Fergus mac Róich (Person)

Aliases:

Another legendary Ulster king, Fergus mac Léti, is regarded as a double of Fergus mac Róich: both die in water,[11] and are associated with the sword Caladbolg. Another legendary Fergus, Fergus Foga of the Corcu Óchae of Munster, is identified with Fergus mac Róich by T. F. O'Rahilly.[12]

**Narrative:**

Fergus was a short man, well built, with broad shoulders, and a long oval face. His cheeks were hairless and ruddy from many nights of drinking ales and wines, His hair was fair, light brown as were his eyes which often contained a spark of mirth.

His crown was made of silver, in intricate band that depicted the head of a stag, flanked by the charging heads of bulls who's bodies formed into silver knots and waves that swept back. The Stag recalled Cerunnos, the God of the Forest from whom Fergus, and many of the Kings of Ulaid and other parts of the North claimed lineage.

Irish Fergus, who would seem to have developed from a god who controls the waters as well as earth’s fertility, corresponds to Greek Poseidōn. With his huge appetites (sexual and otherwise) and his striking the three hills with his sword just prior to Medb’s releasing the waters, Fergus may also be equated with Vedic Índraḥ.

Though he once was of the Ulaid in the North, Fergus took up his abode with Medb in the Middle Region.

Here Fergus, like his father Rosa, the Dagda, is described as having huge appetites, sexual as well as culinary.

Seven fists are in his penis.

A bushel bag is in his scrotum.

Seven women [are needed] to curve him,

unless Flidais should come.

Seven pigs, seven vats [of ale],

and seven deer are consumed by him;

the strength of 700 [men] are in him.

Fergus’s association with Medb begins in his exile from Ulster, which is described in Longes mac n-Uislenn (Hull 1949: 47-8, 65-6). Here Fergus, Dubthach, and Conchobar’s son, Cormac, guarantee the safety of the three sons of Uisliu, who have come back to Ulster with Deirdre at Conchobar’s invitation. Nonetheless, Conchobar has all three killed at a feast which he gives in their honor. In revenge for breaking their surety, Dubthach kills the maidens of Emain Macha, and Fergus burns Emain Macha to the ground.

Fergus and his companions seek refuge from Ailill and Medb, who welcome them for the help they can provide for their planned cattle raid against Ulster. The essential elements of this Middle Irish tale Longes mac n-Uislenn are confirmed in the seventh-century poem Conailla Medb Michuru (quoted more fully in Glossary: Cú Chulainn; see Olmsted 1989 for a discussion and complete line by line glossary; also see Olmsted 1992b, 1992c; Carney 1983: 114-30). According to Conailla Medb michuru (ll. 3-4), when Fergus goes into exile with Medb, she places him under lasting captivity. Yet, she also supplies him (and his band) (l. 29) for the role he can play in her struggle against Conchobar.

3 She (Medb) put upon Fergus lasting captivity.

4 He expected the way of a captive in that place.

\*\*\*

25 She binds every lack of unity which might snatch away fame

26 over her victory, over her conquest severe,

27 when she supplies the roving band with banished Fergus.

28 Swiftly it is made known to Conchobar,

29 their (Fergus’s band) fitting out in strength slandering Ulster,

30 (after) expelling (them) from land he did not share with them

31 in a proper sharing of powers.

As Fergus had earlier lost his kingdom for the love of Ness (also known as Mórrígan, Boand, Clothra, and Eithne), he later looses his sword for love of Medb.

The lovers [Medb and Fergus] remained behind while the warriors went on ahead. Cuillius came to where they were, but they did not hear the spy. Fergus’s sword happened to be beside him, and Cuillius drew it out of its scabbard, leaving the scabbard empty. Then he came back to Ailill. “Well indeed,” said Cuillius, “here is a proof for you…. As you thought I found them lying together.” Ailill answered, “She is right (to behave thus). She did it to help in the cattle-driving. Make sure that the sword remains in good condition. Put it under your seat in the chariot, wrapped in a linen cloth.” Then Fergus rose up to look for his sword…. Fergus went off, taking his charioteer’s sword in his hand. In the wood he cut a wooden sword. (O’Rahilly 1976: 154-5; ll. 1042-62).

