“Beautiful is the arrangement of that hair so that it makes three coils down behind over his shoulders.  Even as a thread of gold it seems, when its hue has been wrought over the edge of an anvil; or like to the yellow of bees whereon shines the sun on a summer’s day is the shining of each single hair of his hair.  Seven toes he has on each of his feet and seven fingers on each of his hands and the brilliance of a very great fire is around his eye.

“Befitting him is the charioteer beside him, with curly, jet-black hair, shorn broad over his head.  A cowled garment around him, open at the elbows.  A horse-whip, very fine and golden in his hand, and a light-grey cloak wrapped around him, and a goad of white silver in his hand.  He plies the goad on the horses whatever way would go the deed-renowned warrior that is in the chariot."[2]

    [2-2] YBL. 38b, 21-44.

And Cuchulain reached the ford.  Ferdiad waited on [W.3387.] the south side of the ford; Cuchulain stood on the north side.  Ferdiad bade welcome to Cuchulain.  “Welcome is thy coming, O Cuchulain!” said Ferdiad.  “Truly spoken meseemed thy welcome till now,” answered Cuchulain; “but to-day I put no more trust in it.  And, O Ferdiad,” said Cuchulain, “it were fitter for me to bid thee welcome than that thou should’st welcome me; for it is thou that art come to the land and province wherein I dwell; and it is not fitting for thee to come to contend and do battle with me, but it were fitter for me to go to contend and do battle with thee.  For before thee in flight are my women and my boys and my youths, my steeds and my troops of horses, my droves, my flocks and my herds of cattle.”

“Good, O Cuchulain,” spake Ferdiad; “what has ever brought thee out to contend and do battle with me?  For when we were [1]together[1] with Scathach and with Uathach and with Aife, [2]thou wast not a man worthy of me, for[2] thou wast my serving-man, even for arming my spear and dressing my bed.”  “That was indeed true,” answered Cuchulain; “because of my youth and my littleness did I so much for thee, but this is by no means my mood this day.  For there is not a warrior in the world I would not drive off this day [3]in the field of battle and combat."[3]

    [1-1] Stowe.

    [2-2] Stowe.

[3-3] Stowe.

[4]It was not long before they met in the middle of the ford.[4] And then it was that each of them cast sharp-cutting reproaches at the other, renouncing his friendship; and Ferdiad spake these words there, and Cuchulain responded:—­

Ferdiad:  “What led thee, O Cua,
To fight a strong champion? 
Thy flesh will be gore-red
O’er smoke of thy steeds! 
Alas for thy journey,
A kindling of firebrands;
In sore need of healing,
If home thou shouldst reach!”

Cuchulain:  [W.3417.] “I’m come before warriors
Around the herd’s wild Boar,[a]
Before troops and hundreds,
To drown thee in deep. 
In anger, to prove thee
In hundred-fold battle,
Till on thee come havoc,
Defending thy head!”