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The catatonic state Cú Chulainn enters is similar to what we find Óengus suffering in the Aislinge. When he begins to have dreams of Caer, he starts to pine away. He does not eat, or speak to anyone about what is troubling him. Finally, Conchobar's physician Fergne discovers what is the matter - the sercc écmaise62 - love of an absent one I spoke of earlier. He says it has been destined for Óengus to love her.
As the story moves on, the term used to describe his illness is interesting. The Dagda says: "It reflects poorly on us that we cannot deal with your stupor." (NĚ ségdae dúnn ná cumcem do socht.)63 Socht has been described by Watkins as not just any old stupor, but as a pathological state imposed from outside the self.64 This strikes me as very much the way a shamanic culture would describe initiatory illness. However, this state is not only applicable to spiritual crisis. For example, it also occurs in Scéla Mucc Meic Dathó when Ailill and Medb, and Conchobar, all want Mac Datho's dog. His dilemma is also described as putting him into socht.65 It might be described then, in one way, as a catatonic state brought about by a sense of extreme powerlessness.
Footnotes
62 Shaw, 1934, p. 46, par. 3, line 3, author's translation |
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