He misses his cast at them, something that had never happened before, and sits against a stone in an ill temper. He falls asleep, and two fairy women come at him with horsewhips, beating him until he is almost dead. He remains in a catatonic state for a year, until a fairy man comes to him, saying that all has arisen because Fand, a fairy woman and wife of Manannán wishes his love. First Loeg, then Cú Chulainn go into the other world.

Fand and Cú Chulainn become lovers, much to the consternation, and "only jealousy" of Emer, who gets the long knives out for Fand. In the end, Fand returns to Manannán, and Cú Chulainn to Emer. A brew of forgetfulness is given to Cú Chulainn and Emer by the Druids, so that they will forget the whole incident, and Manannán shakes out his cape between Cú Chulainn and Fand so they will never meet again.

This text has come down in two manuscripts, the 12th century Lebor na hUidre, and TCD H. 4. 22. which derives from the Lebor na hUidre.³⁵ Various scholars, such as Dillon, Zimmer, Best and Thurneyssen³⁶ have commented on the difficulty of unravelling elements of the tale. It is one of those upon which, H, the well known interpolator of the Lebor na hUidre has been at work. Carney views the Serglige as a literary inversion of Immram Brain.³⁷

I have used the translation in Cross and Slover for most references. Where I differ, I have used the text of Myles Dillon's 1975 edition for my own translation.

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Footnotes