How Cu Chulainn got his name
There was once a king called Conor Mac Neasa.
He was the king of Ulster. A man called Culann lived
near the King Conor. Culann was a very rich man
because he made wonderful swords and spears.
King Conor had a nephew called Setanta. He loved
hurling. It was his favourite game. One day Culann
invited King Conor and a few friends to a feast in his
castle. Setanta, Conor’s nephew was invited too, but he
was playing a game of hurling. Setanta wasn’t able to
travel to the feast with the others because he wanted
to finish his game. He told his uncle Conor that he
would catch up with them later.
Meanwhile, everyone was enjoying the feast in Culann’s
Castle. Culann asked if anyone else is coming because
he wanted to let his hound loose to guard the castle.
“My hound is the angriest animal alive, let him loose to
guard the castle. He will kill any enemy who comes
near”. King Conor thought that every-one was in the
castle, but he forgot that Setanta had yet to arrive.
Culann’s men had to lock the gates and let out the
fierce hound.
The dog sat at the gate, guarding his master’s castle.
He was a fierce dog and he would growl if anyone tried
to enter. After his game Setanta headed for Culann’s
castle. He was a very skilled hurler.
To shorten his journey he would throw a ball, hurley
and a javelin and run and catch them all before they hit
the ground. The hound heard Setanta coming. So it
began to bark fiercely. Setanta saw the giant, fierce,
black hound. But Setanta was not afraid of the fierce
hound. He struck his ball with his hurley as hard as he
could and it stuck straight in the hound’s throat! The
hound choked and he died.
Culann and his friends heard the noise from outside.
Culann thought his enemies were attacking his castle.
King Conor forgot that Setanta still had to come to the
castle. He was worried that Setanta might have been
killed by the hound. Everyone jumped up and ran
outside to see what had happened. Everyone was glad
to see Setanta alive and well. But Cullan’s dog was dead.
Culann was sad because his hound has died and it had
guarded his family, castle and flocks for many many
years.
Setanta offered to guard Culann’s castle until he got
another dog. Culann agreed to Setanta’s idea. And so
Setanta became known as Cú Chulainn, which means “
The hound of Culann ”.