Article VI
CATHMHAOL OR BATTLE CHAMPION
The Cath Milidh or Cathmhaol, pronounced
"cha-vail" (thanks to Declan O'Carroll of National University
of Ireland, Galway for Irish pronunciation) and meaning "battle
soldier" or "battle champion" is an ancient Celtic
tradition dating back well over 2000 years. Another name for the
champion was tren-fher, which translates as "trainer"
or "strong-man". This was a position of high honor among
the ancient Celts, and every King or Chief would not be without
his champion. P.W. Joyce, in his "Social History of Ancient
Ireland", pp. 61-67, concerning the personal bodyguard of
an Irish king : "The king commonly kept in his retinue a
tren-fher or cath milidh, his champion or chief
fighting man, to answer challenges to single combat." O'Curry
states in
"Manuscript Materials of Ancient Irish History", Lecture
XVIII, that many of these champions were ollaves (expert teachers)
of martial skills and educated the noble sons of Erin. O'Donovan,
in his "Tribes and Customs of Hy-Many", gives the Clann
Bresail (O'Donnellan chiefs) as hereditary champions and keepers
of arms for the kings of Ui Maine (Hy Many), the O'Kellys, up
to the 14th century. Apparently, as O'Curry also writes, even
"St. Patrick himself had a tren-fer, St. MacCarthen,
afterwards first bishop of Clogher, whose peaceful function was
to carry the aged saint on his back across fords and other difficult
places, on their missionary journeys."
The most famous of cathmhaols in Irish history was Cuchulainn
Mac Soaltainn of Emania, cath milid to King Conchobar Mac
Nessa of Ulster, and immortalized in the epic poem "Tain
Bo Chuailgne", or "The Cattle Raid Of Cooley".
King Conchobar's opponents in this story are King Aillill and
Queen Maeve of Connacht, whose cath milide was Ferdiaidh,
who happened to be Cuchulinn's best friend. The two heroes are
forced into single combat, and the result is one of the great
tragedies of classic Irish literature.
The duties of a cath milid were solely concerned with
the martial arts. His first duty was to answer any challenge
put to the king by an outside party. Additional duties might include
equipping, training and command of forces during battle. As described
above, a challange might involve single combat between the two
champions of feuding kings or it could decide the outcome of a
battle, by substituting single combat between champions for a
pitched battle between two armies. The combatants were always
the most skilled warriors, incredibly strong and quick and with
great endurance and courage. These single combats were savage
affairs, often ending in death for both participants.
In most ancient times they wore little or no armor, often going
into battle naked except for a torque, or beautifully worked
gold band, around the neck and a shield for protection. A light
helmet, tunic, or leg protection might also be worn. The protection
of heavy armor was considered unmanly and disgraceful by the ancient
Irish. With the coming of the Vikings and especially the Anglo-Normans
it was adopted as essential for survival and victory, as both
of these invading armies used body armor. The Gaelic tribes usually
carried the sciath (skee-a), or shield, usually small and
often highly decorated, and made of wicker, yew or bronze. It
could be named, such as the shield of King Aed of Oriell (6th
century) which was called "Dub-gilla", or "Black-Fellow".
About this shield the lines were written: "It was the feeder
of ravens, and the Balb (or Morrigan, a war goddess)
perched on it's rim during battle and shrieked.", (see Joyce,
SHAI, p.266-7).
They were armed with a variety of lethal weapons and were expert
in their use. These were often believed to be imbued with magical
powers, such as speech and movement. These also would be given
a name by their owners, becoming famous in their own right. These
include the Lia Lamha Laich or "Champion's Hand Stone"
of Ceannmhor the Druid, described in the poem contained in The
Book of Leinster and concerning the Siege of Drom Damhghaire.
A selection from the poem describes:
" A flat stone, a flat stone;
A stone that will kill as before;
A narrow stone, a thin thick stone;
A choice weapon for success."
.....
A stone to relieve the fears of Munstermen,
A stone ready to fly without command,
A stone of power, a stone of death,
A noisy stone, a silent stone."
Another stone, named the Tathlum or wonderful "Sling-Ball",
was used to put out the "Evil Eye" of the Fomorian champion
Balor of the Stout Blows by the De Danaan champion Lug during
the battle of Magh Tuiredh. And even thought she had become
advanced in years, Queen Maeve's life was ended by a sling-fired
stone, carefully prepared by the son of a man she had killed.
