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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/5679.txt b/5679.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9c8ef6b --- /dev/null +++ b/5679.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5663 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Heroic Romances of Ireland Volume 2, +by A. H. Leahy + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: Heroic Romances of Ireland Volume 2 + +Author: A. H. Leahy + +Release Date: May, 2004 [EBook #5679] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on August 7, 2002] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, HEROIC ROMANCES OF IRELAND V2 *** + + + + +This eBook was produced by John B. Hare and Carrie Lorenz. + + + + +HEROIC ROMANCES OF IRELAND + + +TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH PROSE AND VERSE, WITH PREFACE, SPECIAL +INTRODUCTIONS AND NOTES + +BY + +A. H. LEAHY + + +IN TWO VOLUMES + +VOL. II + + + + + +@@{Redactors Note: In the original book the 'Literal Translation' is +printed on facing pages to the poetic translation. In this etext the +literal translation portions have been collated after the poetic +translation, for the sake of readability. Hence the page numbers are +not sequential--JBH} + + + + + +PREFACE TO VOL. II + + +It seems to have been customary in ancient Ireland to precede by +shorter stories the recital of the Great Tain, the central story of the +Irish Heroic Age. A list of fourteen of these "lesser Tains," three of +which are lost, is given in Miss Hull's "Cuchullin Saga"; those +preserved are the Tain bo Aingen, Dartada, Flidais, Fraich, Munad, +Regamon, Regamna, Ros, Ruanadh, Sailin, and Ere. Of these, five only +have 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 enough +of interest in itself to make it an independent tale, and is as long as +the four put together. All the five tales have been rendered into +verse, with a prose literal translation opposite to the verse +rendering, for reasons already given in the preface to the first +volume. A short introduction, describing the manuscript authority, is +prefixed to each; they all seem to go back in date to the best literary +period, but appear to have been at any rate put into their present form +later than the Great Tain, in order to lead up to it. A possible +exception to this may be found at the end of the Tain bo Flidais, which +seems to give a different account of the end of the war of Cualgne, and +to claim that Cuchulain was defeated, and that Connaught gained his +land for its allies. It may be mentioned that the last four tales are +expressly stated in the text to be "remscela" to the Great Tain. + + + + +INTRODUCTION IN VERSE + + + +When to an Irish court of old +Came men, who flocked from near and far +To hear the ancient tale that told +Cuchulain's deeds in Cualgne's War; + +Oft, ere that famous tale began, +Before their chiefest bard they hail, +Amid the throng some lesser man +Arose, to tell a lighter tale; + +He'd fell how Maev and Ailill planned +Their mighty hosts might best be fed, +When they towards the Cualgne land +All Irelands swarming armies led; + +How Maev the youthful princes sent +To 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 spouse +Whose 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 appeared +The Magic Men, who kept the Swine; + +Or how the rowan's guardian snake +Was roused by order of the king; +Or how, from out the water, Fraech +To Finnabar restored her ring. + +And though, in greater tales, they chose +Speech 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 tongue +That form of Prose was pleasing well, +While other lands in ballads sung +Such tales as these have loved to tell: + +So we, who now in English dress +These Irish tales would fain +And 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 apparently +only one version; the different manuscripts which contain it differing +in 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 of +Ailill and Maev of Connaught, his courtship of their daughter, +Finnabar, and closes with a promised betrothal. The second part is an +account of an expedition undertaken by Fraech to the Alps "in the north +of the land of the Long Beards," to recover stolen cattle, as well as +his 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, a +semi-deity, like Fraech himself. Except that Fraech is the chief actor +in both parts, and that there is one short reference at the end of the +second part to the fact that Fraech did, as he had promised in the +first part, join Ailill and Maev upon the War of Cualnge, there is no +connection between the two stories. But the difference between the two +parts is not only in the subject-matter; the difference in the style is +even yet more apparent. The first part has, I think, the most +complicated plot of any Irish romance, it abounds in brilliant +descriptions, and, although the original is in prose, it is, in +feeling, highly poetic. The second part resembles in its simplicity +and rapid action the other "fore tales" or preludes to the War of +Cualnge contained in this volume, and is of a style represented in +English by the narrative ballad. + +In spite of the various characters of the two parts, the story seems to +have been regarded as one in all the manuscripts which contain it; and +the question how these two romances came to be regarded as one story +becomes interesting. The natural hypothesis would be that the last +part was the original version, which was in its earlier part re-written +by a man of genius, possibly drawing his plot from some brief statement +that Finnabar was promised to Fraech in return for the help that he and +his 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 so +many references to nations outside Ireland that its date can be pretty +well 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 the +north of the land of the Long-Beards, or Lombards. The Long-Beards do +not appear in Italy until the end of the sixth century; the suggestion +of North Saxon-Land reaching down to the sea of Wight suggests that +there was then a South Saxon-Land, familiar to an Irish writer, dating +this part of the story as before the end of the eighth century, when +both Saxons and Long-Beards were overcome by Charlemagne. The second +part of the story is, then, no original