MYTH-501 Lessons

Professor Morgan’s classroom has changed since the last lesson. The students’ desks have been replaced with large, purple cushions, and in place of the Professor’s desk sits a large upholstered rocking chair. From her seated position in the chair, Professor Morgan beckons the students to take their places on the cushions.

Welcome to our penultimate Year Five Mythology lesson, dear students! Today we have only two stories to tell, however they are quite extensive, and full of magic and passion alike.

Our first story is that of Tristan and Iseult (also known as Isolde or Yseult), a pair of lovers in a forbidden relationship that has influenced the telling of the love triangle between King Arthur, Guinevere, and Sir Lancelot as well as Shakespeare’s tragic play, Romeo and Juliet.

We open on two great lands, divided only by the sea. The great King Mark of Cornwall on one side, and Ireland on the other. 

A boat sailed from Ireland to Cornwall carrying King Mark’s bride-to-be, Iseult. At her side was Tristan, knight and nephew to the king, the hate between them palpable. Iseult sighed and thought back to the events that have transpired to bring her here: the Irish knight Morholt’s death at Tristan’s hands, Tristan’s slaying of the dragon tormenting her people, her healing of Tristan’s wounds with her magic before realising he was an enemy of her people, her father’s eagerness to agree to King Mark’s proposal to end this enmity. Not to mention the terrible weather which seems to be elongating the journey across the straight, carrying her to her fate.

Tristan also found himself frustrated with the turn of events, and parched after the magical healing that Iseult performed on his wounds. He stood, and went searching for any drink aboard to quench his thirst.

After a brief and almost fruitless search, he found one bottle left amid Iseult’s possessions. He briefly recalled Iseult’s mother giving her the bottle and telling her to share it with the king on their wedding night. Believing the king would not fault him for an indiscretion as slight as this, he opened it and poured himself a drink. As he thought of his uncle’s upcoming nuptials, he sighed. Perhaps he had best make sure that the bride arrives in good health as well, and so he poured the remaining contents of the bottle into a goblet and returned to the table, offering the goblet to Iseult, who accepted it graciously, if not thankfully. 

Rather parched herself, Iseult drank from the goblet, surmising that the king’s need for peace overshadowed any threat on her life. The liquid tasted a bit off; not quite the beverage she was expecting, or perhaps it had fermented a bit. No matter, it would do. Finishing the drink, she felt Tristan’s eyes upon her. Looking up, she quickly realized that his demeanor had changed. Gone was the bemused, reluctant escort. What remained were the eyes of a man very much impassioned. A very handsome, strong, brave man who, when he offered his hand to lead her to bed, she willingly accepted. Their tryst over, the lovers realized that they are completely in love with each other, and yet bound at the same time to the parts they are to play in the peace between their kingdoms. 

Before we go any further in the story, what do you surmise has happened here? If you guessed love potion, you would be completely correct. Iseult and her mother were both witches and she had brewed a potion for Iseult that would make her fall in love with her future husband, and he with her in turn. Unfortunately, it was used on the incorrect recipients - with dire consequences.

Tristan and Isolde - Oil Painting by Edmond Blair Leighton circa 1902

Even though the lovers know that Iseult’s marriage to King Mark was crucial to the peace between their kingdoms, and Tristan knew the punishment for continuing this relationship with his uncle’s wife, they could not stay away from each other. The effects of this love potion were so strong that, according to myth, they were physically and mentally unable to stay apart. Some versions of the myth state that the potion wore off after three years, after which the two chose to continue their affair, while others insist that the potion’s effects were unending. Either way, the affair was eventually discovered by King Mark, and Tristan chose to be exiled to the mainland.

The bizarreness of this tale does not end there, however. Upon his arrival in the mainland, Tristan chooses a new wife, Iseult of the White Hands. Yes. Another Iseult. The man must have been a glutton for punishment, or perhaps it was the only way he could continue to handle the effect of the potion. It was not a happy marriage, for Iseult of the White Hands was fully aware of Tristan’s love for King Mark’s Iseult of Cornwall.

Years later, Tristan is mortally wounded during battle, and only the healing powers of Iseult of Cornwall can heal him. He sent a desperate letter to her, begging her for help, which she agreed to immediately. The message to Iseult of Cornwall asked her to fly white sails if she was aboard the ship returning to Tristan, and black if she was  not onboard. Alas, Iseult of the White Hands was so bitterly angry at Iseult of Cornwall for stealing her husband’s heart for so long, she told Tristan that the sails were black. Tristan died instantly from a broken heart. Not long afterward, Iseult of Cornwall also perished from the grief of finding her beloved already dead upon her arrival.