These stones might be concocted from morter mixed with the brains
of a dead enemy, the more formidible the enemy, the better.
Lances and spears were used in battle and Irish warriors were
renowned for their skill in using them. The most famous story
of the use of the spear was found in the Tain, and occurs during
the epic fight between Chuculinn and Ferdiaidh. The two friends
are so evenly matched that, after days of fighting and at the
brink of defeat, Chuculinn must resort to the use of his magic
spear Gea Bulga or "Belly Dart". Only by it's
use is he able to defeat his closest comrade and win the day for
the army of Ulster, which had been magically bewitched and was
unable to fight. He suffered immensly for the loss of his comrade.
With his efforts and sacrifice, Chuculinn had bought time for
the heroes of Ulster to recover their wits and eventually defeat
the forces of Connacht. Of this spear the unknown poet writes:
"Bolg Mac Buain, the renowned,
Many were the hosts that he defeated,
By him was made the wild spear,
From the bones of the kingly (sea) monster (Curruid)
.......
"Cuchulainn brought the Gai Bolg
into Erin, with all its barbs,
By it he slew Conlaech of the Battle Shields,
And Ferdiadh afterwards, without mistake."
The entire poems, probably pre-tenth century in origin, is contained
in V.2, p. 311-12, of O'Curry's "Manners and Customs of
the Ancient Irish, (MCAI)".
Of course the most favored and conspicuous weapon of the ancient
warrior was the sword. These could be of the utmost beauty and
craftsmanship and were often handed down as an heirloom from their
fathers or patrons before them. Their shapes, sizes, composition
and workmanship varied greatly, and many stories revolved around
their sometimes mythical origins and prowess in battle. They
too had names that reflected their attributes, such as the two-handed
sword of Fergus Mac Rough. It was known as Calad-Bolg,
which translates as "Hard-Bulging", and wouldn't Professor
Freud have a time with that? As stated by O'Curry, ( MCAI, V.2
p.320) the sword was originally owned by Leite, another famous
warrior of Ulster. He obtained it from "some one of the ""fairy
mansions"" of Erinn", and "when it was raised
for a stroke it expanded to the dimensions of a rainbow in the
firmament."!!
The sword of Chuculainn was itself the stuff of legend. It's
name was Cruaidin Caidid-Chean or "Hard, Hard-Headed".
It is described in the Leabhar na h-UaChongbhala or "The
Book of Ballymote";
"Socht had a beautiful sword, with a hilt of gold, pointed
with silver, with a golden suspension (belt), and an ornamented
scabbard; it had a sharp point which shone in the night like a
candle. If it's point were bent back to it's hilt it would become
straight again like a dart. It would cut a hair on the water:
it would chop off a hair on the head without approaching the skin:
it would cleave a man in two, and the two halves of him would
not miss the other for some time."
There is even a sword that was famous among the Ciannacht and
the O'Carrolls. It was owned by King Cearbhaill Mac Muiregan of
the Kingdom of Ossary in Leinster. This is not the Cearbhaill
who led the Eilians at Clontarf for King Brian Boru and from whom
the O'Carrolls took their name, but was descended from a son of
Eile Rig Derg (Eile, the Red King), the the fifth century Ciannacht
king from whom the territory of Eile got it's name. He was of
the race of Conla, son of Teige, son of Cian the Sage, from whom
the Clann Cian are descended. Prince Cian was the son of Olliol
Ollum, King of Munster in the 3rd century. While I have not yet
found a name for the sword, a poem of praise exists from the early
tenth century. It was written by Dallan Mac More, chief bard
to King Cearbhaill, who reigned from about 885 to 909 A.D. It
demonstrates clearly how battle was revered as a way of great
honor and how the weapons of renowned warriors were often considered
distinct entities with personalities worthy of adulation. The
poem then, in it's entirety.
The Song of Carroll's Sword
Hail, sword of Carroll!
Oft has thou been in the great woof of war,
Oft giving battle, beheading high princes.
Oft has thou gone a-raiding in the hands of kings of high
judgments'
Oft has thou divided the spoil with a good king worthy
of thee.
Oft where men of Leinster were hast thou been in a white
hand,
Oft has thou been among kings, oft among great bands.
Many were there kings that wielded thee in fight,
Many a shield hast thou cleft in battle,
many a head and chest, many a fair skin.
