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)