HEROIC ROMANCES OF IRELAND

TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH PROSE AND VERSE, WITH PREFACE, SPECIALINTRODUCTIONS AND NOTES

BY

A. H. LEAHY

IN TWO VOLUMES

VOL. I

PREFACE

At a time like the present, when in the opinion of many the greatliteratures of Greece and Rome are ceasing to hold the influence thatthey have so long exerted upon human thought, and when the study of thegreatest works of the ancient world is derided as "useless, " it may betoo sanguine to hope that any attention can be paid to a literaturethat is quite as useless as the Greek; which deals with a time, which, if not actually as far removed from ours as are classical times, is yetfurther removed in ideas; a literature which is known to few and hasyet to win its way to favour, while the far superior literature ofGreece finds it hard to defend the position that it long ago won. Itmay be that reasons like these have weighed with those scholars whohave opened up for us the long-hidden treasures of Celtic literature;despairing of the effort to obtain for that literature its rightfulcrown, and the homage due to it from those who can appreciate literarywork for itself, they have been contented to ask for the support ofthat smaller body who from philological, antiquarian, or, strange as itmay appear, from political reasons, are prepared to take a modifiedinterest in what should be universally regarded as in its way one ofthe most interesting literatures of the world. 

The literary aspect of the ancient literature of Ireland has not indeedbeen altogether neglected. It has been used to furnish themes on whichmodern poems can be written; ancient authority has been found in it forwhat is essentially modern thought: modern English and Irish poets haveclaimed the old Irish romances as inspirers, but the romancesthemselves have been left to the scholars and the antiquarians. 

This is not the position that Irish literature ought to fill. It doesundoubtedly tell us much of the most ancient legends of modern Europewhich could not have been known without it; but this is not its sole, or even its chief claim to be heard. It is itself the connecting-linkbetween the Old World and the New, written, so far as can beascertained, at the time when the literary energies of the ancientworld were dead, when the literatures of modern Europe had not beenborn, [FN#1] in a country that had no share in the ancient civilisationof Rome, among a people which still retained many legends and possiblya rudimentary literature drawn from ancient Celtic sources, and wasproducing the men who were the earliest classical scholars of themodern world. 

[FN#1] The only possible exceptions to this, assuming the latestpossible date for the Irish work, and the earliest date for others, arethe kindred Welsh literature and that of the Anglo-Saxon invaders ofBritain. 

The exact extent of the direct influence of Irish literature upon thedevelopment of other nations is hard to trace, chiefly because theinfluence of Ireland upon the Continent was at its height at the timewhen none of the languages of modern Europe except Welsh andAnglo-Saxon had reached a stage at which they might be used forliterary purposes, and a Continental literature on which the Irish onemight have influence simply did not exist. Its subsequent influence, in the tenth and eleventh centuries, upon Welsh, and through Welsh uponthe early Breton literature (now lost) appears to be established; it isusually supposed that its action upon the earliest French compositionswas only through the medium of these languages, but it is at leastpossible that its influence in this case also was more direct. InMerovingian and early Carlovingian times, when French songs werecomposed, which are now lost but must have preceded the extant chansonsde geste, the Irish schools were attracting scholars from theneighbouring countries of Europe; Ireland was sending out a steadystream of "learned men" to France, Germany, and Italy; and it is atleast possible that some who knew the Irish teachers realized the meritof the literary works with which some of these teachers must have beenfamiliar. The form of the twelfth-century French romance, "Aucassinand Nicolete, " is that of the chief Irish romances, and may well havebeen suggested by them; whilst the variety of the rhythm and theelaborate laws of the earliest French poetry, which, both in itsNorthern and Southern form, dates from the first half of the twelfthcentury, almost imply a pre-existing model; and such a model is moreeasily traced in Irish than in any other vernacular literature that wasthen available. It is indeed nearly as hard to suppose that thebeautiful literature of Ireland had absolutely no influence uponnations known to be in contact with it, as it would be to hold to thebelief that the ancient Cretan civilisation had no effect upon the literary development that culminated in the poems of Homer. 

Before speaking of what the Irish literature was, it may be well to saywhat it was not. The incidents related in it date back, according tothe "antiquaries" of the ninth to the twelfth centuries, some to theChristian era, some to a period long anterior to it; but occasionalallusions to events that were unknown in Ireland before theintroduction of Christianity, and a few to classical personages, showthat the form of the present romances can hardly be pre-Christian, oreven close translations into Old or Middle Irish of Druidic tales. Ithas therefore been the fashion to speak of the romances as inaccuratesurvivals of pre-Christian works, which have been added to bysuccessive generations of "bards, " a mode of viewing our versions ofthe romances which of course puts them out of the category of originalliterature and hands them over to the antiquarians; but before theysuffer this fate, it is reasonable to ask that their own literary meritshould be considered in a more serious manner than has yet beenattempted. 

The idea that our versions of the romances are inaccurate reproductionsof Druidic tales is not at all borne out by a study of the romancesthemselves; for each of these, except for a few very manifestly lateinsertions, has a style and character of its own. There were, undoubtedly, old traditions, known to the men who in the sixth andseventh centuries may have written the tales that we have, known evento men who in the tenth and eleventh centuries copied them andcommented upon them; but the romances as they now stand do not looklike pieces of patchwork, but like the works of men who had ideas toconvey; and to me at least they seem to bear approximately the samerelation to the Druid legends as the works of the Attic tragedians bearto the archaic Greek legends on which their tragedies were based. Inmore than one case, as in the "Courtship of Etain, " which is more fullydiscussed below, there are two versions of the same tale, the frameworkbeing the same in both, while the treatment of the incidents and theview of the characters of the actors is essentially different; and whenthe story is treated from the antiquarian point of view, that whichregards both versions as resting upon a common prehistoric model, thequestion arises, which of the two more nearly represents the "true"version? There is, I would submit, in such cases, no true version. Theold Druidic story, if it could be found, would in all probabilitycontain only a very small part of either of our two versions; it wouldbe bald, half-savage in tone, like one of the more ancient Greek myths, and producing no literary effect; the literary effect of both theversions that we have, being added by men who lived in Christian times, were influenced by Christian ideals, and probably were, like many oftheir contemporaries, familiar with the literary bequests of theancient world. [FN#2]

[FN#2] It seems to be uncertain whether or not the writers of theIrish romances shared in the classical learning for which Ireland wasnoted in their time. The course of study at the schools establishedfor the training of the fili in the tenth and eleventh centuries wascertainly, as has been pointed out, very different from that of theecclesiastical schools (see Joyce, vol. I. P. 430). No classicalinstruction was included in this training, but it is not certain thatthis separation of studies was so complete before what is called the"antiquarian age" set in. Cormac mac Cuninan, for example, was aclassical scholar, and at the same time skilled in the learning of thefili. It should also be observed that the course at the ecclesiasticalschools, as handed down to us, hardly seems to be classical enough tohave produced a Columbanus or an Erigena; the studies that producedthese men must have been of a different kind, and the lay schools asoriginally established by Sanchan Torpest may have included much thatafterwards gave place to a more purely Irish training. The tale ofTroy seems to have been known to the fili, and there are in their worksallusions to Greek heroes, to Hercules and Hector, but it has beenpointed out by Mr. Nutt that there is little if any evidence ofinfluence produced by Latin or Greek literature on the actual matter orthought of the older Irish work. On this point reference may be madeto a note on "Mae Datho's Boar" in this volume (p. 173), but even ifthis absence of classical influence is established (and it is hard tosay what will not be found in Irish literature), it is just possiblethat the same literary feeling which made Irish writers ofcomparatively late tales keep the bronze weapons and chariots of anearlier date in their accounts of ancient wars, while they describedarms of the period when speaking of battles of their own time, affectedthem in this instance also; and that they had enough restraint torefrain from introducing classical and Christian ideas when speaking oftimes in which they knew these ideas would have been unfamiliar. 

It may be, and often is, assumed that the appearance of grotesque orsavage passages in a romance is an indication of high antiquity, andthat these passages at least are faithful reproductions of Druidicoriginals, but this does not seem to be quite certain. Some of thesepassages, especially in the case of romances preserved in the Leabharna h-Uidhri (The Book of the Dun Cow), look like insertions made byscribes of an antiquarian turn of mind, [FN#3] and are probably of veryancient date; in other cases, as for example in the "Boar of MacDatho, " where Conall dashes Anluan's head into Ket's face, the savageryis quite in 'keeping with the character of the story, and way have beendeliberately invented by an author living in Christian times, to add aflavour to his tale, although in doing so he probably imitated asimilar incident in some other legend. To take a classical parallel, the barbarity shown by Aeneas in Aeneid x. 518-520, in sacrificing fouryouths on the funeral pyre of Pallas, an act which would have beenregarded with horror in Virgil's own day, does not prove that there wasany ancient tale of the death of Pallas in which these victims weresacrificed, nor even that such victims were sacrificed in ancientLatium in Pallas' day; but it does show that Virgil was familiar withthe fact that such victims used in some places to be sacrificed onfuneral pyres; for, in a sense, he could not have actually invented theincident. 

[FN#3] See the exhibition of the tips of tongues in the "Sick-bed ofCuchulain, " page 57. 

Thus the appearance of an archaic element in an Irish romance is initself no proof of the Druidic origin of that form of the romance, noreven of the existence of that element in the romance's earliest form:upon such a principle the archaic character of the motif of the"Oedipus Coloneus" would prove it to be the oldest of the Greektragedies, while asa matter of fact it seems to be doubtful whether the introduction ofthis motif into the story of Oedipus was not due to Sophocles himself, although of course he drew the idea of it, if not from the originallegend of Oedipus, from some other early legend. 

The most satisfactory test of the authorship of an Irish romance, andone of the most satisfactory tests of its date, is its literarycharacter; and if we look at the literary character of the best of theIrish romances, there is one point that is immediately apparent, theblending of prose and verse. One, the most common, explanation ofthis, is that the verse was added to the original tale, another thatthe verse is the older part, the prose being added to make a frameworkfor the verse, but a general view of some of the original romancesappears to lead to a very different conclusion. It seems much moreprobable that the Irish authors deliberately chose a method of makingtheir work at once literary and suited to please a popular audience;they told their stories in plain prose, adding to them verse, possiblychanted by the reciters of the stories, so that while the prose toldthe story in simple language, the emotions of pity, martial ardour, andthe like were awakened by the verse. They did not use the epic form, although their knowledge of classical literature must have made themfamiliar with it; the Irish epic form is Romance. They had, besidesthe prose and what may be called the "regular" verse, a third form, that of rose, or as it is sometimes called rhetoric, which is a veryirregular form of verse. Sometimes it rhymes, but more often not; thelines are of varying lengths, and to scan them is often very difficult, an alliteration taking the place of scansion in many cases. Therhetoric does not in general develop the story nor take the form ofdescription, it usually consists of songs of triumph, challenges, prophecies, and exhortations, though it is sometimes used for otherpurposes. It does not conform to strict grammatical rules like themore regular verse and the prose, and many of the literal translationswhich Irish scholars have made for us of the romances omit thisrhetoric entirely, owing to the difficulty in rendering it accurately, and because it does not develop the plots of the stories. Notableexamples of such omissions are in Miss Faraday's translation of theLeabhar na h-Uidhri version of the "Great Tain, " and in Whitley Stokes'translation of the "Destruction of Da Derga's Hostel. " With allrespect to these scholars, and with the full consciousness of thedifficulty of the task that has naturally been felt by one who hasvainly attempted to make sense of what their greater skill has omitted, it may be suggested that the total omission of such passages injuresthe literary effect of a romance in a manner similar to the effect ofomitting all the choric pieces in a Greek tragedy: the rhetoric indeed, on account of its irregularity, its occasional strophic correspondence, its general independence of the action of the tale, and its difficultyas compared with the other passages, may be compared very closely to aGreek "chorus. " Few of the romances written in prose and verse areentirely without rhetoric; but some contain very little of it; all thesix romances of this character given in the present volume (counting astwo the two versions of "Etain") contain some rhetoric, but there areonly twenty-one such passages in the collection altogether, ten ofwhich are in one romance, the "Sick-bed of Cuchulain. "

The present collection is an attempt to give to English readers some ofthe oldest romances in English literary forms that seem to correspondto the literary forms which were used in Irish to produce the sameeffect, and has been divided into two parts. The first part containsfive separate stories, all of which are told in the characteristic formof prose and verse: they are the "Courtship of Etain, " the "Boar of MacDatho, " the "Sick-bed of Cuchulain, " the "Death of the Sons of Usnach"(Book of Leinster version), and the "Combat at the Ford" out of theBook of Leinster version of the "Tain bo Cuailnge. " Two versions aregiven of the "Courtship of Etain "; and the "Sick-bed of Cuchulain, " asis pointed out in the special preface prefixed to it, really consistsof two independent versions. It was at first intended to add thebetter-known version of the "Death of the Sons of Usnach" known as thatof the Glenn Masain MS. , but the full translation of this has beenomitted, partly to avoid making the volume too bulky, partly becausethis version is readily attainable in a literal form; an extract fromit has, however, been added to the Book of Leinster version for thepurpose of comparison. In the renderings given of these romances thetranslation of the prose is nearly literal, but no attempt has beenmade to follow the Irish idiom where this idiom sounds harsh inEnglish; actives have been altered to passive forms and the reverse, adjectives are sometimes replaced by short sentences which give theimage better in English, pronouns, in which Irish is very rich, areoften replaced by the persons or things indicated, and common words, like iarom, iarsin, iartain, immorro, and the like (meaning thereafter, moreover, &c. ), have been replaced by short sentences that refer backto the events indicated by the words. Nothing has been added to theIrish, except in the Leabhar na h-Uidhri version of "Etain, " wherethere is a lacuna to be filled up, and there are no omissions. Thetranslations of the verse and of the rhetoric are, so far as ispossible, made upon similar lines; it was at first intended to addliteral renderings of all the verse passages, but it was found that todo so would make the volume of an unmanageable size for its purpose. Literal renderings of all the verse passages in "Etain, " the first ofthe tales in volume i. , are given in the notes to that story; theliteral renderings of Deirdre's lament in the "Sons of Usnach, " and oftwo poems in "The Combat at the Ford, " are also given in full asspecimens, but in the case of most of the poems reference is made toeasily available literal translations either in English or German:where the literal rendering adopted differs from that referred to, orwhere the poem in question has not before been translated, the literalrendering has been given in the notes. These examples will, it isbelieved, give a fair indication of the relation between my versetranslations and the originals, the deviations from which have beenmade as small as possible. The form of four-line verse divided intostanzas has generally been used to render the passages in four-linedverse in the Irish, the only exception to this rule being in the versesat the end of the "Boar of Mac Datho": these are in the nature of aballad version of the whole story, and have been rendered in a balladmetre that does not conform to the arrangement in verses of theoriginal. 

The metre of all the Irish four-lined verses in this volume is, exceptin two short pieces, a seven-syllabled line, the first two linesusually rhyming with each other, and the last two similarlyrhyming, [FN#4] in a few cases in the "Boar of Mac Datho" these rhymesare alternate, and in the extract from the Glenn Masain version of the"Sons of Usnach" there is a more complicated rhyme system. It has notbeen thought necessary to reproduce this metre in all cases, as to doso would sound too monotonous in English; the metre is, however, reproduced once at least in each tale except in that of the "Death ofthe Sons of Usnach. " The eight-lined metre that occurs in five of theverse passages in the "Combat at the Ford" has in one case beenreproduced exactly, and in another case nearly exactly, but with onesyllable added to each line; the two passages in this romance that arein five-syllabled lines have been reproduced exactly in the Irishmetre, in one case with the rhyme-system of the original. With therhetoric greater liberty has been used; sometimes the original metrehas been followed, but more often not; and an occasional attempt hasbeen made to bring out the strophic correspondence in the Irish. 

[FN#4] An example of this metre is as follows:--

All the elves of Troom seem dead, All their mighty deeds are fled;For their Hound, who hounds surpassed, Elves have bound in slumber fast. 

In the first volume of the collection the presentation has then beenmade as near as may be to the form and matter of the Irish; in thesecond volume, called "Versified Romances, " there is a considerabledivergence from the Irish form but not from its sense. This partincludes the five "Tains" or Cattle-Forays of Fraech, Dartaid, Regamon, Flidais, and Regamna; which in the originals differ from the five talesin volume i, in that they include no verse, except for a few lines inRegamna, most of which are untranslatable. The last four of these areshort pieces written in a prose extremely rapid in its action, andcrowded with incident. They are all expressly named as "fore-tales, "remscela, or preludes to the story of the great war of Cualnge, whichis the central event in the Ulster heroic cycle, and appear suited forrapid prose recitations, which were apparently as much a feature inancient as they are in modern Irish. Such pieces can hardly bereproduced in English prose so as to bring out their character; theyare represented in English by the narrative ballad, and they have beenhere rendered in this way. Literal translations in prose are printedupon the opposite page to the verse, these translations being much moreexact than the translations in the first volume, as the object in thiscase is to show the literal Irish form, not its literal Englishequivalent, which is in this case the verse. The "Tain bo Fraich" isalso, in a sense, a "fore-tale" to the Great Raid, but is of adifferent character to the others. It consists of two parts, thesecond of which is not unlike the four that have just been mentioned, but the first part is of a much higher order, containing brilliantdescriptions, and at least one highly poetic passage although its Irishform is prose. Fraech has been treated like the other fore-tales, andrendered in verse with literal prose opposite to the verse for thepurpose of comparison. The notes to all the five Tana in the secondvolume accompany the text; in the first volume all the notes to thedifferent romances are collected together, and placed at the end of thevolume. The second volume also includes a transcript from thefacsimile of that part of the Irish text of the tale of Etain which hasnot before been published, together with an interlinear literaltranslation. It is hoped that this arrangement may assist some who arenot Middle Irish scholars to realise what the original romances are. 

The manuscript authorities for the eleven different romances (countingas two the two versions of "Etain") are all old; seven are either inthe Leabhar na h-Uidhri, an eleventh-century manuscript, or in the Bookof Leinster, a twelfth-century one; three of the others are in thefourteenth-century Yellow Book of Lecan, which is often, in the case oftexts preserved both in it and the Leabhar na h-Uidhri, regarded as thebetter authority of the two; and the remaining one, the second versionof "Etain, " is in the fifteenth-century manuscript known as Egerton, 1782, which gives in an accurate form so many texts preserved in theolder manuscripts that it is very nearly as good an authority as they. The sources used in making the translations are also stated in thespecial introductions, but it may be mentioned as a summary that thefour "Preludes, " the Tana of Dartaid, Regamon, Flidais, and Regamna, are taken from the text printed with accompanying German translationsby Windisch in Irische Texte, vol. Ii. ; Windisch's renderings beingfollowed in those portions of the text that he translates; for the"Tain bo Fraich" and the "Combat at the Ford" the Irish as given byO'Beirne Crowe and by O'Curry, with not very trustworthy Englishtranslations, has been followed; in the case of the fragment of theGlenn Masain version of "Deirdre" little reference has been made to theIrish, the literal translation followed being that given by WhitleyStokes. The remaining five romances, the "Boar of Mac Datho, " theLeinster version of "Deirdre, " the "Sick-bed of Cuchulain, " the Egertonversion of "Etain, " and the greater part of the Leabbar na h-Uidhriversion of the same, are taken from the Irish text printed withouttranslation in Irische Texte, vol. I. , the end of the Leabhar nah-Uidhri version omitted by Windisch being taken from the facsimile ofthe manuscript published by the Royal Irish Academy. 

I have to acknowledge with gratitude many corrections to O'BeirneCrowe's translation of the "Tain bo Fraich" kindly given me byProfessor Kuno Meyer; in the case of O'Curry's translation of the"Combat at the Ford, " similar help kindly given me by Mr. E. J. Quiggin; and in the case of the two versions of "Etain, " moreespecially for the part taken direct from the facsimile, I have toexpress gratitude for the kind and ready help given to me by ProfessorStrachan. Professor Strachan has not only revised my transcript fromthe facsimile, and supplied me with translations of the many difficultpassages in this of which I could make no sense, but has revised allthe translation which was made by the help of Windisch's glossary tothe Irische Texte of both the versions of "Etain, " so that thetranslations given of these two romances should be especially reliable, although of course I may have made some errors which have escapedProfessor Strachan's notice. The three other romances which have beentranslated from the Irish in Irische Texte have not been similarlyrevised, but all passages about which there appeared to be doubt havebeen referred to in the notes to the individual romances. 

It remains to add some remarks upon the general character of the tales, which, as may be seen after a very cursory examination, are verydifferent both in tone and merit, as might indeed be expected if weremember that we are probably dealing with the works of men who wereseparated from each other by a gap of hundreds of years. Those whohave read the actual works of the ancient writers of the Irish romanceswill not readily indulge in the generalisations about them used bythose to whom the romances are only known by abstracts or acompilation. Perhaps the least meritorious of those in this collectionare the "Tains" of Dartaid, Regamon, and Flidais, but the tones ofthese three stories are very different. Dartaid is a tale of fairyvengeance for a breach of faith; Flidais is a direct and simple storyof a raid like a Border raid, reminding us of the "riding ballads" ofthe Scottish Border, and does not seem to trouble itself much aboutquestions of right or wrong; Regamon is a merry tale of a foray by boysand girls; it troubles itself with the rights of the matter even lessthan Flidais if possible, and is an example of an Irish tale with whatis called in modern times a "good ending. " It may be noted that theselast two tales have no trace of the supernatural element which somesuppose that the Irish writers were unable to dispense with. The "Tainbo Regamna, " the shortest piece in the collection, is a grotesquepresentation of the supernatural, and is more closely associated withthe Great Tain than any of the other fore-tales to it, the series ofprophecies with which it closes exactly following the action of thepart of the Tain, to which it refers. Some of the grotesque characterof Regamna appears in the "Boar of Mac Datho, " which, however, likeRegamon and Flidais, has no supernatural element; its whole tone isarchaic and savage, relieved by touches of humour, but the style of thecomposition is much superior to that of the first three stories. Aromance far superior to "Mae Datho" is the Leinster version of thewell-known Deirdre story, the "Death of the Sons of Usnach. " Theopening of the story is savage, the subsequent action of the prose isvery rapid, while the splendid lament at the end, one of the bestsustained laments in the language, and the restraint shown in itsaccount of the tragic death of Deirdre, place this version of the storyin a high position. As has been already mentioned, parts of thefifteenth-century version of the story have been added to this versionfor purposes of comparison: the character of the Deirdre of theLeinster version would not have been in keeping with the sentiment ofthe lament given to her in the later account. 

The remaining five romances (treating as two the two versions of"Etain") all show great beauty in different ways. Three of the fourtales given in them have "good endings, " and the feeling expressed inthem is less primitive than that shown in the other stories, althoughit is an open question whether any of them rises quite so high asDeirdre's lament. "Fraech" has, as has been mentioned before, twoquite separate parts; the second part is of inferior quality, showing, however, an unusual amount of knowledge of countries lying outsideCeltdom, but the first is a most graceful romance; although the hero isa demi-god, and the fairies play a considerable part in it, theinterest is essentially human; and the plot is more involved than isthe case in most of the romances. It abounds in brilliantdescriptions; the description of the Connaught palace is of antiquarianinterest; and one of the most beautiful pieces of Celtic mythology, theparentage of the three fairy harpers, is included in it. 

The "Sick-bed of Cuchulain" and the Leabhar na h-Uidhri version of the"Courtship of Etain" seem to have had their literary effect injured bythe personality of the compiler of the manuscript from which theLeabhar na h-Uidhri was copied. Seemingly an antiquarian, interestedin the remains of the old Celtic religion and in old ceremonies, he hasinserted pieces of antiquarian information into several of the romancesthat he has preserved for us, and though these are often of greatinterest in themselves, they spoil the literary effect of the romancesin which they appear. It is possible that both the Leabhar na h-Uidhriversion of "Etain" and the "Sick-bed" might be improved by a littlejudicious editing; they have, however, been left just as they stand inthe manuscript. The "Sick-bed, " as is pointed out in the specialintroduction to it, consists of two separate versions; the first hasplainly some of the compiler's comments added to it, but the second andlonger part seems not to have been meddled with; and, although afragment, it makes a stately romance, full of human interest althoughdealing with supernatural beings; and its conclusion is especiallyremarkable in early literature on account of the importance of theaction of the two women who are the heroines of this part of the tale. The action of Fand in resigning her lover to the weaker mortal womanwho has a better claim upon him is quite modern in its tone. 

The nearest parallel to the longer version of the "Sick-bed" is theEgerton version of "Etain, " which is a complete one, and makes astately romance. It is full of human interest, love being its keynote;it keeps the supernatural element which is an essential to the originallegend in the background, and is of quite a different character to theearlier Leabhar na h-Uidhri version, although there is no reason toassume that the latter is really the more ancient in date. In theLeabbar na h-Uidhri version of "Etain, " all that relates to thelove-story is told in the baldest manner, the part which deals with thesupernatural being highly descriptive and poetic. I am inclined tobelieve that the antiquarian compiler of the manuscript did here whathe certainly did in the case of the "Sick-bed of Cuchulain, " and piecedtogether two romances founded upon the same legend by differentauthors. The opening of the story in Fairyland and the concluding partwhere Mider again appears are alike both in style and feeling, whilethe part that comes between is a highly condensed version of thelove-story of the Egerton manuscript, and suggests the idea of anabstract of the Egerton version inserted into the story as originallycomposed, the effect being similar to that which would be produced uponus if we had got Aeschylus' "Choaphorae" handed down to us with acondensed version of the dialogue between Electra and Chrysothemis outof Sophocles' "Electra" inserted by a conscientious antiquarian whothought that some mention of Chrysothemis was necessary. This versionof the legend, however, with its strong supernatural flavour, itsinsistence on the idea of re-birth, its observation of nature, andespecially the fine poem in which Mider invites Etain to Fairyland, isa most valuable addition to the literature, and we have to lament thegap in it owing to the loss of a column in that part of the Leabhar nah-Uidhri manuscript which has been preserved. 

The last piece to be mentioned is the extract from the "Tain beCuailnge" known as the "Combat at the Ford. " This seems to me thefinest specimen of old Irish work that has been preserved for us; thebrilliance of its descriptions, the appropriate changes in its metres, the chivalry of its sentiments, and the rapidity of its action should, even if there were nothing to stand beside it in Irish literature, givethat literature a claim to be heard: as an account of a strugglebetween two friends, it is probably the finest in any literature. Ithas been stated recently, no doubt upon sound authority, that thegrammatical forms of this episode show it to be late, possibly datingonly to the eleventh century. The manuscript in which it appears, however, is of the earlier part of the twelfth century; no literarymodem work other than Irish can precede it in time; and if it is thework of an eleventh-century author, it does seem strange that his nameor the name of some one of that date who could have written it has notbeen recorded, as MacLiag's name has been as the traditional author ofthe eleventh-century "Wars of the Gaedhill and the Gaill, " for thenames of several Irish authors of that period axe well known, and theEarly Middle Irish texts of that period are markedly of inferiorquality. Compare for example the Boromaean Tribute which Stokesconsiders to take high rank among texts of that period (Revue Celtique, xiii. P. 32). One would certainly like to believe that this episode ofthe "Combat at the Ford" belongs to the best literary period, withwhich upon literary grounds it seems to be most closely connected. 

But, whether this comparative lateness of the "Combat at the Ford" betrue or not, it, together with all the varied work contained in thiscollection, with the possible exception of the short extract from theGlenn Masain "Deirdre, " is in the actual form that we have it, olderthan the Norman Conquest of Ireland, older than the Norse Sagas. Itsmanuscript authority is older than that of the Volsunga Saga; itspresent form precedes the birth of Chretien de Troyes, the firstconsiderable name in French literature, and, in a form not much unlikethat in which we have it, it is probably centuries older than itsactual manuscript date. The whole thing stands at the very beginningof the literature of Modern Europe, and compares by no meansunfavourably with that which came after, and may, in part, have beeninspired by it. Surely it deserves to be raised from its presentposition as a study known only to a few specialists, and to form partof the mental equipment of every man who is for its own sake interestedin and a lover of literature. 

INTRODUCTION IN VERSE

'Tis hard an audience now to winFor lore that Ireland's tales can teach;And faintly, 'mid the modern din, Is heard the old heroic speech. 

For long the tales in silence slept;The ancient tomes by few were read;E'en those who still its knowledge keptHave thought the living music dead. 

And some, to save the lore from death, With modern arts each tale would deck, Inflate its rhymes with magic breath, As if to buoy a sinking wreck. 

They graft new morbid magic dreamsOn tales where beating life is felt:In each romance find mystic gleams, And traces of the "moody Celt. "

Yet, though with awe the grassy moundThat fairies haunt, is marked to-day;And though in ancient tales are foundDim forms of gods, long passed away;

Though later men to magic turned, Inserting many a Druid spell;And ill the masters' craft had learnedWho told the tales, and told them well;

No tale should need a magic dressOr modern art, its life to give:Each for itself, or great, or less, Should speak, if it deserves to live. 

Think not a dull, a scribal penDead legends wrote, half-known, and feared:In lettered lands to poet menRomance, who lives to-day, appeared. 

For when, in fear of warrior bands, Had Learning fled the western world, And, raised once more by Irish hands, Her banner stood again unfurled;

'Twas there, where men her laws revered, That Learning aided Art's advance;And Ireland bore, and Ireland rearedThese Eldest Children of Romance. 

Her poets knew the Druid creeds;Yet not on these their thoughts would rest:They sang of love, of heroes' deeds, Of kingly pomp, of cheerful jest. 

Not as in Greece aspired their thought, They joyed in battles wild and stern;Yet pity once to men they taughtFrom whom a fiercer age could learn. 

Their frequent theme was war: they sangThe praise of chiefs of courage high;Yet, from their harps the accents rangThat taught to knighthood chivalry. 

Their heroes praise a conquered foe, Oppose their friends for honour's sake, To weaker chieftains mercy show, And strength of cruel tyrants break. 

Their nobles, loving fame, rejoiceIn glory, got from bards, to shine;Yet thus ascends Cuchulain's voice:"No skill indeed to boast is mine!"

They sang, to please a warlike age, Of wars, and women's wild lament, Yet oft, restraining warriors' rage, Their harps to other themes were bent. 

They loved on peaceful pomp to dwell, Rejoiced in music's magic strains, . All Nature's smiling face loved well, And "glowing hues of flowery plains. "

Though oft of Fairy Land they spoke, No eerie beings dwelled therein, 'Twas filled throughout with joyous folkLike men, though freed from death and sin. 

And sure those bards were truest knightsWhose thoughts of women high were set, Nor deemed them prizes, won in fights, But minds like men's, and women yet. 

With skilful touch they paint us each, Etain, whose beauty's type for all;Scathach, whose warriors skill could teachEmer, whose words in wisdom fall;

Deirdre the seer, by love made keen;Flidais, whose bounty armies feedsThe prudent Mugain, Conor's queen;Crund's wife, more swift than Conor's steeds;

Finnabar, death for love who dared;Revengeful Ferb, who died of griefFand, who a vanquished rival spared;Queen Maev, who Connaught led, its chief. 

Not for the creeds their lines preserveShould Ireland's hero tales be knownTheir pictured pages praise deserveFrom all, not learned men alone. 

Their works are here; though flawed by time, To all the living verses speakOf men who taught to Europe rhyme, Who knew no masters, save the Greek. 

In forms like those men loved of old, Naught added, nothing torn away, The ancient tales again are told, Can none their own true magic sway?

PRONUNCIATION OF PROPER NAMES

The following list of suggested pronunciations does not claim to becomplete or to be necessarily correct in all cases. Some words likeFerdia and Conchobar (Conor) have an established English pronunciationthat is strictly speaking wrong; some, like Murthemne are doubtful; thesuggestions given here are those adopted by the editor for suchinformation as is at his disposal. It seems to be unnecessary to giveall the names, as the list would be too long; this list contains thosenames in the first volume as are of frequent occurrence; names thatoccur less commonly, and some of those in the following list, have apronunciation indicated in foot-notes. The most important names are insmall capitals. 

LIST OF NAMES

Aife (Ee-fa), pp. 117, 129, 1342 141, 148, an instructress ofCuchulain, Ferdia, and others in the art of war. 

Cathbad (Cah-ba), pp. 91, 92, 93, 95, a Druid. 

Cualgne (Kell-ny), mentioned in the Preface, Introductions, the"Combat" and elsewhere; a district corresponding to County Louth. 

Cuchulain (Cu-hoo-lin), the hero of the "Sick-bed" and the "Combat, "and of the Ulster Heroic cycle in general. 

Deirdre (Dire-dree), the heroine of the "Exile of the Sons of Usnach. "

Dubhtach (Doov-ta), pp. 48, 97, 98, 107, an Ulster hero. 

Eochaid Airem (Yeo-hay Arrem), the king in the "Courtship of Etain. "

Eochaid Juil (Yeo-hay Yool), pp. 63, 70, 76, 79, a fairy king killed byCuchulain. 

Eogan mac Durthacht (Yeogan mac Door-ha), pp. 43, 48, 93, 97, 101, 107;an Ulster hero, the slayer of the sons of Usnach. 

Etain (Et-oyn), the heroine of the "Courtship of Etain. "

Ferdia (Fer-dee-a), Cuchulain's opponent in the "Combat at the Ford. "The true pronunciation is probably Fer-deed. 

Fuamnach (Foom-na), pp. 79 9, 10, 19, 26, a sorceress. 

Laeg (Layg), son of Riangabra (Reen-gabra), the charioteer and friendof Cuchulain, frequently mentioned in the "Sick-bed" and the "Combat atthe Ford. "

Laegaire (Leary), pp. 42, 46, 67, an Ulster hero. 

Leabhar na h-Uidhri (Lyow-er na hoorie), frequently mentioned, theoldest Irish manuscript of romance. It means the "Book of the DunCow, " sometimes referred to as L. U. 

Mac Datho (Mac Da-ho), king of Leinster in the "Boar of Mac Datho, " theword means "son of two mutes. "

Murthemne (Moor-temmy), pp. 57, 59, 61, 73, 77, 78, a district inUlster, with which Cuchulain is connected in the "Sick-bed" (in the"Combat" he is "Cuchulain of Cualgne"). 

Naisi (Nay-see), the hero of the "Exile of the Sons of Usnach. "

Scathach (Ska-ha), pp. 117, 129) 131, 134, 141, 149, 151 a sorceress inthe Isle of Skye, instructress of Cuchulain in war. 

Uathach (Oo-ha), pp. 117, 129, 134; 141) 149, daughter of Scathach. 

Other prominent characters, in the pronunciation of whose names asgiven in the text no special assistance is required, are:

Ailill mac Mata (Al-ill), king of Connaught. 

Ailill Anglonnach, lover of Etain, in the "Courtship of Etain. "

Conall Cernach, Conall the Victorious, second champion of Ulster afterCuchulain. 

Conor (properly spelt Conchobar and pronounced Con-ower), king ofUlster. 

Emer, wife of Cuchulain, appears often in the "Sick-bed. " This name isby some pronounced A-vair, probably from a different spelling. 

Fand, the fairy princess, in love with Cuchulain, in the "Sick-bed. "

Fergus, son of Rog, prominent in the "Exile of the Sons of Usnach, " andin "Combat"; step-father to King Conor, he appears in most of theromances. 

Ket (spelt Cet), son of Mata, the Connaught champion, appears in the"Boar of Mac Datho. "

Maev (spelt Medb), the great Queen of Connaught. 

Mider, Etain's fairy lover, in the "Courtship of Etain. "

CONTENTS

THE COURTSHIP OF ETAIN

MAC DATHO'S BOAR

THE SICK-BED OF CUCHULAIN

THE EXILE OF THE SONS OF USNACH

THE COMBAT AT THE FORD

SPECIAL NOTE ON THE COMBAT AT THE FORD

GENERAL NOTES

THE COURTSHIP OF ETAIN

INTRODUCTION

The date which tradition assigns to the events related in the tale ofthe "Courtship of Etain" is about B. C. 100, two or, according to someaccounts, three generations before the king Conaire Mor, or Conary, whose death is told in the tale called the "Destruction of Da Derga'sHostel. " This king is generally spoken of as a contemporary of thechief personages of what is called more especially the "Heroic Age" ofIreland; and the two versions of the "Courtship of Etain" given in thisvolume at once introduce a difficulty; for the sub-kings who weretributary to Eochaid, Etain's husband, are in both versions stated tobe Conor, Ailill mac Mata, Mesgegra, and Curoi, all of whom arewell-known figures in the tales of the Heroic Age. As Conary isrelated to have ruled sixty years, and several of the characters of theHeroic Age survived him, according to the tale that describes hisdeath, the appearance of the names of Conor and Ailill in a tale abouthis grandfather (or according to the Egerton version hisgreat-grandfather) introduces an obvious discrepancy. 

It appears to be quite impossible to reconcile the dates given to theactors in the tales of the Heroic and preceding age. They seem to havebeen given in the "antiquarian age" of the tenth and eleventhcenturies; not only do they differ according to different chronologersby upwards of a hundred years, but the succession of kings in theaccounts given by the same chronologer is often impossible in view oftheir mutual relationships. The real state of things appears to bethat the "Courtship of Etain, " together with the story of Conary, thelost tale of the destruction of the Fairy Hill of Nennta, [FN#5] and thetale of the Bull-Feast and election of Lugaid Red-Stripes as king ofIreland, forms a short cycle of romance based upon ancient legends thathad originally no connection at all with those on which the romances ofthe Heroic Age were built. The whole government of the country isessentially different in the two cycles; in the Etain cycle the idea isthat of a land practically governed by one king, the vassal kings beingof quite small importance; in the tales of the Heroic Age proper, thepicture we get is of two, if not of four, practically independentkingdoms, the allusions to any over-king being very few, and in greatpart late. But when the stories of Etain and of Conary assumed theirpresent forms, when the writers of our romances formed them out of thetraditions which descended to them from pro-Christian sources, bothcycles of tradition were pretty well known; and there was a naturaltendency to introduce personages from one cycle into the other, although these personages occupy a subordinate position in the cycle towhich they do not properly belong. Even Conall Cernach, who is afairly prominent figure in the tale of the death of Conary, has littleimportance given to him compared with the people who really belong tothe cycle, and the other warriors of the Heroic Age mentioned in thetale are little but lay figures compared with Conary, Ingcel, and MacCecht. A wish to connect the two cycles probably accounts for theconnection of Lugaid Red-Stripes with Cuchulain, the introduction ofConor and Ailill into the story of Etain may be due to the same cause, and there is no need to suppose that the authors of our versions feltthemselves bound by what other men had introduced into the tale ofConary. The practice of introducing heroes from one cycle into anotherwas by no means uncommon, or confined to Ireland; Greek heroes' namessometimes appear in the Irish tales; Cuchulain, in much later times, comes into the tales of Finn; and in Greece itself, characters whoreally belong to the time of the Trojan War appear in tales of theArgonauts. 

[FN#5] A short account of this is in the story of King Dathi (O'CurryLectures, p. 286). The tale seems to be alluded to in the quatrain onp. 10 of this volume. 

There are very few corresponding allusions to personages from the smallEtain cycle found in the great cycle of romances that belong to theHeroic Age, but MacCecht's name appears in a fifteenth-centurymanuscript which gives a version of the tale of Flidais; and I suspectan allusion to the Etain story in a verse in the "Sick-bed ofCuchulain" (see note, p. 184). It may be observed that theintroduction of Conor and his contemporaries into the story of Conary'sgrandparents is an additional piece of evidence that our form of thestory of Etain precedes the "antiquarian age"; for at that time theversion which we have of the story of Conary must have been classicaland the connection of Conor's warriors with Conary well-known. A keeneye was at that time kept on departures from the recognised historicalorder (compare a note by Mr. Nutt in the "Voyage of Bran, " vol. Ii. P. 61); and the introduction of Conor into our version of the tale ofEtain must have been at an earlier date. 

The two versions of the "Courtship of Etain, " the Egerton one, and thatin the Leabhar na h-Uidhri, have been compared in the general prefaceto the volume, and little more need be said on this point; it may, however, be noted that eight pages of the Egerton version (pp. 11 to18) are compressed into two pages in L. U. (pp. 23 and 24). Referencesto the Etain story are found in different copies of the "Dindshenchas, "under the headings of Rath Esa, Rath Croghan, and Bri Leith; theprincipal manuscript authorities, besides the two translated here, arethe Yellow Book of Lecan, pp. 91 to 104, and the Book of Leinster, 163b(facsimile). These do not add much to our versions; there are, however, one or two new points in a hitherto untranslated manuscriptsource mentioned by O'Curry ("Manners and Customs, " vol. Ii. P 192 to194). 

The Leabhar na h-Uidhri version is defective both at the beginning andat the end; there is also a complete column torn from the manuscript, making the description of the chess match defective. These three gapshave been filled up by short passages enclosed in square brackets, atthe commencement of the Prologue, on p. 28, and at the end of the L. U. Version. The two first of these insertions contain no matter thatcannot be found by allusions in the version itself; the conclusion ofthe tale is drawn, partly from the "Dindshenchas" of Rath Esa, partlyfrom the passage in O'Curry's "Manners and Customs. "

The only alteration that has been made is that, following a suggestionin Windisch (Irische Texte, i. P. 132), the poem on page 26 has beenplaced four pages earlier than the point at which it occurs in themanuscript. Three very difficult lines (Leabhar na h-Uidhri, 132a, lines 12 to 14) have not been attempted; there are no other omissions, and no insertions except the three noted above. The Prologue out ofthe L. U. Version has been placed first, as it is essential to theunderstanding of any version, then follows the Egerton version as thelonger of the two, then the L. U. Version of the Courtship, properly socalled. 

PROLOGUE IN FAIRYLAND

FROM THE LEABHAR NA H-UIDHRI

Etain of the Horses, the daughter of Ailill, was the wife of Mider, theFairy Dweller in Bri Leith. [FN#6] Now Mider had also another wifenamed Fuamnach[FN#7] who was filled with jealousy against Etain, andsought to drive her from her husband's house. And Fuamnach sought outBressal Etarlam the Druid and besought his aid; and by the spells ofthe Druid, and the sorcery of Fuamnach, Etain was changed into theshape of a butterfly that finds its delight among flowers. And whenEtain was in this shape she was seized by a great wind that was raisedby Fuamnach's spells; and she was borne from her husband's house bythat wind for seven years till she came to the palace of Angus Mac O'cwho was son to the Dagda, the chief god of the men of ancient Erin. Mac O'c had been fostered by Mider, but he was at enmity with hisfoster-father, and he recognised Etain, although in her transformedshape, as she was borne towards him by the force] of the wind. And hemade a bower for Etain with clear windows for it through which shemight pass, and a veil of purple was laid upon her; and that bower wascarried about by Mac O'c wherever he went. And there each night sheslept beside him by a means that he devised, so that she becamewell-nourished and fair of form; for that bower was filled withmarvellously sweet-scented shrubs, and it was upon these that shethrived, upon the odour and blossom of the best of precious herbs. 

[FN#6] Pronounced Bree Lay. 

[FN#7] Pronounced Foom-na. 

Now to Fuamnach came tidings of the love and the worship that Etain hadfrom Mac O'c, and she came to Mider, and "Let thy foster-son, " saidshe, "be summoned to visit thee, that I may make peace between you two, and may then go to seek for news of Etain. " And the messenger fromMider went to Mac O'c, and Mac O'c went to Mider to greet him; butFuamnach for a long time wandered from land to land till she was inthat very mansion where Etain was; and then she blew beneath her withthe same blast as aforetime, so that the blast carried her out of herbower, and she was blown before it, as she had been before for sevenyears through all the land of Erin, and she was driven by the wind ofthat blast to weakness and woe. And the wind carried her over the roofof a house where the men of Ulster sat at their ale, so that she fellthrough the roof into a cup of gold that stood near the wife of Etarthe Warrior, whose dwelling-place was near to the Bay of Cichmany inthe province that was ruled over by Conor. And the woman swallowedEtain together with the milk that was in the cup, and she bare her inher womb, till the time came that she was born thereafter as in earthlymaid, and the name of Etain, the daughter of Etar, was given to her. And it was one thousand and twelve years since the time of the firstbegetting of Etain by Ailill to the time when she was born the secondtime as the daughter of Etar. 

Now Etain was nurtured at Inver Cichmany in the house of Etar, withfifty maidens about her of the daughters of the chiefs of the land; andit was Etar himself who still nurtured and clothed them, that theymight be companions to his daughter Etain. And upon a certain day, when those maidens were all at the river-mouth to bathe there, they sawa horseman on the plain who came to the water towards them. A horse herode that was brown, curvetting, and prancing, with a broad foreheadand a curly mane and tail. Green, long, and flowing was the cloak thatwas about him, his shirt was embroidered with embroidery of red gold, and a great brooch of gold in his cloak reached to his shoulder oneither side. Upon the back of that man was a silver shield with agolden rim; the handle for the shield was silver, and a golden boss wasin the midst of the shield: he held in his hand a five-pointed spearwith rings of gold about it from the haft to the head. The hair thatwas above his forehead was yellow and fair; and upon his brow was acirclet of gold, which confined the hair so that it fell not about hisface. He stood for a while upon the shore of the bay; and he gazedupon the maidens, who were all filled with love for him, and then hesang this song:

West of Alba, near the Mound[FN#8]Where the Fair-Haired Women play, There, 'mid little children found, Etain dwells, by Cichmain's Bay. 

She hath healed a monarch's eyeBy the well of Loch-da-lee;Yea, and Etar's wife, when dry, Drank her: heavy draught was she!

Chased by king for Etain's sake, Birds their flight from Teffa wing:'Tis for her Da-Arbre's lakeDrowns the coursers of the king. 

Echaid, who in Meath shall reign, Many a war for thee shall wage;He shall bring on fairies bane, Thousands rouse to battle's rage. 

Etain here to harm was brought, Etain's form is Beauty's test;Etain's king in love she sought:Etain with our folk shall rest!

[FN#8] The metre of these verses is that of the Irish. 

And after that he had spoken thus, the young warrior went away from theplace where the maidens were; and they knew not whence it was that hehad come, nor whither he departed afterwards. Moreover it is told of Mac O'c, that after the disappearance of Etainhe came to the meeting appointed between him and Mider; and when hefound that Fuamnach was away: "'Tis deceit, " said Mider, "that thiswoman hath practised upon us; and if Etain shall be seen by her to bein Ireland, she will work evil upon Etain. " "And indeed, " said MacO'c, "it seemeth to me that thy guess may be true. For Etain hath longsince been in my own house, even in the palace where I dwell; moreovershe is now in that shape into which that woman transformed her; and'tis most likely that it is upon her that Fuamnach hath rushed. " ThenMac O'c went back to his palace, and he found his bower of glass empty, for Etain was not there. And Mac O'c turned him, and he went upon thetrack of Fuamnach, and he overtook her at Oenach Bodbgnai, in the houseof Bressal Etarlam the Druid. And Mac O'c attacked her, and he struckoff her head, and he carried the head with him till he came to withinhis own borders. 

Yet a different tale hath been told of the end of Fuamnach, for it hathbeen said that by the aid of Manannan both Fuamnach and Mider wereslain in Bri Leith, and it is of that slaying that men have told whenthey said:

Think on Sigmall, and Bri with its forest:Little wit silly Fuamnach had learned;Mider's wife found her need was the sorest, When Bri Leith by Manannan was burned. 

THE COURTSHIP OF ETAIN

EGERTON VERSION

Once there was a glorious and stately king who held the supremelordship over all the land of Ireland. The name of the king wasEochaid Airemm, and he was the son of Finn, who was the son of Finntan;who was the son of Rogan the Red; who was the son of Essamain; who wasthe son of Blathecht; who was the son of Beothecht; who was the son ofLabraid the Tracker; who was the son of Enna the Swift; who was the sonof Angus of Tara, called the Shamefaced; who was the son of Eochaid theBroad-jointed; who was the son of Ailill of the Twisted Teeth; who wasthe son of Connla the Fair; who was the son of Irer; who was the son ofMelghe the Praiseworthy; who was the son of Cobhtach the Slender fromthe plain of Breg; who was the son of Ugaine the Great; who was the sonof Eochaid the Victorious. 

Now all the five provinces of Ireland were obedient to the rule ofEochaid Airemm: for Conor the son of Ness, the king of Ulster, wasvassal to Eochaid; and Messgegra the king of Leinster was his vassal;and so was Curoi, the son of Dare, king of the land of Munster; and sowere Ailill and Maev, who ruled over the land of Connaught. Two greatstrongholds were in the hands of Eochaid: they were the strongholds ofFremain in Meath, and of Fremain in Tethba; and the stronghold that hehad in Tethba was more pleasing to him than any of those that hepossessed. Less than a year had passed since Eochaid first assumed the sovereigntyover Erin, when the news was proclaimed at once throughout all the landthat the Festival of Tara should be held, that all the men of Irelandshould come into the presence of their king, and that he desired fullknowledge of the tributes due from, and the customs proper to each. And the one answer that all of the men of Ireland made to his call was:"That they would not attend the Festival of Tara during such time, whether it be long or short, that the king of Ireland remained withouta wife that was worthy of him;" for there is no noble who is a wifelessman among the men of Ireland; nor can there be any king without aqueen; nor does any man go to the Festival of Tara without his wife;nor does any wife go thither without her husband. 

Thereupon Eochaid sent out from him his horsemen, and his wizards, andhis officers who had the care of the roads, and his couriers of theboundaries throughout all Ireland; and they searched all Ireland asthey sought for a wife that should be worthy of the king, in her form, and her grace, and her countenance, and her birth. And in addition toall this there yet remained one condition: that the king would take ashis wife none who had been before as a wife to any other man before him. 

And after that they had received these commands, his horsemen, and hiswizards, and his officers who had the care of the roads, and thecouriers of the boundaries went out; and they searched all Irelandsouth and north; and near to the Bay of Cichmany they found a wifeworthy of the king; and her name was Etain the daughter of Etar, whowas the king of Echrad. And his messengers returned to Eochaid, andthey told him of the maiden, of her form, and her grace, and hercountenance. And Eochaid came to that place to take the maiden thence, and this was the way that he took; for as he crossed over the groundwhere men hold the assembly of Bri Leith, he saw the maiden at thebrink of the spring. A clear comb of silver was held in her hand, thecomb was adorned with gold; and near her, as for washing, was a basonof silver whereon four birds had been chased, and there were littlebright gems of carbuncle on the rims of the bason. A bright purplemantle waved round her; and beneath it was another mantle, ornamentedwith silver fringes: the outer mantle was clasped over her bosom with agolden brooch. A tunic she wore, with a long hood that might cover herhead attached to it; it was stiff and glossy with green silk beneathred embroidery of gold, and was clasped over her breasts withmarvellously wrought clasps of silver and gold; so that men saw thebright gold and the green silk flashing against the sun. On her headwere two tresses of golden hair, and each tress had been plaited intofour strands; at the end of each strand was a little ball of gold. Andthere was that maiden, undoing her hair that she might wash it, her twoarms out through the armholes of her smock. Each of her two arms wasas white as the snow of a single night, and each of her cheeks was asrosy as the foxglove. Even and small were the teeth in her head, andthey shone like pearls. Her eyes were as blue as a hyacinth, her lipsdelicate and crimson; very high, soft, and white were her shoulders. Tender, polished, and white were her wrists; her fingers long, and ofgreat whiteness; her nails were beautiful and pink. White as the snow, or as the foam of the wave, was her side; long was it, slender, and assoft as silk. Smooth and white were her thighs; her knees were roundand firm and white; her ankles were as straight as the rule of acarpenter. Her feet were slim, and as white as the ocean's foam;evenly set were her eyes; her eyebrows were of a bluish black, such asye see upon the shell of a beetle. Never a maid fairer than she, ormore worthy of love, was till then seen by the eyes of men; and itseemed to them that she must be one of those who have come from thefairy mounds: it is of this maiden that men have spoken when it hathbeen said: "All that's graceful must be tested by Etain; all that'slovely by the standard of Etain. "

Grace with Etain's grace compare!Etain's face shall test what's fair!

And desire of her seized upon the king; and he sent a man of his peoplein front of him to go to her kindred, in order that she might abide toawait his coming. And afterwards the king came to the maiden, and hesought speech from her: "Whence art thou sprung, O maiden?" saysEochaid, "and whence is it that thou hast come?" "It is easy to answerthee, " said the maiden: "Etain is my name, the daughter of the king ofEchrad; 'out of the fairy mound' am I" "Shall an hour of dalliancewith thee be granted to me?" said Eochaid. "'Tis for that I have comehither under thy safeguard, " said she. "And indeed twenty years have Ilived in this place, ever since I was born in the mound where thefairies dwell, and the men who dwell in the elf-mounds, their kings andtheir nobles, have been a-wooing me: yet to never a one of them wasgranted sleep with me, for I have loved thee, and have set my love andaffection upon thee; and that ever since I was a little child, and hadfirst the gift of speech. It was for the high tales of thee, and ofthy splendour, that I have loved thee thus; and though I have neverseen thee before, I knew thee at once by reason of the report of theethat I had heard; it is thou, I know, to whom we have attained. " "Itis no evil-minded lover who now inviteth thee, " says Eochaid. "Thoushalt be welcomed by me, and I will leave all women for thy sake, andthine alone will I be so long as it is pleasing to thee. " "Let thebride-price that befits me be paid, " said the maiden, "and after thatlet my desire be fulfilled. " "It shall be as thou hast said, " the kinganswered her; and he gave the value of seven cumals to be herbrideprice; and after that he brought her to Tara, whereon a fair andhearty welcome was made to her. 

Now there were three brothers of the one blood, all sons of Finn, namely, Eochaid Airem, and Eochaid, and Ailill Anglonnach, or Ailill ofthe Single Stain, because the only stain that was upon him was the lovethat he had for his brother's wife. And at that time came all the menof Ireland to hold the festival of Tara; they were there for fourteendays before Samhain, the day when the summer endeth, and for fourteendays after that day. It was at the feast of Tara that love for Etainthe daughter of Etar came upon Ailill Anglonnach; and ever so long asthey were at the Tara Feast, so long he gazed upon the maid. And itwas there that the wife of Ailill spoke to him; she who was thedaughter of Luchta of the Red Hand, who came from the province ofLeinster: "Ailill, " said she, "why dost thou gaze at her from afar? forlong gazing is a token of love. " And Ailill gave blame to himself forthis thing, and after that he looked not upon the maid. 

Now it followed that after that the Feast of Tara had been consumed, the men of Ireland parted from one another, and then it was that Ailillbecame filled with the pangs of envy and of desire; and he brought uponhimself the choking misery of a sore sickness, and was borne to thestronghold of Fremain in Tethba after that he had fallen into that woe. There also, until a whole year had ended, sickness long brooded overAilill, and for long was he in distress, yet he allowed none to know ofhis sickness. And there Eochaid came to learn of his brother's state, and he came near to his brother, and laid his hand upon his chest; andAilill heaved a sigh. "Why, " said Eochaid, "surely this sickness ofthine is not such as to cause thee to lament; how fares it with thee?""By my word, " said Ailill, "'tis no easier that I grow; but it is worseeach day, and each night. " "Why, what ails thee?" said Eochaid, "By myword of truth, " said Ailill, "I know not. " "Bring one of my folkhither, " said Eochaid, "one who can find out the cause of this illness. "

Then Fachtna, the chief physician of Eochaid, was summoned to give aidto Ailill, and he laid his hand upon his chest, and Ailill heaved asigh. "Ah, " said Fachtna, "there is no need for lament in this matter, for I know the cause of thy sickness; one or other of these two evilsoppresseth thee, the pangs of envy, or the pangs of love: nor hast thoubeen aided to escape from them until now. " And Ailill was full ofshame, and he refused to confess to Fachtna the cause of his illness, and the physician left him. 

Now, after all this, king Eochaid went in person to make a royalprogress throughout the realm of Ireland, and he left Etain behind himin his fortress; and "Lady, " said he, "deal thou gently with Ailill solong as he is yet alive; and, should he die, " said he, "do thou seethat his burial mound be heaped for him; and that a standing-stone beset up in memory of him; and let his name be written upon it in lettersof Ogham. " Then the king went away for the space of a year, to makehis royal progress throughout the realm of Ireland, and Ailill was leftbehind, in the stronghold of Fremain of Tethba; there to pass away andto die. 

Now upon a certain day that followed, the lady Etain came to the housewhere Ailill lay in his sickness, and thus she spoke to him: "What isit, " she said, "that ails thee? thy sickness is great, and if we butknew anything that would content thee, thou shouldest have it. " It wasthus that at that time she spoke, and she sang a verse of a song, andAilill in song made answer to her:

Etain

Young man, of the strong step and splendid, What hath bound thee? what ill dost thou bear?Thou hast long been on sick-bed extended, Though around thee the sunshine was fair. 

Ailill

There is reason indeed for my sighing, I joy naught at my harp's pleasant sound;Milk untasted beside me is lying;And by this in disease am I bound. 

Etain

Tell me all, thou poor man, of thine ailing;For a maiden am I that is wise;Is there naught, that to heal thee availing, Thou couldst win by mine aid, and arise

Ailill

If I told thee, thou beautiful maiden, My words, as I formed them, would choke, For with fire can eyes' curtains be laden:Woman-secrets are evil, if woke. 

Etain

It is ill woman-secrets to waken;Yet with Love, its remembrance is long;And its part by itself may be taken, Nor a thought shall remain of the wrong. 

Ailill

I adore thee, white lady, as grateful;Yet thy bounty deserve I but ill:To my soul is my longing but hateful, For my body doth strive with me still. 

Eocho Fedlech, [FN#9] his bride to him taking, Made thee queen; and from thence is my woe:For my head and my body are aching, And all Ireland my weakness must know. 

Etain

If, among the white women who near me abide, There is one who is vexing, whose love thou dost hide;To thy side will I bring her, if thus I may please;And in love thou shalt win her, thy sickness to ease. 

Ah lady! said Ailill, "easily could the cure of my sickness be wroughtby the aid of thee, and great gain should there come from the deed, butthus it is with me until that be accomplished:

Long ago did my passion begin, A full year it exceeds in its length;And it holds me, more near than my skin, And it rules over wrath in its strength. 

And the earth into four it can shake, Can reach up to the heights of the skyAnd a neck with its might it can break, Nor from fight with a spectre would fly. 

In vain race up to heaven 'tis urged;It is chilled, as with water, and drowned:'Tis a weapon, in ocean submerged;'Tis desire for an echo, a sound. 

'Tis thus my love, my passion seem; 'tis thus I strive in vainTo win the heart of her whose love I long so much to gain. 

[FN#9] Pronounced Yeo-ho Fayllya, see note, p. 166. 

And the lady stood there in that place, and she looked upon Ailill, andthe sickness in which he lay was perceived by her; and she was grievedon account of it: so that upon a certain day came the lady to Ailill, and "Young man, " she said, "arouse thyself quickly, for in very truththou shalt have all that thou desirest; and thereon did she make thislay:

Now arouse thyself, Ailill the royal:Let thy heart, and thy courage rise high;Every longing thou hast shall be sated, For before thee, to heal thee, am I. 

Is my neck and its beauty so pleasing?'Tis around it thine arms thou shalt place;And 'tis known as a courtship's beginningWhen a man and a woman embrace. 

And if this cometh not to content thee, O thou man, that art son to a king!I will dare to do crime for thy healing, And my body to please thee will bring. 

There were steeds, with their bridles, one hundred, When the price for my wedding was told;And one hundred of gay-coloured garments, And of cattle, and ounces of gold. 

Of each beast that men know, came one hundred;And king Eocho to grant them was swift:When a king gave such dowry to gain me, Is't not wondrous to win me, as gift?

Now each day the lady came to Ailill to tend him, and to divide for himthe portion of food that was allotted to him; and she wrought a greathealing upon him: for it grieved her that he should perish for hersake. And one day the lady spoke to Ailill: "Come thou to-morrow, "said she, "to tryst with me at the break of day, in the house whichlieth outside, and is beyond the fort, and there shalt thou havegranted thy request and thy desire. " On that night Ailill lay withoutsleep until the coming of the morning; and when the time had come thatwas appointed for his tryst, his sleep lay heavily upon him; so thattill the hour of his rising he lay deep in his sleep. And Etain wentto the tryst, nor had she long to wait ere she saw a man coming towardsher in the likeness of Ailill, weary and feeble; but she knew that hewas not Ailill, and she continued there waiting for Ailill. And thelady came back from her tryst, and Ailill awoke, and thought that hewould rather die than live; and he went in great sadness and grief. And the lady came to speak with him, and when he told her what hadbefallen him: "Thou shalt come, " said she, "to the same place, to meetwith me upon the morrow. " And upon the morrow it was the same as uponthe first day; each day came that man to her tryst. And she came againupon the last day that was appointed for the tryst, and the same manmet her. "'Tis not with thee that I trysted, " said she, "why dost thoucome to meet me? and for him whom I would have met here; neither fromdesire of his love nor for fear of danger from him had I appointed tomeet him, but only to heal him, and to cure him from the sickness whichhad come upon him for his love of me. " "It were more fitting for theeto come to tryst with me, " says the man, "for when thou wast Etain ofthe Horses, and when thou wast the daughter of Ailill, I myself was thyhusband. "Why, " said she, "what name hast thou in the land? that iswhat I would demand of thee. " "It is not hard to answer thee, " hesaid; "Mider of Bri Leith is my name. " "And what made thee to partfrom me, if we were as thou sayest?" said Etain. "Easy again is theanswer, " said Mider; "it was the sorcery of Fuamnach and the spells ofBressal Etarlam that put us apart. " And Mider said to Etain: "Wiltthou come with me?"