Forty years without sorrow Enna of the noble hosts had
thee,
Never was thou in a straight, but in the hands of a very
fierce king.
Enna gave thee-'twas no niggardly gift- to his own son,
to Dunling,
For thirty years in his possession, at last thou broughtest
ruin on him.
Many a king upon a noble steed possessed
thee unto Dermot the kingly, the fierce:
Sixteen years was the time Dermot had thee.
At the feast of Alenn, Dermot the hardy-born bestowed
thee,
Dermot, the noble king, gave thee to the man of Mairg,
to Murigan.
Forty years stoutly thou wast in the hand of Alenn's high-king
With Murigan of mighty deeds thou never was a year without
battle.
In Wexford Murigan, the king of Vikings, gave thee to
Carroll:
While he was upon the yellow earth, Carroll gave thee
to none.
Thy bright point was a crimson point in the battle of
Odva of the foreigners,
When thou leftest Aed Finnlaith on his back in the battle
of Odva of the noble routs.
Crimson was thy edge, it was seen at Belach Moon thou
wast proved,
In the valorous battle of Alvy's plain throughout which
the fighting raged.
Before thee the goodly host broke on a Thursday at Doon
Ochtair,
When Aed the fierce and brilliant fell upon the hillside
above Leafin.
Before thee the host broke on the day when Cealleadh was
slain,
Flannagan's son, with numbers of troops, in high lofty
great Tara.
Before thee they ebbed southward
in the battle of the Boyne of the rough feats,
When Cnogva fell, that lance of valor, at seeing thee,
for dread of thee.
Thou wast furious, thou wast not weak, heroic was thy
swift force,
When Aillil Frosach of Fal fell in front of the onset.
Thou never had a day of defeat with Carroll
of the beautiful garths (cattle enclosures),
He swore no lying oath, he went not against his word.
Thou never hadst a day of sorrow, many a night thou hadst
abroad;
Thou hadst awaiting thee many a king with many a battle.
O sword of the kings of mighty fires, do not fear to be
astray!
Thou shalt find thy man of craft, a lord worthy of thee.
Who shall henceforth possess thee, or to whom wilt thou
deal ruin?
From the day that Carroll departed, with whom wilt thou
be bedded?
Thou shalt not be neglected until thou come to the house
of glorious Naas:
Where Fionn (mac Cumhaill) of the feasts is, they will
hail thee with 'welcome'."
The above poem was translated by Kuno Meyer and can be found in
"1000 Years of Irish Poetry", ed. by Kathleen Hoagland.
The battle axe was also used by the ancient
Irish, although it was the Vikings that had perfected their use.
However, once the Vikings had begun their extended visit to Erinn,
the Irish lost no time in learning their new ways with the axe,
as the Viking battle-axe, called the Lochlann (foreign)
axe and made of iron, was a fearsome weapon. The earlier Irish
axes, called "celts", were constructed of stone,
bronze and copper. Of course our hero Chuculainn was well versed
in their use and one poem has him, when preparing for a fight,
calling to his caddie "Take out the axes, quickly!",
(See Joyce, SHAI, p.118-120). Giraldus Cambrensus, (or Gerald
of Wales or Gerald de Barry) 1146-1223, a Geraldine and the historian
of the Anglo-Norman invasion during the time of Henry II, who
was so often critical of the Irish, says that the Irish were well
skilled in the use of the axe. Joyce quotes Cambrensis , "They
make use of but one hand to the axe when they strike and extend
one thumb along the handle to guide the blow: from which neither
the crested helmet can defend the head, nor the iron folds of
the armor the rest of the body. From whence it has happened even
in our times, that the whole thigh of a soldier, though cased
in well-tempered armor, hath been lopped off by a single blow
of the axe, the whole limb falling on one side of the horse,
and the expiring body on the other." He goes on to say that
"In Giraldus's time, almost everyone carried an axe in his
hand...instead of a walking stick." Kind of like the old
west in America, where every man carried a gun, but without all
the noise.
This is an incomplete description of the cathmhaol and his tools
of the trade. There is so much information available that this
article could be easily be much longer. As I come across more
information that is specific to this subject, I'll continue to
add to it. It's a work in progress, so check back for future additions
and other articles concerned with the lives of the ancient Irish.
We welcome constructive comment and encourage people to contribute
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Seabhach Abu!!
Sean Carroll, Clan Cian History
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