The Cauldren and The Underworld

Cymidei Cymeinfoll in the Welsh language can have two main meanings. One of which is the goddess of war, and the other being the big belly of war referring to the idea that she could give birth to a fully armed warrior every six weeks. Her husband, Llasar Llaesgyfnewid, who’s name can mean flame or blade was one of the protectors of the cauldron of regeneration. The cauldron was known for reviving diseased warriors in battle but not being able to restore their speech. Both Cymidei and Llasar lived under The Lake of Cauldron in Ireland.
The Lake of Cauldron and the cauldron itself can be seen as symbols of the underworld. Cymidei and Llasar live or work in the underworld and are the keepers of the cauldron. When Cymidei and Llasar leave the lake/underworld they’re able to carry the cauldron with them allowing them to continue to resuscitate people.
Some Pagan beliefs are that after death a spirit is reborn in another body. This could hint that when a warrior dies, they go into the underworld, and when revived they come back to a life form that may not entirely or at all be themselves, which therefore makes them lose their voice.

Death of Conchobar

      You mix the lime with the brain-ball. Seriously. In the short story of the Death of Conchobar, the most prized trophy a warrior could walk away with was a brain-ball from their opponent.  Conchobar, the king of Ulster at the time was in possession of Meis- Geghra’s brain. When not being cared for properly, Cet, a man from Connaught stole it to give him the upper hand against Ulster.
     The two main characters in the Death of Conchobar is Conchobar himself and Cet. Cet is a one-track mind kind of person who wanted to defeat Ulster using the brain of Meis-Geghra. Conchobar is a man of many different characteristics that seem to clash with each other. He’s impulsive and arrogant yet he has a good amount of morale courage. Conchobar’s arrogance put him in a seat for 7 years when trying to show off to women in the middle of a fight with Connaught. When he found out that Christ had been crucified, his impulsion in avenging Christ in an unstable condition killed him. His morals were important enough to fight and die for.
     Some of the themes in this story could be levels of importance or the role of a king, Christianity vs. Paganism, and how someone’s decisions can affect their lives. Conchobar’s decisions with going after brain after Connaught stole it, showing off to Connaught’s women, and trying to avenge the death of Christ were all factors in his downfall. The fact that Conchobar’s people chose to keep him alive and disfigured rather than let him die was all part of his importance. Conchobar was one of the only men who thought he believed in Christ even though he was Pagan. When Conchobar died, and Meis-Geghra’s brain fell from his head, the blood from the wound symbolically baptized him as a Christian. This allowed his soul to go to heaven and to be one of the first Irishmen to do so. He opened the door so other Irishmen could follow.
    Cet prevailed.