Editing Cú Chulainn (section)

===Bricriu's Feast===
{{Main|Fled Bricrenn}}

The troublemaker [[Bricriu]] once incites three heroes, Cú Chulainn, [[Conall Cernach]] and [[Lóegaire Búadach]], to compete for the [[Curadmír|champion's portion]] at his feast. In every test that is set,  Cú Chulainn comes out on top, but neither Conall nor Lóegaire will accept the result. [[Cú Roí|Cú Roí mac Dáire]] of Munster settles it by visiting each in the guise of a hideous churl and challenging them to behead him, then allow him to return and behead them in return. Conall and Lóegaire both behead Cú Roí, who picks up his head and leaves, but when the time comes for him to return they flee. Only Cú Chulainn is brave and honourable enough to submit himself to Cú Roí's axe; Cú Roí spares him and he is declared champion.<ref>{{cite book|translator=Jeffrey Gantz|title=Early Irish Myths & Sagas|publisher=Penguin|date=1981|pages=219–255}}</ref> This beheading challenge appears in later literature, most notably in the [[Middle English]] poem ''[[Sir Gawain and the Green Knight]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bricriu's Feast |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bricrius-Feast |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> Other examples include the 13th century [[French language|French]] ''[[Caradoc|Life of Caradoc]]'' and the English romances ''The Turke and [[Gawain|Gowin]]'', and ''[[Sir Gawain and the Carle of Carlisle]]''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bromwich |first=Rachel |date=1961 |title=Celtic dynastic themes and the Breton Lays |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/ecelt_0373-1928_1961_num_9_2_1476 |journal=Études celtiques |volume=9 |issue=2 |pages=439–474 |doi=10.3406/ecelt.1961.1476}}</ref>