the mighty deeds wrought underneath it[1]. His veil of
concealment was thrown over him then, of raiment from Tir Tairngire ('the
Land of Promise') which had been brought to him [2]as a gift[2] by Manannan
son of Ler ('the Sea') from the king of Tir na Sorcha ('the Land of
Light'), [3]his foster-father in magic[3]. [4]His fair, purple-red fan was
placed in front of his face. Past it and through it and over it everything
was visible to him and no one wounded him past it nor through it nor over
it[4].

[1-1] Eg. 93 and H. 2. 17.

[2-2] Eg. 93 and H. 2. 17.

[3-3] LU. 1914.

[4-4] Eg. 93 and H. 2. 17.

[5-5] Eg. 93 and H. 2. 17.

[1-1] Eg. 93 and H. 2. 17.

[2-2] Eg. 93 and H. 2. 17.

[3-3] Stowe and LU. 1927.

[4-4] Eg. 93.

Then took place the first twisting-fit [5]and rage[5] of [6]the royal
hero[6] Cuchulain, so that he made a terrible, many-shaped, wonderful,
unheard of thing of himself. His flesh trembled about him like a pole
against the torrent or like a bulrush against the stream, every member and
every joint and every point and every knuckle of him from crown to ground.
He made a mad whirling-feat of his body within his hide. His feet and his
shins and his knees slid so that they came behind him. His heels and his
calves and his hams shifted so that they passed to the front. The muscles
of his calves moved so that they came to the front of his shins, so that
each huge knot was the size of a soldier's balled fist. He stretched the
sinews of his head so that they stood out on the nape of his neck, and as
large as the head of a month-old child was each of the hill-like lumps,
huge, incalculable, vast, immeasurable.

[5-5] Eg. 93 and H. 2. 17.

[6-6] Eg. 93 and H. 2. 17.

He next made a ruddy bowl of his face and his countenance. He gulped down
one eye into his head so that it [W.2603.] would be hard work if a wild
crane succeeded in drawing it out on to the middle of his cheek from the
rear of his skull. Its mate sprang forth till it came out on his cheek,
[1]so that it was the size of a five-fist kettle, and he made a red berry
thereof out in front of his head.[1] His mouth was distorted monstrously
[2]and twisted up to his ears[2]. He drew the cheek from the jaw-bone so
that the interior of his throat was to be seen. His lungs and his lights
stood out so that they fluttered in his mouth and his gullet. He struck a
mad lion's blow with the upper jaw [3]o