Artist's commentary
Cu Chulainn
Hey guys! Happy Saint Patrick day! hope you have a guiness in your hand :D (Big Grin)
. Here goes an Irish story for this day. This is an old pic, hope you like it :) (Smile)
graphire/PSCS/6hours/music: Therion - Cu Chulainn
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LetÂŽs Wikiattack!
CĂș Chulainn ([kuËËxÊlÉȘnÊČ] ( listen), Irish for "Culann's Hound"), also spelled CĂșchulainn, CĂșchulain, CĂș Äulainn, CĂșchullain or CĂș Chulaind, is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx[citation needed] folklore. The son of the god Lug and Deichtine (sister of Conchobar mac Nessa), he was originally named SĂ©tanta.
He gained his better-known name as a child after he killed Culann's fierce guard-dog in self-defence, and offered to take its place until a replacement could be reared. At the age of seventeen he defended Ulster single-handedly against the armies of queen Medb of Connacht in the epic TĂĄin BĂł CĂșailnge ("Cattle Raid of Cooley"). It was prophesied that his great deeds would give him everlasting fame, but that his life would be a short one. This is the reason why he is compared to the Greek hero Achilles. He is known for his terrifying battle frenzy or rĂastrad (similar to a berserker's frenzy, though sometimes called a "warp spasm" because of the physical changes that take place in the warrior), in which he becomes an unrecognisable monster who knows neither friend nor foe. He fights from his chariot, driven by his loyal charioteer LĂĄeg, and drawn by his horses, Liath Macha and Dub Sainglend. In more modern times, CĂș Chulainn is often referred to as the "Hound of Ulster".