Then there arose a difficulty about the dividing of the pig. As in the case of the "heroes' bit" the best warrior was to divide it. King Oilioll asked King Conor what they should do about it, when suddenly the mischievous, ill-minded Bricriu spoke from a chamber overhead and asked, "How should it be divided except by a contest of arms seeing that all the valorous warriors of Connacht were there."
"'Let it be so,' said Oilioll.
"'We like it well,' said Conor, 'for we have lads in the house who have many a time gone round the border.'
"'There will be need of thy lads to-night, O Conor,' said a famous old warrior from Cruachna Conalath in the west. 'The roads of Luachra Dedad have often had their backs turned to them (as they fled). Many, too, the fat beeves they left with me.'
"''Twas a fat beef thou leftest with me,' said Munremar mac Gerrcind, 'even thine own brother, Cruithne mac Ruaidlinde from Cruachna Conalath of Connacht.'
"'He was no better,' said Lewy mac Conroi, 'than Irloth, son of Fergus, son of Leite, who was left dead by Echbél, son of Dedad, at Tara Luachra.'
"'What sort of man do ye think,' said Celtchair mac Uthechair, 'was Conganchnes, son of (that same) Dedad, who was slain by myself, and me to strike the head off him?'
"Each of them brought up his exploits in the face of the other, till at last it came to one man who beat every one, even Cet mac Mágach of Connacht.[5]
"He raised his prowess over the host, and took his knife in his hand, and sat down by the pig. 'Now let there be found,' said he, 'among the men of Ireland one man to abide contest with me, or let me divide the pig.'
"There was not at that time found a warrior of Ulster to stand up to him, and great silence fell upon them.
"'Stop that for me, O Laeghaire [Leary],' said Conor, [King of Ulster, i.e., 'Delay, if you can, Cet's dividing the pig'].
"Said Leary, 'It shall not be—Cet to divide the pig before the face of us all!'
"'Wait a little, Leary,' said Cet, 'that thou mayest speak with me. For it is a custom with you men of Ulster that every youth among you who takes arms makes us his first goal.[6] Thou, too, didst come to the border, and thus leftest charioteer and chariot and horses with me, and thou didst then escape with a lance through thee. Thou shalt not get at the pig in that manner!'
"Leary sat down upon his couch.
"'It shall not be,' said a tall, fair warrior of Ulster, coming out of his chamber above, 'that Cet divide the pig.'
"'Who is this?' said Cet.
"'A better warrior than thou,' say all, 'even Angus, son of Hand-wail of Ulster.'
"'Why is his father called Hand-wail?' said Cet.
"'We know not indeed,' say all.
"'But I know,' said Cet; 'once I went eastward (i.e., crossed the border into Ulster), an alarm-cry is raised around me, and Hand-wail came up with me, like every one else. He makes a cast of a large lance at me. I make a cast at him with the same lance, which struck off his hand, so that it was (i.e., fell) on the field before him. What brings the son of that man to stand up to me?' said Cet.
"Then Angus goes to his couch.
"'Still keep up the contest,' said Cet, 'or let me divide the pig.'
"'It is not right that thou divide it, O Cet,' said another tall, fair warrior of Ulster.
"'Who is this?' said Cet.
"'Owen Mór, son of Durthacht,' say all, 'king of Fernmag.'[7]
"'I have seen him before,' said Cet.
"'Where hast thou seen me,' said Owen.
"'In front of thine own house when I took a drove of cattle from thee; the alarm cry was raised in the land around me, and thou didst meet me and didst cast a spear at me, so that it stood out of my shield. I cast the same spear at thee, which passed through thy head and struck thine eye out of thy head, and the men of Ireland see thee with one eye ever since.'
"He sat down in his seat after that.
"'Still keep up the contest, men of Ulster,' said Cet, 'or let me divide the pig.'
"'Thou shalt not divide it,' said Munremar, son of Gerrcend.
"'Is that Munremar?' said Cet.
"'It is he,' say the men of Ireland.
"'It was I who last cleaned my hands in thee, O Munremar,' said Cet; 'it is not three days yet since out of thine own land I carried off three warriors' heads from thee, together with the head of thy first son.'
"Munremar sat down on his seat.
"'Still the contest,' said Cet,' or I shall divide the pig.'
"'Verily thou shalt have it,' said a tall, grey, very terrible warrior of the men of Ulster.
"'Who is this?' said Cet.
"'That is Celtchair, son of Uithechar,' say all.
