rlivingston1488 wrote:

> Is there anything in the mythology of Ireland that places significance 
> on
> the wearing of grey wool on your chin during a battle?  Does it simply
> disguise you?  Does it scare your opponent?  Does it imply that you 
> are a
> learned old man who will use his cunning to defeat his opponent rather 
> than
> his strength?

There are instances in OI lit. of beardless young men (Cú Chulainn
in the Táin, Néide in the prologue to I2T) who put on fake beards
in order to make themselves fit for combat in the eyes of others.

This looks like another instance of the same story-telling motif,
but with one-upping of the degree of maturity/competence by making
the beards grey.

Dennis