"Nay, " answered Etain, "I will not exchange the king of all Ireland forthee; for a man whose kindred and whose lineage is unknown. " "It was Imyself indeed, " said Mider, "who filled all the mind of Ailill withlove for thee: it was I also who prevented his coming to the tryst withthee, and allowed him not thine honour to spoil it. "

After all this the lady went back to her house, and she came to speechwith Ailill, and she greeted him. "It hath happened well for us both, "said Ailill, "that the man met thee there: for I am cured for ever frommy illness, thou also art unhurt in thine honour, and may a blessingrest upon thee!" "Thanks be to our gods, " said Etain, "that both of usdo indeed deem that all this hath chanced so well. " And after thatEochaid came back from his royal progress, and he asked at once for hisbrother; and the tale was told to him from the beginning to the end, and the king was grateful to Etain, in that she had been gracious toAilill; and, "What hath been related in this tale, " said Eochaid, "iswell-pleasing to ourselves. "

And, for the after history of Eochaid and Etain, it is told that oncewhen Eochaid was in Fremain, at such time as the people had preparedfor themselves a great gathering and certain horse-races; thither alsoto that assembly came Etain, that she might see the sight. Thitheralso came Mider, and he searched through that assembly to find outwhere Etain might be; and he found Etain, and her women around her, andhe bore her away with him, also one of her handmaidens, called Crochenthe Ruddy: hideous was the form in which Mider approached them. Andthe wives of the men of Ireland raised cries of woe, as the queen wascarried off from among them; and the horses of Ireland were loosed topursue Mider, for they knew not whether it was into the air or into theearth he had gone. But, as for Mider, the course that he had taken wasthe road to the west, even to the plain of Croghan; and as he camethither, "How shall it profit us, " said Crochen the Ruddy, "thisjourney of ours to this plain?" "For evermore, " said Mider, "shall thyname be over all this plain:" and hence cometh the name of the plain ofCroghan, and of the Fort of Croghan. Then Mider came to the FairyMound of Croghan; for the dwellers in that mound were allied to him, and his friends; and for nine days they lingered there, banqueting andfeasting; so that "Is this the place where thou makest thy home?" saidCrochen to Mider. "Eastwards from this is my dwelling, " Mider answeredher; "nearer to the rising-place of the sun;" and Mider, taking Etainwith him, departed, and came to Bri Leith, where the son of Celthar hadhis palace. 

Now just at the time when they came to this palace, king Eochaid sentout from him the horsemen of Ireland, also his wizards, and hisofficers who had the care of the roads, and the couriers of theboundaries, that they might search through Ireland, and find out wherehis wife might be; and Eochaid himself wandered throughout Ireland toseek for his wife; and for a year from that day until the same day uponthe year that followed he searched, and he found nothing to profit him. 

Then, at the last, king Eochaid sent for his Druid, and he set to himthe task to seek for Etain; now the name of the Druid was Dalan. AndDalan came before him upon that day; and he went westwards, until hecame to the mountain that was after that known as Slieve Dalan; and heremained there upon that night. And the Druid deemed it a grievousthing that Etain should be hidden from him for the space of one year, and thereupon he made three wands of yew; and upon the wands he wrotean ogham; and by the keys of wisdom that he had, and by the ogham, itwas revealed to him that Etain was in the fairy mound of Bri Leith, andthat Mider had borne her thither. 

Then Dalan the Druid turned him, and went back to the east; and he cameto the stronghold of Fremain, even to the place where the king ofIreland was; and Eochaid asked from the Druid his news. Thither alsocame the horsemen, and the wizards, and the officers who had the careof the roads, and the couriers of the boundaries, to the king ofIreland, and he asked them what tidings they had, and whether they hadfound news of Mider and Etain. And they said that they had foundnothing at all; until at the last said his Druid to him: "A great evilhath smitten thee, also shame, and misfortune, on account of the lossof thy wife. Do thou assemble the warriors of Ireland, and depart toBri Leith, where is the palace of the son of Celthar; let that palacebe destroyed by thy hand, and there thou shalt find thy wife: bypersuasion or by force do thou take her thence. "

Then Eochaid and the men of Ireland marched to Bri Leith, and they setthemselves to destroy that fairy dwelling, and to demand that Etain bebrought to them, and they brought her not. Then they ruined that fairydwelling, and they brought Etain out from it; and she returned toFremain, and there she had all the worship that a king of Ireland canbestow, fair wedded love and affection, such as was her due fromEochaid Airemm. This is that Eochaid who ruled over Ireland for twelveyears, until the fire burned him in Fremain; and this tale is known bythe name of the "Sick-bed of Ailill, " also as "The Courtship of Etain. " Etain bore no children to Eochaid Airemm, save one daughter only; andthe name of her mother was given to her, and she is known by the nameof Etain, the daughter of Eochaid Airemm. And it was her daughterMessbuachalla who was the mother of king Conary the Great, the son ofEterscel, and it was for this cause that the fairy host of Mag Breg andMider of Bri Leith violated the tabus of king Conary, and devastatedthe plain of Breg, and out off Conary's life; on account of the captureof that fairy dwelling, and on account of the recovery of Etain, whenshe was carried away by violence, even by the might of Eochaid Airemm. 

THE COURTSHIP OF ETAIN

LEABHAR NA H-UIDHRI VERSION

Eochaid Airemon took the sovereignty over Erin, and the five provincesof Ireland were obedient to him, for the king of each province was hisvassal. Now these were they who were the kings of the provinces atthat time, even Conor the son of Ness, and Messgegra, and TigernachTetbannach, and Curoi, and Ailill the son of Mata of Muresc. And theroyal forts that belonged to Eochaid were the stronghold of Fremain inMeath, and the stronghold of Fremain in Tethba; moreover the strongholdof Fremain in Tethba was more pleasing to him than any other of theforts of Erin. 

Now a year after that Eochaid had obtained the sovereignty, he sent outhis commands to the men of Ireland that they should come to Tara tohold festival therein, in order that there should be adjusted the taxesand the imposts that should be set upon them, so that these might besettled for a period of five years. And the one answer that the men ofIreland made to Eochaid was that they would not make for the king thatassembly which is the Festival of Tara until he found for himself aqueen, for there was no queen to stand by the king's side when Eochaidfirst assumed the kingdom. 

Then Eochaid sent out the messengers of each of the five provinces togo through the land of Ireland to seek for that woman or girl who wasthe fairest to be found in Erin; and he bade them to note that no womanshould be to him as a wife, unless she had never before been as a wifeto any one of the men of the land. And at the Bay of Cichmany a wifewas found for him, and her name was Etain, the daughter of Etar; andEochaid brought her thereafter to his palace, for she was a wife meetfor him, by reason of her form, and her beauty, and her descent, andher brilliancy, and her youth, and her renown. 

Now Finn the son of Findloga had three sons, all sons of a queen, evenEochaid Fedlech, and Eochaid Airemm, and Ailill Anguba. And AilillAnguba was seized with love for Etain at the Festival of Tara, afterthat she had been wedded to Eochaid; since he for a long time gazedupon her, and, since such gazing is a token of love, Ailill gave muchblame to himself for the deed that he was doing, yet it helped him not. For his longing was too strong for his endurance, and for this causehe fell into a sickness; and, that there might be no stain upon hishonour, his sickness was concealed by him from all, neither did hespeak of it to the lady herself. Then Fachtna, the chief physician ofEochaid, was brought to look upon Ailill, when it was understood thathis death might be near, and thus the physician spoke to him: "One ofthe two pangs that slay a man, and for which there is no healing byleechcraft, is upon thee; either the pangs of envy or the pangs oflove. And Ailill refused to confess the cause of his illness to thephysician, for he was withheld by shame and he was left behind inFremain of Tethba to die; and Eochaid went upon his royal progressthroughout all Erin, and he left Etain behind him to be near Ailill, inorder that the last rites of Ailill might be done by her; that shemight cause his grave to be dug, and that the keen might be raised forhim, and that his cattle should be slain for him as victims. And tothe house where Ailill lay in his sickness went Etain each day toconverse with him, and his sickness was eased by her presence; and, solong as Etain was in that place where he was, so long was he accustomedto gaze at her. 

Now Etain observed all this, and she bent her mind to discover thecause, and one day when they were in the house together, Etain asked ofAilill what was the cause of his sickness. "My sickness, " said Ailill, "comes from my love for thee. " "'Tis pity, " said she, "that thou hastso long kept silence, for thou couldest have been healed long since, had we but known of its cause. " "And even now could I be healed, " saidAilill, "did I but find favour in thy sight. " "Thou shalt findfavour, " she said. Each day after they had spoken thus with eachother, she came to him for the fomenting of his head, and for thegiving of the portion of food that was required by him, and for thepouring of water over his hands; and three weeks after that, Ailill waswhole. Then he said to Etain: "Yet is the completion of my cure at thyhands lacking to me; when may it be that I shall have it?" "'Tisto-morrow it shall be, " she answered him, "but it shall not be in theabode of the lawful monarch of the land that this felony shall be done. Thou shalt come, " she said, "on the morrow to yonder hill that risethbeyond the fort: there shall be the tryst that thou desirest. "

Now Ailill lay awake all that night, and he fell into a sleep at thehour when he should have kept his tryst, and he woke not from his sleepuntil the third hour of the day. And Etain went to her tryst, and shesaw a man before her; like was his form to the form of Ailill, helamented the weakness that his sickness had caused him, and he gave toher such answers as it was fitting that Ailill should give. But at thethird hour of the day, Ailill himself awoke: and he had for a long timeremained in sorrow when Etain came into the house where he was; and asshe approached him, "What maketh thee so sorrowful?" said Etain. "'Tisbecause thou wert sent to tryst with me, " said Ailill, "and I came notto thy presence, and sleep fell upon me, so that I have but nowawakened from it; and surely my chance of being healed hath now gonefrom me. " "Not so, indeed, " answered Etain, "for there is a morrow tofollow to-day. " And upon that night he took his watch with a greatfire before him, and with water beside him to put upon his eyes. 

At the hour that was appointed for the tryst, Etain came for hermeeting with Ailill; and she saw the same man, like unto Ailill, whomshe had seen before; and Etain went to the house, and saw Ailill stilllamenting. And Etain came three times, and yet Ailill kept not histryst, and she found that same man there every time. "'Tis not forthee, " she said, "that I came to this tryst: why comest thou to meetme? And as for him whom I would have met, it was for no sin or evildesire that I came to meet him; but it was fitting for the wife of theking of Ireland to rescue the man from the sickness under which he hathso long been oppressed. " "It were more fitting for thee to tryst withme myself, " said the man, "for when thou wert Etain of the Horses, thedaughter of Ailill, it was I who was thy husband. And when thou camestto be wife to me, thou didst leave a great price behind thee; even amarriage price of the chief plains and waters of Ireland, and as muchof gold and of silver as might match thee in value. " "Why, " said she, "what is thy name?" "'Tis easy to say, " he answered; "Mider of BriLeith is my name. " "Truly, " said she; "and what was the cause thatparted us?" "That also is easy, " he said; "it was the sorcery ofFuamnach, and the spells of Bressal Etarlam. And then Mider said toEtain:

Wilt thou come to my home, fair-haired lady? to dwellIn the marvellous land of the musical spell, Where the crowns of all heads are, as primroses, bright, And from head to the heel all men's bodies snow-white. 

In that land of no "mine" nor of "thine" is there speech, But there teeth flashing white and dark eyebrows hath each;In all eyes shine our hosts, as reflected they swarm, And each cheek with the pink of the foxglove is warm. 

With the heather's rich tint every blushing neck glows, In our eyes are all shapes that the blackbird's egg shows;And the plains of thine Erin, though pleasing to see, When the Great Plain is sighted, as deserts shall be. 

Though ye think the ale strong in this Island of Fate, Yet they drink it more strong in the Land of the Great;Of a country where marvel abounds have I told, Where no young man in rashness thrusts backward the old. 

There are streams smooth and luscious that flow through that land, And of mead and of wine is the best at each hand;And of crime there is naught the whole country within, There are men without blemish, and love without sin. 

Through the world of mankind, seeing all, can we float, And yet none, though we see them, their see-ers can note;For the sin of their sire is a mist on them flung, None may count up our host who from Adam is sprung. 

Lady, come to that folk; to that strong folk of mine;And with gold on thy head thy fair tresses shall shine:'Tis on pork the most dainty that then thou shalt feed, And for drink have thy choice of new milk and of mead. 

"I will not come with thee, " answered Etain, "I will not give up theking of Ireland for thee, a man who knows not his own clan nor hiskindred. " "It was indeed myself, " said Mider, "who long ago putbeneath the mind of Ailill the love that he hath felt for thee, so thathis blood ceased to run, and his flesh fell away from him: it was Ialso who have taken away his desire, so that there might be no hurt tothine honour. But wilt thou come with me to my land, " said Mider, "incase Eochaid should ask it of thee?" "I would come in such case, "answered to him Etain. 

After all this Etain departed to the house. "It hath indeed been good, this our tryst, " said Ailill, "for I have been cured of my sickness;moreover, in no way has thine honour been stained. " "'Tis gloriousthat it hath fallen out so, " answered Etain. And afterwards Eochaidcame back from his royal progress, and he was grateful for that hisbrother's life had been preserved, and he gave all thanks to Etain forthe great deed she had done while he was away from his palace. 

Now upon another time it chanced that Eochaid Airemm, the king of Tara, arose upon a certain fair day in the time of summer; and he ascendedthe high ground of Tara to behold the plain of Breg; beautiful was thecolour of that plain, and there was upon it excellent blossom, glowingwith all hues that are known. And, as the aforesaid Eochaid lookedabout and around him, he saw a young strange warrior upon the highground at his side. The tunic that the warrior wore was purple incolour, his hair was of a golden yellow, and of such length that itreached to the edge of his shoulders. The eyes of the young warriorwere lustrous and grey; in the one hand he held a five-pointed spear, in the other a shield with a white central boss, and with gems of goldupon it. And Eochaid held his peace, for he knew that none such hadbeen in Tara on the night before, and the gate that led into the Lisshad not at that hour been thrown open. 

The warrior came, and placed himself under the protection of Eochaid;and "Welcome do I give, " said Eochaid, "to the hero who is yet unknown. "

"Thy reception is such as I expected when I came, " said the warrior. 

"We know thee not, " answered Eochaid. 

"Yet thee in truth I know well!" he replied. 

"What is the name by which thou art called?" said Eochaid. 

"My name is not known to renown, " said the warrior; "I am Mider of BriLeith. "

"And for what purpose art thou come?" said Eochaid. 

"I have come that I may play a game at the chess with thee, " answeredMider. "Truly, " said Eochaid, "I myself am skilful at the chess-play. "

"Let us test that skill! said Mider. 

"Nay, " said Eochaid, the queen is even now in her sleep; and hers isthe palace in which the chessboard lies. "

"I have here with me, " said Mider, "a chessboard which is not inferiorto thine. " It was even as he said, for that chessboard was silver, andthe men to play with were gold; and upon that board were costly stones, casting their light on every side, and the bag that held the men was ofwoven chains of brass. 

Mider then set out the chessboard, and he called upon Eochaid to play. "I will not play, " said Eochaid, "unless we play for a stake. "

"What stake shall we have upon the game then?" said Mider. 

"It is indifferent to me, " said Eochaid. 

"Then, " said Mider, "if thou dost obtain the forfeit of my stake, Iwill bestow on thee fifty steeds of a dark grey, their heads of ablood-red colour, but dappled; their ears pricked high, and theirchests broad; their nostrils wide, and their hoofs slender; great istheir strength, and they are keen like a whetted edge; eager are they, high-standing, and spirited, yet easily stopped in their course. "

[Many games were played between Eochaid and Mider; and, since Mider didnot put forth his whole strength, the victory on all occasions restedwith Eochaid. But instead of the gifts which Mider had offered, Eochaid demanded that Mider and his folk should perform for himservices which should be of benefit to his realm; that he should clearaway the rocks and stones from the plains of Meath, should remove therushes which made the land barren around his favourite fort of Tethba, should cut down the forest of Breg, and finally should build a causewayacross the moor or bog of Lamrach that men might pass freely across it. All these things Mider agreed to do, and Eochaid sent his steward tosee how that work was done. And when it came to the time after sunset, the steward looked, and he saw that Mider and his fairy host, togetherwith fairy oxen, were labouring at the causeway over the bog;] andthereupon much of earth and of gravel and of stones was poured into it. Now it had, before that time, always been the custom of the men ofIreland to harness their oxen with a strap over their foreheads, sothat the pull might be against the foreheads of the oxen; and thiscustom lasted up to that very night, when it was seen that thefairy-folk had placed the yoke upon the shoulders of the oxen, so thatthe pull might be there; and in this way were the yokes of the oxenafterwards placed by Eochaid, and thence cometh the name by which he isknown; even Eochaid Airemm, or Eochaid the Ploughman, for he was thefirst of all the men of Ireland to put the yokes on the necks of theoxen, and thus it became the custom for all the land of Ireland. Andthis is the song that the host of the fairies sang, as they laboured atthe making of the road:

Thrust it in hand! force it in hand!Nobles this night, as an ox-troop, stand:Hard is the task that is asked, and whoFrom the bridging of Lamrach shall gain, or rue?

Not in all the world could a road have been found that should be betterthan the road that they made, had it not been that the fairy folk wereobserved as they worked upon it; but for that cause a breach hath beenmade in that causeway. And the steward of Eochaid thereafter came tohim; and he described to him that great labouring band that had comebefore his eyes, and he said that there was not over the chariot-poleof life a power that could withstand its might. And, as they spakethus with each other, they saw Mider standing before them; high was hegirt, and ill-favoured was the face that he showed; and Eochaid arose, and he gave welcome to him. "Thy welcome is such as I expected when Icame, " said Mider. "Cruel and senseless hast thou been in thytreatment of me, and much of hardship and suffering hast thou given me. All things that seemed good in thy sight have I got for thee, but nowanger against thee hath filled my mind!" "I return not anger foranger, " answered Eochaid; "what thou wishest shall be done. " "Let itbe as thou wishest, " said Mider; "shall we play at the chess?" said he. "What stake shall we set upon the game?" said Eochaid. "Even suchstake as the winner of it shall demand, " said Mider. And in that veryplace Eochaid was defeated, and he forfeited his stake. 

"My stake is forfeit to thee, " said Eochaid. 

"Had I wished it, it had been forfeit long ago, " said Mider. 

"What is it that thou desirest me to grant?" said Eochaid. 

"That I may hold Etain in my arms, and obtain a kiss from her!"answered Mider. 

Eochaid was silent for a while and then he said: "One month from thisday thou shalt come, and the very thing that thou hast asked for shallbe given to thee. " Now for a year before that Mider first came toEochaid for the chess-play, had he been at the wooing of Etain, and heobtained her not; and the name which he gave to Etain was Befind, orFair-haired Woman, so it was that he said:

Wilt thou come to my home, fair-haired lady?

as has before been recited. And it was at that time that Etain said:"If thou obtainest me from him who is the master of my house, I willgo; but if thou art not able to obtain me from him, then I will notgo. " And thereon Mider came to Eochaid, and allowed him at the firstto win the victory over him, in order that Eochaid should stand in hisdebt; and therefore it was that he paid the great stakes to which hehad agreed; and therefore also was it that he had demanded of him thathe should play that game in ignorance of what was staked. And whenMider and his folk were paying those agreed-on stakes, which were paidupon that night; to wit, the making of the road, and the clearing ofthe stones from Meath, the rushes from around Tethba, and of the forestthat is over Breg, it was thus that he spoke, as it is written in theBook of Drom Snechta:

Pile on the soil; thrust on the soil:Red are the oxen around who toil:Heavy the troops that my words obey;Heavy they seem, and yet men are they. Strongly, as piles, are the tree-trunks placedRed are the wattles above them laced:Tired are your hands, and your glances slant;One woman's winning this toil may grant!Oxen ye are, but revenge shall see;Men who are white shall your servants be:Rushes from Teffa are cleared away:Grief is the price that the man shall pay:Stones have been cleared from the rough Meath ground;Whose shall the gain or the harm be found?

Now Mider appointed a day at the end of the month when he was to meetEochaid, and Eochaid called the armies of the heroes of Irelandtogether, so that they came to Tara; and all the best of the championsof Ireland, ring within ring, were about Tara, and they were in themidst of Tara itself, and they guarded it, both without and within; andthe king and the queen were in the midst of the palace, and the outercourt thereof was shut and locked, for they knew that the great mightof men would come upon them. And upon the appointed night Etain wasdispensing the banquet to the kings, for it was her duty to pour outthe wine, when in the midst of their talk they saw Mider standingbefore them in the centre of the palace. He was always fair, yetfairer than he ever was seemed Mider to be upon that night. And hebrought to amazement all the hosts on which he gazed, and all thereonwere silent, and the king gave a welcome to him. 

"Thy reception is such as I expected when I came, " said Mider; "letthat now be given to me that hath been promised. 'Tis a debt that isdue when a promise hath been made; and I for my part have given to theeall that was promised by me. "

"I have not yet considered the matter, " said Eochaid. 

"Thou hast promised Etain's very self to me, " said Mider; "that is whathath come from thee. " Etain blushed for shame when she heard that word. 

"Blush not, " said Mider to Etain, "for in nowise hath thy wedding-feastbeen disgraced. I have been seeking thee for a year with the fairestjewels and treasures that can be found in Ireland, and I have not takenthee until the time came when Eochaid might permit it. 'Tis notthrough any will of thine that I have won thee. " "I myself told thee, "said Etain, "that until Eochaid should resign me to thee I would grantthee nothing. Take me then for my part, if Eochaid is willing toresign me to thee. "

"But I will not resign thee!" said Eochaid; "nevertheless he shall takethee in his arms upon the floor of this house as thou art. "

"It shall be done!" said Mider. 

He took his weapons into his left hand and the woman beneath his rightshoulder; and he carried her off through the skylight of the house. And the hosts rose up around the king, for they felt that they had beendisgraced, and they saw two swans circling round Tara, and the way thatthey took was the way to the elf-mound of Femun. And Eochaid with anarmy of the men of Ireland went to the elf-mound of Femun, which mencall the mound of the Fair-haired-Women. And he followed the counselof the men of Ireland, and he dug up each of the elf-mounds that hemight take his wife from thence. [And Mider and his host opposed themand the war between them was long: again and again the trenches made byEochaid were destroyed, for nine years as some say lasted the strife ofthe men of Ireland to enter into the fairy palace. And when at lastthe armies of Eochaid came by digging to the borders of the fairymansion, Mider sent to the side of the palace sixty women all in theshape of Etain, and so like to her that none could tell which was thequeen. And Eochaid himself was deceived, and he chose, instead ofEtain, her daughter Messbuachalla (or as some say Esa. ) But when hefound that he had been deceived, he returned again to sack Bri Leith, and this time Etain made herself known to Eochaid, by proofs that hecould not mistake, and he bore her away in triumph to Tara, and thereshe abode with the king. ]

MAC DATHO'S BOAR

INTRODUCTION

The tale of "Mac Datho's Boar" seems to deal with events that precedethe principal events of the Heroic Period; most of the characters namedin it appear as the chief actors in other romances; Conor and Ailillare as usual the leaders of Ulster and Connaught, but the king ofLeinster is Mesroda Mac Datho, not his brother Mesgegra, who appears inthe "Siege of Howth" (see Hull, Cuchullin Saga, p. 87), and the Ulsterchampion is not Cuchulain, but his elder comrade, Conall Cernach. 

The text followed is that of the Book of Leinster as printed byWindisch in Irische Texte, vol. I. ; the later Harleian manuscript'sreadings given by Windisch have been taken in a few cases where theLeinster text seems untranslatable. There is a slightly differentversion, given by Kuno Meyer in the Anecdota Oxoniensia, taken fromRawlinson, B. 512, a fifteenth-century manuscript, but the text issubstantially that of the Leinster version, and does not give, as inthe case of the tale of Etain, a different view of the story. Theverse passages differ in the two versions; two verse passages on pages37 and 46 have been inserted from the Rawlinson manuscript, otherwisethe rendering follows the Leinster text. 

The style of the tale is more barbaric than that of the other romances, but is relieved by touches of humour; the only supernatural touchoccurs in one of the variations of the Rawlinson manuscript. Some ofthe chief variations en in this manuscript are pointed out in thenotes; the respectful men on of Curoi mac Dari, who seems to have beena Munster hero, overshadowed in the accepted versions by the superiorglory of Ulster, may be noted; also the remark that Ferloga did not gethis cepoc, which seems to have been inserted by a later band of acritic who disapproved of the frivolity of the original author, or wasjealous for the honour of the Ulster ladies. 

MAC DATHO'S BOAR

FROM THE BOOK OF LEINSTER (TWELFTH-CENTURY MS. )

With some Additions from Rawlinson, B. 512, written about 1560

A glorious king once hold rule over the men of Leinster; his name wasMesroda Mac Datho. Now Mac Datho had among his possessions a houndwhich was the guardian of all Leinster; the name of the hound wasAilbe, and all of the land of Leinster was filled with reports of thefame of it, and of that hound hath it been sung:

Mesroda, son of Datho, Was he the boar who reared;And his the hound called Ailbe;No lie the tale appeared!The splendid hound of wisdom, The hound that far is famed, The hound from whom MoynalvyFor evermore is named. 

By King Ailill and Queen Maev were sent folk to the son of Datho todemand that hound, and at that very hour came heralds from Conor theson of Ness to demand him; and to all of these a welcome was bid by thepeople of Mac Datho, and they were brought to speak with Mac Datho inhis palace. 

At the time that we speak of, this palace was a hostelry that was thesixth of the hostelries of Ireland. ; there were beside it the hostelryof Da Derga in the land of Cualan in Leinster; also the hostelry ofForgall the Wily, which is beside Lusk; and the hostelry of Da Reo inBreffny; and the hostelry of Da Choca in the west of Meath; and thehostelry of the landholder Blai in the country of the men of Ulster. There were seven doors to that palace, and seven passages ran throughit; also there stood within it seven cauldrons, and in every one of thecauldrons was seething the flesh of oxen and the salted flesh of swine. Every traveller who came into the house after a journey would thrust afork into a cauldron, and whatsoever he brought out at the firstthrust, that had he to eat: if he got nothing at the first thrust, nosecond attempt was allowed him. 

They brought the heralds before Mac Datho as he sat upon his throne, that he might learn of their requests before they made their meal, andin this manner they made known their message. "We have come, " said themen who were sent from Connaught, "that we might ask for thy hound;'tis by Ailill and Maev we are sent. Thou shalt have in payment forhim six thousand milch cows, also a two-horsed chariot with its horses, the best to be had in Connaught, and at the end of a year as much againshall be thine. " "We also, " said the heralds from Ulster, "have cometo ask for thy hound; we have been sent by Conor, and Conor is a friendwho is of no less value than these. He also will give to theetreasures and cattle, and the same amount at the end of a year, and hewill be a stout friend to thee. "

Now after he had received this message Mac Datho sank into a deepsilence, he ate nothing, neither did he sleep, but tossed about fromone side to another, and then said his wife to him:"For a long time hast thou fasted; food is before thee, yet thou eatestnot; what is it that ails thee? and Mac Datho made her no answer, whereupon she said:

The Wife[FN#10]

Gone is King Mac Datho's sleep, Restless cares his home invade;Though his thoughts from all he keep, Problems deep his mind hath weighed. 

He, my sight avoiding, turnsTowards the wall, that hero grim;Well his prudent wife discernsSleep hath passed away from him. 

[FN#10] The Irish metre is followed in the first four verses. 

Mac Datho

Crimthann saith, Nar's sister's son, "Secrets none to women tell. Woman's secret soon is won;Never thrall kept jewel well. "

The Wife

Why against a woman speakTill ye test, and find she fails?When thy mind to plan is weak, Oft another's wit avails. 

Mac Datho

At ill season indeed came those heraldsWho his hound from Mac Datho would take;In more wars than by thought can be countedFair-haired champions shall fall for its sake. 

If to Conor I dare to deny him, He shall deem it the deed of a churlNor shall cattle or country be left meBy the hosts he against me can hurl. 

If refusal to Ailill I venture, With all Ireland my folk shall he sack;From our kingdom Mac Mata shall drive us, And our ashes may tell of his track. 

The Wife

Here a counsel I find to deliver, And in woe shall our land have no share;Of that hound to them both be thou giver, And who dies for it little we care. 

Mac Datho

Ah! the grief that I had is all ended, I have joy for this speech from thy tongueSurely Ailbe from heaven descended, There is none who can say whence he sprung. 

After these words the son of Datho rose up, and he shook himself, andMay this fall out well for us, " said he, "and well for our guests whocome here to seek for him. " His guests abode three days and threenights in his house, and when that time was ended, he bade that theheralds from Connaught be called to confer with him apart, and he spokethus: "I have been, " he said, "in great vexation of spirit, and forlong have I hesitated before I made a decision what to do. But nowhave I decided to give the hound to Ailill and Maev, let them come withsplendour to bear it away. They shall have plenty both to eat and todrink, and they shall have the hound to hold, and welcome shall theybe. " And the messengers from Connaught were well pleased with thisanswer that they had. 

Then he went to where the heralds from Ulster were, and thus headdressed them: "After long hesitation, " said he, "I have awarded thehound to Conor, and a proud man should he be. Let the armies of thenobles of Ulster come to bear him away; they shall have presents, and Iwill make them welcome;" and with this the messengers from Ulster werecontent. 

Now Mac Datho had so planned it that both those armies, that from theEast and that from the West, should arrive at his palace upon theselfsame day. Nor did they fail to keep their tryst; upon the same daythose two provinces of Ireland came to Mac Datho's palace, and MacDatho himself went outside and greeted them: "For two armies at thesame time we were not prepared; yet I bid welcome to you, ye men. Enter into the court of the house. "

Then they went all of them into the palace; one half of the housereceived the Ulstermen, and the other half received the men ofConnaught. For the house was no small one: it had seven doors andfifty couches between each two doors; and it was no meeting of friendsthat was then seen in that house, but the hosts that filled it wereenemies to each other, for during the whole time of the three hundredyears that preceded the birth of Christ there was war between Ulsterand Connaught. 

Then they slaughtered for them Mac Datho's Boar; for seven years hadthat boar been nurtured upon the milk of fifty cows, but surely venommust have entered into its nourishment, so many of the men of Irelanddid it cause to die. They brought in the boar, and forty oxen asside-dishes to it, besides other kind of food; the son of Datho himselfwas steward to their feast: "Be ye welcome!" said he; "this beastbefore you hath not its match; and a goodly store of beeves and ofswine may be found with the men of Leinster! And, if there be aughtlacking to you, more shall be slain for you in the morning. "

"It is a mighty Boar, " said Conor. 

"'Tis a mighty one indeed, " said Ailill. "How shall it be divided, OConor?" said he. 

"How?" cried down Bricriu, [FN#11] the son of Carbad, from above; "inthe place where the warriors of Ireland are gathered together, therecan be but the one test for the division of it, even the part that eachman hath taken in warlike deeds and strife: surely each man of you hathstruck the other a buffet on the nose ere now!"

"Thus then shall it be, " said Ailill. 

"'Tis a fair test, " said Conor in assent; "we have here a plenty oflads in this house who have done battle on the borders. "

"Thou shalt lose thy lads to-night, Conor, " said Senlaech thecharioteer, who came from rushy Conalad in the West; "often have theyleft a fat steer for me to harry, as they sprawled on their backs uponthe road that leadeth to the rushes of Dedah. "

"Fatter was the steer that thou hadst to leave to us, " saidMunremur, [FN#12] the son of Gerrcind; "even thine own brother, Cruachniu, son of Ruadlam; and it was from Conalad of Cruachan that hecame. "

"He was no better, " cried Lugaid the son of Curoi of Munster, "thanLoth the Great, the son of Fergus Mac Lete; and Echbel the son of Dedadleft him lying in Tara Luachra. "[FN#13]

[FN#11] Pronounced Brik-roo. 

[FN#12] Pronounced Moon-raymer. 

[FN#13] Pronounced Looch-ra. 

"What sort of a man was he whom ye boast of?" cried Celtchar of Ulster. "I myself slew that horny-skinned son of Dedad, I cut the head fromhis shoulders. "

At the last it fell out that one man raised himself above all the menof Ireland; he was Ket, the son of Mata, he came from the land ofConnaught. He hung up his weapons at a greater height than the weaponsof any one else who was there, he took a knife in his hand, and heplaced himself at the side of the Boar. 

"Find ye now, " said he, "one man among the men of Ireland who can equalmy renown, or else leave the division of the Boar to me. "

All of the Ulstermen were thrown into amazement. "Seest thou that, OLaegaire?"[FN#14] said Conor. 

[FN#14] Pronounced Leary. 

"Never shall it be, " said Laegaire the Triumphant, "that Ket shouldhave the division of this Boar in the face of us all. "

"Softly now, O Laegaire!" said Ket; "let me hold speech with thee. With you men of Ulster it hath for long been a custom that each ladamong you who takes the arms of a warrior should play first with us thegame of war: thou, O Laegaire, like to the others didst come to theborder, and we rode against one another. And thou didst leave thycharioteer, and thy chariot and thy horses behind thee, and thou didstfly pierced through with a spear. Not with such a record as that shaltthou obtain the Boar;" and Laegaire sat himself down. 

"It shall never come to pass, " said a great fair-haired warrior, stepping forward from the bench whereon he had sat, "that the divisionof the Boar shall be left to Ket before our very eyes. "

"To whom then appertains it?" asked Ket. 

"To one who is a better warrior than thou, " he said, "even to Angus, the son of Lama Gabaid (Hand-in-danger) of the men of Ulster. "

"Why namest thou thy father 'Hand-in-danger?" said Ket. 

"Why indeed, I know not, " he said. 

"Ah! but I know it!" said Ket. "Long ago I went upon a journey in theeast, a war-cry was raised against me, all men attacked me, and LamaGabaid was among them. He made a cast of a great spear against me, Ihurled the same spear back upon him, and the spear cut his hand fromhim so that it lay upon the ground. How dares the son of that man tomeasure his renown with mine?" and Angus went back to his place. 

"Come, and claim a renown to match mine, " said Ket; "else let me dividethis Boar. "

"It shall never be thy part to be the first to divide it, " said a greatfair-haired warrior of the men of Ulster. 

"Who then is this?" said Ket. 

"'Tis Eogan, son of Durthacht, "[FN#15] said they all; "Eogan, the lordof Fernmay. "

"I have seen him upon an earlier day, " said Ket. 

"Where hast thou seen me?" said Eogan. 

"It was before thine own house, " said Ket. "As I was driving away thycattle, a cry of war was raised in the lands about me; and thou didstcome out at that cry. Thou didst hurl thy spear against me, and it wasfixed in my shield; but I hurled the same spear back against thee, andit tore out one of thy two eyes. All the men of Ireland can see thatthou art one-eyed; here is the man that struck thine other eye out ofthy head, " and he also sat down. 

"Make ye ready again for the strife for renown, O ye men of Ulster!"cried Ket. "Thou hast not yet gained the right to divide the Boar, "said Munremur, Gerrcind's son. 

"Is that Munremur?" cried Ket; "I have but one short word for thee, OMunremur! Not yet hath the third day passed since I smote the headsoff three warriors who came from your lands, and the midmost of thethree was the head of thy firstborn son!" and Munremur also sat down. 

"Come to the strife for renown!" cried Ket. 

"That strife will I give to thee, " said Mend the son of Salcholcam (theSword-heeled). 

"Who is this?" asked Ket. 

"'Tis Mend, " said all who were there. 

"Hey there!" cried Ket. "The son of the man with the nickname comes tomeasure his renown with mine! Why, Mend, it was by me that thenickname of thy father came; 'twas I who cut the heel from him with mysword so that he hopped away from me upon one leg! How shall the son ofthat one-legged man measure his renown with mine?" and he also sat down. 

[FN#15] Pronounced Yeogan, son of Doorha. 

"Come to the strife for renown!" cried Ket. 

"That warfare shalt thou have from me!" said an Ulster warrior, tall, grey, and more terrible than the rest. 

"Who is this?" asked Ket. 

"'Tis Celtchar, the son of Uitechar, " cried all. 

"Pause thou a little, Celtchar, " said Ket, "unless it be in thy mind tocrush me in an instant. Once did I come to thy dwelling, O Celtchar, acry was raised about me, and all men hurried up at that cry, and thoualso camest beside them. It was in a ravine that the combat between uswas held; thou didst hurl thy spear against me, and against thee I alsohurled my spear; and my spear pierced thee through the leg and throughthe groin, so that from that hour thou hast been diseased, nor hath sonor daughter been born to thee. How canst thou strive in renown withme?" and he also sat down. 

"Come to the strife for renown!" cried Ket. 

"That strife shalt thou have, " said Cuscrid the Stammerer, of Macha, king Conor's son. 

"Who is this?" said Ket. "'Tis Cuscrid, " said all; "he hath a formwhich is as the form of a king. "

"Nor hath he aught to thank thee for, " said the youth. 

"Good!" said Ket. "It was against me that thou didst come on the daywhen thou didst first make trial of thy weapons, my lad: 'twas in theborderland that we met. And there thou didst leave the third part ofthy folk behind thee, and thou didst fly with a spear-thrust throughthy throat so that thou canst speak no word plainly, for the spear cutin sunder the sinews of thy neck; and from that hour thou hast beencalled Cuscrid the Stammerer. " And in this fashion did Ket put toshame all the warriors of the province of Ulster. 

But as he was exulting near to the Boar, with his knife in his hand, all saw Conall, the Victorious enter the palace; and Conall sprang intothe midst of the house, and the men of Ulster hailed him with a shout;and Conor himself took his helmet from his head, and swung it on highto greet him. 

"'Tis well that I wait for the portion that befalls me!" said Conall. Who is he who is the divider of the Boar for ye?"

"That office must be given to the man who stands there, " said Conor, "even to Ket, the son of Mata. "

"Is this true, O Ket?" said Conall. "Art thou the man to allot thisBoar?" And then sang Ket:

Conall, all hail!Hard stony spleenWild glowing flame!Ice-glitter keen!Blood in thy breastRageth and boils;Oft didst thou wrestVictory's spoils:Thou scarred son of Finuchoem, [FN#16] thou truly canst claimTo stand rival to me, and to match me in fame!

And Conall replied to him:

Hail to thee, Ket!Well are we met!Heart icy-cold, Home for the bold!Ender of grief!Car-riding chief!Sea's stormy wave!Bull, fair and brave!Ket! first of the children of Matach!The proof shall be found when to combat we dart, The proof shall be found when from combat we part;He shall tell of that battle who guardeth the stirks, He shall tell of that battle at handcraft who works;And the heroes shall stride to the wild lion-fight, For by men shall fall men in this palace to-night:Welcome, Ket![FN#17]

[FN#16] Pronounced Finn-hoom. 

[FN#17] The short lines of this rhetoric have the metre of theoriginal Irish. 

"Rise thou, and depart from this Boar, " said Conall. 

"What claim wilt thou bring why I should do this?" said Ket. 

"'Tis true indeed, " said Conall, "thou art contending in renown withme. I will give thee one claim only, O Ket! I swear by the oath of mytribe that since the day that I first received a spear into my hand Ihave seldom slept without the head of a slain man of Connaught as mypillow; and I have not let pass a day or a night in which a man ofConnaught hath not fallen by my hand. "

"'Tis true indeed, " said Ket, "thou art a better warrior than I. Werebut Anluan here, he could battle with thee in another fashion; shameupon us that he is not in this house!"

"Aye, but Anluan is here! "cried Conall, and therewith he pluckedAnluan's head from his belt. And he threw the head towards Ket, sothat it smote him upon the chest, and a gulp of the blood was dashedover his lips. And Ket came away from the Boar, and Conall placedhimself beside it. 

"Now let men come to contend for renown with me!" cried Conall. Butamong the men of Connaught there was none who would challenge him, andthey raised a wall of shields, like a great vat around him, for in thathouse was evil wrangling, and men in their malice would make cowardlycasts at him. And Conall turned to divide the Boar, and he took theend of the tail in his mouth. And although the tail was so great thatit was a full load for nine men, yet he sucked it all into his mouth sothat nothing of it was left; and of this hath been said:

Strong hands on a cart thrust him forward;His great tail, though for nine men a load, Was devoured by the brave Conall Cernach, As the joints he so gaily bestowed. 

Now to the men of Connaught Conall gave nothing except the twofore-legs of the Boar, and this share seemed to be but small to the menof Connaught, and thereon they sprang up, and the men of Ulster alsosprang up, and they rushed at each other. They buffeted each other sothat the heap of bodies inside the house rose as high as the side-wallsof it; and streams of blood flowed under the doors. 

The hosts brake out through the doors into the outer court, and greatwas the din that uprose; the blood upon the floor of the house mighthave driven a mill, so mightily did each man strike out at his fellow. And at that time Fergus plucked up by the roots a great oak-tree thatstood in the outer court in the midst of it; and they all burst out ofthe court, and the battle went on outside. 

Then came out Mac Datho, leading the hound by a leash in his hand, thathe might let him loose between the two armies, to see to which side thesense of the hound would turn. And the hound joined himself with themen of Ulster, and he rushed on the defeated Connaughtmen, for thesewere in flight. And it is told that in the plain of Ailbe, the houndseized hold of the poles of the chariot in which Ailill and Maev rode:and there Fer-loga, charioteer to Ailill and Maev, fell upon him, sothat he cast his body to one side, and his head was left upon the polesof the chariot. And they say that it is for that reason that the plainof Ailbe is so named, for from the hound Ailbe the name hath come. 

The rout went on northwards, over Ballaghmoon, past Rurin Hill, overthe Midbine Ford near to Mullaghmast, over Drum Criach Ridge which isopposite to what is Kildare to-day, over Rath Ingan which is in theforest of Gabla, then by Mac Lugna's Ford over the ridge of the twoplains till they came to the Bridge of Carpre that is over the Boyne. And at the ford which is known as the Ford of the Hound's Head, whichstandeth in the west of Meath, the hound's head fell from the chariot. 

And, as they went over the heather of Meath, Ferloga the charioteer ofAilill fell into the heather, and he sprang behind Conor who followedafter them in his chariot, and he seized Conor by the head. 

"I claim a boon from thee if I give thee thy life, O Conor!" said he. 

"I choose freely to grant that boon, " said Conor. 

"'Tis no great matter, " said Ferloga. "Take me with thee to EmainMacha, and at each ninth hour let the widows and the growing maidens ofUlster serenade me[FN#18] with the song: 'Ferloga is my darling. '"

[FN#18] Literally, "sing me a cepoc, " or a choral song. 

And the women were forced to do it; for they dared not to deny him, fearing the wrath of Conor; and at the end of a year Ferloga crossedbyAthlone into Connaught, and he took with him two of Conor's horsesbridled with golden reins. 

And concerning all this hath it been sung:

Hear truth, ye lads of Connaught;No lies your griefs shall fill, A youth the Boar divided;The share you had was ill. 

Of men thrice fifty fiftiesWould win the Ailbe Hound;In pride of war they struggled, Small cause for strife they found. Yet there came conquering Conor, And Ailill's hosts, and Ket;No law Cuchulain granted, And brooding Bodb[FN#19] was met. 

Dark Durthacht's son, great Eogan, Shall find that journey hard;From east came Congal Aidni, And Fiaman, [FN#20] sailor bard;Three sons of Nera, famousFor countless warlike fields;Three lofty sons of Usnach, With hard-set cruel shields. 

From high Conalad CroghanWise Senlaech[FN#21] drave his car;And Dubhtach[FN#22] came from Emain, His fame is known afar;And Illan came, whom gloriousFor many a field they hail:Loch Sail's grim chief, Munremur;Berb Baither, smooth of tale;

[FN#19] Pronounced Bobe, with sound of 'robe. '

[FN#20] Pronounced Feeman. 

[FN#21] Pronounced Senlay, with the light final ch. 

[FN#22] Pronounced Doov-ta. 

And Celtchar, lord in Ulster;And Conall's valour wild;And Marcan came; and LugaidOf three great hounds the child. 

Fergus, awaiting the glorious hound, Spreadeth a cloak o'er his mighty shield, Shaketh an oak he hath plucked from ground, Red was the woe the red cloak concealed. 

Yonder stood Cethern, [FN#23] of Finntan son, Holding them back; till six hours had flownConnaughtmen's slaughter his hand hath done, Pass of the ford he hath held alone. 

Armies with Feidlim[FN#24] the war sustain, Laegaire the Triumpher rides on east, Aed, son of Morna, ye hear complain, Little his thought is to mourn that beast. 

High are the nobles, their deeds show might, Housefellows fair, and yet hard in fight;Champions of strength upon clans bring doom, Great are the captives, and vast the tomb. 

[FN#23] Pronounced Kay-hern. 

[FN#24] Pronounced Fay-lim. 

THE SICK-BED OF CUCHULAIN

INTRODUCTION

The romance called the "Sick-bed of Cuchulain, " the latter part ofwhich is also known as the "Jealousy of Emer, " is preserved in twomanuscripts, one of which is the eleventh-century Leabhar na h-Uidhri, the other a fifteenth century manuscript in the Trinity CollegeLibrary. These two manuscripts give substantially the same account, and are obviously taken from the same source, but the later of the twois not a copy of the older manuscript, and sometimes preserves a betterreading. The eleventh-century manuscript definitely gives a yet older book, theYellow Book of Slane, now lost, as its authority, and this may be theultimate authority for the tale as we have it. But, although there isonly one original version of the text, it is quite plain from internalevidence that the compiler of the Yellow Book of Slane, or of anearlier book, had two quite different forms of the story to draw from, and combined them in the version that we have. The first, which may becalled the "Antiquarian" form, relates the cause of Cuchulain'sillness, tells in detail of the journey of his servant Laeg toFairyland, in order to test the truth of a message sent to Cuchulainthat he can be healed by fairy help, and then breaks off. In both theLeabhar na h-Uidhri and in the fifteenth-century manuscript, follows along passage which has absolutely nothing to do with the story, consisting of an account how Lugaid Red-Stripes was elected to be kingover Ireland, and of the Bull Feast at which the coming of Lugaid isprophesied. Both manuscripts then give the counsel given by Cuchulainto Lugaid on his election (this passage being the only justificationfor the insertion, as Cuchulain is supposed to be on his sick-bed whenthe exhortation is given); and both then continue the story in a quitedifferent form, which may be called the "Literary" form. The cause ofthe sickness is not given in the Literary form, which commences withthe rousing of Cuchulain from his sick-bed, this rousing being due todifferent agency from that related in the Antiquarian form, for in thelatter Cuchulain is roused by a son of the fairy king, in the former bhis wife Emer. The journey of Laeg to Fairyland is then told in theliterary form with different detail to that given in the Antiquarianone, and the full conclusion is then supplied in this form alone; sothat we have, although in the same manuscript version, two quitedistinct forms of the original legend, the first defective at the endof the story, the other at its beginning. 

Not only are the incidents of the two forms of the story different inmany respects, but the styles are so absolutely different that it wouldseem impossible to attribute them to the same author. The first is amere compilation by an antiquarian; it is difficult to imagine that itwas ever recited in a royal court, although the author may have hadaccess to a better version than his own. He inserts passages which donot develop the interest of the story; hints at incidents (thetemporary absence of Fergus and Conall) which are not developed oralluded to afterwards, and is a notable early example of the way inwhich Irish literature can be spoiled by combining several differentindependent stories into one. There is only one gem, strictly socalled, and that not of a high order; the only poetic touches occur inthe rhetoric, and, although in this there is a weird supernaturalflavour, that may have marked the original used by the compiler of thisform ' the human interest seems to be exceptionally weak. 

The second or Literary form is as different from the other as it ispossible for two compositions on the same theme to be. The first fewwords strike the human note in Cuchulain's message to his wife: "Tellher that it goeth better with me from hour to hour;" the poems aremany, long, and of high quality; the rhetoric shows a strophiccorrespondence; the Greek principle of letting the messenger tell thestory instead of relating the facts, in a narrative of events (themethod followed in the Antiquarian version) is made full use of; themodest account given by Cuchulain of his own deeds contrasts well withthe prose account of the same deeds; and the final relation of thevoluntary action of the fairy lady who gives up her lover to her rival, and her motives, is a piece of literary work centuries in advance ofany other literature of modern Europe. 

Some modern accounts of this romance have combined the two forms, andhave omitted the irrelevant incidents in the Antiquarian version; thereare literary advantages in this course, for the disconnected characterof the Antiquarian opening, which must stand first, as it alone givesthe beginning of the story, affords little indication of the highquality of the better work of the Literary form that follows; but, inorder to heighten the contrast, the two forms are given just as theyoccur in the manuscripts, the only omissions being the account of theelection of Lugaid, and the exhortation of Cuchulain to the new king. 

Thurneysen, in his Sagen aus dem Alten Irland, places the seconddescription of Fairyland by Laeg with the Antiquarian form, and thismay be justified not only by the allusion to Ethne, who does not appearelsewhere in the Literary form, but from the fact that there is a touchof rough humour in this poem, which appears in the Antiquarian form, but not elsewhere in the Literary one, where the manuscripts place thispoem. But on the other hand the poetry of this second description, andits vividness, come much closer to the Literary form, and it has beenleft in the place that the manuscript gives to it. 

The whole has been translated direct from the Irish in Irische Texte, vol. I. , with occasional reference to the facsimile of the Leabhar nah-Uidhri; the words marked as doubtful by Windisch in his glossary, which are rather numerous, being indicated by marks of interrogation inthe notes, and, where Windisch goes not indicate a probable meaning, aspecial note is made on the word, unless it has been given indictionaries subsequent to that of Windisch. Thurneysen's translationhas sometimes been made use of, when there is no other guide; but heomits some passages, and Windisch has been followed in the renderinggiven in his glossary in cases where there would seem to be adifference, as Thurneysen often translates freely. 

THE SICK-BED OF CUCHULAIN

Transcribed from the Lost Yellow Book of Slane

By Maelmuiri mac Ceileachair into the Leabhar na h-Uidhri in theEleventh Century

Every year the men of Ulster were accustomed to hold festival together;and the time when they held it was for three days before Samhain, theSummer-End, and for three days after that day, and upon Samhain itself. And the time that is spoken of is that when the men of Ulster were inthe Plain of Murthemne, and there they used to keep that festival everyyear; nor was there an thing in the world that they would do at thattime except sports, and marketings, and splendours, and pomps, andfeasting and eating; and it is from that custom of theirs that theFestival of the Samhain has descended, that is now held throughout thewhole of Ireland. 

Now once upon a time the men of Ulster held festival upon the MurthemnePlain, and the reason that this festival was held was that every man ofthem should then give account of the combats he had made and of hisvalour every Summer-End. It was their custom to hold that festival inorder to give account of these combats, and the manner in which theygave that account was this: Each man used to cut off the tip of thetongue of a foe whom he had killed, and he bore it with him in a pouch. Moreover, in order to make more great the numbers of their contests, some used to bring with them the tips of the tongues of beasts, andeach man publicly declared the fights he had fought, one man of themafter the other. And they did this also--they laid their swords overtheir thighs when they declared the strifes, and their own swords usedto turn against them when the strife that they declared was false; norwas this to be wondered at, for at that time it was customary for demonbeings to scream from the weapons of men, so that for this cause theirweapons might be the more able to guard them. 

To that festival then came all the men of Ulster except two alone, andthese two were Fergus the son of Rog, and Conall the Victorious. "Letthe festival be held!" cried the men of Ulster. "Nay, " said Cuchulain, "it shall not be held until Conall and Fergus come, " and this he saidbecause Fergus was the foster-father of Cuchulain, and Conall was hiscomrade. Then said Sencha: "Let us for the present engage in games ofchess; and let the Druids sing, and let the jugglers play their feats;"and it was done as he had said. 

Now while they were thus employed a flock of birds came down andhovered over the lake; never was seen in Ireland more beautiful birdsthan these. And a longing that these birds should be given to themseized upon the women who were there; and each of them began to boastof the prowess of her husband at bird-catching. "How I wish, " saidEthne Aitencaithrech, Conor's wife, "that I could have two of thosebirds, one of them upon each of my two shoulders. " "It is what we alllong for, " said the women; and "If any should have this boon, I shouldbe the first one to have it, " said Ethne Inguba, the wife of Cuchulain. 

"What are we to do now?" said the women. "'Tis easy to answer you, "said Leborcham, the daughter of Oa and Adarc; "I will go now with amessage from you, and will seek for Cuchulain. " She then went toCuchulain, and "The women of Ulster would be well pleased, " she said, "if yonder birds were given to them by thy hand. " And Cuchulain madefor his sword to unsheathe it against her: "Cannot the lasses of Ulsterfind any other but us, " he said, "to give them their bird-hunt to-day?" "'Tis not seemly for thee to rage thus against them, " said Leborcham, "for it is on thy account that the women of Ulster have assumed one oftheir three blemishes, even the blemish of blindness. " For there werethree blemishes that the women of Ulster assumed, that of crookednessof gait, and that of a stammering in their speech, and that ofblindness. Each of the women who loved Conall the Victorious hadassumed a crookedness of gait; each woman who loved Cuscraid Mend, theStammerer of Macha, Conor's son, stammered in her speech; each woman inlike manner who loved Cuchulain had assumed a blindness of her eyes, inorder to resemble Cuchulain; for he, when his mind was angry withinhim, was accustomed to draw in the one of his eyes so far that a cranecould not reach it in his head, and would thrust out the other so thatit was great as a cauldron in which a calf is cooked. 

"Yoke for us the chariot, O Laeg!" said Cuchulain. And Laeg yoked thechariot at that, and Cuchulain went into the chariot, and he cast hissword at the birds with a cast like the cast of a boomerang, so thatthey with their claws and wings flapped against the water. And theyseized upon all the birds, and they gave them and distributed themamong the women; nor was there any one of the women, except Ethnealone, who had not a pair of those birds. Then Cuchulain returned tohis wife; and "Thou art enraged, " said he to her. "I am in no wayenraged, " answered Ethne, "for I deem it as being by me that thedistribution was made. And thou hast done what was fitting, " she said, "for there is not one of these woman but loves thee; none in whom thouhast no share; but for myself none hath any share in me except thoualone. " "Be not angry, " said Cuchulain, "if in the future any birdscome to the Plain of Murthemne or to the Boyne, the two birds that arethe most beautiful among those that come shall be thine. "

A little while after this they saw two birds flying over the lake, linked together by a chain of red gold. They sang a gentle song, and asleep fell upon all the men who were there; and Cuchulain rose up topursue the birds. "If thou wilt hearken to me, " said Laeg, and so alsosaid Ethne, "thou shalt not go against them; behind those birds is someespecial power. Other birds may be taken by thee at some future day. ""Is it possible that such claim as this should be made upon me?" saidCuchulain. "Place a stone in my sling, O Laeg!" Laeg thereon took astone, and he placed it in the sling, and Cuchulain launched the stoneat the birds, but the cast missed. "Alas!" said he. He took anotherstone, and he launched this also at the birds, but the stone flew pastthem. "Wretched that I am, " he cried, "since the very first day that Iassumed arms, I have never missed a cast until this day!" And he casthis spear at them, and the spear went through the shield of the wing ofone of the birds, and the birds flew away, and went beneath the lake. 

After this Cuchulain departed, and he rested his back against a stonepillar, and his soul was angry within him, and a sleep fell upon him. Then saw he two women come to him; the one of them had a green mantleupon her, and upon the other was a purple mantle folded in five folds. And the woman in the green mantle approached him, and she laughed alaugh at him, and she gave him a stroke with a horsewhip. And then theother approached him, and she also laughed at him, and she struck himin the like manner; and for a long time were they thus, each of them inturn coming to him and striking him until he was all but dead; and thenthey departed from him. 

Now the men of Ulster perceived the state in which Cuchulain was in;and they cried out that he should be awakened; but "Nay, " said Fergus, "ye shall not move him, for he seeth a vision;" and a little after thatCuchulain came from his sleep. "What hath happened to thee?" said themen of Ulster; but he had no power to bid greeting to them. "Let me becarried, " he said, "to the sick-bed that is in Tete Brecc; neither toDun Imrith, nor yet to Dun Delga. " "Wilt thou not be carried to DunDelga to seek for Emer?" said Laeg. "Nay, " said he, "my word is forTete Brecc;" and thereon they bore him from that place, and he was inTete Brecc until the end of one year, and during all that time he hadspeech with no one. 

Now upon a certain day before the next Summer-End, at the end of ayear, when the men of Ulster were in the house where Cuchulain was, Fergus being at the side-wall, and Conall Cernach at his head, andLugaid Red-Stripes at his pillow, and Ethne Inguba at his feet; whenthey were there in this manner, a man came to them, and he seatedhimself near the entrance of the chamber in which Cuchulain lay. "Whathath brought thee here?" said Conall the Victorious. "No hard questionto answer, " said the man. "If the man who lies yonder were in health, he would be a good protection to all of Ulster; in the weakness and thesickness in which he now is, so much the more great is the protectionthat they have from him. I have no fear of any of you, " he said, "forit is to give to this man a greeting that I come. " "Welcome to thee, then, and fear nothing, " said the men of Ulster; and the man rose tohis feet, and he sang them these staves:

Ah! Cuchulain, who art under sickness still, Not long thou its cure shouldst need;Soon would Aed Abra's daughters, to heal thine ill, To thee, at thy bidding, speed. 

Liban, she at swift Labra's right hand who sits, Stood up on Cruach's[FN#25] Plain, and cried:"'Tis the wish of Fand's heart, she the tale permits, To sleep at Cuchulain's side. 

[FN#25] Pronounced something like Croogh. 

"'If Cuchulain would come to me, ' Fand thus told, 'How goodly that day would shine!Then on high would our silver be heaped, and gold, Our revellers pour the wine. 

"'And if now in my land, as my friend, had beenCuchulain, of Sualtam[FN#26] son, The things that in visions he late hath seenIn peace would he safe have won. 

"'In the Plains of Murthemne, to south that spread, Shall Liban my word fulfil:She shall seek him on Samhain, he naught need dread, By her shall be cured his ill. '"

[FN#26] Pronounced Sooltam. 

"Who art thou, then, thyself?" said the men of Ulster. "I am Angus, the son of Aed Abra, " he answered; and the man then left them, nor didany of them know whence it was he had come, nor whither he went. Then Cuchulain sat up, and he spoke to them. "Fortunate indeed isthis!" said the men of Ulster; "tell us what it is that hath happenedto thee. " "Upon Samhain night last year, " he said, "I indeed saw avision;" and he told them of all he had seen. "What should now bedone, Father Conor?" said Cuchulain. "This hast thou to do, " answeredConor, "rise, and go until thou comest to the pillar where thou wertbefore. "

Then Cuchulain went forth until he came to the pillar, and then saw hethe woman in the green mantle come to him. "This is good, OCuchulain!" said she. "'Tis no good thing in my thought, " saidCuchulain. "Wherefore camest thou to me last year?" he said. "It wasindeed to do no injury to thee that we came, " said the woman, "but toseek for thy friendship. I have come to greet thee, " she said, "fromFand, the daughter of Aed Abra; her husband, Manannan the Son of theSea, hath released her, and she hath thereon set her love on thee. Myown name is Liban, and I have brought to thee a message from my spouse, Labraid the Swift, the Sword-Wielder, that he will give thee the woman in exchange for one day's service tohim in battle against Senach the Unearthly, and against EochaidJuil, [FN#27] and against Yeogan the Stream. " "I am in no fit state, "he said, "to contend with men to-day. " "That will last but a littlewhile, " she said; "thou shalt be whole, and all that thou hast lost ofthy strength shall be increased to thee. Labraid shall bestow on theethat boon, for he is the best of all warriors that are in the world. "

[FN#27] Pronounced, nearly, Yeo-hay Yool. 

"Where is it that Labraid dwelleth?" asked Cuchulain. 

"In Mag Mell, [FN#28] the Plain of Delight, " said Liban; "and now Idesire to go to another land, " said she. 

[FN#28] Pronounced Maw Mel. 

"Let Laeg go with thee, " said Cuchulain, "that he may learn of the landfrom which thou hast come. " "Let him come, then, " said Liban. 

They departed after that, and they went forward until they came to aplace where Fand was. And Liban turned to seek for Laeg, and she sethim upon her shoulder. "Thou wouldest never go hence, O Laeg!" saidLiban, "wert thou not under a woman's protection. " "'Tis not a thingthat I have most been accustomed to up to this time, " said Laeg, "to beunder a woman's guard. " "Shame, and everlasting shame, " said Liban, "that Cuchulain is not where thou art. " "It were well for me, "answered Laeg, "if it were indeed he who is here. "

They passed on then, and went forward until they came opposite to theshore of an island, and there they saw a skiff of bronze lying upon thelake before them. They entered into the skiff, and they crossed overto the island, and came to the palace door, and there they saw the man, and he came towards them. And thus spoke Liban to the man whom theysaw there:

Say where He, the Hand-on-Sword, Labra swift, abideth?He who, of the triumphs lord, In strong chariot rideth. When victorious troops are led, Labra hath the leading;He it is, when spears are red, Sets the points a-bleeding. 

And the man replied to her, and spoke thus:

Labra, who of speed is son, Comes, and comes not slowly;Crowded hosts together run, Bent on warfare wholly. Soon upon the Forest PlainShall be set the killing;For the hour when men are slainFidga's[FN#29] Fields are filling![FN#30]

[FN#29] Pronounced, nearly, Feega. 

[FN#30] Irish metre approximately imitated in these stanzas. 

They entered then into the palace, and they saw there thrice fiftycouches within the palace, and three times fifty women upon thecouches, and the women all bade Laeg welcome, and it was in these wordsthat they addressed him:

Hail! for the guide, Laeg! of thy quest:Laeg we besideHail, as our guest!

"What wilt thou do now?" said Liban; "wilt thou go on without a delay, and hold speech with Fand?"

"I will go, " he answered, "if I may know the place where she is. "

"That is no hard matter to tell thee, " she answered; "she is in herchamber apart. " They went therein, and they greeted Fand, and shewelcomed Laeg in the same fashion as the others had done. 

Fand is the daughter of Aed Abra; Aed means fire, and he is the fire ofthe eye: that is, of the eye's pupil: Fand moreover is the name of thetear that runs from the eye; it was on account of the clearness of herbeauty that she was so named, for there is nothing else in the worldexcept a tear to which her beauty could be likened. 

