batch.motif.celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg-l4450-l4532
---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg-l4450-l4532
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
passage_locator:
label: CHAPTER IX. MANANNAN AT PLAY / CHAPTER X. HIS CALL TO BRAN / CHAPTER XI.
HIS THREE CALLS TO CORMAC / CHAPTER XII. CLIODNA'S WAVE; lines 4450-4532
start: '4450'
end: '4532'
translation: Gods and Fighting Men
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Ciabhan, son of the king of Ulster, leaves Ireland by curragh because jealousy
among the Fianna has made him unsafe. At sea he is threatened by immense waves
and salmon, and a mounted rider rescues him in return for service. They reach
Tir Tairngaire and Manannan's city, where Ciabhan succeeds at a rod-throwing feat
performed by Manannan's clowns. Cliodna, daughter of the Druid Gebann, falls in
love with him and leaves with him for Ireland. At Teite's Strand, while Ciabhan
is ashore, Manannan's people pursue them; Iuchnu lulls Cliodna to sleep with music,
and a great wave sweeps her away, giving the wave its name.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Ciabhan is described as exceptionally beautiful and beloved by women, causing
jealousy among the Fianna.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Finn sends Ciabhan away because he fears the jealousy of the men of the Fianna.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Ciabhan enters a curragh with a narrow copper stern and leaves Ireland.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: At sea, large white waves rise around Ciabhan, and salmon rise beside the
curragh.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: A rider on a dark grey horse with a golden bridle appears, moving under the
sea for nine waves and rising with the tenth without being wet.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: The rider asks for Ciabhan's service as the reward for rescuing him, and Ciabhan
agrees by putting his hand into the rider's hand.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: The rider draws Ciabhan onto the horse, and they reach Tir Tairngaire, Loch
Luchra, and Manannan's city.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:8
text: In Manannan's city a feast is prepared, with serving-boys carrying horns and
harp music filling the house.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:9
text: Long-snouted, long-heeled clowns in Manannan's house perform tricks, including
tossing and catching nine willow rods while standing on one leg with one hand
free.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:10
text: Ciabhan successfully performs the nine-rod feat after one of the clowns gives
him the rods.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:11
text: Cliodna, daughter of the chief Druid Gebann, falls in love with Ciabhan and
agrees to leave with him the next day.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:12
text: Ciabhan and Cliodna travel by curragh to Teite's Strand in southern Ireland.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:13
text: The passage explains that Teite's Strand was named for Teite Brec, who went
there for a wave game with three times fifty young girls, all of whom drowned
there.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:14
text: Ciabhan goes ashore to look for deer and leaves Cliodna in the boat on the
strand.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: obs:15
text: People from Manannan's house pursue them with forty ships.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: obs:16
text: Iuchnu, who is in the curragh with Cliodna, betrays her by playing music until
she sleeps.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: obs:17
text: A great wave rises on the strand and sweeps Cliodna away.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
- id: obs:18
text: The wave is named for Cliodna of the Fair Hair.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Ciabhan of the Curling Hair
description: Son of the king of Ulster; exceptionally beautiful young man who leaves
Ireland, is rescued at sea, reaches Manannan's city, performs a feat, and returns
toward Ireland with Cliodna.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Finn
description: Leader associated with the Fianna who sends Ciabhan away because of
jealousy among the men.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Fianna of Ireland
description: The warrior company whose men become jealous because women love Ciabhan.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Rider on the dark grey horse
description: A rider with a golden-bridled horse who appears at sea, asks for service
as reward, and rescues Ciabhan.
role_refs:
- role:6
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Manannan
description: Associated with the country, city, and house reached by Ciabhan; his
people later pursue Ciabhan and Cliodna.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:12
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Clowns in Manannan's house
description: Long-snouted, long-heeled performers who do tricks and challenge strangers
with a nine-willow-rod feat.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Gebann
description: Chief Druid in Manannan's country and father of Cliodna.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Cliodna of the Fair Hair
description: Daughter of Gebann who falls in love with Ciabhan, leaves with him,
is lulled to sleep, and is swept away by a wave.
role_refs:
- role:11
- role:12
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:12
- ev:13
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Teite Brec the Freckled
description: Figure for whom Teite's Strand is said to have been named; she went
there for a wave game with young girls and drowned there.
role_refs:
- role:13
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Three times fifty young girls
description: Young girls who accompanied Teite Brec to a wave game and drowned at
the strand.
role_refs:
- role:13
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: People of Manannan's house
description: Pursuers who come after Ciabhan and Cliodna with forty ships.
role_refs:
- role:14
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: fig:12
name_or_label: Iuchnu
description: Person in the curragh with Cliodna who betrays her by playing music
until she falls asleep.
