Trysten Burnham
British Lit
Death of Conchobhar
“Revised”
The Ulstermen; Conall, Cu Chulainn,
and Loeghair were had been drinking heavily with king Conchobhar, while in
their drunkenness they were arguing about which warrior was the most noble. In
order to end the dispute Conall, asked for the brain of Meis-Geghra, which had
been preserved in lime making it as hard as a stone. “Well now Conchobhar,
until the other warriors do a deed as triumphant as slaying Meis-Geghra, they
cannot compare themselves with me. “That is true,” agreed Conchobhar. The
hardened brain was put back on the shelf where it belonged.
Cet, son of Madu was traveling to
Ulster to seek adventures. Many of the people in Ireland thought of him as a
scoundrel. He came across three Ulster warriors playing with the brain of
Meis-Geghra, Cet overheard whose brain it was, and swiftly stole it from one of
the warriors. He took the petrified trophy because he had heard the legend that
Meis-Geghra would avenge himself from beyond the grave. Afterwards, anytime Cet
and his people of Connaught would battle Ulstermen he would carry the brain on
his belt, to see if he could preform a famous deed with it. One day Cet drove a
heard of cattle away from Fir Ros, The warriors of Ulster pursued him but by the
time they caught up to Cet the men of Connaught came to his rescue. A battle
ensued between them, it was so intense that even Conchobhar himself came to aid
in the battle. Then, a group of women from Connaught Called for Conchobhar to
come aside so that they could admire his figure. Cet had told the women to do
this, while the king was distracted Cet came from behind and slammed the
hardened brain of Meis-Geghra into the head of Conchobhar.
A few of the Ulstermen jumped to the
kings aid carried him away from Cet, while the king was gone the battle lasted
until the same hour of the next day. Conchobhar was taken to his doctor
Finghin, he said that if he were to take the hardened brain out Conchobhar
would die but if he were to leave it in he would have a large disfigurement a
wouldn’t be able to get angry, ride horse back, lay with a woman, eat
gluttonously, or run. Otherwise he could die.
For seven years Conchobhar avoided
all of these activities, until one day he heard that the Jews crucified Jesus Christ,
and he started to shake. He asked the druid if it was true and it was
confirmed. The druid also told the king that they were born on the same day,
the 8th of January, but not the same year. Because of this
information he became a believer Jesus Christ and God, jumped for his weapons
in a furious rage cutting down trees, and swearing to enact revenge on the
Jews. While doing this Meis-Geghra’s brain popped out and with in Conchobhar’s,
he fell to the ground and died instantly…
