batch.motif.celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg-l9275-l9372
---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg-l9275-l9372
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
passage_locator:
label: CHAPTER IV. THE HOSPITALITY OF CUANNA'S HOUSE / CHAPTER V. CAT-HEADS AND
DOG-HEADS / CHAPTER VI. LOMNA'S HEAD / CHAPTER VII. ILBREC OF ESS RUADH; lines
9275-9372
start: '9275'
end: '9372'
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: At a Sidhe hill, Caoilte and companions drive away destructive red birds
and kill three ravens that annually carry off boys during hurling. Caoilte then
claims the healing promised as his fee. Bebind, daughter of Elcmar, treats his
spear-poison and wounds with herbs in water, milk, washing, and attendants. During
his recovery, Uaine from the Land of Promise arrives with singing birds and music.
After further healing, Caoilte swims and a feast is held.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Three flocks of red birds come from Slieve Fuad in the north and eat the green
grass before the hill of the Sidhe each year.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Caoilte and his comrades throw three stones at the red bird flocks and drive
them away.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Three ravens from the north annually carry off boys from the hill while the
young lads are playing hurling.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The Tuatha de Danaan gather to watch hurling and are provided with game boards,
harps, and pipes.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The three ravens come over the sea, perch on the great tree of power on the
green, and screech gloomily.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: Cascorach, Fermaise, and Caoilte kill the three ravens by casting chessmen
at them.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: Caoilte says he has paid his fee and asks that his cure be done.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:8
text: Ilbrec orders Bebind to bring Caoilte to a hidden place and cure him, with
music, guarding, and attendance supplied by others.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:9
text: Bebind prepares a healing bed, uses a pale-gold bowl of water, bruised herbs
in a crystal vessel, and gives Caoilte five drinks that make him vomit the spear-poison.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:10
text: After the herbal drinks, Caoilte is given new milk, and he remains weak for
three days and three nights.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:11
text: A washing associated with Flann, daughter of Flidais, is performed for Caoilte's
head and is said to prevent pain, baldness, and weakness of sight.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:12
text: The people of the hill visit Caoilte in groups while he is on the bed of healing
and bring him the best of their hunting.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:13
text: Music is heard coming from the waters of Ess Ruadh, and Caoilte is distressed
that he lacks strength to go out with the others.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:14
text: Uaine, musician of the Land of Promise, arrives with birds from that land;
the birds sing with Cascorach's harp.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:15
text: Bebind treats Caoilte's thigh, and her serving people suck harmful matter
from the wound until it is healed.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: obs:16
text: After recovery, Caoilte swims in the stream with the people of the hill, and
a feast is made that night.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Caoilte, son of Ronan
description: A warrior seeking cure from a poisoned spear wound; he helps drive
off destructive birds and kills one raven.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:12
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Ilbrec
description: A leader or spokesman of the Sidhe hill who explains the dangers and
orders Caoilte's healing.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:6
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: People of the Sidhe / Tuatha de Danaan / people of the hill
description: The community at the Sidhe hill who suffer yearly bird attacks, gather
for games, bless Caoilte's party, and later attend him during healing.
role_refs:
- role:4
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:8
- ev:12
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Three flocks of red birds
description: Beautiful red birds from Slieve Fuad that annually eat down the green
grass before the Sidhe hill.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Three ravens from the north
description: Ravens that annually carry off boys during hurling and screech from
the great tree of power.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Cascorach, son of Caincenn
description: A companion who kills one raven with a chessman and later plays harp
music with the birds of the Land of Promise.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:10
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Fermaise, son of Eogabil
description: A companion who kills one raven and is assigned to watch, guard, and
attend Caoilte.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Bebind, daughter of Elcmar
description: The healer who brings Caoilte to the House of Arms and treats him with
water, herbs, milk, washing, and wound care.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:11
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Flann, daughter of Flidais
description: A named figure associated with a washing cure for Caoilte's head.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Uaine
description: A musician from the hill of the Sidhe at the Wave of Cliodna in the
south and musician to the Land of Promise.
