batch.motif.celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg-l7121-l7265
---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg-l7121-l7265
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
passage_locator:
label: THE YOUTHFUL EXPLOITS OF CUCHULAIN / THE SLAYING OF ORLAM / THE PROPOSALS
/ THE DEATH OF FORGEMEN; lines 7121-7265
start: '7121'
end: '7265'
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: Laeg visits Lugaid as Cuchulain's messenger. Lugaid reports that Ferbaeth
has been killed and that his brother Larine is being induced to fight Cuchulain
so that Larine's death might provoke Lugaid into vengeance. Lugaid meets Cuchulain
at Glen Ferbaeth and asks him, by their fellowship and fosterage, not to kill
Larine. Cuchulain agrees not to kill him but says he will inflict something near
death. Back in camp, Larine is entertained beside Finnabair; Medb praises the
pair, and Ailill promises Finnabair to Larine if he brings Cuchulain's head. Larine
agrees and reacts with joy.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Laeg goes to Lugaid's tent and says he has come from Cuchulain to ask whether
Ferbaeth was struck down and who will fight Cuchulain the next morning.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Lugaid says Ferbaeth is dead and explains that his own brother Larine is being
persuaded to fight Cuchulain, with the expectation that Larine will fall and Lugaid
will be drawn into vengeance.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Lugaid and Cuchulain meet at Glen Ferbaeth, where the two champions welcome
one another and hold a parley.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Lugaid asks Cuchulain, by their fellowship and mutual rearing, not to kill
Larine and not to leave him brotherless.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: Cuchulain says he will not kill Larine but will inflict the next thing to
death; Lugaid gives leave for Larine to be beaten sorely.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: Lugaid returns to the camp so the men of Erin will not say he is betraying
or forsaking them by remaining with Cuchulain.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: The next day Larine is summoned to Ailill and Medb's tent, Finnabair is placed
beside him, fills drinking-horns for him, kisses him with each draught, and serves
him food.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:8
text: Medb praises Finnabair and Larine as a fitting pair; Ailill says Larine shall
have Finnabair if he brings him Cuchulain's head; Larine agrees and shakes with
joy.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Laeg
description: Cuchulain's messenger who goes to Lugaid's tent and later returns to
Cuchulain.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Lugaid
description: Friend, companion, and foster-brother of Cuchulain; brother of Larine;
he seeks to prevent Cuchulain from killing Larine.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Cuchulain
description: Champion whom Ferbaeth has fought and whom Larine is to fight; he agrees
not to kill Larine but to punish him severely.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Larine son of Nos
description: Lugaid's brother, described as a foolish and haughty youth who agrees
to fight Cuchulain and later accepts the condition of bringing Cuchulain's head
for Finnabair.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Ferbaeth
description: A combatant whose death has occurred before the passage's main parley;
Laeg asks whether he was smitten, and Lugaid says he fell dead.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Ailill
description: Ruler in whose tent Larine is summoned; he promises Finnabair to Larine
on condition that Larine brings Cuchulain's head.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Medb
description: Ruler who observes Larine and Finnabair together and says it would
be fitting to bring them together.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Finnabair
description: Medb's daughter, placed beside Larine; she serves him drink and food
and is promised to him if he brings Cuchulain's head.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
roles:
- id: role:1
label: messenger or envoy
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Laeg states that he has come from Cuchulain to speak with Lugaid and later
returns to Cuchulain.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:2
label: foster-brother and intercessor
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Lugaid is described as Cuchulain's friend, companion, and foster-brother,
and he pleads that Cuchulain spare Larine.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: champion and intended opponent
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The passage repeatedly identifies Cuchulain as the one Larine is being sent
to fight and whose head is demanded.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- id: role:4
label: induced challenger and brother at risk
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Larine is Lugaid's brother, is persuaded to fight Cuchulain, and is expected
by the planners to fall at Cuchulain's hands.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:5
label: recently slain combatant
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Lugaid says Ferbaeth fell dead in the valley a short time before.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:6
label: rulers and condition-setters
assigned_to:
- fig:6
- fig:7
basis: Larine is brought to Ailill and Medb's tent; Medb proposes the pairing with
Finnabair, and Ailill sets the condition of Cuchulain's head.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:7
label: marriage reward or inducement
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: Finnabair is placed beside Larine, serves him, and is promised to him if
