Some weeks later Culann, the Smith, invited the king to his
home. He asked the king not to bring to many people with him as he only had a small
holding. As the king was leaving with fifty chariots he saw Setanta on the shinty pitch,
single handily defeating the other 150 boys. Pleased with his strength and courage he
called him over and invited him to Culann's feast.
Setanta wanted to finish his game of shinty so he promised to follow,
but by the time that the king and his entourage and arrived at Culann's holding he had
already been forgotten.
So when Culann asked if there were anymore to come, Conchobar replied
that there weren't, so Culann instructed his servants to release the hound that protected
his land.
Later Setanta arrived, but he took no notice of the snarling dog. It
was then, when they heard the barking of the dog, that the king remembered his nephew but
there was nothing they could do.
When the dog attacked Setanta he killed it. Everyone was glad that
Setanta survived, but the smith was sad because the dog had protected holding.
Setanta took the place of the hound while he raised the hound's pup to
do the job of protecting the holding.
And in reply Cathbad, druid and father of Conchobar, renamed him Cu
Chulainn, Hound of Culann.
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