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CONCHOBAR: King of Ulster. Conchobar's intended bride, Deirdre, eloped with Noíse. Conchobar killed Noíse and his brothers and Deridre died of sorrow.
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CONN: The celebrated Conn of the Hundred Battles was a son of Feidlimid, the son of Tuathal – though he did not immediately succeed Feidlimid. Between them reigned Cathari Mor, who was father of thirty sons, amoung whom and their posterity he attempted to divide Ireland, and from whom are decended the chief Leinster families. As Conn’s title suggests, his reign was filled with battling. Conn’s strenuous militancy and the suggestive title that it won for him, made him famed beyond other men – the greatest pride of some of the noblest families of the land a thousand years and more after his time trace back their descent to him. Conn’s life and reign were ended by his assassination at Tara. Fifty robbers hired by the king of Ulster, came to Tara, dressed as women, and treacherously despatched the Monarch. Conn’s son in law, Conaire II, who succeeded him as monarch – for his son Art was then but a child – is famed as father of three Carbris, namely Carbri Musc, from whom was named the territory of Muskerry, Carbri Baiscen, whose descendants peopled Corca Baiscin in Western Clare, and most notable of them, Carbri Riada, who, when there was a famine in the South, led his people to the extreme Northeast of Ireland, and some of them across to the nearest part of Scotland, where they settled, forming the first important colony of Scots/Irish in Alba, and driving there the edge of the Irish wedge which was eventually to make the whole country known as the land of the Scots/Irish.
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CONOR MAC NESSA: Reigning at the time of Christ, in Ulster, residing at Emain Macha (Emania) was a king noted in ancient song and story, Conor mac Nessa. He was the grandson of Rory Mor, a powerful Ulster ruler who had become monarch of Ireland, and who was the founder of the Rudrician line of Ulster kings. The memory of Conor mac Nessa is imperishably preserved in the tale of the sons of Usnach and in the greater tale of the Tain Bo Cuailgne. His first wife was the Amazonian Medb (Maeve) a daughter of Eochaid the Ard Righ (High King) of Ireland. Conor separated from her and she became Queen of Connaught. He found his happiness with her sister, Ethne, whom he took to wife then, and who proved to be all that was indicated by her name, “sweet kernal of a nut.” He was a patron of poetry and the arts, and a practical man who is said to have struck from learning the oppressive shackles of tradition that had cramped and bound it. Till his day the learned professions, both for sake of monopoly and of effect upon the multitude used an archaic language that only the initiated understood, and that awed the mass of the people. Conor ordered tht the professions should not henceforth remain in the hereditary possession of the ancient learned families, but should be thrown open to all, irrespctive of family or rank. Conor’s reverence for poets was such that he saved them from expulsion, when, once they were threatened with death or exile, because having grown so vast numbers, and got to be lazy, covetous, tyrannous, they had become an almost unbearable burden upon the mulititude. Conor gathered twelve hundred poets into his dominion, and protected them there for seven years, till the anger of the people had abated, and they could scatter themselves over Ireland once more.
Conor died by a brain ball that sunk into his skull – fired by the hand of Cet MacMagach, the Connaught champion, whom he had pursued after a Connaught cattle raid. The legend attached to Conor’s death is curious. The brain ball fired by Cet did not directly kill him. It sank into his skull – and his doctor, Faith Liag, would not remove it, because that would cause instant death. With care, Conor might live long, carrying the brain ball. Henceforth, however, he must be moderate in all things, avoiding violent emotion, which was rare in those days for kings. Under his doctor’s wise care he lived for seven years. But one time, his court was thrown into consternation by finding broad day suddenly turned into blackest night, the heavens rent by lightning, and the world rocked by thunder, portending some dread cataclysm. Conor asked his wise men for explanation of the fearful happening. The druids and wise men told him that there had been in the East, a singular man, more noble of character, more lofty of mind, and more beautiful of soul, that the world had ever before known, or ever again would know. He was the noblest and most beautiful, most loving of men. And now the heavens and the earth were thrown into agony because on this day the tyrant Roman, jealous of his power over the people, had nailed him high upon a cross, and between two crucified thieves, had left divine man to die a fearful death. Conor was so enrage at this that he snatched his sword and fiercely chopped down a grove of trees. Under the strain of the fierce passion that held him the brain ball burst from King Conor’s head and he fell dead.
