CUCHULAIN, THE DEATH OF
Near to Slieve Fuad, south of Armagh, CuChulain found the host of his enemies, and drove furiously against them, plying the champion's 'thunder-feat' upon them until the plain was strewn with their dead. Then a satirist, urged on by Lewy, came near him and demanded his spear (it was a point of honour to refuse nothing to a bard; one king is said to have given his eye when it was demanded of him). 'Have it, then,' said CuChulain, and flung it at him with such force that it went clean through him and killed nine men beyond. 'A king will fall by that spear,' said the Children of Calatin to Lewy, and Lewy seized it and flung it at CuChulain, but it smote Laeg, the king of charioteers, so that his bowels fell out on the cushions of the chariot, and he bade farewell to his master and he died.
Then another satirist demanded the spear, and CuChulain said: 'I am not bound to grant more than one request on one day.' But the satirist said: 'Then I will revile Ulster for thy default,' and CuChulain flung him the spear as before, and Erc now got it, and this time in flying back it struck the Grey of Macha with a mortal wound. CuChulain drew out the spear from the horse's side, and they bade each other farewell, and the Grey galloped away with half the yoke hanging to its neck.
And a third time CuChulain flung the spear to a satirist, and Lewy took it again and flung it back, and it struck CuChulain, and his bowels fell out in the chariot, and the remaining horse, Black Sainglend, broke away and left him. 'I would fain go as far as to that loch-side to drink,' said CuChulain, knowing the end was come, and they suffered him to go when he had promised to return to them again. So he gathered up his bowels into his breast and went to the loch-side, and drank, and bathed himself, and came forth again to die. Now there was close by a tall pillar-stone that stood westwards of the loch, and he went up to it and slung his girdle over it and round his breast, so that he might die in his standing and not in his lying down; and his blood ran down in a little stream into the loch, and an otter came out of the loch and lapped it. And the host gathered round, but feared to approach him while the life was still in him, and the hero-light shone above his brow. Then came the Grey of Macha to protect him, scattering his foes with biting and kicking. And then came a crow and settled on his shoulder. Lewy, when he saw this, drew near and pulled the hair of CuChulain to one side over his shoulder, and with his sword he smote off his head; and the sword fell from CuChulain's hand and smote off the hand of Lewy as it fell. They took the hand of CuChulain in revenge for this, and bore the head and hand south to Tara, and there buried them, and over them raised a mound. But Conall of the Victories, hastening to CuChulain's side on the news of the war, met the Grey of Macha streaming with blood, and together they went to the loch-side and saw him head-less and bound to the pillar-stone, and the horse came and laid its head on his breast. Conall drove southwards to avenge CuChulain, and he came on Lewy by the river Liffey, and because Lewy had but one hand Conall tied one of his behind his back, and for half the day they fought, but neither could prevail. Then came Conall's horse, the Dewy-Red, and tore a piece out of Lewy's side, and Conall slew him, and took his head, and returned to Emain Macha. But they made no show of triumph in entering the city, for CuChulain the Hound of Ulster was no more.
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