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General >> Project Goliath - The History of The Sling >> Ulster cycle
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Message started by slingbadger on Dec 13th, 2006 at 1:16pm

Title: Ulster cycle
Post by slingbadger on Dec 13th, 2006 at 1:16pm
Found this in the Ulster Cycle, one of the national Epics of Ireland.

 " Cet fitted the tathlum  ( a tathlum, or brainball, is supposedly made from a human brain that had been soaked in lime. It shrank and hardened it to the consistency of stone ) made from Meis-Geghra's brain into the sling, and slung it so that it hit Conchobhar at the top of the skull, so that two-thirds of it were in his head, and he fell headlong on the ground."

   However, it did not kill Conchobhar. They could not remove the tathlum without killing him. Eventually, in a fit of rage, the tathlum flies out of his head, then he died.
  Ah, those wacky Irish.

Title: Re: Ulster cycle
Post by bigkahuna on Dec 13th, 2006 at 10:22pm
I guess he really got "Brained"!! ;D

Title: Re: Ulster cycle
Post by Bjärn on Dec 15th, 2006 at 12:20pm
That was bad Bigkahuna.
Anyone notice there are two threads with this name?

Title: Re: Ulster cycle
Post by slingbadger on Dec 16th, 2006 at 10:36am
Well, sorry. I've taken one too many hits to the brain :o

Title: Re: Ulster cycle
Post by Stenny on Dec 16th, 2006 at 4:28pm
As far as I know, he get mad and lumbered trees with his sword until he died of exhaustion.
However, in Czech translation of Ulster cycle, there is no mention of this. Sad.

Title: Ulster cycle
Post by slingbadger on Sep 14th, 2006 at 2:21pm
Not really sure if this is history, but it is mythology. Sometimes history is a myth.
 Anyway, the Ulster cycle is the national  epic of Ireland, full of magic, giants, battles and slingers.
 In one, Lugh, faces the giant Fomorian Balor of the Baleful Eye. When Balor opens his eye, all that he sees dies.
 In battle, Lugh puts a stone in his sling, and hits Balors eye so hard, it flies out the back of his head, and into the Fomor army. Troops die before the eye closes forever.
 After that, Lugh cuts off Balor's head to show the army.
 Yes, I know this sounds similar to David and Goliath, but this story is pre Christian.  

Title: Re: Ulster cycle
Post by siguy on Sep 14th, 2006 at 3:15pm
if you are of the (anti)faith that christianity is a load of dirt, then you could say it was maybe based on that story.

Title: Re: Ulster cycle
Post by Bjärn on Sep 14th, 2006 at 3:24pm
I wouldnt say it was "based" on it.
Lots of cultures had similar beliefs, its something of human nature.

What wiki says: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_Cycle

I also have a book where they explain Maeb as a huge, burly warrior woman and Cúchulainn takes out his sling and pegs her on the head when she comes up over the hill. Haha.

Title: nice story
Post by Mordechaj on Sep 15th, 2006 at 8:18am

wrote on Sep 14th, 2006 at 2:21pm:
Not really sure if this is history, but it is mythology. Sometimes history is a myth.



but i'd sooner say that sometimes myths are history.  ;)

Title: Re: Ulster cycle
Post by slingbadger on Sep 15th, 2006 at 12:03pm
Bjarn, that's in the Ulster cycle too. Maeve was one baaaad lady. Kind of the Roseanne of her day.
 It seems that the sling was common in Ireland. ( that explains why I like it) All the ancient warriors were trained in it.

Title: Re: Ulster cycle
Post by Bjärn on Sep 15th, 2006 at 2:09pm
It was Táin Bó Cuilgne, I know!

Yes, they were good at ballistics and guerilla warfare.

Title: Re: Ulster cycle
Post by siguy on Sep 15th, 2006 at 3:12pm
guerrila warfare is my favorite kind.  it is just so much more logical, and it is far more cool back then.

funny how it is credited to have started in spain during the peninsular war, when it has really been in use for thousands of years before then

Title: Re: Ulster cycle
Post by Bjärn on Sep 15th, 2006 at 8:18pm
I didn't know it was credited to anywhere.
I learned about it from my barbarian heroes....Finn MacComhail and the Hound of Culann!

Title: Re: Ulster cycle
Post by slingbadger on Sep 17th, 2006 at 11:20am
Another good one is The Lion of Ireland, by Morgan Llewellyn. It is a historical novel about Brian Boruma, the Ard Ri of Ireland. In it are Vikings vs. slingers. Vikings lose!

Title: Re: Ulster cycle
Post by Bjärn on Sep 17th, 2006 at 2:42pm
Brian Boru! Our last Ard Ri, lead the gaels to victory!

Title: Re: Ulster cycle
Post by bigkahuna on Sep 19th, 2006 at 2:26am
And is killed by a Viking! :-/

Title: Re: Ulster cycle
Post by Bjärn on Sep 19th, 2006 at 1:08pm
Oh I know! Not even Malachy would have imagined!

Title: Re: Ulster cycle
Post by Tint on Dec 18th, 2006 at 8:49pm
Since there were two thread of the same topic started by the same member.  I have combined the two into one!  That's a new fuction of the forum.  i think it's the first time being used 8-).

Title: Re: Ulster cycle
Post by Bjärn on Dec 21st, 2006 at 12:24pm
Ja, my last post there didnt seem to fit with the original topic of this post, lol.

Title: Re: Ulster cycle
Post by Willeke on Dec 21st, 2006 at 1:44pm
When has that ever stopped someone from posting here?

Willeke

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