Cúchulainn, the Defending Rivers and the Healing Rivers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are examples of rivers
actively participating in the resistance to invasion of a particular land. For
instance in the Irish epic The Táin ,
... the river Cronn rose up against them to the height of
the treetops and they had to pass the night by the edge of the water. In the
morning Medb ordered some of her followers across it. The famous warrior Ualu
tried it. To cross the river he shouldered a big flagstone so that the water
wouldn't force him backward. But the river overwhelmed him, stone and all, and
he drowned.
[Cúchulainn continued to harass the army from across the river]
So they went along the river Cronn until they reached its
source. They were crossing between the spring and the mountain summit when Medb
called them back ....
Next day they travelled to the river Colptha. Recklessly they tried a crossing,
but it too rose against them and bore off a hundred of their charioteers
towards the sea. ...
After this they went across Glen Gatlaig, but the river Gatlaig rose up against
them also.
Later in this epic tale we are told that Cúchulainn, badly wounded, was taken
for healing to bathe in several rivers, each with a special property:
... the river Sas, for ease, the river Búan for
steadfastness, Bithslán for lasting health, the clear Finnglas, the bright Gleóir,
the dashing Bedc; in Tadc, Talamed, Rinn and Bir, in the sour Brenide and
narrow Cumang; in Celenn and Gaenemain, Dichu, Muach and Miliuc, Den, Deilt and
Dubglas.
(all the above quotes from Kinsella's translation)