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Cú Chulainn
Cú Chulainn is one of the main heroic characters in the Ulster Cycle. Cú Chulainn, initially named Setanta, was the son of the immortal deity Lugh and the mortal woman Dectra, daughter of the powerful druid Cathbad. Seemingly a mixed descent is essential for heroes, after all the Greek hero Achilles was also son of a god and a mortal.
Setanta gained the name Cú Chilainn, which actually means The Hound of Culain, but often wrongfully translated as The Hound of Ulster, by an event which occurred in his youth.
Hound of Culain
In his youth Setanta loved to play hurling and he was totally absorbed by the game when King Conchobar Mac Nessa and the druid Cathbad, Setanta's granddad, asked him to join them to a feast at the house of the blacksmith Culain. When Setanta suddenly realised he was invited he tried to catch up with them but he found the gates around Culain's house closed.
In order to eat and drink undisturbed Culain has unleashed his vicious hound. The moment Setanta opened the gate the hound barked and attacked the intruder. The turmoil attracted the guests and when they left the house they saw the mighty hound laying lifeless with Setanta standing over him. Culain was inconsolable and angry by the loss of his loyal hound. Setanta offered to fulfil the tasks of the hound as long as Culain needed to find a hound of equal loyalty and strength. By this Setanta became Cú Chulainn, The Hound of Culain.
All well, but how became a hound impersonating hurling player a hero? This might be a surprise, but there was a woman involved.
Like a true mythological character Cú Chulainn could get every woman he could possible wanted, but he fell in love with Emer, the daughter of Forgall, the lord of Lusca.
Scathach
She rejected him because she did not wanted to get married before her oldest sister and because Cú Chulainn had not carried out a heroic task like killing hundred men in battle.
Broken hearted Cú Chulainn thought about this for a while and decided to learn the art of war from the best. The best teacher at the time was Scathach. Scathach led a kind of a military school west of Scotland at the island of Skye. Striking detail: Scathach was a woman. This detail is remarkable because the Nemedians are associated with the Amazon tribe.
On the way to Skye Cú Chulainn met a bunch of sons of Irish chieftains, including Ferdia who became a good friend, playing hurling while puzzling how to pass the Bridge of Leaps. Cú Chulainn took a run-up, landed on the bridge and was thrown back by the bridge. At the fourth attempt he landed in the middle of the bridge and a second jump took him to the other side.
Scathach was impressed and Cú Chulainn was immediately admitted at her school. Being her favourable student Scathach taught him the use of the Gae Bolg, a spear with a barbed head which inflicted horrible wounds.
Aoife and Conla
Meanwhile a war broke out between Scathach and her sister, Aoife. Scathach, who doubted that Cú Chulainn was ready for the battlefield, drugged him. When he woke Cú Chulainn went immediately to the battlefield to support his teacher and killed several of Aoife's best warriors. Following this Aoife challenged Scathach to a one-on-one duel. Despite Scathach objections Cú Chulainn took her place in the duel and he defeated Aoife by cunning. Aoife promised lasting peace with her sister and she and Cú Chulainn became lovers. Soon Aoife gave birth to their son Conla.
After a while it was time for Cú Chulainn to return to Ireland. He gave Aoife a golden ring and asked her to pass it on to their son when he was old enough to search for his father.
Once returned to Ireland Cú Chulainn wanted to test his skills and he went to the plains of Brega where the feared sons of Nechtan lived. Cú Chulainn defeated them and burnt their fortress to the ground. Immediately he went to his old love Emer to ask her to marry him.
This time Emer was not unwilling, but her father did not want this marriage to take place. Cú Chulainn had to kill several of his warriors before he could run away with Emer and her sister. He took them to Emain Macha and finally married Emer.
Several years has passed when a festival attended by Conchobar Mac Nessa and his chieftains was disturbed by a boat with a tall young man on board. Conchobar Mac Nessa asked the man to leave. When he refused Conchobar Mac Nessa sent his best warriors to teach the cheeky juvenile a lesson, but they all were defeated. As a final straw the king ordered for Cú Chulainn.
Cú Chulainn arrived and a fierce battle emerged. Being of equal strength none of the champions made ground, until Cú Chulainn used his Gea Bolg and mortally wounded the young man. While he carried him ashore he saw the golden ring. Realising he had killed his own son he cried Here is my son for you, men of Ulster.
Times goes by and Cú Chulainn evolves in a fighting machine:
It sends him into a state of violent shaking, his muscles stand out and appear to tremble, his whole body dilates and his head swells, with one eye sinking into his skull and the other stands out staring everything that moves, his mouth widens and foam streams from it and his giant heart beats loudly while a magical light shines from above his head.
Ferdia
During a long lasting war between Ulster and Queen Madb, or Maeve, of Connacht Cú Chulainn had to duel with his old friend Ferdia. They fought for three days, each day they wounded each other equally and no one won. On the forth day they decided to go for it and a fierce battle developed. Finally Cú Chulainn managed to thrust his Gea Bolg in the heart of his friend and the duel was over. He lay Ferdia's body to rest near the River Dee at a place known as Ferdias Ford in the village Ardee in County Louth.
Cú Chulainn fought his final battle with the Morrigan, the death-bird, flying over his head, while he was tied to a tree in order to prevent falling down.