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Eachtra Airt meic Cuind ocus Tochmarc Delbchaime
ingine Morgain "The Adventures of Art mac Cuinn and the Courtship of Delbchaem" Editions
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After nine excellent years as king of Tara, Conn suffers the loss of his beloved wife Eithne Taebfada. He becomes so despondent as a result that he cannot attend to the affairs of his kingdom. About this time, the Tuatha Dé Danann expel Bécuma Cneisgel from the Land of Promise (homeland of the Tuatha Dé) for committing a transgression (immarbus) with Gaidiar mac Manannáin. (In early Irish, the word immarbus / immarmus connotes particularly grievous sins, especially ones against God. It is often used of original sin.) She travels by sea to Ireland in a coracle, hoping to find a home with Art mac Cuinn, with whom she is in love. She lands at Benn Edair meic Etgaith (Howth Head) where she finds Conn bewailing his departed wife. The two fall into conversation. She identifies herself as Delbchaem ingen Morgain and says that she has come in quest of Art. When she finds out that the high-king has no spouse, she proposes to marry him instead and Conn acquiesces. As a consequence of their union, she binds Conn to do her will (naisgis fair a ríar do dénam), insisting that he banish Art from Tara for a year. Though vexed, Conn agrees. When they come to Tara, Conn banishes his son, though it angers the men of Ireland. During the next year, the land goes to waste. Conn's druids blame the blight on Bécuma and say that their only remedy is to sacrifice the son of a sinless couple and mix his blood in the soil of Tara. Conn offers to go in quest of the sinless boy and tells the men of Ireland to confer the kingship on Art in his absence. Conn goes to Benn Edair where he finds a coracle (presumably the one left there by Bécuma). He sails the sea for a month and a half until he comes to a strange island covered with apple trees and dotted with wells of wine. On the island is a hostel, thatched with birds' wings, inside of which, he meets Rigru Roisclethan, her husband Daire Degamra, and their beautiful son, Segda Saerlabraid. Refreshed with a bath and adorned with a new cloak, Conn is served dinner. However, he confesses that it is taboo (geis) for him to eat alone, so Segda dines with him, even though it is taboo among his people to eat with one another. The next morning Conn tells his hosts that Ireland is barren and fertility can only be restored if Segda returns home with him and is bathed in the water of Ireland. Though his parents are against it, Segda agrees to go with him. Back in Ireland, Conn takes the boy to Tara where the men of Ireland have assembled. Segda learns he must be killed to save Ireland, and he agrees to sacrifice himself. However, a woman leading a cow comes up and tells them to sacrifice the animal in place of the boy. When this is done, two live birds--one with one leg and one with twelve--are removed from two bags at the cow's sides. The creatures fight and the one-legged bird prevails. The woman explains the marvel--the bird with twelve legs represents the druids, who have given Conn bad advice, and the bird with one leg is Segda. She then pulls Conn aside and tells him to cast off Bécuma. Conn says that is good advice, but he cannot do it. The woman, who turns out to be Rigru, takes her son home. One day at Tara, Bécuma compels Art to play fidchell (a board game like chess) with her. Winning the first game, Art puts her under a geis (a magical obligation) to acquire the warrior's wand (an fhlesc miledh) of Cú Roí mac Daire (an otherworldly figure associated with Munster) and bring it to him. When Bécuma returns with the relic, she and Art play another game. However, this time she wins because people from the otherworld steal some of Art's game-pieces. She then obliges Art to go in quest of the real Delbchaem ingen Morgain and bring her to Ireland. Arts puts to sea in a coracle at Inber Colptha. He comes to an otherworldly island of women where he meets Créide Fírálainn. He stays there for a month and a half. Then Créide outlines for him the dangerous route to Delbchaem and tells him what he must do to survive the coming perils. Setting sail, Art comes to a sea full of dangerous creatures, which he bravely fights off. He then enters a forest (presumably having landed on some otherworldly island). He defeats the seven hags that attack him in an all-night battle and continues on to an icy mountain and then to a bridge over an icy river guarded by the giant Curnan Cliabhsalach. Art defeats him and then has to wrestle with Ailill Dubhdédach, whom no weapons can harm. Art kills the giant, plunders his fort, and forces his wife to tell him the way to Dún Morgain in the Land of Wonders, where Delchaem may be found. Also living there is Coinchend Dendfada, the wife of Morgan and the mother of Delbchaem, who is fated to die when her daughter marries. She is the one, in fact, who has put these obstacles in Art's way and has killed all the previous suitors, impaling their heads on stakes outside Dún Morgain. When Art reaches the fort, he is welcomed by the beautiful Delbchaem. He kills Coinchend and places her head on the stake that was reserved for his. He spends a joyful night with Delbchaem. But in the morning, Morgan arrives in a rage ready to avenge his wife. Art defeats and beheads him and then takes Delbchaem back to Ireland. When they reach land, Delbchaem tells him to proceed to Tara and expel Béchuma. This done, Art and Delbchaem are welcomed home.
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| Copyright 2004 Dan M. Wiley. Last updated 07/05/04 | |