batch.motif.celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg-l9309-l9432
---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg-l9309-l9432
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 9309-9432
start: '9309'
end: '9432'
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: Fergus predicts that Calatin Dana, his sons, and grandson will kill Cuchulain
with poisoned weapons. Fiachu goes to witness the fight. Calatin's party attack
Cuchulain with twenty-nine spears and then with their fists, forcing him down
at the ford. Fiachu, moved by kinship, intervenes and cuts off the attackers'
right fists. Cuchulain recovers, promises that none will reach camp alive, kills
Calatin's party in pieces, pursues the fleeing Glass macDelga, and beheads him
near Ailill and Medb's tent. Fergus interprets Glass's last word as a blood-debt.
The passage closes with an account of the deaths, marks left in the rock, standing
stones, and the naming of the ford Fuil Iairn because of blood over weapons there.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Fergus says that Calatin Dana, his twenty-seven sons, and grandson Glass macDelga
have poison on every man and weapon, and that a person whose blood they draw will
die by the ninth day if not immediately.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Fiachu son of Ferfebe volunteers to go and bring Fergus news of how Cuchulain
died.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Calatin Dana, his sons, and Glass macDelga hurl twenty-nine spears at Cuchulain,
and the spears lodge in Cuchulain's shield without drawing his blood.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: The attackers rush Cuchulain and strike his head with twenty-nine right fists
at the same time, driving his face down to the sand and gravel of the ford.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: Cuchulain raises a warrior's shout and cry of unequal combat that is heard
by wakeful Ulstermen in the camp.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: Fiachu sees all the attackers' hands raised against Cuchulain, is moved by
love and kinship, and cuts off their twenty-nine right fists at one stroke.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: Fiachu says his act is a breach of covenant among the men of Ulster and fears
punishment if one of Calatin's children reaches the camp.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:8
text: Cuchulain promises that once he can raise his head and breathe, none of the
attackers will reach the camp alive unless Fiachu tells the tale.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:9
text: Cuchulain cuts the attackers into disjointed pieces and divided quarters along
the ford.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:10
text: Glass macDelga flees while Cuchulain is beheading the others; Cuchulain chases
him around Ailill and Medb's tent and cuts off his head after Glass utters only
the first syllable of Fiachu's name.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:11
text: Fergus says Glass's final utterance concerns a debt of blood and flesh and
that his debts are now paid.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:12
text: The passage states that Calatin Dana, his sons, Glass macDelga, and two sons
of Ficce fell at Cuchulain's hands.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:13
text: The passage explains that a rock in the ford still bears marks of sword-hilts,
knees, elbows, fists, and spear butt-ends, and that twenty-nine standing stones
were set up there.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: obs:14
text: The ford is named Fuil Iairn, explained as connected with blood over weapons
there.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Fergus
description: A speaker in the camp who predicts the attack on Cuchulain, sends for
news, and interprets Glass's final utterance.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:9
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Fiachu son of Ferfebe
description: An Ulsterman and foster-brother of Cuchulain who goes to observe the
fight and intervenes by cutting off the attackers' right fists.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Cuchulain
description: The attacked warrior who blocks the spears, is forced down, calls out
in unequal combat, recovers after Fiachu's aid, and kills the attacking party.
role_refs:
- role:5
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:10
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Calatin Dana
description: A leader with poisoned body and weapons who attacks Cuchulain and is
killed by him.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:10
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Seven and twenty sons of Calatin Dana
description: The sons of Calatin Dana, included among the poisoned attackers of
Cuchulain.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:10
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Glass macDelga
description: Grandson of Calatin Dana who attacks Cuchulain, flees from the ford,
utters an incomplete word near Ailill and Medb's tent, and is beheaded by Cuchulain.
role_refs:
- role:7
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Medb
description: Present near the tent around which Glass runs; asks Fergus about Glass's
final word.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Ailill
description: Named with Medb as owner or occupant of the tent around which Glass
runs.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Two sons of Ficce
description: Two bold warriors of Ulster said to have fallen with Calatin Dana's
party at Cuchulain's hands.
