436 



when he approached his horse, the Liath Macha, in the last morning of 

 his existence, this faithful companion of his many victories " thrice 

 turned his left side" towards his master, as an augury of the doom so 

 soon to await him; and he found that " the Morrigan had broken the 

 chariot the night previous, for she liked not that Cuchullain should go 

 to the battle, as she knew that he would not again reach Emain 

 Macha." 



" Teite Cuchullainn adochum \in Leith Macha], ocus ro impa int ech 

 a chle friss fothri, ocus roscail in Morrigan in carpat issind aidchi remi, 

 ar nir bo ail le a dul Conculainn dochum in chatha, ar rofitir noco ricfad 

 Emain Macha afrithis." 



Then follows a curious poetical dialogue between Cuchullain and 

 the Liath Macha, or " grey horse of Macha," when the former reminds 

 his steed of the time when the badb accompanied them in their martial 

 feats at Emain Macha, or Emania. 



The grief of the Liath Macha and the arts of Morrigan were of no 

 avail ; Cuchullain would go to the field of battle, impelled by the un- 

 seen power which ruled his destiny. But before he approaches the foe 

 he meets with three female idiots, blind of the left eye, cooking a 

 charmed dog on spits made of the rowan tree — creatures of hateful 

 aspect and wicked purpose. 



In the old battle-piece called Bruidhin-da-choga these " ban-tuath- 

 caecha," or women blind of the left eye, are introduced as messengers of 

 fate ; and in the still older, and most ancient tract, called Bruidhin- 

 Daderga, where the agent is a man, similarly blind, he is said to be the 

 emissary of Bodb Derg, son of the Dagda, the great fairy chief of 

 Munster, whose name seems cognate with that of badb (genit. baidb), 

 and forms its genit. (boidh) like it. The following extract from the 

 last-named tale will not be out of place :-— 



"At Connarc and fer tuath chaech co mil milledhaigh. Cend muicci 



lais for tenid ossi oc sir eigem " " Narthuath caech sain, 



muccaid Boidb a sid Arfemin. Nach fled oca raibi riam dodrortad fuil 



w" 



" I saw there a man blind of the left eye, with a destructive eye. 

 He had a pig's head on the fire, and it shouted continually . . . ." 

 "That is JNarthuath the blind, the swineherd of Bodb from Sidh- 

 Arfemhin. Blood has been shed at every feast where he has been." 

 Lebor na h Uidhre. 



To return : — 



Cuchullain' s strength must be annihilated, or the Pates will have 

 decreed in vain ; and this can only be done through his partaking of the 

 horrid dish, made of the flesh of his half-namesake cu (a dog), which 

 he resolves to do rather than tarnish his chivalrous reputation by refus- 

 ing the request of the witches, although aware of the tragical results 

 about to ensue. The strength of the hero is paralyzed by the contact 

 with the unclean food handed to him from the witch's left hand ; and 