Tragic, wouldn’t you agree? There are obvious similarities to Greco-Roman myths that we discussed earlier this year, but the most interesting aspect of this story is the cause of the relationship: the love potion. I am certain that you have been warned multiple times by parents, professors, friends, and others to avoid dabbling with love potions. If you learn nothing more from the myth of Tristan and Iseult, for the love of all things, do not drink strange potions! Do not believe love potions to be a simple prank either - the results are more dire, life-changing, and possibly lethal than you may first believe.

Cuchulainn

Our second story is in truth more of a saga.  The complete telling of Cuchulainn’s myth would take hours, if not days to complete. As your other professors might be a bit peeved if I kept you sequestered for that long, I will do my best to summarize the most salient details for you.

The myth can be broken down more or less into four sections: Cuchulainn’s birth, his complete idiocies, his great heroism, and his death.

As was mentioned in our previous lesson, Cuchulainn’s coming was foretold by a great wizard of the time. In his prophecy, however,  the wizard neglected to mention how odd his birth would be. There are slight variations of the tale, but the core facts remain the same regardless of the version.

Dechtire (also known as Deichtine), daughter of Cathbad, the very wizard who predicted Cuchulainn’s birth, finds herself shelter in a peasant’s house during a storm, along with several of the king’s hunters. During the night, the peasant’s wife goes into labour and a son is born. In a strange twist, the house and the peasant’s vanish during the night, leaving only the newborn baby. Deichtine claims the boy as her own and returns to the castle. In a cruel twist of fate, the boy becomes sickly, and dies. Dechtire is beyond distraught at the loss of the child. Somehow, and here is where the versions differ, she finds herself miraculously with child, and soon gives birth to a son, who she names Sétanta. The father is generally agreed upon to be the god Lugh (or Llew), who was also the peasant whose house had disappeared so strangely.

But back to the prediction! The wizard and seer Cathbad foretold two things prior to Cuchulainn’s strange birth. He first foresaw that the child would be immortal in fame and his memory everlasting. However, he also noted that his memory would be the only immortal thing, and that the yet-unborn child would perish at a young age. As the rest of the story unfolds, keep this prediction in mind -- though I do worry I have spoiled the ending just a bit.

It is this second child, Sétanta, who is destined to become the great hero, Cuchulainn. He is fostered by many of the king’s men, including the great poet Amergin, not to be confused with the great wizard Amairgen. During his youth, his incredible strength becomes apparent. When, due to a miscommunication from King Conchobar, the blacksmith Culann’s great hound attacks Sétanta, he easily slays it, much to the grief of the owner. Even though the hound’s death was in self defence, Sétanta feels guilty, and swears to guard the smithy until a new hound can be raised. Henceforth, Sétanta was called Cuchulainn - which translates into “hound of Culann”.

Sétanta kills the Hound  

If I could define Cuchulainn’s behaviour in his youth in one word, it would be “hasty”. That penchant for quick actions without much thought behind them characterized much if not all of Cuchulainn’s actions throughout the rest of his life. Many of those actions were acts of bravery, but a great number of them were quite foolish.

Take, for example, the manner in which Cuchulainn was married. As a great warrior, he could have any woman he chose, but had his sights set on the lady Emer. Emer was in love with Cuchulainn and had no objection to his pursuit. Her father, Forgall Monach, did not want Cuchulainn for a son-in-law. He demanded that Cuchulainn head to Alba (modern day Scotland) and train with renowned warrior-woman, Scáthach, hoping that Cuchulainn would be killed by the ordeal. Wanting only Emer, he accepted the challenge.

Unfortunately for Forgall, Cuchulainn thrived during the training, and also met Ferdiad, another trainee who became his best friend and foster-brother. During one of their greatest battles for Scáthach, Cuchulainn defeated Aife, Scáthach’s greatest nemesis. To keep her life, Aife agreed to Cuchulainn’s oddest demands: stay away from Scáthach, and bear him a son.

His training thus completed, Cuchulainn left Alba and the pregnant Aife, and returned to claim Emer. Forgall refused to honour his agreement with Cuchulainn, resulting in the death of several of his men as well as Forgall’s own life as he fell from the battlements during Cuchulainn’s single-handed siege on the castle. Cuchulainn claimed Emer as well as all of Forgall’s fortune, and returned with his bride to Ulster.

