s, characteristics which apparently point to
some racial affinity in the peoples who produced them. These
literatures are the Greek and the Irish. It has been maintained with
much ingenuity that the Greeks of Homer, the early Britons, and the
Irish Celts were all of one stock, as shown by the many points they
had in common. It is certain that in customs, manner of life, ethics,
ideas of religion, and methods of warfare a striking similarity may be
seen between the Greeks as described by Homer and the Britons as
Julius Caesar knew them, or the Irish as their own legends reveal them.
We must expect to find in their myths and legends a certain
resemblance of Celtic ideas to Greek ideas; and if the great Achilles
sulks in his tent because he is unjustly deprived of his captive, the
fair Briseis, we shall not be surprised to find the Champion of Erin
quarrelling over his claim to precedence. The contest between the
heroes for the armour of dead Achilles is paralleled by this contest
between the three greatest warriors of Ireland for the special dish of
honour called the "Champion's Portion," a distinction which also
recalls Greek life.

Cuchulain, the Irish Achilles

The resemblance of the Cuchulain legend to the story of Achilles is so
strong that Cuchulain is often called "the Irish Achilles," but there
are elements of humour and pathos in his story which the tale of
Achilles cannot show, and in reckless courage, power of inspiring
dread, sense of personal merit, and frankness of speech the Irish hero
is not inferior to the mighty Greek. The way in which Cuchulain
established his claim to be regarded as Chief Champion of Erin is
related in the following story, which shows some primitive Celtic
features found again in Welsh legends and other national folk-tales.

The Youth of Cuchulain

Cuchulain was the nephew of King Conor of Ulster, son of his sister
Dechtire, and men say his father was no mortal man, but the great god
Lugh of the Long Hand. When Cuchulain was born he was brought up by
King Conor himself and the wisest men of Ireland; when five years old,
he beat all the other boys in games and warlike exercises, and on the
day on which he was seven he assumed the arms of a warrior, so much
greater was he than the sons of mortal men. Cuchulain had overheard
his tutor, Cathbad the Druid, say to the older youths, "If any young
man take arms to-day, his name will be greater than any other name in
Ireland, but his s