legend, but belongs to the +seventh or eighth century, or the classical period; and it looks as if +there were two writers, one of whom, like the author of the Egerton +version of Etain, embellished the love-story part of the original +legend, leaving the end alone, while another author wrote an account of +the legendary journey of the demi-god Fraech in search for his stolen +cattle, 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 does +not seem to have troubled the compilers. + +The oldest manuscript authority for the Tain bo Fraich is the Book of +Leinster, written before 1150. There are at least two other manuscript +authorities, one; in Egerton, 1782 (published by Professor Kuno Meyer +in 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 comparison +of these manuscripts and his revision of O'Beirne Crowe's translation +of the Book of Leinster text. The text of the literal translation +given here follows, however, in the main O'Beirne Crowe's translation, +which is in the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy for 1870; a few +insertions are made from the other MSS.; when so made the insertion is +indicated by a note. + +For those who may be interested in the subsequent history of Fraech, it +may be mentioned that he was one of the first of the Connaught +champions to be slain by Cuchulain in the war of Cualnge; see Miss +Faraday'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 a +fairy 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 he +dwelt, was brought, +And he called his folk, and with all he spoke, and for speech with the +maid he sought: +And they counselled him thus: "Let a message from thee be sent to thy +fairy kin +To entreat their aid when we seek that maid; a boon we may chance to +win: +For the wondrous robes of the fairy land, and for gifts from the +fairies 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 away +hath gone, +And she gave to him mantles of dark black-blue, like a beetle's back +they shone: +Four dark-grey rings in each cloak she gave were sewn, and a brooch +shone, bright +With the good red gold in each mantle's fold; she gave tunics pale and +white, +And the tunics were bordered with golden loops, that forms as of beasts +displayed; +And a fifty she added of well-rimmed shields, that of silver white were +made. + + +[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 the +spears of all; +On carbuncle sockets the spears were set, their points with jewels +blazed; +And they lit the night, as with fair sunlight, as men on their glory +gazed. + +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 curb +controlled; +At each horse's throat was a silver plate, and in front of that plate +was 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 silver +laced, +And with spiral stitch of the silver threads the heads of beasts were +traced, +And each housing was buckled with silver and gold: of findruine[FN#2] +was made the whip +For each rider to hold, with a crook of gold where it came to the horse +man's grip. + + +[FN#2] Pronounced "find-roony," the unknown "white-bronze" metal. + + +By their sides, seven chase-hounds were springing +At leashes of silver they strained, +And each couple a gold apple, swinging +On 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 cloaks +were bright, +And their coats, that shone with the gauds they wore, flashed back as +they 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 their +shoulders round. + +Three jesters marched in the van, their-crowns were of silver, by gilt +concealed, +And emblems they. carried of quaint device, engraved on each jester's +shield; +They had staves which with crests were adorned, and ribs down their +edges in red bronze ran; +Three harp-players moved by the jesters' sides, and each was a kingly +man. +All these were the gifts that the fairy gave, and gaily they made their +start, +And to Croghan's[FN#3] hold, in that guise so brave, away did the host +depart. + + +[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 splendid +Yet 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 divine +Of 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 showeth +Have 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 fort +To 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 the +steeds and the stabling cared, +And they loosed the hounds that in leash they kept, for the hunt were +the hounds prepared; +Seven deer, seven foxes and hares, they chased to the dun on Croghan's +plain, +Seven boars they drave, on the lawn in haste the game by the youths was +slain: +With a bound they dashed into Bree, whose flood by the lawns of Croghan +flows; +Seven otters they caught in its stream, and brought to a hill where the +gateway 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 the +king's behest: +Of his birth it was asked, and the men he led all truth to the herald +spake: +"It is Idath's son who is here," they said, and they gave him the name +of 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 I +know it well; +Let him enter the court of our house," said the king, the gateway they +opened wide; +And the fourth of the palace they gave to Fraech, that there might his +youths 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 good +Firmly 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 light +Fell on its gleaming side. + +All those chambers in splendour excelling, +The midmost of all in the ring, +Rose a room, set apart as the dwelling +Of Queen Maev, and of Ailill the king. +Four brass columns the awning supported +For 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 they +turned to greet; +And their courtesy graciously Fraech repaid: "'Twas thus we had hoped +to meet." +"Not for boasting to-day are ye come!" said Maev; the men for the chess +she set: +And a lord of the court in the chess-man sport by Fraech in a match was +met. +'Twas a marvellous board of findruine fair was prepared, when they +played 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 from +lamps, would yield; +And of silver and gold were the soldiers made, who engaged on that +mimic field. + +"Get ye food for the chiefs!" said the king; said Maev, "Not yet, 'tis +my will to stay, +To sit with the strangers, and here with Fraech in a match at the chess +to play!" +"Let thy game be played!" said Ailill then, "for it pleaseth me none +the less:" +And Queen Maev and Fraech at the chess-board sate, and they played at +the 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 of +the otter's skin, +And about their bodies the sacks were tied, and they carried their +harps within, +With stitches of silver and golden thread each case for a harp was +sewed; +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 tunic +of a swan around these ties.