The Beheading Test

The idea of a knight chopping an assailant's head off only to have him return the next day seemingly unscathed is an old Irish motif which Loomis explores, appearing also in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Cuchulainn and Beaumains both try to prevent their attacker's return by chopping his head into tiny pieces, but in either case, he comes back unharmed (230f).