The Cattle Raid

When Cu Chulainn grew into a young man, he developed significant fighting skills. He was the best in all of Ulster, the region of Ireland where he lived. Being the greatest warrior in all of Ulster, Cu Chulainn was tasked with defending his home land. At this point, Medb, the Queen of another region of Ireland, called Connaught, was initiating a cattle raid. The goal was for the warriors of Connaught to steal the renowned brown bull of Ulster. The bull was an icon to the people of Ulster - a piece of their identity.

This brown bull of Ulster was magical. He possessed powerful virtues that helped the people of Ulster. First, he could be with fifty heifers each day to bring each of them a child. Next, fifty children could find room to play on his back. Even more, one-hundred warriors could find shade in his shadow. Finally, he made a beautiful song on his way home every evening. Each man, woman, and child in Ulster enjoyed the sweet song. Obviously, this was a special bull, and it is easy to see why it was so special to the people of Ulster.

The last time Cu Chulainn and Medb ran into each other, Cu Chulainn proclaimed that the next time he saw Medb he would hurl a stone at her that misses her face by only an inch. And as he had promised, the next time they crossed paths he sent a stone from his sling that actually killed a pet bird sitting on Medb's shoulder. She then retreated to get away from Cu Chulainn, but Medb was still in his range. He tossed another stone which struck a squirrel sitting on Medb's other shoulder.

The fact that Cu Chulainn would throw stones at Medb enraged her warriors. They planned a march to begin battle, and then they set out for Ulster. Some of the men in their camp were nervous about the upcoming attack because they knew Cu Chulainn would be there to defend Ulster. They had heard stories of his strength..

Meanwhile, the brown bull of Ulster had traveled with fifty heifers to a new pasture. Then, a goddess by the name of Morrigan decided she wanted to get involved. In doing so, she met the brown bull and informed him of the incoming troops. She warned the bull to be on watch for the troops and to keep his guard up. She then spoke about what death would come in the inevitable battles of the Cattle Raid.

The following morning the armies of Medb made their approach. On the eve of this war, fear was so thick in the air you could almost smell it. The men knew Cu Chulainn would come, and so did Medb. Alas, they marched forward waiting for his inevitable attack. Medb ordered her troops to place a shield over her head in fear that Cu Chulainn would strike her with a stone, but no attacks came. At this point they had marched so close that the warfare could begin at any time.

Medb and her troops pitched camp at nightfall assuming no fight would come in the night. As they made camp for the night, Medb asked her handmaided to go to the river for water to drink and bathe in. The handmaid was sent with the Queen's gold crown on her head. As she approached the river with the other handmaids, Cu Chulainn caught eye of the crown. He thought Medb was out trying to scout the land in order to prepare for the cattle raid. Since it was dark out, he could not make out the face of the woman wearing the crown, but he fired anyway. Unfortunately, the handmade's fate was sealed as soon as she left camp wearing Medb's crown. Cu Chulainn's stone struck the crown. It burst into three pieces, and the handmaid sat dead on the river bank.

The next morning, Medb sent her warriors out to approach the river in hopes of crossing it. One of their best warriors died in the process, and as they were divided along the river Cu Chulainn made an approach. He found one segment of men split apart from the others. The group of nearly one-hundred never returned to Medb. She knew what had happened and she ordered her men to challenge Cu Chulainn. "It will not be I," said one man. And again, "It will not be I," from another. This went on for a while as no man wanted to face the rage of Cu Chulainn.

With a portion of her army already dead, and struggling to cross the river, Medb marched her troops along the river until again they made camp for the night.

Author's Note: I can't wait to finish the second half of this story. This first part is mostly setup for the upcoming battle during the Cattle Raid. My version is very similar to the original. The plot and the characters are exactly the same, but I added a couple lines here and there to add dramatic effect.

Medb is the queen of one of the other Irish regions. Ulster is the region Cu Chulainn lives in, and they possess the Brown Bull. Medb is from Connaught. The two regions are not too fond of each other, and Medb has sent her troops to capture the Brown Bull.

The Morrigan is a goddess who can transform into pretty much anything, but often she turns herself into a crow. She frequently foretells fates in battle, and she plays a significant role in the Cattle Raid.

The evil Queen Medb

Story Bibliography: The Ancient Irish Epic Tale: Tain Bo Cualnge by Joseph Dunn