Cuchulainn of Ferdiad:
“Dear to me thy noble blush;
Dear thy comely, perfect form;
Dear thine eye, blue-grey and clear;
Dear thy wisdom and thy speech!”
It was very interesting, I think, to see the softer side of battle-hardened Cuchulainn. It was clear that the importance of fighting and finishing such fights in an honorable way outweighed the ties that one might have with his opponent. For we see that killing Ferdiad took a toll on Cuchulainn. He spends many pages being inconsolable, chanting great laments to this childhood friend of his. We see an almost vulnerable Cuchulainn, whereas for most of the story we see a Cuchulainn who is undefeatable.
This is a very interesting point to bring up to bring up. I agree with you that a lot of ideas that you brought up especially about how Cu Chulain was going a little bit against the grain when he seems vulnerable. This goes against the whole warrior aristocracy narrative that we see when he goes into battle.
I agree as well, before Cu Chulainn often fights with men who underestimate him and are technically strangers. He knows Ferdiad well and even he is hesitant to fight with Fergus. I think these factors are what makes him soft and also remind us of his age. Cu Chulainn is still technically a child and the way he fights often makes it hard for us to see this.
I definitely agree with that sentiment, in how through Ferdiad, we see a different part of Cuchulainn. However, I find that the concept of honor is also intertwined with Cucuhlainn’s softer side. While Cuchulainn is battle hardened the story makes mentions of mercy through the use of Fergus and Cuchulainn’s interactions. In those scenes almost some sense of honor and love towards Fergus keeps the person safe till a certain point.