AleBeefBreadA generous share givenA story told of the dead
Invocation Approach
Tone
Hearty and sorrowful
Address
FergusSon of RóichThe Exiled King
Relationship
The king who lost his kingdom and kept his honour
Warning
He is a hero of the Ulster Cycle not a god his loyalty was split and it killed him
Resonance
Exiles those torn between two loyalties
Symbols
SwordThe exile roadThe storyThe chariot
Mythology Summary
Fergus mac Róich is the former king of Ulster in the Ulster Cycle, tricked out of his kingship by Conchobar mac Nessa, who then goes into exile in Connacht and becomes Medb's champion and lover. He is the one who carries the Táin's story — the tale is framed as Fergus's recital to Ailill and Medb — and he wields the great sword Caladbolg, with which he cuts the tops off three hills. In the death-tale he is killed by Ailill's spear out of jealousy, though other accounts give a different killer, and his death is one of the losses the cycle mourns.
Modern Practice
Fergus is called by exiles and by those whose loyalty is split between two houses. His practice is the generous share and the true telling: he is the keeper of the story of what happened.