batch.motif.celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg-l11815-l11953
---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg-l11815-l11953
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 11815-11953
start: '11815'
end: '11953'
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: MacRoth is sent to watch for the Ulstermen and reports a lone chariot bearing
a naked, unarmoured man with an iron spit and a greyhound. Fergus identifies him
as Cethern son of Fintan and warns the leaders. Cethern attacks the camp, is gravely
wounded, and comes to Cuchulain for healing. Cuchulain has him laid on rushes
and compels the leeches of the men of Erin to come. The leeches are unwilling
to treat an enemy, and Cethern kills those who declare that he cannot live, until
fifteen leeches have fallen.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Cuchulain goes to bathe in the waters while the hosts move south and pitch
camp at Imorach Smiromrach.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The men of Erin send macRoth to keep watch at Sliab Fuait so that the Ulstermen
cannot approach unobserved.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: MacRoth sees a lone chariot coming from the north over Sliab Fuait toward
the host.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The man in the chariot is described as stark naked, without arms or armour
except for an iron spit in his hand.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The chariot man prods both his driver and his horses, and a brindled greyhound
is reported before him.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: Fergus identifies the approaching man as Cethern son of Fintan and tells the
leaders to be on guard against him.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: Cethern attacks the camp and wounds people in every direction, while he is
also wounded by them.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: After leaving the fight, Cethern’s chariot front-guard presses against his
belly to keep his entrails and vitals inside, and his intestines are wound around
his legs.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: Cethern comes to Cuchulain and asks for a leech to heal and cure him.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: Cuchulain has compassion on Cethern’s wounds, and a bed of fresh rushes with
a pillow is made for him.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:11
text: Cuchulain sends Laeg to summon the leeches of the men of Erin and threatens
death, destruction, and slaughter if they do not come to minister to Cethern.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:12
text: The leeches are unwilling to cure Cethern because he is their adversary and
enemy, but they fear Cuchulain’s threat and go.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:13
text: Cethern shows each leech his stabs, cuts, sores, and bloody wounds.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:14
text: When a leech says Cethern will not live, Cethern replies that the leech will
not live for saying so and strikes him dead.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:15
text: The passage states that fifteen leeches of the men of Erin are killed by Cethern,
and names Ithall as the fifteenth leech.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Cuchulain
description: Warrior at whose location Cethern seeks healing; he orders Laeg to
summon the leeches and threatens them if they do not come.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: macRoth
description: Chief runner sent by the men of Erin to keep watch at Sliab Fuait;
he reports the approaching chariot.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Ailill
description: Leader present at the fort who asks macRoth for tidings.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Medb
description: Leader present with Ailill, Fergus, and the nobles of the men of Erin;
Ithall is later described as leech of Ailill and Medb.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:8
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Fergus
description: Figure consulted by Ailill; he identifies the approaching man as Cethern
son of Fintan and warns the others.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Cethern son of Fintan
description: Naked, unarmoured chariot warrior carrying an iron spit; he attacks
the camp, is gravely wounded, seeks healing, and kills leeches who say he will
not live.
role_refs:
- role:5
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:7
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Laeg
description: Cuchulain’s servant or charioteer addressed as master Laeg; he is sent
to the camp of the men of Erin to summon the leeches.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: leeches of the men of Erin
description: Physicians summoned to cure Cethern; they are unwilling to cure an
enemy but come out of fear of Cuchulain and are killed when they declare Cethern
cannot live.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Ithall
description: Leech of Ailill and Medb, named as the fifteenth leech who falls lifeless
from a blow.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: men of Erin
description: The host and camp who send macRoth to watch, receive the warning, are
attacked by Cethern, and include the leeches summoned by Cuchulain.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:6
roles:
- id: role:1
label: watchman and reporter
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: macRoth is sent to keep guard at Sliab Fuait and returns to report what he
sees.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:2
label: identifier and warner
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Fergus identifies the approaching man as Cethern and warns the leaders to
be on guard.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: camp leader
assigned_to:
- fig:3
- fig:4
basis: Ailill and Medb are present among the leaders of the men of Erin; Ailill
questions macRoth, and Ithall is their leech.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:8
- id: role:4
label: protector compelling treatment
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Cuchulain takes pity on Cethern and threatens the leeches unless they come
to treat him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:5
label: wounded attacking warrior
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Cethern attacks the camp, wounds people around him, is wounded in return,
and later seeks healing.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:6
label: killer of physicians
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Cethern kills leeches who say he cannot live.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: role:7
label: messenger summoning healers
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Laeg is ordered by Cuchulain to go to the camp and summon the leeches.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:8
label: reluctant enemy healer
assigned_to:
- fig:8
- fig:9
basis: The leeches do not wish to cure their enemy but come because they fear Cuchulain’s
threat.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:8
- id: role:9
label: host and opposing camp
assigned_to:
- fig:10
basis: The men of Erin are the camp that sends macRoth, receives the warning, and
is attacked by Cethern.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: waters
literal_form: waters in which Cuchulain bathes
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: lone chariot
literal_form: a single chariot coming from the north over Sliab Fuait
associated_figures:
- fig:6
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: iron spit
literal_form: iron spit held by the naked chariot warrior as his only equipment
associated_figures:
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:4
label: brindled greyhound
literal_form: brindled greyhound before the approaching chariot warrior
associated_figures:
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:5
label: exposed entrails
literal_form: entrails and vitals kept in by the chariot front-guard; intestines
wound around the legs
associated_figures:
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:6
label: rush bed
literal_form: bed of fresh rushes with a pillow made for wounded Cethern
associated_figures:
- fig:6
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: MacRoth keeps watch and sees the chariot
summary: MacRoth is sent to Sliab Fuait to watch for Ulstermen and sees a lone chariot
from the north bearing a naked man with an iron spit and a greyhound.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:6
- fig:10
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Report and identification before the leaders
summary: MacRoth reports the sight to Ailill, Medb, Fergus, and the nobles; Fergus
identifies the man as Cethern son of Fintan and warns them.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Cethern attacks the camp and is grievously wounded
summary: Cethern falls on the camp, wounds people on every side, is wounded in return,
and leaves with his entrails barely held in.
