himself known to no one and refuse single combat to no one! " 

The child, on the day of his seven years, went to look for his father.

The Ulates were holding an assembly at Tracht Eisi when they saw the son coming to them across the sea on a bronze boat, golden oars in his hands. He had a pile of stones in the boat; he put a stone in his slingshot and threw it back at the birds; he took them alive, and released them into the air. He made a tour with his palate in his hands, so that the eye could not follow him; he would tune his voice to theirs and knock them down a second time, then revive them again.

 Well, said Conor, woe to the country that boy comes from! If it was the grown men from the island he comes from that came to us, they would grind us to dust, since a little boy does these tricks. That we go to meet him and that he does not approach here!

- Who will meet him?

- Who ? said Conor, if not Condéré son of Echu?

- Why Condéré? everyone said.

“It's not difficult,” Conor said. If it is a question of reason and eloquence, it is Condéré who is appropriate there.

- I will go and meet him, ”said Condéré.

Condéré left and at the same time the boy approached the shore. "You are far enough away, my boy," said Condéré, "to tell us where you come from and what your race is.

'I don't make myself known to anyone,' said the young man, 'and I don't avoid anyone.

"You won't approach," said Condéré, before making yourself known.

- I'll go back to where I started. Said the young man.

The boy turned around. Then Condéré said to him: "Turn to me, my son: there are great deeds, there are minor property, the pride of the warriors of the Ulates, for you. For Conor protects you ... Turn to Conor, the valiant son of Ness; to Sencha son of Cosera; to Cethern with the red blade, son of Fintan, fire that damages weapons; towards Amergin the savant; towards Cumscraid to the large troops. Happy is the one whom Conall the Victorious protects… I brag, said Condéré, to go to meet a hairless, hairless boy, unless the Ulates do not allow it.

- You did well to come to us, said the boy; you will have the conversation you want ... Go back, said the boy, because even if you have the strength of a hundred men, you are not able to oppose me.

- It's good, said Condéré, that another then come and talk to you! " 

Condéré went to the Ulates and told them his story. It will not be said, said Conall the Victorious, that the honor of the Ulates be taken away, as long as I am alive! He then walked over to the boy. Your game is pretty, boy, Conall said.

- It is not against you that it will be uglier. “, Said the boy.

He put a stone in his slingshot. He kicked her back into the air, so the thunder and thunder she made on the way up reached Conall and threw him on his back. Before he got up, the boy had tied his hands with the strap of his shield. - "Let another go against him!" Said Conall. This is how the boy made fun of the army.

However Cuchulainn was present at this game and he went to the boy. Emer Forgall's daughter put her arm around her neck. "Don't go down there," she said. It's a son of yours who is downstairs. Do not avenge us on your only son!… It is neither loyal nor wise to stand up against your brave son… Turn to me! Listen to my voice! My opinion is good. May Cûchulainn hear it! I know what name he's going to say, if it's Conla, Aifé's only son, who's the boy there, ”the woman said.

Then Cûchulainn replied: "Hold on, O woman! ... Even if it was he who is there, O woman," he said, "I would kill him for the honor of the Ulates. " 

So he went down himself. "It's pretty, my boy, the game you're playing," he said.

- Your game is not such, said the little boy, that two of you have not come so that I make myself known to them.

"Should a young boy have come with me?" Said Cûchulainn. You're going to die if you don't make yourself known. - Well, be it! The boy said.

The son pounces on him. They hit each other. The boy cuts his hair off with his sword with a good blow. Enough of the jokes! said Cûchulainn. Let's finally fight.

- I'm not reaching for your belt. Said the son.

He climbed on two stones and put Cuchulainn between two stone pillars three times, and the son did not move either of his feet until they had entered the stones up to his ankles. The traces of his feet are still there. This is why we say the Shore of the Trace among the Ulates. They entered the sea to drown each other, and the son made him dive twice. Cûchulainn went towards him out of the water and took him in traitor with the sack javelin (gae bolga - lightning javelin). Scathach had taught the handling of this weapon only to Cûchulainn. He throws it against the son, into the water, so that the entrails fall on his feet.

 So, he said, this is what Scathach did not teach me! Woe to you who hurt me! said the son.

- It's true. Said Cûchulainn.

He takes his son in his arms, removes him from there and carries him until he arrives in front of the Ulates.

 Here is my son before you, O Ulates, he said.

- Alas! replied the Ulates.

- It is true, said the son. If I had been among you in five years, I would have conquered the men of the earth in your presence on either side, and you would have had the empire as far as Rome. Since this is so, show me the great men who are here, let me bid them farewell! " 

So he put his arms around the necks of each of them one after the other; he said goodbye to his father and died immediately.

The funeral lamentation, the grave and the stone were made, and for three days no calves were left to the cows in Ulster as a result of this.