In Echtra Fergusa maic Léti, (When does this happen)

Fergus falls asleep beside the sea. Lucorpain (dwarfs?) from the sea try to carry off Fergus while he sleeps. When his feet touch the sea water, he awakens. One of the dwarfs (abac) grants him his three wishes. Fergus asks for “knowledge for passing under seas, pools, and lakes” (eolas fobarta fo muirib 7 lindaib 7 lochaib). The lucuirp then give him “herbs to put in his ears, … to travel about with them under seas” (Binchy 1952: 38, 41). Fergus, however, is warned not to go under Loch Rudraige.

One day Fergus essayed to pass under Loch Rudraige… When he dove under the lake he saw there a muirdris, a fearful water monster (peist uiscide uathmar) which kept alternatively inflating and contracting itself like a smith’s bellows. At the sight of it, his mouth was wrenched back as far as his occiput, and he came out on land in terror. (Binchy 1952: 38, 42).

Later a bond maiden reveals Fergus’s blemish to him, in spite of attempts to keep it from him.

Thereupon he turned away and went under Loch Rudraige; for a whole day and night the loch seethed from [the contest between] him and the muirdris, and the surge of the waves kept coming on to the land. Eventually he emerged on the surface of the loch, holding the head of the monster, so that the Ulaid saw him, and he said to them, “I am the survivor.” Then he fell down dead, and for a whole month the loch remained red from [the battle between] them. (Binchy 1952: 38-9, 43).

The ending of the tale, Fergus’s emergence from the water with the head of the monster though suffering a mortal wound himself, has been influenced by Táin bó Fraích. In Táin bó Fraích this sequence of events also occurs to Fraech. However, the fight with the monster in the water would appear to be an episode which independently happens to both Fraech and Fergus.

In Táin bó Flidais (from LU), (When does this happen?)

with the help of Ailill and Medb, Fergus and his Ulster exiles attack the fort (dún) of Ailill Finn to make off with Flidais Foltcháin (from \*ṷḷdā “feast”; IEW: 1136) and the bancuri in duni “women troops of the fort”, the herds and flocks (cethrib) which where there, constituting “a hundred milk cows, one hundred and forty does, and three thousand small hoofed animals” (cet lulgach 7 da fichet ar cet do damaib 7 tricho cet di minchethri) (Windisch 1887: 215, ll. 82-3). Such is the herd of Flidais (búar Flidais). Flidais then goes with Fergus that Ailill and Medb might have sustenance on the great cattle raid as outlined in the Táin. During this cattle raid, Flidais would support the men of Ireland with the produce of her cows, by milking them every seven days. Flidais then becomes Fergus’s wife. With her cattle she provides all of Fergus’s needs in his household, whatever he might desire for himself

Clipped from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fergus\_mac\_R%C3%B3ich

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Fergus mac Róich (son of Ró-ech or "great horse"; also mac Róig, mac Rossa) is a character of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Formerly the king of Ulster, he is tricked out of the kingship and betrayed by Conchobar mac Nessa, and becomes the ally and lover of Conchobar's enemy queen Medb of Connacht, and joins her expedition against Ulster in the Táin Bó Cúailnge. The name Fergus (later Irish Fearghus) means "man-strength" or "virility", and Fergus is described as being of enormous size and sexual potency.[1] This leads him into many a precarious situation as in the story of the Táin Bó Flidhais.

King of Ulster

Fergus becomes king of Ulster after his predecessor, Eochaid Sálbuide, is killed, along with the High King Fachtna Fáthach, by Eochu Feidlech in the Battle of Leitir Ruad.[2] While king, he desires Eochaid Sálbuide's daughter Ness, but she will only consent to marry him if he allows her son Conchobar to be king for a year, so his sons will be the sons of a king. The nobles of Ulster reassure him that the boy will be king in name only, so Fergus agrees, but Conchobar, with his mother's help, rules so wisely that the nobles make him king permanently in Fergus's place.[1] Fergus remains Conchobar's loyal retainer, and becomes the foster-father of Conchobar's eldest son Cormac Cond Longas and nephew Cúchulainn.