[FN#4] Harps of gold and silver and +bronze, with figures of serpents and birds, and hounds of gold and +silver: as they moved those strings those figures used to run about the +men all round. + + +[FN#4] This is the Egerton version, which is clearly right here. The +Book of Leinster gives: "These figures accordingly used to run," &c., +leaving out all the first part of the sentence, which is required to +make the meaning plain. + + +They play for them then so that twelve of the people[FN#5] of Ailill +and 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 of +Uaithne[FN#6] (Child-birth). The illustrious triad are three brothers, +namely Gol-traiges (Sorrow-strain), and Gen-traiges (Joy-strain), and +Suan-traiges (Sleep-strain). Boand from the fairies is the mother of +the 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 as +white as snow; +And round each of the three of them waved a cloak, as white as the wild +swan's wings: +Gold, silver, and bronze were the harps they woke; and still, as they +touched the strings, +The serpents, the birds, and the hounds on the harps took life at the +harps' sweet sound, +And those figures of gold round the harpmen rose, and floated in music +round. + +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-Birth +Give 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 Celtic +mythology. + + +To those harpers a fairy +Is mother, of yore +To 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 tearing +With cry, Sorrow burst. + +Then there came to her pleasure +For birth of a boy; +And a sweet smiling measure +The 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 Ailill +And 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 long +Was meat by men supplied, +His hand struck true; for never wrong +Would Lothar meat divide. + +Three days at the chess had they played; three nights, as they sat at +the game, had gone: +And they knew not the night for the sparkling light from the jewels of +Fraech that shone; +But to Maev turned Fraech, and he joyously cried, "I have conquered +thee well at the chess! +Yet I claim not the stake at the chess-board's side, lest thy palace's +wealth be less." + +"For no lengthier day have I sat in such play," said Maev, "since I +here first came." +"And well may the day have seemed long," said Fraech, "for three days +and three nights was the game!" +Then up started Maev, and in shame she blushed that the chiefs she had +failed to feed; +To her husband, King Ailill, in wrath she rushed: "We have both done a +goodly deed! +For none from our stores hath a banquet brought for the youths who are +strangers here!" +And said Ailill, "In truth for the play was thy thought, and to thee +was the chess more dear." +"We knew not that darkness had come," said Maev, "'tis not chess thou +should'st thus condemn; +Though the day had gone, yet the daylight shone from the heart of each +sparkling gem; +Though the game we played, all could meal have made, had men brought of +the night advice, +But the hours sped away, and the night and the day have approached and +have fled from us thrice!" +"Give command," said the king, "that those wailing chants, till we give +them their food, be stilled." +And food to the hands of each they gave, and all with the meat were +filled; +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 above +earth 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 receiving +This your host," said the king, "ye have brought +Much 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 Findabar +A word he sought in vain; +Though he in truth from home so far +Had come that word to gain. + +Fraech, as night was ending, +Sprang from out his bed; +Sought the brook, intending +There to lave his head. + +There King Ailill's daughter +Stood, and there her maid: +They that hour from water +Sought the cleansing aid. + +"Stay," he cried, and speaking +Caught 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 me +Joy," she said, "most true; + +Yet, thy side if nearing, +What for thee can I?" +"Maid!" he cried, "art fearing +Hence 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 poor +Thou hast seemed, nor dreading +Kin 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 showing +I 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 as +his wife would fly; +Yet her hand he may win, if he rides on the Raid with his kine when the +time draws nigh." +Then Fraech to the Hall of Debate returned, and he cried: "Through Some +secret chink +Hath a whisper passed?" and the king replied, "Thou would'st fit in +that space, I think!" + +"Will ye give me your daughter?" said Fraech: said the king, "In sight +of our hosts she goes; +If, as gift to suffice for her marriage price, thy hand what I ask +bestows." +"I will give thee what price thou dost name," said Fraech, "and now let +its sum be told!"' +"Then a sixty steeds do I claim," said the king, "dark-grey, and with +bits of gold; +And twelve milch-cows, from their udders shall come the milk in a +copious stream, +And by each of the cows a white calf shall run; bright red on its ears +shall gleam; +And thou, with thy harpers and men, shalt ride by my side on the +Cualgne[FN#10] Raid, +And when all thy kine driven here shall stand, shall the price of her +hand be paid!" + + +[FN#10] Pronounced Kell-ny. + + +Now I swear by the edge of my sword," said Fraech, "I swear by my arms +and shield, +I would give no such pledge, even Maev to take, were it her thou wert +fain to yield!" +And he went from the House of Debate, but Maev with Ailill bent low in +plot: +All around us our foes," said the king, "shall close, if Finnabar stays +here 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 we +devise to slay; +Ere that ruin he bring, let us make our spring, and the ill yet +unwrought arrest." +"It were pity such deed should be done," said Maev, "and to slay in our +house our guest! +'Twill bring shame on us ever." "No shame to our house," said King +Ailill, "that death shall breed!" +(And he spake the words twice)--"but now hear my advice, how I plan we +should do this deed." + +All the plot had been planned; to their house at last +King 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 went +Where the river of Croghan flows. + +And, "'Tis told me," said Ailill, "that Fraech hath won +A 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 Court +In its current hath bathed, and hath swum it in sport, +Nor of any who tried have we heard report +That ill hath been found by him!" + +Then Fraech from his body his garments stripped, +And he sprang down the bank, and he swiftly slipped +In the stream: and the king's glance fell +On a belt, left by Fraech on the bank; the king +Bent 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 spied +The 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 thrown +To a nook in the bank, that by few was known; +And unnoticed he threw it, to none was it shown +As 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, showing +Its 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, swimming +Through that pool so black +Brightly 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 chin +Straying scarlet berries +Touched 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, the +tree's torn limb: +"Ah! how heavy and fair have those clusters grown; bring us more," and +he turned to swim; +The mid-current was reached, but the dragon was roused that was guard +to that rowan-tree; +And it rose from the river, on Fraech it rushed: "Throw a sword from +the bank!" cried he. +And no man on the bank gave the sword: they were kept by their fear of +the queen and the king; +But her clothes from her Finnabar stripped, and she leapt in the river +his sword to bring. +And the king from above hurled his five-barbed spear; the full length +of a shot it sped: +At his daughter it flew, and its edge shore through two tresses that +crowned her head: +And Fraech in his hand caught the spear as it fell, and backward its +point he turned. +And again to the land was the spear launched well: 'twas a feat from +the champions learned. +Though the beast bit his side as that spear was cast, yet fiercely the +dart was flung, +Through the purple robe of the king it passed, through the tunic that +next him clung! + +Then up sprang the youths of the court, their lord in danger they well +might deem, +But the strong hand of Fraech had closed firm on the sword, and +Finnabar rose from the stream. +Now with sword in his hand, at the monster's head hewed Fraech, on its +side it sank, +And he came from the river with blade stained red, and the monster he +dragged to the bank. +Twas then Bree's Dub-lind in the Connaught land the Dark Water of +Fraech was named, +From that fight was it called, but the queen and the king went back to +their 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 woe +betide! +On the morrow her lips shall be pale, and none shall be found to aver +that her guilt, +When the sword for his succour to Fraech she gave, was the cause why +her life was spilt! +Now see that a bath of fresh bacon broth be prepared that shall heal +this prince, +And bid them with adze and with axe the flesh of a heifer full small to +mince: +Let the meat be all thrown in the bath, and there for healing let +Fraech be laid!" +And all that he ordered was done with care; the queen his command +obeyed. + +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 keening +From Boand's women broke: +My mother, the Fairy, is nigh." + +Then they raised him, and bore him +Where 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-Dwellers +In 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 pressing +Many a fairy dame: + +Brave he seemed, for healing +All 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 pleasure +That 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 was +shown: +For it seemed as if then was his birth among men, from a world to the +earth unknown! +Up rose for him Maev and King Ailill, their fault they confessed, and +for 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 banqueting +straight began: +But a thought came to Fraech, and from out of his folk he called to his +side a man. + +"Now hie thee," he said, "to the river bank, a salmon thou there shalt +find; +For nigh to the spot where in stream I sank, it was hurled, and 'twas +left behind; +To Finnabar take it, and bid her from me that the salmon with skill she +broil: +In the midst of the fish is the ring: and none but herself at the task +must toil; +And to-night, as I think, for her ring they call ": then he turned to +the feast again, +And the wine was drunk, and the revellers sunk, for the fumes of it +seized their brain, +And music and much of delights they had; but the king had his plans +laid deep, +"Bring ye all of my jewels," he cried-on the board they were poured in +a dazzling heap. +"They are wonderful, wonderful!" cried they all: "Call Finnabar!" said +the king; +And his daughter obeyed, and her fifty maids stood round in a lovely +ring. +My daughter," said Ailill, "a ring last year I gave thee, is't here +with thee yet? +Bring it hither to show to the chiefs, and anon in thy hand shall the +gem be set." +"That jewel is lost," said the maid, "nor aught of the fate of the ring +I know!" +Then find it," said Ailill, "the ring must be brought, or thy soul from +thy limbs must go!" + +"Now, nay!" said they all, "it were cruel +That such fate for such fault should be found: +Thou hast many a fair-flashing jewel +In these heaps that lie scattered around!" +And said Fraech: "Of my jewels here glowing +Take 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 treasure +To 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 winning +Of that jewel shall be, know I well; +They who died since the world had beginning +Shall come back to the spot where they fell +Ere that ring she can find, and can bear it +To my hand from the spot where 'twas tossed, +And as knowing this well, have I dared her +To 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 of +the ring be bid!" +And his daughter obeyed, and to one whom she sent she told where the +ring was hid: + +"But," Finnabar cried, "by my country's god I swear that from out this +hour, +Will I leave this land, and my father's hand shall no more on my life +have power, +And