Now, while they were thus in that place, they heard the rattle ofLabraid's chariot as he approached the island. "The spirit of Labraidis gloomy to-day, " said Liban, "I will go and greet him. " And she wentout, and she bade welcome to Labraid, and she spoke as follows:

Hail! the man who holdeth sword, the swift in fight!Heir of little armies, armed with javelins light;Spears he drives in splinters; bucklers bursts in twain;Limbs of men are wounded; nobles by him slain. He for error searcheth, streweth gifts not small, Hosts of men destroyeth; fairer he than all!Heroes whom he findeth feel his fierce attack;Labra! swiftest Sword-Hand! welcome to us back!

Labraid made no reply to her, and the lady spoke again thus:

Welcome! swift Labra, Hand to sword set!All win thy bounty, Praise thou shalt get;Warfare thou seekest, Wounds seam thy side;Wisely thou speakest, Law canst decide;Kindly thou rulest, Wars fightest well;Wrong-doers schoolest, Hosts shalt repel. 

Labraid still made no answer, and she sang another lay thus:

Labra! all hail!Sword-wielder, swift:War can he wage, Warriors can sift;Valiant is he, Fighters excels;More than in seaPride in him swells;Down in the dustStrength doth he beat;They who him trustRise to their feetWeak ones he'll raise, Humble the strong;Labra! thy praisePeals loud and long!

"Thou speakest not rightly, O lady, " said Labraid; and he then spoke toher thus:

O my wife! naught of boasting or pride is in me;No renown would I claim, and no falsehood shall be:Lamentation alone stirs my mind, for hard spearsRise in numbers against me: dread contest appears:The right arms of their heroes red broadswords shall swing;Many hosts Eochaid Juil holds to heart as their king:Let no pride then be ours; no high words let there be;Pride and arrogance far should be, lady, from me!

"Let now thy mind be appeased, " said the lady Liban to him. "Laeg, thecharioteer of Cuchulain, is here; and Cuchulain hath sent word to theethat he will come to join thy hosts. "

Then Labraid bade welcome to Laeg, and he said to him: "Welcome, OLaeg! for the sake of the lady with whom thou comest, and for the sakeof him from whom thou hast come. Do thou now go to thine own land, OLaeg!" said Labraid, "and Liban shall accompany thee. "

Then Laeg returned to Emain, and he gave news of what he had seen toCuchulain, and to all others beside; and Cuchulain rose up, and hepassed his hand over his face, and he greeted Laeg brightly, and hismind was strengthened within him for the news that the lad had broughthim. 

[At this point occurs the break in the story indicated in the preface, and the description of the Bull-Feast at which Lugaid Red-Stripes iselected king over all Ireland; also the exhortation that Cuchulain, supposed to be lying on his sick-bed, gives to Lugaid as to the dutiesof a king. After this insertion, which has no real connection with thestory, the story itself proceeds, but from another point, for thethread is taken up at the place where Cuchulain has indeed awaked fromhis trance, but is still on his sick-bed; the message of Angus appearsto have been given, but Cuchulain does not seem to have met Liban forthe second time, nor to have sent Laeg to inquire. Ethne hasdisappeared as an actor from the scene; her place is taken by Emer, Cuchulain's real wife; and the whole style of the romance so alters forthe better that, even if it were not for the want of agreement of thetwo versions, we could see that we have here two tales founded upon thesame legend but by two different hands, the end of the first and thebeginning of the second alike missing, and the gap filled in by thestory of the election of Lugaid. 

Now as to Cuchulain it has to be related thus: He called upon Laeg tocome to him; and "Do thou go, O Laeg!" said Cuchulain, "to the placewhere Emer is; and say to her that women of the fairies have come uponme, and that they have destroyed my strength; and say also to her thatit goeth better with me from hour to hour, and bid her to come and seekme;" and the young man Laeg then spoke these words in order to heartenthe mind of Cuchulain:

It fits not heroes lyingOn sick-bed in a sickly sleep to dream:Witches before thee flyingOf Trogach's fiery Plain the dwellers seem:They have beat down thy strength, Made thee captive at length, And in womanish folly away have they driven thee far. 

Arise! no more be sickly!Shake off the weakness by those fairies sent:For from thee parteth quicklyThy strength that for the chariot-chiefs was meant:Thou crouchest, like a youth!Art thou subdued, in truth?Have they shaken thy prowess and deeds that were meet for the war

Yet Labra's power hath sent his message plain:Rise, thou that crouchest: and be great again. 

And Laeg, after that heartening, departed; and he went on until he cameto the place where Emer was; and he told her of the state of Cuchulain:"Ill hath it been what thou hast done, O youth!" she said; "foralthough thou art known as one who dost wander in the lands where thefairies dwell; yet no virtue of healing hast thou found there andbrought for the cure of thy lord. Shame upon the men of Ulster!" shesaid, "for they have not sought to do a great deed, and to heal him. Yet, had Conor thus been fettered; had it been Fergus who had lost hissleep, had it been Conall the Victorious to whom wounds had been dealt, Cuchulain would have saved them. " And she then sang a song, and inthis fashion she sang it:

Laeg! who oft the fairy hill[FN#31]Searchest, slack I find thee still;Lovely Dechtire's son shouldst thouBy thy zeal have healed ere now. 

Ulster, though for bounties famed, Foster-sire and friends are shamed:None hath deemed Cuchulain worthOne full journey through the earth. 

Yet, if sleep on Fergus fell, Such that magic arts dispel, Dechtire's son had restless rodeTill a Druid raised that load. 

Aye, had Conall come from wars, Weak with wounds and recent scars;All the world our Hound would scourTill he found a healing power. 

Were it Laegaire[FN#32] war had pressed, Erin's meads would know no rest, Till, made whole from wounds, he wonMach's grandchild, Conna's son. 

Had thus crafty Celthar slept, Long, like him, by sickness kept;Through the elf-mounds, night and day, Would our Hound, to heal him, stray. 

Furbaid, girt by heroes strong, Were it he had lain thus long;Ah! our Hound would rescue bearThough through solid earth he fare. 

[FN#31] The metre of these verses is that of the Irish. 

[FN#32] Pronounced Leary. 

All the elves of Troom[FN#33] seem dead;All their mighty deeds have fled;For their Hound, who hounds surpassed, Elves have bound in slumber fast. 

Ah! on me thy sickness swerves, Hound of Smith who Conor serves!Sore my heart, my flesh must be:May thy cure be wrought by me. 

Ah! 'tis blood my heart that stains, Sick for him who rode the plains:Though his land be decked for feast, He to seek its plain hath ceased. 

He in Emain still delays;'Tis those Shapes the bar that raise:Weak my voice is, dead its tone, He in evil form is shown. 

Month-long, year-long watch I keep;Seasons pass, I know not sleep:Men's sweet speech strikes not mine ear;Naught, Riangabra's[FN#34] son, I hear. 

[FN#33] Spelt Truim. 

[FN#34] Pronounced Reen-gabra. 

And, after that she had sung that song, Emer went forward to Emain thatshe might seek for Cuchulain; and she seated herself in the chamberwhere Cuchulain was, and thus she addressed him: "Shame upon thee!" shesaid, "to lie thus prostrate for a woman's love! well may this longsickbed of thine cause thee to ail!" And it was in this fashion thatshe addressed him, and she chanted this lay:

Stand up, O thou hero of Ulster!Wake from sleep! rise up, joyful and sound!Look on Conor the king! on my beauty, Will that loose not those slumbers profound?

See the Ulstermen's clear shining shoulders!Hear their trumpets that call to the fight!See their war-cars that sweep through the valleys, As in hero-chess, leaping each knight. 

See their chiefs, and the strength that adorns them, Their tall maidens, so stately with grace;The swift kings, springing on to the battle, The great queens of the Ulstermen's race!

The clear winter but now is beginning;Lo! the wonder of cold that hangs there!'Tis a sight that should warn thee; how chilly!Of what length I yet of colour how bare!

This long slumber is ill; it decays thee:'Tis like "milk for the full" the saw saithHard is war with fatigue; deadly weaknessIs a Prince who stands second to Death. 

Wake! 'tis joy for the sodden, this slumber;Throw it off with a great glowing heat:Sweet-voiced friends for thee wait in great number:Ulster's champion! stand up on thy feet!

And Cuchulain at her word stood up; and he passed his hand over hisface, and he cast all his heaviness and his weariness away from him, and then he arose, and went on his way before him until he came to theenclosure that he sought; and in that enclosure Liban appeared to him. And Liban spoke to him, and she strove to lead him into the fairy hill;but "What place is that in which Labraid dwelleth?" said Cuchulain. Itis easy for me to tell thee!" she said:

Labra's home's a pure lake, whitherTroops of women come and go;Easy paths shall lead thee thither, Where thou shalt swift Labra know. 

Hundreds his skilled arm repelleth;Wise be they his deeds who speak:Look where rosy beauty dwelleth;Like to that think Labra's cheek. 

Head of wolf, for gore that thirsteth, Near his thin red falchion shakes;Shields that cloak the chiefs he bursteth, Arms of foolish foes he breaks. 

Trust of friend he aye requiteth, Scarred his skin, like bloodshot eye;First of fairy men he fighteth;Thousands, by him smitten, die. 

Chiefs at Echaid[FN#35] Juil's name tremble;Yet his land-strange tale-he sought, He whose locks gold threads resemble, With whose breath wine-scents are brought. 

More than all strife-seekers noted, Fiercely to far lands he rides;Steeds have trampled, skiffs have floatedNear the isle where he abides. 

Labra, swift Sword-Wielder, gainethFame for actions over sea;Sleep for all his watch sustaineth!Sure no coward hound is he. 

The chains on the necks of the coursers he rides, And their bridles are ruddy with gold:He hath columns of crystal and silver besides, The roof of his house to uphold. 

[FN#35] Pronounced, apparently, Ech-ay, the ch like the sound in"loch. "

"I will not go thither at a woman's call, " said Cuchulain. "Let Laegthen go, " said the lady, "and let him bring to thee tidings of all thatis there. " "Let him depart, then, " said Cuchulain; and Laeg rose upand departed with Liban, and they came to the Plain of Speech, and tothe Tree of Triumphs, and over the festal plain of Emain, and over thefestal plain of Fidga, and in that place was Aed Abra, and with him hisdaughters. 

Then Fand bade welcome to Laeg, and "How is it, " said she, "thatCuchulain hath not come with thee?" "It pleased him not, " said Laeg, "to come at a woman's call; moreover, he desired to know whether it wasindeed from thee that had come the message, and to have full knowledgeof everything. " "It was indeed from me that the message was sent, " shesaid; "and let now Cuchulain come swiftly to seek us, for it is forto-day that the strife is set. " Then Laeg went back to the place wherehe had left Cuchulain, and Liban with him; and "How appeareth thisquest to thee, O Laeg?" said Cuchulain. And Laeg answering said, "In ahappy hour shalt thou go, " said he, "for the battle is set for to-day;"and it was in this manner that he spake, and he recited thus:

I went gaily through regions, Though strange, seen before:By his cairn found I Labra, A cairn for a score. 

There sat yellow-haired Labra, His spears round him rolled;His long bright locks well gatheredRound apple of gold. 

On my five-folded purpleHis glance at length fell, And he said, "Come and enterWhere Failbe doth dwell. "

In one house dwells white Failbe, With Labra, his friend;And retainers thrice fiftyEach monarch attend. 

On the right, couches fifty, Where fifty men rest;On the left, fifty couchesBy men's weight oppressed. 

For each couch copper frontings, Posts golden, and white;And a rich flashing jewelAs torch, gives them light. 

Near that house, to the westward, Where sunlight sinks down, Stand grey steeds, with manes dappledAnd steeds purple-brown. 

On its east side are standingThree bright purple treesWhence the birds' songs, oft ringingThe king's children please. 

From a tree in the fore-courtSweet harmony streams;It stands silver, yet sunlitWith gold's glitter gleams. 

Sixty trees' swaying summitsNow meet, now swing wide;Rindless food for thrice hundredEach drops at its side. 

Near a well by that palaceGay cloaks spread out lie, Each with splendid gold fasteningWell hooked through its eye. 

They who dwell there, find flowingA vat of glad ale:'Tis ordained that for everThat vat shall not fail. 

From the hall steps a ladyWell gifted, and fair:None is like her in Erin;Like gold is her hair. 

And so sweet, and so wondrousHer words from her fall, That with love and with longingShe breaks hearts of all. 

"Who art thou?" said that lady, "For strange thou art here;But if Him of MurthemneThou servest, draw near. "

Slowly, slowly I neared her;I feared for my fame:And she said, "Comes he hither, Of Dechtire who came?"

Ah! long since, for thy healing, Thou there shouldst have gone, And have viewed that great palaceBefore me that shone. 

Though I ruled all of ErinAnd yellow Breg's hill, I'd give all, no small trial, To know that land still. 

"The quest then is a good one?" said Cuchulain. "It is goodly indeed, "said Laeg, "and it is right that thou shouldest go to attain it, andall things in that land are good. " And thus further also spoke Laeg, as he told of the loveliness of the fairy dwelling:

I saw a land of noble form and splendid, Where dwells naught evil; none can speak a lie:There stands the king, by all his hosts attended, Brown Labra, swift to sword his hand can fly. 

We crossed the Plain of Speech, our steps arrestedNear to that Tree, whose branches triumphs bear;At length upon the hill-crowned plain we rested, And saw the Double-Headed Serpent's lair. 

Then Liban said, as we that mount sat under:"Would I could see--'twould be a marvel strange--Yet, if I saw it, dear would be that wonder, if to Cuchulain's form thy form could change. "

Great is the beauty of Aed Abra's daughters, Unfettered men before them conquered fall;Fand's beauty stuns, like sound of rushing waters, Before her splendour kings and queens seem small. 

Though I confess, as from the wise ones hearing, That Adam's race was once unstained by sin; -Yet did I swear, when Fand was there appearing, None in past ages could such beauty win. 

I saw the champions stand with arms for slaying, Right splendid was the garb those heroes bore;Gay coloured garments, meet for their arraying, 'Twas not the vesture of rude churls they wore. 

Women of music at the feast were sitting, A brilliant maiden bevy near them stood;And forms of noble youths were upwards flittingThrough the recesses of the mountain wood. 

I saw the folk of song; their strains rang sweetly, As for the lady in that house they played;Had I not I fled away from thence, and fleetly, Hurt by that music, I had weak been made. 

I know the hill where Ethne took her station, And Ethne Inguba's a lovely maid;But none can drive from sense a warlike nationSave she alone, in beauty then displayed. 

And Cuchulain, when he had heard that report, went on with Liban tothat land, and he took his chariot with him. And they came to theIsland of Labraid, and there Labraid and all the women that were therebade them welcome; and Fand gave an especial welcome to Cuchulain. "What is there now set for us to do?" said Cuchulain. "No hard matterto answer, " said Labraid; "we must go forth and make a circuit aboutthe army. " They went out then, and they came to the army, and they lettheir eyes wander over it; and the host seemed to them to beinnumerable. "Do thou arise, and go hence for the present, " saidCuchulain to Labraid; and Labraid departed, and Cuchulain remainedconfronting the army. And there were two ravens there, who spake, andrevealed Druid secrets, but the armies who heard them laughed. "Itmust surely be the madman from Ireland who is there, " said the army;"it is he whom the ravens would make known to us;" and the armieschased them away so that they found no resting-place in that land. 

Now at early morn Eochaid Juil went out in order to bathe his hands inthe spring, and Cuchulain saw his shoulder through the hood of histunic, and he hurled his spear at him, and he pierced him. And he byhimself slew thirty-and-three of them, and then Senach the Unearthlyassailed him, and a great fight was fought between them, and Cuchulainslew him; and after that Labraid approached, and he brake before himthose armies. 

Then Labraid entreated Cuchulain to stay his hand from the slaying; and"I fear now, " said Laeg, "that the man will turn his wrath upon us; forhe hath not found a war to suffice him. Go now, " said Laeg, "and letthere be brought three vats of cold water to cool his heat. The firstvat into which he goeth shall boil over; after he hath gone into thesecond vat, none shall be able to bear the heat of it: after he hathgone into the third vat, its water shall have but a moderate heat. "

And when the women saw Cuchulain's return, Fand sang thus:

Fidga's[FN#36] plain, where the feast assembles, Shakes this eve, as his car he guides;All the land at the trampling trembles;Young and beardless, in state he rides. 

Blood-red canopies o'er him swingingChant, but not as the fairies cry;Deeper bass from the car is singing, Deeply droning, its wheels reply. 

Steeds are bounding beneath the traces, None to match them my thought can find;Wait a while! I would note their graces:On they sweep, like the spring's swift wind. 

High in air, in his breath suspended, Float a fifty of golden balls;Kings may grace in their sports have blended, None his equal my mind recalls. 

[FN#36] Pronounced, nearly, Fee-ga. 

Dimples four on each cheek are glowing, One seems green, one is tinged with blue, One dyed red, as if blood were flowing, One is purple, of lightest hue. 

Sevenfold light from his eyeballs flashes, None may speak him as blind, in scorn;Proud his glances, and dark eyelashesBlack as beetle, his eyes adorn. 

Well his excellence fame confesses, All through Erin his praise is sung;Three the hues of his high-piled tresses;Beardless yet, and a stripling young. 

Red his blade, it hath late been blooded;Shines above it its silver hilt;Golden bosses his shield have studded, Round its rim the white bronze is spilt. 

O'er the slain in each slaughter striding, War he seeketh, at risk would snatch:Heroes keen in your ranks are riding, None of these is Cuchulain's match. 

From Murthemne he comes, we greet him, Young Cuchulain, the champion strong;We, compelled from afar to meet him, Daughters all of Aed Abra, throng. 

Every tree, as a lordly token, Stands all stained with the red blood rainWar that demons might wage is woken, Wails peal high as he raves again. 

Liban moreover bade a welcome to Cuchulain, and she chanted as follows:

Hail to Cuchulain!Lord, who canst aid;Murthemne ruling, Mind undismayed;Hero-like, glorious, Heart great and stillBattle-victorious, Firm rock of skill;Redly he rageth, Foemen would face;Battle he wagethMeet for his race!Brilliant his splendour, like maidens' eyes, Praises we render: praise shall arise!

"Tell us now of the deeds thou hast done, O Cuchulain! cried Liban, andCuchulain in this manner replied to her:

From my hand flew a dart, as I made my cast, Through the host of Stream-Yeogan the javelin passed;Not at all did I know, though great fame was won, Who my victim had been, or what deed was done. 

Whether greater or less was his might than mineI have found not at all, nor can right divine;In a mist was he hid whom my spear would slay, Yet I know that he went not with life away. 

A great host on me closed, and on every sideRose around me in hordes the red steeds they ride;From Manannan, the Son of the Sea, came foes, From Stream-Yeogan to call them a roar arose. 

And I went to the battle with all at length, When my weakness had passed, and I gat full strength;And alone with three thousands the fight I fought, Till death to the foes whom I faced was brought. 

I heard Echaid Juil's groan, as he neared his end, The sound came to mine ears as from lips of friend;Yet, if truth must be told, 'twas no valiant deed, That cast that I threw, if 'twas thrown indeed. 

Now, after all these things had passed, Cuchulain slept with the lady, and he abode for a month in her company, and at the end of the month hecame to bid her farewell. "Tell me, " she said, "to what place I may gofor our tryst, and I will be there;" and they made tryst at the strandthat is known as the Strand of the Yew-Tree's Head. 

Now word was brought to Emer of that tryst, and knives were whetted byEmer to slay the lady; and she came to the place of the tryst, andfifty women were with her. And there she found, Cuchulain and Laeg, and they were engaged in the chess-play, so that they perceived not thewomen's approach. But Fand marked it, and she cried out to Laeg: "Looknow, O Laeg!" she said, "and mark that sight that I see. " "What sightis that of which thou speakest?" said Laeg, and he looked and saw it, and thus it was that the lady, even Fand, addressed him:

Laeg! look behind thee!Close to thine earWise, well-ranked womenPress on us near;Bright on each bosomShines the gold clasp;Knives, with green edgesWhetted, they grasp:As for the slaughter chariot chiefs race, Comes Forgall's daughter; changed is her face. 

"Have no fear, " said Cuchulain, "no foe shalt thou meet;Enter thou my strong car, with its sunny bright seat:I will set thee before me, will guard thee from harmAgainst women, from Ulster's four quarters that swarm:Though the daughter of Forgall the war with thee vows, Though her dear foster-sisters against thee she rouse, No deed of destruction bold Emer will dare, Though she rageth against thee, for I will be there. "

Moreover to Emer he said:

I avoid thee, O lady, as heroesAvoid to meet friends in a strife;The hard spear thy hand shakes cannot injure, Nor the blade of thy thin gleaming knife;For the wrath pent within thee that ragethIs but weak, nor can cause mine affright:It were hard if the war my might wagethMust be quenched by a weak woman's might!

"Speak! and tell me, Cuchulain, " cried Emer, "Why this shame on my head thou wouldst lay?Before women of Ulster dishonoured I stand, And all women who dwell in the wide Irish land, And all folk who love honour beside:Though I came on thee, secretly creeping, Though oppressed by thy might I remain, And though great is thy pride in the battle, If thou leavest me, naught is thy gain:Why, dear youth, such attempt dost thou make?

"Speak thou, Emer, and say, " said Cuchulain, "Should I not with this lady delay?For this lady is fair, pare and bright, and well skilled, A fit mate for a monarch, in beauty fulfilled, And the billows of ocean can ride:She is lovely in countenance, lofty in race, And with handicraft skilled can fine needlework trace, Hath a mind that with firmness can guide:

And in steeds hath she wealth, and much cattleDoth she own; there is naught under skyA dear wife for a spouse should be keepingBut that gift with this lady have I:Though the vow that I made thee I break, Thou shalt ne'er find championRich, like me, in scars;Ne'er such worth, such brilliance, None who wins my wars. "

"In good sooth, " answered Emer, "the lady to whom thou dost cling is inno way better than am I myself! Yet fair seems all that's red; seemswhite what's new alone; and bright what's set o'erhead; and sour arethings well known! Men worship what they lack; and what they haveseems weak; in truth thou hast all the wisdom of the time! O youth!"she said, "once we dwelled in honour together, and we would so dwellagain, if only I could find favour in thy sight!" and her grief weighedheavily upon her. "By my word, " said Cuchulain, "thou dost findfavour, and thou shalt find it so long as I am in life. "

"Desert me, then!" cried Fand. "Nay, " said Emer, "it is more fittingthat I should be the deserted one. " "Not so, indeed, " said Fand. "Itis I who must go, and danger rusheth upon me from afar. " And aneagerness for lamentation seized upon Fand, and her soul was greatwithin her, for it was shame to her to be deserted and straightway toreturn to her home; moreover the mighty love that she bare to Cuchulainwas tumultuous in her, and in this fashion she lamented, and lamentingsang this song:

Mighty need compels me, I must go my way;Fame for others waiteth, Would I here could stay!

Sweeter were it restingGuarded by thy power, Than to find the marvelsIn Aed Abra's bower. 

Emer! noble lady!Take thy man to thee:Though my arms resign him, Longing lives in me. 

Oft in shelters hiddenMen to seek me came;None could win my trysting, I myself was flame. 

Ah! no maid her longingOn a man should setTill a love full equalTo her own she get. 

Fifty women hither, Emer! thou hast broughtThou wouldst Fand make captive, Hast on murder thought. 

Till the day I need themWaits, my home within;Thrice thy host! fair virgins, These my war shall win. 

Now upon this it was discerned by Manannan that Fand the daughter ofAed Abra was engaged in unequal warfare with the women of Ulster, andthat she was like to be left by Cuchulain. And thereon Manannan camefrom the east to seek for the lady, and he was perceived by her, norwas there any other conscious of his presence saving Fand alone. And, when she saw Manannan, the lady was seized by great bitterness of mindand by grief, and being thus, she made this song:

Lo! the Son of the Sea-Folk from plains draws nearWhence Yeogan, the Stream, is poured;'Tis Manannan, of old he to me was dear, And above the fair world we soared. 

Yet to-day, although excellent sounds his cry, No love fills my noble heart, For the pathways of love may be bent awry, Its knowledge in vain depart. 

When I dwelt in the bower of the Yeogan Stream, At the Son of the Ocean's side, Of a life there unending was then our dream, Naught seemed could our love divide. 

When the comely Manannan to wed me came, To me, as a spouse, full meet;Not in shame was I sold, in no chessmen's gameThe price of a foe's defeat. 

When the comely Manannan my lord was made, When I was his equal spouse, This armlet of gold that I bear he paidAs price for my marriage vows. 

Through the heather came bride-maids, in garments braveOf all colours, two score and ten;And beside all the maidens my bounty gaveTo my husband a fifty men. 

Four times fifty our host; for no frenzied strifeIn our palace was pent that throng, Where a hundred strong men led a gladsome life, One hundred fair dames and strong. 

Manannan draws near: over ocean he speeds, From all notice of fools is he free;As a horseman he comes, for no vessel he needsWho rides the maned waves of the sea. 

He hath passed near us now, though his visage to viewIs to all, save to fairies, forbid;Every troop of mankind his keen sight searcheth through, Though small, and in secret though hid. 

But for me, this resolve in my spirit shall dwell, Since weak, being woman's, my mind;Since from him whom so dearly I loved, and so well, Only danger and insult I find. 

I will go! in mine honour unsullied depart, Fair Cuchulain! I bid thee good-bye;I have gained not the wish that was dear to my heart, High justice compels me to fly. 

It is flight, this alone that befitteth my state, Though to some shall this parting be hard:O thou son of Riangabra! the insult was great:Not by Laeg shall my going be barred. 

I depart to my spouse; ne'er to strife with a foeShall Manannan his consort expose;And, that none may complain that in secret I go, Behold him! his form I disclose!

Then that lady rose behind Manannan as he passed, and Manannan greetedher: "O lady!" he said, "which wilt thou do? wilt thou depart with me, or abide here until Cuchulain comes to thee?" "By my troth, " answeredFand, "either of the two of ye were a fitting spouse to adhere to; andneither of you two is better than the other; yet, Manannan, it is withthee that I go, nor will I wait for Cuchulain, for he hath betrayed me;and there is another matter, moreover, that weigheth with me, O thounoble prince!" said she, "and that is that thou hast no consort who isof worth equal to thine, but such a one hath Cuchulain already. "And Cuchulain saw the lady as she went from him to Manannan, and hecried out to Laeg: "What meaneth this that I see?" "'Tis no hardmatter to answer thee, " said Laeg. "Fand goeth away with Manannan theSon of the Sea, since she hath not been pleasing in thy sight!"

Then Cuchulain bounded three times high into the air, and he made threegreat leaps towards the south, and thus he came to Tara Luachra, [FN#37]and there he abode for a long time, having no meat and no drink, dwelling upon the mountains, and sleeping upon the high-road thatrunneth through the midst of Luachra. Then Emer went on to Emain, and there she sought out king Conor, andshe told Conor of Cuchulain's state, and Conor sent out his learned menand the people of skill, and the Druids of Ulster, that they might seekfor Cuchulain, and might bind him fast, and bring him with them toEmain. And Cuchulain strove to slay the people of skill, but theychanted wizard and fairy songs against him, and they bound fast hisfeet and his hands until he came a little to his senses. Then hebegged for a drink at their hands, and the Druids gave him a drink offorgetfulness, so that afterwards he had no more remembrance of Fandnor of anything else that he had then done; and they also gave a drinkof forgetfulness to Emer that she might forget her jealousy, for herstate was in no way better than the state of Cuchulain. And Manannanshook his cloak between Cuchulain and Fand, so that they might nevermeet together again throughout eternity. 

[FN#37] Pronounced Looch-ra: Tara Luachra is on the borders ofLimerick and Kerry. 

THE EXILE OF THE SONS' OF USNACH

INTRODUCTION

The version given in the following pages of the well-known tale ofDeirdre has been translated from the Irish text of the Book of Leinsterversion as printed by Windisch in Irische Texte, vol. I. Readings fromthe two parallel texts of the Book of Lecan, and Egerton, 1782, havebeen used where the Leinster text is deficient or doubtful, but theolder MS. Has in the main been followed, the chief alterations beingindicated in the notes. The only English translation hitherto given ofthis version is the unreliable one in Atlantis, vol. Iii. There is aGerman translation in Thurneysen's Sagen aus dem alten Irland which maybe consulted for literal renderings of most of the verse portions, which, however, are sometimes nearer the original than Thurneysen'srenderings. 

It was at first intended to place beside this version the much betterknown version of the tale given by the Glenn Masain manuscript and itsvariants; but, as this version is otherwise available inEnglish, [FN#38] it has been thought better to omit most of it: a versetranslation of Deirdre's final lament in this version has, however, been added for the purpose of comparing it with the correspondinglament in the Leinster text. These two poems are nearly of the samelength, but have no other point in common; the lament in the Leinsterversion strikes the more personal note, and it has been suggested thatit shows internal evidence that it must have been written by a woman. The idea of Deirdre as a seer, which is so prominent in the GlennMasain version of the tale, does not appear in the older Leinster text;the supernatural Druidic mist, which even in the Glenn Masain versiononly appears in the late manuscript which continues the story after thefifteenth-century manuscript breaks off, does not appear in the Book ofLeinster; and the later version introduces several literary artificesthat do not appear in the earlier one. That portion of the GlennMasain version immediately following after Deirdre's lament is given asan instance of one of these, the common artifice of increase of horrorat a catastrophe by the introduction of irrelevant matter, the tragedyof Deirdre's death being immediately followed by a cheerful account ofthe relationships of the chief heroes of the Heroic Period; a stillbetter example of this practice in the old Irish literature is thealmost comic relief that is introduced at the most tragic part of thetale of the murder of the son of Ronan. 

[FN#38] See Irische Texte, vol. Ii. , and the Celtic Review, vol. I. 1904-1905. 

THE EXILE OF THE SONS OF USNACH

BOOK OF LEINSTER VERSION

In the house of Feidlimid, [FN#39] the son of Dall, even he who was thenarrator of stories to Conor the king, the men of Ulster sat at theirale; and before the men, in order to attend upon them, stood the wifeof Feidlimid, and she was great with child. Round about the board wentdrinking-horns, and portions of food; and the revellers shouted intheir drunken mirth. And when the men desired to lay themselves downto sleep, the woman also went to her couch; and, as she passed throughthe midst of the house, the child cried out in her womb, so that itsshriek was heard throughout the whole house, and throughout the outercourt that lay about it. And upon that shriek, all the men sprang up;and, head closely packed by head, they thronged together in the house, whereupon Sencha, the son of Ailill, rebuked them: "Let none of youstir!" cried he, "and let the woman be brought before us, that we maylearn what is the meaning of that cry. " Then they brought the womanbefore them, and thus spoke to her Feidlimid, her spouse:

What is that, of all cries far the fiercest, In thy womb raging loudly and long?Through all ears with that clamour thou piercest;With that scream, from Bides swollen and strong:Of great woe, for that cry, is foreboding my heart;That is torn through with terror, and sore with the smart. 

[FN#39] Pronounced Feylimid. 

Then the woman turned her, and she approached Cathbad[FN#40] the Druid, for he was a man of knowledge, and thus she spoke to him:

[FN#40] Pronounced Cah-ba. 

Give thou ear to me, Cathbad, thou fair one of face, Thou great crown of our honour, and royal in race;Let the man so exalted still higher be set, Let the Druid draw knowledge, that Druids can get. For I want words of wisdom, and none can I fetch;Nor to Felim a torch of sure knowledge can stretch:As no wit of a woman can wot what she bears, I know naught of that cry from within me that tears. 

And then said Cathbad:

'Tis a maid who screamed wildly so lately, Fair and curling shall locks round her flow, And her eyes be blue-centred and stately;And her cheeks, like the foxglove, shall glow. For the tint of her skin, we commend her, In its whiteness, like snow newly shed;And her teeth are all faultless in splendourAnd her lips, like to coral, are red:A fair woman is she, for whom heroes, that fight In their chariots for Ulster, to death shall be dight. 

'Tis a woman that shriek who hath given, Golden-haired, with long tresses, and tall;For whose love many chiefs shall have striven, And great kings for her favours shall call. To the west she shall hasten, beguilingA great host, that from Ulster shall steal:Red as coral, her lips shall be smiling, As her teeth, white as pearls, they reveal:Aye, that woman is fair, and great queens shall be fainOf her form, that is faultless, unflawed by a stain. 

Then Cathbad laid his hand upon the body of the woman; and the littlechild moved beneath his hand: "Aye, indeed, " he said, "it is a womanchild who is here: Deirdre shall be her name, and evil woe shall beupon her. "

Now some days after that came the girl child into the world; and thenthus sang Cathbad:

O Deirdre! of ruin great cause thou art;Though famous, and fair, and pale:Ere that Felim's hid daughter from life shall part, All Ulster her deeds shall wail. 

Aye, mischief shall come, in the after-time, Thou fair shining maid, for thee;Hear ye this: Usna's sons, the three chiefs sublime, To banishment forced shall be. 

While thou art in life, shall a fierce wild deedIn Emain, though late, be done:Later yet, it shall mourn it refused to heedThe guard of Rog's powerful son. 

O lady of worth! It is to thee we oweThat Fergus to exile flies;That a son of king Conor we hail in woe, When Fiachna[FN#41] is hurt, and dies. 

O lady of worth! It is all thine the guilt!Gerrc, Illadan's son, is slain;And when Eogan mac Doorha's great life is spilt, Not less shall be found our pain. 

Grim deed shalt thou do, and in wrath shalt raveAgainst glorious Ulster's king:In that spot shall men dig thee thy tiny grave;Of Deirdre they long shall sing. 

[FN#41] Pronounced Feena. 

"Let that maiden be slain!" cried out the young men of Ulster; but "Notso!" said Conor; "she shall in the morning be brought to me, and shallbe reared according to my will, and she shall be my wife, and in mycompanionship shall she dwell. "

The men of Ulster were not so hardy as to turn him from his purpose, and thus it was done. The maiden was reared in a house that belongedto Conor, and she grew up to be the fairest maid in all Ireland. Shewas brought up at a distance from the king's court; so that none of themen of Ulster might see her till the time came when she was to sharethe royal couch: none of mankind was permitted to enter the house whereshe was reared, save only her foster-father, and her foster-mother; andin addition to these Levorcham, to whom naught could any refuse, forshe was a witch. 

Now once it chanced upon a certain day in the time of winter that thefoster-father of Deirdre had employed himself in skinning a calf uponthe snow, in order to prepare a roast for her, and the blood of thecalf lay upon the snow, and she saw a black raven who came down todrink it. And "Levorcham, " said Deirdre, "that man only will I love, who hath the three colours that I see here, his hair as black as theraven, his cheeks red like the blood, and his body as white as thesnow. " "Dignity and good fortune to thee!" said Levorcham; "that manis not far away. Yonder is he in the burg which is nigh; and the nameof him is Naisi, the son of Usnach. " "I shall never be in good healthagain, " said Deirdre, "until the time come when I may see him. "

It befell that Naisi was upon a certain day alone upon the rampart ofthe burg of Emain, and he sent his warrior-cry with music abroad: welldid the musical cry ring out that was raised by the sons of Usnach. Each cow and every beast that heard them, gave of milk two-thirds morethan its wont; and each man by whom that cry was heard deemed it to befully joyous, and a dear pleasure to him. Goodly moreover was the playthat these men made with their weapons; if the whole province of Ulsterhad been assembled together against them in one place, and they threeonly had been able to set their backs against one another, the men ofUlster would not have borne away victory from those three: so well werethey skilled in parry and defence. And they were swift of foot whenthey hunted the game, and with them it was the custom to chase thequarry to its death. 

Now when this Naisi found himself alone on the plain, Deirdre also soonescaped outside her house to him, and she ran past him, and at first heknow not who she might be. 

"Fair is the young heifer that springs past me!" he cried. 

"Well may the young heifers be great, " she said, "in a place where nonemay find a bull. "

"Thou hast, as thy bull, " said he, "the bull of the whole province ofUlster, even Conor the king of Ulster. "

"I would choose between you two, " she said, "and I would take formyself a younger bull, even such as thou art. "

"Not so indeed, " said Naisi, "for I fear the prophecy of Cathbad. "

"Sayest thou this, as meaning to refuse me?" said she. 

"Yea indeed, " he said; and she sprang upon him, and she seized him byhis two ears. "Two ears of shame and of mockery shalt thou have, " shecried, "if thou take me not with thee. " "Release me, O my wife!" saidhe. 

"That will I. "

Then Naisi raised his musical warrior-cry, and the men of Ulster heardit, and each of them one after another sprang up: and the sons ofUsnach hurried out in order to hold back their brother. 

"What is it, " they said, "that thou dost? let it not be by any fault ofthine that war is stirred up between us and the men of Ulster. "

Then he told them all that had been done; and "There shall evil come onthee from this, " said they; "moreover thou shalt lie under the reproachof shame so long as thou dost live; and we will go with her intoanother land, for there is no king in all Ireland who will refuse uswelcome if we come to him. "

Then they took counsel together, and that same night they departed, three times fifty warriors, and the same number of women, and dogs, andservants, and Deirdre went with them. And for a long time theywandered about Ireland, in homage to this man or that; and often Conorsought to slay them, either by ambuscade or by treachery; from roundabout Assaroe, near to Ballyshannon in the west, they journeyed, andthey turned them back to Benn Etar, in the north-east, which men to-daycall the Mountain of Howth. Nevertheless the men of Ulster drave themfrom the land, and they came to the land of Alba, and in itswildernesses they dwelled. And when the chase of the wild beasts ofthe mountains failed them, they made foray upon the cattle of the menof Alba, and took them for themselves; and the men of Alba gatheredthemselves together with intent to destroy them. Then they tookshelter with the king of Alba, and the king took them into hisfollowing, and they served him in war. And they made for themselveshouses of their own in the meadows by the king's burg: it was onaccount of Deirdre that these houses were made, for they feared thatmen might see her, and that on her account they might be slain. 

Now one day the high-steward of the king went out in the early morning, and he made a cast about Naisi's house, and saw those two sleepingtherein, and he hurried back to the king, and awaked him: "We have, "said he, "up to this day found no wife for thee of like dignity tothyself. Naisi the son of Usnach hath a wife of worth sufficient forthe emperor of the western world! Let Naisi be slain, and let his wifeshare thy couch. "

"Not so!" said the king, "but do thou prepare thyself to go each day toher house, and woo her for me secretly. "

Thus was it done; but Deirdre, whatsoever the steward told her, wasaccustomed straightway to recount it each even to her spouse; and sincenothing was obtained from her, the sons of Usnach were sent intodangers, and into wars, and into strifes that thereby they might beovercome. Nevertheless they showed themselves to be stout in everystrife, so that no advantage did the king gain from them by suchattempts as these. 

The men of Alba were gathered together to destroy the sons of Usnach, and this also was told to Deirdre. And she told her news to Naisi:"Depart hence!" said she, "for if ye depart not this night, upon themorrow ye shall he slain!" And they marched away that night, and theybetook themselves to an island of the sea. 

Now the news of what had passed was brought to the men of Ulster. "'Tis pity, O Conor!" said they, "that the sons of Usnach should die inthe land of foes, for the sake of an evil woman. It is better thatthey should come under thy protection, [FN#42] and that the (fated)slaying should be done here, and that they should come into their ownland, rather than that they should fall at the hands of foes. " "Letthem come to us then, " said Conor, "and let men go as securities tothem. " The news was brought to them. 

[FN#42] Literally, "It is better their protection, and their slaying, and coming for them to their own land, &c. " If this reading is right(and three MSS. Agree), the extended words of the text seem to give theintention: it is, however, possible that the reading should be, "It isbetter their protection than their slaying" (oldaas for ocus), whichwould make sense at once. The idea of the text seems to be that thesons of Usnach were, owing to Cathbad's prophecy, thought of as fatedmen; and it was only a question where they should be put to death. 

"This is welcome news for us, " they said; "we will indeed come, and letFergus come as our surety, and Dubhtach, and Cormac the son of Conor. "These then went to them, and they moved them to pass over the sea. 

But at the contrivance of Conor, Fergus was pressed to join in anale-feast, while the sons of Usnach were pledged to eat no food inErin, until they had eaten the food of Conor. So Fergus tarried behindwith Dubhtach and Cormac; and the sons of Usnach went on, accompaniedby Fiacha, Fergus' son; until they came to the meadows around Emain. 

Now at that time Eogan the son of Durthacht had come to Emain to makehis peace with Conor, for they had for a long time been at enmity; andto him, and to the warmen of Conor, the charge was given that theyshould slay the sons of Usnach, in order that they should not comebefore the king. The sons of Usnach stood upon the level part of. Themeadows, and the women sat upon the ramparts of Emain. And Eogan camewith his warriors across the meadow, and the son of Fergus took hisplace by Naisi's side. And Eogan greeted them with a mighty thrust ofhis spear, and the spear brake Naisi's back in sunder, and passedthrough it. The son of Fergus made a spring, and he threw both armsaround Naisi, and he brought him beneath himself to shelter him, whilehe threw himself down above him; and it was thus that Naisi was slain, through the body of the son of Fergus. Then there began a murderthroughout the meadow, so that none escaped who did not fall by thepoints of the spears, or the edge of the sword, and Deirdre was broughtto Conor to be in his power, and her arms were bound behind her back. 

Now the sureties who had remained behind, heard what had been done, even Fergus and Dubhtach, and Cormac. And thereon they hastenedforward, and they forthwith performed great deeds. Dubhtach slew, withthe one thrust of his spear, Mane a son of Conor, and Fiachna the sonof Feidelm, Conor's daughter; and Fergus struck down Traigthren, theson of Traiglethan, and his brother. And Conor was wrath at this, andhe came to the fight with them; so that upon that day three hundred ofthe men of Ulster fell and Dubhtach slew the women of Ulster; and, erethe day dawned, Fergus set Emain on fire. Then they went away intoexile, and betook them to the land of Connaught to find shelter withAilill and Maev, for they knew that that royal pair would give themgood entertainment. To the men of Ulster the exiles showed no love:three thousand stout men went with them; and for sixteen years neverdid they allow cries of lamentation and of fear among the Ulstermen tocease: each night their vengeful forays caused men to quake, and towail. 

Deirdre lived on for a year in the household of Conor; and during allthat time she smiled no smile of laughter; she satisfied not herselfwith food or with sleep, and she raised not her head from her knee. And if any one brought before her people of mirth, she used to speakthus:

Though eager troops, and fair to see, [FN#43]May home return, though these ye wait:When Usna's sons came home to me, They came with more heroic state. 

With hazel mead, my Naisi stood:And near our fire his bath I'd pour;On Aindle's stately back the wood;On Ardan's ox, or goodly boar. 

Though sweet that goodly mead ye thinkThat warlike Conor drinks in hall, I oft have known a sweeter drink, Where leaps in foam the waterfall:

Our board was spread beneath the tree, And Naisi raised the cooking flame:More sweet than honey-sauced to meWas meat, prepared from Naisi's game. 

[FN#43] A literal rendering of this poem will be found in the notes, p. 187. 

Though well your horns may music blow, Though sweet each month your pipes may sound, I fearless say, that well I knowA sweeter strain I oft have found. 

Though horns and pipes be sounding clear, Though Conor's mind in these rejoice, More magic strain, more sweet, more dearWas Usna's Children's noble voice. 

Like sound of wave, rolled Naisi's bass;We'd hear him long, so sweet he sang:And Ardan's voice took middle place;And clearly Aindle's tenor rang. 

Now Naisi lies within his tomb:A sorry guard his friends supplied;His kindred poured his cup of doom, That poisoned cup, by which he died. 

Ah! Berthan dear! thy lands are fair;Thy men are proud, though hills be stern:Alas! to-day I rise not thereTo wait for Usna's sons' return. 

That firm, just mind, so loved, alas!The dear shy youth, with touch of scorn, I loved with him through woods to pass, And girding in the early morn. 

When bent on foes, they boded ill, Those dear grey eyes, that maids adored;When, spent with toil, his troops lay still, Through Irish woods his tenor soared. 

For this it is, no more I sleep;No more my nails with pink I stain:No joy can break the watch I keep;For Usna's sons come not again. 

For half the night no sleep I find;No couch can me to rest beguile:'Mid crowds of thoughts still strays my mind;I find no time to eat or smile. 

In eastern Emain's proud arrayNo time to joy is left for me;For gorgeous house, and garments gay, Nor peace, nor joy, nor rest can be. 

And when Conor sought to soothe her; thus Deirdre would answer him:

Ah Conor! what of thee! I naught can do!Lament and sorrow on my life have passed:The ill you fashioned lives my whole life through;A little time your love for me would last. 

The man to me most fair beneath the sky, The man I loved, in death away you tore:The crime you did was great; for, till I die, That face I loved I never shall see more. 

That he is gone is all my sorrow still;Before me looms the shape of Usna's son;Though o'er his body white is yon dark hill, There's much I'd lavish, if but him I won. 

I see his cheeks, with meadow's blush they glow;Black as a beetle, runs his eyebrows' line;His lips are red; and, white as noble snowI see his teeth, like pearls they seem to shine. 

Well have I known the splendid garb he bears, Oft among Alba's warriors seen of old:A crimson mantle, such as courtier wears, And edged with border wrought of ruddy gold. 

Of silk his tunic; great its costly price;For full one hundred pearls thereon are sewn;Stitched with findruine, [FN#44] bright with strange device, Full fifty ounces weighed those threads alone. 

Gold-hilted in his hand I see his sword;Two spears he holds, with spear-heads grim and green;Around his shield the yellow gold is poured, And in its midst a silver boss is seen. 

Fair Fergus ruin on us all hath brought!We crossed the ocean, and to him gave heed:His honour by a cup of ale was bought;From him hath passed the fame of each high deed. 

If Ulster on this plain were gathered hereBefore king Conor; and those troops he'd give, I'd lose them all, nor think the bargain dear, If I with Naisi, Usna's son, could live. 

Break not, O king, my heart to-day in me;For soon, though young, I come my grave unto:My grief is stronger than the strength of sea;Thou, Conor, knowest well my word is true. 

"Whom dost thou hate the most, " said Conor, "of these whom thou nowseest?"

"Thee thyself, " she answered, "and with thee Eogan the son ofDurthacht. "

[FN#44] Pronounced find-roony; usually translated "white bronze. "

"Then, " said Conor, "thou shalt dwell with Eogan for a year;" and hegave Deirdre over into Eogan's hand. 

Now upon the morrow they went away over the festal plain of Macha, andDeirdre sat behind Eogan in the chariot; and the two who were with herwere the two men whom she would never willingly have seen together uponthe earth, and as she looked upon them, "Ha, Deirdre, " said Conor, "itis the same glance that a ewe gives when between two rams that thousharest now between me and Eogan!" Now there was a great rock of stonein front of them, and Deirdre struck her head upon that stone, and sheshattered her head, and so she died. 

This then is the tale of the exile of the sons of Usnach, and of theExile of Fergus, and of the death of Deirdre. 

THE LAMENT OF DEIRDRE OVER THE SONS OF USNACH

ACCORDING TO THE GLENN MASAIN VERSION

ALSO THE CONCLUSION OF THE TALE FROM THE SAME VERSION

I grieved not, Usna's sons beside;But long, without them, lags the day:Their royal sire no guest denied;Three lions from Cave Hill were they. 

Three dragons bred in Mona's fortAre dead: to them from life I go;Three chiefs who graced the Red Branch Court, Three rocks, who broke the rush of foe. 

O loved by many a British maid!O swift as hawks round Gullion's peak!True sons of king, who warriors swayed, To whom bent chiefs in homage meek. 

No vassal look those champions wore;Full grief is mine that such should die!Those sons, whom Cathbad's daughter bore;Those props, who Cualgne's[FN#45] war held high. 

[FN#45] Pronounced Kell-ny. 

Three bears of might, to war they came;From Oona's walls, like lions, burst;Three hero-chiefs, who loved their fame;Three sons, on Ulster's bosom nursed. 

Twas Aife[FN#46] reared them; 'neath her yokeA kingdom bowed, and tribute brought;They propped the war, when armies broke, Those foster-sons, whom Scathach[FN#47] taught. 

The Three, who once from Bohvan's skillAll feats have learned that heroes know;King Usna's glorious sons! 'tis illThat these afar from me should go. 

That I should live, with Naisi dead, Let none such shame believe of me;When Ardan's life, when Ainnle's fled, But short my life I knew would be. 

Great Ulster's king my hand had won;I left him, Naisi's love to find;Till Naisi's funeral rites be done, I wait a little while behind. 

This widowed life no more I'll bear;The Three rejoiced, when toil they faced;Where'er 'twas found, the war they'd dare, And proffered fight with joy embraced. 

A curse on Cathbad's wizard spell!'Twas Naisi's death! and I the cause!None came to aid that king, who wellTo all the world might grant his laws. 

[FN#46] Pronounced Eefa. 

[FN#47] Pronounced Ska-ha. 

O man, who diggest low the grave, And from my sight my love would hide, Make wide the tomb; its room I crave, I come to seek my hero's side. 

Great load of hardship I'd endure with joy, If yet those heroes my companions were;No lack of house or fire could then annoy, No gloom I'd know with them, nor aught of care. 

Ah! many a time each shield and guardian spearTo make my couch have piled those noble Three:O labouring man, their grave who diggest here, Their hardened swords above well set should be. 

The hounds of all the Three their masters lack, Their hawks no quarry leave, nor hear their call;The three are dead, who battle's line held backWho learned their skill in Conall Cernach's hall!

Their hounds I view; from out my heart that sightHath struck a groan; behind their leashes trail, 'Twas mine to hold them once, and keep them tight;, Now slack they lie, and cause me thus to wail. 

Oft in the desert I and they have strayed, Yet never lonely was that desert knownFor all the Three a grave to-day is made, And here I sit, and feel indeed alone. 

I gazed on Naisi's grave, and now am blind, For naught remains to see; the worst is spent;My soul must leave me soon, no help I find, And they are gone, the folk of my lament. 

'Twas guile that crushed them: they would save my lifeAnd died therefor; themselves three billows strong:Ere Usna's children fell in cruel strife, Would I had died, and earth had held me long!

To Red-Branch Hall we made our mournful way;Deceitful Fergus led; our lives he stole;A soft sweet speech indeed he'd learned to say, For me, for them was ruin near that goal. 

All Ulster's pleasures now are nothing worthI shun them all, each chief, each ancient friend;Alone I sit, as left behind on earth, And soon my lonely life in death shall end. 

I am Deirdre, the joyless, For short time alive, Though to end life be evil, 'Tis worse to survive. 

And, after she had made this lament, Deirdre seated herself in thetomb, and she gave three kisses to Naisi before that he was laid in hisgrave; and with heaviness and grief Cuchulain went on to Dun Delga. And Cathbad the Druid laid a curse upon Emain Macha to take vengeancefor that great evil, and he said that, since that treachery had beendone, neither king Conor nor any other of his race should hold thatburg. 

And as for Fergus, the son of Rossa the Red, he came to Emain Macha onthe morrow after the sons of Usnach had been slain. And, when he foundthat they had been slain, and that his pledge had been dishonoured, hehimself, and Cormac the Partner of Exile, king Conor's own son, alsoDubhtach, the Beetle of Ulster, and the armies they had with them, gavebattle to the household of Conor; and they slew Maine the son of Conor, and three hundred of Conor's people besides. And Emain Macha wasdestroyed, and burned by them, and Conor's women were slain, and theycollected their adherents on every side; the number of their host wasthree thousand warriors. And they went away to the land of Connaught, even to Ailill the Great, who was the king of Connaught at that time, and to Maev of Croghan, and with them they found a welcome and support. Moreover Fergus and Cormac the Partner of Exile and their warriors, after that they had come to the land of Connaught, never let pass onesingle night wherein reavers went not forth from them to harry and burnthe land of Ulster, so that the district which men to-day call the landof Cualgne was subdued by them; and from that in the after-time camebetween the two kingdoms much of trouble and theft; and in this fashionthey spent seven years, or, as some say, ten years; nor was there anytruce between them, no, not for one single hour. 

And while those deeds were doing, Deirdre abode by Conor in hishousehold for a whole year after the sons of Usnach had been slain. And, though it might have seemed but a small thing for her to raise herhead, or to let laughter flow over her lips, yet she never did thesethings during all that time. And when Conor saw that neither sport norkindness could hold her; and that neither jesting nor pleasing honourcould raise her spirits, he sent word to Eogan the son of Durthacht, the lord of Fernmay;[FN#48] as some tell the story, it was this Eoganwho had slain Naisi in Emain Macha. And after that Eogan had come tothe place where Conor was, Conor gave command to Deirdre that, since hehimself had failed to turn her heart from her grief, she must depart toEogan, and spend another space of time with him. And with that she wasplaced behind Eogan in his chariot, and Conor went also in the chariotin order to deliver Deirdre into Eogan's hand. And as they went ontheir way, she cast a fierce glance at Eogan in front of her, andanother at Conor behind her; for there was nothing in all the worldthat she hated more than those two men. And when Conor saw this, as helooked at her and at Eogan, he said: "Ah Deirdre! it is the glance of aewe when set between two rams that thou castest on me and on Eogan!"And when Deirdre heard that, she sprang up, and she made a leap out ofthe chariot, and she struck her head against the stony rocks that werein front of her, and she shattered her head so that the brains leaptout, and thus came to Deirdre her death. 

[FN#48] The Irish is Fernmag; written Fearnmhuidh in the latemanuscript of this part of the tale. 

This is the Tree of their race, and an account of the kinships of someof the Champions of the Red Branch, which is given here before weproceed to speak of the Deeds of Cuchulain:

'Twas Cathbad first won Magach's love, and arms around her threw;From Maelchro's loins, the Battle Chief, his princely source he drew;Two, more in love she knew, of these the wrath was long and dread, Fierce Rossa, named the Ruddy-Faced, and Carbre, thatched with red. 

To all the three were children born, and all with beauty graced, To Cathbad, and to Carbre Red, and Rossa Ruddy-faced;A gracious three indeed were they to whom she gave her love, Fair Magach, brown the lashes were that slept her eyes above. 

Three sons to Rossa Ruddy-faced as children Magach bore;To Carbre sons again she gave, the count of these was four;And three white shoots of grace were hers, on these no shame shall fall;To Cathbad children three she bare, and these were daughters all. 

To Cathbad, who in wizard lore and all its arts had might, Three daughters lovely Magach bore, each clothed in beauty white;All maids who then for grace were famed in grace those maids surpassed, And Finuchoem, [FN#49] Ailbhe twain he named, and Deithchim named thelast. 

[FN#49] Pronounced Finn-hoom, Ail-vy, and Die-himm. 

To Finnchoem, wizard Cathbad's child, was born a glorious son, And well she nursed him, Conall wild, who every field hath won;And Ailbhe glorious children bare in whom no fear had place, These Ardan, Ainnle, Naisi were, who came of Usnach's race. 

A son to Deithchim fair was born, a bright-cheeked mother she;She bore but one: Cuchulain of Dun Delga's hold was he:Of those whom Cathbad's daughters reared the names full well ye know, And none of these a wound hath feared, or therefore shunned a foe. 

The sons of Usnach, who like shields their friends protected well, By might of hosts on battle-field to death were borne, and fell;And each was white of skin, and each his friends in love would hold, Now naught remains for song to teach, the Third of Griefs is told. 

THE COMBAT AT THE FORD

INTRODUCTION

This version of the "Combat at the Ford, " the best-known episode of theIrish romance or romantic epic, the "War of Cualnge, " will hardly be, by Irish scholars, considered to want a reference. It is given in theBook of Leinster, which cannot have been written later than 1150 A. D. , and differs in many respects from the version in the fourteenth-centuryBook of Lecan, which is, for the purposes of this text, at least equalin authority to the Leabbar na h-Uidhri, which must have been writtenbefore 1100 A. D. Mr. Alfred Nutt has kindly contributed a note on thecomparison of the two versions, which has been placed as a special noteat the end of the translation of the "Combat. " To this note may beadded the remark that the whole of the Leabhar na h-Uidhri version ofthe "War of Cualnge" seems, to be subject to the same criticisms thathave to be passed on the "Sickbed" and the "Courtship of Etain" in thesame volume, viz. That it is a compilation from two or three differentversions of the same story, and is not a connected and consistentromance, which the version in the Book of Leinster appears to be. Asan illustration of this, the appearance of Conall Cernach as on theside of Connaught in the early part of the L. U. Version may bementioned; he is never so represented in other versions of the "War. "In the description of the array of Ulster at the end of L. U. , he isnoted as being expected to be with the Ulster army but as absent(following in this the Book of Leinster, but not a later manuscriptwhich agrees with the Book of Leinster in the main); then at the end ofthe L. U. Version Conall again appears in the Connaught army and savesConor from Fergus, taking the place of Cormac in the Book of Leinsterversion. Miss Faraday, in her version of the "War" as given in L. U. , notes the change of style at page 82 of her book. Several difficultiessimilar to that of the position of Conall could be mentioned; and onthe whole it seems as if the compiler of the manuscript from which boththe Leabhar na h-Uidhri and the Yellow Book of Lecan were copied, combined into one several different descriptions of the "War, " one ofwhich is represented by the Book of Leinster version. 

This version shows no signs of patchwork, at any rate in the story ofthe "Combat at the Ford;" which has, ever since it was reintroduced tothe world by O'Curry, been renowned for the chivalry of its action. Itforms one of the books of Aubrey de Vere's "Foray of Queen Meave, " andis there well reproduced, although with several additions; perhapssufficient attention has not. Been paid to the lofty position of thecharacter, as distinguished from the prowess, that this version givesto Cuchulain. The first verse, put in Cuchulain's mouth, strikes a newnote, contrasting alike with the muddle-headed bargaining of Ferdia andMaev, and the somewhat fussy anxiety of Fergus. The contrast betweenthe way in which Cuchulain receives Fergus's report of the valour ofFerdia, and that in which Ferdia receives the praises of Cuchulain fromhis charioteer, is well worked out; Cuchulain, conscious of his ownstrength, accepts all Fergus's praises of his opponent and adds tothem; Ferdia cannot bear to hear of Cuchulain's valour, and charges hisservant with taking a bribe from his enemy in order to frighten him. Ferdia boasts loudly of what he will do, Cuchulain apologises for hisown confidence in the issue of the combat, and gently banters Fergus, who is a bit of a boaster himself, on the care he had taken to choosethe time for the war when king Conor was away, with a modestimplication that he himself was a poor substitute for the king. Cuchulain's first two stanzas in the opening dialogue between himselfand Ferdia show a spirit quite as truculent as that of his opponent;the reason of this being, as indicated in the first of these stanzasand more explicitly stated in the preceding prose, that his anxiety forhis country is outweighing his feeling for his friend; but in the thirdstanza he resumes the attitude of conscious strength that marks all hisanswers to Fergus; and this, added to a feeling of pity for hisfriend's inevitable fate, is maintained up to the end of the tale. Inthe fourth stanza, which is an answer to a most insulting speech fromFerdia, he makes the first of those appeals to his former friend toabandon his purpose that come from him throughout the first three daysof the fight; even in the fatal battle of the fourth day, he will notat first put forward all his strength, and only uses the irresistibleGae-Bulg when driven to it by his foe. The number of Cuchulain'slaments after the battle--there are five of these (one in prose), besides his answers to Laeg--has been adversely criticised; and it isjust possible that one or more of these come from some other version, and have been incorporated by a later hand than that of the author; butthe only one that seems to me not to develop the interest is the"brooch of gold, " which it may be noticed is very like the only lamentwhich is preserved in the Book of Lecan text of the L. U. Version. Cuchulain's allusion to Aife's only son in the first verse lament isespecially noticeable (see note, p. 196). 

Ferdia's character, although everywhere inferior to that of his victor, is also a heroic one; he is represented at the commencement of theepisode as undertaking the fight for fear of disgrace if he refused;and this does appear to be represented throughout as the true reason;his early boasts and taunts are obviously intended to conquer a secretuneasiness, and the motif of a passion for Finnabar with whichCuchulain charges him hardly appears outside Cuchulain's speeches, andhas not the importance given to it in the Leabhar na h-Uidhri version. The motif of resentment against Cuchulain for a fancied insult, invented by Maev, which is given in the L. U. Version as the determiningcause, does not appear in the Leinster version at all; and that of raceenmity of the Firbolg against the Celt, given to him by Aubrey de Vere, is quite a modern idea and is in none of the old versions. Hisdialogue with Maev suggests that, as stated in the text, he was thenslightly intoxicated; his savage language to his servant gives the ideaof a man who feels himself in the wrong and makes himself out to beworse than he is by attributing to himself the worst motives, the hopeof pay; but as the battle proceeds he shows himself equal to Cuchulainin generosity, and in the dialogue at the beginning of the third day'sfight his higher character comes out, for while his old boastfulnessappears in one passage of it, and is immediately repressed, thelanguage of both heroes in this dialogue is noticeable for a truespirit of chivalry. The mutual compliments, "thy kingly might, " "fairgraceful Hound" "gently ruling Hound" recall the French "Beausire"; itmay be also noted that these compliments are paid even when Ferdia isprotesting against Cuchulain's reproaches; similar language is usedelsewhere, as "much thine arms excel" (page 122), and "Cuchulain forbeautiful feats renowned" (page 134). It may be considered that thesepassages are an indication that the episode is late, but it should benoticed that the very latest date that can possibly be assigned to it, the eleventh century, precedes that of all other known romances ofchivalry by at least a hundred years. To this later attitude ofFerdia, and to that maintained by Cuchulain throughout the wholeepisode, nothing in French or Welsh romance of approximately so early adate can be compared. Is it not possible that the chivalric tone ofthe later Welsh romances, like the "Lady of the Fountain, " which isgenerally supposed to have come from France, really came from an Irishmodel? and that this tone, together with the Arthurian Saga, passed tothe Continent?