Fergus' exile

Conchobar's intended bride, Deirdre, elopes with the young warrior Naoise and his two brothers, and after some time of wandering they are tracked down to an island off Scotland. Conchobar announces he has forgiven them and sends Fergus, Cormac, Dubthach Dóeltenga, and Fergus' son Fíachu, to offer them safe conduct home. Naoise and his brothers swear they will eat no food until they dine with Conchobar at Emain Macha. Conchobar, however, orders the Ulstermen to invite Fergus, Cormac and Dubthach to feasts, and, as it is shameful to refuse hospitality, Fergus is separated from his charges, and Fíachu is left to escort them to Emain alone. When they arrive, Fíachu, Naoise and his brothers are murdered by Éogan mac Durthacht, a former enemy of Conchobar who has recently made peace with him. After hearing of this betrayal, Fergus, Cormac and Dubthach burn Emain Macha and defect to Connacht with three thousand followers, where they enter the service of king Ailill mac Máta and queen Medb. Conchobar forcibly marries Deirdre, who later commits suicide after he offers her to Éogan.[3]

Táin Bó Flidhais

Flidais, wife of Ailill Finn, a petty king of the Erris district of Connacht, falls in love with Fergus from afar. In Táin Bó Flidhais Fergus and Dubthach visit Ailill Finn, claiming to have fallen out with Ailill mac Máta and Medb, and provoke him to battle. However, he proves difficult to defeat, beating Dubthach in single combat and holding out against a siege of his stronghold. Fergus is only able to defeat him when Ailill arrives with the army of Connacht. After that, Fergus marries Flidais.[4] It is said that unless he could have Flidais, it took seven women to satisfy him.[1] He also becomes Medb's lover, and she is said to have needed thirty men to satisfy her if she couldn't have Fergus.[5][6]

Táin Bó Cúailnge

When Ailill and Medb raise a huge army and launch the Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley) to steal Ulster's stud bull, Donn Cúailnge, Fergus' knowledge of the terrain means he is chosen to lead the way. He leads the army by a roundabout route, hoping to give the Ulstermen time to raise their own army, but they are disabled by a curse. He sends a message to Cúchulainn, who begins his single-handed defence of the province.

The Connacht army separates, with Ailill leading one section, and Medb and Fergus leading the other. Ailill is suspicious, and sends his charioteer to spy on them. The charioteer finds Fergus and Medb having sex, and unnoticed, steals Fergus' sword, which Ailill keeps safe as proof. Fergus makes himself a dummy sword of wood to hide his loss. Cúchulainn holds up the army's progress by fighting a series of champions in single combat. Fergus is sent to face him, but as foster-father and foster-son, neither wants to fight the other, and in any case Fergus has no sword. Cúchulainn agrees to yield on this occasion, on the condition that Fergus yields the next time they meet.

Eventually the Ulstermen recover from their curse, and the final battle begins. Ailill gives Fergus back his sword. Fergus meets Conchobar on the battlefield, and has him at his mercy, but is prevented from killing him by Cormac. He redirects his rage into cutting off the tops of three hills with his sword. Cúchulainn, who has so far sat out the battle, recuperating from his wounds, enters the fray and challenges Fergus. Fergus honours his promise and yields, pulling his followers from the field. Medb's other allies, seeing him withdraw, panic and begin to retreat. The Connacht army is routed, and Fergus bitterly remarks, "It is the usual thing for a herd led by a mare to be strayed and destroyed."[7]

Decline and death

After the death of Conchobar, some of the Ulstermen propose inviting him home to be their king, but they ultimately decide to appoint Cormac, Conchobar's son and Fergus' foster-son, who is also in exile in Connacht. Cormac promises to remain friendly with Ailill and Medb, and sets out for Ulster. Fergus remains in Cruachan. On his journey, Cormac discovers a Connacht war-party raiding Ulster, and Cormac reluctantly attacks and defeats them. Word gets back to Medb, who sends her army after him, while keeping Fergus occupied. Eventually he hears what is happening and sets off in his chariot, but arrives too late – Cormac is already dead.[8]

