Pictish Mystic · Lore · Ulster Cycle
The Battle of the Grey Beards
In the Fitness of Names, an old Irish book of name-stories, there is a tale of how the young men of Ulster once went into battle wearing grey beards.
Daball of the Vehement Blows, son of the overking of Lochlann, came with an army past counting, invading the province of Ulster in order to conquer Ireland. There they first encamped, and afterwards they marched on to Mag Macha.
The clans of Rudraige gathered round Conchobar, son of Fachtna Fáthach, and his brethren, to give battle to the foreigners. Then Genann Bright-cheek, son of Cathbad, spoke to his people. “Scanty are your hosts, ye Ulaid,” he said, “and each of you is young and beardless.”
“What shall we do then, O Genann?” said every one.
“Take plenty of grey wool, and tie it fast to your faces,” said Genann, “and the horror and fear of the foreigners will be the greater, as if you were kingly champions.”
So the Ulaid, at least all who were beardless, did as Genann advised. Then the battle was fought, and the foreigners were routed, and a slaughter was made of them.
And from that battle of Óenach Macha, the tale says, the Ulaid were named: “great-grey”, for they had grey beards in the battle. As the poet said: “The Ulaid, since they were grey-bearded, mighty.”
The same book gives other meanings too: oll saith, the great wealth they gave the poets; or that they held the great half of Ireland, in warfare and battle.
Sources
- Cóir Anmann ("The Fitness of Names"), §245, translated by Whitley Stokes (Irische Texte, Dritte Serie, 2 Heft, 1897), on Mary Jones's Celtic Literature Collective (narration condensed from the translation)
Story told by John.
These are legends from medieval manuscripts, not recorded history.
First shared on X @dalriada36963 and TikTok @johnshaw333.
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