A great contrast to both the two heroes is afforded by the introductionof Laeg with his cries of exultation, which come between the dyinggroans of Ferdia and the fine prose lament of Cuchulain, increasing theeffect of both. Laeg seems quite unable to see his master's point ofview, and he serves as a foil for Ferdia, just as the latter'sinferiority increases the character of Cuchulain. The consistency ofthe whole, and the way in which our sympathy is awakened for Ferdiacontrast with the somewhat disconnected character of the L. U. Version, which as it stands gives a poor idea of the defeated champion;although, as Mr. Nutt suggests, the lost part may have improved thisidea, and the version has beauties of its own. 

For the convenience of those readers who may be unacquainted with thestory of the war, the following short introduction is given:--

At a time given by the oldest Irish annalists as A. D. 29, the War ofCualnge was undertaken by Maev, queen of Connaught, against the kingdomor province of Ulster. Gathering together men from all the other fourprovinces of Ireland, Maev marched against Ulster, the leaders of herarmy being herself, her husband Ailill, and Fergus the son of Rog, anexile from Ulster, and formerly, according to one account, king of thatprovince. Not only had Maev great superiority in force, but the timeshe Ed chosen for the war was when Conor, king of Ulster, and with himnearly all his principal warriors, were on their sick-bed in accordancewith a curse that had fallen on them in return for a cruel deed that heand his people had done. One hero however, Cuchulain, the greatest ofthe Ulster heroes, was unaffected by this curse; and he, with only afew followers, but with supernatural aid from demi-gods of whose racehe came, had caused much loss to the queen and her army, so that Maevfinally made this compact: she was each day to provide a champion tooppose Cuchulain, and was to be permitted to advance so long as thatcombat lasted; if her champion was killed, she was to halt her armyuntil the next morning. Before the Combat at the Ford betweenCuchulain and Ferdia, Cuchulain had killed many of Maev's champions induel, and the epic romance of the "War of Cualnge" gives the full storyof these combats and of the end of the war. The episode given in thefollowing pages commences at the camp of Queen Maev, where her chiefsare discussing who is to be their champion against Cuchulain on thefollowing day. 

THE COMBAT AT THE FORD

AN EPISODE OF THE CATTLE SPOIL OF CUALNGE IN THE BOOK OF LEINSTERVERSION

At that time debate was held among the men of Ireland who should be theman to go early in the morning of the following day to make combat andfight with Cuchulain. And all agreed that Ferdia, the son of Daman, the son of Dire, was the man who should go; even the great and valiantchampion of the men of Irross Donnand, for the manner in which hefought and did battle was like to the manner of Cuchulain. They hadgot their skill in arms, and valour, and bravery from the sameteachers, from Scathach, from Uathach, and from Aife[FN#50]; nor hadeither of them advantage over the other except that Cuchulain alonecould perform the feat of the Gae-bulg. Yet Ferdia was fenced by ahorny skin-protecting armour, and this should guard him when he faced ahero in battle and combat at the Ford. So to Ferdia were sentmessengers and heralds; but Ferdia denied the heralds, and he refusedto depart with them, for well he knew why it was he was called; even tofight against his own friend, his comrade and fellow-pupil Cuchulain;and for that cause he came not with the heralds who were sent. 

[FN#50] Pronounced Scaha, Ooha, and Eefa: Scaha and Ooha end with aslight guttural like the ch in the Scotch lock, difficult to express inEnglish. 

And then did Maev send to Ferdia Druids, and satirists and revilers, inorder that against him should be made three crushing reproaches, andthree satires; that the stains of shame, and of blemish, and ofdisgrace should be raised on his face; so that even if he died not atonce, death should be his within the space of nine days if he went withthem not. And for the sake of his honour, Ferdia came at their call;for to him it was better to fall before the shafts of valour, ofbravery, and of daring than by the stings of satire, of abuse, and ofreproach. And he, when he arrived, was received with all worship andservice, and was served with pleasant, sweet intoxicating liquor, sothat his brain reeled, and he became gently merry. And these were thegreat rewards that were promised to him if he consented to make thatcombat and fight: a chariot of the value of four times seven cumals, and the equipment of twelve men with garments of all colours, and thelength and breadth of his own territory on the choice part of theplains of Maw Ay; free of tribute, without purchase, free from theincidents of attendance at courts and of military service, that thereinhis son, and his grandson, and all his descendants might dwell insafety to the end of life and time; also Finnabar the daughter of Maevas his wedded wife, and the golden brooch which was in the cloak ofQueen Maev in addition to all this. And thus ran the speech of Maev, and she spake these words, and thus did Ferdia reply:

Maev

Of rings great treasure sending, [FN#51]Wide plains and woodlands bendingI grant: till time hath endingI free thy tribe and kin. O thou who oft o'ercamest!'Tis thine what gift thou namest!Why hold'st thou back, nor claimestA boon that all would win?

[FN#51] The metre of this dialogue and rhyme-system are taken from theIrish but one syllable has been added to each line. The exact Irishmetre is that given on page 129. 

Ferdia

A bond must hold thee tightly, No force I lend thee lightly;Dread strife 'twill be; for rightlyHe bears that name of "Hound. "For sharp spear-combat breakethThat morn; hard toil it wakethThe war Cuchulain makethShall fearless war be found. 

Maev

Our chiefs, with oaths the gravest, Shall give the pledge thou cravest;For thee, of all men bravest, Brave bridled steeds shall stand. From tax my word hath freed thee, To hostings none shall lead thee, As bosom friend I need thee, As first in all the land. 

Ferdia

Mere words are naught availingIf oaths to bind be failing;That wondrous Ford-Fight hailing, All time its tale shall greet:Though sun, moon, sea for everAnd earth from me I sever;Though death I win--yet never, Unpledged, that war I'll meet. 

Maev

These kings and chiefs behind meTheir oaths shall pledge to bind me:With boundless wealth thou'lt find me, With wealth too great to pay. 'Tis thou who oaths delayest;'Tis done whate'er thou sayest;For well I know thou slayestThe foe who comes to slay. 

Ferdia

Ere thou to slaughter lure me, Six champions' oaths procure me;Till these rewards assure meI meet, for thee, no foe:If six thou grant as gages, I'll face the war he wages, And where Cuchulain rages, A lesser chief, I go. 

Maev

In chariots Donnal raceth, Fierce strife wild Neeman faceth, Their halls the bards' song graceth, Yet these in troth I bind. Firm pledge Morand is making, None Carpri Min knew breakingHis troth: thine oath he's taking;Two sons to pledge I find. 

Ferdia

Much poison, Maev, inflamethThy heart; no smile thee tamethBut well the land thee namethProud queen of Croghan's hold;Thy power no man can measure;'Tis I will do thy pleasure;Now send thy silken treasure, Thy silver gifts, and gold. 

Maev

This brooch, as champion's token, I give of troth unbroken;All words my lips have spokenPerformed shall Sunday see. Thou glorious chief, who darestThis fight, I give thee rarestOf gifts on earth, and fairest, Yea greater meed shall be. For Findabar my daughter;All Elgga's chiefs have sought her;When thou that Hound shalt slaughter, I give in love to thee. 

And then did Maev bind Ferdia in an easy task; that on the next day hewas to come to combat and fight with six of her champions, or to makeduel against Cuchulain; whichever of the two he should think theeasier. And Ferdia on his side bound her by a condition that seemed tohim easy for her to fulfil: even that she should lay it upon those samesix champions to see to it that all those things she had promised tohim should be fulfilled, in case Cuchulain should meet death atFerdia's hand. 

Thereupon Fergus caused men to harness for him his horses, and hischariot was yoked, and he went to that place where Cuchulain was thathe might tell him what had passed, and Cuchulain bade him welcome. Iam rejoiced at your coming, O my good friend Fergus, " said Cuchulain. And I gladly accept thy welcome, O my pupil, " said Fergus. But I havenow come hither in order to tell thee who that man is who comes tocombat and fight with thee early on the morning of the day which is athand. " "We shall give all heed to thy words, " said Cuchulain. "'Tisthine own friend, " said Fergus, "thy companion, and thy fellow pupil;thine equal in feats and in deeds and in valour: even Ferdia, the sonof Daman, the son of Dare, the great and valiant champion of the men ofIrross Donnan. " "Truly, " said Cuchulain, "I make mine oath to theethat I am sorry that my friend should come to such a duel. ""Therefore, " said Fergus, "it behoves thee to be wary and prepared, forunlike to all those men who have come to combat and fight with theeupon the Tain be Cuailgne is Ferdia, the son of Daman, the son ofDare. " "I have stood here, " said Cuchulain, "detaining and delayingthe men of the four great provinces of Ireland since the first Mondayin Samhain (November) till the beginning of the spring, and not onefoot have I gone back before any one man during all that time, norshall I, as I trust, yield before him. " And in this manner did Ferguscontinue to put him on his guard, and these were the words that hespoke, and thus did Cuchulain reply:

Fergus

Rise, Cuchulain! foes are near, [FN#52]All their covenant is clear;Daman's ruddy son in rageComes the war with thee to wage. 

[FN#52] The metre is that of the Irish; a literal rendering of thewhole dialogue is given in the notes, p. 191. 

Cuchulain

Here I stand, whose valiant toilErin's bands held back from spoil;Never a foot of ground they won, Never a foe they found me shun. 

Fergus

Fierce is he in rage; his trustIn his blade's deep searching thrust:Plates of horn protect his side, Pierced by none his strength who tried. 

Cuchulain

Fergus, much thine arms excel;Cease, this tale no longer tellLand is none, nor battle-fieldWhere to his my strength must yield. 

Fergus

He is fierce, with scores can fight, Spear nor sword can on him bite;From that strength, a hundred's match, Hard 'twill be the prize to snatch. 

Cuchulain

Yea! Ferdia's power I know;How from foughten field we go;How was fought our piercing war, Bards shall tell to ages far. 

Fergus

Loss of much I'd little mournCould I hear how, eastward borne, Great Cuchulain's bloody bladeProud Ferdia's spoils displayed. 

Cuchulain

Though in boasts I count me weak, Hear me now as braggart speak:Daman's son, of Darry's race, Soon shall I, his victor, face. 

Fergus

Brought by me, hosts eastward came, Ulster sought to hurt my fame;Here have come, to ease my grief, Many a champion, many a chief. 

Cuchulain

Sickness Conor's might withheld, Else his sight thy host had quelled;Less the shouts of joy had been, Raised by Maev, Maw Scayl's high queen. 

Fergus

Greater deeds than done by meO Cuchulain! thine shall be:Daman's son thy battle nears;Hear thy friend! keep hard thy spears. 

Then Fergus returned to where the army was encamped: Ferdia, also wentfrom Maev and came to his own tent; and there he found his followers, and he told them how he had been bound to Maev as in an easy task, thathe was on the morrow to combat and fight with six of her champions, orto make duel with Cuchulain, whichever of the two he might think theeasier. Also he told them how she had been bound by a condition thatwas easy for her to grant: that she should lay it on these same sixchampions to see that her promises to him of rewards should befulfilled in case Cuchulain met his death at Ferdia's hand. 

There was no cheerfulness, or happiness, or even melancholy pleasureamong the inmates of Ferdia's camp that night: they were all cheerless, and sorrowful, and low in spirit; for they knew that whenever those twochampions, those two slayers of hundreds met, one of the two must fallin that place, or that both of them should fall: and if one only was tofall they were sure that that one would be their own master; for it wasnot easy for any man to combat and fight with Cuchulain on the Tain boCuailnge. 

Now the first part of that night Ferdia slept very heavily, and whenthe middle of the night had come his sleep had left him, and thedizziness of his brain has passed away, and care for the combat and thefight pressed heavily upon him. Then he called for his charioteer toharness his horses, and to yoke his chariot; and the charioteer beganto rebuke him, if haply he might turn him from his purpose. "It wouldbe better for thee to stay!" said the charioteer. "Be thou silent, Omy servant!" said Ferdia, and he then spoke the words that follow, andthus did his servant reply to him:--

Ferdia

'Tis a challenge provokingTo war, and I goWhere the ravens' hoarse croakingShall rise for my foe:With Cuchulain still seekingThe strife at yon ford;Till his strong body, reeking, Be pierced by my sword!

Servant

Nay, thy threats show no meekness;Yet here thou should'st stay;For on thee shall come weakness, Woe waits on thy way:For by Ulster's Rock brokenThis battle may be, And it long shall be spokenHow ill 'twas to thee. 

Ferdia

An ill word art thou saying;It fits not our raceThat a champion, delayingFrom fight, should thee grace. Then thy speech, my friend, fetter, No foe will we fear;But, since valour is better, His challenge we near. 

Then Ferdia's horses were harnessed for him, and his chariot was yoked, and he came forward to the ford of battle; but when he had come therehe found that the full light of the day had not yet dawned, and "O myservant!" said Ferdia, "spread out for me the cushions and skins thatare upon my chariot, that I may rest upon them till I take the deeprepose of refreshing sleep, for during the latter part of this nighthave I taken no rest, on account of the care that I had for this combatand fight. " And the servant unharnessed his horses, and he placedtogether the cushions and the skins that were upon the chariot, so thatFerdia might rest upon them, and he sank into the deep repose ofrefreshing sleep. 

Now in this place I will tell of the acts of Cuchulain. He rose not atall from his couch until the full light of the day; and this he did inorder that the men of Ireland should not be able to say that it wasfrom fear or from dread that he rose, if it had been early that he hadarisen. And when the full daylight had come, he commanded hischarioteer to harness for him his horses, and to yoke his chariot: "Omy servant!" said Cuchulain, "harness for us our horses, and put theyoke to our chariot, for early rises the champion who cometh to meet usthis day: even Ferdia, the son of Daman, the son of Dare. " "The horsesare harnessed, " said the charioteer, "and the chariot is yoked; stepthou into it, for it will bring no shame on thy valour. " Then didCuchulain, the fighter of battles, the skilful in feats, the winner ofvictory, that red-sworded hero, the son of Sualtam, leap into hischariot. All around him screamed the Bocanachs, and the Bananachs, andthe wild people of the glens, and the demons of the air; for it was thecustom of the people of the wizard race of Danu to raise their criesabout him in every battle, on every stricken field, in every duel, andin every fight to which he went, that thereby in such fight the hatred, and the fear, and the avoidance, and the terror that men felt for himshould be increased. In no short time the charioteer of Ferdia heardthe roar of Cuchulain's approach; the clamour, and the hissing, and thetramp; and the thunder, and the clatter, and the buzz: for he heard theshields that were used as missiles clank together as they touched; andhe heard the spears hiss, and the swords clash, and the helmet tinkle, and the armour ring; and the arms sawed one against the other, and thejavelins swung, and the ropes strained, and the wheels of the chariotclattered, and the chariot creaked, and the hoofs of the horsestrampled on the ground as that warrior and champion came forward intriumph to the ford, and approached him. 

Then that servant of Ferdia arose, and he placed his hand upon hislord: "Arise now, O Ferdia!" said the servant, "for here they cometowards thee, even to the Ford;" and this was the speech of the driverof the chariot of Ferdia as he stood before him:

Lo! a chariot yoked with silver, creaking loud, draws nigh;[FN#53]O'er the chariot-wheels a man his perfect form rears high:The warlike carRolls on from farBraeg Ross, from Braina's bounds;Past that burg they ride whose wooded side the roadway rounds;For its triumphs high in triumph cry its song resounds. 

[FN#53] For a literal translation of the above poem and anotherrendering, see the notes. 

Urged by hero-Hound, and yoked by charioteer's hand true, Flies the war-car southward ever; nobler hawk ne'er flewThan he who speedsHis rushing steeds, That chief of stubborn might;Soon the blood to flow from slaughtered foe shall meet his sight;Sure for us 'tis ill, for soon with skill he gives us fight. 

Woe to him who here on hillock stands, that Hound to wait;Emain Macha's perfect Hound is he, foretold by fate:Last year I criedThat him I spiedWho guards his land from foe:That battle-Hound, on whom are found all hues to glow:'Twas then from far I heard that car: its sound I know. 

"O my servant!" said Ferdia, "wherefore is it: that thou hast continuedin thy praise of this man ever since the time that I left my tent?surely it must be a reward that thou seekest at his hand, so greatlydost thou extol him; yet Ailill and Maev have foretold that it is by mehe shall fall. Certain it is that for sake of the fee I shall gain heshall be slain quickly; and 'tis full time that the relief that we waitfor should come. " Thus then it was that in that place he spoke thesewords, and thus did his servant reply:

Ferdia

'Tis time that I grant my assistance!Be still: let thy praise of him sink:Peer not, like a seer, at the distance;Wilt fail me on battle-field's brink?Though Cualgne's proud champion, displayingHis gambols and pride thou dost see;Full soon shalt thou witness his slayingFor price to be paid down to me. 

Servant

If he who this glory is showingBe champion of Cualgne indeed;'Tis not in retreat he is going;To meet us he cometh with speed:He comes, nor 'tis slowly he blunders, Like wind his swift journey he makes;As stream, from the cliff-top that thunders;As bolt, from the storm-cloud that breaks. 

Ferdia

'Tis pay at his hand thou hast taken, So loudly resoundeth thy praise;Else why, since our tent was forsaken, Hast sung with such frequence thy lays?Men, like thou, who, when foes are appearing, Would to chant the foe's praises begin, Will attack not, when battle is nearing, But the name of base cowards shall win. 

Now the charioteer of Ferdia was not long in that place before he saw amarvellous sight; for before his eyes came the beautiful five-pointed, four-peaked chariot, skilfully driven with swiftness and power. Acanopy of green overspread it; thin and well-seasoned was the body ofit; lofty and long were the spears that adorned it; well was itfashioned for war. Under the yokes of that chariot sped forward withgreat bounds two great-eared, savage, and prancing steeds; bellies hadthey like whales, broad were their chests, and quick-panting theirhearts; their flanks were high, and their hoofs wide; their pasternsfine, their loins broad, and their spirits untamable. The horse underone of the yokes was grey, with a long mane and with broad hindquarters; swiftly he galloped, and his leaps were great; the horsebeneath the other yoke was black, his mane was in tufts, his back wasbroad, and eager was his pace. As a hawk, on a day when the windbloweth hard, darts up from the furrow; as the gusts of the wind inspring sweep forward over a smooth plain upon a day in March; swift asa going stag at the beginning of the chase, after he hath been rousedby the cry of the hounds; such was the pace of the two steeds that boreforward Cuchulain and his chariot, touching upon the soil as rapidly asif the stones that they trod on were hot with the fire, so that thewhole earth trembled and shook at the violence of their going. AndCuchulain reached the ford, and Ferdia awaited him on the south side ofit, and Cuchulain halted his horses upon the north. 

Then did Ferdia bid welcome to Cuchulain: "O Cuchulain!" said Ferdia, Irejoice to see thine approach. " "Thy welcome would have been receivedby me upon an earlier day, " said Cuchulain, "but this day I cannotreceive it as one from a friend. And Ferdia, " said he, "it were moresuitable that it was I who bade welcome to thee rather than that thoushouldest welcome me; for out in flight before thee are my women, andmy children; my youths, and my steeds, and my mares; my flocks, and myherds, and my cattle. " "Ah, Cuchulain!" said Ferdia, "how hast thoubeen persuaded to come to this fight and this battle at all? For whenwe were with Scathach, with Uathach, and with Aife, thou wert mineattendant; thine was the office to whet my spears, and to make ready mycouch. " "'Tis true indeed, " said Cuchulain, "but it was then as thyyounger in years and in standing that it was my custom to perform thisoffice for thee; and that is not my quality to-day; for now there isnot in all the world any champion with whom I would refuse to fight. "And then each of them reproached the other bitterly with breach offriendship, and there Ferdia spoke the words which here follow, andthus did Cuchulain reply:

Ferdia

Hound! why hither faring, [FN#54]Strife with strong ones daring?As if home were flaring, Woe shall come on thee!Blood from out thee drainingShall thy steeds be staining;Thou, thy home if gaining, Wounded sore shalt be. 

[FN#54] The metre is that of the Irish. 

Cuchulain

Hot with indignation, Take I battle-station, Face yon warrior nation, Round their warlike king:They shall see me meet thee, Count the strifes that greet thee, Watch, as down I beat thee, Drowning, suffering. 

Ferdia

Here is one to shame thee;How 'twas I o'ercame thee, They who champion name theeLong the tale shall tell. Ulster, near thee lying, Soon shall see thee dying;All shall say, with sighing, Theirs the chief who fell. 

Cuchulain

Thine shall be the choosing;Say, what warfare usingHosts shall see thee losingAt the Ford this fight?Swords dost choose, hard-clashingCars, in conflict crashing?Spears, thy life-blood splashing?'Tis thy death in sight. 

Ferdia

Ere the twilight gleameth, Red thy life-blood streameth:Small thy stature seemeth, Like a cliff thy foe. Ulster's hosts who prated, And thy pride inflated;Through them feel thy hatedSpectre sadly go. 

Cuchulain

Down a chasm appallingThou to death art falling;One thy foe: yet gallingWeapons press thee sore. Proud thou wert but lately, Strife shall change thee greatly, Thee as champion statelyEarth shall know no more. 

Ferdia

Cease this endless vaunting, Speech for ever flaunting, Thou a chief! a taunting, Giggling child thou art. None would pay, or fee thee, I as coward see thee;Strength hast none to free thee, Caged bird! quaking heart!

Cuchulain

Ah! in bygone storyWe, as peers in glory, Sports and combats goryShared when Scaha taught:Thou, of all who nearestTo my soul appearest!Clansman! kinsman dearest!Woe thy fate hath brought!

Ferdia

Naught this strife avails thee, Glory fades, and fails thee;Cock-crow loudly hails thee, High on stake thy head!Cualgne's[FN#55] Hound, Cuchulain!Faults thy soul bear rule in:Thee to bitter schoolingFrantic grief hath led. 

[FN#55] Pronounced Kell-ny. 

"O my friend Ferdia!" said Cuchulain, "it was not right for thee tohave come to the combat and the fight with me, at the instigation andthe meddling of Ailill and Maev: none of those who came before theehave gained for themselves victory or success, and they all fell at myhand; neither shalt thou win victory or success from this battle, by meshalt thou fall. " And it was in this manner that he was speaking, andhe recited these words, and Ferdia hearkened to him:

Come not near, thou powerful man![FN#56]O Ferdia mac Daman:Worst of woe on thee is hurled, Though thy fate shall grieve the world. 

[FN#56] The metre is that of the Irish. 

Come not near, nor right forgetIn my hand thy fate is set:Those recall, whom late I fought, Hath their fall no wisdom taught?

Thou for gifts wert passed in sale, Purple sash, firm coat of mail;Never maid, O Daman's son!In this war of thine is won. 

Findabar, Maev's lovely child, With her form thy sense beguiled:Brightly though her beauty glows, She no love on thee bestows. 

Wouldst thou win the prize they bring, Findabar, the child of king?Many ere now that maid could cheatHere, like thee, their wounds to meet. 

Thou hast sworn, and plighted. Troth, Ne'er to fight me: keep thine oath:Friendship's tie thee firm should hold, Come not nigh me, champion bold. 

Fifty chiefs, who sought that maid, Fought me, fell, in earth are laid;Well I know that tempting bait, All have found, and earned their fate. 

Ferbay fell, though bold his boast, Him obeyed a valiant host;Quickly here his rage I stilled;Cast my spear but once, and killed. 

Cruel fate Srub Darry slew, Tales of hundred dames he knew;Great his fame in days of yore;Silver none, 'twas gold he wore. 

Though that maid, whom Erin's bestHope to gain, my heart would charm;South and north, and east and westI would keep thee safe from harm. 

"And, O my friend Ferdia!" said Cuchulain "this is the cause why it wasnot thy part to come here to the combat and the fight with me. It isbecause that when with Scathach, with Uathach, and with Aife we abode, it was the custom with us that together we should go to every battle, and to every field of battle; to every fight and to every skirmish; toevery forest and to all wildernesses; to all things dark anddifficult. " These were the words of his speech, and it was in thatplace that he recited these staves:

Tuned our hearts were beating, We, where chiefs were meeting, Brotherly went: when slumberingOne was our couch: we soughtFierce fights, and fought. Oft in woods that are far awayJoined we stood in our skilful play;Scathach our feats had taught. 

And Ferdia replied to him thus:

O Cuchulain! for beautiful feats renowned, Though together we learned our skill;Though thou tellest of friendship that once we found, From me shall come first thine ill;Ah, recall not the time of our friendship's day:It shall profit thee nothing, O Hound, I say. 

"For too long now have we thus waited, " said Ferdia; "tell me now OCuchulain! to what weapons shall we resort?" "Thou hast the choice ofthe weapons till the night, " said Cuchulain, "because thou wert thefirst to reach the Ford. " "Hast thou any remembrance, " said Ferdia, "of the weapons for casting, that we were accustomed to practise theuse of when we were with Scathach, with Uathach, and with Aife?" "I doindeed remember them, " said Cuchulain. " "If thou rememberest them, letus resort to them now, " said Ferdia. Then they resorted to theirweapons used for the casting. They took up two shields for defence, with devices emblazoned upon them, and their eight shields with sharpedges such that they could hurl, and their eight javelins, and theireight ivory-hilted dirks, and their eight little darts for the fight. To and fro from one to the other, like bees upon a sunny day, flew theweapons, and there was no cast that they threw that did not hit. Eachof them then continued to shoot at the other with their weapons forcasting, from the dawn of the morning to the full middle of the day, until all of their weapons had been blunted against the faces and thebosses of their shields; and although their casting was most excellent, yet so good was the defence that neither of them wounded the other nordrew the other's blood during all that time. "Cease now from thesefeats, O Cuchulain!" said Ferdia, "for it is not by means of these thatthe struggle between us shall come. " "Let us cease indeed, " saidCuchulain, "if the time for ceasing hath arrived. " And they ceasedfrom their casting, and they threw the weapons they had used for itinto the hands of their charioteers. 

"To what weapons shall we next resort, O Cuchulain?" said Ferdia. 

"Thou hast the choice of weapons until the night, " said Cuchulain, "because thou wert the first to reach the Ford. " "Then, " said Ferdia, "let us turn to our straight, well-trimmed, hard, and polishedcasting-spears with tough cords of flax upon them. " "Let us do soindeed, " said Cuchulain. Then they took two stout shields of defence, and they turned to their straight, well-trimmed, hard, and polishedcasting-spears with the tough cords of flax upon them, and each of themcontinued to hurl his spears at the other from the middle of middayuntil the ninth hour of the evening: and though the defence was mostexcellent that each of them made, yet so good was the casting of thespears that each of them wounded the other at that time, and drew redblood from him. "Let us desist from this now, O Cuchulain!" saidFerdia. "Let us desist indeed, " said Cuchulain, "if the time has come. "

They ceased, and they threw away their weapons into their charioteers'hands; and each of them at the end of that fight sought the other, andeach threw his arms about the other's neck, and gave him three kisses. Their horses were in the same paddock that night, the men who haddriven their chariots sat by the same fire, moreover the charioteers ofboth those warriors spread couches of fresh rushes for the two, andsupplied them with such pillows as are needed by wounded men. And suchfolk as can heal and cure came to heal and to cure them, and theyapplied soothing and salving herbs and plants to their bruises, andtheir cuts, and their gashes, and to all their many wounds. And ofevery soothing and salving herb and plant that was brought for thebruises, the cuts, and the gashes, and all the wounds of Cuchulain, heused to send an equal portion westward across the ford to Ferdia, sothat in case Ferdia fell at his hand the men of Ireland should not beable to say that it was owing to superiority in leech-craft that he haddone it. And of each kind of food, and of pleasant, palatable, intoxicating drink that the men of Ireland brought to Ferdia, he wouldsend a fair half northward across the ford to Cuchulain; for the menwho provided food for Ferdia were more in number than they who providedfood for Cuchulain. All the army of the men of Ireland helped toprovide Ferdia with food, because he was their champion to defend themagainst Cuchulain; yet to Cuchulain also food was brought by the peoplewho dwell in the Breg. And it was the custom with these that they cameto converse with him at the dusk of each night. 

Thus they remained that night, but early in the morning they arose, andrepaired to the Ford of Combat. "What weapons shall we turn to to-day, O Ferdia?" said Cuchulain. "Thou hast the choice of weapons until thenight, " answered Ferdia, "because it is I who had my choice of them inthe day that is past. " "Let us then, " said Cuchulain, "resort to ourgreat, broad-bladed, heavy spears this day, for nearer shall we be toour battle by the thrusting of our spears this day than we were by thethrowing weapons of yesterday: let our horses be harnessed for us, andour chariots yoked, that upon this day from our chariots and our horseswe may fight. " "Let us turn to these indeed, " said Ferdia. They thentook to them two exceedingly stout, broad shields, and they resorted totheir great, broad-bladed, heavy spears that day. And each of themcontinued to thrust at, and to pierce through, and to redden, and totear the body of the other from the dawn of the morning until the ninthhour of the evening; and if it were the custom for birds in theirflight to pass through the bodies of men, they could have passedthrough the bodies of those warriors that day, carrying with thempieces of their flesh from their wounds into the clouds and to the skyaround them. So when the ninth hour of the evening was come, thehorses were weary, and the charioteers were weak; and they themselves, champions and heroes of valour as they were, had themselves becomeweary; and "Let us cease now from this, O Ferdia!" said Cuchulain, "forour horses are weary, and our charioteers are weak; and now that theseare weary, why should not we be weary too?" and then it was that hesang this stave:

Not like Fomorians, men of the sea, Stubborn, unending our struggle should be;Now that the clamour of combat must cease, Quarrels forget, and between us be peace. 

Let us cease now indeed, " said Ferdia, "if the time for it hath come. "They ceased, and they threw away their weapons into their charioteers'hands, and each of them at the end of that fight sought the other, andeach threw his arms about the other's neck, and gave him three kisses. Their horses were in the same paddock that night, the men who haddriven their chariots sat by the same fire, moreover the charioteers ofboth those warriors spread couches of fresh rushes for the two, andsupplied them with such pillows as are needed by wounded men. And suchfolk as can heal and cure came to examine into their wounds and to tendthem that night, for they could do nothing more for them, so severe andso deadly were the stabs and the thrusts, and the gashes of the manywounds that they had, than to apply to them spells and incantations andcharms, in order to staunch their blood, and their bleeding mortalwounds. And for every spell and incantation and charm that was appliedto the stabs and the wounds of Cuchulain, he sent a full half westwardacross the ford to Ferdia; and of each kind of food, and of pleasant, palatable, intoxicating drink that the men of Ireland brought toFerdia, he sent a half across the ford to Cuchulain, in the north. Forthe men who brought food to Ferdia were more in number than they whobrought food to Cuchulain, for all the army of the men of Irelandhelped to provide Ferdia with food, because he was their champion todefend them against Cuchulain; yet to Cuchulain also food was broughtby the people who dwell in the Breg. And it was the custom with thesethat they came to converse with him at the dusk of each night. 

Thus they rested that night: but early in the morning they arose, andrepaired to the Ford of Combat; and Cuchulain saw that an evil look anda lowering cloud was on the face of Ferdia that day. "Ill dost thouappear to me to-day, O Ferdia!" said Cuchulain. "Thy hair hath beendarkened to-day, and thine eye hath been dimmed, and the form and thefeatures and the visage that thou art wont to have are gone from thee. " "'Tis from no fear or from terror of thee that I am what I am to-day, "said Ferdia, "for there is not in Ireland to-day a champion that I amnot able to subdue. " And Cuchulain complained and lamented, and hespoke the words that follow, and thus did Ferdia reply:

Cuchulain

Is't indeed Ferdia's face?[FN#57]Sure his meed is dire disgrace;He, to war by woman led, Comes his comrade's blood to shed. 

[FN#57] The metre is that of the Irish. 

Ferdia

Thou who warrior art indeed, Champion tried! who wounds dost breed, I am forced the sod to seeWhere my final grave shall be. 

Cuchulain

Maev her daughter, Findabar, Who all maids excelleth far, Gave thee, not at love's behest, She thy kingly might would test. 

Ferdia

Gently ruling Hound, I knowThat was tested long ago;None so great is known to fame, None, till now, to match it came. 

Cuchulain

All that's chanced from thee hath sprung, Darry's grandchild, Daman's son;Woman's hest hath brought thee hereSwords to test with comrade dear. 

Ferdia

Comrade! had I fled, nor foundFight with thee, fair graceful Hound, Maev my word could broken call;Croghan hold my fame but small. 

Cuchulain

None put meat his lips between, None to king or stainless queenYet was born, whose praise I'd gain, None whose scorn would win thy pain. 

Ferdia

Thou who deep in wars dost wade, 'Twas not thou, 'twas Maev betrayed:Back with conquest shalt thou ride, Fault hast none thy fame to hide. 

Cuchulain

Clots of blood my faithful heartChoke; my soul is like to part:'Tis with little force my armStrikes, to do Ferdia harm!

"Greatly although thou makest complaint against me to-day, " saidFerdia, "tell me to what arms shall we resort?" Thine is the choice ofweapons until the night, " said Cuchulain, "because it was I who had thechoice in the day that is past. " "Then, " said Ferdia, "let us this daytake to our heavy hard-smiting swords; for sooner shall we attain tothe end of our strife by the edge of the sword this day than we did bythe thrusts of our spears in the day that is gone. " "Let us do soindeed, " said Cuchulain. That day they took upon them two long andexceedingly great shields, and they resorted to their heavy andhard-striking swords. And each of them began to hew, and to cut, andto slaughter, and to destroy till larger than the head of a month-oldchild were the masses and the gobbets of flesh which each of them cutfrom the shoulders and the thighs and the shoulder-blades of his foe. 

After this fashion did each of them hew at each other from the dawn ofthe day until the ninth hour of the even, and then Ferdia said, "Let usdesist from this now, O Cuchulain!" "Let us cease indeed, " saidCuchulain, "if the time has come. "

They ceased from their strife, and they threw from them their arms intothe hands of their charioteers. Pleasant and cheerful and joyous wasthe meeting of the two: mournfully, and sorrowfully, and unhappily didthey part from each other that night. Their horses were not in thesame paddock, their charioteers were not at the same fire, and therethey stayed for that night. 

It was early in the morning when Ferdia arose, and he advanced alonetowards the Ford of Combat. Well did he know that the battle and theconflict would be decided that day; that upon that day and in thatplace one of the two would fall or that both would fall. And then, before Cuchulain could come, Ferdia put on the armour that he was touse for that battle in the conflict and fight. And this was the battlearmour that he used for that conflict and fight; he put a kilt ofstriped silk, bordered with spangles of gold, next to his white skin, and over that he put his well-sewn apron of brown leather to protectthe lower part of his body. Upon his belly he put a great stone aslarge as a millstone, and over that great stone as large as a millstonehe put his firm deep apron of purified iron, on account of the fear andthe dread that he had of the Gae-Bulg that day. And his crested helmetthat he used for battle and conflict and fight he put upon his head:there were upon it four jewels of carbuncle, each one of them fit toadorn it: also it was studded with enamels, with crystals, withcarbuncles, and with blazing rubies that had come from the East. Intohis right hand he took his death-dealing sharp-pointed strong spear;upon his left side he hung his curved sword of battle with its goldenhilt and its pommels of red gold: upon the slope of his back he tookhis great and magnificent shield with great bosses upon it: fifty wasthe number of the bosses, and upon each of them could be supported afull-grown hog: moreover in the centre of the shield was a great bossof red gold. Upon that day Ferdia displayed many noble, rapidlychanging, wonderful feats of arms on high; feats which he had neverlearned from any other, either from his nurse or his tutor, or fromScathach, or from Uathach, or from Aife, but which he himself inventedthat day for his battle with Cuchulain. And Cuchulain approached theford, and he saw the many, rapidly changing, wonderful feats thatFerdia displayed on high; and "O my friend Laeg!" said Cuchulain, "Imark those noble, rapidly changing, wonderful feats which Ferdiadisplays, and I know that all of those feats will in turn be tried uponme; and for this reason if it be I who begin to go backwards this day, let it be thy part to rouse me by reproaches, and by evil speech, sothat my rage and my wrath may be kindled, and increase. And if it be Ithat shall prevail, then do thou give to me praise and approval; andspeak good words tome, that my courage may be the greater. " "Thisindeed will I do, O Cuchulain!" said Laeg. 

Then did Cuchulain put on his battle armour that he used for the combatand fight. And that day he displayed noble, many-changing, wonderful, and many feats that he had learned from none: neither from Scathach, from Uathach, or from Aife. And Ferdia marked those feats, and he knowthat each in turn would be tried upon him. 

"O Ferdia!" said Cuchulain, "tell me to what arms we shall resort?

"Thine is the choice of weapons until the night, " said Ferdia. "Then, "said Cuchulain, "let us try the Feat of the Ford. "[FN#58] "Let us doso indeed, " said Ferdia; but although he thus spoke, it was with sorrowthat he consented, for he knew that Cuchulain had ever destroyed everyhero and champion who had contended with him at the Feat of the Ford. 

[FN#58] i. E. In which all weapons were allowed. 

Mighty were the deeds that were done upon that day at the ford by thosetwo heroes, the champions of the west of Europe; by those two handswhich in the north-west of the world were those that best bestowedbounty, and pay, and reward; those twin loved pillars of valour of theGael; those two keys of the bravery of the Gaels, brought to fight fromafar, owing to the urging and the intermeddling of Ailill and Maev. From the dawn till the middle of the day, each began to shoot at theother with his massive weapons; and when midday had come, the wrath ofthe two men became more furious, and each drew nearer to the other. And then upon a time Cuchulain sprang from the shore of the ford, andhe lit upon the boss of the shield of Ferdia the son of Daman, the sonof Dare, to strike at his head from above, over the rim of his shield. And then it was that Ferdia gave the shield a blow of his left elbow, and he cast Cuchulain from him like a bird, till he came down again, upon the shore of the ford. And again Cuchulain sprang from the shoreof the ford, till he lit upon the boss of the shield of Ferdia the sonof Daman, the son of Dare, to strike his head from above, over the rimof the shield. And Ferdia, gave the shield a stroke of his left knee, and he cast Cuchulain from him like a little child, till he came downon the shore of the ford. 

Laeg saw what had been done. "Ah!" said Laeg, "the warrior who isagainst thee, casts thee away as a loose woman casts her child; heflings thee as high as the river flings its foam; he grinds thee evenas a mill would grind fresh malt; pierces thee as the axe would piercethe oak that it fells; binds thee as the woodbine binds the tree; dartsupon thee even as the hawk darts upon little birds, so that never untiltime and life shall end, shalt thou have a call, or right, or claim forprowess or for valour: thou little fairy phantom!" said Laeg. Upsprang Cuchulain, swift as the wind; quick as the swallow; fiery as thedragon; powerful as the lion; and he bounded into the air for the thirdtime into the troubled clouds of it, until he lit upon the boss of theshield of Ferdia, the son of Daman, striving to strike his head fromabove, over the rim of the shield. And the warrior shook his shield, and he threw Cuchulain from him, into the middle of the ford, just asif he had never been cast off at all. 

And then for the first time the countenance of Cuchulain was changed, and he rose in his full might, as if the air had entered into him, tillhe towered as a terrible and wonderful giant, with the hero-lightplaying about his head; rising as a wild man of the sea; that great andvaliant champion, till he overtopped Ferdia. And now so closely werethey locked in the fight, that their heads met above them, and theirfeet below them; and in their middles met their arms over the rims andthe bosses of their shields. So closely were they locked in the fight, that they turned and bent, and shivered their spears from the points tothe hafts; and cleft and loosened their shields from the centres to therims. So closely were they locked, that the Bocanachs, and theBananachs, and the wild people of the glens, and the demons of the airscreamed from the rims of their shields, and from the hilts of theirswords, and from the hafts of their spears. And so closely did theyfight, that they cast the river from its bed and its course, so thatthere might have been a couch fit for a king and a queen to he in, there in the midst of the ford, for there was no drop of water left init, except such as fell therein from off those two heroes andchampions, as they trampled and hewed at each other in the midst of theford. And so fierce was their fight, that the horses of the Gaels, infear and in terror, rushed away wildly and madly, bursting theirchains, and their yokes, and their tethers, and their traces; and thewomen, and the common folk, and the followers of the camp, fledsouth-westwards out of the camp. 

All this time they fought with the edges of their swords. And then itwas that Ferdia found Cuchulain for a moment off his guard, and hestruck him with the straight edge of his sword, so that it sank intohis body, till the blood streamed to his girdle, and the soil of theford was crimson with the blood that fell from the body of that warriorso valiant in fight. And Cuchulain's endurance was at an end, forFerdia continually struck at him, not attempting to guard, and hisdownright blows, and quick thrusts, and crushing strokes fellconstantly upon him, till Cuchulain demanded of Laeg the son ofRiangabra to deliver to him the Gae-Bulg. Now the manner of using theGae-Bulg was this: it was set with its end pointing down a stream, andwas cast from beneath the toes of the foot: it made the wound of onespear on entering a person's body; but it had thirty barbs to openbehind, and it could not be drawn out from a man's body until he wascut open. And when Ferdia heard mention of the Gae-Bulg, he made astroke of his shield downwards to guard the lower part of his body. And Cuchulain thrust his unerring thorny spear off the centre of hispalm over the rim of the shield, and through his breast covered byhorny defensive plates of armour, so that its further half was visiblebehind him after piercing the heart in his chest. Ferdia gave anupward stroke of his shield to guard the upper part of his body, thoughtoo late came that help, when the danger was past. And the servant setthe Gae-Bulg down the stream, and Cuchulain caught it between the toesof his foot, and he threw it with an unerring cast against Ferdia, andit broke through the firm deep apron of wrought iron, and it burst thegreat stone that was as large as a millstone into three parts, and itpassed through the protection of his body into him, so that everycrevice and cavity in him was filled with its barbs. "'Tis enoughnow, " said Ferdia. "I have my death of that; and I have but breathenough to say that thou hast done an ill deed against me. It was notright that thy hand should be that by which I should fall. " And thusdid he cry, as he gasped out these words:

Hound, of feats so fair![FN#59]Death from thee is ill:Thou the blame must bear, Thou my blood dost spill. 

Help no wretch hath foundDown this chasm of woe:Sick mine accents sound, As a ghost, I go. 

Torn my ribs, and burst, Gore my heart hath filled:This of fights is worst, Hound! thou hast me killed. 

[FN#59] The metre is that of the Irish. 

And after those words, Cuchulain ran towards him, and with his arms andarmour about him, carried him northwards across the ford, in order thatthe slain man might be on the north side of the ford, and not upon thewestern side together with the men of Erin. Then Cuchulain laid Ferdiadown, and there it was that a trance and a faint and a weakness cameupon Cuchulain when he saw the body of Ferdia, Laeg saw his weakness, and the men of Ireland all arose to come upon him. "Rise up now, OCuchulain!" said Laeg, "for the men of Erin are coming towards us, andno single combat will they give to us, since Ferdia the son of Daman, the son of Dare, has fallen by thy hand. "

"How shall I be the better for arising, O my servant!" said he, "nowthat he who lieth here hath fallen by me?" And it was in this mannerthat his servant spoke to him, and he recited these words, and thus didCuchulain reply:

Laeg

Now arise, Battle-Hound of Emania!It is joy and not grief should be sought;For the leader of armies, Ferdia, Thou hast slain, and hard battle hast fought. 

Cuchulain

What availeth me triumph or boasting?For, frantic with grief for my deed, I am driven to mourn for that bodyThat my sword made so sorely to bleed. 

Laeg

'Tis not thou shouldst lament for his dying, Rejoicing should spring to thy tongue;For in malice, sharp javelins, flyingFor thy wounding and bleeding he flung. 

Cuchulain

I would mourn, if my leg he had severed, Had he hewn through this arm that remains, That he mounts not his steeds; and for everIn life, immortality gains. 

Laeg

To the dames of Red Branch thou art givingMore pleasure that thus he should fall:They will mourn for him dead, for thee living, Nor shall count of thy victims be small. 

Great Queen Maev thou hast chased, and hast fought herSince the day when first Cualgne was left;She shall mourn for her folk, and their slaughter, By thy hand of her champions bereft. 

Neither sleep nor repose hast thou taken, But thy herd, her great plunder, hast chased, Though by all but a remnant forsaken, Oft at dawn to the fight thou didst haste. 

Now it was in that place that Cuchulain commenced his lament and hismoan for Ferdia, and thus it was that he spoke:

"O my friend Ferdia! unhappy was it for thee that thou didst make noinquiry from any of the heroes who knew of the valorous deeds I haddone before thou camest to meet me in that battle that was too hard forthee! Unhappy was it for thee that thou didst not inquire from Laeg, the son of Riangabra[FN#60] about what was due from thee to a comrade. Unhappy was it for thee that thou didst not ask for the honest andsincere counsel of Fergus. Unhappy it was for thee that thou hast notsought counsel from the comely, the fresh-coloured, the cheery, thevictorious Conall about what was due from thee to a comrade. Well dothese men know, that never, till life and time come to an end, shall beborn in the land of Connaught one who shall do deeds equal to thosewhich have been done by thee. And if thou hadst made inquiry from thesemen concerning the habitations, the gatherings, the promises, and thebroken faith of the fair-haired ladies of Connaught; hadst thou askedthem concerning spear-play and sword-play; concerning skill inbackgammon and chess; concerning feats with horses, and chariots ofwar; they would have said that never had been found the arm of achampion who could wound a hero's flesh like the arm of Ferdia; hewhose colour matched the tints of the clouds: none who like thee couldexcite the croak of the bloody-mouthed vulture, as she calls herfriends to the feast of the many-coloured flocks; none who shall fightfor Croghan or be the equal of thee to the end of life and time, O thouruddy-cheeked son of Daman!" said Cuchulain. And then Cuchulain stoodover Ferdia. "Ah! Ferdia, " said Cuchulain, "great was the treacheryand desertion that the men of Ireland had wrought upon thee, when theybrought thee to combat and fight with me. For it was no light matterto combat and fight with me on the occasion of the Tain bo Cuailnge. "And thus it was that he spoke, and he then recited these words:

[FN#60] Pronounced Reen-gabra. 

'Twas guile to woe that brought thee;'Tis I that moan thy fate;For aye thy doom hath caught thee, And here, alone, I wait. 

To Scathach, glorious mother, Our words, when boys, we passed;No harm for each from otherShould come while time should last. 

Alas! I loved thee dearly, Thy speech; thy ruddy face;Thy gray-blue eyes, so clearlyThat shone; thy faultless grace. 

In wrath for strife advancesNo chief; none shield can rearTo piercing storm of lancesOf Daman's son the peer. 

Since he whom Aife[FN#61] bore meBy me was slain in fight, No champion stood before meWho matched Ferdia's might. 

He came to fight, thus trustingMight Findabar be won;Such hopes have madmen, thrustingWith spears at sand or sun. 

[FN#61] Pronounced Eefa. See note on this line. 

Still Cuchulain continued to gaze upon Ferdia. And now, O my friendLaeg!" said Cuchulain, "strip for me the body of Ferdia, and take fromhim his armour and his garments, that I may see the brooch for the sakeof which he undertook this combat and fight. " Then Laeg arose, and hestripped Ferdia; he took his armour and his garments from him, andCuchulain saw the brooch, and he began to lament and to mourn for him, and he spake these words:

Ah! that brooch of gold![FN#62]Bards Ferdia knew:Valiantly on foesWith hard blows he flew. 

Curling golden hair, Fair as gems it shone;Leaflike sash, on sideTied, till life had gone. 

[FN#62] The metre and the rhyme-system is that of the Irish. Seenotes, p. 196. 

Comrade, dear esteemed!Bright thy glances beamed:Chess play thine, worth gold:Gold from shield rim gleamed. 

None of friend had deemedCould such tale be told!Cruel end it seemed:Ah! that brooch of gold!

"And now, O my friend Laeg!" said Cuchulain, "open the body of Ferdia, and take the Gae-Bulg out of him, for I cannot afford to be without myweapon. " Laeg came, and he opened Ferdia's body, and he drew theGae-Bulg out of him, and Cuchulain saw his weapon all bloody and red bythe side of Ferdia, and then he spake these words:

Ferdia, I mourn for thy dying, Thou art pale, although purple with gore:Unwashed is my weapon still lying, And the blood-streams from out of thee pour. 

Our friends in the East who have seen us, When with Uathach and Scathach[FN#63] we dwelled, Can bear witness, no quarrel between usOr with words or with weapons was held. 

Scathach came; and to conflict incitingWere her accents that smote on mine ear;"Go ye all, where a swift battle fighting, German wields his green terrible spear!

To Ferdia, I flew with the story, To the son of fair Baitan I sped, And to Lugaid, whose gifts win him glory, "Come ye all to fight German, " I said. 

[FN#63] Pronounced Ooha and Scaha. 

Where the land by Loch Formay lies hollowedHad we come, fit for fight was the place;And beside us four hundred men followed;From the Athisech Isles was their race. 

As beside me Ferdia contendedAgainst German, at door of his dun;I slew Rind, who from Niul[FN#64] was descended, I slew Rood, of Finnool was he son. 

[FN#64] Pronounced Nyool. 

'Twas Ferdia slew Bla by the water, Son of Cathbad red-sworded was he:And from Lugaid Mugarne gat slaughter, The grim lord of the Torrian sea. 

Four times fifty men, stubborn in battle, By my hand in that gateway were slain;To Ferdia, of grim mountain cattleFell a bull, and a bull from the plain. 

Then his hold to the plunderers giving, Over ocean waves spangled with foam, Did we German the wily, still living, To the broad-shielded Scathach bring home. 

There an oath our great mistress devising, Both our valours with friendship she bound;That no anger betwixt us uprisingShould 'mid Erin's fair nations be found. 

Much of woe with that Tuesday was dawning, When Ferdia's great might met its end;Though red blood-drink I served him that morning:Yet I loved, though I slew him, my friend. 

If afar thou hadst perished when strivingWith the bravest of heroes of Greece, 'Tis not I would thy loss be surviving;With thy death should the life of me cease. 

Ah! that deed which we wrought won us sorrow, Who, as pupils, by Scathach were trained:Thou wilt drive not thy chariot to-morrow;I am weak, with red blood from me drained. 

Ah! that deed which we wrought won us anguish, Who, as pupils, by Scathach were taught:Rough with gore, and all wounded, I languish;Thou to death altogether art brought. 

Ah! that deed that we wrought there was cruelFor us pupils, from Scathach who learned:I am strong; thou art slain in the duel, In that conflict, with anger we burned. 

"Come now, Cuchulain, " said Laeg, "and let us quit this ford, for toolong have we been here. " "Now indeed will we depart, O my friendLaeg!" said Cuchulain, "but every other combat and fight that I havemade hath been only a game and a light matter to me compared with thiscombat and fight with Ferdia. " Thus it was that he spoke; and in thisfashion he recited:

Wars were gay, and but light was fray[FN#65]Ere at the Ford his steeds made stay:Like had we both been taught, Both one kind mistress swayed;Like the rewards we sought, Like was the praise she paid. 

[FN#65] Metre and rhyme-system of the Irish imitated, but not exactlyreproduced. 

Wars were gay, and but light was frayEre at the Ford his steeds made stay:Like were our fights, oft fought, Like were our haunts in play;Scathach to each of us broughtA shield one day. 

Wars were gay, and but light was frayEre at the Ford his steeds made stay:Pillar of gold, loved well, Low at the Ford's side laid;He, when on troops he fell, Valour unmatched displayed. 

Wars were gay, and but light was frayEre at the Ford his steeds made stay:Lionlike, on he sped;High, in his wrath, he blazed;Rose, as a wave of dread;Ruin his onset raised. 

Wars were gay, and but light was frayEre at the Ford his steeds made stay:Never, till hour of doom, Ferdia's form shall fade;High as a cliff it loomed, Now is but left his shade. 

Three great armies went this Raid, [FN#66]All the price of death have paid;Choicest cattle, men, and steedsLie in heaps, to tell my deeds. 

[FN#66] The metre is that of the Irish. 

Widely spread their battle-line, Less than half their host was mine;Though to war stout Croghan came, All I slew, for me a game!

None the battle neared like thee, None of all whom Banba nursedPassed thy fame; on land, on sea, Thou, of sons of kings, art first!

SPECIAL NOTE

ON THE "COMBAT AT THE FORD"

The episode translated in the foregoing pages is not only one of thefamous examples on which Irish literature can fairly rest its claim touniversal recognition, but it also affords an excellent instance of theproblems involved when it comes to be studied critically. Theseproblems, upon the solution of which must to some extent depend ourestimate of the place of Irish in the general development of Europeanliterature) axe briefly dealt with in Mr. Leahy's Preface, as well asin his special Introduction (supra, pp. 114, 115), but may perhaps bethought worthy of somewhat more detailed examination. 

The existence of two markedly different versions of the "Tain boCuailnge, " one, obviously older, represented by the eleventh-centuryMS. Leabhar na h-Uidhri (L. U. ), and the fourteenth-century MS. YellowBook of Lecan (Y. B. L. ); the other, obviously younger, by thetwelfth-century Book of Leinster (L. L. ), was pointed out by ProfessorHeinrich Zimmer twenty-seven years ago in his study of the L. U. Heroicsaga texts (Keltische Studien V. : Zeitschrift für vergleichendeSprachforschung, vol. Xxviii. ). The conclusion that he drew from thefact, as also from the peculiarities disclosed by his analysis of theL. U. Texts, is substantially that stated by Mr. Leahy: "On the whole itseems as if the compiler of the manuscript from which both the Leabharna h-Uidhri and the Yellow Book of Lecan were copied, combined into oneseveral different descriptions of the 'War, ' one of which isrepresented by the Book of Leinster version. " He furthermoreemphasised a particular aspect of this compiler's activity to which Mr. Leahy also draws repeated attention; he (the compiler) was a maninterested in the historical and antiquarian rather than in theliterary side of the texts he harmonised and arranged: hence hispreference for versions that retain archaic and emphasise mythicalelements; hence his frequent interpolation of scraps of historical andantiquarian learning; hence his indifference to consistency in theconduct of the story, and to its artistic finish. Professor Zimmerurged that the "compiler" was no other than Flann, Abbot ofMonasterboice, who died in 1047, and was regarded as the most famousrepresentative of Irish learning in his day. There has come down to usunder his name a considerable mass of chronological and historicalwriting, partly in prose, partly in verse, and it seems certain that hewas one of the chief artisans in framing that pragmatic redaction ofIrish myth, heroic legend, and historical tradition most fullyrepresented by the two great compilations of the seventeenth century:the Annals of the Four Masters, emphasising its antiquarian, historicalside; Keating's History, emphasising its romantic, legendary side. 

Whilst Professor Zimmer's conclusion as to the personality of the L. U. Compiler has been challenged, his main thesis has remained unshaken. On the whole, it can be asserted positively that the common source ofL. U. And Y. B. L. Goes back to the early eleventh century; on the whole, that this common source itself utilised texts similar to thosecontained in the Book of Leinster. Moreover, the progress oflinguistic analysis during the past quarter-century has strengthenedthe contention that some of the elements used by Flann (or another) incompiling his eleventh-century harmony are as old, in point oflanguage, as any existing remains of Irish outside the Oghaminscriptions; in other words, being as old as the earliest glosses, they may date back to the eighth or even seventh century. Inparticular the L. U. -Y. B. L. Version of the "Tain bo Cuailnge" contains alarge proportion of such elements and may, in the main, be treated asan eighth-century text. 

It must, however, be pointed out, and for this reason I have italicisedthe qualifying "on the whole, " "in the main, " that this conclusion doesnot enable us to declare dogmatically (1) that all portions of theL. U. -Y. B. L. Version must go back to the eighth century; (2) that allportions of the Book of Leinster version must precede the compilationof the common source of L. U. And Y. B. L. For as regards (1), not onlymust the definitely ascertained activity of the eleventh-centurycompiler be taken into account, but also the possible activity of laterscribes. If we possessed the complete text of the L. U. -Y. B. L. Redaction in both MSS. , we could at least be sure concerning thepossible variations introduced during the two centuries that elapsedbetween the writing of the Yellow Book (early fourteenth century) andthat of L. U. (late eleventh century). But most unfortunately both MSS. Are imperfect, the Yellow Book at the opening, L. U. At the close of ourtale. Thus of the special episode under consideration, the "Combat atthe Ford, " the older redaction is only extant in the fourteenth-centuryMS. , and it is always open to impugners of its archaic character to saythat it has been introduced there from the rival Leinster version. Again, as regards (2), whilst it is practically certain that the greatmass of the Leinster version was in existence before the time of thesource whence both L. U. And Y. B. L. Are derived, and must therefore dateback to the early eleventh century, it is by no means certain that thisversion was not considerably altered and enlarged before it came to bewritten down in the Book of Leinster some time before 1154. 

The older version of the "Tain bo Cuailnge" has been translated by MissWinifred Faraday (Grimm Library, No. Xvi. 1904). In her Introduction(p. Xvii. ) Miss Faraday argues against the assumption "that L. L. Preserves an old version of the episode, " and questions "whether thewhole Fer Diad[FN#67] episode may not be late. " The truth of this onecontention would by no means involve that of the other; and again, bothmight be true without invalidating any of the conclusions drawn by Mr. Leahy (supra, p. 115). If the episode as we have it first took shapein the tenth century, it would be late as compared with much of therest of the "Tain, " and yet it would be the earliest example inpost-classic European literature of the sentiments and emotions towhich it gives such fine and sympathetic expression. In comparing thetwo versions, the following fact is at once noticeable. The Y. B. L. Text occupies pp. 100-112 of Miss Faraday's translation, in roundfigures, 320 lines of 8 words to the line, or some 2600 words; theLeinster version, omitting the verse, fills some 500 lines of 14 words, or 7000 words. Up to a certain point, however, the actual meeting ofthe two champions, there is no difference between the versions inlength; the prose of both runs to about 2200 words. But the whole ofthe actual fight (supra, pp. 129-153 in the Leinster version) iscompressed into a page and a half in the older redaction, some 800words as against over 4000. Obviously this cannot represent theoriginal state of things; it would be psychologically impossible forany story-teller to carry on his narrative up to a given stage with thedramatic vigour, point, and artistically chosen detail displayed in thefirst portion of the Y. B. L. Version of the combat, and then to treatthe culmination of the tale in such a huddled, hasty, scamped manner. The most likely explanation is that the original from which the Y. B. L. Scribe was copying was imperfect, and that the lacuna was supplied frommemory, and from a very faulty memory. No conclusion can thus, Ithink, be drawn from the fact that the details of the actual combat areso bald and meagre in the only extant text of the older redaction. 

[FN#67] This is the spelling in Y. B. L. In L. L. The name appears asone word, "Ferdiad"; usually scanned as a dissyllable--thoughoccasionally as a trisyllable. The spelling Ferdia is the conventionalone sanctioned by the usage of Ferguson, Aubrey de Vere, and others;the scansion of the word as a trisyllable is on the same authority. 

If the two versions be compared where they are really comparable, i. E. In that portion which both narrate at approximately the same length, the older redaction will be found fuller of incident, the charactersdrawn with a bolder, more realistic touch, the presentment morevigorous and dramatic. Ferdiad is unwilling to go against Cuchulainnot, apparently, solely for prudential reasons, and he has to be goadedand taunted into action by Medb, who displays to the full her wontedmagnificently resourceful unscrupulousness, regardless of any and everyconsideration, so long as she can achieve her purpose. The action ofFergus is far more fully dwelt upon, and the scones between him and hischarioteer, as also between him and Cuchulain, are given with fargreater spirit. The hero is indignant that Fergus should think itnecessary to warn him against a single opponent, and says roundly thatit is lucky no one else came on such an errand. The tone of the olderredaction is as a whole rough, animated, individualistic as comparedwith the smoother, more generalised, less accentuated presentment ofthe Leinster version. But to conclude from this fact that the olderredaction of the actual combat, if we had it in its original fulnessinstead of in a bald and fragmentary summary, would not have dwelt uponthe details of the fighting, would not have insisted upon the courteousand chivalrous bearing of the two champions, would not have emphasisedthe inherent pathos of the situation, seems to me altogetherunwarranted. On the contrary the older redaction, by touches ofstrong, vivid, archaic beauty lacking in the Leinster version leads upto and prepares for just such a situation as the latter describes sofinely. One of these touches must be quoted. Cuchulain's charioteerasks him what he will do the night before the struggle, and thencontinues, "It is thus Fer Diad will come to seek you, with new beautyof plaiting and haircutting and washing and bathing. .. . It wouldplease me if you went to the place where you will got the same adorningfor yourself, to the place where is Emer of the Beautiful Hair. .. . SoCuchulain went thither that night, and spent the night with his ownwife. " There is indeed the old Irish hero faring forth to battle as alover to the love tryst! How natural, how inevitable with warriors ofsuch absurd and magnificent susceptibility, such boyish love ofswagger, how natural, I say, the free and generous emotion combinedwith an overmastering sense of personal honour, and a determination towin at all costs, which are so prominent in the Leinster version of thefight. [FN#68]

[FN#68] The trait must not be put down as a piece of story-teller'sfancy. In another text of the Ulster cycle, Cath ruis na Rig, Conchobor's warriors adorn and beautify themselves in this way beforethe battle. The Aryan Celt behaved as did the Aryan Hellene. Allreaders of Herodotus will recall how the comrades of Leonidas preparedfor battle by engaging in games and combing out their hair, and howDemaretus, the counsellor of Xerxes, explained to the king "that it isa custom with these men that when they shall prepare to imperil theirlives; that is the time when they adorn their heads" (Herodotus vii. 209. )

The contention that the older redaction, if we had it complete, wouldresemble the younger one in its insistence upon the chivalrous bearingof the two opponents, may also be urged on historical grounds. Thesentiment which gives reality and power to the situation is based uponthe strength of the tie of blood-brotherhood; so strong is this that italmost balances the most potent element in the ideal of old Irishheroism--the sense of personal honour and pre-eminence in all thatbefits a warrior. The tie itself and the sentiment based upon itcertainly belong to pre-Christian times, and must have been losingrather than gaining in strength during the historic period, say fromthe fourth century onwards. The episode of Cuchulain's combat withFerdiad must have existed in the older redaction of the "Tain" for thesimple reason that a tenth and eleventh century story-teller would havefound nothing in the feelings, customs, or literary conventions of hisown day to suggest to him such a situation and such a manner of workingit out. But--and this consideration may afford a ground ofconciliation with Miss Faraday and the scholars who hold by thelateness of the episode--the intrinsic beauty and pathos of thesituation, the fact of its constituting an artistic climax, wouldnaturally tempt the more gifted of the story-telling class. Therewould be a tendency to elaborate, to adorn in the newest fashion, henceto modernise, and it is not only conceivable but most probable that theoriginal form should be farther departed from than in the case of muchelse in the epic. 

