[expand]
Irish literature preserved multiple accounts of hero’s portion disputes, often featuring famous warriors.
The Feast of Bricriu:
Bricriu the Poison-Tongue hosted a feast designed to cause maximum discord. He separately approached three heroes—Cú Chulainn, Conall Cernach, and Lóegaire Buadach—telling each that they obviously deserved the hero’s portion.
When all three claimed it simultaneously, chaos erupted. The dispute could not be resolved at the feast. The warriors agreed to seek judgment from various authorities—kings, druids, otherworldly beings. Each contest they undertook (including terrifying supernatural challenges) confirmed Cú Chulainn’s superiority, yet the other two continued contesting.
Finally, a monstrous being appeared, challenged each warrior to a beheading game (he would allow them to behead him, then return the next night to behead them), and only Cú Chulainn proved brave enough to honor the agreement. This definitively established his supremacy, and he received the hero’s portion permanently.
The Tale’s Meaning:
This story demonstrated that the hero’s portion was not trivial concern but central to warrior identity. The heroes were willing to face supernatural terrors, risk their lives repeatedly, undergo humiliation and fear—all to establish their claim to the choicest meat.
[/expand]