Ancient Wisdom Atlas

Motif

single champion holds off an army at a ford

single_champion_holds_off_an_army_at_a_ford

A motif of the Sacred Combat and Ritual Warfare family, within the sub-family Champion Combat and Duel. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.

1 occurrences

1 traditions


celtic irish

  • The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Tain Bo Cualnge THE YOUTHFUL EXPLOITS OF CUCHULAIN / THE SLAYING OF ORLAM / THE PROPOSALS / THE DEATH OF FORGEMEN; lines 6423-6554 confidence: high

    Forgemen, the cowherd, refuses to let the Brown Bull be carried off; the bull is driven into a narrow gap, the herd tramples Forgemen into the ground, and the hill is named Forgemen.

    The host has no peril while someone wards Cuchulain off at the ford; Cuchulain kills men in single combat and destroys twenty attackers.

    read in the book