Compert Con Culainn
Encyclopedia
Compert Con Culainn is an early medieval Irish
narrative about the conception and birth of the hero Cú Chulainn
. Part of the Ulster Cycle
of Irish mythology
, it survives in two major versions.
(LU), compiled in the 12th century. The principal scribe (M) was responsible for writing down the main text, while a later reviser (H) erased the ending to make room for his own sequel from the time of Cú Chulainn's birth. According to H's notes, the text was included in the Cín Dromma Snechtai
, an 8th-century manuscript now lost. Further copies of Recension I have come down in six manuscripts of the 15th and 16th centuries, all of them in some way associated with Connacht
.
The second recension survives in Egerton 1782 and D IV 2, where they immediately follow the first. This recension is also called Feis Tige Becfholtaig “The feast of (or: passing of the night in) Becfholtach's house” in D IV 2.
is the daughter and charioteer of Conchobar mac Nessa
, king of Ulster, and accompanies him as he and the nobles of Ulster hunt a flock of magical birds. Snow falls, and the Ulstermen seek shelter, finding a house where they are made welcome. Their host's wife goes into labour, and Deichtine assists at the birth of a baby boy. A mare gives birth to two colts at the same time. The next morning, the Ulstermen find themselves at the Brug na Bóinde (the neolithic mound at Newgrange
). The house and its occupants have disappeared, but the child and the colts remain. Deichtine takes the boy home and raises him to early childhood, but he falls sick and dies. The god Lug
appears to her and tells her he was their host that night, and that he has put his child in her womb, who is to be called Sétanta. Her pregnancy is a scandal as she is betrothed to Sualtam
mac Róich, and the Ulstermen suspect Conchobar of being the father, so she aborts the child and goes to her husband's bed "virgin-whole". She then conceives a son whom she names Sétanta. This has been interpreted as a triple conception, marking the child out as someone special.
In the later, and better-known, version of Compert Con Culainn, Deichtine is Conchobar's sister, and disappears from Emain Macha
, the Ulster capital. As in the previous version, the Ulstermen go hunting a flock of magical birds, are overtaken by a snowstorm and seek shelter in a nearby house. Their host is Lug, but this time his wife, who gives birth to a son that night, is Deichtine herself. The child is named Sétanta.
The nobles of Ulster argue over which of them is to be his foster-father, until the wise Morann decides he should be fostered by several of them: Conchobar himself; Sencha mac Ailella
, who will teach him judgement and eloquent speech; the wealthy Blaí Briugu
, who will protect and provide for him; the noble warrior Fergus mac Róich
, who will care for him and teach him to protect the weak; the poet Amergin
, who will educate him, and his wife Findchóem
, who will nurse him. He is brought up in the house of Amergin and Findchóem on Muirthemne Plain in modern County Louth
, alongside their son Conall Cernach
.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
narrative about the conception and birth of the hero Cú Chulainn
Cú Chulainn
Cú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
. Part of the Ulster Cycle
Ulster Cycle
The Ulster Cycle , formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, one of the four great cycles of Irish mythology, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the traditional heroes of the Ulaid in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly counties Armagh, Down and...
of Irish mythology
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
, it survives in two major versions.
Manuscripts
The tale exists in two main recensions. The earliest witness of the first version is the Lebor na hUidreLebor na hUidre
Lebor na hUidre or the Book of the Dun Cow is an Irish vellum manuscript dating to the 12th century. It is the oldest extant manuscript in Irish. It is held in the Royal Irish Academy and is badly damaged: only 67 leaves remain and many of the texts are incomplete...
(LU), compiled in the 12th century. The principal scribe (M) was responsible for writing down the main text, while a later reviser (H) erased the ending to make room for his own sequel from the time of Cú Chulainn's birth. According to H's notes, the text was included in the Cín Dromma Snechtai
Cín Dromma Snechtai
Cín Dromma Snechtai or Lebor Dromma Snechtai is a now long-lost early Irish manuscript. Old Irish cín, derived from the Latin quinio "five", was a small book made of five folded vellum leaves; lebor, modern Irish leabhar, is the standard word for a book...
, an 8th-century manuscript now lost. Further copies of Recension I have come down in six manuscripts of the 15th and 16th centuries, all of them in some way associated with Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
.
The second recension survives in Egerton 1782 and D IV 2, where they immediately follow the first. This recension is also called Feis Tige Becfholtaig “The feast of (or: passing of the night in) Becfholtach's house” in D IV 2.
- Cín Dromma SnechtaiCín Dromma SnechtaiCín Dromma Snechtai or Lebor Dromma Snechtai is a now long-lost early Irish manuscript. Old Irish cín, derived from the Latin quinio "five", was a small book made of five folded vellum leaves; lebor, modern Irish leabhar, is the standard word for a book...
(lost) - Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, Lebor na hUidreLebor na hUidreLebor na hUidre or the Book of the Dun Cow is an Irish vellum manuscript dating to the 12th century. It is the oldest extant manuscript in Irish. It is held in the Royal Irish Academy and is badly damaged: only 67 leaves remain and many of the texts are incomplete...