role_refs:
- role:8
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: Birds of the Land of Promise
description: Birds accompanying Uaine that enter the house, perch on pillars and
beams, and sing with the harp.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: fig:12
name_or_label: Bebind's serving people
description: Attendants who remove harmful matter from Caoilte's thigh wound by
sucking it until the wound is healed.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
roles:
- id: role:1
label: wounded patient
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Caoilte asks for his cure and receives treatment for spear-poison, head weakness,
and a thigh wound.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:11
- id: role:2
label: protector against bird threats
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:6
- fig:7
basis: They drive off red birds or kill ravens that endanger the Sidhe community.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- id: role:3
label: Sidhe spokesman and healing arranger
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Ilbrec explains the yearly dangers and orders Bebind and others to treat
Caoilte.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:6
- id: role:4
label: threatened community
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The Sidhe community loses its green to birds and boys to ravens each year.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:5
label: hosts and attendants
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The people of the hill visit Caoilte, entertain him, bring hunting food,
and make a feast.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:12
- id: role:6
label: recurring avian threat
assigned_to:
- fig:4
- fig:5
basis: The red birds destroy the green yearly, and the ravens carry off boys yearly.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:7
label: recipient of sacred fee-exchange
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Caoilte states that he has paid his fee for the cure by removing dangers
from the Men of Dea and Sons of the Gael.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:8
label: musician or music-maker
assigned_to:
- fig:6
- fig:10
- fig:11
basis: Cascorach plays harp; Uaine is identified as a musician; the birds sing with
the harp.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: role:9
label: guardian-attendant
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Ilbrec instructs Fermaise to watch, guard, and attend Caoilte.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:10
label: healer or healing attendant
assigned_to:
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:12
basis: Bebind performs the cure, Flann is associated with a washing cure, and serving
people extract harmful matter from the wound.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:11
- id: role:11
label: visitor from the Land of Promise
assigned_to:
- fig:10
basis: Uaine comes with birds of the Land of Promise and annually visits one of
the Sidhe hills.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: red destructive birds
literal_form: Three flocks of beautiful red birds from Slieve Fuad
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: raven abductors
literal_form: Three ravens from the north
associated_figures:
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: sym:3
label: great tree of power
literal_form: The great tree of power on the green
associated_figures:
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: healing water
literal_form: Water in a pale-gold bowl mixed with bruised herbs
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:5
label: new milk after cure
literal_form: New milk given to Caoilte after the herbal drinks
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs:
- milk
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:6
label: crystal vessel and pale-gold bowl
literal_form: A crystal vessel for bruising herbs and a pale-gold bowl full of water
associated_figures:
- fig:8
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:7
label: music from the waters
literal_form: Sound of music coming from the waters of Ess Ruadh
associated_figures:
- fig:10
- fig:11
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: sym:8
label: singing birds of the Land of Promise
literal_form: Birds accompanying Uaine that sing with harp music
associated_figures:
- fig:10
- fig:11
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: sym:9
label: stream for restored health
literal_form: The stream into which Caoilte and the people of the hill go to swim
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Driving away the red birds
summary: Three flocks of red birds are said to destroy the Sidhe green yearly; Caoilte
and companions throw stones and drive them off.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Ravens at the hurling green
summary: During the hurling gathering, three ravens arrive over the sea, perch on
the great tree of power, and frighten the assembly with screeches.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Killing of the ravens
summary: Cascorach, Fermaise, and Caoilte kill the three ravens by casting chessmen
at them.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:4
label: Caoilte claims healing as his fee
summary: Caoilte says he has earned his cure, and Ilbrec orders Bebind and attendants
to treat, guard, and entertain him.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:6
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: scene:5
label: Herbal and milk cure
summary: Bebind prepares a healing bed and gives Caoilte herb-infused water from
a gold bowl, followed by milk; the treatment expels spear-poison but leaves him
weak.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:5
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: scene:6
label: Head washing and communal care
summary: A washing cure is performed for Caoilte's head, and the Sidhe hill community
visits and entertains him on his healing bed.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: scene:7
label: Arrival of Uaine and the singing birds
summary: Music is heard from the waters of Ess Ruadh; Uaine arrives with birds of
the Land of Promise, and the birds sing with Cascorach's harp.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:6
- fig:8
- fig:10
- fig:11
symbol_refs:
- sym:7
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: scene:8
label: Final wound cure, swimming, and feast
summary: Bebind and her serving people heal Caoilte's thigh wound; after three nights,
Caoilte swims with the hill people and a feast is held.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:8
- fig:12
symbol_refs:
- sym:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- ev:12
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: hero protects otherworldly community from recurring bird threat
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: 'Caoilte and companions remove annual avian threats: red birds destroy the
green and ravens carry off boys.'
