Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



Cuchullaind was a nickname obtained after 

 this wise : One night when he followed his 

 " uncle *' Conchobar to the house of Culann, 

 a smith, the gates were locked and a ferocious 

 dog lay in watch. The boy killed the hound 

 out of hand, as Herakles overcame Cerberus, 

 and Kalevipoeg, the watchdog of hell ; and 

 when the smith lamented his loss, Setanta said 

 " I will be your cu (dog) until another is 

 grown large enough to guard your house," 

 whence Setanta was called Cuchullaind, hound 

 of Culann. 



The legend is the result of a forgetting or 

 intentional ignoring of the cuckoo, perhaps 

 owing to its evil repute, and also of the high 

 opinion the Irish had of dogs, which they bred 

 very well and for which they were famous long 

 ago. Cu, hound, was an honor-name for a 

 champion. The name Setanta may be ex- 

 plained through the Finnish, like many names 

 in Ireland for divisions and streams. It is 

 evident from such parallels that, before the 



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