among them was Fergus, who, moreover, had a
personal grievance against Conchobar. For, while Fergus was king of Ulster,
he had courted the widow Ness and, in order to win her, promised to
abdicate for the term of one year in favour of her son Conchobar. But when
the term had elapsed, the youth refused to relinquish the throne, and
Fergus in anger entered the service of Medb of Connacht. There he was
loaded with favours, became the counsellor of the realm and, as appears
from more than one allusion in the tale, the more than friend of the wife
of King Ailill.

The four leagued provinces of Ireland being gathered at Cruachan, the
guidance of the host was entrusted to Fergus, because he was acquainted
with the province of Ulster through which they were to march, and at
the beginning of winter--a point emphasized by the exponents of the
sun-theory--the mighty host, including in its ranks the king and queen and
some of the greatest warriors of Ireland, with the princess Finnabair as a
lure, set forth on the raid into Ulster.

They crossed the Shannon near Athlone and, marching through the province of
Meath, arrived at the borders of Cualnge. Fortunately for the invaders, the
expedition took place while the Ulstermen lay prostrate in their _cess_, or
"Pains," a mysterious state of debility or torpor which was inflicted on
them periodically in consequence of an ancient curse laid upon Conchobar
and the warriors of Ulster as a punishment for a wrong done to the goddess
Macha. This strange malady, resembling the _couvade_ among certain savage
nations, ordinarily lasted five days and four nights, but on this occasion
the Ulstermen were prostrate from the beginning of November till the
beginning of February. During all that time the burden of defending the
province fell on the shoulders of the youthful champion Cuchulain, who had
in his particular charge the plain of Murthemne, the nearest district to
Cualnge, the goal of the expedition. For Cuchulain and his father Sualtaim
were alone exempt from the curse and the "Pains" which had befallen the
remainder of the champions of Ulster.

IV. The Youthful Exploits of Cuchulain

The Connacht host had not proceeded far when they came upon evidence of
some mighty force that opposed them. In answer to the inquiries of Ailill
and Medb, Fergus explains that it is Cuchulain who disputes their further
advance, and, as evidence of the superhuman strength and prowess of the
Ulster youth, th