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The passage frames the threats literally as birds and ravens; no broader
classification beyond the local episode is stated.
- id: motif:2
label: healing granted as payment for protective service
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: Caoilte says he has paid his fee for healing after driving dangers from the
Men of Dea and Sons of the Gael, and Ilbrec agrees and orders the cure.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: The term 'fee' is explicit, but the taxonomy link to sacred exchange is
interpretive and should be reviewed.
- id: motif:3
label: ritualized healing with water, herbs, milk, washing, and wound extraction
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Bebind uses herb-infused water, milk, a named washing cure, and attendants
who draw harmful matter from the wound.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:11
confidence: high
cautions: No available healing-specific taxonomy reference was supplied.
- id: motif:4
label: otherworld music and singing birds visit a Sidhe hill
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Uaine, musician of the Land of Promise, arrives with birds whose song accompanies
harp music and is praised as unsurpassed.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
confidence: high
cautions: The passage supplies an otherworldly provenance, but no supplied taxonomy
category directly matches music or enchanted birds.
- id: motif:5
label: restoration marked by swimming and feast
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: After healing, Caoilte enters the stream to swim, returns to the hill, and
a feast is made that night.
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage presents this as a recovery sequence; a broader ritual-restoration
motif is not explicit.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 9275-9285
quote_or_summary: Three flocks of beautiful red birds from Slieve Fuad eat the Sidhe
green every year; Caoilte and comrades throw stones and drive them away.
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 9285-9290
quote_or_summary: The Sidhe people say three ravens come from the north each year
and each raven carries off a boy during the young lads' hurling.
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 9291-9296
quote_or_summary: At daylight, the Tuatha de Danaan gather for hurling and are supplied
with chessboards, other game boards, harps, and pipes.
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 9297-9303
quote_or_summary: The ravens come over the sea, perch on the great tree of power
on the green, and screech so terribly that the gathering loses courage.
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 9304-9308
quote_or_summary: Cascorach kills one raven with a chessman, and Fermaise and Caoilte
kill the second and third in the same way.
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 9309-9320
quote_or_summary: Caoilte asks for his cure because he has paid his fee; Ilbrec
agrees and tells Bebind to take him to a hidden place and cure him, with Cascorach
making music and Fermaise guarding 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:7
type: summary
locator: lines 9321-9330
quote_or_summary: In the House of Arms, Bebind prepares a healing bed, mixes bruised
herbs into water in a pale-gold bowl, gives Caoilte five drinks that expel spear-poison,
then gives him new milk; he is weak for three days and nights.
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 9331-9341
quote_or_summary: Bebind says Caoilte has relief; a washing associated with Flann,
daughter of Flidais, is done for his head; the people of the hill visit him, entertain
him, and bring him the best of their hunting.
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 9342-9352
quote_or_summary: Music is heard coming from the waters of Ess Ruadh; the others
go out, while Caoilte notices his strength has not returned and weeps because
he cannot join them.
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 9353-9365
quote_or_summary: The music is identified as Uaine from the Sidhe hill at the Wave
of Cliodna, with birds of the Land of Promise; she visits Sidhe hills yearly,
and the birds enter, perch, and sing with Cascorach's harp.
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 9366-9369
quote_or_summary: Bebind heals Caoilte's thigh, and her serving people suck what
is bad from the wound until it is healed.
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 9370-9372
quote_or_summary: After three nights, the hill people swim in the stream; Caoilte
joins because his health has returned, and a feast is made that night.
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: high
notes: Literal extraction is well supported by the supplied passage. Motif labels
are candidate-level and need review, especially taxonomy assignment for sacred_exchange.
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: |-
No comparison claims were added because the passage itself does not explicitly compare this episode with another corpus or motif tradition.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg__l9275-l9372
passage_sha256=51b36a9d34d1402dbab0843a054c7836d346af19bf08f17c5795844473063106