ALFRED NUTT. 

GENERAL NOTES

THE COURTSHIP OF ETAIN

The translation of both versions of this romance has been revised byProfessor Strachan, and the linguistic notes are due to him, unlessotherwise stated. The rendering given in the text is noted as"doubtful, " in cases where Professor Strachan does not assent. 

PAGE 7@@both line 17?Line 17. "By a means that he devised, " do airec memman, lit. "by adevice of mind. " Compare airecc memman aith (Meyer, Hib. Minora, p. 28). 

Line 17. "So that she became well-nourished, &c. , " lit. "till therecame to her fatness and form;" sult probably means "fatness, " and feth"form. "

PAGE 8

Line 25. "Curvetting and prancing, " tuagmar, foran. These are guessesby O'Curry: curvetting may be right, but there is little authority forrendering foran as "prancing "; this word is doubtful. "With a broadforehead, " forlethan, lit. "broad above, " O'Curry renders"broad-rumped. "

Line 34. "Upon the shore of the bay, " forsin purt. Windisch'srendering of port is "bank, harbour"; but it is doubtful whether theword means more than "place. "

PAGE 9

The literal rendering adopted for the poem runs thus:

Etain is here thusat the elf-mound of the Fair-Haired Women west of Albaamong little children to heron the shore of the Bay of Cichmaine. 

It is she who cured the eye of the kingfrom the Well of Loch da lig, it is she who was drunk in a draughtby the wife of Etar in a heavy draught. 

Through war for her the king will chasethe birds from Tethba, and will drown his two horsesin the lake da Airbrech. 

There shall be abundant and many warsthrough the war for thee on Echaid of Meath, destruction shall be on the elf-mounds, and war upon many thousands. 

It is she who was hurt in the land (?), it is she who strove to win the king, it is she as compared to whom men men speak of fair women, it is she, our Etain afterwards. 

Line 2. "West of Alba" is literally "behind Alba, " iar n-Albai: iaris, however, also used in the sense of "west of. "

Line 14 is given by Windisch "through the war over Meath rich inhorses"; this is impossible. 

The translation of line 17 is not quite certain; the literaltranslation of the MS. Seems to be "it is she who was hurt and theland. " Da Airbrech in line 12 may mean "of two chariots. "

PAGE 10

Literal translation of the quatrain:

Ignorant was Fuamnach, the wife of Mider, Sigmall and Bri with its treesin Bri Leth: it was a full trialwere burned by means of Manannan. 

PAGE 11

Line 5. "Labraid the Tracker. " This is a very doubtful rendering, thetext gives Labradae Luircc. 

Line 25. "That he desired full knowledge of. " There seems to besomething with the Irish here; the word is co fessta which could onlybe third singular subj. Pass. "that it might be known, " which does notmake grammar. It should be co fessed or co festais, "that he (or they)might know. "

PAGE 12

Line 9. "His officers who had the care of the roads. " A very doubtfulrendering; the Irish is tarraluing sligeth. 

Line 29. "A bright purple mantle waved round her, " lit. "a brightpurple curling (?) mantle, " but the sense of caslechta as "curling" isnot certain. 

Line 30. "Another mantle. " The word for mantle here is folai, in theformer line it was brat. 

PAGE 13

Line 3. "As white as the snow. " ba gilighuir mechto: not "whiter thanthe snow, " as Windisch's Dict. Gives it. 

Line 17. "All that's graceful, &c. , " cach cruth co hEtain, coem cachco hEtain. Compare conid chucum bagthir cach n-delb. (L. U. , 124b, 17, "Courtship of Emer "), and Ir. Text. , iii. P. 356, 1. 4, from which itmay be seen that the meaning is that Etain is the test to which allbeauty must be compared. 

PAGE 14

Line 19. "So long as they were, " not "so long as he was. " The Irishis cein ropas, and ropas is the impersonal preterite passive. 

Line 29. "The choking misery, &c. , " lit. "he let come to him theslaodan of a heavy sickness:" slaodan is the cough of consumption. 

PAGE 15

Line 2. Lit. "worse and worse, " messa a cach. 

Line 18. "His burial mound, " a fert fodbuigh. Compare Zimmer, Kuhn'sZeitschrift, xxx. 9, for fotbuig. 

Literal rendering of the dialogue:

B. What hath happened to thee, O young man?long is thy bed of sickness, prostrate is thy full and splendid pace, however fair the weather may be. 

A. There is cause for my sighs;the music of my harp contents me not;neither does any milk please me, it is this that brings me into a pitiful state. 

E. Tell me what ails thee, O man, for I am a maiden who is wise;tell me of anything which may be of benefit to theethat thy healing may be wrought by me. 

A. To speak of it is not possible for me(lit. "finds not room in me"), O maiden, lovely is thy form, there is fire of some one behind her eyes (?)nor are the secrets of women good. 

B. Though the secrets of women are bad, yet, if it is love, the remembrance remains for long;from the time when the matter is taken into handthis thing is not deserving of its (?) recognition. 

A. A blessing on thee, O white maiden, I am not worthy of this speech to me;neither am I grateful to my own mind, my body is in opposition to me. 

Wretched indeed is this, O wife of the King, Eochaid Fedlech in very truth, my body and my head are sick, it is reported in Ireland. 

E. If there is among the troops of white womenany one who is vexing thee, she shall come here, if it is pleasing to thee, there shall be made by my help her courtship. 

In verse 3, line 2, inniss dam gach dal, dal means no more than thingit is not an accusative from dal, a meeting. 

Verse 4, line 3. Meaning doubtful. 

Verse 7, line 2. The confusion between Eochaid Airemm, the king inthis story, and his brother Eochaid Fedlech is obvious. It may, asWindisch thinks, be an indication that the poem is not part of theromance as originally composed, but other explanations are possible. 

Line 4. "It is reported. " Not quite certain; Irish is issed berair. 

PAGE 17

Line 11. "And great gain, &c. " Text defective, and meaning uncertain. 

Line 13. Rhetoric; the literal translation seems to be as follows, butsome words are uncertain:

It is love that was longer enduring (?) than a year my love, it is like being under the skin, it is the kingdom of strength over destruction. 

It is the dividing into quarters of the earth, it is summit (7) of heaven, it is breaking of the neck, it is a battle against a spectre. 

It is drowning with cold (or ? water), it is a race up heaven, it is a weapon under the ocean, it is affection for an echo;(so is) my affection and my love and my desire of the one on whom Ihave set (my love). 

PAGE 18

Line 2. The translation given is Windisch's, "it is sorrow under theskin is Strachan's rendering. 

Line 5. Translation uncertain. Irish is dichend nime. 

Line 8. Is combath fri huacht (I read husce). 

Literal rendering of the poem:

Arise, O glorious Ailill, great bravery is more proper to thee than anything;since thou shalt find here what was wished by thee, thy healing shall be done by me. 

If it should please thee in thy wise mind, place hand about my neck;a beginning of courtship, beautiful its colour, woman and man kissing each other. 

But, if this is not enough for thee, O good man, O son of a king, O royal prince, I will give for thy healing, O glorious crime, from my knee to my navel. 

A hundred cows, a hundred ounces of gold, a hundred bridled horses were collecting, a hundred garments of each variegated colour, these were brought as a price for me. 

A hundred of each other beast came hither, the drove was great;these to me quickly, till the sum was complete, gave Eochaid at the one time. 

Line 14. Of poem. "Were collecting, " ratinol. This is the renderingin Windisch's Dictionary, but is a doubtful one. 

Line 18. Imerge means "drove, " not "journey, " as in Windisch. 

Line 27 of text. "Wrought a great healing, &c. " Irish, ro lessaig, "healed him" (Windisch); "waited upon him" (Strachan). 

PAGE 19

Line 17. "For fear of danger. " Baegal, "danger, " has sometimes thesense of "chance, " "risk. "

Line 23. "That is what I would demand of thee. " Translation not quitecertain Irish, cid rotiarfaiged. 

PAGE 20

Line 2. "That both of us do indeed deem, &c. " lit. "it is so indeedwell to us both. "

Line 22. For the incident compare Bodleian Dinnshenchas (Nutt, p. 27):the introduction of Crochen is a human touch which seems to becharacteristic of the author of this version. The Dinnshenchas accountseems to be taken from the romance, but it gives the name of Sinech asMider's entertainer at Mag Cruachan. 

Line 25. "The Fairy Mound of Croghan. " Irish, co sith sínighe Cruachan;for sínighe read Maighe, "to the sid of Mag C. "

PAGE 21

Line 2. Until the same day upon the year, &c. , " on lo cu cele, "fromthat day to its fellow, " i. E. "till the same day next year. "

Line 10. "Three wands of yew. " This looks like an early case of adivining-rod. 

Line 21. "Hath smitten thee, " rotirmass for ro-t-ormaiss, "hath hitthee. "

Line 29. "They ruined, " "docuas ar, " an idiomatic phrase; "theyovercame, " an idiomatic phrase. Compare Annals of Ulster under years1175, 1315, 1516. 

PAGE 22

Line 2. "Messbuachalla. " This makes Etain the great-grandmother ofConary, the usual account makes her the grandmother, so that there ishere an extra generation inserted. Yet in the opening she and EochaidAirem are contemporary with kings who survived Conary!

Line 4. "The fairy host, &c. " The order of the words in the originalis misleading and difficult sithchaire and Mider are the subjects to rochoillsiut and to doronsat. 

PAGE 23

Line 12. That there should be adjusted)" fri commus, lit. "forvaluation, " but commus has also the sense of "adjusting. "

PAGE 24

Line 4. "Since he for a long time, &c. , " fodaig dognith abairt diasirsellad. See Meyer's Contributions, s. V. Abairt. 

Line 23. "To gaze at her. " Up to this point the L. U. Version(exclusive of the Prologue) bears the character of an abstract, afterwards the style improves. 

PAGE 25

Line 2. "But it shall not be in the abode, &c. " Windisch seems tohave mimed the point here, he considers these lines to be aninterpolation. 

PAGE 26

Line 5. Following Windisch's suggestion, this poem has been placedhere instead of the later place where it occurs in the text. Thisfamous poem has been often translated; but as there appear to be pointsin it that have been missed, a complete literal rendering is appended:

O fair-haired woman, will you come with meinto a marvellous land wherein is music (?);the top of the head there is hair of primrose, the body up to the head is colour of snow. 

In that country is no "mine" and no "thine";white are teeth there, black are eyebrows, the colour of the eyes is the number of our hosts, each cheek there the hue of the foxglove. 

The purple of the plain is (on) each neck, the colour of the eyes is (colour of) eggs of blackbird;though pleasant to the sight are the plains of Fal (Ireland), they are a wilderness (7) for a man who has known the Great Plain. 

Though intoxicating to ye the ale of the island of Fal, the ale of the Great Country is more intoxicatinga wonder of a land is the land I speak of, a young man there goes not before an old man. 

Stream smooth and sweet flow through the land, there is choice of mead and wine;men handsome (?) without blemish, conception without sin, without crime. 

We see all on every side, and yet no one seeth us, the cloud of the sin of Adam it isthat encompasses us from the reckoning. 

O woman, if thou wilt come to my strong people, it is top of head of gold shall be on thy head, unsalted pork, new milk and mead for drinkshalt thou have with me there, O fair-haired woman. 

Line 2. Hi fil rind. The meaning of rind (?) music) is uncertain. 

Line 3. Is barr sobarche folt and. This line is often translated as"hair is wreathed with primrose": the image would be better, but it isnot the Irish. Barr is "top of head, " and folt is "hair. "

Line 4. Is and nad bi mui na tai. Muisse is in old Irish thepossessive of the first sing when followed by a noun it becomes mo, when not so followed it is mui; tai is also found for do. O'Curry gavethis line as "there is no sorrow nor care. "

Lines 7 and 10. Is li sula lin ar sluag and is li sula ugai luin areso similar that is li sula must mean the same in both, and cannot mean"splendour of eyes" in the first case unless it does so in the second. The idea in the first case seems to be that the hosts are reflected inthe eyes; it is so rendered in the verse translation. A blackbird'segg has a blue ground, but is so thickly powdered with brown spots ofall shapes that it looks brown at a distance. At first I was inclinedto take the idea to be "hazel" eyes, but comparing line 7, it seemsmore likely that the idea is that all sorts of shapes appear in thepupil. 

Line 12. The translation of annam as a "wilderness" is very doubtful, it more probably is "seldom"; and the line should be "seldom will it beso after knowledge of, &c. "

Line 16. This has always been rendered "no youth there grows to oldage. " But the Irish is ni thecht oac and re siun, and re siun can onlymean "before an old (man). " The sense possibly is, that as men do notbecome feeble with advancing years, the younger man has not the sameadvantage over his elders in the eyes of women that he has in thisworld. 

Line 17. Teith millsi, "smooth and honey-sweet" (Meyer, MacCongl. , p. 196). 

Line 24. Compare a story of some magical pigs that could not becounted accurately (Revue Celtique, vol. Xiii. P. 449). 

Line 31. Muc ur, "unsalted pork"; see Glossary to Laws, p. 770; alsoMacConglinne (Kuno Meyer), p, 99. 

PAGE 27

Line 23. "He ascended. " Fosrocaib for sosta: fosrocaib is an unknowncompound (=fo-sro-od-gaib). Perhaps frisocaib for sosta, "mounted onthe heights. "

Line 29. Co brainni a da imdae, "to the edges of his two shoulders";see braine, in Meyer's Contributions. 

PAGE 28. 

Line 19. "Casting their light on every side, " cacha air di = cachaairidi, "in every direction. "

Line 25. "If thou dost obtain the forfeit of my stake, " mad tu berasmo thocell. For tocell see Zimmer, Kuhn's Zeitsch. , xxx. 80. 

Line 29. "Eager" (?), femendae. See Bruiden da Derga (Stokes), 50, 51. 

Line 30. "Easily stopped, " so-ataidi suggested for sostaidi in thetext: cf. Bruiden da Derga. The conjecture has not Strachan'sauthority. 

PAGE 29

Line 19. Literal translation of rhetoric: "Put it in hand, place itclose in hand, noble are oxen for hours after sunset, heavy is therequest, it is unknown to whom the gain, to whom the loss from thecauseway. "

Line 28. "Over the chariot-pole of life" seems to be a literalrendering of for fertas in betha. Strachan renders "on the face of theworld, " which is of course the meaning of the simile. 

Line 30. "High was he girt, " ard chustal. The meaning of custal isnot known; it was used of some arrangement of the dress. See Ir. Text. , iii. 226; also L. U. 79a, 35, L. L. 97a, 40; 98a, 51; 253a, 30. 

Line 31. "Eochaid arose, " Atrigestar Eochaid. Strachan thinks it muchmore likely that this is "Eochaid feared him, " the verb coming fromatagur. It is, however, just possible that the word might be adeponent form from atregaim, "I arise. " Eochaid does not elsewhereshow any fear of Mider, the meaning given agrees better with the toneof the story, and is grammatically possible. 

PAGE 30

Line 1. "All things that seemed good, &c. , " lit. "I have beenaccustomed to get what seemed good to thee, " adethaind ni bad maith. 

Line 3. "Anger for anger, " bara fri bure. Compare the word bura inMeyer's Contributions. 

Line 25. "In order that Eochaid should stand in his debt, " lit. "thatthere might be cause of reproach for him to Eochaid. "

Line 32. "Forest that is over Breg. " MS. Fid dar bre, with mark ofabbreviation. This is read to be dar Breg. Professor Rhys (ArthurianLegend, p. 28) renders "to cover Darbrech with trees. "

Line 33. "As it is written in the book of Drom Snechta. "This is aconjecture by Mrs. Hutton as a restoration of the words in L. U. , whichis torn just here: the words appear to be amal atbert lebor drums. 

PAGE 31

Line 1. This rhetoric is very obscure; much of it cannot betranslated. The text seems to be as follows, according to Strachan:Cuisthe illand tochre illand airderg damrad trom inchoibden clunithar fírferdi buidni balc-thruim crandchuir forderg saire fedar sechuibslimprib snithib scítha lama indrosc cloina fo bíth oen mna. Duib in dígailduib in trom daim tairthim flatho fer ban fomnis fomnis in fer mbraniecerpiae fomnis diad dergae fer arfeid soluig fria iss esslind fer bronfor-tí ertechta in de lamnado luachair for di Thethbi dílecud (? diclochud)Midi in dracht coich les coich amles ? thocur ? dar c? moin. 

Apparent rendering: "Place on the land, place close on the land, veryred oxen, heavy troop which hears, truly manlike ? troops, strong heavyplacing of trees, very red . . . Is led past them with twisted wattles, weary hands, the eye slants aside (squints) because of one woman. Toyou the vengeance, to you the heavy ? oxen ? splendour of sovereigntyover white men, . . . Man sorrow on thee . . . Of childbirth, rushesover Tethba, clearing of stones from Meath . . . Where the benefitwhere the evil, causeway over . . . Moor. " It seems that the oxen weretransformed people of Mider's race; this appears from fír-ferdi, which istaken to mean "really men"; and duib in digail duib in trom-daim, whichis taken to mean "to you the vengeance, to you heavy oxen. "

Professor Strachan disagrees with this, as daim, to be "oxen, " shouldnot have the accent, he makes trom-daim "heavy companies. " He alsorenders clunithar fír ferdi buindi, as "which hears truth, manly troops. " The rest of the translation he agrees to, most of it is his own. 

The passage from fomnis fomnis to lamnado seems untranslatable. 

PAGE 32

Line 1. Lit. "no evil wedding feast (banais, text banas) for thee?

MAC DATHO'S BOAR

PAGE 37

Line 3. The Rawlinson version gives, instead of "who was the guardianof all Leinster, " the variant "who would run round Leinster in a day. "This semi-supernatural power of the hound is the only supernaturaltouch in either version of the tale. 

Line 6. The verse "Mesroda son of Datho" is from the Rawlinson MS. The literal version of it is in Anecdota Oxoniensia, Mediaeval Series, part viii. P. 57. (This reference will in future be given as A. O. , p. 57. )

Line 20. The list of the hostelries or guest-houses of Irelandincludes the scene of the famous Togail Da Derga, in the sack of whichConaire, king of Ireland, was killed. Forgall the Wily was the fatherof Emer, Cuchulain's wife. The tale of the plunder of da Choca is inthe MS. Classed as H. 3, 18 in the Trinity College, Dublin, Library. 

PAGE 38

The literal version of the dialogue between Mac Datho and his wife isgiven in A. O. , p. 58, following the Leinster text (there are only twolines of it given in the Rawlinson MS. ); but I note a few divergenciesin the literal version from which the verse translation was made. 

Verse 3, line 1. Asbert Crimthann Nia Nair, "Crimthann Nia Nair hassaid" (A. O. ). Nia is "sister's son, " and has been so rendered. Nia isa champion, and this is the meaning given in the Coir Anmann; but niahas no accent in either the Leinster or Harleian manuscripts of thetext. The Coir Anmann (Ir. Tex. , iii. 333) says that Nar was a witch. 

Verse 4, lines 1, 2. Cid fri mnai atbertha-su Mani thesbad ní aire, "Whywouldest thou talk to a woman if something were not amiss?" (A. O. ). "Why dost thou speak against a woman unless something fails on thataccount" seems as good a translation, and fits the sense better. 

Verse 7, line 2. Leis falmag dar sin tuaith, "By him Ireland (shall beroused) over the people. " The omitted verb is apparently "to be, " asabove. Line 4 of the same verse is left untranslated in A. O. , it isata neblai luim luaith. It seems to mean "There is nothing on theplain for bareness (luim) of ashes, " more literally, "There is ano-plain for, &c. "

Verse 9, lines 2, 3. Isi ním dení cutal. Ailbe do roid dia. "It does notmake sorrow for me; as for Ailbe, "God sent him" seems to be the sense;but the meaning of cutal is obscure. 

PAGE 41

Line 8. "Forty oxen as side-dishes, " lit. "forty oxen crosswise to it"(dia tarsnu). The Rawlinson MS. Gives "sixty oxen to drag it" (diatarraing). 

Line 33. "The son of Dedad. " Clan Dedad was the Munster hero clan, having their fortress in Tara Luachra; they correspond to the morefamous Clan Rury of Ulster, whose stronghold was Emain Macha. Curoi ofMunster seems to have been a rival hero to Cuchulain. 

PAGE 42

Line 20. "Pierced through with a spear. " The different ways in whichKet claims to have conquered his rivals or their relations may benoted; the variety of them recalls the detailed descriptions of woundsand methods of killing so common in Homer. There are seven victoriesclaimed, and in no two is the wound the same, a point thatdistinguishes several of the old Irish romances from the less elaboratefolk-tales of other nations. Arthur's knights in Malory "strike down"each other, very occasionally they "pierce through the breast" or"strike off a head, " but there is seldom if ever more detail. In theVolsunga Saga men "fall, " or are "slain, " in a few cases of the moreimportant deaths they are "pierced, " or "cut in half, " but except inthe later Niebelungenlied version where Siegfried is pierced throughthe cross embroidered on his back, a touch which is essential to theplot, none of the Homeric detail as to the wounds appears. The sameremark applies to the saga of Dietrich and indeed to most others; theonly cases that I have noticed which resemble the Irish in detail arein the Icelandic Sagas (the Laxdale Saga and others), and even therethe feature is not at all so prominent as here, in the "Tain beCuailnge, " and several other Irish romances, though it is by no meanscommon to all of them. It may be noted that the Irish version of the"Tale of Troy" shows this feature, and although it is possible that thepeculiarity is due to the great clearness and sharpness of detail thatcharacterises much of the early Irish work, it may be that this is acase of an introduction into Irish descriptions of Homeric methods. 

It may be also noted that six of Ket's seven rivals are named among theeighteen Ulster chiefs in the great gathering of Ulster on the Hill ofSlane before the final battle of the Tain, Angus being the only onenamed here who is not in the Hill of Slane list. Two others in theHill of Slane list, Fergus mac Lets and Feidlimid, are mentionedelsewhere in this tale. Several of these are prominent in other tales:Laegaire (Leary) is a third with Cuchulain and Conall in the Feast ofBricriu, and again in the "Courtship of Emer;" Cuscrid makes a thirdwith the same two principal champions in the early part of the"Sick-bed;" Eogan mac Durthacht is the slayer of the sow of Usnach inthe old version of that tale; and Celtchar mac Uitechar is the Masterof the Magic Spear in the "Bruiden da Derga, " and has minor romancespersonal to himself. 

PAGE 45

The literal translation of the rhetoric seems to be: Ket. "Welcome, Conall! heart of stone: wild glowing fire: sparkle of ice: wrathfullyboiling blood in hero breast: the scarred winner of victory: thou, sonof Finnchoem, canst measure thyself with me!" Conall. "Welcome, Ket!first-born of Mata! a dwelling place for heroes thy heart of ice: endof danger (7); chariot chief of the fight: stormy ocean: fair ragingbull: Ket, Magach's son! That will be proved if we are in combat: thatwill be proved if we are separated: the goader of oxen (?) shall tellof it: the handcraftsman (?) shall testify of it: heroes shall strideto wild lion-strife: man overturns man to-night in this house. "

PAGE 46

The literal translation of the quatrain is in A. O. , p. 63. Thequatrain does not occur in the Leinster version. 

PAGE 47

Line 4. "A great oak-tree. " After the plucking up of the oak-tree byFergus, the Rawlinson MS. Adds: "Others say that it was Curoi mac Dariwho took the oak to them, and it was then that he came to them, forthere was no man of Munster there (before) except Lugaid the son ofCuroi and Cetin Pauci. When Curoi had come to them, he carried off allalone one half of the Boar from all the northern half of Ireland. "This exploit attributed to Curoi is an example of the survival of theMunster account of the Heroic Age, part of which may be preserved inthe tales of Finn mac Cumhail. 

PAGE 48

The Rawlinson manuscript adds, after mentioning the rewards given toFerloga But he did not get the serenade (cepoca), though he got thehorses. " Literal translation of the final poem:

O lads of Connaught, I will not fillyour heaviness with a lying tale;a lad, small your portion, divided the Boar of Mac Datho. 

Three fifties of fifty menare gone with troops of heroes;combat of pride for that Ailbe, small the fault in the matter of the dog. Victorious Conor came (?), Ailill of the hosts, and Ket;Bodb over the slaughters after the fight, Cuchulain conceded no right. 

Congal Aidni there from the east, Fiamain the man of harmony from the sea, (he who) suffered in journeys after thatEogan the son of dark Durthacht. Three sons of Nera (famous) for numbers of battle-fields, three sons of Usnach, fierce shields:

Senlaech the charioteer, he was not foolish, (came) from high Conalad Cruachan;Dubhtach of Emain, high his dignity;Berba Baither of the gentle word;Illan glorious for the multitude of his deeds;fierce Munremur of Loch Sail;Conall Cernach, hard his valour;Marcan . . . Celtchar the Ulsterman, man over man;Lugaid of Munster, son of three dogs. 

Fergus waits great Ailbe, shakes for them the . . . Oak, took hero's cloak over very strong shield;red sorrow over red shield. 

By Cethern the son of Finntan they were smitten, single his number at the ford (i. & he was alone);the men of Connaught's hosthe released not for the time of six hours. 

Feidlimid with multitude of troops, Loegaire the Triumphant eastwards, was half of complaint about the dogwith Aed son of Morna not great. 

Great nobles, mighty (?) deeds, hard heroes, fair companions in a house, great champions, destruction of clans, great hostages, great sepulchres. 

@@line x2?In this poem may be noted the reference to Cuchulain in line x2 inclose connection with that to Bodb the Goddess of War, as indicatingthe original divine nature of Cuchulain as a war-god also the epithetof Lugaid, "son of three dogs. " Two of the dogs are elsewhere statedto be Cu-roi and Cu-chulain, the third seems uncertain. 

Line 26, describing Marcan, seems untranslatable; the Irish is Marcansinna set rod son. The epithet of the oak in line 32 is also obscure, the Irish is dairbre n-dall. 

THE SICK-BED OF CUCHULAIN

PAGE 57

Line 2. "Samhain. " Samhain was held on November 1st, and on its eve, "Hallow-e'en". 

The exhibition of tips of tongues, on the principle of Indian scalps, has nothing at all to do with the story, and is not mentioned in theusual descriptions of the romance. It is a piece of antiquarianinformation, possibly correct, and should serve to remind us that theoriginal form of these legends was probably of a barbaric kind, beforethey were taken in hand by the literary men who gave to the best formsof the romances the character they now have. 

Line 23. For the demons screaming from the weapons of warriors comparethe Book of Leinster version of the "Combat at the Ford": pages 126, 143 in this volume. 

PAGE 58

Line 4. The delay of Conall and Fergus leads to nothing, it is perhapsan introduction from some third form of the story. 

Line 19. Leborcham is, in the story of Deirdre, Deirdre's nurse andconfidant. 

Line 26. "Their three blemishes. "This disfigurement of the women of Ulster in honour of their chosenheroes seems to point to a worship of these heroes as gods in theoriginal legend. It may, however, be a sort of rough humourintentionally introduced by the author of the form of the story that wecall the Antiquarian form; there are other instances of such humour inthis form of the story. 

PAGE 59

Line 2. "Like the cast of a boomerang. " This is an attempt totranslate the word taithbeim, return-stroke, used elsewhere (L. U. , 63a. , 4) for Cuchulain's method of capturing birds. 

Line 8. "I deem it as being by me that the distribution was made. "The words "I deem it" are inserted, they are not in the text. Itappears that what Ethne meant was that the distribution by Cuchulainwas regarded by her as done by her through her husband. 

PAGE 60

Line 9. "Dun Imrith nor yet to Dun Delga. " Dun Imrith is the castle inwhich Cuchulain was when he met the War-Goddess in the "Apparition ofthe Morrigan, " otherwise called the "Tain bo Regamna. " Dun Delga orDundalk is the residence usually associated with Cuchulain. Themention of Emer here is noticeable; the usual statement about theromance is that Ethne is represented as Cuchulain's mistress, and Emeras his wife; the mention here of Emer in the Antiquarian form maysupport this; but this form seems to be drawn from so many sources, that it is quite possible that Ethne was the name of Cuchulain's wifein the mind of the author of the form which in the main is followed. There is no opposition between Emer and Ethne elsewhere hinted at. 

Line 15. The appearance of Lugaid Red-Stripes gives a reason for hissubsequent introduction in the link between the two forms of the story. 

Line 18. "Near the entrance of the chamber in which Cuchulain lay. "It does not yet seem certain whether imda was a room or a couch, and itwould seem to have both meanings in the Antiquarian form of this story. The expression forsind airiniuch na imdai which occurs here might berendered "at the head of the bed"; but if we compare i n-airniuch indrigthige which occurs twice in "Bricriu's Feast, " and plainly means "atthe entrance of the palace, " it seems possible that airinech is hereused in the same sense, in which case imda would mean "room, " asWhitley Stokes takes it in the "Bruiden da Derga. " On the other hand, the word imda translated on page 63, line 11, certainly means "couches. "

Line 27. "Ah Cuchulain, &c. " Reference may be made for most of theverses in this romance to Thurneysen's translation of the greater partof it in Sagen aus dem alten Irland but, as some of his renderings arenot as close as the verse translations in the text, they require to besupplemented. The poem on pp. 60, 61 is translated by Thurneysen, pp. 84 and 85; but the first two lines should run:--

Ah Cuchulain, under thy sicknessnot long would have been the remaining. 

And lines 7 and 8 should be:

Dear would be the day if trulyCuchulain would come to my land. 

The epithet "fair" given to Aed Abra's daughters in line 4 byThurneysen is not in the Irish, the rest of his translation is veryclose. 

Line 32. "Plain of Cruach. " Cromm Cruach is the name of the idoltraditionally destroyed by St. Patrick in the "Lives. " Cromm Cruach isalso described In the Book of Leinster (L. L. 213b) as an idol to whomhuman sacrifices were offered. The name of this plain is probablyconnected with this god. 

PAGE 61

Line 30. "Hath released her, " Irish ros leci. These words are usuallytaken to mean that Manannan had deserted Fand, and that she had thenturned to Cuchulain, but to "desert" is not the only meaning of lecim. In the second form of the story, Fand seems to have left Manannan, andthough of course the two forms are so different that it is notsurprising to find a contradiction between the two, there does not seemto be any need to find one here; and the expression may simply meanthat Manannan left Fand at liberty to pursue her own course, whichdivine husbands often did in other mythologies. Manannan is, of course, the Sea God, the Celtic Poseidon. 

PAGE 62

Line 3. Eogan Inbir (Yeogan the Stream) occurs in the Book of Leinsterversion of the Book of Invasions as one of the opponents of the TuathaDe Danaan, the Folk of the Gods (L. L. 9b, 45, and elsewhere). 

Line 15. "Said Liban. " The text gives "said Fand. " This seems to bea scribal slip: there is a similar error corrected on page 79, line 21, where the word "Fand" is written "Emer" in the text. 

Line 16. "A woman's protection. " The "perilous passage, " passed onlyby a woman's help, occurs elsewhere both in Irish and in other earlyliteratures. See Maelduin, para. 17; Ivain (Chretien de Troyes), vv. 907 sqq. ; and Mabinogion, "Lady of the Fountain" (Nutt's edition, p. 177). 

Line 28. "Labra. " Labraid's usual title, as given to him by Liban inboth forms of the romance and once by Laeg in the second description ofFairyland, is Labraid Luath lamar-claideb, the title being as closelyconnected with him as {Greek boh`n a?gaðo`s Mene'laos}with Menelaus inHomer. It is usually translated as "Labraid quick-hand-on-sword, " butthe Luath need not be joined to lam, it is not in any of the places inthe facsimile closely joined to it, and others than Liban give toLabraid the title of Luath or "swift, " without the addition. 

The literal translation of the short pieces of rhetoric on pages 62, 63are, "Where is Labraid the swift hand-on-sword, who is the head of troops of victory?(who) triumphs from the strong frame of his chariot, who reddens red spear-points. "

"Labraid the son of swiftness is there, he is not slow, abundant shall bethe assembly of war, slaughter is setwhen the plain of Fidga shall be full. "

"Welcome to thee, O Laeg!for the sake of her with whom thou hast come;and since thou hast come, welcome to thee for thyself!"

The metre of the first two pieces is spirited and unusual. The secondone runs:

Ata Labraid luithe cland, ni ba mall bid immdatinol catha, cuirther ar, día ba Ian Mag Fidgae. 

PAGE 63

Line 24. "Fand. " The derivations of the names of Fand and of Aed Abraare quite in keeping with the character of the Antiquarian form, andwould be out of place in the other form of the romance. It may perhapsbe mentioned that the proper meaning of Abra is "an eyelash, " but therendering "Aed Abra of the Fiery Eyebrows, " which has been employed inaccounts of this romance, would convey a meaning that does not seem tohave been in the mind of the authors of either of the two forms. 

For the literal translations of the three invocations to Labraid, onpp. 63, 66, Thurneysen (p. 87) may be referred to; but there would be afew alterations. 

In the first, line 2 should be "heir of a little host, equipped withlight spears, " if Windisch's Dictionary is to be followed; line 5 wouldseem to begin "he seeketh out trespasses" (oirgniu); and line 7 shouldbegin, "attacker of heroes, " not "an attacking troop, " which hardlymakes sense. 

In the second invocation the first line should alter Labraid's title to"Labraid the swift hand-on-sword-of-battle;" line 3 should end with"wounded his side. " In line 6 and again in the third line of the thirdinvocation, Thurneysen translates gus as "wrath": Windisch gives theword to mean "strength. "

Line 4 of the third invocation is rendered "he pierceth through men" byThurneysen; the Irish is criathraid ocu. Criathraim is given byO'Reilly as meaning "to sift": "he sifteth warriors" seems asatisfactory meaning, if O'Reilly is to be relied on. 

PAGE 65

Labraid's answer to the three invocations seems to run thus, but thetranslation is doubtful, many words are marked unknown by Windisch: "Ihave no pride or arrogance, O lady, nor renown, it is not error, forlamentation is stirred our judgment" (reading na ardarc nid mell, chaimescthair with the second MS. ), "we shall come to a fight of very manyand very hard spears, of plying of red swords in right fists, for manypeoples to the one heart of Echaid Juil (?), (let be) no anbi of thinenor pride, there is no pride or arrogance in me, O lady. " I can makenothing of Anbi. 

PAGE 66

Thurneysen does not translate the rhetoric; the translation seems torun thus:

Great unprofitableness for a hero to liein the sleep of a sick-bed;for unearthly women show themselves, women of the people of the fiery plain of Trogach, and they have subdued thee, and they have imprisoned thee, and they have chased thee away (?) amid great womanish folly. 

Rouse thyself from the contest of distress(Gloss, "the sickness sent by the fairy women")for all is gone of thy vigouramong heroes who ride in chariots, and thou sittest (?) in the place of the youngand thou art conquered (? condit chellti if connected with tochell), and thou art disturbed (?) in thy mighty deeds, for that which Labraid's power has indicatedrise up, O man who sittest (?) that thou mayest be great. 

"Chased thee away" in line 7, for condot ellat, perhaps connected withdo-ellaim (?). 

PAGE 67

Thurneysen's translation (p. 91) of Emer's lament may be referred to, but he misses some strong points. Among these are:

Line 5. "Woe to Ulster where hospitality abounds. "

Line 12. "Till he found a Druid to lift the weight. "

Line 25. "Were it Furbaide of the heroes. "

Line 27. "The hound would search through the solid earth. "

Line 29. "The hosts of the Sid of Train are dead. "

Line 30. "For the hound of the Smith of Conor. "

Line 34. "Sick for the horseman of the plains. "

Note the familiarity with the land of the fairies which Laeg isasserted to have in the first verse of the poem: this familiarityappears more than once in the Literary form of the story. Laeg speaksof the land of Labraid as "known to him" in his- first description ofthat land, again in the same description Laeg is recognised by Labraidby his five-folded purple mantle, which seems to have been acharacteristic fairy gift. Also, Laeg seems at the end of the tale tobe the only one to recognise Manannan. There is no indication of anyfamiliarity of Laeg with the fairy country in the Antiquarian form. 

The different Ulster heroes alluded to are mostly well-known; allexcept Furbaide are in "Mae Datho's Boar. " Furbaide was a son ofConor; be is one of the eighteen leaders who assemble on the Hill ofSlane in the "Tain bo Cuailgne. "

The Smith of Conor is of course Culann, from whom Cuchulain got hisname. 

PAGES 68, 69

A translation of Emer's "Awakening of Cuchulain" may be found inThurneysen, p. 92 but there are one or two points that seem to be notedas differing from the rendering there given. 

Lines 3 and 4 seem to mean: "Look on the king of Macha, on my beauty /does not that release thee from deep sleep?" Thurneysen gives "Look onthe king of Macha, my heart! thy sleep pleases him not. " Mo crath canhardly mean "my heart. "

Line 6 is in the Irish deca a churnu co comraim! "see their horns forthe contest!" Instead of comraim Thurneysen seems to prefer thereading of the second MS. , co cormaim, and translates "their horns fullof beer. " Churnu may mean trumpets as well as drinking-horns, and Emerwould hardly call on Cuchulain to throw off a drunken sleep (line 21)and then take to beer!

The following translation of lines 17 to 20 seems preferable toThurneysen's:

"Heavy sleep is decay, and no good thing;it is fatigue against a heavy war;it is 'milk for the satiated, 'the sleep that is on thee;death-weakness is the tanist of death. "

The last line is tanaisi d'ec ecomnart. The tanist was the prince whostood next to the king; the image seems too good a one to be lost;Thurneysen translates "weakness is sister to death. "

Line 14 seems to mean "see each wonder wrought by the cold"; Emer callsCuchulain's attention to the icicles which she thinks he is in dangerof resembling. 

PAGE 69

For the literal translation of Liban's invitation see Thurneysen, p. 93. 

Line 14 should run: "Colour of eyes his skin in the fight;" theallusion is, apparently, to a bloodshot eye. 

PAGE 71

Line 4. The Plain of Speech (Mag Luada) and the Tree of Triumphs (BileBuada) are apparently part of the Irish mythology; they appear again inLaeg's second description of Fairyland, which is an additional reasonfor keeping this poem where it is in the second version, and notfollowing Thurneysen in transferring it to the first. Mag Luada issometimes translated as "moving plain, " apparently deriving the wordfrom luath, "swift. "

Laeg's two descriptions of the Fairyland are (if we except the voyageof Bran) the two most definite descriptions of that country in Irishliterature. There is very little extravagance in these descriptions;the marvellously fruitful trees, the ever-flowing vat of mead, and thesilver-branched tree may be noted. Perhaps the trees of "purple glass"may be added, but for these, see note on line 30. The versetranslation has been made to follow the original as closely aspossible; for a literal translation Thurneysen's versions (pp. 94 and88) may be referred to, but some alterations may be made. 

The first description seems to begin thus:

I went with noble sportivenessto a land wonderful, yet well-known;until I came to a cairn for twenty of troopswhere I found Labraid the Long-haired. 

There I found him on that hillsitting among a thousand weapons, yellow hair on him with beautiful colour, an apple of gold for the confining of it. 

And it ends thus:

Alas I that he went not long ago, and each cure (should come) at his searching, that he might see how it isthe great palace that I saw. 

Though all Erin were mineand the kingship of yellow Bregia, I would resign it; no slight trial;for knowledge of the place to which I came. 

The following points should also be noted:

Line 30 of this first description is tri bile do chorcor glain. Thisundoubtedly means "three trees of purple glass"; but do chorcor glanwould mean "of bright purple"; and this last rendering, which is quitea common expression (see Etain, p. 12), has been adopted in the versetranslation. The order of the words in the expression in the text isunusual, and the adoption of them would give an air of artificiality tothe description which is otherwise quite absent from it. 

Lines 37 and 38 run thus:

There are there thrice twenty trees, their tops meet, and meet not. 

Lines 43, 44, rendering: "Each with splendid gold fastening well hookedthrough its eye, " are literally "and a brooch of gold with itssplendour in the 'ear' of each cloak. " The ears of a cloak, usuallydescribed as made of the peculiar white bronze, occur elsewhere in thetales, and there are different speculations as to their use andmeaning. The most probable explanation is that they were bronze ringsshaped like ears, and sewn into the cloak; a brooch to fasten the cloakbeing passed through the rings. This explanation has been suggested byProfessor Ridgeway, and seems to fit admirably the passages in whichthese "ears" occur. Compare Fraech, line 33, in the second volume;also the "Courtship of Ferb" (Nutt), p. 6. 

There are also a few corrections necessary to Thurneysen's translationof the second description. 

Lines 13 to 20 should run thus:

A beautiful band of women;--victory without fetters;--are the daughters of Aed Abra;the beauty of Fand is a rushing sound with splendour, exceeding the beauty of a queen or king. 

(The last line is more literally, "not excepting a queen or, &c. ")

I will say, since it hath been heard by me, that the seed of Adam was sinless;but the beauty of Fand up to my timehath not found its equal. 

For the allusion to Adams sin, compare Etain, p. 26. Allusions likethese show that the tales were composed in Christian times. Thereseems no reason to suppose them to be insertions, especially in caseslike this one, where they come in quite naturally. 

Line 21 is literally "with their arms for slaying"; not "who warred oneach other with weapons" as in Thurneysen. 

PAGE 76

For the cooling of Cuchulain's battle-frenzy with water compare thesimilar treatment in the account of his first foray (L. U. , 63a; MissFaraday's translation, p. 34). 

For a literal translation of Faud's triumph song over Cuchulain'sreturn see Thurneysen's translation on page 97 Of the work alreadyreferred to. Thurneysen's translation is very close; perhaps the lastverse should run: "Long rain of red blood at the side of the trees, atoken of this proud and masterful, high with wailing is the sorrow forhis fiend-like frenzy. "

The description of Cuchulain's appearance in verses 5 and 6 seems topoint to a conception of him as the sun-god. Compare the "sunlike"seat of his chariot on page 79. 

PAGE 78

The literal translation of Liban's rhetoric in welcome to Cuchulainseems to be, "Hail to Cuchulain! King who brings help, great prince ofMurthemne! great his mind; pomp of heroes; battle-triumphing; heart ofa hero; strong rock of skill; blood-redness of wrath; ready for truefoes of the hero who has the valour of Ulster (?); bright hissplendour; splendour of the eyes of maidens; Hail to Cuchulain!"

Torc in the second line is glossed in the MS. By "that is, a king. "

Cuchulain's account of his own battle is omitted by Thurneysen, possibly because the account that he gives differs from that in thetext, as is pointed out by Windisch, Ir. Text. , vol. I. P. 201). Butit is quite in keeping with the hero's character that he should try tolessen his own glory; and the omission of this account destroys one ofthe features of the tale. 

The literal rendering is:

I threw a cast with my light spearinto the host of Eogan the Stream;not at all do I know, though renowned the price, the victory that I have done, or the deed. 

Whether he was better or inferior to my strengthhitherto I chanced not on for my decision, a throw, ignorance of the man in the mist, certainly he came not away a living man. 

A white army, very red for multitudes of horses, they followed after me on every side (?), people of Manannan Mac Lir, Eogan the Stream called them. 

I set out in each mannerwhen my full strength had come to me;one man to their thirty, hundreds, until I brought them to death. 

I heard the groan of Echaid Juil, lips speak in friendship, if it is really true, certainly it was not a fight (?), that cast, if it was thrown. 

The idea of a battle with the waves of the sea underlies the thirdverse of this description. 

PAGE 79

Five pieces of rhetoric follow, all of which are translated byThurneysen. A few alterations may be made, but all of them would besmall ones. The verse translations given are, it is believed, a littlecloser to the text than Thurneysen's. The metres of the first threepieces are discussed by Professor Rhys in Y Cymmrodor for 1905 (pages166, 167). Professor Rhys reduces the second of these to a hexameterfollowed by three pentameters, then a hexameter followed by apentameter. The other two reduce to hexameters mixed with curtailedhexameters and pentameters. The last two pieces of the five, notmentioned by Professor Rhys, show a strophic correspondence, which hasbeen brought out in the verse translation; note especially theiropenings, and the last line of Emer's speech, cia no triallta, asbalancing the last line but four of Cuchulain's speech, cia nocomgellta. The last of these five pieces shows the greatestdifferences between the verse and literal translations. A literaltranslation of this would run:

"Wherefore now, O Emer!" said Cuchulain, "should I not be permitted todelay with this lady? for first this lady here is bright, pure, andclear, a worthy mate for a king; of many forms of beauty is the lady, she can pass over waves of mighty seas, is of a goodly shape andcountenance and of a noble race, with embroidery and skill, and withhandiwork, withunderstanding, and sense, and firmness; with plenty of horses and manycattle, so that there is nothing under heaven, no wish for a dearspouse that she doth not. And though it hath been promised (?), Emer, "he said, "thou never shalt find a hero so beautiful, so scarred withwounds, so battle-triumphing, (so worthy) as I myself am worthy. "

PAGE 81

Line 11. "Fair seems all that's red, &c. , " is literally "fair is eachred, white is each new, beautiful each lofty, sour is each known, revered is each thing absent, failure is each thing accustomed. "

For a translation of the poem in which Fand resigns Cuchulain referencemay be made to Thurneysen (p. 101). A more accurate translation of thefirst verse seems to run thus:

I am she who will go on a journeywhich is best for me on account of strong compulsion;though there is to another abundance of her fame, (and) it were dearer to me to remain. 

Line 16 of poem, translated by Thurneysen "I was true and held myword, " is in the original daig is misi rop iran. Iran is a doubtfulword, if we take it as a form of aur-an, aur being the intensitiveprefix, a better translation may be, "I myself was greatly glowing. "

PAGE 82

Line 26. "The lady was seized by great bitterness of mind, " Irish rogab etere moir. The translation of etere is doubtful. 

PAGE 83

For the final poem, in which Fand returns to Manannan, reference may asbefore be made to Thurneysen's translation; but a few changes may benoted:

Line 1 should be, "See the son of the hero people of the Sea. "

Line 5 seems to be, "Although" (lit. "if") "it is to-day that his cryis excellent. "

Line 7 is a difficult one. Thurneysen gives, "That indeed is thecourse of love, " apparently reading rot, a road, in place of ret; buthe leaves eraise untranslated; the Irish is is eraise in ret in t-serc. Might not eraise be "turning back, " connected with eraim, and the linerun: "It is turning back of the road of love"?

Lines 13 to 16 are omitted by Thurneysen. They seem to mean:

When the comely Manannan took me, he was to me a fitting spouse;nor did he at all gain me before that time, an additional stake (?) at a game at the chess. 

The last line, cluchi erail (lit. "excess") ar fidchill, is a difficultallusion. Perhaps the allusion is to the capture of Etain by Mider asprize at chess from her husband. Fand may be claiming superiority overa rival fairy beauty. 

Lines 17 and 18 repeat lines 13 and 14. 

Lines 46 and 47 are translated by Thurneysen, "Too hard have I beenoffended; Laeg, son of Riangabra, farewell, " but there is no "farewell"in the Irish. The lines seem to be: "Indeed the offence was great, OLaeg, O thou son of Riangabra, " and the words are an answer to Laeg, who may be supposed to try to stop her flight. 

PAGE 85

Line 24. "That she might forget her jealousy, " lit. "a drink offorgetfulness of her jealousy, " deoga dermait a heta. The translationseems to be an accepted one, and certainly gives sense, but it isdoubtful whether or not eta can be regarded as a genitive of et, "jealousy "; the genitive elsewhere is eoit. 

There is a conclusion to this romance which is plainly added by thecompiler: it is reproduced here, to show the difference between itsstyle and the style of the original author:

"This then was a token given to Cuchulain that he should be destroyedby the People of the Mound, for the power of the demons was greatbefore the advent of the Faith; so great was that power that the demonswarred against men in bodily form, and they showed delights and secretthings to them; and that those demons were co-eternal was believed bythem. So that from the signs that they showed, men called them theIgnorant Folk of the Mounds, the People of the Sid. "

THE EXILE OF THE SONS OF USNACH

PAGE 91

The four pieces of rhetoric, at the beginning of this text aretranslated by Thurneysen, Sagen aus dem alten Irland, pp. 11 and 12. In the first, third, and fourth of those, the only difference of anyimportance between the text adopted and Thurneysen's versions is thethird line of the third piece, which perhaps should run: "With statelyeyes with blue pupils, " segdaib suilib sellglassaib, taking the text ofthe Yellow Book of Lecan. 

The second piece appears to run as follows:

Let Cathbad hear, the fair one, with face that all love, the prince, the royal diadem, let he who is extolled be increasedby druid arts of the Druid:because I have no words of wisdomto oppose (?) to Feidlimid, the light of knowledge;for the nature of woman knows notwhat is under her body, (or) what in the hollow of my womb cries out. 

These rhetorics are remarkable for the great number of thealliterations in the original. 

PAGE 93

Thurneysen omits a verse of Cathbad's poem. A translation of the wholeseems to run thus:

Deirdre, great cause of destruction, though thou art fair of face, famous, pale, Ulster shall sorrow in thy time, thou hidden (?) daughter of Feidlimid. 

Windisch's Dict. Gives "modest daughter" in the last line; the originalis ingen fial. But the word might be more closely connected with fial, "a veil. " "Modest" is not exactly the epithet that one would naturallyapply to the Deirdre of the Leinster version, and the epithet of"veiled" or "hidden" would suit her much better, the reference being toher long concealment by Conor. 

There shall be mischief yet afterwardson thy account, O brightly shining woman, hear thou this! at that time shall bethe exile of the three lofty sons of Usnach. 

It is in thy time that a violent deedshall be done thereupon in Emain, yet afterwards shall it repent the violationof the safeguard of the mighty son of Rog. 

Do foesam is read in the last verse, combining the Leinster and theEgerton texts. 

It is through thee, O woman with excellence, (is) the exile of Fergus from the Ulstermen, and a deed from which weeping will come, the wound of Fiachna, the son of Conor. 

Fiachna. Is grandson to Conor in the Book of Leinster account of thebattle. Fiacha is Conor's son in the Glenn Masain version. 

It is thy fault, O woman with excellence, the wound of Gerrc son of Illadan, and a deed of no smaller importance, the slaying of Eogan mac Durthacht. 

There is no account of the slaying of Eogan in the Book of Leinsterversion; and Eogan appears on the Hill of Slane in the Ulster army inthe War of Cualgne. The sequel to the Glenn Masain version, however, describes Eogan's death at the hand of Fergus (Celtic Review, Jan. 1905, p. 227). 

Thou shalt do a deed that is wild and hatefulfor wrath against the king of noble Ulster;thy little grave shall be in that place, thy tale shall be renowned, O Deirdre. 

PAGE 95

Line 13. "Release me, O my wife!" eirgg uaim a ben. It is suggestedthat the vocative ben is "wife, " not "woman. " It occurs in seven otherplaces besides this in Windisch's Dictionary, and in six of these itmeans wife (Emer is addressed as wife of Cuchulain in a deig-ben, in"Sick-bed, " 44). In the remaining case ("Fled Bricrend, " 31) the wordis abbreviated, and stands b in the text, which might be for be, "Olady, " though we should have then expected the accent. I suggest thatNaisi, by giving to Deirdre the name of "wife, " accepts her offer, forno other sign of acceptance is indicated, and the subsequent actionshows that she is regarded as his wife afterwards. 

Line 30. "Near to Ballyshannon, " and "which men to-day call theMountain of Howth, " are inserted as the modern names of the places. The words correspond to nothing in the Irish. 

PAGE 97

Line 13. "Fiacha. " Fiacha, the son of Fergus, corresponds to Illan inthe better known version. There is no one in this version whocorresponds to the traitor son, Buinne. 

PAGE 98

The "Lament of Deirdre, " one of the finest of the older Irish poems, has been rendered by Thurneysen and by others, among which should bespecially mentioned Miss Hull, in the Cuchullin Saga, pp. 50-51. O'Curry's and O'Flanagan's versions seem to be very far from correct, and it will be more convenient to give that literal translation whichseems nearest to the original, instead of indicating divergencies. Theliteral translation adopted runs as follows:

Though fair to you seems the keen band of heroeswho march into Emain that they lately left (lit "after departing"), more stately was the return to their homeof the three heroic sons of Usnach. 

Naisi, with mead of delicious hazel-nuts(came), to be bathed by me at the fire, Ardan, with an ox or boar of excellence, Aindle, a faggot on his stately back. 

Though sweet be the excellent mead to youwhich is drunk by the son of Ness, the rich in strife, there has been known to me, ere now, leaping over a bank, frequent sustenance which was sweeter. 

Line 3 of the above stanza seems to be baithium riam reim for bra, taking reim from the Egerton text. The allusion is to a cascade. 

When the noble Naisi spread outa cooking-hearth on hero-board of tree, sweeter than any food dressed under honey[FN#69]was what was captured by the son of Usnach. 

[FN#69] For "food dressed under honey" compare Fraech, line 544, inthe second volume. 

Though melodious to you each month(are the) pipers and horn-blowers, it is my open statement to you to-dayI have heard melody sweeter far than these. 

For Conor, the king, is melodypipers and blowers of horns, more melodious to me, renowned, enchantingthe voice given out by the sons of Usnach. 

Like the sound of the wave the voice of Naisi, it was a melodious sound, one to hearken to for ever, Ardan was a good barytone, the tenor of Aindle rang through the dwelling-place. 

Naisi is laid in his tomb, sad was the protection that he got;the nation by which he was reared poured outthe cup of poison by which he died. 

Dear is Berthan, beautiful its lands, stately the men, though hilly the land, it is sorrowful that to-day I rise notto await the sons of Usnach. 

Dear the mind, firm, upright, dear the youth, lofty, modest, after going with him through the dark wooddear the girding (?) at early morning. 

Dear his gray eye, which women loved, it was evil-looking against enemies, after circuit of the wood (was) a noble assembly, dear the tenor through the dark wood. 

I sleep not therefor, and I stain not my nails with red, joy comes not to my wakefulness, for the sons of Usnach return not. 

The last line is the Egerton reading. 

I sleep notfor half the night on my bed, my mind wanders amidst clouds of thoughts, I eat not, nor smile. 

There is no leisure or joy for mein the assemblies of eastern Emain;there is no peace, nor pleasure, nor reposein beholding fine houses or splendid ornaments. 

What, O Conor, of thee?for me only sorrow under lamentation hast thou prepared, such will be my life so long as it remains to me, thy love for me will not last. 

The man who under heaven was fairest to me, the man who was so dearthou hast torn from me; great was the crime;so that I shall not see him until I die. 

His absence is the cause of grief to me, the shape of the son of Usnach shows itself to me, a dark hill is above his white bodywhich was desired before many things by me. 

His ruddy cheeks, more beautiful than meadows (?), red lips, eyebrows of the colour of the chafer, his teeth shining like pearls, like noble colour of snow. 

Well have I known his splendid garbamong the warrior men of Alba;mantle of crimson, meet for an assembly, with a border of red gold. 

His tunic of satin of costly price, on it a hundred pearls could be counted, goodly the number(lit. "a smooth number" ? a round number), for its embroidery had been used, it was bright, fifty ounces of findruine (i. E. White bronze). 

A gold-hilted sword in his hand, two green spears with terrible points (?), a shield with border of yellow gold, and a boss of silver upon it. 

Fair Fergus brought injury upon uswhen inducing us to cross the sea;he has sold his honour for ale, the glory of his high deeds is departed. 

If there were upon this plainthe warriors of Ulster in the presence of Conor, all of them would I give up without a strugglefor the companionship of Naisi, the son of Usnach. 

Break not to-day my heart (O Conor!), soon shall I reach my early grave, stronger than the sea is my grief, dost thou not know it, O Conor?

PAGE 103

For the literal translations of the poems in the Glenn Masain versionseeWhitley Stokes in Irische Texte, ii. 2, 172 sqq. 

Stanzas 13 to 16 are not in LVI. (the manuscript which is the secondauthority used by Stokes for this version, and is the chief authorityfor this part of the version). They are in the manuscript that Stokescalls II. (the version used by O'Flanagan), which, like LVI. , agreespretty closely with the Glenn Masain text so far as the lattermanuscript extends. 

Stanza 22 is also from O'Flanagan's manuscript. This verse is nottranslated by Stokes, but it seems worth inserting. The literaltranslation of it is:

I am Deirdre without joy, it is for me the end of my life;since to remain behind them is the worst thing, not long life to myself. 

PAGE 107

Line 21. Two passages, one describing Fergus' sons born in Connaught, the other summing up his deeds, are omitted, as it is not intended toreproduce this version in full. 

THE COMBAT AT THE FORD

The well-known translation by O'Curry of this part of the Book ofLeinster version of the "Tain bo Cuailgne" is given in the third volumeof his "Manners and Customs, " pp. 414-463. There are, as has oftenbeen pointed out, many inaccuracies in the translation, and the presentversion does not claim to correct all or even the greater part of them;for the complete version of the Great Tain by Windisch which has solong eagerly been expected should give us a trustworthy text, and thepresent translation is in the main founded on O'Curry; to whose versionreference may be made for literal translations for such parts of theverse passages as are not noted below. A few more obvious correctionshave been made; most of those in the prose will appear by comparing therendering with O'Curry's; some of the corrections in the literalversions adopted for the poems are briefly indicated. Two poems havebeen literally translated in full: in these the renderings which haveno authority other than O'Curry's are followed by a query, in order togive an indication of the extent to which the translation as given mayfor the present be regarded as uncertain. For all the more valuable ofthe corrections made to O'Curry's translation I am indebted to thekindness of Mr. E. J. Quiggin, Fellow of Caius College, Cambridge. 

PAGE 118

Line 7 Of the first stanza. O'Curry gives this as "Thou hast come outof every strife, " which seems to be an impossible rendering; "Takewhatever is thy will" seems to be nearer the sense of the passage, andhas been adopted. 

Lines 5 to 8 of the fourth stanza are very uncertain; and thetranslation given, which is in part based upon O'Curry, is verydoubtful; a more trustworthy one has not, however, been arrived at. 

Line 4 of the fifth stanza in O'Curry's rendering means "Here is whatthou wilt not earn, " i. E. "We can pay more than a full reward for thyservices. "

Lines 5 and 6 of the sixth stanza should be, "If my request be grantedme I will advance, though I am not his match. "

Line 2 Of the eighth stanza, "Not thine a pleasant smile for aconsort. " Brachail in the next line is "guardian. "

Line 10 of the last stanza. Elgga is one of the names of Ireland. 

PAGE 121

Line 1. Maeth n-araig, "in an easy task, " the force of which O'Curryseems to miss, translating it "as he thought. "

There are several changes to make in O'Curry's rendering of thedialogue between Fergus and Cuchulain. It should run thus:

F. O Cuchulain, manifest is the bargain, I see that rising is timely for thee;here comes to thee in angerFerdiad, son of Daman, of the ruddy face. 

C. I am here, it is no light taskvaliantly delaying the men of Erin;I have not yielded a foot in retreatto shun the combat of any one man. 

F. Fierce is the man in his excited (?) ragebecause of his blood-red sword:a horny skin is about Ferdiad of the troops, against it prevails not battle or combat. 

C. Be silent, urge not thy story, O Fergus of the powerful weapons!on any field, on any ground, there is no unequal fight for me. 

F. Fierce is the man, a war for twenties, it is not easy to vanquish him, the strength of a hundred in his body, valiant his deed (?), spears pierce him not, swords cut him not. 

C. Should we happen to meet at a ford (i. E. A field of battle), I and Ferdiad of well-known valour, the separation shall not be without history, fierce shall be our edge-combat. 

F. Better would it be to me than reward, O Cuchulain of the blood-stained sword, that it was thou who carried eastwardthe spoils (coscur, not corcur) of the proud Ferdiad. 

C. I give thee my word with boasting, though I am not good at bragging, that it is I who shall gain the victoryover the son of Daman, the son of Dare. 

F. It is I who gathered the forces eastwardsin revenge for my dishonour by the men of Ulster;with me they have come from their lands, their champions and their battle warriors. 

C. If Conor had not been in his sicknesshard would have been his nearness to thee;Medb of Magh in Scail had not madean expedition of so loud boastings. 

F. A greater deed awaits thy hand, battle with Ferdiad son of Daman, hardened bloody weapons, friendly is my speech, do thou have with thee, O Cuchulain!

PAGE 124

Line 7 of O'Curry's rendering of the first stanza should run: "So thathe may take the point of a weapon through him. "

Stanza 2 of the poem should run thus:

It would be better for thee to stay, thy threats will not be gentle, there will be some one who shall have sickness on that account, distressful will be thy departureto encounter the Rock of Ulster;and ill may this venture turn out;long will be the remembrance of it, woe shall be to him who goeth that journey. 

Line 4 of the next stanza, "I will not keep back to please you. "

PAGE 126

The literal rendering of the poem seems to be:

I hear the creaking of a chariotwith a beautiful silver yoke, the figure of a man with perfection(rises) from the wheels of the stout chariot;over Breg Row, over Brainethey come (?), over the highwaybeside the lower part of the Burg of the Trees;it (the chariot?) is triumphant for its victories. 