no feasting shall tempt me to stay, no draughts of wine my resolve +shall shake!" +"No reproach would I bring, if as spouse," said the king, "thou a groom +from 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 'twas +garnished o'er: +By the daughter of Ailill herself with skill had the honey-sweet sauce +been made. +And high on the breast of the fish, the ring of gold that they sought +was laid. +King Ailill and Maev at the ring gazed hard; Fraech looked, in his +purse he felt: +Now it seemeth," he said, "'twas to prove my host that I left on the +bank my belt, + +And Ailill now I challenge +All 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 lay +And my daughter I knew as its giver: +So to river I hurled it away. + +Now Fraech in turn I challenge +By life and honour's claim: +Say how from yon dark water +That 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 water +Was 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 open +My purse, and take the ring: +I watched, and towards the water +That 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 know +To ask, and praise began: +Said Finnabar, "I'll never throw +My 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 ride +Do thou redeem thine oath. + + +[FN#13] Pronounced Kell-ny. + + +And when with kine from out the east +Ye 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 the +task ye have asked will do!" +So he tarried that night till the morning's light; and they feasted the +whole night through; +And then homewards bound, with his comrades round, rode Fraech when the +night was spent, +And to Ailill and Maev an adieu he gave, and away to their land they +went. + + + + +TAIN BO FRAICH + + + +Part I + + + +LITERAL TRANSLATION + + +FRAECH, son of Idath of the men of Connaught, a son he to Befind from +the Side: a sister she to Boand. He is the hero who is the most +beautiful that was of the men of Eriu and of Alba, but he was not +long-lived. His mother gave him twelve cows out of the Sid (the fairy +mound), they are white-eared. He had a good housekeeping till the end +of eight years without the taking of a wife. Fifty sons of kings, this +was the number of his household, co-aged, co-similar to him all between +form and instruction. Findabair, daughter of Ailill and Medb, loves him +for 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 mother +Who dwells among the Shee;[FN#16] +Befind they call her, sister +To 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 face +Was 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 Erin +Till 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; he +discussed that matter with his people. + +"Let there be a message then sent to thy mother's sister, so that a +portion of wondrous robing and of gifts from the Side (fairy folk) be +given thee from her." He goes accordingly to the sister, that is to +Boand, till he was in Mag Breg, and he carried away fifty dark-blue +cloaks, 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 on +each cloak, and pale white tunics with loop-animals of gold around +them. And fifty silver shields with edges, and a candle of a +king's-house in the hand of them (the men), and fifty studs of +findruine[FN#20] on each of them (the lances), fifty knobs of +thoroughly burned gold on each of them; points (i.e. butt-ends) of +carbuncle under them beneath, and their point of precious stones. They +used to light the night as if they were the sun's rays. + + +[FN#19] The Book of Leinster gives "fifty blue cloaks, each like +findruine of art." + +[FN#20] Pronounced "find-roony," the unknown "white-bronze" metal. + + +And there were fifty gold-hilted swords with them, and a soft-grey +mare 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 each +horse. Fifty caparisons[FN#21] of purple with threads of silver out of +them, with buckles of gold and silver and with head-animals (i.e. +spiral ornaments). Fifty whips of findruine, with a golden hook on the +end of each of them. And seven chase-hounds in chains of silver, and +an 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 a +shoe. 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 many +coloured garments, with golden fairy-yellow heads of hair, with shining +tunics. There were three jesters before them with silver diadems under +gilding. Shields with engraved emblems (or marks of distinction) with +each of them; with crested staves, with ribs of bronze (copper-bronze) +along their sides. Three harp-players with a king's appearance about +each of them opposite to these.[FN#22] They depart for Cruachan with +that appearance on them. + + +[FN#22] The word for caparisons is "acrann," the usual word for a +shoe. 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 plain +of Cruachan. "A multitude I see," he says, "(come) towards the dun in +their numbers. Since Ailill and Maev assumed sovereignty there came +not to them before, and there shall not come to them, a multitude, +which is more beautiful, or which is more splendid. It is the same +with me that it were in a vat of wine my head should be, with the +breeze that goes over them. + +"The manipulation and play that the young hero who is in it makes--I +have not before seen its likeness. He shoots his pole a shot's +discharge from him; before it reaches to earth the seven chase-hounds +with their seven silver chains catch it." + +At this the hosts come from the dun of Cruachan to view them. The +people in the dun smother one another, so that sixteen men die while +viewing them. + + +They alight in front of the dun. They tent their steeds, and they +loose the chase-hounds. They (the hounds) chase the seven deer to +Rath-Cruachan, and seven foxes, and seven hares, and seven wild boars, +until the youths kill them in the lawn of the dun. After that the +chase-hounds dart a leap into Brei; they catch seven otters. They +brought them to the elevation in front of the chief rath. They (Fraech +and his suite) sit down there. + +A message comes from the king for a parley with them. It is asked +whence they came, they name themselves according to their true names, +"Fraech, son of Idath this," say they. The steward tells it to the +king and queen. "Welcome to them," say Ailill and Maev; "It is a noble +youth who is there," says Ailill, "let him come into the Liss (outer +court)." The fourth of the house is allotted to