role_refs:
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
roles:
- id: role:1
label: forewarner
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Fergus announces that the deed to be done is the slaying of Cuchulain by
Calatin's poisoned party.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: witness-scout
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Fiachu volunteers to go and bring Fergus news of the battle and Cuchulain's
death.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: kinsman-rescuer
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Fiachu is moved by love and kinship and cuts off the attackers' fists when
he sees their hands raised against Cuchulain.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:4
label: covenant-breaker by aid
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Fiachu states that his intervention is a breach of covenant among the Ulstermen.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:5
label: ambushed hero
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Cuchulain is attacked by twenty-nine spears and twenty-nine fists and forced
down at the ford.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:6
label: avenger-executioner
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Cuchulain kills Calatin's party and beheads the fleeing Glass.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:10
- id: role:7
label: poisoned attacker
assigned_to:
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
basis: Fergus describes poison on every man and weapon of Calatin's party, and the
group attacks Cuchulain.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: role:8
label: interpreter of final utterance
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Fergus interprets Glass's incomplete word as referring to a debt of blood
and flesh.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: role:9
label: fleeing survivor who is killed
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Glass alone escapes briefly while Cuchulain is busy, but Cuchulain catches
and beheads him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:10
label: camp witnesses
assigned_to:
- fig:7
- fig:8
basis: Glass runs around the tent of Ailill and Medb, and Medb comments on his death
and asks Fergus about his word.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: role:11
label: additional fallen Ulster warriors
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: The two sons of Ficce are named among those who fell at Cuchulain's hands
in this episode.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: poisoned weapons
literal_form: Poison on every weapon of Calatin Dana's party
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: twenty-nine spears
literal_form: Nine and twenty spears hurled at Cuchulain
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: spear-filled shield
literal_form: Cuchulain's shield with all the spears sunk up to their middles
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:4
label: sword from the sheath of the Badb
literal_form: Sword drawn from the sheath of the Badb by Cuchulain and by Fiachu
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: sym:5
label: severed right fists
literal_form: Twenty-nine right fists cut off at one stroke
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:6
label: severed head of Glass
literal_form: Glass macDelga's head cut off by Cuchulain
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: sym:7
label: marked rock in the ford
literal_form: Rock bearing marks of sword-hilts, knees, elbows, fists, and spear
butt-ends
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: sym:8
label: twenty-nine standing stones
literal_form: Nine and twenty standing stones set up at the ford
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: sym:9
label: blood over weapons
literal_form: The explanation of the ford-name Fuil Iairn as blood over weapons
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Fergus foretells the poisoned attack
summary: Fergus tells his people that Calatin Dana, his sons, and grandson Glass
macDelga will try to kill Cuchulain, describing their poisoned bodies and weapons,
and Fiachu volunteers to observe.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: The misthrow at the ford
summary: Calatin's party hurls twenty-nine spears at Cuchulain. Cuchulain catches
them in his shield without being bloodied, but the attackers then strike him with
their fists and force him down at the ford.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Fiachu's kinship intervention
summary: After Cuchulain cries out in unequal combat, Fiachu sees the group attack
and cuts off their twenty-nine right fists; he and Cuchulain discuss the danger
of this breach of covenant being discovered.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:4
label: Cuchulain's retaliation and Glass's death
summary: Cuchulain dismembers the attackers at the ford, pursues the fleeing Glass
around Ailill and Medb's tent, and beheads him after Glass utters an incomplete
word.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: scene:5
label: Blood-debt interpretation and place-name explanation
summary: Medb asks about Glass's final word, Fergus interprets it as a debt of blood
and flesh, and the narrative explains the deaths, the marked rock, the standing
stones, and the name Fuil Iairn.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:7
- sym:8
- sym:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: poisoned attackers whose wounds are fatal by a set term
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Fergus states that Calatin Dana's party carries poison on every man and weapon,
and that anyone whose blood they draw will die by the ninth day if not at once.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: high
cautions: The passage describes the lethal property but Cuchulain is not actually
bloodied by the spears in this episode.
- id: motif:2
label: hero overwhelmed in unequal group combat
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Twenty-nine attackers hurl spears at Cuchulain and then strike him together
with their fists, causing him to cry out against unequal combat.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: This is a local combat pattern rather than a taxonomy-listed motif family.
