Cu and his Cup

By THLaird Colyne Stewart, March AS 49 (2015)

Attend and hear a story that I swear to be the truth

Of events that befell Cu in the lost days of his youth

He planned to fight in tourney but his shield was missing sooth

He could not find it anywhere, nay any other sleuth

A kindly lady gave up hers and so he took the field

But his helm was hungry and his skin it ripped and peeled

With cloth he blotted up the blood, and took up sword to wield

But marshal said, “Ah hell no, son, this battle you must yield.”

So Quilliam, king, then came to him and offered royal helm

Cu, so honoured, fought so well his foes were overwhelmed

Feeling bold he faced one more among leafing oaks and elm

And then fate struck a nasty blow now known across the realm

As battle raged, our Cu felt odd, and marshals called a hold

For now a piece of armour lay upon the grassy wold

It was his cup upon the ground, now rocking where it rolled

How it came free we’ll never know, for no one has been told

Cu then turned to free his head but the helm was stuck quite tight

It took combined the strength of three—the king, baron and knight—

To pull and wrench the helmet off, and end poor Cu’s sad plight

And allow him to pick up his cup, which like his face, was white.

Many years ago at a Fruit of our Labours event in Ramshaven, Lord Cu Allaidh Dona had planned to fight but forgot his shield. He was loaned one, allowing him to take part in the fighting, but when he put his helm on it cut him. The marshal, His Excellency Percival deLaroque (then Baron of Septentria) bounced the offending helm. Luckily, King Quilliam lent Cu his regnal helm, and Cu finally took to the field. He found he was fighting extremely well. He then took part in an authorization bout which was quickly called to a halt as something had come flying out of the fray to roll across the grass. It was Cu’s protective cup. When Cu retired from the field to collect his wayward protective gear, he found he could not get the king’s helm off his head. It required King Quilliam, Baron Percival and Sir Edward the Red to pull it free. Cu, getting the message, then stopped fighting for the day. (Tale as related to the author by Cu and Percival.)