(23 E 25): p 128a-b (+H). End missing. - Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, 23 N 1023 N 10Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS. 23 N 10, formerly Betham 145, is a Gaelic-Irish medieval manuscript.-Overview:MS 23 N 10 is a late sixteenth-century Irish manuscript currently housed in the Library of the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin...
: pp. 62-63. - Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, D IV 2 (Stowe 992): f 46rb-47vb. Both versions.
- London, British Library, Egerton 1782Egerton 1782MS Egerton 1782 is the index title of an early sixteenth-century Irish vellum manuscript housed in the Egerton Collection of the British Library, London.-Overview:The compilation dates from c...
: f 78v-80r. Both versions. - London, British Library, Egerton 88Egerton 88MS Egerton 88 is a late sixteenth-century Irish manuscript, now housed in the British Library Egerton Collection, London. It is the work of members of the O'Davorens , a distinguished family of lawyers in Corcomroe, Co...
: f 12vb-13rb. Entitled Gineamain Chonculainn. - Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, MS 1363 (olim H 4.22): IV, pp. 46-47.
- Dublin, National Library of Ireland, (Phillipps) G 7: col. 7-9.
- Cf: Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, MS 1287 (olim H 1.13), p. 342 ff.
Summary
In the earliest version of Compert Chon Culainn, Cú Chulainn's mother DeichtineDeichtine
In Irish mythology, Deichtine or Deichtire was the sister of Conchobar mac Nessa and the mother of Cú Chulainn. Her husband was Sualtam, but Cú Chulainn's real father may have been Lug of the Tuatha Dé Danann....
is the daughter and charioteer of Conchobar mac Nessa
Conchobar mac Nessa
Conchobar mac Nessa was the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He ruled from Emain Macha .-Birth:...
, king of Ulster, and accompanies him as he and the nobles of Ulster hunt a flock of magical birds. Snow falls, and the Ulstermen seek shelter, finding a house where they are made welcome. Their host's wife goes into labour, and Deichtine assists at the birth of a baby boy. A mare gives birth to two colts at the same time. The next morning, the Ulstermen find themselves at the Brug na Bóinde (the neolithic mound at Newgrange
Newgrange
Newgrange is a prehistoric monument located in County Meath, on the eastern side of Ireland, about one kilometre north of the River Boyne. It was built around 3200 BC , during the Neolithic period...
). The house and its occupants have disappeared, but the child and the colts remain. Deichtine takes the boy home and raises him to early childhood, but he falls sick and dies. The god Lug
Lugh
Lug or Lugh is an Irish deity represented in mythological texts as a hero and High King of the distant past. He is known by the epithets Lámhfhada , for his skill with a spear or sling, Ildánach , Samhildánach , Lonnbeimnech and Macnia , and by the...
appears to her and tells her he was their host that night, and that he has put his child in her womb, who is to be called Sétanta. Her pregnancy is a scandal as she is betrothed to Sualtam
Sualtam
Súaltam mac Róich is the mortal father of the hero Cúchulainn in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. His wife is Deichtine, sister of Conchobar mac Nessa, king of Ulster. His brother is Fergus mac Róich.The precise nature of Cúchulainn's parentage is unclear and inconsistent...
mac Róich, and the Ulstermen suspect Conchobar of being the father, so she aborts the child and goes to her husband's bed "virgin-whole". She then conceives a son whom she names Sétanta. This has been interpreted as a triple conception, marking the child out as someone special.
In the later, and better-known, version of Compert Con Culainn, Deichtine is Conchobar's sister, and disappears from Emain Macha
Emain Macha
]Navan Fort – known in Old Irish as Eṁaın Ṁacha and in Modern Irish as Eamhain Mhacha – is an ancient monument in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. According to Irish legend, it was one of the major power centers of pre-Christian Ireland...
, the Ulster capital. As in the previous version, the Ulstermen go hunting a flock of magical birds, are overtaken by a snowstorm and seek shelter in a nearby house. Their host is Lug, but this time his wife, who gives birth to a son that night, is Deichtine herself. The child is named Sétanta.
The nobles of Ulster argue over which of them is to be his foster-father, until the wise Morann decides he should be fostered by several of them: Conchobar himself; Sencha mac Ailella
Sencha mac Ailella
Sencha mac Ailella is a character from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He acts as an important judge and notable poet during the reign of Conchobar mac Nessa. He volunteered to foster Cúchulainn, but was only an educator. Sencha helped establish peace between the Ulstermen.Sencha's face broke...
, who will teach him judgement and eloquent speech; the wealthy Blaí Briugu
Blaí Briugu
Blaí Briugu is an Ulster warrior in the Ulster Cycle of Irish Mythology. He was wealthy and kept a hostel, and had a geis which required him to sleep with any woman who stayed there unaccompanied. When Brig Bretach, wife of Celtchar, stayed there on her own, he slept with her and for that...