It is a heroic (?) hound who drives it, it is a trusty charioteer who yokes it, it is a noble hawk who scourgeshis horses to the south:he is a stubborn hero, he is certain (to cause) heavy slaughter, it is well-known that not with indexterity (?)is the bringing of the battle to us. 

Woe for him who shall be upon the hillockwaiting for the hound who is fitly framed (lit. In harmony");I myself declared last yearthat there would come, though it be from somewhere, a houndthe Hound of Emain Macha, the Hound with a form on which are hues of all colours, the Hound of a territory, the Hound of battle;I hear, we have heard. 

As a second rendering of the above in a metre a little closer to theoriginal than that given in the text, the following may be suggested:

Shrieks from war-car wake my hearing, Silver yokes are nigh appearing;High his perfect form is rearing, He those wheels who guides!Braina, Braeg Ross past it boundeth, Triumph song for conquests soundeth, Lo! the roadway's course it roundeth, Skirting wooded sides. 

Hero Hound the scourge hard plieth, Trusty servant yoke-strap tieth, Swift as noble hawk, he flieth, Southward urging steeds!Hardy chief is he, and storySoon must speak his conquests gory, Great for skilful war his glory;We shall know his deeds!

Thou on hill, the fierce Hound scorning, Waitest; woe for thee is dawning;Fitly framed he comes, my warningSpoke him thus last year:"Emain's Hound towards us raceth, Guards his land, the fight he faceth, Every hue his body graceth:"Whom I heard, I hear. 

PAGE 127

In O'Curry's rendering of the dialogue between Ferdia and his servant, line 3 should be, "That it be not a deed of prophecy, " not "a deferreddeed"; and line 6, With his proud sport. "

Last stanza of the poem:

It seems thou art not without rewards, so greatly hast thou praised him;why else hast thou extolled himever since I left my house?they who now extol the manwhen he is in their sightcome not to attack him, but are cowardly churls. 

PAGE 128

Line 34. "As a hawk darts up from the furrow. " O'Curry gives "fromthe top of a cliff. " The word in the Irish is claiss. 

PAGE 129

The metre of this poem, which is also the metre of all the preceedingpoems except the second in this romance, but does not occur elsewherein the collection, may be illustrated by quoting the original of thefifth verse, which runs as follows:

Re funiud, re n-aidchiMadit eicen airrthe, Comrac dait re bairche, Ni ba ban in gleo:Ulaid acot gairmsiu, Ra n-gabartar aillsiu, Bud olc doib in taidbsiuRachthair thairsiu is treo. 

Literal translation of the first two stanzas:

What has brought thee here, O Hound, to fight with a strong champion?crimson-red shall flow thy bloodover the breaths of thy steeds;woe is thy journey:it shall be a kindling of fuel against a house, need shalt thou have of healingif thou reach thy home (alive). 

I have come before warriorswho gather round a mighty host-possessing prince, before battalions, before hundreds, to put thee under the water, in anger with thee, and to slay theein a combat of hundreds of paths of battle, so that thine shall the injuryas thou protectest thy head. 

Line 2 of the fifth stanza, "Good is thy need of height. "

Line 8 of the seventh stanza, "Without valour, without strength. "

PAGE 133

Line 3. Literally: "Whatever be the excellence of her beauty. " Asimilar literal translation for page 138, line 10, of the dialogue; thesame line occurs in verse 3 on page 148, but is not rendered in theverse translation. 

PAGE 134

Line 18. "O Cuchulain! for beautiful feats renowned. " O'Curry givesthis as prose, but it is clearly verse in the original. 

PAGE 138

Lines 5, 6 of dialogue. "O Cuchulain! who art a breeder of wounds"(lit. "pregnant with wounds"); "O true warrior! O true" (?accentprobably omitted) "champion!"

Lines 7, 8. "There is need for some one" (i. E. Himself) "to go to thesod where his final resting-place shall be. " The Irish of line 7 is iseicen do neoch a thecht, which O'Curry translates "a man is constrainedto come, " and he is followed by Douglas Hyde, who renders the two lines:

Fate constrains each one to stir, Moving towards his sepulchre. 

But do neoch cannot possibly mean "every man, " it means "some man;"usually the person in question is obvious. Compare page 125 of thisromance, line 3, which is literally: "There will be some one who shallhave sickness on that account, " biaid nech diamba galar, meaning, ashere, Ferdia. 

The line is an explanation of Ferdia's appearance, and is not a moralreflection. 

Line 29. "O Cuchulain! with floods of deeds of valour, " or "brimmingover with deeds, &c. "

PAGE 141

Line 9. "Four jewels of carbuncle. " This is the reading of H. 2, 17;T. C. D; which O'Curry quotes as an alternative to "forty" of the Book ofLeinster. "Each one of them fit to adorn it" is by O'Curry translated"in each compartment. " The Irish is a cach aen chumtach: apparently"for each one adornment. "

PAGE 144

Line 8 of poem. "Alas for the departing of my ghost. "

PAGE 146

Lines 1, 2. "Though he had struck off the half of my leg that issound, though he had smitten off half my arm. "

PAGE 148

Line 5. "Since he whom Aife bore me, " literally "Never until now haveI met, since I slew Aife's only son, thy like in deeds of battle, neverhave I found it, O Ferdia. " This is O'Curry's rendering; if it iscorrect, and it seems to be so substantially, the passage raises adifficulty. Aife's only son is, according to other records, Conlaoch, son of Cuchulain and Aife, killed by his father, who did not at thetime know who Conlaoch was. This battle is usually represented ashaving taken place at the end of Cuchulain's life; but here it isrepresented as preceding the War of Cualgne, in which Cuchulain himselfis represented to be a youth. The allusion certainly indicates anearly date for the fight with Conlaoch, and if we are to lay stress onthe age of Cuchulain at the time of the War, as recorded in the Book ofLeinster, of whose version this incident is a part, the "Son of Aife"would not have been a son of Cuchulain at all in the mind of the writerof this verse. It is possible that there was an early legend of afight with the son of Aife which was developed afterwards by making himthe son of Cuchulain; the oldest version of this incident, that in theYellow Book of Lecan, reconciles the difficulty by making Conlaoch onlyseven years old when he took up arms; this could hardly have been theoriginal version. 

Line 23 of poem is literally: "It is like thrusting a spear into sandor against the sun. "

The metre of the poem "Ah that brooch of gold, " and of that on page144, commencing "Hound, of feats so fair, " are unique in thiscollection, and so far as I know do not occur elsewhere. Both havebeen reproduced in the original metre, and the rather complicatedrhyme-system has also been followed in that on page 148. The firstverse of the Irish of this is

Dursan, a eo oira Fhirdiad na n-dama belc bemnig buainba buadach do lamh. 

The last syllable of the third line has no rhyme beyond the echo in thesecond syllable of the next line; oir, "gold, " has no rhyme till theword is repeated in the third line of the third verse, rhymed in thesecond line of the fourth, and finally repeated at the end. The secondverse has two final words echoed, brass and maeth; it runs thus

Do barr bude brassba cass, ba cain set;do chriss duillech maethimmut taeb gu t-ec. 

The rhymes in the last two verses are exactly those of thereproduction, they are cain sair, main, laim, chain, the other threeend rhymes being oir, choir, and oir. 

Line 3 of this poem is "O hero of strong-striking blows. "

Line 4. "Triumphant was thine arm. "

PAGE 149

Lines 11 and 12 of the poem. "Go ye all to the swift battle that shallcome to you from German the green-terrible" (? of the terrible greenspear). 

PAGE 150

Line 12. The Torrian Sea is the Mediterranean. 

PAGE 151

Line 15. Literally: "Thou in death, I alive and nimble. "

Line 23. "Wars were gay, &c. " Cluchi cach, gaine cach, "Each was agame, each was little, " taking gaine as gainne, the known derivative ofgand, "scanty. " O'Curry gives the meaning as "sport, " and has beenfollowed by subsequent translators, but there does not seem anyconfirmation of this rendering. 

PAGE 153

Line 10. Banba is one of the names of Ireland. 

END OF VOL. I. 

VOL. II

@@{Redactors Note: In the original book the 'Literal Translation' isprinted on facing pages to the poetic translation. In this etext theliteral translation portions have been collated after the poetictranslation, for the sake of readability. Hence the page numbers arenot sequential--JBH}

PREFACE TO VOL. II

It seems to have been customary in ancient Ireland to precede byshorter stories the recital of the Great Tain, the central story of theIrish Heroic Age. A list of fourteen of these "lesser Tains, " three ofwhich are lost, is given in Miss Hull's "Cuchullin Saga"; thosepreserved are the Tain bo Aingen, Dartada, Flidais, Fraich, Munad, Regamon, Regamna, Ros, Ruanadh, Sailin, and Ere. Of these, five onlyhave been edited, viz. The Tain bo Dartada, Flidais, Fraich, Regamon, and Regamna; all these five are given in this volume. 

The last four tales are all short, and perhaps are more truly"preludes" (remscela) than the Tain bo Fraich, which has indeed enoughof interest in itself to make it an independent tale, and is as long asthe four put together. All the five tales have been rendered intoverse, with a prose literal translation opposite to the verserendering, for reasons already given in the preface to the firstvolume. A short introduction, describing the manuscript authority, isprefixed to each; they all seem to go back in date to the best literaryperiod, but appear to have been at any rate put into their present formlater than the Great Tain, in order to lead up to it. A possibleexception to this may be found at the end of the Tain bo Flidais, whichseems to give a different account of the end of the war of Cualgne, andto claim that Cuchulain was defeated, and that Connaught gained hisland for its allies. It may be mentioned that the last four tales areexpressly stated in the text to be "remscela" to the Great Tain. 

INTRODUCTION IN VERSE

When to an Irish court of oldCame men, who flocked from near and farTo hear the ancient tale that toldCuchulain's deeds in Cualgne's War;

Oft, ere that famous tale began, Before their chiefest bard they hail, Amid the throng some lesser manArose, to tell a lighter tale;

He'd fell how Maev and Ailill plannedTheir mighty hosts might best be fed, When they towards the Cualgne landAll Irelands swarming armies led;

How Maev the youthful princes sentTo harry warlike Regamon, How they, who trembling, from her went, His daughters and his cattle won;

How Ailill's guile gained Darla's cows, How vengeful fairies marked that deed;How Fergus won his royal spouseWhose kine all Ireland's hosts could feed;

How, in a form grotesque and weird, Cuchulain found a Power Divine;Or how in shapes of beasts appearedThe Magic Men, who kept the Swine;

Or how the rowan's guardian snakeWas roused by order of the king;Or how, from out the water, FraechTo Finnabar restored her ring. 

And though, in greater tales, they choseSpeech mired with song, men's hearts to sway, Such themes as these they told in prose, Like speakers at the "Feis" to-day. 

To men who spake the Irish tongueThat form of Prose was pleasing well, While other lands in ballads sungSuch tales as these have loved to tell:

So we, who now in English dressThese Irish tales would fainAnd seek their spirit to express, Have set them down in ballad verse;

And, though to Celts the form be strange, Seek not too much the change to blame;'Tis but the form alone we change;The sense, the spirit rest the same. 

CONTENTS

THE PRELUDES TO THE RAID OF CUALGNE

TAIN BO FRAICH - Page 1

THE RAID FOR DARTAID'S CATTLE - Page 69

THE RAID FOR THE CATTLE OF REGAMON - Page 83

THE DRIVING OF THE CATTLE OF FLIDAIS - Page 101

THE APPARITION OF THE GREAT QUEEN TO CUCHULAIN - Page 127

APPENDIX

IRISH TEXT AND LITERAL TRANSLATION OF PART OF THE COURTSHIP OF ETAIN -Page 143

TAIN BO FRAICH

INTRODUCTION

The Tain bo Fraich, the Driving of the Cattle of Fraech, has apparentlyonly one version; the different manuscripts which contain it differingin very small points; most of which seem to be due to scribal errors. 

Practically the tale consists of two quite separate parts. The first, the longer portion, gives the adventures of Fraech at the court ofAilill and Maev of Connaught, his courtship of their daughter, Finnabar, and closes with a promised betrothal. The second part is anaccount of an expedition undertaken by Fraech to the Alps "in the northof the land of the Long Beards, " to recover stolen cattle, as well ashis wife, " who is stated by O'Beirne Crowe, on the authority of the"Courtship of Trebland" in the Book of Fermoy, to have been Trebland, asemi-deity, like Fraech himself. Except that Fraech is the chief actorin both parts, and that there is one short reference at the end of thesecond part to the fact that Fraech did, as he had promised in thefirst part, join Ailill and Maev upon the War of Cualnge, there is noconnection between the two stories. But the difference between the twoparts is not only in the subject-matter; the difference in the style iseven yet more apparent. The first part has, I think, the mostcomplicated plot of any Irish romance, it abounds in brilliantdescriptions, and, although the original is in prose, it is, infeeling, highly poetic. The second part resembles in its simplicityand rapid action the other "fore tales" or preludes to the War ofCualnge contained in this volume, and is of a style represented inEnglish by the narrative ballad. 

In spite of the various characters of the two parts, the story seems tohave been regarded as one in all the manuscripts which contain it; andthe question how these two romances came to be regarded as one storybecomes interesting. The natural hypothesis would be that the lastpart was the original version, which was in its earlier part re-writtenby a man of genius, possibly drawing his plot from some brief statementthat Finnabar was promised to Fraech in return for the help that he andhis recovered cattle could give in the Great War; but a difficulty, which prevents us from regarding the second part as an original legend, at once comes in. The second part of the story happens to contain somany references to nations outside Ireland that its date can be prettywell fixed. Fraech and his companions go, over the sea from Ulster, i. E. To Scotland; then through "north Saxon-land" to the sea of Icht(i. E. The sea of Wight or the English Channel); then to the Alps in thenorth of the land of the Long-Beards, or Lombards. The Long-Beards donot appear in Italy until the end of the sixth century; the suggestionof North Saxon-Land reaching down to the sea of Wight suggests thatthere was then a South Saxon-Land, familiar to an Irish writer, datingthis part of the story as before the end of the eighth century, whenboth Saxons and Long-Beards were overcome by Charlemagne. The secondpart of the story is, then, no original legend, but belongs to theseventh or eighth century, or the classical period; and it looks as ifthere were two writers, one of whom, like the author of the Egertonversion of Etain, embellished the love-story part of the originallegend, leaving the end alone, while another author wrote an account ofthe legendary journey of the demi-god Fraech in search for his stolencattle, adding the geographical and historical knowledge of his time. The whole was then put together, like the two parts of the Etain story;the difference between the two stories in the matter of the wife doesnot seem to have troubled the compilers. 

The oldest manuscript authority for the Tain bo Fraich is the Book ofLeinster, written before 1150. There are at least two other manuscriptauthorities, one; in Egerton, 1782 (published by Professor Kuno Meyerin the Zeitschrift für Celt. Philologie, 1902); the other is in MS. XL. , Advocates' Library, Edinburgh (published in the Revue Celtique, Vol. XXIV. ). Professor Meyer has kindly allowed me to copy his comparisonof these manuscripts and his revision of O'Beirne Crowe's translationof the Book of Leinster text. The text of the literal translationgiven here follows, however, in the main O'Beirne Crowe's translation, which is in the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy for 1870; a fewinsertions are made from the other MSS. ; when so made the insertion isindicated by a note. 

For those who may be interested in the subsequent history of Fraech, itmay be mentioned that he was one of the first of the Connaughtchampions to be slain by Cuchulain in the war of Cualnge; see MissFaraday's translation (Grimm Library, page 35). 

PERSONS IN THE STORY

MORTALS

Ailill, King of Connaught. 

Medb (or Maev), Queen of Connaught. 

Findbar (or Finnabar), their daughter. 

Froech (or Fraech), (pronounced Fraych); son of a Connaught man and afairy mother. 

Conall Cernach (Conall the Victorious), champion of Ulster. 

Two Irish women, in captivity in the Alps, north of Lombardy. 

Lothar (or Lothur), a follower of Fraech. 

Bicne, a follower of Conall. 

IMMORTALS

Befind, Fraech's fairy mother. 

Boand (pronounced like "owned"), sister to Befind; Queen of the Fairies. 

Three fairy harpers. 

TAIN BO FRAICH

THE RAID FOR THE CATTLE OF FRAECH

Now the news of the love of that maid to Fraech, at his home where hedwelt, was brought, And he called his folk, and with all he spoke, and for speech with themaid he sought:And they counselled him thus: "Let a message from thee be sent to thyfairy kinTo entreat their aid when we seek that maid; a boon we may chance towin:For the wondrous robes of the fairy land, and for gifts from thefairies plead;And sure thy mother's sister's hand will give to thee all thy need. "

To Mag Breg, [FN#1] where his mother's sister dwelt, to Boand he awayhath gone, And she gave to him mantles of dark black-blue, like a beetle's backthey shone:Four dark-grey rings in each cloak she gave were sewn, and a broochshone, brightWith the good red gold in each mantle's fold; she gave tunics pale andwhite, And the tunics were bordered with golden loops, that forms as of beastsdisplayed;And a fifty she added of well-rimmed shields, that of silver white weremade. 

[FN#1] Pronounced Maw Brayg. 

Then away they rode, in each hero's hand was a torch for a kingly hall, For studs of bronze, and of well-burned gold, shone bright on thespears of all;On carbuncle sockets the spears were set, their points with jewelsblazed;And they lit the night, as with fair sunlight, as men on their glorygazed. 

By each of the fifty heroes' side was a sword with a hilt of gold;And a soft-grey mare was for each to ride, with a golden curbcontrolled;At each horse's throat was a silver plate, and in front of that platewas swung, With a tinkling sound to the horse's tread, a bell with a golden tongue. On each steed was a housing of purple hide, with threads of silverlaced, And with spiral stitch of the silver threads the heads of beasts weretraced, And each housing was buckled with silver and gold: of findruine[FN#2]was made the whipFor each rider to hold, with a crook of gold where it came to the horseman's grip. 

[FN#2] Pronounced "find-roony, " the unknown "white-bronze" metal. 

By their sides, seven chase-hounds were springingAt leashes of silver they strained, And each couple a gold apple, swingingOn the fetter that linked them, sustained:And their feet with bronze sheaths had been guarded, As if greaves for defence they had worn, Every hue man hath seen, or hath fancied, By those chase-hounds in brilliance was borne. 

Seven trumpeters strode on the road before, with colour their cloakswere bright, And their coats, that shone with the gauds they wore, flashed back asthey met the light;On trumpets of silver and gold they blew, and sweet was the trumpets'sound, And their hair, soft and yellow, like fairy threads, shone golden theirshoulders round. 

Three jesters marched in the van, their-crowns were of silver, by giltconcealed, And emblems they. Carried of quaint device, engraved on each jester'sshield;They had staves which with crests were adorned, and ribs down theiredges in red bronze ran;Three harp-players moved by the jesters' sides, and each was a kinglyman. All these were the gifts that the fairy gave, and gaily they made theirstart, And to Croghan's[FN#3] hold, in that guise so brave, away did the hostdepart. 

[FN#3] Pronounced Crow-han. 

On the fort stands a watchman to view them, And thus news down to Croghan he calls:"From yon plain comes, in fulness of numbers, A great army to Croghan's high walls;And, since Ailill the throne first ascended, Since the day we hailed Maev as our Queen, Never army so fair nor so splendidYet hath come, nor its like shall be seen. "

"'Tis strange, " said he, " as dipped in wine, So swims, so reels my head, As o'er me steals the breath divineOf perfume from them shed. "

"A fair youth, " said he, "forth with them goeth, And the grace of such frolicsome play, And such lightness in leap as he showethHave I seen not on earth till to-day:For his spear a full shot's length he flingeth, Yet the spear never reacheth to ground, For his silver-chained hounds follow after, In their jaws is the spear ever found!"The Connaught hosts without the fortTo see that glory rushed:Sixteen within, of baser sort, Who gazed, to death were crushed. 

To the fort came the youths, from their steeds they leapt, for thesteeds and the stabling cared, And they loosed the hounds that in leash they kept, for the hunt werethe hounds prepared;Seven deer, seven foxes and hares, they chased to the dun on Croghan'splain, Seven boars they drave, on the lawn in haste the game by the youths wasslain:With a bound they dashed into Bree, whose flood by the lawns of Croghanflows;Seven otters they caught in its stream, and brought to a hill where thegateway rose. 

'Twas there that Fraech and the princes sat at the castle-gate to rest, And the steward of Croghan with Fraech would speak, for such was theking's behest:Of his birth it was asked, and the men he led all truth to the heraldspake:"It is Idath's son who is here, " they said, and they gave him the nameof Fraech. To Ailill and Maev went the steward back of the stranger's name to tell;"Give him welcome, " said they: "Of a noble race is that youth, and Iknow it well;Let him enter the court of our house, " said the king, the gateway theyopened wide;And the fourth of the palace they gave to Fraech, that there might hisyouths abide. 

Fair was the palace that there they found, Seven great chambers were ranged it round;Right to the walls of the house they spread, Facing the hall, where the fire glowed red:Red yew planks, that had felt the plane, Dappled the walls with their tangled grain:

Rails of bronze at the side-walls stood, Plates of bronze had made firm the wood, Seven brass bolts to the roof-tree goodFirmly the vaulting tied. 

All that house had of pine been made, Planks, as shingles, above were laid;Sixteen windows the light let pass, Each in a frame of the shining brass:High through the roof was the sky seen bright;Girder of brass made that opening tight, Under the gap it was stretched, and lightFell on its gleaming side. 

All those chambers in splendour excelling, The midmost of all in the ring, Rose a room, set apart as the dwellingOf Queen Maev, and of Ailill the king. Four brass columns the awning supportedFor their couch, there was bronze on the wall;And two rails, formed of silver, and gilded, In that chamber encircled it all:In the front, to mid-rafters attaining, Rose in silver a wand from the floor;And with rooms was that palace engirdled, For they stretched from the door to the door. 

'Twas there they went to take repose, On high their arms were hung;And down they sank, and welcome rose, Acclaimed by every tongue. 

By the queen and the king they were welcome made, the strangers theyturned to greet;And their courtesy graciously Fraech repaid: "'Twas thus we had hopedto meet. ""Not for boasting to-day are ye come!" said Maev; the men for the chessshe set:And a lord of the court in the chess-man sport by Fraech in a match wasmet. 'Twas a marvellous board of findruine fair was prepared, when theyplayed that game, Four handles, and edges of gold it had, nor needed they candles' flame;For the jewels that blazed at the chess-board's side, a light, as fromlamps, would yield;And of silver and gold were the soldiers made, who engaged on thatmimic field. 

"Get ye food for the chiefs!" said the king; said Maev, "Not yet, 'tismy will to stay, To sit with the strangers, and here with Fraech in a match at the chessto play!""Let thy game be played!" said Ailill then, "for it pleaseth me nonethe less:"And Queen Maev and Fraech at the chess-board sate, and they played atthe game of chess. 

Now his men, as they played, the wild beasts late caught were cooking, they thought to feed;And said Ailill to Fraech, "Shall thy harpmen play?" "Let them play, "said Fraech, "indeed:"Now those harpers were wondrous men, by their sides they had sacks ofthe otter's skin, And about their bodies the sacks were tied, and they carried theirharps within, With stitches of silver and golden thread each case for a harp wassewed;And, beneath the embroidery gleaming red, the shimmer of rubies showed!

The skin of a roe about them in the middle, it was as white as snow;black-grey eyes in their centre. Cloaks of linen as white as the tunicof a swan around these ties. [FN#4] Harps of gold and silver andbronze, with figures of serpents and birds, and hounds of gold andsilver: as they moved those strings those figures used to run about themen all round. 

[FN#4] This is the Egerton version, which is clearly right here. TheBook of Leinster gives: "These figures accordingly used to run, " &c. , leaving out all the first part of the sentence, which is required tomake the meaning plain. 

They play for them then so that twelve of the people[FN#5] of Aililland Medb die with weeping and sadness. 

[FN#5] The Book of Leinster omits "of Ailill and Medb. "

Gentle and melodious were the triad, and they were the Chants ofUaithne[FN#6] (Child-birth). The illustrious triad are three brothers, namely Gol-traiges (Sorrow-strain), and Gen-traiges (Joy-strain), andSuan-traiges (Sleep-strain). Boand from the fairies is the mother ofthe triad:

[FN#6] Pronounced something like Yew-ny. 

At every one of the harpers' waists was girded the hide of a roe, And black-grey spots in its midst were placed, but the hide was aswhite as snow;And round each of the three of them waved a cloak, as white as the wildswan's wings:Gold, silver, and bronze were the harps they woke; and still, as theytouched the strings, The serpents, the birds, and the hounds on the harps took life at theharps' sweet sound, And those figures of gold round the harpmen rose, and floated in musicround. 

Then they played, sweet and sad was the playing, Twelve of Ailill's men died, as they heard;It was Boand[FN#7] who foretold them that slaying, And right well was accomplished her word. 

[FN#7] Pronounced with sound of "owned. "

'Tis the three Chants of Child-BirthGive names to those Three;Of the Harp of the Dagda[FN#8]The children they be. 

[FN#8] The Dagda seems to have been the chief god of the old Celticmythology. 

To those harpers a fairyIs mother, of yoreTo that Harp, men call Child-Birth, Queen Boand the three bore. 

They are three noble brothers, And well are they known;They are kindly and gentle, And tuneful of tone. 

One is Joy-Song, one Sorrow's, One, "Song that gives Sleep, "And the Harp's strains, their father's, Remembered they keep. 

For when Boand was at bearing, Came Sorrow the first, From the Harp, its strings tearingWith cry, Sorrow burst. 

Then there came to her pleasureFor birth of a boy;And a sweet smiling measureThe Harp played, 'twas Joy. 

And she swooned in her anguish, For hard the third birth:From the Harp, her pains soothing, Sleep's strain came on earth. 

Then from Boand passed her slumber, And, "Uaithne, "[FN#9] she cried, Thy three sons, thou sharp Child-Birth, I take to my side. 

[FN#9] Pronounced something like Yew-ny. 

Cows and women by AilillAnd Maev shall be slain;For on these cometh Sorrow, And Joy, and Sleep's strain:

Yea, and men, who these harpers, Thy children, shall hear, By their art to death stricken, Shall perish in fear. "

Then the strains died away in the palace, The last notes seemed to sink, and to cease:"It was stately, " said Fergus, "that music. "And on all came a silence, and peace. 

Said Fraech, "The food divide ye!Come, bring ye here the meat!"And down to earth sank Lothar, On floor he set his feet;

He crouched, on haunches sitting, The joints with sword he split;On bones it fell unerring, No dainty part he hit!

Though long with sword he hewed, and longWas meat by men supplied, His hand struck true; for never wrongWould Lothar meat divide. 

Three days at the chess had they played; three nights, as they sat atthe game, had gone:And they knew not the night for the sparkling light from the jewels ofFraech that shone;But to Maev turned Fraech, and he joyously cried, "I have conqueredthee well at the chess!Yet I claim not the stake at the chess-board's side, lest thy palace'swealth be less. "

"For no lengthier day have I sat in such play, " said Maev, "since Ihere first came. ""And well may the day have seemed long, " said Fraech, "for three daysand three nights was the game!"Then up started Maev, and in shame she blushed that the chiefs she hadfailed to feed;To her husband, King Ailill, in wrath she rushed: "We have both done agoodly deed!For none from our stores hath a banquet brought for the youths who arestrangers here!"And said Ailill, "In truth for the play was thy thought, and to theewas the chess more dear. ""We knew not that darkness had come, " said Maev, "'tis not chess thoushould'st thus condemn;Though the day had gone, yet the daylight shone from the heart of eachsparkling gem;Though the game we played, all could meal have made, had men brought ofthe night advice, But the hours sped away, and the night and the day have approached andhave fled from us thrice!""Give command, " said the king, "that those wailing chants, till we givethem their food, be stilled. "And food to the hands of each they gave, and all with the meat werefilled;And all things merrily went, for long the men with a feast were fed, For, as feasting they sat, thrice rose the day, thrice night aboveearth was spread. 

They brought Fraech, when that banquet was ended, To the House of Debate, which was near, And they asked of his errand: "In friendship, For a visit, " said Fraech, "am I here!""And 'twas joy that we felt, when receivingThis your host, " said the king, "ye have broughtMuch of pleasure to all, and with grieving, When ye go, shall your presence be sought!"

"Then, " said Fraech, "for a week we abide here. "For two weeks in that dun they abode:And the Connaught men pressed round to view them, As each eve home from hunting they rode. 

Yet Fraech was sad, with FindabarA word he sought in vain;Though he in truth from home so farHad come that word to gain. 

Fraech, as night was ending, Sprang from out his bed;Sought the brook, intendingThere to lave his head. 

There King Ailill's daughterStood, and there her maid:They that hour from waterSought the cleansing aid. 

"Stay, " he cried, and speakingCaught the maiden's hand;"Thee alone as seeking, I have reached this land:

Here am I who sought thee, Stay, and hear me woo!""Ah! thy speech hath brought meJoy, " she said, "most true;

Yet, thy side if nearing, What for thee can I?""Maid!" he cried, "art fearingHence with me to fly?"

"Flight I hold disloyal, "Answered she in scorn;"I from mother royal, I to king was born;

What should stay our wedding?None so mean or poorThou hast seemed, nor dreadingKin of mine; be sure:

I will go! 'tis spoken, Thou beloved shalt be!Take this ring as token, Lent by Maev to me!

'Twas my mother who bid me to save it, For the ring she in secret would hide;'Tis as pledge of our love that I gave it, As its pledge it with thee should abide. 

Till that ring we can freely be showingI will tell them I put it astray!"And, the love of each other thus knowing, Fraech and Finnabar went on their way. 

"I have fear, " said the king, "that with Fraech yon maid to his home ashis wife would fly;Yet her hand he may win, if he rides on the Raid with his kine when thetime draws nigh. "Then Fraech to the Hall of Debate returned, and he cried: "Through Somesecret chinkHath a whisper passed?" and the king replied, "Thou would'st fit inthat space, I think!"

"Will ye give me your daughter?" said Fraech: said the king, "In sightof our hosts she goes;If, as gift to suffice for her marriage price, thy hand what I askbestows. ""I will give thee what price thou dost name, " said Fraech, "and now letits sum be told!"'"Then a sixty steeds do I claim, " said the king, "dark-grey, and withbits of gold;And twelve milch-cows, from their udders shall come the milk in acopious stream, And by each of the cows a white calf shall run; bright red on its earsshall gleam;And thou, with thy harpers and men, shalt ride by my side on theCualgne[FN#10] Raid, And when all thy kine driven here shall stand, shall the price of herhand be paid!"

[FN#10] Pronounced Kell-ny. 

Now I swear by the edge of my sword, " said Fraech, "I swear by my armsand shield, I would give no such pledge, even Maev to take, were it her thou wertfain to yield!"And he went from the House of Debate, but Maev with Ailill bent low inplot:All around us our foes, " said the king, "shall close, if Finnabar stayshere not;Many kings of Erin, who seek that maid, shall hear of her borne away, And in wrath they will rush on our land; 'twere best that Fraech wedevise to slay;Ere that ruin he bring, let us make our spring, and the ill yetunwrought arrest. ""It were pity such deed should be done, " said Maev, "and to slay in ourhouse our guest!'Twill bring shame on us ever. " "No shame to our house, " said KingAilill, "that death shall breed!"(And he spake the words twice)--"but now hear my advice, how I plan weshould do this deed. "

All the plot had been planned; to their house at lastKing Ailill and Maev through the doorway passed;And the voice of the king uprose:"'Tis now that the hounds should their prey pursue, Come away to the hunt who the hounds would view;For noon shall that hunting close. "So forth went they all, on the chase intent, And they followed till strength of the hounds was spent, And the hunters were warm; and to bathe they wentWhere the river of Croghan flows. 

And, "'Tis told me, " said Ailill, "that Fraech hath wonA great fame for the feats he in floods hath done:Wilt thou enter these streams by our side that run?We are longing to see thee swim!"And said Fraech: "Is it good then indeed thy stream?And said Ailill: "Of danger no need to dream, For many a youth from the Connaught CourtIn its current hath bathed, and hath swum it in sport, Nor of any who tried have we heard reportThat ill hath been found by him!"

Then Fraech from his body his garments stripped, And he sprang down the bank, and he swiftly slippedIn the stream: and the king's glance fellOn a belt, left by Fraech on the bank; the kingBent low; in the purse saw his daughter's ring, And the shape of the ring could tell. "Come hither, O Maev, " Ailill softly cried;And Queen Maev came up close to her husband's side"Dost thou know of that ring?" in the purse she spiedThe ring, and she knew it well. Then Ailill the ring from the purse withdrew, And away from the bank the fair gem he threw;And the ring, flashing bright, through the air far flew, To be lost in the flood's swift swell. 

And Fraech saw the gem as it brightly flashed, And a salmon rose high, at the light it dashed, And, as back in the stream with the ring he splashed, At the fish went Fraech with a spring:By its jole was the salmon secured, and thrownTo a nook in the bank, that by few was known;And unnoticed he threw it, to none was it shownAs it fell to the earth, with the ring. 

And now Fraech from the stream would be going:But, "Come not, " said the king, "to us yet:Bring a branch from yon rowan-tree, showingIts fair berries, with water-drops wet. "

Then Fraech, swimming away through the water, Brake a branch from the dread rowan-tree, And a sigh came from Ailill's fair daughter;"Ah! how lovely he seemeth, " said she. 

Fair she found him, swimmingThrough that pool so blackBrightly gleamed the berries, Bound athwart his back. 

White and smooth his body, Bright his glorious hair;Eyes of perfect greyness, Face of men most fair:

Soft his skin, no blemish, Fault, nor spot it flawed;Small his chin, and steady, Brave his brow, and broad. 

Straight he seemed, and stainless;Twixt his throat and chinStraying scarlet berriesTouched with red his skin. 

Oft, that sight recalling, Findabar would cry:"Ne'er was half such beauty, Naught its third came nigh!"

To the bank he swam, and to Ailill was thrown, with its berries, thetree's torn limb:"Ah! how heavy and fair have those clusters grown; bring us more, " andhe turned to swim;The mid-current was reached, but the dragon was roused that was guardto that rowan-tree;And it rose from the river, on Fraech it rushed: "Throw a sword fromthe bank!" cried he. And no man on the bank gave the sword: they were kept by their fear ofthe queen and the king;But her clothes from her Finnabar stripped, and she leapt in the riverhis sword to bring. And the king from above hurled his five-barbed spear; the full lengthof a shot it sped:At his daughter it flew, and its edge shore through two tresses thatcrowned her head:And Fraech in his hand caught the spear as it fell, and backward itspoint he turned. And again to the land was the spear launched well: 'twas a feat fromthe champions learned. Though the beast bit his side as that spear was cast, yet fiercely thedart was flung, Through the purple robe of the king it passed, through the tunic thatnext him clung!

Then up sprang the youths of the court, their lord in danger they wellmight deem, But the strong hand of Fraech had closed firm on the sword, andFinnabar rose from the stream. Now with sword in his hand, at the monster's head hewed Fraech, on itsside it sank, And he came from the river with blade stained red, and the monster hedragged to the bank. Twas then Bree's Dub-lind in the Connaught land the Dark Water ofFraech was named, From that fight was it called, but the queen and the king went back totheir dun, ashamed!

"It is noble, this deed we have done!" said Maev: "'Tis pitiful, "Ailill cried:"For the hurt of the man I repent, but to her, our daughter, shall woebetide!On the morrow her lips shall be pale, and none shall be found to averthat her guilt, When the sword for his succour to Fraech she gave, was the cause whyher life was spilt!Now see that a bath of fresh bacon broth be prepared that shall healthis prince, And bid them with adze and with axe the flesh of a heifer full small tomince:Let the meat be all thrown in the bath, and there for healing letFraech be laid!"And all that he ordered was done with care; the queen his commandobeyed. 

Then arose from Fraech's trumpets complaining, As his men travelled back to the dun;Their soft notes lamentation sustaining, And a many their deaths from them won;

And he well knew its meaning;And, "Lift me, my folk, "He cried, "surely that keeningFrom Boand's women broke:My mother, the Fairy, is nigh. "

Then they raised him, and bore himWhere wild rose the sound;To his kin they restored him;His women pressed round:

And he passed from their sight out of Croghan;For that night from earth was he freed, And he dwelt with his kin, the Sid-DwellersIn the caverns of Croghan's deep Sid. [FN#11]

[FN#11] Pronounced Sheed; Sid is the fairy mound. 

All at nine, next morrow, Gazed, for back he came, Round their darling pressingMany a fairy dame:

Brave he seemed, for healingAll his wounds had got;None could find a blemish, None a sear or spot. 

Fifty fairies round him, Like in age and grace;Like each form and bearing;Like each lovely face. 

All in fairy garments, All alike were dressed;None was found unequal;None surpassed the rest. 

And the men who stood round, as they neared them, Were struck with a marvellous awe;They were moved at the sight, and they feared them, And hardly their breath they could draw. 

At the Liss all the fairies departed, But on Fraech, as they vanished, they cried:And the sound floated in of their wailing, And it thrilled through the men, and they sighed. 

Then first that mournful measure, "The Ban-Shee[FN#12] Wail, " was heard;All hearts with grief and pleasureThat air, when harped, hath stirred. 

[FN#12] Spelt "Ban Side, " the fairy women. 

To the dun came Fraech, and the hosts arose, and welcome by all wasshown:For it seemed as if then was his birth among men, from a world to theearth unknown!Up rose for him Maev and King Ailill, their fault they confessed, andfor grace they prayed, And a penance they did, and for all that assault they were pardoned, and peace was made. And now free from all dread, they the banquet spread, the banquetingstraight began:But a thought came to Fraech, and from out of his folk he called to hisside a man. 

"Now hie thee, " he said, "to the river bank, a salmon thou there shaltfind;For nigh to the spot where in stream I sank, it was hurled, and 'twasleft behind;To Finnabar take it, and bid her from me that the salmon with skill shebroil:In the midst of the fish is the ring: and none but herself at the taskmust toil;And to-night, as I think, for her ring they call ": then he turned tothe feast again, And the wine was drunk, and the revellers sunk, for the fumes of itseized their brain, And music and much of delights they had; but the king had his planslaid deep, "Bring ye all of my jewels, " he cried-on the board they were poured ina dazzling heap. "They are wonderful, wonderful!" cried they all: "Call Finnabar!" saidthe king;And his daughter obeyed, and her fifty maids stood round in a lovelyring. My daughter, " said Ailill, "a ring last year I gave thee, is't herewith thee yet?Bring it hither to show to the chiefs, and anon in thy hand shall thegem be set. ""That jewel is lost, " said the maid, "nor aught of the fate of the ringI know!"Then find it, " said Ailill, "the ring must be brought, or thy soul fromthy limbs must go!"

"Now, nay!" said they all, "it were cruelThat such fate for such fault should be found:Thou hast many a fair-flashing jewelIn these heaps that lie scattered around!"And said Fraech: "Of my jewels here glowingTake thy fill, if the maid be but freed;'Tis to her that my life I am owing, For she brought me the sword in my need. "

"There is none of thy gems that can aid her, "Said Ailill, "nor aught thou canst give;There is one thing alone that shall save her;If the ring be restored, she shall live!

Said Finnabar; "Thy treasureTo yield no power is mine:Do thou thy cruel pleasure, For strength, I know, is thine. "

"By the god whom our Connaught land haileth, I swear, " answered Ailill the king, "That the life on thy lips glowing faileth, If thou place in my hand not the ring!"And that hard, " he laughed softly, "the winningOf that jewel shall be, know I well;They who died since the world had beginningShall come back to the spot where they fellEre that ring she can find, and can bear itTo my hand from the spot where 'twas tossed, And as knowing this well, have I dared herTo restore what for aye hath been lost!"

"No ring for treasure thus despised, "She said, "exchanged should be;Yet since the king its worth hath prized, I'll find the gem for thee!"

Not thus shalt thou fly, " said the king, "to thy maid let the quest ofthe ring be bid!"And his daughter obeyed, and to one whom she sent she told where thering was hid:

"But, " Finnabar cried, "by my country's god I swear that from out thishour, Will I leave this land, and my father's hand shall no more on my lifehave power, And no feasting shall tempt me to stay, no draughts of wine my resolveshall shake!""No reproach would I bring, if as spouse, " said the king, "thou a groomfrom my stalls would'st take!But that ring must be found ere thou goest! "Then back came her maid, and a dish she bore:And there lay a salmon well broiled, as sauce with honey 'twasgarnished o'er:By the daughter of Ailill herself with skill had the honey-sweet saucebeen made. And high on the breast of the fish, the ring of gold that they soughtwas laid. King Ailill and Maev at the ring gazed hard; Fraech looked, in hispurse he felt:Now it seemeth, " he said, "'twas to prove my host that I left on thebank my belt, And Ailill now I challengeAll truth, as king to tell;What deed his cunning fashioned, And what that ring befell. "

"There is naught to be hidden, " said Ailill;"It was mine, in thy purse though it layAnd my daughter I knew as its giver:So to river I hurled it away. 

Now Fraech in turn I challengeBy life and honour's claim:Say how from yon dark waterThat ring to draw ye came. "

"There is naught to be hidden, " he answered, "The first day that I came, on the earth, Near the court round thy house, was that jewel;And I saw all its beauty and worth:

In my purse then I hid it; thy daughter, Who had lost it, with care for it sought;And the day that I went to that waterWas the news of her search to me brought:

And I asked what reward she would give me, If the gem in her hand should be placed;And she answered that I, if I found it, For a year by her love should be graced. 

But not then could the ring be delivered:For afar in my chamber it lay:Till she gave me the sword in the river, We met not again on that day. 

'Twas then I saw thee openMy purse, and take the ring:I watched, and towards the waterThat gem I saw thee fling:

I saw the salmon leaping, The ring it caught, and sank:I came behind, and seized it;And brought the fish to bank. 

Then I wrapped it up close in my mantle;And 'twas hid from inquisitive eyes;And in Finnabar's hand have I placed it:And now there on the platter it lies!"

Now all who this or that would knowTo ask, and praise began:Said Finnabar, "I'll never throwMy thoughts on other man!"

Now hear her word, " her parents cried, "And plight to her thy troth, And when for Cualgne's[FN#13] kine we rideDo thou redeem thine oath. 

[FN#13] Pronounced Kell-ny. 

And when with kine from out the eastYe reach our western land;That night shall be thy marriage feast;And thine our daughter's hand. "

"Now that oath will I take, " answered back to them Fraech, "and thetask ye have asked will do!"So he tarried that night till the morning's light; and they feasted thewhole night through;And then homewards bound, with his comrades round, rode Fraech when thenight was spent, And to Ailill and Maev an adieu he gave, and away to their land theywent. 

TAIN BO FRAICH

Part I

LITERAL TRANSLATION

FRAECH, son of Idath of the men of Connaught, a son he to Befind fromthe Side: a sister she to Boand. He is the hero who is the mostbeautiful that was of the men of Eriu and of Alba, but he was notlong-lived. His mother gave him twelve cows out of the Sid (the fairymound), they are white-eared. He had a good housekeeping till the endof eight years without the taking of a wife. Fifty sons of kings, thiswas the number of his household, co-aged, co-similar to him all betweenform and instruction. Findabair, daughter of Ailill and Medb, loves himfor the great stories about him. It is declared to him at his house. Eriu and Alba were full of his renown and the stories about him. 

To Fraech[FN#14] was Idath[FN#15] father, A Connaught man was he:And well we know his motherWho dwells among the Shee;[FN#16]Befind they call her, sisterTo Boand, [FN#17] the Fairy Queen;And Alba ne'er, nor Erin, Such grace as Fraech's hath seen. Yet wondrous though that hero's grace, His fairy lineage high, For years but few his lovely faceWas seen by human eye. 

[FN#14] Pronounced Fraych. 

[FN#15] Pronounced Eeda. 

[FN#16] The Fairies. 

[FN#17] Pronounced with the sound of "owned. "

Fraech had twelve of white-eared fairy-cattle, 'Twas his mother those cattle who gave:For eight years in his home he dwelt wifeless, And the state of his household was brave;Fifty princes, whose age, and whose rearing, And whose forms were as his, with him played;And his glory filled Alba and ErinTill it came to the ears of a maid:For Maev and Ailill's[FN#18] lovely child, Fair Findabar, 'twas said, By tales of Fraech to love beguiled, With Fraech in love would wed. 

[FN#18] Pronounced Al-ill. 

After this going to a dialogue with the maiden occurred to him; hediscussed that matter with his people. 

"Let there be a message then sent to thy mother's sister, so that aportion of wondrous robing and of gifts from the Side (fairy folk) begiven thee from her. " He goes accordingly to the sister, that is toBoand, till he was in Mag Breg, and he carried away fifty dark-bluecloaks, and each of them was like the back of a black chafer, [FN#19]and four black-grey, rings on each cloak, and a brooch of red gold oneach cloak, and pale white tunics with loop-animals of gold aroundthem. And fifty silver shields with edges, and a candle of aking's-house in the hand of them (the men), and fifty studs offindruine[FN#20] on each of them (the lances), fifty knobs ofthoroughly burned gold on each of them; points (i. E. Butt-ends) ofcarbuncle under them beneath, and their point of precious stones. Theyused to light the night as if they were the sun's rays. 

[FN#19] The Book of Leinster gives "fifty blue cloaks, each likefindruine of art. "

[FN#20] Pronounced "find-roony, " the unknown "white-bronze" metal. 

And there were fifty gold-hilted swords with them, and a soft-greymare under the seat of each man, and bits of gold to them;a plate of silver with a little bell of gold around the neck of eachhorse. Fifty caparisons[FN#21] of purple with threads of silver out ofthem, with buckles of gold and silver and with head-animals (i. E. Spiral ornaments). Fifty whips of findruine, with a golden hook on theend of each of them. And seven chase-hounds in chains of silver, andan apple of gold between each of them. Greaves of bronze about them, by no means was there any colour which was not on the hounds. 

[FN#21] The word for caparisons is "acrann, " the usual word for ashoe. It is suggested that here it may be a caparison of leather:"shoes" seem out of place here. See Irische Texts, iii. 

Seven trumpeters with them with golden and silver trumpets with manycoloured garments, with golden fairy-yellow heads of hair, with shiningtunics. There were three jesters before them with silver diadems undergilding. Shields with engraved emblems (or marks of distinction) witheach of them; with crested staves, with ribs of bronze (copper-bronze)along their sides. Three harp-players with a king's appearance abouteach of them opposite to these. [FN#22] They depart for Cruachan withthat appearance on them. 

[FN#22] The word for caparisons is "acrann, " the usual word for ashoe. It is suggested that here it may be a caparison of leather:"shoes" seem out of place here. See Irische Texts, iii. 2. P. 531. 

The watchman sees them from the dun when they had come into the plainof Cruachan. "A multitude I see, " he says, "(come) towards the dun intheir numbers. Since Ailill and Maev assumed sovereignty there camenot to them before, and there shall not come to them, a multitude, which is more beautiful, or which is more splendid. It is the samewith me that it were in a vat of wine my head should be, with thebreeze that goes over them. 

"The manipulation and play that the young hero who is in it makes--Ihave not before seen its likeness. He shoots his pole a shot'sdischarge from him; before it reaches to earth the seven chase-houndswith their seven silver chains catch it. "

At this the hosts come from the dun of Cruachan to view them. Thepeople in the dun smother one another, so that sixteen men die whileviewing them. 

They alight in front of the dun. They tent their steeds, and theyloose the chase-hounds. They (the hounds) chase the seven deer toRath-Cruachan, and seven foxes, and seven hares, and seven wild boars, until the youths kill them in the lawn of the dun. After that thechase-hounds dart a leap into Brei; they catch seven otters. Theybrought them to the elevation in front of the chief rath. They (Fraechand his suite) sit down there. 

A message comes from the king for a parley with them. It is askedwhence they came, they name themselves according to their true names, "Fraech, son of Idath this, " say they. The steward tells it to theking and queen. "Welcome to them, " say Ailill and Maev; "It is a nobleyouth who is there, " says Ailill, "let him come into the Liss (outercourt). " The fourth of the house is allotted to them. This was thearray of the house, a seven fold order in it; seven apartments fromfire to side-wall in the house all round. A rail (or front) of bronzeto each apartment; a partitioning of red yew under variegated planingall. 

Three plates of bronze in the skirting of each apartment. Seven platesof brass from the ceiling (?) to the roof-tree in the house. 

Of pine the house was made; it is a covering of shingle it hadexternally. There were sixteen windows in the house, and a frame ofbrass, to each of them; a tie of brass across the roof-light. Fourbeams of brass on the apartment of Ailill and Medb, adorned all withbronze, and it in the exact centre of the house. Two rails of silveraround it under gilding. In the front a wand of silver that reachedthe middle rafters of the house. The house was encircled all roundfrom the door to the other. [FN#23]

[FN#23] It should be noted that it is not certain whether the word"imdai, " translated apartments, really means "apartments" or "benches. " The weight of opinion seems at present to take it as above. 

They hang up their arms in that house, and they sit, and welcome ismade to them. 

"Welcome to you, " say Ailill and Medb. "It is that we have come for, "says Fraech. "It shall not be a journey for boasting[FN#24] this, "says Medb, and Ailill and Medb arrange the chess-board after that. Fraech then takes to the playing of chess with a man of their (?)people. 

[FN#24] This is the rendering in the Yellow Book of Lecan, consideredby Meyer to be the true reading. The Book of Leinster text gives"aig-baig, " a word of doubtful meaning. The Eg. MS. Has also adoubtful word. 

It was a beauty of a chess-board. A board of findruine in it with fourears[FN#25] and edges of gold. A candle of precious stones atilluminating for them. Gold and silver the figures that were upon thetable. "Prepare ye food for the warriors, " said Ailill. "Not it is mydesire, " said Medb, but to go to the chess yonder against Fraech. ""Get to it, I am pleased, " said Ailill, and they play the chess then, and Fraech. 

[FN#25] The "ears" were apparently handles shaped like ears. The sameword is used for the rings in the cloaks, line 33 above. 

His people were meanwhile at cooking the wild animals. "Let thyharpers play for us, " says Ailill to Fraech. "Let them play indeed!"says Fraech. A harp-bag[FN#26] of the skins of otters about them withtheir adornment of ruby (or coral), beneath their adornment of gold andsilver. 

[FN#26] Meyer translates this: "the concave part of the harp. "

It is from the music which Uaithne, the Dagda's harp, played that thethree are named. The time the woman was at the bearing of children ithad a cry of sorrow with the soreness of the pangs at first: it wassmile and joy it played in the middle for the pleasure of bringingforth the two sons: it was a sleep of soothingness played the last son, on account of the heaviness of the birth, so that it is from him thatthe third of the music has been named. 

Boand awoke afterwards out of the sleep. "I accept, " she says, "thythree sons O Uaithne of full ardour, since there is Suan-traide andGen-traide, and Gol-traide on cows and women who shall fall by Medb andAilill, men who shall perish by the hearing of art from them. "

They cease from playing after that in the palace: "It is stately it hascome, " says Fergus. "Divide ye to us, " says Fraech to his people, "the food, bring ye it into the house. " Lothur went on the floor ofthe house: he divides to them the food. On his haunches he used todivide each joint with his sword, and he used not to touch the foodpart: since he commenced dividing, he never hacked the meat beneath hishand. 

They were three days and three nights at the playing of the chess onaccount of the abundance of the precious stones in the household ofFraech. After that Fraech addressed Medb. "It is well I have playedagainst thee (i. E. Have beaten thee), " he says, "I take not away thystake from the chess-board that there be not a decay of hospitality forthee in it. "

"Since I have been in this dun this is the day which I deem longest init ever, " says Medb. "This is reasonable, " says Fraech, "they arethree days and three nights in it. " At this Medb starts up. It was ashame with her that the warriors were without food. She goes toAilill: she tells it to him. "A great deed we have done, " said she, "the stranger men who have come to us to be without food. " "Dearer tothee is playing of the chess, " says Ailill. "It hinders not thedistribution to his suite throughout the house. They have been threedays and three nights in it but that we perceived not the night withthe white light of the precious stones in the house. " "Tell them, "says Ailill, "to cease from the lamenting until distribution is made tothem. " Distribution is then made to them, and things were pleasing tothem, and they stayed three days and three nights in it after that overthe feasting. 

It is after that Fraech was called into the house of conversation, andit is asked of him what brought him. "A visit with you, " said he, "ispleasing to me. " "Your company is indeed not displeasing with thehousehold, " said Ailill, "your addition is better than your diminution. "

"We shall stay here then, " says Fraech, "another week. " They stayafter that till the end of a fortnight in the dun, and they have a huntevery single day towards the dun. The men of Connaught used to come toview them. 

It was a trouble with Fraech not to have a conversation with thedaughter: for that was the profit that had brought him. A certain dayhe starts up at the end of night for washing to the stream. It is thetime she had gone and her maid for washing. He takes her hand. "Stayfor my conversing, " he says; "it is thou I have come for. " "I amdelighted truly, " says the daughter; "if I were to come, I could donothing for thee. " "Query, wouldst thou elope with me?" he says. 

"I will not elope, " says she, "for I am the daughter of a king and aqueen. There is nothing of thy poverty that you should not get me(i. E. Thy poverty is not so great that thou art not able to get me)from my family; and it shall be my choice accordingly to go to thee, itis thou whom I have loved. And take thou with thee this ring, " saysthe daughter, "and it shall be between us for a token. My mother gaveit to me to put by, and I shall say that I put it astray. " Each ofthem accordingly goes apart after that. 

"I fear, " says Ailill, "the eloping of yon daughter with Fraech, thoughshe would be given to him on solemn pledge that he would come towardsus with his cattle for aid at the Spoil. " Fraech goes to them to thehouse of conversation. "Is it a secret (cocur, translated "a whisper"by Crowe) ye have?" says Fraech. "Thou wouldest fit in it, " saysAilill. 

"Will ye give me your daughter?" says Fraech. "The hosts will clearlysee she shall be given, " says Ailill, "if thou wouldest give a dowry asshall be named. " "Thou shalt have it, " says Fraech. "Sixty black-greysteeds to me, with their bits of gold to them, and twelve milch cows, so that there be milked liquor of milk from each of them, and anear-red, white calf with each of them; and thou to come with me withall thy force and with thy musicians for bringing of the cows fromCualgne; and my daughter to be given thee provided thou dost come" (oras soon as[FN#27] thou shalt come). "I swear by my shield, and by mysword, and by my accoutrement, I would not give that in dowry even ofMedb. " He went from them out of the house then. Ailill and Medb holda conversation. "It shall drive at us several of the kings of Erinaround us if he should carry off the daughter. What is good is, let usdash after him, and let us slay him forthwith, before he may inflictdestruction upon us. " "It is a pity this, " says Medb, "and it is adecay of hospitality for us. " "It shall not be a decay of hospitalityfor us, it shall not be a decay of hospitality for us, the way I shallprepare it. "

[FN#27] This is Thurneysen's rendering ("Sagen aus dem alten Irland, "p. 121). 

Ailill and Medb go into the palace. "Let us go away, " says Ailill, that we may see the chase-hounds at hunting till the middle of the day, and until they are tired. " They all go off afterwards to the river tobathe themselves. 

"It is declared to me, " says Ailill, "that thou art good in water. Come into this flood, that we may see thy swimming. " "What is thequality of this flood?" he says. "We know not anything dangerous init, " says Ailill, "and bathing in it is frequent. " He strips hisclothes off him then, and he goes into it, and he leaves his girdleabove. Ailill then opens his purse behind him, and the ring was in it. Ailill recognises it then. "Come here, O Medb, " says Ailill. Medbgoes then. "Dost thou recognise that?" says Ailill. "I do recognise, "she says. Ailill flings it into the river down. 

Fraech perceived that matter. He sees something, the salmon leaped tomeet it, and caught it in his mouth. He (Fraech) gives a bound to it, and he catches its jole, and he goes to land, and he brings it to alonely[FN#28] spot on the brink of the river. He proceeds to come outof the water then. "Do not come, " says Ailill, "until thou shalt bringme a branch of the rowan-tree yonder, which is on the brink of theriver: beautiful I deem its berries. " He then goes away, and breaks abranch off the trees and brings it on his back over the water. Theremark of Find-abair was: "Is it not beautiful he looks?" Exceedinglybeautiful she thought it to see Fraech over a black pool: the body ofgreat whiteness, and the hair of great loveliness, the face of greatbeauty, the eye of great greyness; and he a soft youth without fault, without blemish, with a below-narrow, above-broad face; and hestraight, blemishless; the branch with the red berries between thethroat and the white face. It is what Find-abair used to say, that byno means had she seen anything that could come up to him half or thirdfor beauty. 

[FN#28]"Hidden spot" (Windisch

After that he throws the branches to them out of the water. "Theberries are stately and beautiful, bring us an addition of them. " Hegoes off again until he was in the middle of the water. The serpentcatches him out of the water. "Let a sword come to me from you, " hesays; and there was not on the land a man who would dare to give it tohim through fear of Ailill and Medb. After that Find-abair strips offher clothes, and gives a leap into the water with the sword. Herfather lets fly a five-pronged spear at her from above, a shot's throw, so that it passes through her two tresses, and that Fraech caught thespear in his hand. He shoots the spear into the land up, and themonster in his side. He lets it fly with a charge of the methods ofplaying of championship, so that it goes through the purple robe andthrough the tunic (? shirt) that was about Ailill. 

At this the youths who were about Ailill rise to him. Find-abair goesout of the water and leaves the sword in Fraech's hand, and he cuts thehead off the monster, so that it was on its side, and he brought themonster with him to land. It is from it is Dub-lind Fraech in Brei, inthe lands of the men of Connaught. Ailill and Medb go to their dunafterwards. 

"A great deed is what we have done, " says Medb. "We repent, " saysAilill, "of what we have done to the man; the daughter however, " hesays, "her lips shall perish [common metaphor for death] to-morrow atonce, and it shall not be the guilt of bringing of the sword that shallbe for her. Let a bath be made by you for this man, namely, broth offresh bacon and the flesh of a heifer to be minced in it under adze andaxe, and he to be brought into the bath. " All that thing was done ashe said. His trumpeters then before him to the dun. They play thenuntil thirty of the special friends of Ailill die at the long-drawn (orplaintive) music. He goes then into the dun, and he goes into thebath. The female company rise around him at the vat for rubbing, andfor washing his head. He was brought out of it then, and a bed wasmade. They heard something, the lament-cry on Cruachan. There wereseen the three times fifty women with crimson tunics, with greenhead-dresses, with brooches of silver on their wrists. 

A messenger is sent to them to learn what they had bewailed. "Fraech, son of Idath, " says the woman, "boy-pet of the king of the Side ofErin. " At this Fraech heard their lament-cry. 

Thirty men whom King Ailill loved dearlyBy that music were smitten to die;And his men carried Fraech, and they laid himIn that bath, for his healing to lie. 

Around the vat stood ladies, They bathed his limbs and head;From out the bath they raised him, And soft they made his bed. 

Then they heard a strange music;The wild Croghan "keen";And of women thrice fiftyOn Croghan were seen. 

They had tunics of purple, With green were they crowned;On their wrists glistened silver, Where brooches were bound. 

And there neared them a heraldTo learn why they wailed;"'Tis for Fraech, " was their answer, "By sickness assailed;

'Tis for Fraech, son of Idath, [FN#29]Boy-darling is heOf our lord, who in ErinIs king of the Shee!"[FN#30]

And Fraech heard the wail in their cry;

[FN#29] Pronounced Eeda. 

[FN#30] The Fairies. 

"Lift me out of it, " he says to his people; "this is the cry of mymother and of the women of Boand. " He is lifted out at this, and he isbrought to them. The women come around him, and bring him from them tothe Sid of Cruachan (i. E. The deep caverns, used for burial atCruachan). 

They saw something, at the ninth hour on the morrow he comes, and fiftywomen around him, and he quite whole, without stain and withoutblemish; of equal age (the women), of equal form, of equal beauty, ofequal fairness, of equal symmetry, of equal stature, with the dress ofwomen of the fairies about them so that there was no means of knowingof one beyond the other of them. Little but men were suffocated aroundthem. They separate in front of the Liss. [FN#31] They give forth theirlament on going from him, so that they troubled[FN#32] the men who werein the Liss excessively. It is from it is the Lament-cry of the Womenof the Fairies with the musicians of Erin. 

[FN#31] The Liss is the outer court of the palace. 

[FN#32] "Oo corastar tar cend, " "so that they upset, or put besidethemselves. " Meyer takes literally, "so that they fell on their backs"(?)

He then goes into the dun. All the hosts rise before him, and bidwelcome to him, as if it were from another world he were coming. 

Ailill and Medb arise, and do penance to him for the attack they hadmade at him, and they make peace. Feasting commenced with them then atonce. Fraech calls a servant of his suite:

"Go off, " he says, "to the spot at which I went into the water. Asalmon I left there--bring it to Find-abair, and let herself takecharge over it; and let the salmon be well broiled by her, and the ringis in the centre of the salmon. I expect it will be asked of herto-night. " Inebriety seizes them, and music and amusement delightthem. Ailill then said: "Bring ye all my gems to me. " They werebrought to him then, so that the were before him. "Wonderful, wonderful, " says every one. "Call ye Find-abair to me, " he says. Find-abair goes to him, and fifty maidens around her. "O daughter, "says Ailill, "the ring I gave to thee last year, does it remain withthee? Bring it to me that the warriors may see it. Thou shalt have itafterwards. " "I do not know, " she says, "what has been done about it. " "Ascertain then, " says Ailill, "it must be sought, or thy soul mustdepart from thy body. "

"It is by no means worth, " say the warriors, "there is much of valuethere, without that. " "There is naught of my jewels that will not gofor the maid, " says Fraech, "because she brought me the sword forpledge of my soul. "

"There is not with thee anything of gems that should aid her unless shereturns the ring from her, " says Ailill. 

