The Death of Conchobar
Once
upon a time the men of Ulster were greatly intoxicated in
Emain Macha. Thence there arose great contentions and com
parisons of trophies between them, especially between
Conall and Cu Chulainn and Loegaire. “Bring me,” said
Conall, “the brain of Mesgegra, so that I may talk to the
competing warriors.” At that time it was a custom with the
men of Ulster to take the brains out of the head of every
warrior whom they slew in single combat, and to mix lime
with them, so that they were made into hard balls. And
whenever they were in contention or at comparison of
trophies, these were brought to them, so that they had them
in their hands.
“Well, O Conchobar,” said Conall, “until the competing
warriors perform a deed like this in single combat, they
are not capable of comparing trophies with me.”
“That is true,” said Conchobar.
Then the brain was put on the shelf where it was always
kept. On the morrow every one went his way to his sport.
Then Cet mac Matach of Connacbt went upon a round of
adventures in Ulster. This Cet was the most troublesome
pest that was in Ireland. This is the way be went, across
the green of Emain, having with him three warriors’ beads
of the men of Ulster.
While the jesters of Emain were at play with the brain of
Mes gegra, one of them mentioned to the other what it was.
Cet heard it, and snatched the brain out of the hand of one
of them and carried it off; for be knew that it had been
foretold of Mesgegra that he would avenge himself after his
death. In every battle and in every combat which the men of
Connacht had with the men of Ulster, Cet used to carry the
brain in his girdle to see whether he could compass a
famous deed by slaying a man of Ulster with it.
Once then Cet went eastwards until he took a drove of cows
from the Men of Ros. The men of Ulster overtook him in
pursuit. Then the men of Connacht came up from the other
side to rescue him, and a battle was fought between them.
Conchobar himself went into the battle. It was then that
the women of Connacht begged Conchobar to come aside so
that they might see his shape. For there was not on earth
the shape of a human being like the shape of Conchobar,
both for beauty and figure and dress, for size and symmetry
and proportion, for eye and hair and whiteness, for wisdom
and manner and eloquence, for raiment and nobleness and
equipment, for weapons and wealth and dignity, for bearing
and valor and race. Conchobar was faultless indeed.
However, it was by the advice of Cet that the women
importuned Conchobar. Then he went aside alone to be seen
by the women.
Cet went into the midst of the crowd of women. He adjusted
the brain of Mesgegra in the sling and threw it so that it
hit the crown of Conchobar’s bead, so that two-thirds of it
entered his head, and he fell upon his head forward to the
ground. The men of Ulster ran towards him, and carried him
off from Cet. On the brink of the Ford of Daire Da Baeth it
was that Conchobar fell. His grave is there where he fell,
and a pillar-stone at his head, and another at his feet.
The men of Connacht were then routed to Sce Aird na Con.
The men of Ulster were driven eastwards again to the Ford
of Daire Da Baeth. “Let me be carried out of this,” said
Conchobar. “I shall give the kingship of Ulster to any one
who will carry me as far as my house.”
“I will carry you,” said Cenn Berraide, his own attendant.
He put a cord around him and carried him on his back to
Ardachad in Sliab Fuait. The attendant’s heart broke within
him. Hence the saying “Cenn Barraide’s kingship over
Ulster,” to wit, the king upon his back for half the day.
However, the fight was kept up after the king from one hour
of the day to the same hour of the next day, after which
the men of Ulster were routed.
In the meantime Conchobar’s physician Fingen was brought to
him. It was he who would know from the smoke that arose
from a house how many were ill in that house, and every
disease that was in it.
“Well,” said Fingen, “if the stone is taken out of your
head, you will be dead forthwith. If it is not taken out,
however, I would heal you, but it will be a blemish for
you.”
“It is easier for us,” said the men of Ulster, “to bear the
blemish than his death.”
His head was then healed; and it was stitched with thread
of gold, for the color of Conchobar’s hair was the same as
the color of gold. And the physician said to Conchobar that
he should be on his guard lest anger should come on him,
and that he should not mount a horse, that he should not
have connection with a woman, that he should not eat food
greedily, and that he should not run.
In that doubtful state, then, he was as long as he lived,
seven years; and he was not capable of action, but remained
in his seat only, until he heard that Christ had been
crucified by the Jews. At that time a great trembling came
over the elements, and the heavens and earth shook with the
enormity of the deed that was then done, Jesus Christ, the
son of the living God, to be crucified without guilt.
“What is this,” said Conchobar to his druid. “What great
evil is being done on this day?”
“That is true, indeed,” said the druid (who then tells the
story of the Crucifixion).
“Awful is that deed,” said Conchobar.
“That man now,” said the druid, “was born in the same night
in which you were born, on the eighth before the calends of
Janu ary, though the year was not the same.”
It was then that Conchobar believed. And he was one of the
two men that believed in God in Ireland before the coming
of the Faith, Morann being the other man.
(The story, which ends with a piece of rhetorical fantasy
supposed to have been uttered by Conchobar, is clearly
incomplete, for it does not tell of Conchobar’s death. The
following paragraph, taken from another version, gives the
conclusion.)
And thereupon Conchobar said, “The men of the world would
know what I can do in fighting against the Jews for the
sake of the crucifixion of Christ, if I were near Him.”
Then he rose and made the onslaught, until Mesgegra’s brain
jumped out of his head, so that Conchobar died forthwith.
Hence the Gaels say that Conchobar was the first pagan who
went to Heaven in Ireland, for the blood that sprang out of
his head was a baptism to him. And then Conchobar’s soul
was taken out of Hell until Christ encountered it as He
brought the captive host out of Hell, so that Christ took
the soul of Conchobar with Him to Heaven.