Culann
Encyclopedia
In the Ulster Cycle
of Irish mythology
, Culann was a smith
whose house was protected by a ferocious watchdog.
Once he invited Conchobar mac Nessa
, king of Ulster
, and his retinue to a feast at his house. On the way Conchobar saw his young nephew Sétanta playing hurling
, and was so impressed he invited the boy to join him at the feast. Sétanta told him he would catch him up once the game was over.
The feast got underway, and Culann asked Conchobar if he was expecting anyone else. Conchobar, who had forgotten about Sétanta, answered no, and Culann unleashed his watchdog. When Sétanta arrived he was forced to kill the dog in self defence, and out of obligation offered to take its place until a replacement could be reared. For this he was renamed Cú Chulainn
- "Culann's hound".
Ulster Cycle
The Ulster Cycle , formerly known as the Red Branch Cycle, one of the four great cycles of Irish mythology, is a body of medieval Irish heroic legends and sagas of the traditional heroes of the Ulaid in what is now eastern Ulster and northern Leinster, particularly counties Armagh, Down and...
of Irish mythology
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
, Culann was a smith
Smith (metalwork)
A metalsmith, often shortened to smith, is a person involved in making metal objects. In contemporary use a metalsmith is a person who uses metal as a material, uses traditional metalsmithing techniques , whose work thematically relates to the practice or history of the practice, or who engages in...
whose house was protected by a ferocious watchdog.
Once he invited Conchobar mac Nessa
Conchobar mac Nessa
Conchobar mac Nessa was the king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He ruled from Emain Macha .-Birth:...
, king of Ulster
Ulaid
The Ulaid or Ulaidh were a people of early Ireland who gave their name to the modern province of Ulster...
, and his retinue to a feast at his house. On the way Conchobar saw his young nephew Sétanta playing hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
, and was so impressed he invited the boy to join him at the feast. Sétanta told him he would catch him up once the game was over.
The feast got underway, and Culann asked Conchobar if he was expecting anyone else. Conchobar, who had forgotten about Sétanta, answered no, and Culann unleashed his watchdog. When Sétanta arrived he was forced to kill the dog in self defence, and out of obligation offered to take its place until a replacement could be reared. For this he was renamed Cú Chulainn
Cúchulainn
Cú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
- "Culann's hound".