response humanities

(Sarah)Cúchulainn the Boy Warrior

            Cú Cúchulainn was destined for battle since his birth. Having god-like strength since a child, it seemed as though he only had one option in life - to be a warrior. Reading through his feats, some themes come to light. The battles he partakes in will reveal not only his incredible strength, but his mentality as well. Examined next will be how he was victorious in the battles that occurred. Lastly, if Cúchulainn can be considered a heroic figure will analyzed.

            The battles Cúchulainn participates in shows how advanced he is compared to the soldiers. Being able to hold off an entire army of four provinces at the age of seventeen is a straightforward way to show the discrepancies between the two sides (Le Brocquy and Kinsella 143). Essentially being a half-god and having absolute brute strength, it would be unreasonable to expect a fair fight with a regular man. He shows no remorse and seems desensitized to killing, unless it is someone he loves. The clearest example of pity from him is in his fight with his foster-brother, Ferdia, when Cúchulainn takes his time after the battle to mourn Ferdia’s life (Le Brocquy and Kinsella 199). Although he mourns their loss, he remains a war machine obligated to kill wherever there is a battle to be fought.

            Cúchulainn was seen as victorious through his battles, although majority of them remained extremely one-sided. The men Medb and Aillil first sent to kill Cúchulainn were arrogant in their abilities because of his immature age (Le Brocquy and Kinsella 123). After they were shown to be no match for the warrior, Medb and Aillil resorted to bribery and coercion, giving their warriors an ultimatum or false sense of security to fight the teenager (Le Brocquy and Kinsella 131). Numerous times did Cúchulainn try and persuade the opposers to leave, telling them he would easily kill them as he had done to the rest if they did not see through the lies and flee. Cúchulainn was not deceitful in his fights, he fought primarily by himself so he shouldn’t be harshly criticized for utilizing different weapons to secure his victory.

           In war, it’s hard to remain a true hero. Although Cúchulainn possessed courage and strength, nobody recognized him to be heroic. The king upon hearing his feats after the end of their pangs even said “(death) would be fitting” for him, with the men of Ulster agreeing (Le Brocquy and Kinsella 219). By definition Cúchulainn is considered a hero, but if you take into account the intentions behind his actions, the title of hero isn’t as fitting. He fought to protect his homeland, but his own honor is what drives his actions (O’Neill 2).

            Cúchulainn accomplished many feats in his life and was feared by many for his strength and riastrad. The battles he fought in The Táin showed his power along with his mindset during war. He emerged victorious from his battles because of the difference in ability between him and the army of Medb and Aillil. Despite this, his intentions were for his own honor, depriving him of a title of hero for his hometown.

 

Works Cited

Le Brocquy, Louis, and Thomas Kinsella. The Táin: From the Irish Epic Táin Bó Cuailnge. Oxford: OUP Oxford, 1970.

O’Neill, Kathryn. “Cú Chulainn.” The Encyclopedia of Medieval Literature in Britain, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2017, pp. 1–3. Wiley Online Library