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Mythological
Weapons |
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Spears:
'The Venomous Spear' of King Conchobar,
'The Cual Gae' or grouping of spears or swords similar to the
medieval chevaux de frise.
'The Crann Buidhe'
- The Spear of Manannan.
Swords:
'Caladcholg', the sword of Fergus Mac Roich which stretched to the
length of a rainbow: this was a sword from the sidhe or Otherworld.
The sword of Manannan mac Lir
'The Answerer' which left no sign of stroke or blow behind.
'The Cruaiden cadatchenn', Cúchulainn's hereditary sword.
Shields:
'Ochain' -The Bright Rim of King Conchobar
Cúchulainn's shield of dark crimson with a pure white silver
rim and bronze embossed animal-shapes.
Missive or throwing shields with sharp edges used as offensive weapons.
The large bossed shield of Fergus Mac Roich, with fifty bosses that could
each bear the weight of a hog, and a great central boss of red gold.
Unique Weapons:
'The Gae Bulga' - This was a type of harpoon with retractable
barbs, it was given by Scathach, the warrior woman, to Aoife who Cúchulainn conquered as a
test while in the service of Scathach. Therefore it passed into his ownership when Aoife
was defeated. It had thirty barbs and was made from the bones of a sea monster.
'And Cúchulainn called for the Gae Bulga from Laeg son of
Riangabair. This was its nature: With the stream it was made
ready, and from between the fork of the foot it was cast; the
wound of a single spear it gave when entering the body, and
thirty barbs had it when it opened and it could not be drawn
out of a man's flesh till the flesh had been cut about it.'
from J. Dunn translation Táin Bó Cuailnge 1914.
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