Eight years later, the son Aife has borne to Cuchulainn journeyed to Ulster to find his father. Sadly, the boy refused to identify himself when he arrived at Ulster, and Cuchulainn decided to kill the unidentified intruder. As the boy lay dying, Cuchulainn saw the ring he had left Aife to give to his son, and realised his grievous error. The boy told Cuchulainn that he would have carried the flag of Ulster all the way to Rome for him - pledging himself to his father’s king - and then died. Cuchulainn is grief stricken that his rashness has now cost him the life of his son.

Alas, the needless death of his son does not cure Cuchulainn of his rash behaviour. Having cheated on his wife while trying to win her hand, it will not surprise you to learn that Cuchulainn continued to cheat on a regular basis even after his marriage. Emer, for her part, seemed to tolerate the behaviour, except for an affair with the sea god Manannan mac Lir’s wife Fand. Fand is quite enchanted with Cuchulainn, and he with her. Seeing the love her husband has for the fairy, Emer first tries to kill her rival. When her attempt fails, she concedes defeat, and lets her husband go. Fand, touched by this magnanimous sacrifice, decides to return to her own husband. Manannan decides the entire affair is best forgotten, and waves his cloak between Cuchulainn and Fand, making them forget they had ever met.

Cuchulainn in battle

The culmination of Cuchulainn’s heroism and, ultimately, the cause of his death centres around a bull and a lover’s quarrel. Yes, that is correct, a bull. The king and queen of Connaught, Ailill and Medb respectively, had an argument one evening about who was richer than the other. They came out equally matched, except Ailill had a great white-headed bull called Finnenbach Ai. Determined to be at least equal to her husband, Medb discovered that another bull, equal or greater than her husband’s could be found in Ulster. Her offers to buy the bull refused, Medb took her forces to Ulster to claim the bull as her own, and a great and terrible war started between the two kingdoms.

As the champion of Ulster, Cuchulainn found himself at the head of a long and bloody battle. Through many trials and tragedies Ulster was ultimately victorious with Queen Medb fleeing back to Connaught. Alas, during this war Cuchulainn is forced to kill his best friend Ferdiad as they were fighting for opposite sides. He also loses his life during the final battle, as one of Medb’s warriors throws three enchanted spears at the warrior. The first kills Laeg, Cuchulainn’s charioteer, the second his horse, and the third goes through his belly, spilling his innards.

The Death of Ferdiad

Determined to see the battle to the end, our dying hero ties himself upright to a boulder, killing any warrior who comes near him. Even in death, his arm raised above his head as he passes, he kills one more of Connaught’s men as his sword drops and cuts off the warrior’s head.

What about the bulls, you ask? Sadly, Ulster lost its bull in the final fray - Ailill and Medb ushering it to their home ahead of their retreating army. Ulster does has the last laugh however, if nothing else. Their bull fights the white bull of Ailill when they are introduced, and both perish. The king and queen are now equal in fortune, but both are bereft of a bull.

All to end a spat between a husband and wife. What an incredible waste. With great power comes great responsibility. Unfortunately many of those with great power also seem to have been plagued with a rather large dose of stupidity mixed with a superiority complex. As for Cuchulainn, well, it’s not easy being a hero. In fact, it’s downright horrid and rather fatal.

So why have we discussed this myth today? It does indeed have references to magic use: the prophecies of Cathbad, a magical cloak that causes people to forget each other, and, of course, the enchanted spears that end Cuchulainn’s life. More fascinating are the pieces of Cuchulainn’s story that are almost exactly the same as those found in Greco-Roman mythology as well. Cuchulainn acts quite similarly to Heracles in both his strength and battle prowess, as well as his rash behaviour. The death of his son at his own hands is similar to many myths in Europe, but most notably that of Oedipus and the death of his son.

Yes, the Celtic myths are depressing. They are also filled with passion and duty and all of the frailties of humankind - an aspect of mythology not mimicked by the other European mythologies we have examined. We will discuss these similarities and differences further in our next lesson, but that is by far enough information for one day. You will have a quiz to complete for today’s lesson, but do not forget to study for your final next week!

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Sources:

Cotterell, Arthur & Storm, Rachel. 1999. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology. Hermes House Anness Publishing Ltd. New York.

Kerrigan, Michael. 2016. Celtic Legends: Heroes and Warriors, Myths and Monsters. Amber Books Ltd. London.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tristan_and_Iseult
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%BA_Chulainn