Fled Bricrenn facts for kids

Fled Bricrenn (pronounced Fled Brick-renn), which means "Bricriu's Feast" in Old Irish, is an exciting story from the Ulster Cycle. This is a group of old Irish legends about heroes from the ancient kingdom of Ulster.

The main character is Bricriu, a famous troublemaker. He invites the nobles of the Ulaid (people from Ulster) to a big feast. This feast happens at his new bruiden, which was a special kind of hostel or banquet hall. It was located at Dún Rudraige, which is now Dundrum, County Down.

At the feast, Bricriu causes trouble right away. He encourages three great heroes to compete. These heroes are Cúchulainn, Conall Cernach, and Lóegaire Búadach. They are all challenged to win the "champion's portion" of the feast. This was the biggest and best part of the meal, given only to the bravest warrior.

The Heroes' Challenge

To decide who was the best, the three heroes had to perform several difficult tasks. They traveled to different parts of Ireland for judgment.

Judges and Journeys

First, they went to Connacht. There, King Ailill and Medb, the famous queen, judged them. Cúchulainn was chosen as the champion. But the other two heroes, Conall and Lóegaire, did not agree.

Next, they traveled to Munster. Here, the mighty warrior Cú Roí was their judge. Again, Cúchulainn was declared the champion. Still, Conall and Lóegaire refused to accept this decision.

The Beheading Game

Eventually, the heroes returned to Emain Macha, their home in Ulster. There, they faced a strange challenge. A huge, rough-looking giant appeared. He challenged each hero to cut off his head. The rule was that they had to let him cut off their head in return the next night.

First, Lóegaire took the challenge. He cut off the giant's head. But the giant simply picked up his head and walked away! He said he would return the next night.

Then, Conall tried. He also cut off the giant's head. The giant did the same thing: he picked up his head and left. He promised to come back the following night.

When the giant returned the next night, Lóegaire and Conall were nowhere to be found. They were too scared to face him again.

Only Cúchulainn was brave enough to keep his promise. He waited for the giant. When the giant arrived, Cúchulainn bravely offered his neck.

The True Champion

But the giant did not harm Cúchulainn. Instead, he revealed his true identity. He was actually Cú Roí, the judge from Munster, in disguise! Cú Roí had been testing the heroes' bravery and honor.

Cú Roí announced that Cúchulainn was the true and undisputed champion. His courage and honesty proved he was the greatest hero.

About the Story

Fled Bricrenn is a very old story. It was first written down around the 8th century. You can find it in several old books, like the Lebor na hUidre, which was written around the year 1106.

Similar Tales

The idea of warriors competing for the best food portion is also in another Ulster Cycle story. It's called Scéla Mucce Maic Dathó ("The Tale of Mac Dathó's Pig"). This shows that such competitions were important in ancient Celtic culture.

The beheading challenge also appears in other famous stories. For example, it is a key part of the medieval English poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. This shows that similar ideas were shared across different cultures in the past.

Not to Be Confused

It's important not to mix up Fled Bricrenn with another story. That one is called Fled Bricrenn ocus Loinges mac nDuíl Dermait. That story also features Bricriu and a special food portion. But it is a different adventure from the one about Cúchulainn and the champion's portion.

Manuscript Sources

This story is found in several old manuscripts, which are handwritten books from long ago. These include:

• The Lebor na hUidre (LU), kept in Dublin.
• Fragments in the British Library in London (Egerton 93).
• Parts in Trinity College Library in Dublin (MS 1336 and MS 1337).
• Fragments in Leiden (Codex Vossianus).