Dubán

Cu Chulainn's black shield. It has a sharp or serrated edge that he uses to slash enemies.

A law was made by the Ulstermen that they should make silver shields, and that the engraving on each shield should be different. At that time Cú Chulainn was at his training with Scáthach and Búanann. When he saw the kind of shields that were being made for him in that land, he went to the specialist shield-maker, Mac Endge.

‘Make me a shield,’ he said, ‘and make sure no other other Ulsterman’s shield has the same engraving on it.’

‘I can’t do that,’ said Mac Endge, ‘for I used up all my skill on the Ulstermen’s shields.’

‘I swear by my weapon,’ said Cú Chulainn, ‘I will kill you if you don’t make it as I ask.’

‘I am under Conchobar’s protection against you,’ said Mac Endge.

‘Go to Conchobar for protection,’ said Cú Chulainn, ‘and I’ll still kill you.’

Cú Chulainn headed home, and Mac Endge became very depressed. Just then he saw a man sitting in the skylight, a two-pronged fork in his hand.

‘This is terrible,’ said the man.

‘You’re telling me!’ said Mac Endge. ‘I’ll be killed if I don’t make Cú Chulainn his shield.’

‘Clean your house,’ said the man, ‘and have ashes strewn on the floor, as deep as a man’s feet.’

It was done as he said, and he marked out one of the portions of the design in the ashes. Lúathrinde (a point brought swiftly, or a point brought from the ashes) was the name of the point, and, as Dubdetba said, ‘If I were Mac Endge, this is how I would engrave,’ and further, ‘this is how Dubdetba makes shields.’

It was this Lúathrinde that was cut into Cú Chulainn’s shield, and Dubán (“Blackie”) was the name of the shield

An anecdote in the manuscript, H.3.17, concerned with the making and engraving of Cú Chulainn’s shield, observes that by law silver shields, bearing a unique design, should be crafted for each of the Ulstermen (Best, 1911, 72).

Accordingly, it states that while training in the lands of Scáthach and Búanann, Cú Chulainn employs the expert shield-maker, Mac Endge, to make his. Having exhausted all his designs on the Ulstermen’s shields, Mac Endge struggles to think of one for Cú Chulainn’s.

The inspiration is provided by Dubdetba who appears to him through the skylight, instructing him to scatter ashes on the ground. He then sketches an exclusive luaithrindi motif which may be rendered as ‘ash-points’ or ‘points from the ashes’ or possibly ‘swift-points’.

The shield is named Duban.71 At any rate, this account is not referred to in the descriptions of his shield found elsewhere. Primarily a protective device, its serrated or sharp edge, rendered it a useful attacking weapon (a scíath co fáebur chondúala fair; Kimpton, 2009, 14 & 37, §7; imma chromscíath ndubderg....cona bil áithgéir ailtnidi imgéir ina hurtimcheull contescfad finna i n-aigid srotha ar áthi 7 ailtnidecht 7 imgéri; TBC I, ll.2233-6).

The latter text also states that Cú Chulainn slashes (imthescad) with his shield, spear or sword while performing the ‘edge feat’ (ll.2236-7), and later notes that he wields his shields (oc imbirt na scíath; ll.2273-4) at the host during one of his 70 See McGuirk (2008, 229-32) for an account of the shields’ of the Ulster warriors. 71 Scéla Conchobair maic Nessa contains a reference to Cú Chulainn’s fuban (Stokes, 1910, 28-9, §17), which DIL lists as his shield and notes that it is later called Duban with reference to the current text. 56 ríastrad.72

He similarly uses (no:imbred) his shield on the enemy in Brislech Mór Maige Muirthemne (Kimpton, 2009, 20 & 40, §15).73

The shield (scíath) is part of a warrior’s basic set of arms. Cú Chulainn’s scíath slissen ‘wooden shield’ (TBC I, l.415) is presumably replaced by that given to him by Conchobar in his last boyhood deed (l.621).

Nonetheless, the former is used by him in a protective capacity against the onslaught of toy javelins cast by the youths on his arrival at Emain Machae (ll.423-4). There are a significant number of references, some merely fleeting others more descriptive, to Cú Chulainn’s shield.

This dark red or purple object (TBC I, ll.2232-5, l.2360; LU, ll.9271; Henderson, 1899, 62-5, §51) is curved in shape (cromscíath; TBC I, l.2233),68 and has a rim of white bronze (co mbil finddruini fair; l.2360-1; co mbil ˙ f indruini; Dillon, 1953a, 22, §37) or silver.69

It is ornamented with some kind of bosses or rings of gold (scíath co mbúalid óir budi; §37), five according to TBC I (co cóicroth óir; ll.2360) and a single large boss of red gold in TBC II (medónaig do dergór; ll.3260-3) along with some animal figures.

Cú Chulainn’s shield is not particularly unusual in the context of those of other Ulster warriors, like Fergus, who similarly carries a curved shield with a rim of white gold (Cromsciath co fáebur chondúala fair di ˙ f indruini; TBC I, ll.1303-4) and one with a boss of red gold (Scíath cobradach condúalach co cobraid óir deirg úasu; TBC II, ll.1584-5).

Conchobar’s 68 Cú Chulainn refers to his scíath scenbda in Aided Guill Meic Carbada ocus Aided Gairb Glinne Rige, possibly meaning ‘pointed shield’ (Stokes, 1893, 404-5, §10). 69 The descriptions of the silver rimmed shield in Síaburcharpat Con Culainn (Scíath corcorda co comrod argit co túagmílaib óir úasa díb n-imdadaib; LU, ll.9270-1), Fled Bricrenn (Scíath concorda co comroth argit co túagmílaib óir úas a dib n-imdadaib; Henderson, 1899, 64n) and Tochmarc Emire (Scíath corcurdae co comroth airgit co túagmilaib óir ósa dib n-imdadaib; van Hamel, 1933, 25, §15) are principally the same. 55 white shield is also ornamented with gold animal figures (Gelscíath co túagmílaib óir fair; TBC I, ll.3599-600).70