432 



consorted with her in the east in Cuailnge. She went westwards again 

 with the cow. Cuchallain met them in Magh Muirthemhne traversing it ; 

 for it was of Cuchullain' s gesa that even a woman should leave his 



territory unless he wished 



Cuchullain overtook the Morrigan, and he said, 4 The cow shall not 

 be carried off." But the Morrigan, whom Cuchullain probably did not 

 recognise in the form of a woman, succeeds in restoring the cow to her 

 owner. 



All the while, however, Morrigan seems to watch over the interests 

 of the Ultonians. Thus when, after the death of Lethan at the hands 

 of Cuchullain, Medbh endeavoured, by a rapid and bold movement, to 

 surround and take possession of the Donn Cuailgne, we find Morrigan, 

 or Morrigu, acquainting the Donn Cuailgne with the danger of his 

 position, and advising him to retire into the impenetrable fastnesses of 

 the Fews — 



" Is he in la cetna tanic in Dond Cuailnge co crich Margin, ocus coica 

 samseisce immi; is e in la cetna tanic in Mor rigu, ingen JErnmais a sidaib 

 [in deilb euin~\ comhoi for in chorthii Temair Chualnge ic brith rabuiddon 

 Bund Chualnge ria feraib hErend, ocus rogab ac a acallaim, ocus maith, 

 a thruaig, a duind Cuailnge ar in Morrigu, deni fatchius daig ardotroset 

 fir hErenn, ocus not berat dochum a longphoirt mani dena faitchius ; ocus 

 ro gab ic breith rabuid do samlaid, ocus dosbert na briathra sa ar aird." 

 " It was on that very day the Donn Cuailnge came to Crich- Margin, and 

 fifty heifers about him. It was the same day Morrigu, the daughter of 

 Emmas, from the Sidhe, came [in the form of a bird — Lebor na h Uidhre], 

 and perched on the pillar stone in Temair of Cuailnge, giving notice to 

 the Donn Cuailnge before the men of Eriu; and she proceeded to speak 

 to him, and said, ' Well, thou poor thing, thou Donn Cuailnge ; take 

 care, for the men of Eriu are approaching thee, and they will take thee 

 to their fortress if thou dost not watch.' And she went on warning 

 him in this wise, and uttered these words aloud." .... [Here 

 follows a short poem to the same effect]. " Book of Leinster," fol. 50, 

 a 1. 



Immediately after the foregoing incident, the narrative, as preserved 

 in Lebor na h Uidhre, represents Cuchullain and Morrigan as playing at 

 cross purposes. I have suggested that Cuchullain did not appear to 

 recognise the Morrigan when he met her in the form of a woman 

 in the scene quoted from the Tain Be Aingen. He seems similarly 

 ignorant of her identity on other occasions, when she is said to have 

 presented herself before him in female shape. Let us take, for example, 

 the episode entitled " Jmacallaim na Morigna fri Coincullain" — 

 "Dialogue of the Morrigm with Cuchullain," which precedes his fight 

 with Loch, son of Ernonis. 



" Conacca Cu in nocbcn chuci conetueh each datha impe, ocus delb ro 

 derscaigthe fuirri. Ce taisiu or Cu. Ingen Buain ind rig, or si ; do 

 deochadh cuchutsa ; rotcharus ar thairscelaib, ocus tucus mo seotu Urn, 

 ocus mo indili. Ni maith, em, ind inbuid tonnanac, nach is ole ar mblat% 



