batch.motif.celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg-l10120-l10221
---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg-l10120-l10221
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
passage_locator:
label: XVIII / HERE NOW IS TOLD THE MISTHROW AT BELACH EOIN. / HERE NOW FOLLOWETH
THE DISGUISING OF TAMON / HERE NOW COMETH THE HEAD-PLACE OF FERCHU; lines 10120-10221
start: '10120'
end: '10221'
translation: The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Tain Bo Cualnge
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Ferdiad wakes troubled before dawn, fearing the coming combat with Cuchulain
but also unwilling to break his pledge to Medb and Ailill. His charioteer urges
him not to go, while Ferdiad insists on going to the ford. He says farewell toward
the men of Erin; Medb and Ailill discuss the likely outcome. Ferdiad reaches the
ford and, finding Cuchulain absent, claims that Cuchulain has left because a worthy
warrior is coming.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Ferdiad sleeps heavily at first, then wakes before morning with anxiety about
the combat.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Ferdiad is troubled by the possibility of losing treasures and the maiden
if he does not fight one man, and by the alternative of fighting six champions
the next day.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Ferdiad believes that if he appears at the ford to Cuchulain, he will not
retain head or life afterward.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:4
text: Ferdiad orders his charioteer to yoke the horses and chariot.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The charioteer tries to dissuade Ferdiad from the journey.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: Ferdiad refuses the charioteer's interference and says he is bound by a promise
made to Medb and Ailill before the men of Erin.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:7
text: Ferdiad says he would almost rather fall by Cuchulain's hand than have Cuchulain
fall by his.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:8
text: Ferdiad says that if Cuchulain falls by his hand, Medb and many of the men
of Erin will later fall by Ferdiad's hand because of the pledge they extorted
from him while he was drunken and merry.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:9
text: In verse, Ferdiad urges haste to battle at the ford and speaks of wounding
and killing Cuchulain.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:10
text: In verse, the henchman says staying would be better, predicts death-sickness
for one, and says the parting will be sad.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:11
text: Ferdiad's horses are brought out, the chariot is hitched, and he sets out
for the ford before full daylight.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:12
text: Ferdiad has the servant turn the horses and chariot three times toward the
men of Erin to make a farewell.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:13
text: Medb says the man making the greeting will not come back on the same feet.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:14
text: Ailill says he would be pleased if Cuchulain fell by Ferdiad's hand and if
both combatants fell, though he would prefer Ferdiad to escape.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:15
text: Ferdiad arrives at the ford of combat and asks whether Cuchulain is there.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:16
text: The gilla reports that Cuchulain is not on the ford, and Ferdiad says Cuchulain
has left after hearing that a good warrior is coming.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Ferdiad
description: Warrior who prepares to meet Cuchulain at the ford of combat and insists
on keeping his pledge to Medb and Ailill.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Cuchulain
description: Warrior whom Ferdiad expects to meet at the ford; Ferdiad fears death
by him and later finds him absent from the ford.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Ferdiad's charioteer / gilla / henchman / servant
description: Attendant who yokes or manages the horses and chariot, warns Ferdiad
against the journey, and reports that Cuchulain is not on the ford.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Medb
description: Ruler associated with the pledge Ferdiad says was extorted from him;
she predicts that he will not return on the same feet.
role_refs:
- role:6
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Ailill
description: Ruler associated with Ferdiad's pledge; he discusses the desirable
outcomes of Ferdiad's combat with Cuchulain.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: men of Erin
description: Collective before whom Ferdiad says his promise was made and toward
whom he makes farewell before going to the ford.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Badb
description: Named in Ferdiad's verse as one who will shriek over the ford.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: the maiden
description: A maiden mentioned among the things Ferdiad fears allowing to pass
from him if he does not fight.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
roles:
- id: role:1
label: pledge-bound combatant
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Ferdiad says it would shame him to break the promise made to Medb and Ailill
before the men of Erin.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:2
label: anxious warrior
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Ferdiad wakes troubled by the impending combat and fears losing head or life
if he appears to Cuchulain.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: departing warrior
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Ferdiad has his horses and chariot prepared, makes farewell, and travels
to the ford of combat.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:4
label: expected opponent at the ford
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Ferdiad prepares to meet Cuchulain in combat and asks whether Cuchulain is
on the ford.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: role:5
label: warning attendant
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The charioteer advises Ferdiad not to go and later states that Cuchulain
is not on the ford.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: role:6
label: pledge-holder or political sponsor
assigned_to:
- fig:4
- fig:5
basis: Ferdiad names Medb and Ailill as those to whom he made the promise, and Ailill
discusses the combat's political advantage.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: role:7
label: foreboding speaker
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Medb predicts that the man making farewell will not return on the same feet.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:8
label: witnessing host
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Ferdiad says his promise was made in the presence of the men of Erin and
