Cúchulainn (
Irish "Hound of
Culann"; also spelled Cú Chulainn, Cú Chulaind, Cúchulain, or Cuchullain) is an
Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the
Ulster Cycle, as well as in
Scottish and
Manx folklore. The son of the god
Lugh and
Deichtine, sister of the king of
Ulster, he was originally named Sétanta, but gained his better-known name as a child after he killed Culann's fierce guard-dog in self-defence, and offered to take its place until a replacement could be reared. At the age of seventeen he defended Ulster single-handedly against the armies of queen
Medb of
Connacht in the epic
Táin Bó Cúailnge ("The Cattle Raid of
Cooley"). It was prophesied that his great deeds would give him everlasting fame, but that his life would be short - one reason he is compared to the Greek hero
Achilles. He is known for his terrifying battle frenzy or "
warp spasm", in which he becomes an unrecognisable monster who knows neither friend nor foe. He fights from his chariot, driven by his loyal charioteer
Láeg, and drawn by his horses,
Liath Macha and Dub Sainglend.
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