Chatterbox: Down to Earth

Please meet . . .

Drumroll please . . . 

My third AE.

*blows party horn*

Recently, while writing Feather and Dev, I felt like there was a gap in the conversation, and unconsciously found myself adapting their speech to fit my needs - so they weren't really Feather and Dev at all. My trip to Ireland gave me the perfect final piece for this idea.

I'd like to introduce . . . 

Cú Chulainn!

That's pronounced Coo Cuhl-ehn, by the way.

Cú (or Cu, if you don't have accents) is a female who specializes in most things Irish. She's a hurling champ, master fiddler, and educated in Irish step dancing. 

I taught her the language!

Actually, you pointed me towards the nearest library and said "go read."

That's the best form of teaching!

Feather, would you like to educate us on the history of Cú Chulainn?

There's a library two blocks down and to the right. Go read.

I can do it!

Excuse me, I was just about to begin . . . 

Cú Chulainn was originally called Setanta. He was an astoundingly talented boy, especially in the sport of hurling. He was taught many essential skills by his father, who was a great warrior and the king of Dundalk; but he was also told stories. Cú Chulainn was facinated by tales of the Red Branch Knights, the best warriors in all of Ireland. He was told that he could join the Machrad (though another tale says Macra) - basically a training camp - in a year, but he was impatient. Cú Chulainn traveled to Amhan Macha (or Armagh), where the tryouts for the Red Branch Knights were taking place, with only his hurley (the stick used for hurling), a spear, a shield, and a silver hurling ball -

A sliotar.

I was about to say that. When he arrived at Amhan Macha, absolutely exhausted, he immediately took part in a hurling match - and won spactacularly!

One man against both teams, may I say. He broke their hurleys.

I must add here, though, that the details are unclear. Sources say different things; one says he wanted to join the Red Branch Knights and was too young, and the other says he wanted to join the Macra. In the latter story, he was welcomed into the Macra; in the former, he was denied entrance to the Red Branch Knights.

In either story, it is clear that Cú Chulainn was making his way to the house of a man called Culann. In one, he was invited, in the other not so. But it is certain he was attacked by the hound that guarded the house. In self-defense, Cú Chulainn killed the hound with his sliotar. 

They're baseball-sized. I like the story where he shoves the ball down the hound's throat better. It would take a lot of force to kill someone by throwing a sliotar at them. Even if it was silver.

In compensation for his crime, Cú Chulainn agreed to take the place of the hound while they trained a new one. That is how he got his name - it means the Hound of Culann.

Cú Chulainn is still one of the most famous Red Branch Knights in Irish folklore.

It's not folklore, darlin'. It's real.

Of course you would say that.

You transform into a barn owl and yet you don't believe in a boy with a sliotar?

Anyway, yes, that's the story.

A bit more on Cú:

She's a flirt. A huge one, and she'll flirt with literally anyone - doesn't mean she likes them though. In fact, she rarely develops crushes.

Generally, she speaks formally. She has a faint Irish accent, though she uses all the slang.

Cú is incredibly opinionated and is fierce about her opinions. Tell her hurling sucks, and she'll -

Beat you to death with a hurley.

- Challenge you to a match and show you how difficult it is. Tell her her fiddling sucks, and she'll -

Beat you to death with a violin.

- play annoying music until you say she's good.

Her appearance is still being developed as of now, but red hair is a definite.

She gets along well with both Feather and Dev. Feather likes her because she's intelligent, speaks Irish, and knows a ton of Celtic folklore. Dev likes her because she plays a game where people whack each other with sticks.

Which is not what the game is about!

If it keeps him occupied . . . 

Other AEs, please feel free to introduce yourselves in this thread and get to know Cú better!

Ask me any question about hurling, but DO NOT call me Setanta.

I tried. It's not her name. Don't follow my example.