Single combat at a ford

celtic irish

• Heroic Romances of Ireland ACCORDING TO THE GLENN MASAIN VERSION / ALSO THE CONCLUSION OF THE TALE FROM THE SAME VERSION / THE COMBAT AT THE FORD / INTRODUCTION; lines 4638-4720 confidence: high

  The introduction identifies “Combat at the Ford” as a famous episode of the “War of Cualnge,” states that the Book of Leinster version predates 1150 A.D., and notes differences from the Book of Lecan and Leabhar na h-Uidhri traditions.

  The passage names the episode “Combat at the Ford” and treats the ford combat as the central episode under discussion.

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• Heroic Romances of Ireland ACCORDING TO THE GLENN MASAIN VERSION / ALSO THE CONCLUSION OF THE TALE FROM THE SAME VERSION / THE COMBAT AT THE FORD / INTRODUCTION; lines 4638-4720 confidence: high

  The passage introduces the “Combat at the Ford” as a famous episode of the “War of Cualnge,” gives the Book of Leinster as a source, and says it differs from the Book of Lecan and Leabhar na h-Uidhri versions.

  The episode is repeatedly identified as the “Combat at the Ford,” and the introduction summarizes the fight between Cuchulain and Ferdia.

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• Heroic Romances of Ireland ACCORDING TO THE GLENN MASAIN VERSION / ALSO THE CONCLUSION OF THE TALE FROM THE SAME VERSION / THE COMBAT AT THE FORD / INTRODUCTION; lines 4722-4800 confidence: high

  Maev makes a compact to provide one champion each day against Cuchulain; she may advance while the combat lasts, but must halt until morning if the champion is killed. Before the Combat at the Ford, Cuchulain has killed many of Maev’s champions in duel.

  The episode is named as the Combat at the Ford between Cuchulain and Ferdia, after a sequence of duels against Maev’s champions.

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• Heroic Romances of Ireland ALSO THE CONCLUSION OF THE TALE FROM THE SAME VERSION / THE COMBAT AT THE FORD / INTRODUCTION / THE COMBAT AT THE FORD; lines 5290-5478 confidence: high

  "Cuchulain reached the ford, and Ferdia awaited him on the south side of it, and Cuchulain halted his horses upon the north."

  The combatants take opposed positions at the ford and their speech repeatedly frames the encounter as the fight at the ford.

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• Heroic Romances of Ireland ALSO THE CONCLUSION OF THE TALE FROM THE SAME VERSION / THE COMBAT AT THE FORD / INTRODUCTION / THE COMBAT AT THE FORD; lines 5826-5896 confidence: high

  Ferdia gives Cuchulain the choice of weapons; Cuchulain chooses the Feat of the Ford, glossed as a combat in which all weapons were allowed, and Ferdia consents sorrowfully.

  The passage centers on two champions choosing and performing the Feat of the Ford at a river crossing.

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• Heroic Romances of Ireland INTRODUCTION / THE DRIVING OF THE CATTLE OF FLIDAIS / THE DRIVING OF THE CATTLE OF FLIDAIS / LITERAL TRANSLATION; lines 11988-12117 confidence: high

  Ailill Finn expels the visitors; Fergus calls for combat at the ford; Ailill Finn goes himself; Dubhtach wounds Ailill Finn through both thighs and is pierced by Ailill Finn’s javelin.

  Fergus calls for a man to fight beside the ford at the castle gate, and Ailill Finn personally goes to the ford where Dubhtach fights him.

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• Heroic Romances of Ireland INTRODUCTION / THE DRIVING OF THE CATTLE OF FLIDAIS / THE DRIVING OF THE CATTLE OF FLIDAIS / LITERAL TRANSLATION; lines 11988-12117 confidence: high

  Ailill Finn orders Fergus’s party out. Fergus calls for a man to fight him beside the ford at the castle gate, and Ailill Finn says honour prevents refusal and goes himself.

  Fergus calls for a fighter beside the ford at the castle gate; Ailill Finn accepts, and Dubhtach fights him there.

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• Heroic Romances of Ireland PAGE 107 / THE COMBAT AT THE FORD / PAGE 118 / PAGE 121; lines 8222-8284 confidence: high

  Cuchulain says that if he and Ferdiad meet at a ford, their separation will have history and their edge-combat will be fierce.

  Cuchulain frames the expected encounter with Ferdiad as a meeting at a ford, glossed as a field of battle, and calls it a fierce edge-combat.

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• The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Tain Bo Cualnge 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 10477-10616 confidence: high

  Cuchulain reaches the ford; Ferdiad waits on the south side, Cuchulain stands on the north side, and Ferdiad welcomes him.

  The passage places Cuchulain and Ferdiad on opposite sides of a ford, then has them meet in its middle for impending combat.

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• The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Tain Bo Cualnge 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 10480-10619 confidence: high

  Cuchulain reaches the ford; Ferdiad waits on the south side, Cuchulain stands on the north side, and Ferdiad welcomes him.

  The two named warriors stand on opposite sides of a ford, meet in the middle, and frame the encounter as combat between them.

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• The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Tain Bo Cualnge 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 10948-11057 confidence: high

  Ferdiad rises early, goes alone to the ford of combat, and knows it will be a decisive day when one or both warriors may fall.

  The combatants meet at the ford of combat and choose the Feat of the Ford as their weapon-form for the day.

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• The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Tain Bo Cualnge 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 11059-11169 confidence: high

  Cuchulain twice springs from the ford-bank or brink onto Ferdiad’s shield boss to strike his head; Ferdiad knocks him away with shield movements.

  The main action is a duel between Cuchulain and Ferdiad in the middle of a ford, with repeated shield-leaps, close combat, and wounding there.

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