batch.motif.celtic-irish-heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy-gutenberg-l10810-l10928
---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-irish-heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy-gutenberg-l10810-l10928
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
passage_locator:
label: INTRODUCTION / THE RAID FOR DARTAID'S CATTLE / THE RAID FOR DARTAID'S CATTLE
/ LITERAL TRANSLATION; lines 10810-10928
start: '10810'
end: '10928'
translation: Heroic Romances of Ireland
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Eocho Bec, king of Cliu, is summoned by messengers from Ailill and Medb.
In a dream or night vision, a woman from Sid Cuillne, accompanied by a young man,
counsels him and promises him honor, horses, and equipment from the Side. In the
morning supernatural horses, garments, and gear appear. Eocho travels with his
fosterlings to Cruachan, is hosted by Ailill and Medb, and is asked for milch-cows
to sustain the men of Ireland in the cattle expedition from Cualgne. Eocho agrees
to provide cattle from those under his lordship. On the return journey Eocho's
party meets the sons of Glaschu; a combat follows, and the forty sons of kings
around Eocho are killed.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Eocho Bec is described as the son of Corpre, king of Cliu, dwelling in the
Dun of Cuillne with forty fosterlings who are sons of the kings of Munster and
forty milch-cows for their sustenance.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Ailill and Medb send messengers asking Eocho to come to a conference.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: At night Eocho sees a woman and a young man attending her approach him; the
woman says they dwell in Sid Cuillne and have come to give him counsel.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: The woman says the counsel will bring Eocho honor and renown and that fifty
horsemen are suitable for him.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: The woman promises fifty black horses with gold and silver bridles, fifty
sets of equipment of the Side, and the participation of Eocho's foster-children.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:6
text: In the morning Eocho's people see fifty black horses, gold and silver bridles,
silver breeches with gold embellishment, youths' garments edged with spun gold,
fifty white horses with red ears and purple-red tails and manes, and whips of
white bronze with gold end pieces.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:7
text: Eocho prepares for the journey and departs with the equipment to Cruachan
Ai; his troop is described as splendid and impressive.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:8
text: At Cruachan, Ailill identifies Eocho Bec, welcomes the party into the royal
house, and they remain three days and nights at feasting.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:9
text: Ailill says he invited Eocho because he needs a gift of milking-kine for the
sustenance of the men of Ireland in bringing the cattle from Cualgne.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:10
text: Eocho states that his forty cows support his forty fosterlings, and that seven
times twenty milch-cows supply his own needs.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:11
text: Ailill asks for one cow from each farmer under Eocho's lordship and offers
assistance if Eocho is oppressed by superior might; Eocho agrees that they shall
come that day.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: obs:12
text: After three days and nights of hospitality, Eocho's party departs homeward,
meets the sons of Glaschu from Irross Donnan, and fights them.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: obs:13
text: The forty sons of kings around Eocho Bec fall in the combat, and news of their
deaths spreads through Ireland.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Eocho Bec
description: Son of Corpre, king of Cliu, dwelling at the Dun of Cuillne; he is
summoned by Ailill and Medb, receives counsel and equipment, travels to Cruachan,
and later loses the kings' sons around him in combat.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:7
- ev:9
- ev:13
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: woman from Sid Cuillne
description: A woman who appears to Eocho at night, says she dwells in Sid Cuillne,
gives counsel, and promises horses and equipment from the Side.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: young man attendant
description: A young man attending the woman who approaches Eocho at night.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Ailill
description: A ruler who, with Medb, summons Eocho, hosts him at Cruachan, and asks
him for milking-kine to sustain the men of Ireland.
role_refs:
- role:5
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:11
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Medb
description: A ruler who, with Ailill, sends messengers to Eocho and gives hospitality
at Cruachan.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:8
- ev:12
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: forty fosterlings / sons of the kings of Munster
description: Forty sons of Munster kings fostered by Eocho; they accompany him and
are killed in the later combat.