he brings Cuchulain's head.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Glen Ferbaeth as parley place
literal_form: Glen Ferbaeth, the named location where Lugaid and Cuchulain meet
for a tryst and parley
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: drinking-horns and repeated kisses
literal_form: drinking-horns filled by Finnabair, with a kiss given to Larine at
each draught
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:3
label: Cuchulain's head as demanded trophy
literal_form: the head of Cuchulain, named by Ailill as the condition for Larine
receiving Finnabair
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:6
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Laeg's embassy to Lugaid
summary: Laeg visits Lugaid, reports that he comes from Cuchulain, asks about Ferbaeth's
death and the next challenger, and hears Lugaid's account of the plan involving
Larine.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Parley at Glen Ferbaeth
summary: Lugaid goes by chariot to meet Cuchulain at Glen Ferbaeth, welcomes him,
and asks that Larine not be killed because of their foster-brotherhood.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Cuchulain's limited promise and Lugaid's return
summary: Cuchulain promises not to kill Larine but to inflict a near-fatal punishment;
Lugaid consents to a severe beating and returns to camp to avoid suspicion.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Larine entertained and promised Finnabair
summary: Larine is summoned to Ailill and Medb's tent, attended by Finnabair, and
promised Finnabair if he brings Cuchulain's head; Larine accepts with visible
joy.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:6
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: foster-kinship invoked to restrain lethal violence
taxonomy_refs:
- covenant
basis: Lugaid invokes fellowship and mutual rearing with Cuchulain to request that
Larine not be killed, and Cuchulain agrees not to kill him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage states a social bond and promise, not a formal sacred covenant;
the taxonomy match is approximate.
- id: motif:2
label: engineered kin-vengeance through a doomed challenger
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Lugaid explains that Larine is being sent against Cuchulain so that Larine
may fall and Lugaid may be provoked to avenge him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The passage reports the plot through Lugaid's speech; it does not show
the later combat outcome in this excerpt.
- id: motif:3
label: bride offered in exchange for the hero's head
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: Ailill says Larine shall have Finnabair if he brings Cuchulain's head, and
Larine accepts.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The exchange is political and martial in the passage; it is not explicitly
described as sacred.
- id: motif:4
label: nonlethal but near-fatal heroic punishment
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Cuchulain says he will not kill Larine, but will inflict the next thing to
death, and Lugaid permits a severe beating.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The actual infliction of the punishment lies beyond the provided excerpt.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 7121-7163
quote_or_summary: Laeg visits Lugaid as Cuchulain's messenger; Lugaid says Ferbaeth
has fallen dead and that his brother Larine is being persuaded to fight Cuchulain
so Larine may die and Lugaid be drawn into vengeance.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source metadata; Project Gutenberg text.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 7164-7206
quote_or_summary: Lugaid travels to Glen Ferbaeth to meet Cuchulain; the champions
welcome each other, and Lugaid asks Cuchulain, by their fellowship and mutual
rearing, not to kill Larine or leave him brotherless.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source metadata; Project Gutenberg text.
- id: ev:3
type: quote
locator: lines 7207-7216
quote_or_summary: Cuchulain says, "kill him I will not," but that he will give Larine
the next thing to death; Lugaid replies that it would please him if Larine were
beaten sorely.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source metadata; Project Gutenberg text.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 7217-7223
quote_or_summary: Cuchulain returns, and Lugaid goes back to camp lest the men of
Erin say he is betraying or forsaking them by remaining in parley.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source metadata; Project Gutenberg text.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 7224-7238
quote_or_summary: The next day Larine is summoned to Ailill and Medb's tent; Finnabair
is placed by him, fills his drinking-horns, kisses him with each draught, and
serves him food.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source metadata; Project Gutenberg text.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 7239-7265
quote_or_summary: Medb says Finnabair and Larine would be fitting together; Ailill
says Larine shall have Finnabair if he brings Cuchulain's head; Larine agrees
and shakes with joy.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source metadata; Project Gutenberg text.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Literal events and figures are clear in the provided passage. Motif labels
are cautious and partly interpretive, especially where mapped to available taxonomy
terms.
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 support comparison to another text, tradition, or external motif family beyond internal candidate motifs.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg__l7121-l7265
passage_sha256=e70ae5ecdb41311dc5e01adbfb083d2d14b073f26a179485c5d2fd8b7deae57f