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Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill's Cú Chulainn Poem

This poem is about Cú Chulainn, a hero from Irish mythology known for his superhuman strength and skills in battle. In three sentences, the poem describes Cú Chulainn emerging from his mother's womb already armed and ready for battle, questions his origins and upbringing, and warns him not to threaten women again with the violence and danger of his youth.

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74 views2 pages

Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill's Cú Chulainn Poem

This poem is about Cú Chulainn, a hero from Irish mythology known for his superhuman strength and skills in battle. In three sentences, the poem describes Cú Chulainn emerging from his mother's womb already armed and ready for battle, questions his origins and upbringing, and warns him not to threaten women again with the violence and danger of his youth.

Uploaded by

Deirdre77
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Nuala N Dhomhnaill

C Chulainn I

from Selected Poems, 1988

Small dark rigid man


C Chulainn
who still lacks a lump on your shoulder
who spent your first nine months in a cave
swimming in your mothers fluid.

Grave hunter
whod satisfy no woman
saying your father never went
to a small seaside town
like Ballybuion
never made arms and instruments of war
to give you

so you could leap from the womb


three minutes after the conception
your hand full of spears
holding five shields it is not we who injured you.

We also came my ladies, out of wombs


and the danger yet remains
morning noon and evening
that the ground will open
and opened to us all will be
Brufon na hAlmhaine
Br na Binne

or Teach Da Deige
with its seven doors
and hot cauldrons.

Dont threat us again with your youth again


small poor dark man
C Chulainn.

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