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CORMAC MAC AIRT: Of all the ancient kings of Ireland, Cormac mac Airt, who reigned in the third century, is unquestionalbly considered greatest by the poets, the seanachies, and the chroniclers. His father Art was the son of Conn of the Hundred Battles, and was known as Art the Lonely, as he had lost his brothers Connla and Crionna, both slain by their uncles. It was at the court of Lugaid at Tara, that Cormac mac Airt first distinguished himself, and gave token of the abilitiy and wisdom, which afterwards marked him the most distinguished of Eirinn’s monarchs.
From his exile in Connaught, Cormac, a green youth, had returned to Tara, where, unrecognized, he was engaged herding sheep for a poor widow. Now one of the sheep broke into the queen’s garden, and ate the queen’s vegetables. King Lugaid, equally angry as his queen, after he heard the case, ordered that for penalty on the widow, her sheep should be forfeit to the queen. To the amazement of Lugaid’s court, the herd boy who had been watching the proceedings with anziety, arose, and, facing the king, said, “Unjust is thy award, O king, for, because thy queen hath lost a few vegetables, thou wouldst deprive the poor widow of her livelihood?” When the king recovered from his astoundment, he looked contemptuously at the lad, asking scathingly: “And what, O wise herd boy would be thy just award?” The herd boy, not one little bit disconcerted, answered him “My award would be that the wool of the sheep should pay for the vegetables the sheep has eaten, because both the wool and the green things will grow again, and both parties have forgotten their hurt.” And the wonderful wisdom of the judgement drew the applause of the astounded court. But Lugaid exclaimed in alarm: “It is the judgement of a King.” And, the lad’s great mind having betrayed him, he had to flee. He returned and claimed the throne when Lugaid was killed, but at a feast which he gave to the princes whose support he wanted, Fergus Black Tooth of Ulster, who coveted the Ard Righship, managed to singe the hair of Cormac, creating a blemish that debarred the young man temporarily from the throne. And he fled again from Tara, fearing designs upon his life. Fergus became Ard Righ for a year – at the end of which time Cormac returned with an army, and, supported by Taig, the son of Ciann, and grandson of the great Oilill Olum of Munster, completely overthrew the usurper in the great battle of Crionna (on the Boyne) where Fergus and his two brothers were slain, and Cormac won undisputed possession of the monarchy. Taig was granted a large territory between Dmlaig (Duleek) and the River Liffi, since then called the Ciannachta. He became the ancestor of the O’Hara’s, O’Gara’s, O’Carroll’s, and other now Northern families.
In CORMAC’s time the world was replete with all that was good and the food and the fat of the land, and the gifts of the sea were in abndance during his reign. There were neither woundings nor robberies in his time, but every one enjoyed his own, in peace. Cormac rebuilt the palace of Tara, with much magnificence. He built the Teach Mi Chuarta, the great banqueting hall, that was 760 feet by 46 feet, and 45 feet high. Until quite recently, the outline of the foundations of this great hall with the traces of its fourteen doorways, were still to be observed on Tara hill.
Cormac owned the wonderful gold cup given to him by the sea-god Manannan Mac Lir in the Land of the Living. If three lies were spoken over it, it would break in three; three truths made it whole again. Cormac used this cup during his kingship to distinguish falsehood from truth. When Cormac died, the cup vanished, just as Manannan had predicted it would.
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CU ROI: A sorcerer from the Ulster cycle who was able to transform himself into various guises.
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CUCHULAINN: The heroic tales of CuChulainn are so old that they were almost forgotten when they were revived by 7th century bard named Sechan Torpeist.
The days when Conor MacNessa sat on the throne of Ulster were brilliant days in Ireland’s history. Then was the sun of glory in the zenith of Eire’s Heroic period - the period of chivalry, chiefly created by the famous Royal or Red Branch Knights of Emania. Though, two other famous bands of Irish warriors gave added lustre to the period- the Gamanraide of the West (who were Firbolgs) and the Clanna Deaghaid of Mulster led by Curoi MacDaire. All three warrior bands had their poets and the seanachies, who chanted their deeds in imperishable song and story which have since held spellbound the clans of the Gael. The greatest, the most belauded, and the most dazzling of all the heroes of the heroic age was undoubtedly Cuchullain, of whose life and wondrous deeds, real and imaginary, hundreds of stories still exist.