role_refs:
- role:15
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
roles:
- id: role:1
label: Exiled or departing young man
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Ciabhan is sent away and leaves Ireland after jealousy among the Fianna makes
him unsafe.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:2
label: Sea-traveler in danger
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Ciabhan is alone in a curragh amid mountain-sized waves and becomes afraid.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: Sender-away
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Finn sends Ciabhan away because of the Fianna's jealousy.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:4
label: Jealous company
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The Fianna become tired of Ciabhan and jealous because women love him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:5
label: Successful performer of a challenge feat
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Ciabhan completes the nine-willow-rod trick before the household.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:6
label: Sea rescuer
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The rider draws Ciabhan onto the horse and brings him safely to shore.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:7
label: Contracting helper
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The rider asks Ciabhan for future service in exchange for help.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:8
label: Otherworld-associated host or lord
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The country, city, and house are identified with Manannan, and his household
people later pursue the pair.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:12
- id: role:9
label: Trick performers and challengers
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The clowns perform the rod trick and give the rods to strangers to see them
fail.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: role:10
label: Father and chief Druid
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Gebann is named as a chief Druid in Manannan's country and father of Cliodna.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: role:11
label: Beloved who elopes
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: Cliodna loves Ciabhan and agrees to go away with him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: role:12
label: Victim swept away by wave
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: A great wave comes up on the strand and sweeps Cliodna away.
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
- id: role:13
label: Drowning victims at the strand
assigned_to:
- fig:9
- fig:10
basis: Teite Brec and the young girls are said to have drowned at the strand during
a wave game.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: role:14
label: Pursuers
assigned_to:
- fig:11
basis: The people of Manannan's house come after Ciabhan and Cliodna with forty
ships.
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: role:15
label: Treacherous musician
assigned_to:
- fig:12
basis: Iuchnu plays music to Cliodna until she sleeps, and the passage calls this
treachery.
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Sea waves
literal_form: Great white waves, each the size of a mountain, surrounding Ciabhan's
curragh; later a great wave sweeping Cliodna away.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:13
- id: sym:2
label: Curragh
literal_form: A boat with a narrow stern of copper, used by Ciabhan to leave Ireland
and later by Ciabhan and Cliodna to reach Ireland.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:10
- id: sym:3
label: Dark grey horse with golden bridle
literal_form: The rider's horse, which passes under the sea for nine waves and rises
with the tenth without wetness.
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: sym:4
label: Nine willow rods
literal_form: Nine straight willow rods thrown to the rafters and caught again as
a challenge feat.
associated_figures:
- fig:6
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: sym:5
label: Music that induces sleep
literal_form: Iuchnu's music played to Cliodna until she lies down in the boat and
falls asleep.
associated_figures:
- fig:12
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: sym:6
label: Forty ships
literal_form: The ships used by the people of Manannan's house when they pursue
Ciabhan and Cliodna.
associated_figures:
- fig:11
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: sym:7
label: Teite's Strand / Cliodna's Wave
literal_form: A strand associated with earlier drownings, and a wave named from
Cliodna after it sweeps her away.
associated_figures:
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:10
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- ev:13
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Ciabhan leaves Ireland
summary: Because Ciabhan's beauty causes jealousy among the Fianna, Finn sends him
away, and he departs Ireland in a copper-sterned curragh.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Sea peril and rescue bargain
summary: Ciabhan is threatened by great waves at sea; a rider on a dark grey horse
asks for his service as reward and rescues him.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:3
label: Arrival in Manannan's city
summary: Ciabhan reaches Tir Tairngaire, Loch Luchra, and Manannan's city, where
a feast, serving-boys, horns, and harp music appear.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: scene:4
label: Challenge of the nine rods
summary: The clowns of Manannan's house perform a rod-tossing trick meant to expose
strangers' failure, but Ciabhan performs it successfully.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:6
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: scene:5
label: Cliodna falls in love and leaves
summary: Cliodna, daughter of Gebann, falls in love with Ciabhan and agrees to go
with him; they travel by curragh to Teite's Strand.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: scene:6
label: Strand with earlier drownings
summary: The passage recalls that Teite's Strand was named for Teite Brec, who drowned
there with three times fifty girls during a wave game.
figure_refs:
- fig:9
- fig:10
symbol_refs:
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: scene:7
label: Pursuit, betrayal, and Cliodna's wave
summary: After Ciabhan goes ashore, Manannan's people pursue by ship; Iuchnu lulls
Cliodna to sleep with music, and a great wave sweeps her away, giving the wave
its name.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:8
- fig:11
- fig:12
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:5
- sym:6
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- ev:12
- ev:13
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Departure by boat from unsafe homeland
taxonomy_refs:
- departure
basis: Ciabhan is sent away because of jealousy and leaves Ireland in a curragh.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The departure is socially motivated rather than explicitly ritual or quest-based.