figure_refs:
- fig:6
- fig:10
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Cuchulain arranges treatment for Cethern
summary: Cethern reaches Cuchulain and asks for healing; Cuchulain has him placed
on rushes and sends Laeg to compel the leeches to come.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:6
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:5
label: Cethern kills the pessimistic leeches
summary: As the leeches examine Cethern’s wounds and declare that he will not live,
he strikes them dead; the passage states that fifteen leeches fall.
figure_refs:
- fig:6
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: ominous lone warrior approaching a camp
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: A single chariot approaches from the north bearing a strange naked warrior
with an iron spit and a greyhound, prompting report, identification, and warning.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents the episode as a battlefield encounter, not as an
explicitly supernatural omen.
- id: motif:2
label: severely wounded warrior continuing after evisceration
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: After the attack, Cethern travels with his entrails and vitals outside or
barely held in, and his intestines wound about his legs.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: No death-and-return or resurrection is completed within this passage.
- id: motif:3
label: enemy healers compelled to treat a foe
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The leeches of the men of Erin are unwilling to cure Cethern because he is
their enemy, but Cuchulain threatens them into coming.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: The passage frames the coercion as Cuchulain’s threat rather than as a
formal sacred exchange.
- id: motif:4
label: fatal prognosis punished by the patient
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Each healer who says Cethern will not live is struck dead by Cethern, leading
to the deaths of fifteen leeches.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The motif is based on repeated action in this passage; no broader comparative
link is asserted here.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 11815-11825
quote_or_summary: Cuchulain bathes in the waters; the hosts camp at Imorach Smiromrach;
the men of Erin send macRoth to keep watch at Sliab Fuait for any Ulster approach.
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 11826-11850
quote_or_summary: MacRoth sees and reports a lone chariot from the north; the man
in it is stark naked, unarmoured, carries only an iron spit, prods driver and
horses, and has a brindled greyhound before him.
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 11851-11865
quote_or_summary: Ailill asks Fergus who the man may be; Fergus says it is likely
Cethern son of Fintan from the north and warns them to be on guard.
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 11866-11882
quote_or_summary: Cethern attacks the camp, wounds people all around, is wounded
in return, and departs with the chariot front-guard holding his entrails in while
his intestines are wound around his legs.
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 11883-11908
quote_or_summary: Cethern comes to Cuchulain to be healed; Cuchulain pities him,
has a rush bed made, and orders Laeg to summon the leeches, threatening death
and destruction if they do not minister to Cethern.
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 11909-11922
quote_or_summary: Laeg summons the leeches of the men of Erin; they are unwilling
to cure an adversary and enemy, but fear Cuchulain’s threatened violence and go.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 11923-11945
quote_or_summary: Cethern shows his wounds to each leech; when a leech says he will
not live, Cethern says the leech will not live for it and strikes him dead. The
passage states that fifteen leeches fall by Cethern.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 11946-11953
quote_or_summary: The fifteenth leech is struck by only the tip of a blow yet falls
lifeless among the other physicians; his name is Ithall, leech of Ailill and Medb.
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: Narrative actions and figures are explicit in the supplied passage. Motif
labels are descriptive and not linked to external traditions because the passage
itself does not support a specific 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: |-
No comparison claims were added because the passage does not itself make or support a cautious cross-tradition comparison.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg__l11815-l11953
passage_sha256=624fc59de6dcf02fccf0130a97d0b60c8079a0c9502248203d16bfff0e038a83