Donn Cuailnge
Encyclopedia
In the Ulster Cycle
of Irish mythology
Donn Cúailnge, the Brown Bull of Cooley
, was an extremely fertile stud bull over whom the Táin Bó Cúailnge
(Cattle Raid of Cooley) was fought.
He was originally one of Bodb Dearg's pig-keepers, who fell out with a fellow pig-keeper. The two fought, transforming into various animal and human forms, ultimately becoming two worms which were swallowed by two cows and reborn as two bulls, Donn Cuailnge and Finnbhennach
("White-horned"). Donn belonged to Dáire mac Fiachna
, a cattle-lord of Ulster
; Finnbhennach was born into the herds of queen Medb
of Connacht
, but considered belonging to a woman beneath him and joined the herds of her husband, Ailill
.
The Mórrígan
had a heifer which she took to Cooley to be bulled by Donn. The result was a bull-calf which fought Finnbhennach and narrowly lost. After seeing that, Medb was determined to see Finnbhennach fight the bull-calf's sire.
When Medb discovered that owning Finnbhennach made Ailill richer than her, she resolved to even the account by possessing Donn Cuailnge. She sent messengers to Dáire with an extremely generous offer of land and treasure, and if necessary sexual favours, if he would loan the bull to her for a year. Dáire agreed. However the messengers got drunk, and one boasted that if he hadn't agreed Medb would have taken the bull by force. When Dáire heard that he backed out of the deal.
Medb raised an army to steal Donn, and marched on Ulster. The Mórrígan
, in the form of a crow, warned Donn of the coming army, and he and his herds fled to Slieve Gullion
. Medb ultimately tracked him down and captured him, although she lost many soldiers under his hooves.
The army was prevented from taking Donn back to Connacht by Cúchulainn
, who invoked the right of single combat, defeating a series of champions in a standoff lasting months. Eventually, after a pitched battle with the Ulster forces, Medb's armies were forced to retreat, but they managed to bring Donn Cuailnge back to Cruachan. He and Finnbhennach fought. After a long and gruelling battle Donn killed his rival. Mortally wounded himself, he wandered around Ireland inspiring placenames before returning to Cooley to die.
Julius Caesar
, in his Gallic Wars
, refers to a Gaulish ally called Valerius Donnotaurus, an interesting Celt
ic parallel to the Donn Tarbh of Cooley.
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...
Donn Cúailnge, the Brown Bull of Cooley
Cooley peninsula
The Cooley Peninsula is a hilly peninsula in County Louth, Ireland, which includes towns such as Omeath, Carlingford and Greenore.-Geography:...
, was an extremely fertile stud bull over whom the Táin Bó Cúailnge
Táin Bó Cúailnge
is a legendary tale from early Irish literature, often considered an epic, although it is written primarily in prose rather than verse. It tells of a war against Ulster by the Connacht queen Medb and her husband Ailill, who intend to steal the stud bull Donn Cuailnge, opposed only by the teenage...
(Cattle Raid of Cooley) was fought.
He was originally one of Bodb Dearg's pig-keepers, who fell out with a fellow pig-keeper. The two fought, transforming into various animal and human forms, ultimately becoming two worms which were swallowed by two cows and reborn as two bulls, Donn Cuailnge and Finnbhennach
Finnbhennach
In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, Finnbhennach was an extremely fertile stud bull owned by king Ailill of Connacht....
("White-horned"). Donn belonged to Dáire mac Fiachna
Dáire mac Fiachna
In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology, Dáire mac Fiachna was an Ulster cattle-lord and owner of Donn Cuailnge, the Brown Bull of Cooley, over which the Táin Bó Cuailnge was fought....
, a cattle-lord of Ulster
Ulaid
The Ulaid or Ulaidh were a people of early Ireland who gave their name to the modern province of Ulster...
; Finnbhennach was born into the herds of queen Medb
Medb
Medb – Middle Irish: Meḋḃ, Meaḋḃ; early modern Irish: Meadhbh ; reformed modern Irish Méabh, Medbh; sometimes Anglicised Maeve, Maev or Maive – is queen of Connacht in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology...
of 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...
, but considered belonging to a woman beneath him and joined the herds of her husband, Ailill
Ailill mac Máta
Ailill mac Máta is the king of the Connachta and the husband of queen Medb in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He rules from Cruachan .-Family background, marriage and offspring:...
.
The Mórrígan
Morrígan
The Morrígan or Mórrígan , also written as Morrígu or in the plural as Morrígna, and spelt Morríghan or Mór-Ríoghain in Modern Irish, is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have once been a goddess, although she is not explicitly referred to as such in the texts.The Morrigan is a goddess...
had a heifer which she took to Cooley to be bulled by Donn. The result was a bull-calf which fought Finnbhennach and narrowly lost. After seeing that, Medb was determined to see Finnbhennach fight the bull-calf's sire.
When Medb discovered that owning Finnbhennach made Ailill richer than her, she resolved to even the account by possessing Donn Cuailnge. She sent messengers to Dáire with an extremely generous offer of land and treasure, and if necessary sexual favours, if he would loan the bull to her for a year. Dáire agreed. However the messengers got drunk, and one boasted that if he hadn't agreed Medb would have taken the bull by force. When Dáire heard that he backed out of the deal.
Medb raised an army to steal Donn, and marched on Ulster. The Mórrígan
Morrígan
The Morrígan or Mórrígan , also written as Morrígu or in the plural as Morrígna, and spelt Morríghan or Mór-Ríoghain in Modern Irish, is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have once been a goddess, although she is not explicitly referred to as such in the texts.The Morrigan is a goddess...
, in the form of a crow, warned Donn of the coming army, and he and his herds fled to Slieve Gullion
Slieve Gullion
Slieve Gullion is a mountain in the south of County Armagh in Northern Ireland. The mountain forms the core of the Ring of Gullion and stands as the highest point in the county with an elevation of 573 metres...
. Medb ultimately tracked him down and captured him, although she lost many soldiers under his hooves.
The army was prevented from taking Donn back to Connacht by 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...
, who invoked the right of single combat, defeating a series of champions in a standoff lasting months. Eventually, after a pitched battle with the Ulster forces, Medb's armies were forced to retreat, but they managed to bring Donn Cuailnge back to Cruachan. He and Finnbhennach fought. After a long and gruelling battle Donn killed his rival. Mortally wounded himself, he wandered around Ireland inspiring placenames before returning to Cooley to die.
Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
, in his Gallic Wars
Commentarii de Bello Gallico
Commentarii de Bello Gallico is Julius Caesar's firsthand account of the Gallic Wars, written as a third-person narrative. In it Caesar describes the battles and intrigues that took place in the nine years he spent fighting local armies in Gaul that opposed Roman domination.The "Gaul" that Caesar...
, refers to a Gaulish ally called Valerius Donnotaurus, an interesting Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic parallel to the Donn Tarbh of Cooley.