Then Medb betook her to a shield-shelter in the rear of the men of Erin. Thereafter Medb sent off the Brown Bull of Cualnge along with fifty of his heifers and eight of her runners with him around to Cruachan, to the end that whoso might and whoso might not escape, the Brown Bull of Cualnge should get away safely, even as she had promised.
Then it was that the issue of blood came upon Medb, [5]and she said: "Do thou, Fergus, undertake[5] a shield-shelter in the rear of the men of Erin till I let my water flow from me." "By my troth," replied Fergus, "'tis an ill hour for thee to be taken so." "Howbeit there is no help for me," Medb answered; "for I shall not live if I do not void water!" Fergus accordingly came and raised a shield-shelter in the rear of the men of Erin. Medb voided her water, so that it made three large dikes, so that a mill[a] could find room in each dike. Hence the place is known as Fual Medbha ('Medb's Water').
W. 6085. Cuchulain came upon her as she was thus engaged, [1]on his way to the battle,[1] and he did not attack her. He would not strike her a blow from behind. [2]He spared her then because it was not his wont to slay women.[2] [3]"Spare me!" cried Medb. "If I should slay thee, it were just for me," Cuchulain answered.[3] [4]"Arise from hence," said he; "for I deem it no honour to wound thee from behind with my weapons."[4] "I crave a boon of thee this day, O Cuchulain," spake Medb. "What boon cravest thou [5]of me?"[5] asked Cuchulain. "That this host be under thine honour and thy protection till they pass westwards over Ath Mor ('the Great Ford')." *LL. fo. 103b. "Yea, I promise that," said Cuchulain. [6]Then[6] went Cuchulain around the men of Erin, and he undertook a shield-defence on one side of them, in order to protect the men of Erin. On the other side went the governors of the men of Erin. Medb went to her own place and assumed a shield-defence in the rear of the men of Erin, and in this manner they convoyed the men of Erin over Ath Mor westwards.
[7]Then Laeg [8]son of Riangabair[8] brought Cuchulain's sword unto him, [9]the 'Hard-headed Steeling' to wit,[9] and Cuchulain took the sword in his hand.[7] Then he [10]stood still and[10] gave a blow to the three bald-topped hills of Ath Luain over against the three Maela ('the Bald Tops') of Meath, so that he struck their three heads off them. [11]And they are in the bog as a witness ever since. Hence these are the Maolain ('the Flat Tops') of Ath Luain. Cuchulain cut them off as a reproach and affront to the men of Connacht, in order that every time men should speak of Meath's three Bald Tops, these in the west should be the answer the 'Three Flat Tops of Ath Luain.'[11]
W. 6099. Then [1]when the battle had been lost,[1] Fergus [2]began to view[2] the host as it went westwards of Ath Mor. "It was thus indeed it behoved this day to prove, for following in the lead of a woman," [3]said Fergus.[3] "Faults and feuds have met here to-day," [4]said Medb[4] to Fergus. "Betrayed and sold is this host to-day," [5]Fergus answered.[5] "And even as a brood-mare leads her foals into a land unknown, without a head to advise or give counsel before them, such is the plight of this host to-day [6]in the train of a woman that hath ill counselled them."[6]
[7]Then Cuchulain turned to where Conchobar was with the nobles of Ulster before him. Conchobar bewailed and lamented Cuchulain, and then he uttered this lay:—
"How is this, O Cualnge's Hound,
Hero of the Red Branch, thou:
Great woe, champion, hast thou borne,