them. This was the +array of the house, a seven fold order in it; seven apartments from +fire to side-wall in the house all round. A rail (or front) of bronze +to each apartment; a partitioning of red yew under variegated planing +all. + +Three plates of bronze in the skirting of each apartment. Seven plates +of brass from the ceiling (?) to the roof-tree in the house. + +Of pine the house was made; it is a covering of shingle it had +externally. There were sixteen windows in the house, and a frame of +brass, to each of them; a tie of brass across the roof-light. Four +beams of brass on the apartment of Ailill and Medb, adorned all with +bronze, and it in the exact centre of the house. Two rails of silver +around it under gilding. In the front a wand of silver that reached +the middle rafters of the house. The house was encircled all round +from 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 is +made 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, considered +by Meyer to be the true reading. The Book of Leinster text gives +"aig-baig," a word of doubtful meaning. The Eg. MS. has also a +doubtful word. + + +It was a beauty of a chess-board. A board of findruine in it with four +ears[FN#25] and edges of gold. A candle of precious stones at +illuminating for them. Gold and silver the figures that were upon the +table. "Prepare ye food for the warriors," said Ailill. "Not it is my +desire," 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 same +word is used for the rings in the cloaks, line 33 above. + + +His people were meanwhile at cooking the wild animals. "Let thy +harpers 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 with +their adornment of ruby (or coral), beneath their adornment of gold and +silver. + + +[FN#26] Meyer translates this: "the concave part of the harp." + + +It is from the music which Uaithne, the Dagda's harp, played that the +three are named. The time the woman was at the bearing of children it +had a cry of sorrow with the soreness of the pangs at first: it was +smile and joy it played in the middle for the pleasure of bringing +forth 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 that +the third of the music has been named. + +Boand awoke afterwards out of the sleep. "I accept," she says, "thy +three sons O Uaithne of full ardour, since there is Suan-traide and +Gen-traide, and Gol-traide on cows and women who shall fall by Medb and +Ailill, men who shall perish by the hearing of art from them." + +They cease from playing after that in the palace: "It is stately it has +come," says Fergus. "Divide ye to us," says Fraech to his people, +"the food, bring ye it into the house." Lothur went on the floor of +the house: he divides to them the food. On his haunches he used to +divide each joint with his sword, and he used not to touch the food +part: since he commenced dividing, he never hacked the meat beneath his +hand. + +They were three days and three nights at the playing of the chess on +account of the abundance of the precious stones in the household of +Fraech. After that Fraech addressed Medb. "It is well I have played +against thee (i.e. have beaten thee)," he says, "I take not away thy +stake from the chess-board that there be not a decay of hospitality for +thee in it." + +"Since I have been in this dun this is the day which I deem longest in +it ever," says Medb. "This is reasonable," says Fraech, "they are +three days and three nights in it." At this Medb starts up. It was a +shame with her that the warriors were without food. She goes to +Ailill: 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 to +thee is playing of the chess," says Ailill. "It hinders not the +distribution to his suite throughout the house. They have been three +days and three nights in it but that we perceived not the night with +the white light of the precious stones in the house." "Tell them," +says Ailill, "to cease from the lamenting until distribution is made to +them." Distribution is then made to them, and things were pleasing to +them, and they stayed three days and three nights in it after that over +the feasting. + +It is after that Fraech was called into the house of conversation, and +it is asked of him what brought him. "A visit with you," said he, "is +pleasing to me." "Your company is indeed not displeasing with the +household," said Ailill, "your addition is better than your diminution." + +"We shall stay here then," says Fraech, "another week." They stay +after that till the end of a fortnight in the dun, and they have a hunt +every single day towards the dun. The men of Connaught used to come to +view them. + +It was a trouble with Fraech not to have a conversation with the +daughter: for that was the profit that had brought him. A certain day +he starts up at the end of night for washing to the stream. It is the +time she had gone and her maid for washing. He takes her hand. "Stay +for my conversing," he says; "it is thou I have come for." "I am +delighted truly," says the daughter; "if I were to come, I could do +nothing 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 a +queen. 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, it +is thou whom I have loved. And take thou with thee this ring," says +the daughter, "and it shall be between us for a token. My mother gave +it to me to put by, and I shall say that I put it astray." Each of +them accordingly goes apart after that. + +"I fear," says Ailill, "the eloping of yon daughter with Fraech, though +she would be given to him on solemn pledge that he would come towards +us with his cattle for aid at the Spoil." Fraech goes to them to the +house of conversation. "Is it a secret (cocur, translated "a whisper" +by Crowe) ye have?" says Fraech. "Thou wouldest fit in it," says +Ailill. + +"Will ye give me your daughter?" says Fraech. "The hosts will clearly +see she shall be given," says Ailill, "if thou wouldest give a dowry as +shall be named." "Thou shalt have it," says Fraech. "Sixty black-grey +steeds 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 an +ear-red, white calf with each of them; and thou to come with me with +all thy force and with thy musicians for bringing of the cows from +Cualgne; and my daughter to be given thee provided thou dost come" (or +as soon as[FN#27] thou shalt come). "I swear by my shield, and by my +sword, and by