A "Beheading Game"

The Feast of Bricriu

“The Feast of Bricriu,” also known as Feld Bricrenn, is a “beheading game” story in Irish mythology. In the story, Bricriu, a troublemaking nobleman, invites nobles to a feast at his new home in Dundrum. He prompts three heroes named Cuchulainn, Conall Cernach, and Lóegaire Búadach, to compete for the “Champion’s portion” of the meal, or the finest cut of meat. The heroes perform several feats, and after the feast, they all travel to Munster to be judged by Cú Roí, a king well known for his roles as an arbitrator, to see which one of them deserves the Champion’s portion. Every time the heroes are judged, it seems that Cuchulainn is proclaimed the winner, yet the other heroes refuse to accept that. When the heroes return to Emain Macha, or a pagan ritual site, they encounter a creature named Bachlach, who challenges each of the men to cut off his head, and in return, he will get to cut off their heads. All of the men take swings at Bachlach’s head, and when it falls, Bachlach picks it up and puts it on his head, only to return the next night to finish his end of the deal. It just so happens that the only man who shows up the next night is Cuchulainn, and Bachlach is so impressed by his bravery, he spares his life. There is a twist in the story, as Bachlach is actually Cú Roí in disguise. Nevertheless, Bachlach finally names Cuchulainn the winner of the champion’s feast. 

This story is very similar to the story of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” as the hero ultimately survives the dangerous ordeal in which he is involved. Although there is not a long journey in Feld Bricrenn, the themes of courage and knightly chivalry remain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fled_Bricrenn
http://www.channel4learning.com/support/programmenotes/netnotes/images/sirgawain/image009.jpg
http://faculty.goucher.edu/eng240/Turner%20Gawain%20Project%202005/beheading.htm