- id: motif:2
label: Sea passage to an otherworld place
taxonomy_refs:
- afterlife_journey_map
basis: Ciabhan crosses dangerous waters and reaches Tir Tairngaire, Loch Luchra,
and Manannan's city with supernatural features.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage identifies the place as Manannan's country and the Land of
Promise, but does not explicitly frame the journey as an afterlife journey.
- id: motif:3
label: Rescue in exchange for service
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: The rider rescues Ciabhan after Ciabhan agrees to give service as the reward
for help.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The helper's divine status is not directly stated in this excerpt.
- id: motif:4
label: Challenge feat successfully performed by stranger
taxonomy_refs:
- initiation
basis: The clowns challenge strangers with a difficult nine-rod feat; Ciabhan succeeds
before the household.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage does not explicitly call the feat an initiation; the motif
label is functional and tentative.
- id: motif:5
label: Otherworld beloved leaves with mortal or visitor
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_beloved
basis: Cliodna, daughter of a chief Druid in Manannan's country, falls in love with
Ciabhan and agrees to go away with him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
confidence: medium
cautions: Cliodna's divine status is not directly specified in the excerpt; the
association is through Manannan's country.
- id: motif:6
label: Beloved lost through pursuit, treachery, and wave
taxonomy_refs:
- stolen_beloved
basis: Manannan's household pursues the pair; Iuchnu betrays Cliodna by lulling
her to sleep, after which a wave sweeps her away.
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- ev:13
confidence: medium
cautions: The beloved is not taken by a human abductor; she is swept away by a wave
after betrayal.
- id: motif:7
label: Place-name or wave-name explained by drowning event
taxonomy_refs:
- water
basis: Teite's Strand is linked to earlier drownings, and Cliodna's Wave receives
its name after the wave sweeps Cliodna away.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- ev:13
confidence: high
cautions: This uses the provided symbol taxonomy rather than a named motif-family
taxonomy item for etiological naming.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 4452-4463
quote_or_summary: Ciabhan is described as surpassingly beautiful; women love him,
the Fianna become jealous, and Finn sends him away for fear of the men.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 4465-4473
quote_or_summary: Ciabhan comes to the Strand of the Cairn, sees a copper-sterned
curragh, enters it, says he is leaving Ireland because he receives neither shelter
nor protection there, and bids farewell.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 4475-4481
quote_or_summary: At sea, white shouting waves as large as mountains rise around
Ciabhan, salmon rise beside the curragh, and fear comes on him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 4483-4486
quote_or_summary: A rider comes toward Ciabhan on a dark grey horse with a golden
bridle, passing beneath nine waves and rising with the tenth without being wet.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 4486-4492
quote_or_summary: The rider asks what reward Ciabhan would give for rescue; he specifies
Ciabhan's service, and Ciabhan agrees and puts his hand in the rider's hand.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 4494-4500
quote_or_summary: The rider draws Ciabhan onto the horse; the curragh follows until
they reach Tir Tairngaire, Loch Luchra, and Manannan's city, where a feast, horns,
and harp music are present.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 4502-4510
quote_or_summary: Clowns in Manannan's house perform tricks, including tossing and
catching nine straight willow rods while standing on one leg with only one hand
free, and they challenge strangers to do it.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 4512-4517
quote_or_summary: After a clown completes the trick and gives Ciabhan the rods,
Ciabhan stands and performs the feat before them all.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 4519-4522
quote_or_summary: Gebann, a chief Druid in Manannan's country, has a daughter, Cliodna
of the Fair Hair, who falls in love with Ciabhan and agrees to leave with him
the next day.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 4524-4530
quote_or_summary: Ciabhan and Cliodna get into a curragh and come to Teite's Strand
in southern Ireland; the strand is said to be named after Teite Brec, who went
there for a wave game with three times fifty girls, all of whom drowned.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:11
type: summary
locator: lines 4532-4534
quote_or_summary: Ciabhan comes ashore, goes looking for deer under the woods, and
leaves Cliodna in the boat on the strand.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:12
type: summary
locator: lines 4536-4539
quote_or_summary: People of Manannan's house pursue with forty ships; Iuchnu, in
the curragh with Cliodna, betrays her by playing music until she lies down and
sleeps.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:13
type: summary
locator: lines 4539-4542
quote_or_summary: A great wave comes up on the strand and sweeps Cliodna away; the
wave is named from Cliodna of the Fair Hair.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Extraction is based only on the supplied excerpt. Motif assignments are cautious
where taxonomy labels are broader than the passage's explicit wording.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Line locators in evidence follow the supplied passage range approximately; the provided passage text extends beyond the stated end line in its final events.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg__l4450-l4532
passage_sha256=0bfdc95f0fe36e8f6388a7df6a332275b294223ac62355888e3d461a6462477b