batch.motif.celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg-l8457-l8532
---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg-l8457-l8532
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
passage_locator:
label: THE PROPOSALS / THE DEATH OF FORGEMEN / THE GREAT ROUT ON THE PLAIN OF MURTHEMNE
FOLLOWETH HERE BELOW / THE SCYTHED CHARIOT; lines 8457-8532
start: '8457'
end: '8532'
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: Cuchulain arms himself with protective leather garments, numerous weapons,
a sharp-rimmed shield, a supernatural helmet, and magical concealment and protection-gifts.
He then undergoes his first twisting-fit and rage, in which his body violently
distorts into a terrible many-shaped form.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The warrior puts on a battle-girdle made from seven yearling ox-hides, described
as protection against spears, points, irons, lances, and arrows.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: He puts on silken trews, a brown leather kilt, and a battle-girdle of cow-skins
beneath his outer gear.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: He takes sets of weapons including eight little swords, a straightsword, a
quiver, eight little spears, a five-pronged spear, eight little darts, a javelin,
eight little shafts, a play-staff, eight shields, and a dark-red bent-shield.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: The dark-red bent-shield has a sharp iron rim and can be used in an edge-feat
like a spear or sword.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: He puts on a crested war-helm adorned with carbuncle-gems, from which the
cry of a hundred young warriors is uttered from its corners.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: Fiends, goblins, sprites of the glens, and demons of the air are described
as screaming before, above, and around him when he goes forth for bloodshed.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: A veil of concealment from Tir Tairngire is thrown over him; it had been brought
as a gift by Manannan son of Ler from the king of Tir na Sorcha.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:8
text: A purple-red fan is placed before his face; he can see through, over, and
past it, and no one wounds him through, over, or past it.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: Cuchulain undergoes his first twisting-fit and rage, making a terrible, many-shaped
thing of himself.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:10
text: During the twisting-fit, his flesh trembles, his body whirls within his hide,
his lower limbs shift position, and sinews and lumps rise on his head and neck.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Cuchulain
description: The royal hero, king-hero, king-warrior, and young warrior who arms
himself and undergoes the twisting-fit.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Manannan son of Ler
description: Named as the one who brought the veil of concealment as a gift.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: King of Tir na Sorcha
description: The king of the Land of Light, from whom the veil of concealment was
brought as a gift.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Fiends, goblins, sprites, and demons
description: Supernatural beings said to scream before, above, and around Cuchulain
when he goes forth for bloodshed.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
roles:
- id: role:1
label: Armed champion
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Cuchulain puts on armor and takes numerous weapons before combat.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:2
label: Bearer of supernatural protective equipment
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: He wears or carries the war-helm, veil of concealment, and protective fan.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:3
label: Gift-bringer
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Manannan son of Ler is said to have brought the veil of concealment as a
gift.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:4
label: Source of magical gift
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The veil is said to have been brought from the king of Tir na Sorcha.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:5
label: Battle-rage transformer
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Cuchulain’s first twisting-fit and rage make a terrible many-shaped form
of him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:6
label: Supernatural screamers around the warrior
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The beings scream before, above, and around him when he goes forth for bloodshed.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Battle-girdle of seven ox-hides
literal_form: Protective leather girdle made from the forequarters of seven yearling
ox-hides.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: Repeated sets of eight weapons and shields
literal_form: Eight little swords, spears, darts, shafts, and shields are listed
among the warrior’s arms.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: Sharp-rimmed dark-red shield
literal_form: A dark-red bent-shield with a razor-like iron rim, able to cut in
battle-feats.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:4
label: Crying war-helm
literal_form: A crested war-helm with carbuncle-gems that utters the cry of a hundred
young warriors.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:5
label: Veil of concealment
literal_form: A garment from Tir Tairngire brought as a gift by Manannan from the
king of Tir na Sorcha.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:6
label: Purple-red protective fan
literal_form: A fair purple-red fan before the face that allows sight while preventing
wounds past, through, or over it.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:7
label: Many-shaped battle body
literal_form: Cuchulain’s body distorted by the twisting-fit and rage.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Arming of Cuchulain
summary: Cuchulain puts on layered protective garments and takes numerous swords,
spears, darts, shafts, shields, and other arms.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:2
label: Supernatural protection and war-noise
summary: Cuchulain dons a gemmed war-helm associated with supernatural screams and
receives concealment and protection through the veil and fan.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:5
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:3
label: First twisting-fit and rage
summary: Cuchulain undergoes his first battle-rage transformation, in which his
body trembles, whirls, and distorts into a many-shaped form.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Heroic arming before battle
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The passage gives an extended catalogue of the hero’s armor, garments, shields,
and weapons before combat.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage is descriptive and does not state the ensuing battle outcome
in this excerpt.
- id: motif:2
label: Magical protection through otherworldly gifts
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The veil of concealment comes from named otherworldly places and persons,
and the fan allows vision while preventing wounds.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The passage describes the gifts and their properties but does not narrate
their acquisition in detail.
- id: motif:3
label: Supernatural war-terror surrounding the hero
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The gemmed war-helm emits cries, and supernatural beings scream around the
hero when he goes forth for bloodshed.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage does not clarify whether the beings are physically present,
auditory manifestations, or part of the helm’s effect.
- id: motif:4
label: Battle-rage bodily transformation
taxonomy_refs:
- shapeshifter
basis: Cuchulain’s first twisting-fit and rage turn him into a terrible many-shaped
form with violently displaced limbs and swelling sinews.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The available taxonomy term 'shapeshifter' is only approximate; the passage
depicts a rage-induced bodily distortion rather than an explicit change into another
species or identity.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 8457-8465
quote_or_summary: Cuchulain puts on a champion’s battle-girdle of tough leather
from seven yearling ox-hides, which deflects spears and other weapons like stone,
rock, or horn.
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 8466-8472
quote_or_summary: He puts on silken trews, a brown leather kilt, and a battle-girdle
of cow-skins covering the lower body up to the hero’s battle-belt.
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 8473-8483
quote_or_summary: 'He takes numerous weapons: sets of eight smaller arms, larger
named weapons, a quiver, shields, and a dark-red bent-shield with a razor-sharp
iron rim used in cutting feats.'
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 8484-8491
quote_or_summary: He puts on a crested war-helm with carbuncle-gems; the helm utters
the cry of a hundred young warriors, and fiends, goblins, sprites, and demons
scream around him when he goes forth for bloodshed.
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 8492-8500
quote_or_summary: A veil of concealment from Tir Tairngire is placed on him, brought
as a gift by Manannan son of Ler from the king of Tir na Sorcha; a purple-red
fan before his face lets him see while preventing wounds.
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 8520-8526
quote_or_summary: Cuchulain’s first twisting-fit and rage occurs, making a terrible,
many-shaped, unheard-of thing of himself; his flesh trembles and his body whirls
within his hide.
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 8526-8532
quote_or_summary: His feet, shins, knees, heels, calves, and hams shift position;
knots swell on his calves, and sinews and large lumps stand out on his head and
neck.
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 strongly supported by the passage. Motif labels are
cautious; the shapeshifter taxonomy reference is approximate because the text
describes a battle-rage distortion rather than explicit animal or identity transformation.
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 these elements to external texts or traditions.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg__l8457-l8532
passage_sha256=903096e0fed0dfe5ca21b09f53d606166a22f8cf412ae390d2c82308199533c4