my accoutrement, I would not give that in dowry even of +Medb." He went from them out of the house then. Ailill and Medb hold +a conversation. "It shall drive at us several of the kings of Erin +around us if he should carry off the daughter. What is good is, let us +dash after him, and let us slay him forthwith, before he may inflict +destruction upon us." "It is a pity this," says Medb, "and it is a +decay of hospitality for us." "It shall not be a decay of hospitality +for us, it shall not be a decay of hospitality for us, the way I shall +prepare 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 to +bathe 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 the +quality of this flood?" he says. "We know not anything dangerous in +it," says Ailill, "and bathing in it is frequent." He strips his +clothes off him then, and he goes into it, and he leaves his girdle +above. Ailill then opens his purse behind him, and the ring was in it. + Ailill recognises it then. "Come here, O Medb," says Ailill. Medb +goes 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 to +meet 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 a +lonely[FN#28] spot on the brink of the river. He proceeds to come out +of the water then. "Do not come," says Ailill, "until thou shalt bring +me a branch of the rowan-tree yonder, which is on the brink of the +river: beautiful I deem its berries." He then goes away, and breaks a +branch off the trees and brings it on his back over the water. The +remark of Find-abair was: "Is it not beautiful he looks?" Exceedingly +beautiful she thought it to see Fraech over a black pool: the body of +great whiteness, and the hair of great loveliness, the face of great +beauty, the eye of great greyness; and he a soft youth without fault, +without blemish, with a below-narrow, above-broad face; and he +straight, blemishless; the branch with the red berries between the +throat and the white face. It is what Find-abair used to say, that by +no means had she seen anything that could come up to him half or third +for beauty. + + +[FN#28]"Hidden spot" (Windisch + + +After that he throws the branches to them out of the water. "The +berries are stately and beautiful, bring us an addition of them." He +goes off again until he was in the middle of the water. The serpent +catches him out of the water. "Let a sword come to me from you," he +says; and there was not on the land a man who would dare to give it to +him through fear of Ailill and Medb. After that Find-abair strips off +her clothes, and gives a leap into the water with the sword. Her +father 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 the +spear in his hand. He shoots the spear into the land up, and the +monster in his side. He lets it fly with a charge of the methods of +playing of championship, so that it goes through the purple robe and +through the tunic (? shirt) that was about Ailill. + +At this the youths who were about Ailill rise to him. Find-abair goes +out of the water and leaves the sword in Fraech's hand, and he cuts the +head off the monster, so that it was on its side, and he brought the +monster with him to land. It is from it is Dub-lind Fraech in Brei, in +the lands of the men of Connaught. Ailill and Medb go to their dun +afterwards. + +"A great deed is what we have done," says Medb. "We repent," says +Ailill, "of what we have done to the man; the daughter however," he +says, "her lips shall perish [common metaphor for death] to-morrow at +once, and it shall not be the guilt of bringing of the sword that shall +be for her. Let a bath be made by you for this man, namely, broth of +fresh bacon and the flesh of a heifer to be minced in it under adze and +axe, and he to be brought into the bath." All that thing was done as +he said. His trumpeters then before him to the dun. They play then +until thirty of the special friends of Ailill die at the long-drawn (or +plaintive) music. He goes then into the dun, and he goes into the +bath. The female company rise around him at the vat for rubbing, and +for washing his head. He was brought out of it then, and a bed was +made. They heard something, the lament-cry on Cruachan. There were +seen the three times fifty women with crimson tunics, with green +head-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 of +Erin." At this Fraech heard their lament-cry. + +Thirty men whom King Ailill loved dearly +By that music were smitten to die; +And his men carried Fraech, and they laid him +In 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 fifty +On 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 herald +To learn why they wailed; +"'Tis for Fraech," was their answer, +"By sickness assailed; + +'Tis for Fraech, son of Idath,[FN#29] +Boy-darling is he +Of our lord, who in Erin +Is 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 my +mother and of the women of Boand." He is lifted out at this, and he is +brought to them. The women come around him, and bring him from them to +the Sid of Cruachan (i.e. the deep caverns, used for burial at +Cruachan). + +They saw something, at the ninth hour on the morrow he comes, and fifty +women around him, and he quite whole, without stain and without +blemish; of equal age (the women), of equal form, of equal beauty, of +equal fairness, of equal symmetry, of equal stature, with the dress of +women of the fairies about them so that there was no means of knowing +of one beyond the other of them. Little but men were suffocated around +them. They separate in front of the Liss.