After sitting by the stone for a time, two fairy women appear with horsewhips, and beat him until he is nearly dead. Some of the Ulstermen want to try to wake him, but Fergus tells them no, for he is seeing a vision.⁵¹ When he awakes, he asks to be carried to a sick bed in Tete Brecc. There he remains in what might be described in psychological terms as a catatonic schizophrenic or immobile state for a year.⁵² This state is referred to in many cases as a feature of initiatory illness.⁵³

At this juncture, something rather interesting happens. A fairy man, Angus, comes to speak with Cú Chulainn, after he had been in this catatonic state for some time. His friends and his wife are described as being all around him, Fergus by the side wall, Conall at his head, Lugaid at his pillow and his wife at his feet.⁵⁴ This image of Cú Chulainn calls to my mind the image I saw of a young Bushman being called back from the spirit journey.⁵⁵ Deep in trance, he must be brought back by the ntum masters, that is, the masters of supernatural power, blowing on him, holding his head, and calling to him. One Bushman describes the experience this way: "They take hold of your head and blow about the sides of your face. This is how you manage to be alive again. Friends, if they don't do that to you, you die..."⁵⁶

Cú Chulainn's companions ask the fairy man why he is not afraid to come into the midst of all these great warriors. He responds that Cú Chulainn in his current state is more the protector of Ulster than he has ever been in the past, and he fears nothing because he has come to speak with Cú Chulainn.⁵⁷ This is curious to say the least, as Cú Chulainn is like a plank at this stage.

It is, however, explicable if you look at it from a shamanic perspective. A shaman in his initiatory crisis is viewed as being more powerful than before because the crisis is caused by the power of the spirits coming to him.⁵⁸ Fand coming to him as wife later confirms this. I will look at the significance of the word used here, chomairce,⁵⁹ which can mean a guarantor, in my conclusions.

The power he is attaining is also confirmed by the statement of Liban, a fairy woman who comes to seek his aid in battle against her husband's enemies. He complains he is not in a fit state to contend with men that day. Liban responds that his debility will last but a little while and promises, "thou shalt be whole, and all that thou hast lost of thy strength shall be increased to thee."⁶⁰ This agrees with what is generally said about initiatory illness, that the person is not just healed, but is brought to a higher state of function than where they were before.

This is also true of what psychologists have termed "temporary psychotic disorders," that is "Some patients have a mental illness and they get well and then they get weller! I mean they get better than they ever were...This is an extraordinary and little-realised truth."⁶¹

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Footnotes