"I have by no means the power to give it, " says the daughter, "whatthou mayest like do it in regard to me. " "I swear to the god to whommy people swear, thy lips shall be pale (literally, shall perish)unless thou returnest it from thee, " says Ailill. "It is why it isasked of thee, because it is impossible; for I know that until thepeople who have died from the beginning of the world. Come, it comesnot out of the spot in which it was flung. " "It shall not come for atreasure which is not appreciated, "[FN#33] says the daughter, "the ringthat is asked for here, I go that I may bring it to thee, since it iskeenly it is asked. " "Thou shalt not go, " says Ailill; "but let one gofrom thee to bring it. "

[FN#33] This is Windisch's rendering (Irische Texte, I. P. 677: s. V. Main). 

The daughter sends her maid to bring it. 

"I swear to the god to whom my territories swear, if it shall be found, I shall by no means be under thy power any longer though I should be atgreat drinking continually. " (?)[FN#34] "I shall by no means preventyou from doing that, namely even if it were to the groom thou shouldstgo if the ring is found, " says Ailill. The maid then brought the dishinto the palace, and the broiled salmon on it, and it dressed underhoney which was well made by the daughter; and the ring of gold was onthe salmon from above. 

[FN#34] "dian dumroib for sar-ol mogreis. " Meyer gives "if there isany one to protect me. " The above is Crowe's rendering. 

Ailill and Medb view it. After that Fraech looks at it, and looks athis purse. "It seems to me it was for proof that I left my girdle, "says Fraech. "On the truth of the sovereignty, " says Fraech, "say whatthou did'st about the ring. " "This shall not be concealed from thee, "says Ailill; "mine is the ring which was in thy purse, and I knew it isFind-abair gave it to thee. It is therefore I flung it into the DarkPool. On the truth of thine honour and of thy soul, O Fraech, declarethou what way the bringing of it out happened. "

"It shall not be concealed on thee, " says Fraech. "The first day Ifound the ring in front of the outer court, and I knew it was a lovelygem. It is for that reason I put it up industriously in my purse. Iheard, the day I went to the water, the maiden who had lost ita-looking for it. I said to her: 'What reward shall I have at thyhands for the finding of it?' She said to me that she would give ayear's love to me. 

"It happened I did not leave it about me; I had left it in the housebehind me. We met not until we met at the giving of the sword into myhand in the river. After that I saw the time thou open'st the purseand flungest the ring into the water: I saw the salmon which leaped forit, so that it took it into its mouth. I then caught the salmon, tookit up in the cloak, put it into the hand of the daughter. It is thatsalmon accordingly which is on the dish. "

The criticising and the wondering at these stories begin in the household. "I shall not throw my mind on another youth in Erin after thee, "says Find-abair. "Bind thyself for that, " say Ailill and Medb, "andcome thou to us with thy cows to the Spoil of the Cows from Cualnge;and when thou shalt come with thy cows from the East back, ye shall wedhere that night at once and Find-abair. " "I shall do that thing, " saysFraech. They are in it then until the morning. Fraech sets about himself with his suite. He then bids farewell to Ailill and Medb. Theydepart to their own territories then. 

TAIN BO FRAICH

PART II

Unto Fraech it hath chanced, as he roved from his landsThat his cattle were stolen by wandering bands:And there met him his mother, and cried, "On thy wayThou hast tarried, and hard for thy slackness shalt pay!In the Alps of the south, the wild mountains amid, Have thy children, thy wife, and thy cattle been hid:And a three of thy kine have the Picts carried forth, And in Alba they pasture, but far to the north!"

"Now, alack!" answered Fraech, "what is best to be done?""Rest at home, " said his mother, "nor seek them my son;For to thee neither cattle, nor children, nor wifeCan avail, if in seeking thou losest thy life;And though cattle be lacking, the task shall be mineTo replace what is lost, and to grant thee the kine. "

"Nay, not so, " answered Fraech, "by my soul I am sworn, That when cattle from Cualgne by force shall be tornTo King Ailill and Maev on my faith as their guestI must ride with those cattle for war to the west!""Now but vainly, " she said, "is this toil on thee cast;Thou shalt lose what thou seekest", and from him she passed. 

Three times nine of his men for that foray were chosen, and marched byhis side, And a hawk flew before, and for hunting, was a hound with ahunting-leash tied;

To Ben Barchi they went, for the border of Ulster their faces were set:And there, of its marches the warder, the conquering Conall they met. Fraech hailed him, the conquering Conall, and told him the tale of hisspoil;"'Tis ill luck that awaits thee, " said Conall, "thy quest shall befollowed with toil!"'Twill be long ere the goal thou art reaching, though thy heart in theseeking may be. ""Conall Cernach, [FN#35] hear thou my beseeching said Fraech, "let thineaid be to me;I had hoped for this meeting with Conall, that his aid in the questmight be lent. ""I will go with thee truly, " said Conall: with Fraech and his comradeshe went. 

[FN#35] Pronounced Cayr-nach. 

Three times nine, Fraech and Conall before them, Over ocean from Ireland have passed;Through the Land of North Saxony bore them, And the South Sea they sighted at last. And again on the sea billows speeding, They went south, over Ichtian foam;And marched on: southward still was their leading:To the land where the Long-Beards have home:But when Lombardy's bounds they were nearingThey made stand; for above and aroundWere the high peaks of Alpa appearing, And the goal that they sought had been found. 

On the Alps was a woman seen straying, and herding the flocks of thesheep, "Let our warriors behind be delaying, " said Conall, "and south let uskeep:

'Twere well we should speak with yon woman, perchance she hath wisdomto teach!"And with Conall went Fraech at that counsel; they neared her, and heldwith her speech. 

"Whence have come you?" she said: "Out of Ireland are we, "Answered Conall: "Ill luck shall for Irishmen beIn this country, " she cried, "yet thy help I would win;From thy land was my mother; thou art to me kin!"

"Of this land we know naught, nor where next we should turn, "Answered Conall. ; "its nature from thee we would learn. ""'Tis a grim land and hateful, " the woman replied, "And the warriors are restless who forth from it ride;For full often of captives, of women and herdOf fair kine by them taken is brought to me word. "

"Canst thou say what latest spoil, " said Fraech, "they won?""Ay, " she said, "they harried Fraech, of Idath[FN#36] sonHe in Erin dwelleth, near the western sea;Kine from him they carried, wife, and children threeHere his wife abideth, there where dwells the king, Turn, and see his cattle, yonder pasturing. "

[FN#36] Pronounced Eeda. 

Out spoke Conall Cernach;[FN#37] "Aid us thou" he cried:"Strength I lack, " she answered, "I can only guide. ""Here is Fraech, " said Conall, "yon his stolen cows":"Fraech!" she asked him, "tell me, canst thou trust thy spouse?""Why, " said Fraech, "though trusty, doubtless, when she went;Now, since here she bideth, truth may well be spent. ""See ye now yon woman?" said she, "with your herd, Tell to her your errand, let her hear your word;Trust in her, as Irish-sprung ye well may place;More if ye would ask me, Ulster reared her race. "

[FN#37] Pronounced Cayr-nach. 

To that woman they went, nor their names from her hid;And they greeted her; welcome in kindness she bid:"What hath moved you, " she said, "from your country to go?""On this journey, " said Conall, "our guide hath been woe:All the cattle that feed in these pastures are ours, And from us went the lady that's kept in yon towers. ""'Tis ill-luck, " said the woman, "that waits on your way, All the men of this hold doth that lady obey;Ye shall find, amid dangers, your danger most greatIn the serpent who guardeth the Liss at the gate. "

"For that lady, " said Fraech, "she is none of myShe is fickle, no trust from me yet did she win:But on thee we rely, thou art trusty, we know;Never yet to an Ulsterman Ulster was foe. "

"Is it men out of Ulster, " she said, "I have met?""And is Conall, " said Fraech, "thus unknown to you yet?Of all heroes from Ulster the battle who facedConall Cernach is foremost. " His neck she embraced, And she cried, with her arms around Conall: "Of oldOf the conquering Conall our prophets have told;And 'tis ruin and doom to this hold that you bring;For that Conall shall sack it, all prophecies sing. "

"Hear my rede, " she told him: "When at fall of dayCome the kine for milking, I abroad will stay;I the castle portal every eve should close:Ye shall find it opened, free for tread of foes:I will say the weakling calves awhile I keep;'Tis for milk, I'll tell them: come then while they sleep;Come, their castle enter, all its wealth to spoil;Only rests that serpent, he our plans may foil:Him it rests to vanquish, he will try you most;Surely from that serpent swarms a serpent host!"

"Trust us well, " answered Conall, "that raid will we do!And the castle they sought, and the snake at them flew:For it darted on Conall, and twined round his waist;Yet the whole of that castle they plundered in haste, And the woman was freed, and her sons with her threeAnd away from her prison she went with them free:And of all of the jewels amassed in that dunThe most costly and beauteous the conquerors won. 

Then the serpent from Conall was loosed, from his beltIt crept safely, no harm from that serpent he felt:And they travelled back north to the Pictish domains, And a three of their cattle they found on the plains;And, where Olla Mae Briuin[FN#38] his hold had of yore, By Dunolly their cattle they drove to the shore. 

[FN#38] Pronounced "Brewin. "

It chanced at Ard Uan Echach, [FN#39] where foam is hurled on high, That doom on Bicne falling, his death he came to die:'Twas while the cows were driven that Bicne's life was lost:By trampling hooves of cattle crushed down to death, or tossed;To him was Loegaire[FN#40] father, and Conall Cernach chiefAnd Inver-Bicne's title still marks his comrades' grief. 

[FN#39] Pronounced "Ard Oon Ay-ha, "

[FN#40] Pronounced "Leary. "

Across the Stream of Bicne the cows of Fraech have passed, And near they came to Benchor, and there their horns they cast:'Tis thence the strand of Bangor for aye is named, 'tis said:The Strand of Horns men call it; those horns his cattle shed. 

To his home travelled Fraech, with his children, andAnd his cattle, and there with them lived out his life, Till the summons of Ailill and Maev he obeyed;And when Cualgne was harried, he rode on the Raid. 

TAIN BO FRAICH

PART II

LITERAL TRANSLATION

It happened that his cows had been in the meanwhile stolen. His mothercame to him. "Not active (or "lucky") of journey hast thou gone; itshall cause much of trouble to thee, " she says. "Thy cows have beenstolen, and thy three sons, and thy wife, so that they are in themountain of Elpa. Three cows of them are in Alba of the North with theCruthnechi (the Picts). " "Query, what shall I do?" he says to hismother. "Thou shalt do a non-going for seeking them; thou wouldest notgive thy life for them, " she says. "Thou shalt have cows at my handsbesides them. " "Not so this, " he says: "I have pledged my hospitalityand my soul to go to Ailill and to Medb with my cows to the Spoil ofthe Cows from Cualnge. " "What thou seekest shall not be obtained, "says his mother. At this she goes off from him then. 

He then sets out with three nines, and a wood-cuckoo (hawk), and ahound of tie with them, until he goes to the territory of theUlstermen, so that he meets with Conall Cernach (Conall the Victorious)at Benna Bairchi (a mountain on the Ulster border). 

He tells his quest to him. "What awaits thee, " says the latter, "shallnot be lucky for thee. Much of trouble awaits thee, " he says, "thoughin it the mind should be. " "It will come to me, " says Fraech toConnall, "that thou wouldest help me any time we should meet. " (?) "Ishall go truly, " says Conall Cernach. They set of the three (i. E. Thethree nines) over sea, over Saxony of the North, over the Sea of Icht(the sea between England and France), to the north of the Long-bards(the dwellers of Lombardy), until they reached the mountains of Elpa. They saw a herd-girl at tending of the sheep before them. "Let us gosouth, " says Conall, "O Fraech, that we may address the woman yonder, and let our youths stay here. "

They went then to a conversation. She said, "Whence are ye?" "Of themen of Erin, " says Conall. "It shall not be lucky for the men of Erintruly, the coming to this country. From the men of Erin too is mymother. Aid thou me on account of relationship. "

"Tell us something about our movements. What is the quality of theland we have to come to?" "A grim hateful land with troublesomewarriors, who go on every side for carrying off cows and women ascaptives, " she says. "What is the latest thing they have carried off?"says Fraech. "The cows of Fraech, son of Idath, from the west of Erin, and his wife, and his three sons. Here is his wife here in the houseof the king, here are his cows in the country in front of you. " "Letthy aid come to us, " says Conall. Little is my power, save guidanceonly. " "This is Fraech, " says Conall, and they are his cows that havebeen carried off. " "Is the woman constant in your estimation?" shesays. "Though constant in our estimation when she went, perchance sheis not constant after coming. " "The woman who frequents the cows, goye to her; tell ye of your errand; of the men of Ireland her race; ofthe men of Ulster exactly. "

They come to her; they receive her, and they name themselves to her, and she bids welcome to them. "What hath led you forth?" she says. "Trouble hath led us forth, " says Conall; "ours are the cows and thewoman that is in the Liss. "

"It shall not be lucky for you truly, " she says, "the going up to themultitude of the woman; more troublesome to you than everything, " shesays, "is the serpent which is at guarding of the Liss. " "She is notmy country-name(?), " says Fraech, "she is not constant in myestimation; thou art constant in my estimation; we know thou wilt notlead us astray, since it is from the men of Ulster thou art. " "Whenceare ye from the men of Ulster?" she says. "This is Conall Cernachhere, the bravest hero with the men of Ulster, " says Fraech. Sheflings two hands around the throat of Conall Cernach. "The destructionhas come in this expedition, " she says, "since he has come to us; forit is to him the destruction of this dun has been prophesied. I shallgo out to my house, "[FN#41] she says, "I shall not be at the milking ofthe cows. I shall leave the Liss opened; it is I who close it everynight. [FN#42] I shall say it is for drink the calves were sucking. Come thou into the dun, when they are sleeping; only trouble. Some toyou is the serpent which is at the dun; several tribes are let loosefrom it. "

[FN#41] "To my house" is in the Egerton MS. Only. 

[FN#42] "Every night" is in the Egerton MS. Only. 

"We will go truly, " says Conall. They attack the Liss; the serpentdarts leap into the girdle of Conall Cernach, and they plunder the dunat once. They save off then the woman and the three sons, and theycarry away whatever was the best of the gems of the dun, and Conalllets the serpent out of his girdle, and neither of them did harm to theother. And they came to the territory of the people of the Picts, until they saw three cows of their cows in it. They drove off to theFort of Ollach mac Briuin (now Dunolly near Oban) with them, until theywere at Ard Uan Echach (high-foaming Echach). It is there the gillieof Conall met his death at the driving of the cows, that is Bicne sonof Loegaire; it is from this is (the name of) Inver Bicne (the Bicneestuary) at Benchor. They brought their cows over it thither. It isthere they flung their horns from them, so that it is thence is (thename of) Tracht Benchoir (the Strand of Horn casting, perhaps themodern Bangor?). 

Fraech goes away then to his territory after, and his wife, and hissons, and his cows with him, until he goes with Ailill and Medb for theSpoil of the Cows from Cualnge. 

THE RAID FOR DARTAID'S CATTLE

INTRODUCTION

This tale is given by Windisch (Irische Texte, II. Pp. 185-205), fromtwo versions; one, whose translation he gives in full, except for onedoubtful passage, is from the manuscript in the British Museum, knownas Egerton, 1782 (dated 1414); the other is from the Yellow Book ofLecan (fourteenth century), in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. 

The version in the Yellow Book is sometimes hard to read, which seemsto be the reason why Windisch prefers to translate the youngerauthority, but though in some places the Egerton version is the fuller, the Yellow Book version (Y. B. L. ) often adds passages, some of whichWindisch has given in notes; some he has left untranslated. In thefollowing prose version as much of Y. B. L. As adds anything to theEgerton text has been translated, with marks of interrogation where theattempted rendering is not certain: variants from the text adopted areplaced below the prose version as footnotes. The insertions fromY. B. L. Are indicated by brackets; but no note is taken of cases wherethe Egerton version is fuller than Y. B. L. 

The opening of the story (the first five lines in the verse rendering)is in the eleventh century Book of the Dun Cow: the fragment agreesclosely with the two later texts, differing in fact from Y. B. L. In oneword only. All three texts are given in the original by Windisch. 

The story is simple and straightforward, but is a good example of fairyvengeance, the description of the appearance of the troop recallssimilar descriptions in the Tain bo Fraich, and in the Courtship ofFerb. The tale is further noticeable from its connection with theprovince of Munster: most of the heroic tales are connected with theother three provinces only. Orlam, the hero of the end of the tale, wasone of Cuchulain's earliest victims in the Tain bo Cualgne. 

THE RAID FOR DARTAID'S CATTLE

FROM THE EGERTON MS. 1782 (EARLY FIFTEENTH-CENTURY), AND THE YELLOWBOOK OF LECAN (FOURTEENTH-CENTURY)

EOCHO BEC, [FN#43] the son of Corpre, reigning in the land ofClew, [FN#44]Dwelt in Coolny's[FN#45] fort; and fostered sons of princes not a few:Forty kine who grazed his pastures gave him milk to rear his wards;Royal blood his charges boasted, sprung from Munster's noblest lords. Maev and Ailill sought to meet him: heralds calling him they sent:"Seven days hence I come" said Eocho; and the heralds from him went. Now, as Eocho lay in slumber, in the night a vision came;By a youthful squire attended, rose to view a fairy dame:"Welcome be my greeting to you!" said the king: "Canst thou discernWho we are?" the fairy answered, "how didst thou our fashion learn?""Surely, " said the king, "aforetime near to me hath been thy place!""Very near thee have we hovered, yet thou hast not seen my face. ""Where do ye abide?" said Eocho. "Yonder dwell we, with the Shee:[FN#46]"In the Fairy Mound of Coolny!" "Wherefore come ye hereto me?""We have come, " she said, "a counsel as a gift to thee to bring!""Speak! and tell me of the counsel ye have brought me, " said the king. "Noble gifts, " she said, "we offer that renown for thee shall gainWhen in foreign lands thou ridest; worship in thine own domain;For a troop shall circle round thee, riding close beside thy hand:Stately it shall be, with goodly horses from a foreign land!""Tell me of that troop, " said Eocho, "in what numbers should we ride? "Fifty horsemen is the number that befits thee, " she replied:

[FN#43] Pronounced Yeo-ho Bayc. 

[FN#44] Cliu, a district in Munster. 

[FN#45] Spelt Cuillne, in Y. B. L. It is Cuille. 

[FN#46] The Fairies, spelt Sidh. 

"Fifty horses, black in colour; gold and silver reins and bits;Fifty sets of gay equipment, such as fairies well befits;These at early dawn to-morrow shall my care for thee provide:Let thy foster-children with thee on the road thou makest ride!Rightly do we come to help thee, who so valiantly in frayGuardest for us soil and country!" And the fairy passed away. 

Eocho's folk at dawn have risen; fifty steeds they all behold:Black the horses seemed; the bridles, stiff with silver and with gold, Firmly to the gate were fastened; fifty silver breeches thereHeaped together shone, encrusted all with gold the brooches were:There were fifty knightly vestments, bordered fair with golden thread:Fifty horses, white, and glowing on their ears with deepest red, Nigh them stood; of reddish purple were the sweeping tails and manes;Silver were the bits; their pasterns chained in front with brazenchains:And, of fair findruine[FN#47] fashioned, was for every horse a whip, Furnished with a golden handle, wherewithal the goad to grip. 

[FN#47] Pronounced "findroony. "

Then King Eocho rose, and ready made him; in that fair arrayForth they rode, nor did they tarry till they came to Croghan[FN#48] Ay. Scarcely could the men of Connaught bear to see that sight, amazedAt the dignity and splendour of the host on which they gazed;For that troop was great; in serried ranks the fifty riders rode, Splendid with the state recounted; pride on all their faces glowed. "Name the man who comes!" said Ailill; "Easy answer!" all replied, Eocho Bee, in Clew who ruleth, hither to thy court would ride":Court and royal house were opened; in with welcome came they all;Three long days and nights they lingered, feasting in King Ailill'shall. Then to Ailill, king of Connaught, Eocho spake: "From out my land{50} Wherefore hast thou called me hither?" "Gifts are needed from thyhand, "Ailill said; "a heavy burden is that task upon me laid, To maintain the men of Ireland when for Cualgne's kine we raid. "

[FN#48] Pronounced Crow-han. 

Eocho spoke: "What gift requirest thou from me?" "For milking-kine, "Ailill said, "I ask"; and Eocho, "Few of these indeed are mine!Forty sons of Munster's princes have I in my halls to rear;These, my foster-sons, beside me m my troop have journeyed here;Fifty herdsmen guard the cattle, forty cows my wards to feed, Seven times twenty graze beside them, to supply my people's need. "

"If, for every man who follows thee as liege, and owns a farm, Thou a cow wilt yield, " said Ailill, "then from foes with power to harmI will guard thee in the battle!" "Keep then faithfully thy vows, "Eocho said, "this day as tribute shall to Croghan come the cows. "

Thrice the sun hath set and risen while they feasting there abide, Maev and Ailill's bounty tasting, homeward then they quickly ride:But the sons of Glaschu met them, who from western Donnan came;Donnan, from the seas that bound it, Irross Donnan hath for name;Seven times twenty men attacked them, and to battle they were brought, At the isle of O'Canàda, fiercely either party fought;With his foster children round him, Eocho Bec in fight was killed, All the forty princes perished, with that news the land was filled;All through Ireland lamentation rose for every youthful chief;Four times twenty Munster princes, weeping for them, died of grief. 

Now a vision came to Ailill, as in sleep he lay awhile, or a youth and dame approached him, fairer none in Erin's Isle:"Who are ye?" said Ailill; "Conquest, " said the fairy, "and Defeat"Though Defeat I shun, " said Ailill, "Conquest joyfully I meet. ""Conquest thou shalt have!" she answered: "Of the future I would ask, Canst thou read my fate?" said Ailill: "Light indeed for me the task, "Said the dame: "the kine of Dartaid, Eocho's daughter, may be won:Forty cows she owns; to gain them send to her thy princely son, Orlam, whom that maiden loveth: let thy son to start prepare, Forty youths from Connaught with him, each of them a prince's heir:Choose thou warriors stout and stately; I will give them garmentsbright, Even those that decked the princes who so lately fell in fight:

Bridles, brooches, all I give thee; ere the morning sun be highThou shalt count that fairy treasure: to our country now we fly. "

Swiftly to the son of Tassa sped they thence, to Corp the Gray:On the northern bank of Naymon was his hold, and there he lay;And before the men of Munster, as their champion did he stand:He hath wrought-so runs the proverb-evil, longer than his hand. As to Corp appeared the vision: "Say, " he cried, "what names ye boast!""Ruin, one is called, " they answered; "one, The Gathering of the Host!"An assembled host I welcome, " answered them the gray Corp Lee;"Ruin I abhor": "And ruin, " they replied, "is far from thee;Thou shalt bring on sons of nobles, and of kings a ruin great":"Fairy, " said Corp Lee, the Gray one, "tell me of that future fate. "

"Easy is the task, " she answered, "youths of every royal raceThat in Connaught's land hath dwelling, come to-morrow to this place;Munster's kine they hope to harry, for the Munster princes fellYesterday with Connaught fighting; and the hour I plainly ten:At the ninth hour of the morning shall they come: the band is small:Have thou valiant men to meet them, and upon the raiders fall!Munster's honour hath been tarnished! clear it by a glorious deed!Thou shalt purge the shame if only in the foray thou succeed. "

"What should be my force?" he asked her: "Take of heroes seven scoreFor that fight, " she said, "and with them seven times twenty warriorsmore:Far from thee we now are flying; but shall meet thee with thy powerWhen to-morrow's sun is shining; at the ninth, the fated hour. "

At the dawn, the time appointed, all those steeds and garments gayWere in Connaught, and they found them at the gate of Croghan Ay;All was there the fay had promised, all the gifts of which we told:All the splendour that had lately decked the princes they behold. Doubtful were the men of Connaught; some desired the risk to face;Some to go refused: said Ailill, "It should bring us to disgrace

If we spurned such offered bounty": Orlam his reproaches felt;Sprang to horse; and towards the country rode, where Eocho's daughterdwelt:And where flows the Shannon river, near that water's southern shore, Found her home; for as they halted, moated Clew[FN#49] rose high before. 

[FN#49] Spelt Cliu. 

Dartaid met them ere they halted, joyful there the prince to see:All the kine are not assembled, of their count is lacking three!""Tarry not for search, " said Orlam, "yet provision must we takeOn our steeds, for hostile Munster rings us round. Wilt home forsake, Maiden? wilt thou ride beside us?" "I will go indeed, " she said. Then, with all thy gathered cattle, come with us; with me to wed!So they marched, and in the centre of their troop the kine were set, And the maiden rode beside them: but Corp Lee, the Gray, they met;Seven times twenty heroes with him; and to battle they must go, And the Connaught nobles perished, fighting bravely with the foe:All the sons of Connaught's princes, all the warriors with them died:Orlam's self escaped the slaughter, he and eight who rode beside:Yet he drave the cows to Croghan; ay, and fifty heifers too!But, when first the foe made onset, they the maid in battle slew. Near a lake, did Eocho's[FN#50] daughter, Dartaid, in the battle fall, From that lake, and her who perished, hath been named that region all:Emly Darta is that country; Tain bo Dartae is the tale:And, as prelude, 'tis recited, till the Cualgne[FN#51] Raid they hail. 

[FN#50] Pronounced Yeo-ho. 

[FN#51] Pronounced Kell-ny. 

THE RAID FOR DARTAID'S CATTLE

LITERAL TRANSLATION

The Passages that occur only in the Yellow Book (Y. B. L. ) are indicatedby being placed in square brackets. 

EOCHO BEC, the son of Corpre, king of Cliu, dwelt in the Dun ofCuillne, [FN#52] and with him were forty fosterlings, all sons of thekings of Munster; he had also forty milch-cows for their sustenance. ByAilill and Medb messengers were sent, asking him to come to aconference. "[In a week, "][FN#53] said Eocho, "I will go to thatconference;" and the messengers departed from him. 

[FN#52] The eleventh century MS. , the Leabhar na h-Uidhri, which givesthe first four lines of this tale as a fragment, adds here as a note:"this is in the land of the O'Cuanach": apparently the O'Briens ofCuanach. 

[FN#53] At Samhuin day (Egerton). 

One night Eocho lay there in his sleep, when he saw something approachhim; a woman, and a young man in her attendance. "Ye are welcome!"said Eocho. ["Knowest thou us?"] said she, "Where hast thou learned toknow us?" "It seems to me as if I had been near to you. " "I thinkthat we have been very near to one another, though we have not seeneach other face to face!" "In what place do ye dwell?" said Eocho. "Yonder in Sid Cuillne (the fairy mound of Cuillne), " said she. "And, wherefore have ye come?" "In order to give thee counsel, " said she. For what purpose is the counsel, " said he, "that thou givest me?"

"Something, " she said, "that will bring thee honour and renown on thyjourney at home and abroad. A stately troop shall be round thee, andgoodly foreign horses shall be under thee. "[FN#54] "With how manyshall I go?" said Eocho. "Fifty horsemen is the number that issuitable for thee, " she answered. 

[FN#54] Y. B. L. Adds a passage that Windisch does not translate: itseems to run thus: "Unknown to thee is the half of what thou hast met:it seems to us that foreign may be thy splendour"(?)

"To-morrow in the morning fifty black horses, furnished with bridles ofgold and silver, shall come to thee from me; and with them fifty setsof equipment of the equipment of the Side; and all of thyfoster-children shall go with thee; well it becomes us to help thee, because thou art valiant in the defence of our country and our soil. "Then the woman left him. 

Early in the morning they arise, there they see something: the fiftyblack horses, furnished with bridles of gold and silver tied fast tothe gate of the castle, also fifty breeches of silver withembellishment of gold; and fifty youths' garments with their edges ofspun gold, and fifty white horses with red ears and long tails, purple-red were all their tails and their manes, with silver bits(?)[FN#55] and foot-chains of brass upon each horse; there were alsofifty whips of white bronze (findruine), with end pieces of gold thatthereby they might be taken into hands. [FN#56]

[FN#55] co m-belgib (?) Windisch translates "bridles, " the same ascona srianaib above. 

[FN#56] Y. B. L. Adds, "Through wizardry was all that thing: it wasrecited (?) how great a thing had appeared, and he told his dream tohis people. "

Then King Eocho arises, and prepares himself (for the journey): theydepart with this equipment to Cruachan Ai:[FN#57] and the people werewell-nigh overcome with their consequence and appearance: their troopwas great, goodly, splendid, compact: [fifty heroes, all with thatappearance that has just been related. 

"How is that man named?" said Ailill. "Not hard, Eocho Bec, the kingof Cliu. " They entered the Liss (outer court), and the royal house;welcome was given to them, he remained there three days and threenights at the feasting. ]

[FN#57] Egerton here gives "Ailill and Medb made them welcome;" itomits the long passage in square brackets. 

"Wherefore have I have been invited to come?" said Eocho to Ailill: "Tolearn if I can obtain a gift from thee, " said Ailill; "for a heavy needweighs upon me, even the sustenance of the men of Ireland for thebringing of the cattle from Cualgne. "

"What manner of gift is it that thou desirest?" said Eocho. "Nothingless than a gift of milking-kine, " said Ailill. "There is nosuperfluity of these in my land, " said Eocho; "I have fortyfosterlings, sons of the kings of Munster, to bring them up (tomanhood); they are here in my company, there are forty cows to supplythe needs of these, to supply my own needs are seven times twentymilch-cows [there are fifty men for this cause watching over them]. 

"Let me have from thee, " said Ailill, "one cow from each farmer who isunder thy lordship as my share; moreover I will yield thee assistanceif at any time thou art oppressed by superior might. " "Thus let it beas thou sayest, " said Eocho; "moreover, they shall come to thee thisvery day. "

For three days and three nights they were hospitably entertained byAilill and Medb, and then they departed homewards, till they met thesons of Glaschu, who came from Irross Donnan (the peninsula of Donnan, now Mayo); the number of those who met them was seven times twenty men, and they set themselves to attack each other, and to strive with eachother in combat, and [at the island of O'Conchada (Inse Ua Conchada)]they fought together. In that place fell the forty sons of kings roundEocho Bec, and that news was spread abroad over all the land ofIreland, so that four times twenty kings' sons, of the youths ofMunster, died, sorrowing for the deaths of these princes. 

On another night, as Ailill lay in his sleep, upon his bed, he saw something, a young man and a woman, the fairest that could be found inIreland. "Who are ye?" said Ailill. "Victory and Defeat are ournames, " she said. "Victory indeed is welcome to me, but not soDefeat, " said Ailill. "Victory shall be thine in each form!" said she. ["What is the next thing after this that awaits us?" said Ailill. "Not hard to tell thee, " said she] "let men march out from thy palacein the morning, that thou mayest win for thyself the cattle of Dartaid, the daughter of Eocho. Forty is the number of her milch-cows, it isthine own son, Orlam mac Ailill, whom she loves. Let Orlam prepare forhis journey with a stately troop of valiant men, also forty sons ofthose kings who dwell in the land of Connaught; and by me shall begiven to them the same equipment that the other youths had who fell inyon fight, bridles and garments and brooches; [early in the morningshall count of the treasure be made, and now we go to our own land, "said she]. 

Then they depart from him, and forthwith they go to [Corp[FN#58] Liath(the Gray), ] who was the son of Tassach. His castle was on the bank ofthe river Nemain, upon the northern side, he was a champion of renownfor the guarding of the men of Munster; longer than his hand is theevil he hath wrought. To this man also they appeared, and "What areyour names?" said he: "Tecmall and Coscrad (Gathering of Hosts, andDestruction), " said they. "Gathering of Hosts is indeed good, " saidCorp Liath, "an evil thing is destruction": "There will be nodestruction for thee, and thou shalt destroy the sons of kings andnobles": "And what, " said Corp Liath, "is the next thing to be done?"

[FN#58] The Egerton MS. Gives the name, Corb Cliach. 

"That is easy to say, " they said;[FN#59] "each son of a king and aqueen, and each heir of a king that is in Connaught, is now coming uponyou to bear off cows from your country, for that the sons of your kingsand queens have fallen by the hand of the men of Connaught. To-morrowmorning, at the ninth hour they will come, and small is their troop; soif valiant warriors go thither to meet them, the honour of Munstershall be preserved; if indeed thine adventure shall meet with success. "

[FN#59] Y. B. L. Gives the passage thus: "Assemble with you the sons ofkings, and heirs of kings, that you may destroy the sons of kings andheirs of kings. " "Who are they?" said Corp Liath. "A noble youth itis from Connaught: he comes to yon to drive your cows before him, afterthat your young men were yesterday destroyed by him, at the ninth hourof the morning they will come to take away the cows of Darta, thedaughter of Eocho. "

"With what number should I go?" he said. "Seven times twenty heroesthou shouldest take with thee, " she replied, ["and seven times twentywarriors besides"]: "And now" said the woman, "we depart to meet theeto-morrow at the ninth hour. "

At the time (appointed), when morning had come, the men of Connaughtsaw the horses and the raiment of which we have spoken, at the gate ofthe fort of Croghan, [even as she (the fairy) had foretold, and as wehave told, so that at that gate was all she had promised, and all thathad been seen on the sons of kings aforetime], and there was a doubtamong the people whether they should go on that quest or not. "It isshame, " said Ailill, "to refuse a thing that is good"; and upon thatOrlam departed [till[FN#60] he came to the house of Dartaid, thedaughter of Eocho, in Cliu Classach (Cliu the Moated), on the Shannonupon the south (bank). 

[FN#60] Egerton Version has only "towards Chu till he came to the homeof Dartaid, the daughter of Eocho: the maiden rejoiced, " &c. From thispoint to the end the version in the Yellow Book is much fuller. 

[There they halted], and the maiden rejoiced at their coming: "Three ofthe kine are missing. " "We cannot wait for these; let the men takeprovision on their horses, [for rightly should we be afraid in themidst of Munster. Wilt thou depart with me, O maiden?" said he. "Iwill indeed go with thee, " said she]. "Come then thou, " said he, "andwith thee all of thy cows. "

[Then the young men go away with the cows in the midst, and the maidenwas with them; but Corp Liath, the son of Tassach, met them with seventimes twenty warriors to oppose their march. A battle was fought], andin that place fell the sons of the kings of Connaught, together withthe warriors who had gone with them, all except Orlam and eightothers, [FN#61] who carried away with them the kine, even the fortymilch-cows, and fifty heifers, [so that they came into the land ofConnaught]; but the maiden fell at the beginning of the fight. 

[FN#61] Y. B. L. Inserts Dartaid's death at this point: "and Dartaidfell at the beginning of the fight, together with the stately sons ofConnaught. "

Hence is that place called Imlech Dartaid, (the Lake Shore of Darta), in the land of Cliu, [where Dartaid, the daughter of Eocho, the son ofCorpre, fell: and for this reason this story is called the Tain boDartae, it is one of the preludes to the Tain bo Cualnge]. 

THE RAID FOR THE CATTLE OF REGAMON

INTRODUCTION

The two versions of this tale, given by Windisch in the Irische Texte, II. Pp. 224-238, are from the same manuscripts as the two versions ofthe Raid of the Cattle of Dartaid; namely the Yellow Book of Lecan, andthe Egerton MS. 1782. In the case of this tale, the Yellow Bookversion is more legible, and, being not only the older, but a littlemore full than the other version, Windisch has translated this textalone: the prose version, as given here, follows this manuscript, nearly as given by Windisch, with only one addition from the EgertonMS. ; the omissions in the Egerton MS. Are not mentioned, but one or twochanges in words adopted from this MS. Are mentioned in the foot-notesto the prose rendering. 

The whole tone of the tale is very unlike the tragic character of thoseromances, which have been sometimes supposed to represent the generalcharacter of old Irish literature: there is not even a hint of thesuper-natural; the story contains no slaughter; the youthful raidersseem to be regarded as quite irresponsible persons, and the whole is anexcellent example of an old Celtic: romance with what is to-day calleda "good ending. "

THE RAID FOR THE CATTLE OF REGAMON

FROM THE YELLOW BOOK OF LECAN

(A MANUSCRIPT OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY)

When Ailill and Maev in the Connaught land abode, and the lordship held, A chief who many a field possessed in the land of Connaught dwelled:A great, and a fair, and a goodly herd of kine had the chieftain won:And his fame in the fight was in all men's word; his name was Regamon. Now seven daughters had Regamon; they dwelt at home with their sire:Yet the seven sons of King Ailill and Maev their beauty with love couldfire:All those seven sons were as Mani[FN#62] known; the first was as Morgorhailed, For his love was great: it was Mingar's fate that in filial love hefailed:The face was seen of the mother-queen on the third; and his father'sfaceDid the fourth son show: they the fifth who know cannot speak all hisstrength and grace:The sixth son spoke, from his lips the words like drops of honey fell:And last came one who all gifts possessed that the tongue of a man cantell;For his father's face that Mani had, in him was his mother seen;And in him abode every grace bestowed on the king of the land or thequeen. 

[FN#62] Pronounced Mah-nee. 

Of the daughters of Regamon now we speak: two names those maidens bore:For as Dunnan three ever known shall be; Dunlaith[FN#63] was the namefor four:And in Breffny's land is the Ford Dunlaith, and the fame of the fourrecalls;The three ye know where the Dunnan's flow in western Connaught falls. With Fergus, Ailill and Maev were met: as at council all conferred;"It were well for our folk, " thus Ailill spoke, "if the lord of thatcattle-herd, That strays in the fields of Regamon, would tribute to us pay:And to gain that end, let us heralds send, to his burg who may maketheir way, And bear to our court that tribute back; for greatly we soon shall needSuch kine when we in the time of war our hosts shall have to feed;And all who share in our counsels know that a burden will soon be mine, When the men must be fed of Ireland, led on the Raid for theCuailgne[FN#64] Kine!"Thus Ailill spoke; and Queen Maev replied, "The men to perform that taskRight well I know; for our sons will go, if we for their aid but ask!The seven daughters of Regamon do the Mani in love now seek:If those maidens' hands they can gain by the deed, they will heed thewords we speak. "To his side King Ailill has called his sons, his mind to the youth heshows. "Best son, " says Maev, "and grateful he, from filial love who goes!"And Morgor said, "For the love that we owe, we go at our sire's behest:""Yet a greater reward, " thus Mingar spake, "must be ours, if we go onthis quest!For naught have we of hero-craft; and small shall be found our might;And of valiant breed are the men, " said he, "with whom we shall have tofight. 

[FN#63] Pronounced Dun-lay. 

[FN#64] Pronounced Kell-ny. 

As men from the shelter of roof who go, and must rest in the open field, So thy sons shall stand, if they come to a land where a foe might befound concealed!We have dwelt till now in our father's halls, too tenderly cared forfar:Nor hath any yet thought, that to us should be taught the arts thatbelong to war!"

Queen Maev and Ailill their sons have sped, away on the quest they went, With seven score men for the fight, whom the queen for help of her sonshad sent:To the south of the Connaught realm they reached, the burg that theysought was plainFor to Ninnus land they had come, and were nigh to the Corcomroe domain. "From our band, " said Mani Morgor, "some must go, of that burg to learnHow entrance we may attain to win, and back with the news returnWe must test the strength of the maidens' love!" On Mingar the task wasset, And with two beside him, he searched the land, till three of the maidsthey met:By springs of water they found the maids, drew swords, and against themleapt!"O grant our lives!" was the maiden's cry, "and your lives shall besafely kept!""For your lives, " he said, "will ye grant a boon, set forth in threewords of speech?""At our hands, " said she, "shall granted be, whatever thy tongue shallteach;Yet ask not cattle; those kine have we no power to bestow, I fear":"Why, 'tis for the sake of the kine, " he said, "that all of us now arehere!"

"Who art thou then?" from her faltering broke: "Mani Mingar am I, " hereplied;I am son to King Ailill and Maev: And to me thou art welcome, " themaiden cried;"But why have ye come to this land?" said she: For kine and forbrides, " he said, Have we come to seek: And 'tis right, " said she, such demands in aspeech to wed:Yet the boon that you ask will our folk refuse, and hard will your taskbe found;For a valiant breed shall you meet, I fear, in the men who guard thisground!""Give your aid, " he said, "then as friends: But time, " said she, "wemust have for thought;For a plan must be made, e'er thy word be obeyed, and the kine to thyhands be brought:Have ye journeyed here with a force of men? how great is the strengthof your band?""Seven score are there here for the fight, " he said, "the warriors arenear at hand!""Wait here, " said she; "to my sisters four I go of the news to tell:"And with thee we side!" all the maidens cried, "and we trust we shallaid thee well, "

Away from the princes the maidens sped, they came to their sisters four, And thus they spoke: "From the Connaught land come men, who are here atyour door;The sons of Ailill and Maev have come; your own true loves are they!""And why have they come to this land?" they said; "For kine and forbrides, they say, Have they come to seek:" "And with zeal their wish would we joyfullynow fulfilIf but powers to aid were but ours, " they said, "which would match withour right good will:

But I fear the youths in this burg who dwell, the plans that we makemay foil;or far from the land may chase that band, and drive them away fromtheir spoil!""Will ye follow us now, with the prince to speak?" They willingly gaveconsent, And together away to the water-springs the seven maidens went. They greeted Mani; "Now come!" said he, "and bring with you out yourherds:And a goodly meed shall reward your deed, if you but obey my words;For our honour with sheltering arms is nigh, and shall all of yousafely keep, Ye seven daughters of Regamon!" The cattle, the swine, and sheepTogether the maidens drove; none saw them fly, nor to stay them sought, Till safe to the place where the Mani stood, the herd by the maids wasbrought. 

The maidens greeted the sons of Maev, and each by her lover stood;And then Morgor spoke: "Into twain this herd of kine to divide weregood, At the Briuin[FN#65] Ford should the hosts unite; too strait hath thepath been madeFor so vast a herd": and to Morgor's word they gave heed, and hisspeech obeyed. Now it chanced that Regamon, the king, was far from his home that day, For he to the Corco Baiscinn land had gone, for a while to stay;

[FN#65] Pronounced Brewin. 

With the Firbolg[FN#66] clans, in debate, he sat; and a cry as theraiders rode, Was behind him raised: to the king came men, who the news of thatplunder showed:Then the king arose, and behind his foes he rode, and o'ertook theirflight, And on Mani Morgor his host pressed hard, and they conquered his men inthe fight. "To unite our band, " thus Morgor cried, "fly hence, and our comradesfind!Call the warriors back from the cattle here, and leave the maids behind;Bid the maidens drive to our home the herd as far as the Croghan Fort, And to Ailill and Maev of our perilous plight let the maidens bearreport. "The maidens went to the Croghan Fort, to Maev with their news theypressed:"Thy sons, O Maev, at the Briuin Ford are pent, and are sore distressed, And they pray thee to aid them with speed": and Maev her host for thewar prepared, With Ailill the warriors of Connaught came; and Fergus beside themfared, And the exiles came, who the Ulster name still bore, and towards thatFordAll that host made speed, that their friends in need might escape fromthe vengeful sword. 

[FN#66] Pronounced Feer-bol. 

Now Ailill's sons, in the pass of that Ford, had hurdles strongly set:And Regamon failed through the ford to win, ere Ailill's troops weremet:Of white-thorn and of black-thorn boughs were the hurdles roughlyframed, And thence the name of the ford first came, that the Hurdle Ford isnamed;

For, where the O'Feara[FN#67] Aidne folk now dwell, can ye plainly seeIn the land of Beara[FN#68] the Less, that Ford, yet called Ath[FN#69]Clee Maaree, In the north doth it stand; and the Connaught land divideth fromCorcomroe;And thither, with Regamon's troops to fight, did Ailill's army go. 

[FN#67] Pronounced O'Fayra Ain-ye. 

[FN#68] Pronounced Bayra. 

[FN#69] Spelt Ath Cliath Medraidi. Ath is pronounced like Ah. 

Then a truce they made; to the youths, that Raid who designed, theygave back their lives;And the maidens fair all pardoned were, who had fled with the youths, as wives, Who had gone with the herd, by the maids conferred on the men who thekine had gained:But the kine, restored to their rightful lord, in Regamon's handsremained;The maiden band in the Connaught land remained with the sons of Maev;And a score of cows to each maiden's spouse the maidens' father gave:As his daughters' dower, did their father's power his right in the cowsresign, That the men might be fed of Ireland, led on the Raid for theCualgne[FN#70] Kine. This tale, as the Tain bo Regamon, is known in the Irish tongue;And this lay they make, when the harp they wake, ere the Cualgne Raidbe sung. 

[FN#70] Pronounced Kell-ny. 

THE RAID FOR THE CATTLE OF REGAMON

LITERAL TRANSLATION

In the time of Ailill and Medb, a glorious warrior and holder of landdwelt in the land of Connaught, and his name was Regamon. He had manyherds of cattle, all of them fair and well-shaped: he had also sevendaughters with him. Now the seven sons of Ailill and Medb loved these(daughters): namely the seven Maine, these were Maine Morgor (Mainewith great filial love), Maine Mingar (Maine with less filial love), Maine Aithremail (Maine like his father), Maine Mathremail (Maine likehis mother), Maine Milbel (Maine with the mouth of honey), [FN#71] MaineMoepert (Maine too great to be described), Maine Condageb-uile (Mainewho combined all qualities): now this one had the form both of fatherand mother, and had all the glory that belonged to both parents. 

[FN#71] The name of Maine Annai, making an eighth son, is given inY. B. L. , but not in the Egerton MS. 

The seven daughters of Regamon were the three Dunann, and the fourDunlaith;[FN#72] from the names of these is the estuary of Dunann inwestern Connaught, and the Ford of Dunlaith in Breffny. 

[FN#72] So Egerton, which Windisch follows here; the reading of Y. B. L. Is Dunmed for the daughters, and Dumed for the corresponding ford. 

Now at a certain time, Ailill and Medb and Fergus held counseltogether. "Some one from us, " said Ailill, "should go to Regamon, thata present of cattle may be brought to us from him; to meet the needthat there is on us for feeding the men of Ireland, when the kine areraided from Cualgne. " "I know, " said Medb, "who would be good to gothither, if we ask it of them; even the Maine; on account of their lovefor the daughters. "

His sons were called to Ailill, and he spoke with them. "Grateful ishe, and a better journey does he go, " said Maev, "who goes for the sakeof his filial love. " "Truly it shall be that it is owing to filiallove that we go, " said Mani Morgor. "But the reward should (also) forthis be the better, " said Mani Mingar; "it stands ill with our heroism, ill with our strength. 

It is like going from a house into the fields, (going) into the domainsor the land of foes. Too tenderly have we been brought up; none hathlet us learn of wars; moreover the warriors are valiant towards whom wego!"

They took leave of Ailill and Medb, and betook themselves to the quest. They set out, seven times twenty heroes was the number, till they werein the south of Connaught, in the neighbourhood of the domain ofCorcomroe[FN#73] in the land of Ninnus, near to the burg. "Some ofyou, " said Mani Morgor, "should go to find out how to enter into theburg; and to test the love of maidens. " Mani Mingar, with two others, went until he came upon three of the maidens at the water-springs, andat once he and his comrades drew their swords against them. "Give lifefor life!" said the maiden. "Grant to me then my three full words!"said Mani Mingar. "Whatever thy tongue sets forth shall be done, " saidthe maiden, "only let it not be cows, [FN#74] for these have we no powerto give thee. " "For these indeed, " said Mani, "is all that now wedo. "[FN#75]

[FN#73] Properly "Coremodruad, " the descendants of Modh Ruadh, thirdson of Fergus by Maev; now Corcomroe in County Clare. 

[FN#74]"Only let it not be cows" is in the Egerton MS. Alone. 

[FN#75] "That we do" is Egerton MS. (cich indingnem), Y. B. L. Has"cechi m-bem. "

"Who art thou?" said she: "Mani Mingar, son of Ailill and Medb, " saidhe: "Welcome then, " she said, "but what hath brought with you here?""To take with us cattle and maidens, " he said: "'Tis right, " she said, "to take these together; (but) I fear that what has been demanded willnot be granted, the men are valiant to whom you have come. " "Let yourentreaties be our aid!" he said. "We would desire, " she said, "that itshould be after that counsel hath been taken that we obey you. "

"What is your number?" said she: "Seven times twenty heroes, " he said, "are with us. " "Remain here, " she said, "that we may speak with theother maidens": "We shall assist you, " said the maidens, "as well as wecan. "

They went from them, and came to the other maidens, and they said tothem: "Young heroes from the lands of Connaught are come to you, yourown true loves, the seven sons of Ailill and Medb. " "Wherefore arethey come?" "To take back with them cattle and wives. " "That would wegladly have, if only we could; (but) I fear that the warriors willhinder them or drive them away, " said she. "Go ye out, that ye mayspeak with the man. " "We will speak with him, " they said. The sevenmaidens went to the well, and they greeted Mani. "Come ye away, " hesaid, "and bring your cattle with you. That will be a good deed. Weshall assist you with our honour and our protection, O ye daughters ofRegamon, " said he. [FN#76] The maidens drove together their cows andtheir swine, and their sheep, so that none observed them; and theysecretly passed on till they came to the camp of their comrades. Themaidens greeted the sons of Ailill and Medb, and they remained therestanding together. "The herd must be divided in two parts, " said ManiMerger, "also the host must divide, for it is too great to travel bythe one way; and we shall meet again at Ath Briuin (the Ford ofBriuin). " So it was done. 

[FN#76] Windisch conjectures this instead of "said the warriors, "which is in the text of Y. B. L. 

King Regamon was not there on that day. He was in the domain of CorcoBaiscinn, [FN#77] to hold a conference with the Firbolgs. His peopleraised a cry behind him, message was brought to Regamon, and he went inpursuit with his army. The whole of the pursuing host overtook ManiMorgor, and brought defeat upon him. 

[FN#77] In the south-west of Clare. 

"We all, " said Mani, "must go to one place, and some of you shall besent to the cattle to summon the young men hither, and the maidensshall drive the cattle over the ford to Cruachan, and shall give Aililland Medb tidings of the plight in which we are here. " The maidens wentto Cruachan, and told all the tale. "Thy sons are at Ath Briuin indistress, and have said that help should be brought to them. " The menof Connaught with Ailill, and Medb, and Fergus, and the banished men ofUlster went to Ath Briuin to help their people. 

The sons of Ailill had for the moment made hurdles of white-thorn andblack-thorn in the gut[FN#78] of the ford, as defence against Regamonand his people, so that they were unable to pass through the ford ereAilill and his army came; so thence cometh the name Ath CliathMedraidi[FN#79] (the Hurdle Ford of Medraide), in the country of LittleBethra in the northern part of the O'Fiachrach Aidne between Connaughtand Corcomroe. There they met together with all their hosts. 

[FN#78] Literally "mouth. "

[FN#79] Ath Cliath oc Medraige, now Maaree, in Ballycourty parish, Co. Galway (Stokes, Bodleian Dinnshenchus, 26). It may be mentioned thatin the Dinnshenchus, the cattle are said to have been taken "fromDartaid, the daughter of Regamon in Munster, " thus confusing the Raidsof Regamon and Dartaid, which may account for O'Curry's incorrectstatement in the preface to Leabhar na h-Uidhri, p. Xv. 

A treaty was then made between them on account of the fair young menwho had carried off the cattle, and on account of the fair maidens whohad gone with them, by whose means the herd escaped. Restitution ofthe herd was awarded to Regamon, and the maidens abode with the sons ofAilill and Medb; and seven times twenty milch-cows were given up, as adowry for the maidens, and for the maintenance of the men of Ireland onthe occasion of the assembly for the Tain bo Cualnge; so that this taleis called the Tain bo Regamon, and it is a prelude to the tale of theTain bo Cualnge. Finit, amen. 

THE DRIVING OF THE CATTLE OF FLIDAIS

INTRODUCTION

The Tain bo Flidais, the Driving of the Cows of Flidais, does not, likethe other three Preludes to the Tain bo Cualnge, occur in the YellowBook of Lecan; but its manuscript age is far the oldest of the four, asit occurs in both the two oldest collections of Old Irish romance, theLeabbar na h-Uidhri (abbreviated to L. U. ), and the Book of Leinster(abbreviated to L. L. ), besides the fifteenth century Egerton MS. , thatcontains the other three preludes. The text of all three, togetherwith a translation of the L. U. Text, is given by Windisch in IrischeTexte, II. Pp. 206-223; the first part of the story is missing in L. U. And is supplied from the Book of Leinster (L. L. ) version. The prosetranslation given here follows Windisch's translation pretty closely, with insertions occasionally from L. L. The Egerton version agreesclosely with L. L. , and adds little to it beyond variations in spelling, which have occasionally been taken in the case of proper names. TheLeabhar na h-Uidhri version is not only the oldest, but has the mostdetails of the three; a few passages have, however, been supplied fromthe other manuscripts which agree with L. U. In the main. 

The whole tale is much more like an old Border riding ballad than arethe other three Preludes; it resembles the tone of Regamon, but differsfrom it in having a good deal of slaughter to relate, though it canhardly be called tragic, like Deirdre and Ferb, the killing being takenas a matter of course. There is nothing at all supernatural about thestory as contained in the old manuscripts, but a quite different'version of the story given in the Glenn Masain Manuscript, a fifteenthcentury manuscript now in the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, givesanother complexion to the tale. 

The translation of this manuscript is at present being made in theCeltic Review by Professor Mackinnon; the version it gives of the storyis much longer and fuller than that in the Leabhar na h-Uidhri, and itsaccompanying manuscripts. The translation as printed in the CelticReview is not as yet (July 1905) completed, but, through ProfessorMackinnon's kindness, an abstract of the general features of the end ofthe story may be given here. 

The Glenn Masain version makes Bricriu, who is a subordinate characterin the older version, one of the principal actors, and explains many ofthe allusions which are difficult to understand in the shorter version;but it is not possible to regard the older version as an abridgment ofthat preserved in the Glenn Masain MS. , for the end of the story inthis manuscript is absolutely different from that in the older ones, and the romance appears to be unique in Irish in that it has versionswhich give two quite different endings, like the two versions ofKipling's The Light that Failed. 

The Glenn Masain version commences with a feast held at Cruachan, whenFergus and his exiles had joined their forces with Connaught as aresult of the murder of the Sons of Usnach, as told in the earlier partof the manuscript. At this feast Bricriu. Engages in conversation withFergus, reproaching him for his broken promises to the Ulstermen whohad joined him, and for his dalliance with Queen Maev. Bricriu, who inother romances is a mere buffoon, here appears as a distinguished poet, and a chief ollave; his satire remains bitter, but by no meansscurrilous, and the verses put into his mouth, although far beneath thestandard of the verses given to Deirdre in the earlier part of themanuscript, show a certain amount of dignity and poetic power. As anexample, the following satire on Fergus's inability to keep hispromises may be cited:--

Fergus, hear thy friend lamenting!Blunted is thy lofty mind;Thou, for hire, to Maev consenting, Hast thy valour's pride resigned. 

Ere another year's arriving, Should thy comrades, thou didst vow, Three-score chariots fair be driving, Shields and weapons have enow!

When thy ladies, bent on pleasure, Crowd towards the banquet-hall, Thou of gold a goodly measurePromised hast to grant to all!

Ill to-night thy friends are faring, Naught hath Fergus to bestow;He a poor man's look is wearing, Never yet was greater woe!

After the dialogue with Fergus, Bricriu, with the poets that attendhim, undertakes a journey to Ailill the Fair, to obtain from him thebounty that Fergus had promised but was unable to grant. He makes afairly heavy demand upon Ailill's bounty, but is received hospitably, and gets all he had asked for, as well as honour for his poetictalents. He then asks about Ailill's wife Flidais, and is told abouther marvellous cow, which was able to supply milk to more than threehundred men at one night's milking. Flidais returns from a journey, iswelcomed by Bricriu, who produces a poem in honour of her and her cow, and is suitably recompensed. 

A long conversation is then recorded between Flidais and Bricriu inwhich Bricriu extols the great deeds of Fergus, supplying thereby acommentary on the short statement at the beginning of the olderversion, that Flidais' love to Fergus was on account of the great deedswhich had been told her that he had done. Flidais declares to Bricriuher love for Fergus, and Bricriu, after a vain attempt to dissuade thequeen from her purpose, consents to bring a message to Fergus thatFlidais and her cow will come to him if he comes to her husband'scastle to seek her. He then returns to Connaught laden with gifts. 

The story now proceeds somewhat upon the lines of the older version. Bricriu approaches Fergus on his return, and induces him to go in theguise of an ambassador to Ailill the Fair, with the secret intention ofcarrying off Flidais. Fergus receives the sanction of Maev and herhusband for his errand, and departs, but not as in the older versionwith a few followers; all the Ulster exiles are with him. Dubhtach, bykilling a servant of Maev, embroils Fergus with the queen of Connaught;and the expedition reaches Ailill the Fair's castle. Fergus sendsBricriu, who has most unwillingly accompanied him, to ask forhospitality; he is hospitably received by Ailill, and when under theinfluence of wine reveals to Ailill the plot. Ailill does not, as inthe older version, refuse to receive Fergus, but seats him besidehimself at a feast, and after reproaching him with his purposechallenges him to a duel in the morning. The result of the duel, andof the subsequent attack on the castle by Fergus' friends, is much asstated in the older version, but the two stories end quite differently. The L. U. Version makes Flidais assist in the War of Cualgne by feedingthe army of Ailill each seventh day with the produce of her cows; shedies after the war as wife of Fergus; the Glenn Masain version, in the"Pursuit of the Cattle of Flidais, " makes the Gamanrad clan, thehero-clan of the West of Ireland, pursue Maev and Fergus, and rescueFlidais and her cow; Flidais then returns to the west with MuiretachMenn, the son of her murdered husband, Ailill the Fair. 

The comparison of these two versions, from the literary point of view, is most interesting. The stress laid on the supernatural cow ispeculiar to the version in the later manuscript, the only analogy inthe eleventh century version is the semi-supernatural feeding of thearmy of Ireland, but in this it is a herd (buar), not a single animal, that is credited with the feat, and there is really nothingsupernatural about the matter; it is only the other version thatenables us to see the true bearing of the incident. The version in theGlenn Masain Manuscript looks much more ancient in idea than that inthe older texts, and is plainly capable of a mythic interpretation. Itis not of course suggested that the Glenn Masain version is ancient asit stands: there are indeed enough obvious allusions in the text tocomparatively late works to negative such a supposition, independentlyof linguistic evidence, but it does look as if the author of theeleventh century text had a super natural tale to work upon, some ofwhose incidents are preserved in the Glenn Masain version, and that hesucceeded in making out of the traditional account a story thatpractically contains no supernatural element at all, so that itrequires a knowledge of the other version to discover the slight traceof the supernatural that he did keep, viz. The feeding of the army ofIreland by the herd (not the cow) of Flidais. 

It is possible that the common origin of the two versions is preservedfor us in another place, the Coir Annam, which, though it as it standsis a Middle Irish work, probably keeps ancient tradition better thanthe more finished romances. In this we find, following Stokes'translation, given in Irische Texte, III. P. 295, the followingentries:--

"Adammair Flidaise Foltchain, that is Flidais the Queen, one of thetribe of the god-folk (the Tuatha de Danaan), she was wife of Adammair, the son of Fer Cuirp, and from her cometh the name Buar Flidaise, theCattle of Flidais. 

"Nia Segamain, that is seg (deer) are a main (his treasure), for in histime cows and does were milked in the same way every day, so that hehad great wealth in these things beyond that of all other kings. TheFlidais spoken of above was the mother of Nia Segamain, Adammair's son, for two kinds of cattle, cows and does, were milked in the days of NiaSegamain, and by his mother was that fairy power given to him. "

It seems, then, not impossible that the original legend was much asstated in the Coir Annam, viz. That Flidais was a supernatural being, milking wild deer like cows, and that she was taken into the UlsterCycle and made part of the tale of Fergus. 

This adoption was done by an author who made a text which may beregarded as the common original of the two versions; in his tale thesupernatural character of Flidais was retained. The author of the L. U. Version cut out the supernatural part, and perhaps the original embassyof Bricriu; it may, however, be noted that the opening of the olderversion comes from the L. L. Text, which is throughout shorter than thatin L. U. , and the lost opening of L. U. May have been fuller. The authorof the Glenn Masain version kept nearer to the old story, adding, however, more modern touches. Where the new character of Bricriu comesfrom is a moot point; I incline to the belief that the idea of Bricriuas a mere buffoon is a later development. But in neither version isthe story, as we have it, a pre-Christian one. The originalpre-Christian idea of Flidais was, as in the Coir Annam, that of abeing outside the Ulster Cycle altogether. 

THE DRIVING OF THE CATTLE OF FLIDAIS

FROM THE LEABHAR NA H-UIDHRI (ELEVENTH-CENTURY MS. ), THE BEGINNING ANDA FEW ADDITIONS FROM THE BOOK OF LEINSTER (TWELFTH CENTURY)

A land in West Roscommon, as Kerry known of old, Was ruled by Ailill Fair-haired; of him a tale is told:How Flidais, [FN#80] Ailill's[FN#81] consort, each week, and near itsend, To Ro's great son, to Fergus, her herald still would send;'Twas Fergus' love she sought for; the deeds by Fergus done, In glorious tales recited, had Flidais' fancy won. 

[FN#80] Pronounced Flid-das. 

[FN#81] Pronounced Al-ill. 

When Fergus fled from Ulster, and Connaught's land he sought, To Ailill, king of Connaught, this tale of love he brought:"Now give me rede, " said Fergus, "how best we here should act, That Connaught's fame and honour by none may stand attacked;Say, how can I approach them, and strip thy kingdom bare, And yet the fame of Ailill, that country's monarch, spare?""'Tis hard indeed to teach thee, " cried Ailill, sore perplexed;"Let Maev come nigh with counsel what course to follow next!"

"Send thou to Ailill Fair-haired to ask for aid!" said Maev, "He well may meet a herald, who comes his help to craveLet Fergus go to crave it: no harm can there be seen;And better gifts from Ailill shall Fergus win, I ween!"