- id: motif:3
label: kinsman rescues hero at the cost of covenant breach
taxonomy_refs:
- covenant
basis: Fiachu intervenes because of love and kinship, then says the act is a breach
of covenant among Ulstermen if discovered.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: The covenant itself is not fully explained in this passage.
- id: motif:4
label: no witness may return alive
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Cuchulain promises that none of Calatin's party will reach camp alive, then
kills them and pursues the lone fleeing Glass before he can report clearly.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The promise is tied specifically to concealing Fiachu's covenant breach.
- id: motif:5
label: blood-debt wordplay at death
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Glass can utter only the first syllable of Fiachu's name, and the note explains
that the syllable also means debt; Fergus interprets it as a debt of blood and
flesh.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
confidence: medium
cautions: The motif depends on a translator's note about the wordplay.
- id: motif:6
label: battle-site etiological naming and memorial stones
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The narrative explains the ford-name Fuil Iairn through blood over weapons
and says a marked rock and twenty-nine standing stones remain at the site.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
confidence: high
cautions: No broader comparative taxonomy reference is supplied for this etiological
place-name pattern.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 9309-9323
quote_or_summary: Fergus says the next day's deed is Cuchulain's slaying by Calatin
Dana, his twenty-seven sons, and Glass macDelga; he says poison is on each man
and weapon and that a bloodied victim dies by the ninth day if not immediately.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 9323-9328
quote_or_summary: Fergus asks who will witness the battle and report how Cuchulain
died; Fiachu son of Ferfebe says he will go.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 9330-9340
quote_or_summary: Calatin's party comes to Cuchulain and hurls twenty-nine spears;
Cuchulain performs the edge-feat with his shield, lodging the spears in it without
being bloodied, then draws his sword from the sheath of the Badb.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 9340-9349
quote_or_summary: The attackers strike Cuchulain's head with twenty-nine right fists
and force his face to the sand and gravel of the ford; he raises a warrior's shout
and cry of unequal combat heard in the Ulster camp.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 9349-9361
quote_or_summary: Fiachu sees the attack, is moved by love and kinship, leaps from
his chariot, draws his sword from the sheath of the Badb, and cuts off the attackers'
twenty-nine right fists at one stroke.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 9362-9378
quote_or_summary: Cuchulain thanks his foster-brother for ready relief. Fiachu says
the act is a breach of covenant among Ulstermen if any of Calatin's children reaches
camp. Cuchulain promises that none will reach camp alive unless Fiachu tells the
tale.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 9379-9384
quote_or_summary: Cuchulain turns on Calatin's party and cuts them into small disjointed
pieces and divided quarters along the ford.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 9384-9393
quote_or_summary: Glass macDelga briefly escapes while Cuchulain is beheading the
rest; Cuchulain races after him, Glass runs around Ailill and Medb's tent and
can only say 'Fiach! Fiach!' before Cuchulain beheads him. A note explains the
wordplay with Fiachu's name and 'debt.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 9398-9406
quote_or_summary: Medb asks Fergus what debt Glass spoke of; Fergus says it may
concern someone in camp, calls it a debt of blood and flesh, and says the debts
are now paid.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 9407-9414
quote_or_summary: The narrative states that Calatin Dana, his twenty-seven sons,
his grandson Glass macDelga, and two sons of Ficce fell at Cuchulain's hands.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:11
type: summary
locator: lines 9414-9432
quote_or_summary: The ford contains a rock marked by sword-hilts, knees, elbows,
fists, and spear butt-ends; twenty-nine standing stones were set up; the ford
is named Fuil Iairn because of blood over weapons there.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/tain-bo-cualnge-dunn.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary generated from supplied passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Extraction is based only on the supplied passage. Motif labels are descriptive;
only the explicit covenant breach maps to an available taxonomy family.
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 external comparison claims were added because the passage itself does not explicitly compare this episode to another tradition or corpus.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-irish-tain-bo-cualnge-dunn-gutenberg__l9309-l9432
passage_sha256=a1e5fe5f7cdb7e05c8db9f58c29306323fda40cddfd7b05d6e167d5a39c708e1