"'Wait a little, Celtchair,' said Cet, 'unless thou comest to strike me. I came, O Celtchair, to the front of thy house. The alarm was raised around me. Every one went after me. Thou comest like every one else, and going into a gap before me didst throw a spear at me. I threw another spear at thee, which went through thy loins, nor has either son or daughter been born to thee since."
"After that Celtchair sat down on his seat.
"'Still the contest,' said Cet, 'or I shall divide the pig.'
"'Thou shalt have it,' said Mend, son of Sword-heel.
"'Who is this?' said Cet.
"'Mend,' say all.
"'What! deem you,' said Cet, 'that the sons of churls with nicknames should come to contend with me? for it was I was the priest,[8] who christened thy father by that name, since it is I that cut off his heel, so that he carried but one heel away with him. What should bring the son of that man to contend with me?'
"Mend sat down in his seat.
"'Still the contest,' said Cet, 'or I shall divide the pig.'
"'Thou shalt have it,' said Cumscraidh, the stammerer of Macha, son of Conor.
"'Who is this?'
"'That is Cumscraidh,' say all.
"He is the makings of a king, so far as his figure goes....
"'Well,' said Cet, 'thou madest thy first raid on us. We met on the border. Thou didst leave a third of thy people with me, and camest away with a spear through thy throat, so that no word comes rightly over thy lips, since the sinews of thy throat were wounded, so that Cumscraidh, the stammerer of Macha, is thy name ever since.'
"In that way he laid disgrace and a blow on the whole province.
"While he made ready with the pig and had his knife in his hand, they see Conall Ceârnach [the Victorious], coming towards them into the house. He sprang on to the floor of the house. The men of Ulster gave him great welcome. 'Twas then [King] Conor threw his helmet from his head and shook himself [for joy] in his own place. 'We are glad,' said Conall, 'that our portion is ready for us, and who divides for you?' said Conall.
"One man of the men of Ireland has obtained by contest the dividing of it, to wit, Cet mac Mágach.
"'Is that true, Cet?' said Conall, 'art thou dividing the pig?'"
There follows here an obscure dialogue in verse between the warriors.
"'Get up from the pig, Cet,' said Conall.
"'What brings thee to it?' said Cet.
"'Truly [for you] to seek contest from me,' said Conall, 'and I shall give you contest; I swear what my people swear since I [first] took spear and weapons, I have never been a day without having slain a Connachtman, nor a night without plundering, nor have I ever slept without the head of a Connachtman under my knee.'
"'It is true,' said Cet, 'thou art even a better warrior than I, but if Anluan mac Mágach [my brother] were in the house,' said Cet, 'he would match thee contest for contest, and it is a pity that he is not in the house this night.'
"'Aye, is he, though,' said Conall, taking the head of Anluan from his belt and throwing it at Cet's chest, so that a gush of blood broke over his lips. After that Conall sat down by the pig and Cet went from it.
"'Now let them come to the contest,' said Conall.
"Truly there was not then found among the men of Connacht a warrior to stand up to him in contest, for they were loath to be slain on the spot. The men of Ulster made a cover around him with their shields, for there was an evil custom in the house, the people of one side throwing stones at the other side. Then Conall proceeded to divide the pig, and he took the end of the tail in his mouth until he had finished dividing the pig."
The men of Connacht, as might be expected, were not pleased with their share. The rest of the piece recounts the battle that ensued both in the hostelry, whence "seven streams of blood burst through its seven doors," and outside in the close or liss after the hosts had burst through the doors, the death of the hound, the flight of Oilioll and Mève into Connacht, and the curious adventures of their charioteer.
The Conception of Cuchulain,[9] the Conception of Conor,[10] the Wooing of Emer,[11] the Death of Conlaoch,[12] the Siege of Howth,[13] the Intoxication of the Ultonians,[14] Bricriu's Banquet,[15] Emer's Jealousy and Cuchulain's Pining,[16] the Battle of Rosnaree,[17] Bricriu's Feast and the Exile of the Sons of Dael Dermuit,[18] Macha's Curse on the Ultonians,[19] the Death of King Conor,[20] the Wooing of Ferb,[21] the Cattle Spoil of Dartaid, the Cattle Spoil of Flidais, the Cattle Spoil of Regamon, the Táin bé Aingen, the Táin Bo Regamna,[22] the Conception of the two Swineherds[23] the Deaths of Oilioll (King of Connacht) and Conall Cearnach,[24] the Demoniac Chariot of Cuchulain,[25] the Cattle Spoil of Fraich,[26] are some of the most available of the many remaining sagas belonging to this cycle.
[1] "Hibernica Minora," p. 57, from Rawlinson B. 512, in the Bodleian Library. I have followed his excellent translation nearly verbatim.