So forth to Ailill Fair-haired went Fergus, son of Ro;And thirty, Dubhtach[FN#82] leading, he chose with him to go;And yet another Fergus his aid to Fergus brought;Mac Oonlama[FN#83] men called him; his sire one-handed fought. 

[FN#82] Pronounced Doov-ta. 

[FN#83] Spelt Mac Oenlama, son of the one-handed one. 

Beside the Ford of Fenna, in Kerry's north they came, They neared the hold, and from it rang welcome's loud acclaim:"What quest, " said Ailill Fair-haired, "hath brought these warriorshere?""Of Ailill, son of Magach, we stand, " they said, "in fear;A feud we hold against him; with thee would fain abide!""For each of these, " said Ailill, "who Fergus march beside, If they were foes to Connaught, for long they here might stay, And ne'er till peace was granted, I'd drive these men away:For Fergus, naught I grant him a tale of him men tellThat Fergus 'tis whom Flidais, my wife, doth love too well!"

"It is kine that I ask for, " said Fergus, "and hard is the task on meset:For the men who have marched here beside me, the means to win life Imust get. ""I will give no such present, " said Ailill, " thou comest not here as myguest:Men will say, 'twas from fear that I gave it, lest my wife from my armsthou should'st wrest:Yet an ox of my herds, and some bacon, if thou wilt, shall my hand tothee give;That the men who have marched here beside thee on that meat may bestayed, and may live!"

"I eat no bread thus thrown me!" fierce Fergus straight replied:"I asked a gift of honour; that gift thine hand denied. ""Avoid my house, " said Ailill in wrath, "now get thee hence!"We go indeed, " said Fergus; "no siege we now commence:Yet here, " he cried, "for duel beside yon ford I wait, If thou canst find a champion to meet me at thy gate. "

Then up and answered Ailill: "'Tis mine this strife must beAnd none shall hurt mine honour, or take this task from me:None hold me back from battle!"--the ford for fight he sought:"Now Dubhtach, say, " said Fergus, "to whom this war is brought!Or thou or I must meet him. " And Dubhtach said, "I go;For I am younger, Fergus, and bolder far with foe. "

To the ford for the battle with Ailill he hies, And he thrust at him fiercely, and pierced through his thighs;But a javelin by Ailill at Dubhtach was cast, And right through his body the shaft of it passed:And a shield over Dubhtach, laid low in the dust, Spread Fergus; and Ailill his spear at him thrust;And through Fergus' shield had the spear made its way, When Fergus Mae Oonlama joined in the fray, And his shield he uplifted, his namesake to guard;But at Fergus Mac Oonlama Ailill thrust hard, And he brake through the fence of Mac Oonlama's shield;And he leaped in his pain; as they lay on the field, On his comrades he fell: Flidais forth to them flew, And her cloak on the warriors to shield them she threw. 

Then against all the comrades of Fergus turned Ailill the Fair-hairedto fight, And he chased them away from his castle, and slew as they scattered inflight;A twenty he reached, and he slew them: they fell, on that field toremain;And but seven there were of that thirty who fled, and their safetycould gain:They came to the palace of Croghan, they entered the gates of that hold, And to Maev and to Ailill of Connaught the tale of the slaughter theytold. 

Then roused himself King Ailill, of Connaught's land the king, With Maev to march to battle, their aid to friends to bring:And forth from Connaught's kingdom went many a lord of worth, Beside them marched the exiles who gat from Ulster birth:So forward went that army, and reached to Kerry's land, And near the Ford of Fenna they came, and there made stand. 

While this was done, the wounded threeWithin the hold lay still, And Flidais cared for all, for sheTo heal their wounds had skill. 

To Ailill Fair-Haired's castle the Connaught host was led, And toward the foeman's ramparts the Connaught herald sped;He called on Ailill Fair-haired to come without the gate, And there to meet King Ailill, and with him hold debate. "I come to no such meeting, " the angry chief replied;"Yon man is far too haughty: too grossly swells his pride!"

Yet 'twas peaceful meeting, So the old men say, Ailill willed; whose greetingHeralds bore that day. Fergus, ere he perished, First he sought to aidHe that thought who cherishedFriendship's claims obeyed:Then his foe he vainlyHoped in truce to bind:Peace, 'tis said, was plainlyDear to Connaught's mind!

The wounded men, on litters laid, Without the walls they boreTo friendly hands, with skill to aid, And fainting health restore. 

At the castle of Ailill the Fair-Haired the Connaught-men rushed inattack, And to win it they failed: from his ramparts in defeat were his foesdriven back:For long in that contest they struggled, yet naught in the fight theyprevailed -For a week were the walls of the castle of Ailill the Fair-Hairedassailed, Seven score of the nobles of Connaught, and all of them warriors ofmight, For the castle of Ailill contended, and fell as they strove in thefight. 

"'Tis sure that with omen of evil this castle was sought by our folk!"Thus Bricroo, [FN#84] the Poisonous Scoffer, in mockery, jeering them, spoke:"The taunt, " answered Ailill Mae Mata, "is true, and with grief IconfessThat the fame of the heroes of Ulster hereafter is like to be less, For a three of the Ulstermen's champions in stress of the fight havebeen quelled;And the vengeance we wait for from Ulster hath long been by Ulsterwithheld;As a pillar of warfare each hero, 'twas claimed, could a battle sustain;Yet by none of the three in this battle hath a foeman been conquered, or slain!In the future for all of these champions shall scorn and much mockingbefall:One man hath come forth from yon castle; alone he hath wounded themall--Such disgrace for such heroes of valour no times that are past ever saw, For three lords of the battle lie conquered by mannikins, fashioned ofstraw!"

[FN#84] Spelt Bricriu. The usual epithet of Bricriu, "Bricriu of thePoison Tongue, " is indicated in the verse rendering. 

"Ah! woe is me, " said Bricroo, "how long, thus stretched on ground, The length of Father Fergus hath here by all been found!But one he sought to conquer; a single fight essayed, And here he met his victor, and low on land is laid. "

Then rose the men of Ulster a hardy war to wage, And forward rushed, though naked, in strong and stubborn rage:Against the castle gateway in wrathful might they dashed, And down the shattered portal within the castle crashed. Then close by Ulster's champions was Connaught's battle formed;And Connaught's troops with Ulster by might the castle stormed;But fitly framed for battle were men whom there they met, Wild war, where none showed pity between the hosts was set:And well they struck; each hero commenced with mighty blowsTo crush and slay, destruction was heaped by foe on foes. 

Of the wounding at length and the slaughter all weary the champions hadgrown, And the men who the castle of Ailill had held were at length overthrown:Of those who were found in that castle, and its walls had defended sowell, Seven hundred by warriors of Ulster were smitten to death, and theyfell:And there in his castle fell Ailill the Fair-haired, and fighting hedied, And a thirty of sons stood about him, and all met their death by hisside. 

The chief of those who perished, by Ailill's side who stoodWithin his hold, were Noodoo;[FN#85] and Awley[FN#86] named the Good;And Feeho[FN#87] called the Broad-backed; and Corpre Cromm the Bent;An Ailill, he from Breffny to help of Ailill went;A three whose name was Angus-fierce was each warrior's face;Three Eochaid, sea-girt Donnan[FN#88] had cradled erst their race;And there fell seven Breslen, from plains of Ay[FN#89] who came;And fifty fell beside them who all had Donnell's name. 

[FN#85] Spelt Nuado. 

[FN#86] Spelt Amalgaid. 

[FN#87] Spelt Fiacho. 

[FN#88] Irross Donnan, the promontory of Donnan (now Mayo). 

[FN#89] Mag Ai, a plain in Roscommon. 

For to Ailill the Fair-Haired for warfare had marched all theGamanra[FN#90] clan, And his friends from the sea-girded Donnan had sent to his aid everyman;All these had with Ailill been leaguered, their help to him freely theybrought, And that aid from them Ailill. Took gladly, he knew that his hold wouldbe sought;He knew that the exiles of Ulster his captives from prison would save, And would come, their surrender demanding; that Ailill mac Mata and MaevWould bring all Connaught's troops to the rescue: for Fergus that aidthey would lend, And Fergus the succour of Connaught could claim, and with right, as afriend. 

[FN#90] Spelt Gamanrad. 

Hero clans in Erin three of old were found;One in Irross Donnan, oceans Donnan bound, Thence came Clan Gamanra; Deda's warlike clanNursed in Tara Loochra[FN#91] many a fighting man. Deda sprang from Munster; far in Ulster's northOft from Emain Macha Rury's[FN#92] clan went forth:Vainly all with Rury strove to fight, the twainRury's clan hath vanquished; Rury all hath slain!

[FN#91] Temair Luachra, an ancient palace near Abbeyfeale, on theborders of the counties of Limerick and Kerry. "Tara, " as is wellknown, is a corruption of Temair, but is now established. 

[FN#92] Spelt Rudraige. 

Then rose up the warriors of Ulster, the hold they had conquered tosack;And the folk of Queen Maev and King Ailill followed close on theUlstermen's track:And they took with them captives; for Flidais away from her castle theytore;And the women who dwelt in the castle away to captivity bore:

And all things therein that were precious they seized on as booty; thegoldAnd the silver they seized, and the treasures amassed by the men ofthat hold:The horns, and the goblets for drinking, the vats for the ale, and thekeys, The gay robes with all hues that were glowing lay there for the raidersto seize:And much cattle they took; in that castle were one hundred of milkgiving kine;And beside them a seven score oxen; three thousand of sheep and ofswine. 

Then Flidais went with Fergus, his wedded wife to be;For thus had Maev and Ailill pronounced their high decree:They bade that when from Cualgne to drive the kine they went, From those who then were wedded should aid for war be sent. And thus it fell thereafter: when Ireland went that Raid, By milk from cows of Flidais, the lives of all were stayed;Each seventh day she sent it; and thus fulfilled her vows, And thus the tale is ended, men tell of Flidais' Cows. 

Then, all that Raid accomplished, with Fergus Flidais dwellAnd he of Ulster's kingdom a part in lordship held:He ruled in Mag I Murthemne[FN#92], yea, more than that, he wonThe land where once was ruler Cuchulain, Sualtam's son:And by the shore of Bali thereafter Flidais died, And naught of good for Fergus did Flidais' death betide:For worse was all his household; if Fergus aught desired, From Flidais' wealth and bounty came all his soul required. 

In the days that followed, when his wife was dead, Fergus went to Connaught; there his blood was shed:There with Maev and Ailill he a while would stay;Men had made a story, he would learn the lay!There he went to cheer him, hearing converse fair:Kine beside were promised; home he these would bear:So he went to Croghan, 'twas a deadly quest, There he found his slaughter, death within the west:Slain by jealous Ailill, Fergus low was laid:Flidais' tale is ended: now comes Cualgne's Raid!

[FN#92] Pronounced Maw Moortemmy

THE DRIVING OF THE CATTLE OF FLIDAIS

LITERAL TRANSLATION

Flidais was the wife of Ailill Finn (the Fair-haired) in the districtof Kerry. [FN#93] She loved Fergus the son of Rog on account of theglorious tales about him; and always there went messengers from her tohim at the end of each week. 

[FN#93] Kerry is the district now called Castlereagh, in the west ofthe present county of Roscommon. 

So, when he came to Connaught, he brought this matter before[FN#94]Ailill: "What[FN#95] shall I do next in this matter?" said Fergus: "itis hard for me to lay bare your land, without there being loss to theeof honour and renown therewith. " "Yes, what shall we do next in thematter?" said Ailill; "we will consider this in counsel with Maev. ""Let one of us go to Ailill Finn, " (said Maev), "that he may help us, and as this involves a meeting of some one with him, there is no reasonwhy it should not be thyself who goest to him: the gift will be all thebetter for that!"

[FN#94] i. E. Ailill of Connaught. 

[FN#95] This sentence to the end is taken from the Egerton version, which seems the clearer; the Book of Leinster gives: "What shall I donext, that there be no loss of honour or renown to thee in the matter?"

Then Fergus set out thereon, in number thirty men; the two Ferguses(i. E. Fergus mac Rog, and Fergus mac Oen-lama) and Dubhtach; till theywere at the Ford of Fenna in the north of the land of Kerry. They goto the burg, and welcome is brought to them. [FN#96] "What brings youhere?" said Ailill Finn. "We had the intention of staying with you ona visit, for we have a quarrel with Ailill the son of Magach. "

[FN#96] The Book of the Dun Cow (Leabhar na h-Uidhri) version beginsat this point. 

"If it were one of thy people who had the quarrel, he should stay withme until he had made his peace. But thou shalt not stay, " said AilillFinn, "it has been told me that my wife loves thee!" "We must have agift of cows then, " said Fergus, "for a great need lies on us, even thesustenance of the troop who have gone with me into exile. " "Thou shaltcarry off no such present from me, " he said, "because thou art notremaining with me on a visit. Men will say that it is to keep my wifethat I gave thee what thou hast required. I[FN#97] will give to yourcompany one ox and some bacon to help them, if such is your pleasure. ""I will eat not thy bread although offered (lit. However), " saidFergus, "because I can get no present of honour from thee!"

[FN#97] L. L. And Egerton make the end of this speech part of thestory: "There was given to them one ox with bacon, with as much as theywished of beer, as a feast for them. "

"Out of my house with you all, then!" said Ailill. 

"That shall be, " said Fergus; "we shall not begin to lay siege to theeand they betake themselves outside. 

"Let a man come at once to fight me beside a ford at the gate of thiscastle!" said Fergus. 

"That[FN#98] will not for the sake of my honour be refused, " saidAilill; "I will not hand it (the strife) over to another: I will gomyself, " said he. He went to a ford against him. "Which of us, " saidFergus, "O Dubhtach, shall encounter this man?" "I will go, " saidDubhtach; "I am younger and keener than thou art!" Dubhtach wentagainst Ailill. Dubhtach thrust a spear through Ailill so that it wentthrough his two thighs. He (Ailill) hurled a javelin at Dubhtach, sothat he drove the spear right through him, (so that it came out) on theother side. 

[FN#98] The end of the speech is from L. L. : the L. U. Text gives thewhole speech thus: "For my honour's sake, I could not draw back in thismatter. "

Fergus threw his shield over Dubhtach. The former (Ailill) thrust hisspear at the shield of Fergus so that he even drove the shaft rightthrough it. Fergus mac Oen-laimi comes by. Fergus mac Oen-laimi holdsa shield in front of him (the other Fergus). Ailill struck his spearupon this so that it was forced right through it. He leaped so that helay there on the top of his companions. Flidais comes by from thecastle, and throws her cloak over the three. 

Fergus' people took to flight; Ailill pursues them. There remain(slain) by him twenty men of them. Seven of them escape to CruachanAi, and tell there the whole story to Ailill and Medb. 

Then Ailill and Medb arise, and the nobles of Connaught and the exilesfrom Ulster: they march into the district of Kerry Ai with their troopsas far as: the Ford of Fenna. 

Meanwhile the wounded men were being cared for by Flidais in thecastle, and their healing was undertaken by her. 

Then the troops come to the castle. Ailill Finn is summoned to Ailillmac Mata to come to a conference with him outside the castle. "I willnot go, " he said; "the pride and arrogance of that man there is great. "

It was, [FN#99] however, for a peaceful meeting that Ailill mac Mata hadcome to Ailill the Fair-haired, both that he might save Fergus, as itwas right he should, and that he might afterwards make peace with him(Ailill Fair haired), according to the will of the lords of Connaught. 

[FN#99] This passage is sometimes considered to be an interpolation bya scribe or narrator whose sympathies were with Connaught. The passagedoes not occur in the Book of Leinster, nor in the Egerton MS. 

Then the wounded men were brought out of the castle, on hand-barrows, that they might be cared for by their own people. 

Then the men attack him (Ailill Finn): while they are storming thecastle, and they could get no hold on him, a full week long went itthus with them. Seven times twenty heroes from among the nobles ofConnaught fell during the time that they (endeavoured) to storm thecastle of Ailill the Fair-haired. 

"It was with no good omen that with which you went to this castle, "said Bricriu. "True indeed is the word that is spoken, " said Ailillmac Mata. "The expedition is bad for the honour of the Ulstermen, inthat their three heroes fall, and they take not vengeance for them. Each one (of the three) was a pillar of war, yet not a single man hasfallen at the hands of one of the three! Truly these heroes are greatto be under such wisps of straw as axe the men of this castle! Mostworthy is it of scorn that one man has wounded you three!"

"O woe is me, " said Bricriu, "long is the length upon the ground of myPapa Fergus, since one man in single combat laid him low!"

Then the champions of Ulster arise, naked as they were, and make astrong and obstinate attack in their rage and in the might of theirviolence, so that they forced in the outer gateway till it was in themidst of the castle, and the men of Connaught go beside them. Theystorm the castle with great might against the valiant warriors who werethere. A wild pitiless battle is fought between them, and each manbegins to strike out against the other, and to destroy him. 

Then, after they had wearied of wounding and overcoming one another, the people of the castle were overthrown, and the Ulstermen slay sevenhundred warriors there in the castle with Ailill the Fair-Haired andthirty of his sons; and Amalgaid the Good;[FN#100] and Nuado; andFiacho Muinmethan (Fiacho the Broad-backed); and Corpre Cromm (the Bentor Crooked); and Ailill from Brefne; and the three Oengus Bodbgnai (theFaces of Danger); and the three Eochaid of Irross (i. E. Irross Donnan);and the seven Breslene from Ai; and the fifty Domnall. 

[FN#100] "The Good" is in the Book of Leinster and the Egerton text, not in the Leabhar na h-Uidhri: the two later texts omit Nuado. 

For the assembly of the Gamanrad were with Ailill, and each of the menof Domnan who had bidden himself to come to him to aid him: they werein the same place assembled in his castle; for he knew that the exilesfrom Ulster and Ailill and Medb with their army would come to him todemand the surrender of Fergus, for Fergus was under their protection. 

This was the third race of heroes in Ireland, namely the Clan Gamanradof Irross Donnan (the peninsula of Donnan), and (the other two were)the Clan Dedad in Temair Lochra, and the Clan Rudraige in Emain Macha. But both the other clans were destroyed by the Clan Rudraige. 

But the men of Ulster arise, and with them the people of Medb and ofAilill; and they laid waste the castle, and take Flidais out of thecastle with them, and carry off the women of the castle into captivity;and they take with them all the costly things and the treasures thatwere there, gold and silver, and horns, and drinking cups, and keys, and vats; and they take what there was of garments of every colour, andthey take what there was of kine, even a hundred milch-cows, and ahundred and forty oxen, and thirty hundred of little cattle. 

And after these things had been done, Flidais went to Fergus mac Rogaccording to the decree of Ailill and Medb, that they might thence havesustenance (lit. That their sustenance might be) on the occasion of theRaid of the Cows of Cualgne. As[FN#101] a result of this, Flidais wasaccustomed each seventh day from the produce of her cows to support themen of Ireland, in order that during the Raid she might provide themwith the means of life. This then was the Herd of Flidais. 

[FN#101] L. L. And Egerton give "For him used every seventh day, " &c. 

In consequence[FN#102] of all this Flidais went with Fergus to hishome, and he received the lordship of a part of Ulster, even MagMurthemni (the plain of Murthemne), together with that which had beenin the hands of Cuchulain, the son of Sualtam. So Flidais died aftersome time at Trag Bàli (the shore of Bali), and the state of Fergus'household was none the better for that. For she used to supply allFergus' needs whatsoever they might be (lit. She used to provide forFergus every outfit that he desired for himself). Fergus died aftersome time in the land of Connaught, after the death of his wife, afterhe had gone there to obtain knowledge of a story. For, in order tocheer himself, and to fetch home a grant of cows from Ailill and Medb, he had gone westwards to Cruachan, so that it was in consequence ofthis journey that he found his death in the west, through the jealousyof Ailill. 

[FN#102] L. L. And Egerton give "thereafter, " adopted in versetranslation. 

This, then, is the story of the Tain bo Flidais; it[FN#103] is amongthe preludes of the Tain bo Cualnge. 

[FN#103] This sentence does not occur in the Leabhar na h-Uidhri. Itis given as in the Egerton version: the Book of Leinster gives "it isamong the preludes of the Tain. "

THE APPARITION OF THE GREAT QUEEN TO CUCHULAIN

(TAIN BO REGAMNA)

INTRODUCTION

This tale is given by the same two manuscripts that give the Tain boDartada and the Tain bo Regamon; namely the Yellow Book of Lecan, andEgerton 1782. The text of both is given by Windisch, Irische Texte, II. Pp. 239-254; he gives a translation of the version in the YellowBook, with a few insertions from the Egerton MS. , where the version inY. B. L. Is apparently corrupt: Miss Hull gives an English translation ofWindisch's rendering, in the Cuchullin Saga, pages 103 to 107. Theprose version given here is a little closer to the Irish than MissHull's, and differs very little from that of Windisch. The song sungby the Morrigan to Cuchulain is given in the Irish of both versions byWindisch; he gives no rendering, as it is difficult and corrupt: I canmake nothing of it, except that it is a jeering account of the War ofCualgne. 

The title Tain bo Regamna is not connected with anything in the tale, as given; Windisch conjectures "Tain bo Morrigna, " the Driving of theCow of the Great Queen (Morrigan); as the woman is called at the end ofthe Egerton version. The Morrigan, one of the three goddesses of war, was the chief of them: they were Morrigan, Badb, and Macha. She isalso the wife of the Dagda, the chief god of the pagan Irish. TheYellow Book version calls her Badb in this tale, but the account in theTain bo Cualnge (Leabhar na h-Uidhri facsimile, pp. 74 and 77), wherethe prophecies are fulfilled, agrees with the Egerton version incalling the woman of this tale the Morrigan or the Great Queen. 

THE APPARITION OF THE GREAT QUEEN TO CUCHULAIN

(ALSO CALLED "TAIN BO REGAMNA")

FROM THE YELLOW BOOK OF LECAN (FOURTEENTH CENTURY)

AT Dun Imrid lay Cuchulain, [FN#104] and slept, when a cry rang out;And in fear he heard from the north-land come ringing that terribleshout:He fell, as he woke from his slumber, with the thud of a weight, to theground, From his couch on that side of the castle that the rising sun firstfound. He left his arms in the castle, as the lawns round its walls he sought, But his wife, who followed behind him, apparel and arms to him brought:Then he saw his harnessed chariot, and Laeg, [FN#105] his charioteer, From Ferta Laig who drave it: from the north the car drew near:"What bringeth thee here?" said Cuchulain: said Laeg, "By a cry I wasstirred, That across the plain came sounding. " "And whence was the cry thou hastheard?""From the north-west quarter it travelled, it crossed the greatCayll[FN#106] Cooen road!""Follow on, on that track, " said Cuchulain, "till we know what thatclamour may bode!"

[FN#104] Pronounced Cu-hoolin. 

[FN#105] Pronounced Layg. 

[FN#106] Spelt Caill Cuan. 

At the ford of the Double Wonder, at Ah[FN#107] Fayrta, the car madestandFor a chariot rattled toward them, from the clay-soiledCoolgarry[FN#108] landAnd before them came that chariot; and strange was the sight they saw:For a one-legged chestnut charger was harnessed the car to draw;And right through the horse's body the pole of the car had passed, To a halter across his forehead was the pole with a wedge made fast:A red woman sat in the chariot, bright red were her eyebrows twainA crimson cloak was round her: the folds of it touched the plain:Two poles were behind her chariot: between them her mantle flowed;And close by the side of that woman a mighty giant strode;On his back was a staff of hazel, two-forked, and the garb he woreWas red, and a cow he goaded, that shambled on before. 

[FN#107] Spelt Ath Ferta, or more fully Ath da Ferta, the ford of thetwo marvels. 

[FN#108] Spelt Culgaire. 

To that woman and man cried Cuchulain, "Ye who drive that cow do wrong, For against her will do ye drive her!" "Not to thee doth that cowbelong, "Said the woman; "no byre of thy comrades or thy friends hath that cowyet barred. ""The kine of the land of Ulster, " said Cuchulain, "are mine to guard!""Dost thou sit on the seat of judgment?" said the dame, "and a sagedecreeOn this cow would'st thou give, Cuchulain?--too great is that task forthee!"Said the hero, "Why speaketh this woman? hath the man with her never aword?""'Twas not him you addressed, " was her answer, "when first yourreproaches we heard. ""Nay, to him did I speak, " said Cuchulain, "though 'tis thou to replywho would'st claim!"'Ooer-gay-skyeo-loo-ehar-skyeo[FN#109] is the name that he bears, " saidthe dame. 

[FN#109] Spelt Uar-gaeth-sceo-luachair-sceo

"'Tis a marvellous name!" said Cuchulain, "if from thee all my answermust come, Let it be as thou wishest; thy comrade, this man, as it seemeth, isdumb. Tell me now of thine own name, O woman. ""Faebor-bayg-byeo-ill, "[FN#110] said the man. "Coom-diewr-folt-skayv-garry-skyeo-ooa is her name, if pronounce it youcan!"Then Cuchulain sprang at the chariot: "Would ye make me a fool withyour jest?"He cried, as he leapt at the woman; his feet on her shoulders hepressed, And he set on her head his spear-point: "Now cease from thy sharpweapon-play!"Cried the woman. Cuchulain made answer: Thy name to me truth fully say!""Then remove thyself from me!" she answered: I am skilled in satiricalspells;The man is called Darry I mac Feena[FN#111]: in the country ofCualgne[FN#112] he dwells;I of late made a marvellous poem; and as fee for the poem this cowDo I drive to my home. " "Let its verses, " said Cuchulain, " be sung tome now!""Then away from me stand!" said the woman: "though above me thoushakest thy spear, It will naught avail thee to move me. " Then he left her, but lingerednear, Between the poles of her chariot: the woman her song then sang;And the song was a song of insult. Again at the car he sprang, But nothing he found before him: as soon as the car he had neared, The woman, the horse, and the chariot, the cow, and the man disappeared. 

[FN#110] Spelt Faebor-begbeoil-cuimdiuir-folt-seenb-gairit-sceo-uath. 

[FN#111] Spelt Daire mac Fiachna: he is the owner of the Dun ofCualgne in the Great Tain. 

[FN#112] Pronounced Kell-ny. 

At a bird on a bough, as they vanished, a glance by Cuchulain was cast, And he knew to that bird's black body the shape of the woman had passed:As a woman of danger I know you, " he cried, "and as powerful in spell!"From to-day and for ever, " she chanted, "this tale in yon clay-landshall dwell!"And her word was accomplished; that region to-day is the GrellaDolloo, [FN#113]The Clay-land of Evil: its name from the deeds of that woman it drew. 

[FN#113] Spelt Grellach Dolluid. 

"Had I known it was you, " said Cuchulain, "not thus had you passed frommy sight!"And she sang, "For thy deed it is fated that evil shall soon be thyplight!"Thou canst. Do naught against me, " he answered. "Yea, evil in sooth canI send;Of thy Bringer of Death I am guardian, shall guard it till cometh thineend:From the Under-world Country of Croghan this cow have I driven, to breedBy the Dun Bull of Darry[FN#114] Mae Feena, the Bull that in Cualgnedoth feed. So long as her calf be a yearling, for that time thy life shall endure;But, that then shall the Raid have beginning, the dread Raid ofCualgne, be sure. "

[FN#114] Spelt Daire mac Fiachna. 

"Nay, clearer my fame shall be ringing, " the hero replied, " for theRaid:All bards, who my deeds shall be singing, must tell of the stand that Imade, Each warrior in fight shall be stricken, who dares with my valour tostrive:Thou shalt see me, though battle-fields thicken, from the Tain Boreturning alive!"

"How canst thou that strife be surviving?" the woman replied to hissong, "For, when thou with a hero art striving, as fearful as thou, and asstrong, Who like thee in his wars is victorious, who all of thy feats canperform, As brave, and as great, and as glorious, as tireless as thou in a storm, Then, in shape of an eel round thee coiling, thy feet at the Ford Iwill bind, And thou, in such contest when toiling, a battle unequal shalt find. "

"By my god now I swear, by the token that Ulstermen swear by, " he cried;"On a green stone by me shall be broken that eel, to the Ford if itglide:From woe it shall ne'er be escaping, till it loose me, and pass on itsway!"And she said: "As a wolf myself shaping, I will spring on thee, eagerto slay, I will tear thee; the flesh shall be rended from thy chest by thewolf's savage bite, Till a strip be torn from thee, extended from the arm on thy left tothy right!With blows that my spear-shaft shall deal thee, " he said, "I will forcethee to flyTill thou quit me; my skill shall not heal thee, though bursts from thyhead either eye!"I will come then, " she cried, "as a heifer, white-skinned, but withears that are red, At what time thou in fight shalt endeavour the blood of a hero to shed, Whose skill is full match for thy cunning; by the ford in a lake I willbe, And a hundred white cows shall come running, with red ears, in likefashion to me:

As the hooves of the cows on thee trample, thou shalt test 'truth ofmen in the fight':And the proof thou shalt have shall be ample, for from thee thy headthey shall smite!"Said Cuchulain: "Aside from thee springing, a stone for a cast will Itake, And that stone at thee furiously slinging, thy right or thy left legwill break:Till thou quit me, no help will I grant thee. " Morreegan, [FN#115] thegreat Battle Queen, With her cow to Rath Croghan departed, and no more by Cuchulain wasseen. For she went to her Under-World Country: Cuchulain returned to hisplace. The tale of the Great Raid of Cualgne this lay, as a prelude, may grace. 

[FN#115] Spelt Morrigan. 

THE APPARITION OF THE GREAT QUEEN TO CUCHULAIN

LITERAL TRANSLATION

When Cuchulain lay in his sleep at Dun Imrid, there he heard a cry fromthe north; it came straight towards him; the cry was dire, and mostterrifying to him. And he awaked in the midst of his sleep, so that hefell, with the fall of a heavy load, out of his couch, [FN#116] to theground on the eastern side of his house. He went out thereupon withouthis weapons, so that he was on the lawns before his house, but his wifebrought out, as she followed behind him, his arms and his clothing. Then he saw Laeg in his harnessed chariot, coming from Ferta Laig, fromthe north; and "What brings thee here?" said Cuchulain. "A cry, " saidLaeg, "that I heard sounding over the plains. "On what side was it?"said Cuchulain. "From the north-west it seemed, " said Laeg, "that is, across the great road of Caill Cuan. "[FN#117] "Let us follow after toknow of it (lit. After it, to it for us), " said Cuchulain. 

[FN#116] Or "out of his room. " The word is imda, sometimes rendered"bed, " as here by Windisch sometimes also "room, " as in the Bruidne daDerga by Whitley Stokes. 

[FN#117] Lough Cuan was the old name for Strangford Lough. 

They went out thereupon till they came to Ath da Ferta. When they werethere, straightway they heard the rattle of a chariot from the quarterof the loamy district of Culgaire. Then they saw the chariot comebefore them, and one chestnut (lit. Red) horse in it. The horse wasone footed, and the pole of the chariot passed through the body of thehorse, till a wedge went through it, to make it fast on its forehead. A red[FN#118] woman was in the chariot, and a red mantle about her, shehad two red eye-brows, and the mantle fell between the twoferta[FN#119] of her chariot behind till it struck upon the groundbehind her. A great man was beside her chariot, a red[FN#120] cloakwas upon him, and a forked staff of hazel at his back, he drove a cowin front of him. 

[FN#118] The above is the Egerton text: the text of Y. B. L. Gives "Ared woman there, with her two eyebrows red, and her cloak and herraiment: the cloak fell, " &c. 

[FN#119] It is not known certainly what the ferta were: Windischtranslates "wheels, " but does not give this meaning in his Dictionary:the ferta were behind the car, and could be removed to sound the depthof a ford. It is suggested that they were poles, projecting behind tobalance the chariot; and perhaps could be adjusted so as to projectless or farther. 

[FN#120] This is the Egerton text; the Y. B. L. Text gives "a tunicforptha on him the meaning of forptha is unknown. 

"That cow is not joyful at being driven by you!" said Cuchulain. "Thecow does not belong to you, " said the woman, "she is not the cow of anyfriend or acquaintance of yours. " "The cows of Ulster, " saidCuchulain, "are my proper (care). " "Dost thou give a decision aboutthe cow?" said the woman; "the task is too great to which thy hand isset, O Cuchulain. " "Why is it the woman who answers me?" saidCuchulain, "why was it not the man?" "It was not the man whom youaddressed, " said the woman. "Ay, " said Cuchulain, "(I did addresshim), though thyself hath answered for him:""h-Uar-gaeth-sceo-luachair-sceo[FN#121] is his name, " said she. 

[FN#121] Cold-wind-and-much-rushes. 

"Alas! his name is a wondrous one, " said Cuchulain. "Let it be thyselfwho answers, [FN#122] since the man answers not. What is thine ownname?" said Cuchulain. "The woman to whom thou speakest, " said theman, "is Faebor-begbeoil-cuimdiuir-folt-scenbgairit-sceo-uath. "[FN#123] "Do ye make a fool of me?" cried Cuchulain, and on that Cuchulainsprang into her chariot: he set his two feet on her two shouldersthereupon, and his spear on the top of her head. "Play not sharpweapons on me!" "Name thyself then by thy true name!" said Cuchulain. "Depart then from me!" said she: "I am a female satirist in truth, " shesaid, "and he is Daire mac Fiachna from Cualnge: I have brought the cowas fee for a master-poem. " "Let me hear the poem then, " saidCuchulain. "Only remove thyself from me, " said the woman; "it isnone[FN#124] the better for thee that thou shakest it over my head. "Thereon he left her until he was between the two poles (ferta) of herchariot, and she sang to him[FN#125] . . . . . . Cuchulain threw aspring at her chariot, and he saw not the horse, nor the woman, nor thechariot, nor the man, nor the cow. 

[FN#122] Y. B. L. Corrupt; Egerton version adopted here. 

[FN#123]Little-mouthed-edge-equally-small-hair-short-splinter-much-clamour. 

[FN#124] Not is it better for thee that" is in Egerton alone. 

[FN#125] See the introduction for the omission of the poem. 

Then he saw that she had become a black bird upon a branch near to him. "A dangerous[FN#126] (or magical) woman thou art, " said Cuchulain:"Henceforward, " said the woman, "this clay-land shall be called dolluid(of evil, )" and it has been the Grellach Dolluid ever since. "If onlyI had known it was you, " said Cuchulain, "not thus should we haveseparated. " "What thou hast done, " said she, "shall be evil to theefrom it. " "Thou hast no power against me, " said Cuchulain. "I havepower indeed, " said the woman; "it is at the guarding of thy death thatI am; and I shall be, " said she. "I brought this cow out of thefairy-mound of Cruachan, that she might breed by the Black Bull[FN#127]of Cualnge, that is the Bull of Daire Mae Fiachna. It is up to thattime that thou art in life, so long as the calf which is in this cow'sbody is a yearling; and it is this that shall lead to the Tain boCualnge. " "I shall myself be all the more glorious for that Tain, "said Cuchulain: "I shall slay their warriors: I shall break their greathosts: I shall be survivor of the Tain. "

[FN#126] Windisch is doubtful about the meaning of this word. He givesit as "dangerous" in his translation; it may also mean "magical, "though he thinks not. In a note he says that the meaning "dangerous" isnot certain. 

[FN#127] In Egerton "the Dun of Cualnge. "

"In what way canst thou do this?" said the woman, "for when thou art incombat against a man of equal strength (to thee), equally rich invictories, thine equal in feats, equally fierce, equally untiring, equally noble, equally brave, equally great with thee, I will be aneel, and I will draw a noose about thy feet in the ford, so that itwill be a great unequal war for thee. " "I swear to the god that theUlstermen swear by, " said Cuchulain, "I will break thee against a greenstone of the ford; and thou shalt have no healing from me, if thouleavest me not. " "I will in truth be a grey wolf against thee, " saidshe, "and I will strip a stripe[FN#128] from thee, from thy right(hand) till it extends to thy left. "

[FN#128] This word is left doubtful in Windisch's translation. Theword is breth in Y. B. L. And breit in Egerton. Breit may be a strip ofwoollen material, or a strip of land; so the meaning of a strip offlesh seems possible. 

"I will beat thee from me, " said he, "with the spear, till thy left orthy right eye bursts from thy head, and thou shalt never have healingfrom me, if thou leavest me not. " "I shall in truth, " she said, "befor thee as a white heifer with red ears, and I will go into a lakenear to the ford in which thou art in combat against a man who is thineequal in feats, and one hundred white, red-eared cows shall be behindme and 'truth of men' shall on that day be tested; and they shall takethy head from thee. " "I will cast at thee with a cast of my sling, "said Cuchulain, "so as to break either thy left or thy right leg fromunder thee; and thou shalt have no help from me if thou leavest me not. "

They[FN#129] separated, and Cuchulain went back again to Dun Imrid, andthe Morrigan with her cow to the fairy mound of Cruachan; so that thistale is a prelude to the Tain bo Cualnge. 

[FN#129] All this sentence up to "so that this tale" is from theEgerton version. The Yellow Book of Lecan gives "The Badb thereon wentfrom him, and Cuchulain went to his own house, so that, " &c. 

TEXT OF LEABHAR NA H-UIDHRI

GIVING THE CONCLUSION OF THE "COURTSHIP OF ETAIN"

INTRODUCTION

The following pages give, with an interlinear word for word[FN#130]translation, the text of Leabhar na h-Uidhri, page 130 b. Line 19 tothe end of page 132 a. Of the facsimile. The text corresponds to theend of the tale of the Court ship of Etain in vol. I. , from page 27, line 21, to the end of the story; it also contains the poem which is inthat volume placed on page 26, but occurs in the manuscript at theplace where the first line of it is quoted on page 30 of vol. I. 

[FN#130] The Irish idiom of putting the adjective after the noun isnot always followed in the translation. 

It is hoped that the text may be found to be convenient by scholars:special care has been taken to make it accurate, and it has not, withthe exception of the poem just referred to, been published beforeexcept in the facsimile; the remainder of the text of the L. U. Versionof the Courtship of Etain, together with the poem, has been given byWindisch in the first volume of the Irische Texte. 

The immediate object of the publication of this text, with itsinterlinear translation, is however somewhat different; it was desiredto give any who may have become interested in the subject, from theromances contained in the two volumes of this collection, some idea oftheir exact form in the original, and of the Irish constructions andmetres, as no Irish scholarship is needed to follow the text, whensupplemented by the interlinear translation. The translation may berelied on, except for a few words indicated by a mark of interrogation. 

The passage is especially well suited to give an idea of the style ofIrish composition, as it contains all the three forms used in theromances, rhetoric, regular verse, and prose: the prose also is variedin character, for it includes narrative, rapid dialogue, an antiquarianinsertion, and two descriptive passages. The piece of antiquarianinformation and the resume of the old legend immediately preceding thesecond rhetoric can be seen to be of a different character to theflowing form of the narrative proper; the inserted passage being fullof explanatory words, conid, issairi, is aice, &c. , and containing noimagery. The two descriptions, though short, are good examples of twostyles of description which occur in some other romances; neither ofthese styles is universal, nor are they the only styles; the favourshown to one or the other in a romance may be regarded as acharacteristic of its author. 

The first style, exemplified by the description of Mider's appearance, consists of a succession of images presented in short sentences, sometimes, as in this case, with no verb, sometimes with the verb bataror a similar verb repeated in each sentence, but in all cases giving abrilliant word-picture, absolutely clear and definite, of what it isintended to convey. The second style, exemplified here by thedescription of the horses that Mider offers to Eochaid, consists of aseries of epithets or of substantives, and is often imitated in modernIrish. These passages are usually difficult to translate, as manywords appear to be coined for the purpose of the descriptions; but, inthe best writings, the epithets are by no means arbitrary; they areplaced so as to contrast sharply with each other, and in many casessuggest brilliant metaphors; the style being in this respect more likeLatin than English. Absolutely literal translations quite fail tobring out the effect of such passages; for not only is the string ofadjectives a distinctively Irish feature, but both in English and inGreek such metaphors are generally expressed more definitely and byshort sentences. There is also a third style of description which doesnot appear in the prose of any of the romances in this collection, butappears often in other romances, as in the Bruidne da Derga, Bricriu'sFeast, and the Great Tain; it resembles the first style, but thesentences are longer, yet it does not give clear descriptions, onlyleaving a vague impression. This style is often used for descriptionsof the supernatural; it may be regarded as actual reproductions of theoldest pre-Christian work, but it is also possible that it is theresult of legends, dimly known to the authors of the tales, andrepresented by them in the half-understood way in which they wereapprehended by them: the Druidic forms may have been much more clear. Such passages are those which describe Cuchulain's distortions; theonly passage of the character in this collection is in the verse of theSick-bed, vol. I. Page 77. Five of the romances in the presentcollection have no descriptive passages in the prose; the Combat at theFord and the Tain bo Fraich show examples of both the first and thesecond form, but more often the first; the Tain bo Regamna, though avery short piece, also shows one example of each; for the descriptionof the goblins met by Cuchulain is quite clear, and cannot be regardedas belonging to the third form. There is also one case of the secondform in the Tain bo Dartada, and two other cases of the first in theCourt ship of Etain-one in the Egerton, one in the Leabhar na h-Uidhriversion. The best example of the first style is in the Egerton versionof Etain (vol. I. Page 12); the best example of the second is thedescription of Cuchulain's horses (vol. I. Page 128); a still betterexample of contrasts in such a description is in the Courtship of Ferb(Nutt, page 23). 

The piece of regular verse contained in the extract should give a fairidea of the style of this form of composition. Description is commonin the verse, and it is in this case a prominent feature. It may benoted that lines 8, 16, 23, 26 will not scan unless the presentdiphthongs are divided, also that the poem has fewer internal rhymesthan is usual in this regular verse. 

The two passages in rhetoric, for so I take them to be, are goodexamples of the style. An attempt has been made to divide them intolines, but this division is open to criticism, especially as some linesin one of the two passages cannot be translated, and the translation ofsome other lines is doubtful: the division suggested does, however, appear to me to give a rough metre and occasional rhymes. It ispossible that, if attention is called to those lines which are atpresent untranslatable, something may be done for them. The versetranslations given in vol. I. Pages 27 and 29, give the meaning that Itake the Irish to bear where I can get any meaning at all. 

As to the text, the usual abbreviation for n has in general not beenitalicized, nor has that for fri; all other abbreviations, includingacht, final n in the symbol for con, and that for or in the recognizedsymbol for for, have been italicized. In the rhetorics, owing to theirdifficulty, the abbreviation for n has been italicized throughout; thesymbol for ocus is not italicised. A few conjectures have beeninserted, the text being given as a foot-note; a conjectured lettersupposed to be missing has been inserted in brackets, and a restorationby Professor Strachan of a few letters where the MS. Is torn aresimilarly placed in brackets. The rest of the text is carefully copiedfrom the facsimile, including the glosses, which are inserted above thewords in the same places that they occupy in the manuscript. 

TEXT WITH INTERLINEAR TRANSLATION

Fecht n-aile asraracht Eochaid Airem ri Temrach la n-alaind

Another time arose Eochaid Airem. King of Tara on a beautiful day

i n-amsir samrata frisocaib[FN#131] for sosta na Temrach do imcaisiumaigi Breg, in time of summer, mounted on heights of Tara for viewing of plain ofBreg, [FN#131] A conjecture: MS. Fosrocaib= fo-s-ro-od-gaib, an unknowncompound. 

boi fo a li ocus fo bluth cach datha. Am-imracacha inti

was good its colour, and good blossom of every hue. When looked aboutthe aforesaid

Eochaid imbi, co acca inn oclaech n-ingnad for sin sossad[FN#132] inna

Eoebaid around him, he saw the young warrior unknown on the heightbeside

[FN#132] A conjecture: MS. Tossad. 

chomairi. Fuan corcair imbi, ocus mong or-budi fair co brainni

him. Tunic purple about him, and hair gold-yellow on him to edges

a da imdae. Rosc cainlech glas ina chind. Sleg coicrind ina laim. 

of his two shoulders. Eye lustrous gray in his head. Spearfive-pointed in his hand. 

Sciath taulgel ina laim con gemaib oir forri. Sochtais Eochaid, ar ni

Shield white-bossed in his hand with gems of gold on it. Was silentEochaid, for not

fitir a bith isin Temraig inn aidehi riam, ocus ni orslaiethe ind lis

he knew of his being in the Tara the night before, and not was openedthe Liss

in trath sin. Tolluid ar inchaib Eochoda iarsain asbert Eochaid iarom, at that hour. He came under protection of Eochaid thereon; saidEochaid then, fochen dond laech nad athgenmar. Is ed doroehtmar or in

welcome to the hero whom we know not. It is for that we have come, said the

t-oclaech. Ni tathgenmar or Eochaid. Atotgensa chetus ol in

(young) warrior. We know thee not, said Eochaid. I know thee indeed, said the

t-oclaech. Cia th'ainm seo? ol Eochaid. Ni airdairc son, ol se, warrior. What (is) thy own name? said Eochaid. Not illustrious that, said he, Mider Breg Leith. Cid dotroacht ol Eochaid. Do imbert fidcille

Mider of Bri Leith. What brought thee? said Eochaid. To play at chess

frit-su ol se. Am maith se em, ol Eochaid for fithchill. A fromad

with thee, said he. I am good myself truly, said Eochaid, atchess-play. Its essaying

dun ol Mider. Ata ol Eochaid, ind rigan ina cotlud, is le in tech

to us! said Mider. Is, said Eochaid, the queen in her sleep, it ishers the house

ata ind fithchell. Ata sund chenae, ol Mider, fidchell nad

where is the chessboard. There is here yet, said Mider, a chessboardwhich is not

messo. Ba fir on, clar n-argit ocus fir oir, ocus fursunnud cacha

worse. Was true that, a board of silver and men of gold, and shiningin every

hairidi for sin clar di liic logmair, ocus fer-bolg di figi rondcredumae. 

direction on that board of costly stones, and a men-bag of woven chainsof brass. 

Ecraid Mider in fidchill iarsin. Imbir ol Mider. Ni immer acht

Set out Mider the chessboard thereupon. Play! said Mider. Not will Iplay, except

di giull ol Eochaid. Cid gell bias and? ol Mider. Cumma lim ol

for a stake, said Eochaid. What stake shall be here? said Mider. Equal to me, said

Eochaid. Rot-bia lim-sa ol Mider mad tu beras mo thochell, Eochaid. Thou shalt have from me, said Mider, if thou carry off mystake, L. Gabur n-dub-glas ite cend-brecca, croderga, biruich, 50 horses of dark-gray, and they with dappled heads, blood-red, withears pricked high, bruin-lethain, bolg(s)roin, coss choela, comrassa, faeborda, [FN#133]femendae, [FN#133]

chests broad, nostrils distended, feet thin, strong, keen, ? vehement, aurarda, aignecha, so-(a)staidi, [FN#133] so

very high, spirited, easily stopped, [FN#133] See Bruidne da Derga (Stokes), 50, 51, faeborda, lit. With anedge on them; femendae? = Lat. Vehemens; soaistidi is the form adoptedby Stokes in his edition of the Bruidne; Egerton MS. Gives soastaide. 

There is a gap here, a complete column being torn from the manuscript. The lost part obviously describes the issue of the chess game or games, and the penalties demanded by Bochaid: what these penalties were isplain from the succeeding story. The work of Mider and his folk inpaying these penalties must also have been described: the next column(Leabhar na h- Uidhri, 131 b. Of the facsimile) opens thus:

iarsin doberar uir ocus grian ocus clocha for sin monai. Fri etna

thereupon is, placed earth and gravel and stones on the bog. Overforeheads

dam dano-batar fedmand la firu h-Erind cosind n-aidchi sin, co

of oxen then were yokes among men of Ireland till that very night, when

n-aicces la lucht in t-side for a formnaib. Dognith

it was seen (tbLat they were) among people of the Mounds on theirshoulders. It was done

samlaid la Eochaid, conid de ata do som. Echaid Airem, ar

so by Eochaid, so that hence is to himself (the name of) Echaid Airem, for

is aice toisech tucad cuing for muinelaib dam do ferand h-Erind. Is

it is by him first was put yoke on necks of oxen for land of Ireland. This

ed dino and food ro boi im belaib in t-sluaig oc denam in tocuir:

is then there word which was on lips of the host at making of thecauseway:

Rhetoric--

Cuire illaim, Put into hand

tochra illaim, place (it) into hand

aurdairc damrad trathaib iar fuin

noble (are) oxen for hours after sunset

for trom ailges

very heavy request

ni fes cuich les

it is not known to whom (is) gain

cuich amles de thochur dar moin Lamraige. 

to whom harm from the causeway over moor of Lamrach. 

Ni biad isin bith tochur bad ferr mani bethe oca

There would not be in the world a causeway which is better, if not(men) had been at

n-descin Forracbad de bochtae and iartain. Iarsin dolluid

the seeing them. Was left on that account a breach there thenceforth. Thereupon came

in rechtaire co Echaid ocus adfet scela in mor fedma, atconnaire

the steward to Echaid, and made known tales of the great serving band, that he saw

fiadai, ocus asbert nad rabi for fertas in betha cumachta

before him, and said that there was not on the chariot pole of life apower

dodrosce de. Am batar for a m-briathraib co n-accatar Mider

that excelled it. When they were at their talking they saw Mider (come)

chucu. Ard chustal ocus droch gne fair. Atrigestar Eochaid, to them. High ? girt (he was), and evil face (was) on him. ? Rose?[FN#134] Eochaid, [FN#134] This is a possible rendering, taking the word as a deponentform of atregaim. It would be more natural to take the word as fromadagur; being equivalent to ad-d-raigestar, and to mean "feared him, "but this does not agree with Eoebaid's general attitude. 

ocus ferais faelti fri. Is ed dorochtmar ol Mider. Is toreda ocus is

and gave welcome to him. It is for that we have come, said Mider. Itis cruel and is

di-cheill no tai frim, mor decrai ocus mor aingcessa do thabairt form

senseless thou art to me, great hardship and great suffering thybestowing on me

adethaind ni bad maith lat chena acht is bairnech mo menma frit. 

I used to get what seemed good to thee still but is angry my mindagainst thee. 

Ni bara fri bure dait-siu on do-gignestar do menma for Eochaid. 

Not anger against anger: to thyself the thing that shall choose thymind, said Eochaid. 

Gebthar dano, ol Mider. Inn imberam fidchill? for Mider. Cid gell

It shall be done then, said Mider. Shall we play at chess? said Mider. What stake

bias and? for Eochaid. Gell adcobra cechtar da lina for

shall be there? said Eochaid. The stake that wishes each of the twoparties, said

Mider. Berar tochell n-Echdach alla sin. Rucais mo

Mider. Is carried off stake of Echaid in that very place. Thou hastcarried off my

thocell, for Eebaid. Mad ail dam no-beraind o chianaib, stake, said Echaid. If wish to me (had been) I could have carried itoff long since, for Mider. Cacht cid adcobrai form-sa? for Echaid. Di laim im

said Mider. Question what wishest thou from myself? said Echaid. Twoarms about

etain, ocus poc di ol Mider. Sochtais Echaid la, sodain, ocus asbert, Etain, and a kiss from her, said Mider. Was silent Echaid thereon, andsaid, tis dia mis on diu, doberthar dait ani sin. In

thou shalt come in a month from to-day, (and) shall be given to theethat very thing. The

bliadain ria tuidecht do Mider co Echaid do imbert na fidehille boi oc

year before the coming of Mider to Echaid for playing of the chess washe at

tochmarc etaine, ocus nis n-etad leis. Is ed ainm dobered Mider

wooing of Etain, and nothing was found by him. This is the name usedto give Mider

di: befind conide asbert:

to her: fair-haired lady, so that thence he said:

a be find in raga lim

O fair-haired lady, wilt thou come with me

i tir n-ingnad hi fil rind

into a land marvellous, that is music?

Is barr sobarche folt and

(thus) is the top of the head, of primrose the hair there, is dath snechta corp co ind:

is colour of snow the body to the head:

Is and nad bi mui na tai, It is there not will be 'mine' or 'thine, '

gela det and, dubai brai, white teeth there, black eyebrows, Is li sula lin ar sluag, [FN#135]

is colour of eyes number of our hosts, [FN#135] A conjecture by Windisch. Text gives sluaig the genitivesingular, which does not rhyme. 

[FN#136]no is brece is dath sion and cech gruad:

or is many-coloured is hue of foxglove there each cheek:

[FN#136] The three glosses are interesting. It may be noted that thelast two certainly follow the word (above the line in which it occurs)that they seem to gloss: it is therefore probable that the first doesso too; the two lines of a couplet are on the same line in themanuscript. It {footnote p. 156} seems then possible that the gloss"it is many-coloured" refers, not to the foxglove, but to the precedingline, "the colour of eyes is number of our hosts, " and that the writerof this gloss gave the same meaning to the rather hard description ofthe colour of the eyes as is given in the verse translation (vol. I. P. 26), i. E. That the eyes had changing lights and shapes. We must hope, for the credit of his taste, that he did not think of the cheeks asmany-coloured or freckled, but his gloss of lossa does not seem happy. The meaning "growth" is taken from O'Reilly's Dictionary. 

no lossaIs corcair maige cach muin, [FN#137]

or growth?is purple of a plain each neck, [FN#137] A conjecture (Str. ), main, treasure, is in the text: thisdoes not rhyme, nor give good sense; note, however, that muin has noaccent-the text gives one. 

no is dathis li sula ugai luin:

or is hueis colour of eyes (that of) eggs of a blackbird:

cid cain deicsiu maigi Fail

though pleasant (is) seeing plains of Fal (isle of Destiny)

annam iar gnais maige mair. 

a wilderness[FN#138] after knowledge of the Great Plain. 

[FN#138] This meaning for annam is doubtful; the sense of "seldom" isestablished for the word; the line possibly means "it will seldom be soafter, " &c. 

Cid mesc lib coirm inse Fail, Though intoxicating to you (is) ale of the island Fal, is mescu coirm tire mair, is more intoxicating the ale of the country great, amra tire tir asbiur, a wonder of a land the land I mention, ni theit oac and re siun. 

not goes a young man there before an old man. 

Srotha teith millsi tar tir, Streams warm (and) sweet through the land, rogu de mid ocus fin, choice of mead and wine, doini delgnaidi, cen on, men ? handsome, without blemish, combart cen pecead, cen col. 

conception without sin without crime. 

Atchiam cach for each leth, We see all on every side, ocus ni-conn acci nech;

and yet not sees us anyone

temel imorbais adaim

the cloud of the sin of Adam

do-don-archeil[FN#139] ar araim

encompasses us from reckoning

[FN#139] From tairchellaim. 

A ben dia ris mo thuaith tind, O woman, if thou wilt come to my people strong, is barr oir bias fort chind, it is top of head of gold shall be on thy head, inue ur, laith, lemnacht la lind

pork unsalted, ale, new milk for drink

rot bia lim and, a be find, a be find. 

shall be to thee with me there, O woman fair-haired. 

[a gap, 9 letters lost] i atumchotaise om aithech tige rag-sa, [a gap, thou obtainest me from my master of the house I will go, [9 letters lost] fetai, ni rag. Is iarsin dolluid Mider (L. U. 130 a. )co

canst, not will I go. It is thereon came Mider to

Echaid, ocus damair a thochell fochetoir co m-beth fôlo acai

Echaid, and yields his stake immediately that may be (cause) ofreproach for him

do Echaid, is airi roic na comada mora, ocus issairi is

to Echaid, it is therefore he paid the great stakes, and on thataccount it is (that)

fo anfis con atig a gell. Conid iarsin giull adrubrad in tan tra

under ignorance that he asked his wager. So that after that wager itwas said when now

ro boi Mider cona muinter oc ic comad na aidehi, i. In tochor, ocus

was Mider and his folk at paying the stake of the night, that is, thecauseway, and

di-chlochad Midi, ocus luachair Tetbai, ocus fid dar Breg: isse[FN#140]seo

clearing stones off Meath, and rushes of Tethba and forest over Breg:it is he this

[FN#140] Grammar not clear: perhaps the Irish is corrupt (Str. ). 

an no foclad boi oca muinter amal atbert lebor drom snechta:

what used to say was with his folk as says Book of Drom-snechta:

Rhetoric--

Cuirthe illand:

Put on the field:

tochre illand:

Put close on the field

airderg dararad:

very red oxen:

trom in choibden:

heavy the troop

clunithar fir ferdi. 

Which hears ?really-manly

buidni balc-thruim crand-chuir

troops for strong heavy setting of trees

forderg saire fedar

of very red ?oaks[FN#141] are led

[FN#141] Reading daire for saire. 

sechuib slimprib snithib

past them on twisted wattles:

scitha lama:

weary are hands, ind rosc cloina:

the eye ?slants aside?

fobith oen mna

because of one woman

Duib in digail:

To you the revenge, duib in trom-daim:[FN#142]

to you the heavy ?oxen

[FN#142] A conjecture. MS. Gives trom-daim. 

tairthim flatho fer ban:

splendour of sovereignty over white men:

fomnis, fomnis, in fer m-braine cerpae fomnis diad dergæ

? ? ?

fer arfeid solaig

?

fri aiss esslind

?

fer bron for-ti

? sorrow shall, come on the man?

i. Moreertechta inde

?

lamnado luachair

rushes

for di Thethbi

over?two Tethbas

di-chlochad[FN#143] Midi

clearing stones from Meath

[FN#143] A conjecture. MS. Gives dilecad (Str. )

indracht

?

coich les, coich amlesto whom the benefit, to whom the harm

thocur dar clochach? moin. [FN#144]

causeway over stony moor. 

[FN#144] The last line in the Ms. Is t d c m. 

Dalis Mider dia mis Fochiallastar (i. Rotinoil). Echaid formna

Mider appointed a meeting for the end of a month. Echaid assembled(i. E. Collected)troops. 

laech la-erend com batar hi Temrach, ocus an ro po dech do fiannaib

of heroes of Ireland so that they were in Tara, and what was best ofchampions

h-Erind, cach cuaird imm araile im Temrach immedon ocus a nechtair, of Ireland, each ring about another, around Tara im the middle, andoutside it

ocus is-tig. Ocus in ri ocus in rigan immedon in taigi, ocus ind lis

and within. And the king and the queen in the middle of the house, andits Liss

iatai fo glassaib, ar ro fetatar do t-icfad fer in mar cumacht. Etain

shut under locks, for they knew that would comie of insen the greatmight. Etain

boi ocon dail ind aidehi sin forsna flathi, ar ba sain dana disi dal. 

was dispensing that night to the princes, for it was meet then for herpouring (of the wine)

Am batar iarom fora. M-briathraib, co accatar Mider chucu for

When they were thereon at their talking they saw Mider (come) to them on

lar ind rigthige. Ba cain som dogres ba caini dana inn aidehi sin. 

the floor of the royal palace. He was fair always, was fairer then onthat night. 

Tosbert im mod na slûag ateonnairc. Sochsit uli iarom ocus

He brought to amazement the hosts that he saw. [FN#145] Were silent allthereon, and

[FN#145] Reading atcondairc (Str. ). 

ferais in ri faelti fris. Is ed dorochtmar ol Mider. An ro gella

the king gave welcome to him. It is this we have come for, said Mider. What was promised

dam-sa or se, tucthar dam. Is fiach ma gelltar, an ro gellad

to myself, said he, let it be given to me. It is a debt if a promiseis given, tucus dait-siu. Ni imrordusa for Echaid, ani sin co se. 

I have given to thee. Not have I thought on, said Echaid, that verything up to now. 

Atrugell etain fein dam-sa, ol Mider, ticht uait-siu. 

Thou hast promised Etain herself to me, said Mider, message (lit. Acoming) from you. 

Imdergthar im Etain la, sodain. Na imdergthar imut for Mider, ni

There was a blush on Etain thereupon. Let there be no blush on thee, said Mider, not

droch banas duit-siu. Atu-sa, ol si, bliadain oc do chuingid com

evil marriage-feast to thee. I am myself, said he, a year at seekingthee with

mainib ocus setaib at aildem in ere, ocus ni tucus-sa

treasures and jewels that are the most beautiful in Ireland and not Itook thee

comad chomarlecud do Echaid. Ni -la-deoas damsa ce

till there should be permission of Echaid. Not by good-will to me any

dotchotaind. Atrubart-sa frit-su ol si, conom rire Echaid, getting thee. I myself said to thyself, said she, until Echaid givesme up

nit rius. Atometha lat ar mo chuit fein, dia nom rire Echaid. 

not will I come to thee. Take me with thee for my own part, if meEchaid will give up. 

Nit ririub immorro, for Echaid, acht tabrad a di laim

Not thee will I give up however, said Echaid, but (I give) a placing ofhis two hands

imut for lar in tige, amal ro gabais. Dogentar for Mider. 

about thee on floor of the house, as thou art. It shall be done! saidMider. 

i. MiderAtetha a gaisced ina laim cli, ocus gabais in mnai fo a leth-oxail dess, that is, MiderHe took his weapons in his hand left, and took the woman under hisshoulder right, ocus focois-le for forles in tige. Conerget in-t-sluaig imon rig

and carried her off over skylight of the house. Pose up the hosts, about the king

iar melacht forro, co n-accatar in da ela timchell na Temra. Is ed

after a disgrace on them, they saw the two swans around Tara. It isthis, ro gabsat do sid ar Femun. Ocus luid Echaid co fomno

they took (the road) to elfmound about about Femun. And went Echaidwith a troop

fer n-Erend imbi do sith ar Femun i. Sid ban-find. 

of men of Ireland about him to elf mound about Femun i. E. Elfmound ofthe fair-haired women. 

B (a si com)[FN#146] arli fer n-Erend, fochlaid each sid [a gap, 12letters lost]

That was the counsel of the men of Ireland, he dug up each elf-mound. 

[FN#146] The letters in parentheses are a conjecture by Strachan, tofill up a gap in the manuscript. 

tised a ben. Do uadib, Foce [a gap of 13 letters, rest of the versionlost. ]

should come his wife to him from them.