Oil on canvas
65 x 46cm
This work continues an exploration of Irish mythology as a way of understanding identity, resilience, and the pull between fate and self-determination. Seen from a distance, these stories open up — shifting from fixed legend into something more personal, shaped by displacement and lived experience.
Cú Chulainn is presented not just as a warrior, but as a figure defined by contradiction — powerful, yet bound to an inevitable end. His final act, tying himself to a standing stone to die on his feet, becomes the central image: a moment of defiance within surrender.
The arrival of The Morrigan, in the form of a raven, marks the shift from physical death to something more symbolic — where the individual gives way to myth, fate, and the unknown.
The Hound of Culann
The ancient warrior Cú Chulainn had superhuman strength, speed and fighting ability. Raised by wolves, he was cursed to suffer bouts of uncontrollable rage but ultimately defended Ulster against Connacht's forces. His demise came at the hands of one of his many enemies Lugaid who threw a spear which pierced his body.
Cú Chulainn couldn’t bear the thought of dying on the ground but wanted to die on his feet, like a warrior. He crawled to a standing stone, and tied himself to it. As he stood there, dying, a raven came and tripped over his intestine. Cú Chulainn laughed, then died with a smile on his face and a laugh in his mouth.
He stood tied to the rock for 3 days after his death, and none of his enemies were brave enough to approach and make sure he was gone. At the end of 3 days, the Morrigan (a great warrior-queen goddess in Irish-Celtic mythology) took the shape of a raven and perched on his shoulder, and when he did not move, they knew it was safe.
His death highlighted his unwavering resolve and loyalty to his principles even in the face of certain death. It fulfils a prophecy, showcasing the inevitability of preordained events even in Irish mythology and emphasises the inescapable nature of fate even for mighty heroes.