Cúscraid
Encyclopedia
Cúscraid, known by the epithet Mend Macha (the "stammerer" or "inarticulate one" of Macha
), is a son of Conchobar mac Nessa
in the Ulster Cycle
of Irish mythology
.
When he first took arms he led a foray against Connacht
. He was met on the border by the Connacht hero Cet mac Mágach
, who wounded him in the throat with a spear, giving him his speech impediment.
The three most popular heroes with the women of Ulster
were Cúscraid, Cúchulainn
and Conall Cernach
. The women imitated the peculiarity of the hero they loved the most: Cúscraid's fans stammered, Conall's crooked their necks, and Cúchulainn's squinted one eye in imitation of his warp spasm.
After Conchobar's death, the Ulstermen invited his eldest son Cormac Cond Longas
to succeed him as king of Ulster, but Cormac was killed before he could take the throne. It was then offered to Conall Cernach
, who refused, recommending his foster-son Cúscraid instead, and Cúscraid became king.
Macha
Macha is the name of a goddess and several other characters in Irish mythology.Macha can also mean:*The LÉ Macha , a ship in the Irish Naval Service, named for the goddess*The Macha crater in Russia, less than 7000 years old...
), is a son 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:...
in 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...
.
When he first took arms he led a foray against 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...
. He was met on the border by the Connacht hero Cet mac Mágach
Cet mac Mágach
Cet mac Mágach is a Connacht warrior in the Ulster Cycle of Irish Mythology. He had a rivalry with the Ulster warrior Conall Cernach.In some myths, he is said to be the brother of Conall's mother, making him Conall's uncle....
, who wounded him in the throat with a spear, giving him his speech impediment.
The three most popular heroes with the women of Ulster
Ulaid
The Ulaid or Ulaidh were a people of early Ireland who gave their name to the modern province of Ulster...
were Cúscraid, Cúchulainn
Cúchulainn
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...
and 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...
. The women imitated the peculiarity of the hero they loved the most: Cúscraid's fans stammered, Conall's crooked their necks, and Cúchulainn's squinted one eye in imitation of his warp spasm.
After Conchobar's death, the Ulstermen invited his eldest son Cormac Cond Longas
Cormac Cond Longas
Cormac Cond Longas was the eldest son of Conchobar mac Nessa by his own mother, Ness, in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
to succeed him as king of Ulster, but Cormac was killed before he could take the throne. It was then offered to 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...
, who refused, recommending his foster-son Cúscraid instead, and Cúscraid became king.