CuChullainn was a foster son of King Conor. "I am little Setanta, son to Sualtim, and Dectaire your sister" he told the questioning King, when, as a boy, in whose breast the fame of the Red Branch warriors had awaked the thirst for glory, he came up to the court of Emania. When he arrived there and the youths in training were playing caman upon the green. Having taken with him from home, his red bronze hurl and his silver ball, the little stranger, going in among them, so outplayed all the others, that the attention of the court was drawn to him. And it was then that the little stranger gave the above reply to the question of the admiring king. The eager attention of the warriors of the Red Branch was drawn to the lad and they foresaw great things for him, when they heard him express himself nobly and wonderfully, on the day that, in Emania, in the Hall of Heroes, he took arms. He stood before the Druids in the Hall of Heroes and exclaimed "I care not whether I die tomorrow or next year, if only my deeds live after me". The greatest, most exciting portion of this hero’s stories is the account of his fight with his friend, Ferdiad, at the ford, where , single handed, he is holding at bay the forces of Connaught. Ferdiad is the great Connaught champion, chief, of the Connaught knights of the Sword, the Fir Domniann and a dear friend and comrade of CuChullain, since, in their youth, they were training for the profession of arms. And it is now sore for CuChullain to fight the soul friend whom the Connaught host has pitted against them. He would dissuade Ferdiad from fighting, by reminding him of their comradeship, when they were together learning the art of war from the female champion, Scathach, in Alba.
"We were heart companions,
We were companions in the woods,
We were fellows of the same bed,
Where we used to sleep the balmy sleep.
After mortal battles abroad,
In countries many and far distant,
Together we used to practice, and go
Through each forest, learning with Scathach".
But Ferdiad had not the tenderness of CuChullain, and would not let fond memories turn him from his purpose. Indeed lest he might yield to the weakness of temptation, he forced himself to answer Cuchullain’s tenderness with taunts, so as to provoke the Compat. An fight they finally did. They fought for four days. On the fourth day, CuChullain rallies to the fight more fiercely, more terribly, more overpoweringly than ever, and at length gives to his friend, Ferdiad, the coup de grace. CuChullain laid Ferdiad down then, and a trance, and a faint, and a weakness fell on CuChullain over Ferdiad there.
CuChullain died as a hero should, on a battlefield, with his back to a rock and his face to the foe, buckler on arm, and spear in hand. He died standing, and in that defiant attitude (supported by the rock) was many days dead ere the enemy dared venture near enough to reassure themselves of his death, which they only did when they saw the vultures alight upon him, and undisturbed, peck at his flesh.
CuChulainn’s uncle was Conchobar, King of Ulster. CuChulainn was born Setanta, but changed his name when he placed a geis upon himself after accidentily killing the watchdog of the smith Culann. He vowed to take the place of the dog, guarding the pass into Ulster, and thus became known as the Hound of Culann. Several women in Celtic myth are said to be his mother, some human and other divine. The god Lugh is sometimes also mentioned as his father, but this relationship appears to be more of a spiritual link than a biological one. CuChulainn's human father is Sualtam. His uncle was Conchobar.
He is also widely known for his exploits described in ‘The Cattle Raid of Connaught.’
He studied under the warrior Scathach on the Isle of Shadow and returned to Ulster to be a great warrior and leader of the Red Branch, a semi-chivalrous order of warriors of Ulster whose exploits make up an entire cycle in Irish mythology. He became semi-divine himself through his adventures and is now honored as a pagan god.
Many of his stories are recorded at length in The Book of the Dun Cow. A statue in Dublin portrays his dramatic demise in battle when, while his men were asleep, he held off Maeve's armies single-handedly by being tied to a stone to remain standing. CuChlainn's image may have once been that of a minor sun or sacrificial god. His great enemy, the sovereign Queen Maeve of Connacht, seemed ready to replace her husband with CuChulainn who resisted the sacrificial role and battled her instead. Predictably, she won the war and his blood was spilled on the earth in the manner of the sacrificial gods. During his death battle he failed to recognize the Morrigan flying over him, and many believe that was what really killed him -- failure to realize the role he was born to play as symbolized by the death-bird in ages of the triple crone.
He had many lovers including Aife, Emer, and 'the faery woman' Fand.
Also known as: Cú CHULAINN, CUCHULAIN, and SETANTA.
PRONUNCIATION: KOO-KOO'LIN.
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