One day, after Fergus has been in exile for fourteen years, Ailill sees him swimming in a lake with Medb, and is overcome with jealousy. He tells his brother, Lugaid Dalleces, who is blind, that deer are playing in the water, and persuades him to throw a spear at them. He does so, and the spear hits Fergus in the chest. He climbs out of the water and throws the spear back, killing Ailill's deer-hound, before dying. His death-tale relates that he had killed Éogan mac Durthacht, but this story is lost.[9]

Other legends

The story is told that, in the 6th century, the poet Senchán Torpéist gathered the poets of Ireland together to see if any of them knew the story of the Táin Bó Cúailnge, but they all only knew parts of it. His son Muirgen came to Fergus' grave and spoke a poem, and Fergus' ghost appeared to him and related the events of the Táin as they happened.[10]

Issue

The Ciarraige, an early medieval people who gave their name to County Kerry, traced their ancestry to Ciar, a son of Fergus and Medb, as do the Conmhaícne of Leitrim, Sligo, and Galway, through Conmac. The Masraige, a tribe inhabiting Magh Slécht in County Cavan were descended from Fergus according to Corpus Genealogiarum Hiberniae, 1 16r A44, 279. According to The Stem of the Irish Nation by John O'Hart, Fergus had the following triplets with Medb;

Conmac mac Fergus

Ciar mac Fergus

Corc mac Fergus

Other issue attributed to Fergus by O'Hart includes;

Dallan mac Fergus

Anluim mac Fergus

Conri mac Fergus

Aongus Fionn mac Fergus

Oiliol mac Fergus

Firceighid mac Fergus

Uiter mac Fergus

Finfailig mac Fergus

Firtleachta mac Fergus

Binne mac Fergus

See also

Conmhaícne

References

Whitley Stokes (ed. & trans.), "The Tidings of Conchobar son of Ness", Ériu vol. 2, 1908

Margaret C. Dobs (ed. & trans), "La Bataille de Leitir Ruibhe", Revue Celtique 39, 1922, pp. 1–32

A. H. Leahy (trans.), "The Exile of Sons of Usnach", Heroic Romances of Ireland Vol. 1, 1905

A. H. Leahy (trans.), "The Driving of the Cattle of Flidais", Heroic Romances of Ireland Vol. 2, 1905

Kuno Meyer, "The Cherishing of Conall Cernach and the Deaths of Ailill and of Conall Cernach", Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie vol. 1, 1897, pp. 102–111

Dunford, Stephen, Táin Bó Flidhais, 'The Mayo Táin' (2008) Enniscrone

Thomas Kinsella (trans.), The Táin, 1969

Whitley Stokes (ed. & trans.), "Da Choca's Hostel", Revue Celtique 21, 1900, pp. 388–402

Kuno Meyer (ed. & trans.), "The Death of Fergus mac Róich", The Death-Tales of the Ulster Heroes, 1906

Thomas Kinsella, "How the Táin Bó Cúailnge Was Found Again", The Táin, 1969, pp. 1–2

James MacKillop, Dictionary of Celtic Mythology, 1998, pp. 190–192.

T. F. O'Rahilly, Early Irish History and Mythology, 1946, p. 68

**Appears In**

**Family**

Father

* Rosa, the Dagda

Mother

* Roeach/Macca

Children

* According to some sources Fergus had the following triplets with Medb
	+ Conmac mac Fergus
	+ Ciar mac Fergus
	+ Corc mac Fergus

* Other issue attributed to Fergus by O'Hart includes;
	+ Dallan mac Fergus
	+ Anluim mac Fergus
	+ Conri mac Fergus
	+ Aongus Fionn mac Fergus
	+ Oiliol mac Fergus
	+ Firceighid mac Fergus
	+ Uiter mac Fergus
	+ Finfailig mac Fergus
	+ Firtleachta mac Fergus
	+ Binne mac Fergus

* See also: Conmhaícne

Foster Children

**Timeline of Actions**