later turns to bid them farewell.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: role:9
label: ominous named presence in battle verse
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Ferdiad's verse says that Badb will shriek over the ford.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:10
label: promised or contested maiden
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: Ferdiad worries about allowing the maiden, along with treasures, to pass
from him if he does not fight.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: ford of combat
literal_form: ford
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: sym:2
label: horses and chariot
literal_form: horses and chariot
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: sym:3
label: farewell turning three times
literal_form: thrice turning the horses and chariot toward the men of Erin
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:4
label: treasures and maiden
literal_form: treasures and the maiden
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:5
label: Badb's shriek
literal_form: Badb shrieking over the ford
associated_figures:
- fig:7
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:6
label: head or life
literal_form: head or life
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Ferdiad's anxious waking before combat
summary: Ferdiad wakes from heavy sleep before dawn, troubled by the combat, the
promised rewards, and the likelihood of death if he faces Cuchulain at the ford.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:4
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Charioteer's warning and Ferdiad's refusal
summary: Ferdiad orders his chariot readied; the charioteer warns him not to go,
but Ferdiad insists that his public pledge to Medb and Ailill cannot be broken.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Verse exchange on the way to battle
summary: Ferdiad sings of going quickly to the ford to fight and kill Cuchulain,
while the henchman answers with warnings of death and sorrow.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: Departure before daylight and farewell to the host
summary: Ferdiad's horses and chariot are prepared before full daylight; he has
the chariot turned three times toward the men of Erin to take farewell.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:5
label: Medb and Ailill interpret the farewell
summary: Medb tells Ailill that Ferdiad is taking farewell and predicts he will
not return as he left; Ailill weighs the benefits if Cuchulain, or both combatants,
fall.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:6
label: Arrival at the empty ford
summary: Ferdiad reaches the ford of combat, asks whether Cuchulain is present,
and after the gilla reports he is absent, says Cuchulain has left because a worthy
warrior is coming.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: warrior's fatal departure to single combat
taxonomy_refs:
- departure
basis: The passage centers on Ferdiad leaving before dawn for the ford of combat
despite explicit fears, ominous warnings, and farewell gestures.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: The taxonomy label 'departure' is broad; the passage does not complete
the combat within this excerpt.
- id: motif:2
label: attendant warns hero against doomed journey
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The charioteer repeatedly advises Ferdiad to remain, predicts death and sorrow,
and is overruled by Ferdiad's insistence on going.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: No external motif index is used; this is a passage-level pattern only.
- id: motif:3
label: public pledge compels dangerous combat
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Ferdiad says that breaking the promise made to Medb and Ailill before the
men of Erin would bring shame and be read as fear, even though he expects deadly
consequences.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The passage frames the pledge as socially coercive, but details of its
making are only summarized in Ferdiad's speech.
- id: motif:4
label: ominous farewell before battle
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Ferdiad turns the chariot three times toward the men of Erin to bid farewell,
and Medb interprets the act with a prediction that he will not return in the same
condition.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The exact ritual significance of the threefold turning is not explained
in the passage.
- id: motif:5
label: battle omen at the ford
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Ferdiad's verse locates the encounter at a ford over which Badb will shriek,
while the henchman predicts death-sickness and sad parting.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage names Badb and a shriek but does not explain her nature or
function.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 10120-10127
quote_or_summary: Ferdiad wakes before morning anxious about combat, the treasures
and maiden, the alternative of facing six champions, and his conviction that appearing
to Cuchulain at the ford will cost him head or life.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 10127-10143
quote_or_summary: Ferdiad orders the chariot yoked; the charioteer warns him not
to go. Ferdiad refuses interference, citing his promise to Medb and Ailill before
the men of Erin and the shame of appearing afraid.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 10144-10191
quote_or_summary: In a verse exchange, Ferdiad urges haste to battle at the ford
where Badb will shriek and speaks of killing Cuchulain; the henchman answers that
staying is better and warns of death and sorrow.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 10192-10195
quote_or_summary: Ferdiad's horses are brought out, his chariot is hitched, and
he sets out from camp for the ford of battle before full daylight.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 10195-10209
quote_or_summary: Ferdiad asks to bid farewell to the men of Erin; the servant turns
the horses and chariot toward them three times. Medb says he will not come back
on the same feet; Ailill hopes for Cuchulain's death, or both deaths, though he
prefers Ferdiad escape.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 10210-10221
quote_or_summary: Ferdiad reaches the ford of combat and asks if Cuchulain is present.
The gilla says he is not, and Ferdiad says Cuchulain has left after hearing that
a good warrior is coming.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Literal extraction is well supported by the supplied passage. Motif labels
are passage-level candidates and should be reviewed against a broader motif taxonomy.
No comparison claims were added because the passage itself does not explicitly
support a cross-text or cross-tradition comparison.
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 were applied only where the available broad motif family 'departure' was directly supportable.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg__l10120-l10221
passage_sha256=dd01660a56731cfca356a718d0b1c0d2b3e4e185f566112d7eb72dd01293a5f6