full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Iseult Gillespie: The myth of Ireland's two greatest warriors

Unscramble the Blue Letters

Cú Chulainn, hero of Ulster, stood at the ford at Cooley, ready to face an entire army singlehandedly— all for the sake of a single bull.
The army in question bnegloed to Queen Meadhbh of Connaught. Enraged at her husband’s pseoissson of a withe bull of awesome strength, she had set out to capture the fabled bworn bull of utsler at any cost.
Unfortunately, the King of Ulster had chosen this moment to focre the goddess Macha to race her chariot while pregnant. In rteliaotian, she struck down him and his entire army with sctmaoh cramps that eerily resembled childbirth— all except Cú Chulainn.

Open Cloze

Cú Chulainn, hero of Ulster, stood at the ford at Cooley, ready to face an entire army singlehandedly— all for the sake of a single bull.
The army in question ________ to Queen Meadhbh of Connaught. Enraged at her husband’s __________ of a _____ bull of awesome strength, she had set out to capture the fabled _____ bull of ______ at any cost.
Unfortunately, the King of Ulster had chosen this moment to _____ the goddess Macha to race her chariot while pregnant. In ___________, she struck down him and his entire army with _______ cramps that eerily resembled childbirth— all except Cú Chulainn.

Solution

  1. white
  2. brown
  3. retaliation
  4. ulster
  5. stomach
  6. force
  7. possession
  8. belonged

Original Text

Cú Chulainn, hero of Ulster, stood at the ford at Cooley, ready to face an entire army singlehandedly— all for the sake of a single bull.
The army in question belonged to Queen Meadhbh of Connaught. Enraged at her husband’s possession of a white bull of awesome strength, she had set out to capture the fabled brown bull of Ulster at any cost.
Unfortunately, the King of Ulster had chosen this moment to force the goddess Macha to race her chariot while pregnant. In retaliation, she struck down him and his entire army with stomach cramps that eerily resembled childbirth— all except Cú Chulainn.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
cú chulainn 8
brown bull 5
queen meadhbh 3
entire army 2
white bull 2
chulainn knew 2
knew ferdiad 2
cu chulainn 2

ngrams of length 3

collocation frequency
cú chulainn knew 2

Important Words

  1. army
  2. awesome
  3. belonged
  4. brown
  5. bull
  6. capture
  7. chariot
  8. chosen
  9. chulainn
  10. connaught
  11. cooley
  12. cost
  13. cramps
  14. cú
  15. eerily
  16. enraged
  17. entire
  18. fabled
  19. face
  20. force
  21. ford
  22. goddess
  23. hero
  24. king
  25. macha
  26. meadhbh
  27. moment
  28. possession
  29. pregnant
  30. queen
  31. question
  32. race
  33. ready
  34. resembled
  35. retaliation
  36. sake
  37. set
  38. single
  39. stomach
  40. stood
  41. strength
  42. struck
  43. ulster
  44. white