role_refs:
- role:7
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- ev:13
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: sons of Glaschu
description: A group from Irross Donnan who meet Eocho's party on the return journey
and fight them.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: messengers of Ailill and Medb
description: Messengers sent by Ailill and Medb to ask Eocho to come to a conference.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
roles:
- id: role:1
label: king and host of fosterlings
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Eocho is named king of Cliu and is described as dwelling with forty fosterlings
and milch-cows for their sustenance.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: summoned traveler
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: He is asked by messengers to come to a conference and later departs to Cruachan
Ai.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:7
- id: role:3
label: otherworldly counselor and provider
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: She says she comes from Sid Cuillne to give counsel and promises horses and
equipment of the Side.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:4
label: attendant
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The young man is described as being in the woman's attendance.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:5
label: summoning ruler and host
assigned_to:
- fig:4
- fig:5
basis: Ailill and Medb send for Eocho and later host his party at Cruachan.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:8
- ev:12
- id: role:6
label: requester of cattle aid
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Ailill asks Eocho for milking-kine to sustain the men of Ireland.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:11
- id: role:7
label: fostered princely companions
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: They are the fosterlings of Eocho, sons of the kings of Munster, and accompany
him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- id: role:8
label: fallen youths
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The forty sons of kings around Eocho fall in the combat.
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
- id: role:9
label: combat opponents
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: The sons of Glaschu meet Eocho's party and fight with them.
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: role:10
label: summoning messengers
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: They are sent by Ailill and Medb asking Eocho to attend a conference.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Sid Cuillne
literal_form: fairy mound of Cuillne
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:2
label: otherworldly horse equipment
literal_form: fifty black horses, bridles of gold and silver, equipment of the Side,
garments and whips
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: sym:3
label: white horses with red ears
literal_form: fifty white horses with red ears and purple-red tails and manes
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:4
label: milch-cows for sustenance
literal_form: milch-cows used to sustain fosterlings, Eocho, and the men of Ireland
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs:
- milk
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
- id: sym:5
label: gold and silver adornment
literal_form: gold and silver bridles, silver breeches with gold embellishment,
garments edged with spun gold, and gold whip end pieces
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Summons to conference
summary: Ailill and Medb send messengers to Eocho Bec asking him to come to a conference;
Eocho says he will go.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:8
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Night visitation from Sid Cuillne
summary: Eocho sees a woman with a young male attendant at night. She says she comes
from Sid Cuillne to give counsel that will bring him honor and renown.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Supernatural provisioning
summary: The woman promises horses and equipment of the Side. In the morning Eocho's
people find richly adorned horses, clothing, and gear at the castle gate.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:4
label: Journey and reception at Cruachan
summary: Eocho prepares and travels with the impressive equipment to Cruachan Ai,
where Ailill and Medb receive and feast the party.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: scene:5
label: Request for milch-cows
summary: Ailill explains that he needs milking-kine to sustain the men of Ireland
in the cattle expedition from Cualgne. Eocho describes his own cattle obligations
and agrees to provide one cow from each farmer under his lordship in exchange
for promised aid.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
- id: scene:6
label: Return combat and deaths
summary: After hospitality, Eocho's party departs homeward, encounters the sons
of Glaschu, fights them, and the forty sons of kings around Eocho are killed.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- ev:13
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: otherworldly visitor gives counsel and equipment
taxonomy_refs:
- mystical_quest
basis: A woman from Sid Cuillne appears at night, gives counsel for Eocho's journey,
and promises equipment of the Side that appears the next morning.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage presents the visit and gifts literally within the tale, but
does not explicitly call the journey a quest.
- id: motif:2
label: heroic departure with supernatural equipment
taxonomy_refs:
- departure
basis: After the night counsel and the appearance of horses and gear, Eocho prepares
and departs to Cruachan with an impressive troop.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: The passage describes a formal journey to a conference rather than an
exile or quest departure.