, who will protect and provide for him; the noble warrior Fergus mac Róich
Fergus mac Róich
Fergus mac Róich is a character of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
, who will care for him and teach him to protect the weak; the poet Amergin
Amergin mac Eccit
Amergin mac Eccit is a poet and warrior in the court of Conchobar mac Nessa in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He was the son of Eccet Salach, a smith, and grew to the age of fourteen without speaking or washing himself. One day Athirne, the Ulaid's chief poet, sent his servant to Eccet to...
, who will educate him, and his wife Findchóem
Findchóem
Findchóem is a character from the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. The sister of the Ulster king Conchobar mac Nessa, she is the wife of the poet Amergin, the mother of Conall Cernach and the wet-nurse of Cúchulainn....
, who will nurse him. He is brought up in the house of Amergin and Findchóem on Muirthemne Plain in modern County Louth
County Louth
County Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county...
, alongside their son Conall Cernach
Conall Cernach
Conall Cernach is a hero of the Ulaidh in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He is said to have always slept with the head of a Connachtman under his knee. His epithet is normally translated as "victorious" or "triumphant", although it is an obscure word, and some texts struggle to explain it...
.
Editions and translations
- Hamel, A.G. van (ed.). Compert Con Culainn and other stories. MMIS 3. Dublin, 1933 (reprinted 1978). pp. 1-8. Based on Lebor na hUidre. Edition available from CELT.
- Windisch, Ernst (ed. and tr.). “Die Geburt Cuchulainn's.” Irische Texte mit Wörterbuch I. Leipzig 1880. pp. 134-45. LU and Egerton 1782. Errata published in Revue Celtique 5: p. 237.
- Thurneysen, Rudolf (ed.and tr.). “[VII] Compert ConCulainn nach der Handschrift von Druim Snechta.” and “[VIII] Compert ConCulaind nach D. 4. 2.” In Zu irischen Handschriften und Literaturdenkmälern. Berlin, 1912. pp. 31-41 (LU, Egerton 88, 23 N 10 and H 4.22) and 41-8 (first version of D IV 2).
- Meyer, Kuno (ed. and tr.). “Feis Tige Becfoltaig.” Zeitschrift für celtische PhilologieZeitschrift für celtische PhilologieZeitschrift für celtische Philologie ' is an academic journal of Celtic studies, which was founded in 1896 by the German scholars Kuno Meyer and Ludwig Christian Stern and first appeared in 1897. It is the first journal devoted exclusively to Celtic languages and literature and the oldest...
5 (1905): 500-4. Second version of D IV 2. - Hull, Vernam. “The Version of Compert Con Culainn in MS. Phillipps G 7.” Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 24 (1954): pp. 128-31. Phillipps G 7.
- Nettlau, Max (ed.). Revue Celtique 10: 457. H 4.22.
- Hull, Eleanor (tr.). "The Birth of Cuchulainn." The Cuchullin Saga. 15-20. Adapted from Duvau's (French) translation. PDF available from Google Books (US only).
- Gantz, Jeffrey (tr.). "The Birth of Cú Chulaind." Early Irish Myths and Sagas. 1981 (1983 repr.). pp. 130-2.
- Kinsella, Thomas (tr.). The Táin. Dublin: Dolmen, 1969.
- Cross, T.P. and C.H. Slover (eds). Ancient Irish Tales. New York, 1936. 134-6.
- Thurneysen, Rudolf (tr.). “Setantas Geburt." Sagen aus dem alten Irland. Berlin, 1901. 6.-6.
- Duvau, Louis (tr.). "La légende de la conception de Cûchulainn." Revue Celtique 9 (1888): 1-13.
- Duvau, Louis (tr.). L'Épopée celtique en Irlande. pp. 22-33 [A].
- Duvau, Louis (tr.). L'Épopée celtique en Irlande, pp. 33-38 [B].
- Guyonvarc'h, Christian-J. (tr.). "La conception de Cuchulainn." Ogam 17 (1965): pp. 363-91. Version 1 (LU, Egerton 1782) and version 2 (Egerton 1782, D IV 2). Followed by commentary by F. Le Roux, pp. 393-410.
- Even, Arzel (tr.). “La conception de Cuchulainn.” Ogam 4 (1952): pp. 273-6. Egerton 1782, version 2.
- Even, Arzel (tr.). “La conception de Cuchulainn, selon le Libur Dromma Snechta.” Ogam 5 (1953): pp. 313-4.
Further reading
- Hollo, Kaarina. “Cú Chulainn and Síd Truim.” ÉriuÉriuIn Irish mythology, Ériu , daughter of Ernmas of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was the eponymous matron goddess of Ireland. Her husband was Mac Gréine ....
49 (1998): pp. 13-22. - Zimmer, Heinrich. “Keltische Studien V. Über den compilatorischen charakter der irischen sagentexte im sogenannten Lebor na hUidre .i. Compert Conculaind.” Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung 28 (1887): pp. 419-26.