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THE WEAPON-FEATS OF CUCHULLIN.
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III.
THE WEAPON-FEATS OF CUCHULLIN.
Cuchullin, or Cuchullain (literally the hound of Chullin), was the renowned champion of his time (A. M. 4480). He was not only the ablest soldier, but the best hurler in Ireland; and after his visit to a famous war-college in Alba, or Scotland, the head of which was, strange to say, a woman, named Scáthach, he became the greatest "all-round" athlete in the Celtic world. Scáthach taught him various feats (cleasa) of championship, which are thus enumerated in a very ancient Gaelic tale called "The Courtship of Emer, and the Education of Cuchullain:"
"Ubhall-cleas the ball-feat; faebhar-cleas, the small, sharp-edged shield-feat; Torand-cleas, the thunder-feat, which was performed with the war-chariot; faen-cleas, the prostrate feat, which I cannot explain; cleas-clitenech the dart-feat; ted-cleas, the rope-feat; the cleas-cait, the cat-feat, of which I know nothing; the coriech n-errid, or champion's salmon-sault or leap; the imarchor n-delend, or proper carrying of the charioteer's whip; the leim-dar-n-eimh, the leap over a fence (?); the filliud erred nair, the whirl of a valiant champion; the gaebolga, or feat of throwing the belly-dart; the bai-braissé literally sudden death (?); the roth-cleas, wheel-feat, something like casting the sledge of the present day; the othar-cleas, invali-