- id: motif:3
label: cattle gift exchanged for political protection
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: Ailill asks Eocho for cattle as a gift and offers future assistance if Eocho
is oppressed by superior might; Eocho agrees.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:11
confidence: medium
cautions: The exchange is political and material in the passage; any sacred dimension
is not explicit.
- id: motif:4
label: death of fostered princely companions after a summons and journey
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The forty fosterlings, sons of kings, accompany Eocho and are later killed
in combat on the return journey.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- ev:12
- ev:13
confidence: high
cautions: No available taxonomy reference directly matches this pattern.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The passage explicitly links Eocho's cattle-gift episode to the wider cattle-from-Cualgne
expedition by having Ailill request milking-kine for the sustenance of the men
of Ireland involved in bringing the cattle from Cualgne.
claim_level: same_function
target: cattle-from-Cualgne raid tradition / Cualgne cattle expedition
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: The claim is limited to the passage's explicit reference to the Cualgne
cattle expedition and does not infer historical development or textual dependence
beyond that reference.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 10810-10819
quote_or_summary: Eocho Bec, son of Corpre and king of Cliu, dwells in the Dun of
Cuillne with forty fosterlings, all sons of Munster kings, and forty milch-cows
for their sustenance.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 10818-10823
quote_or_summary: Ailill and Medb send messengers asking Eocho to come to a conference;
Eocho says he will go and the messengers depart.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 10835-10847
quote_or_summary: At night Eocho sees a woman and a young man in her attendance;
she says they dwell in Sid Cuillne and have come to give him counsel.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:4
type: quote
locator: lines 10848-10854
quote_or_summary: The woman says the counsel will bring Eocho “honour and renown”
and says that “Fifty horsemen” is the suitable number for him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; short excerpt used for evidence.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 10860-10866
quote_or_summary: The woman promises that in the morning fifty black horses with
gold and silver bridles, fifty sets of equipment of the Side, and Eocho's foster-children
will go with him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 10868-10878
quote_or_summary: In the morning the party sees black horses, gold and silver bridles,
silver and gold clothing, white horses with red ears and purple-red tails and
manes, and white-bronze whips with gold end pieces.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 10888-10893
quote_or_summary: Eocho prepares and departs with the equipment to Cruachan Ai;
the people are nearly overcome by the troop's impressive appearance.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 10894-10901
quote_or_summary: Ailill asks who the man is; Eocho is identified as king of Cliu.
They enter the royal house, are welcomed, and remain three days and nights feasting.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 10905-10910
quote_or_summary: Ailill says he invited Eocho to obtain a gift because he needs
milking-kine to sustain the men of Ireland for bringing the cattle from Cualgne.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 10912-10917
quote_or_summary: Eocho says there is no surplus of cows in his land because forty
cows supply his fosterlings and seven times twenty milch-cows supply his own needs.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:11
type: summary
locator: lines 10919-10923
quote_or_summary: Ailill asks for one cow from each farmer under Eocho's lordship
and offers future assistance; Eocho agrees that the cattle shall come that day.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:12
type: summary
locator: lines 10925-10928
quote_or_summary: After three days and nights of hospitality, Eocho's party departs
homeward, meets the sons of Glaschu from Irross Donnan, and fights with them.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from provided passage.
- id: ev:13
type: summary
locator: lines 10928-10928
quote_or_summary: In that place the forty sons of kings around Eocho Bec fall, and
news spreads across Ireland that the youths of Munster died sorrowing for the
princes' deaths.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from provided passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: Literal narrative details are clear in the supplied passage. Motif labels
are cautious, especially where the available taxonomy only approximately matches
the cattle exchange and otherworldly-equipment patterns.
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: |-
Used only the supplied passage and metadata. Taxonomy references are limited to the provided available lists.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-irish-heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy-gutenberg__l10810-l10928
passage_sha256=17c42ed9fe8c21ca8ad785d7d6db3723491869ed412dd535f05da04a4b8af782