[FN#31] They give forth their +lament on going from him, so that they troubled[FN#32] the men who were +in the Liss excessively. It is from it is the Lament-cry of the Women +of 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 beside +themselves." Meyer takes literally, "so that they fell on their backs" +(?) + + +He then goes into the dun. All the hosts rise before him, and bid +welcome 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 had +made at him, and they make peace. Feasting commenced with them then at +once. Fraech calls a servant of his suite: + +"Go off," he says, "to the spot at which I went into the water. A +salmon I left there--bring it to Find-abair, and let herself take +charge over it; and let the salmon be well broiled by her, and the ring +is in the centre of the salmon. I expect it will be asked of her +to-night." Inebriety seizes them, and music and amusement delight +them. Ailill then said: "Bring ye all my gems to me." They were +brought 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 with +thee? Bring it to me that the warriors may see it. Thou shalt have it +afterwards." "I do not know," she says, "what has been done about it." + "Ascertain then," says Ailill, "it must be sought, or thy soul must +depart from thy body." + +"It is by no means worth," say the warriors, "there is much of value +there, without that." "There is naught of my jewels that will not go +for the maid," says Fraech, "because she brought me the sword for +pledge of my soul." + +"There is not with thee anything of gems that should aid her unless she +returns the ring from her," says Ailill. + +"I have by no means the power to give it," says the daughter, "what +thou mayest like do it in regard to me." "I swear to the god to whom +my people swear, thy lips shall be pale (literally, shall perish) +unless thou returnest it from thee," says Ailill. "It is why it is +asked of thee, because it is impossible; for I know that until the +people who have died from the beginning of the world. Come, it comes +not out of the spot in which it was flung." "It shall not come for a +treasure which is not appreciated,"[FN#33] says the daughter, "the ring +that is asked for here, I go that I may bring it to thee, since it is +keenly it is asked." "Thou shalt not go," says Ailill; "but let one go +from 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 at +great drinking continually." (?)[FN#34] "I shall by no means prevent +you from doing that, namely even if it were to the groom thou shouldst +go if the ring is found," says Ailill. The maid then brought the dish +into the palace, and the broiled salmon on it, and it dressed under +honey which was well made by the daughter; and the ring of gold was on +the salmon from above. + + +[FN#34] "dian dumroib for sar-ol mogreis." Meyer gives "if there is +any one to protect me." The above is Crowe's rendering. + + +Ailill and Medb view it. After that Fraech looks at it, and looks at +his 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 what +thou 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 is +Find-abair gave it to thee. It is therefore I flung it into the Dark +Pool. On the truth of thine honour and of thy soul, O Fraech, declare +thou what way the bringing of it out happened." + +"It shall not be concealed on thee," says Fraech. "The first day I +found the ring in front of the outer court, and I knew it was a lovely +gem. It is for that reason I put it up industriously in my purse. I +heard, the day I went to the water, the maiden who had lost it +a-looking for it. I said to her: 'What reward shall I have at thy +hands for the finding of it?' She said to me that she would give a +year's love to me. + +"It happened I did not leave it about me; I had left it in the house +behind me. We met not until we met at the giving of the sword into my +hand in the river. After that I saw the time thou open'st the purse +and flungest the ring into the water: I saw the salmon which leaped for +it, so that it took it into its mouth. I then caught the salmon, took +it up in the cloak, put it into the hand of the daughter. It is that +salmon accordingly which is on the dish." + +The criticising and the wondering at these stories begin in the house +hold. "I shall not throw my mind on another youth in Erin after thee," +says Find-abair. "Bind thyself for that," say Ailill and Medb, "and +come 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 wed +here that night at once and Find-abair." "I shall do that thing," says +Fraech. They are in it then until the morning. Fraech sets about him +self with his suite. He then bids farewell to Ailill and Medb. They +depart to their own territories then. + + + + +TAIN BO FRAICH + + + +PART II + + +Unto Fraech it hath chanced, as he roved from his lands +That his cattle were stolen by wandering bands: +And there met him his mother, and cried, "On thy way +Thou 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 wife +Can avail, if in seeking thou losest thy life; +And though cattle be lacking, the task shall be mine +To 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 torn +To King Ailill and Maev on my faith as their guest +I 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 by +his side, +And a hawk flew before, and for hunting, was a hound with a +hunting-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 his +spoil; +"'Tis ill luck that awaits thee," said Conall, "thy quest shall be +followed with toil! +"'Twill be long ere the goal thou art reaching, though thy heart in the +seeking may be." +"Conall Cernach,[FN#35] hear thou my beseeching said Fraech, "let thine +aid be to me; +I had hoped for this meeting with Conall, that his aid in the quest +might be lent." +"I will go with thee truly," said Conall: with Fraech and his comrades +he 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 nearing +They made stand; for above and around +Were 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 the +sheep, +"Let our warriors behind be delaying," said Conall, "and south let us +keep: + +'Twere well we should speak with yon woman, perchance she hath wisdom +to teach!" +And with Conall went Fraech at that counsel; they neared her, and held +with her speech. + +"Whence have come you?" she said: "Out of Ireland are we," +Answered Conall: "Ill luck shall for Irishmen be +In 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 herd +Of 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] son +He in Erin dwelleth, near the western sea; +Kine from him they carried, wife, and children three +Here 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 great +In the serpent who guardeth the Liss at the gate." + +"For that lady," said Fraech, "she is none of my +She 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 faced +Conall Cernach is foremost." His neck she embraced, +And she cried, with her arms around Conall: "Of old +Of 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 day +Come 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 three +And away from her prison she went with them free: +And of all of the jewels amassed in that dun +The most costly and beauteous the conquerors won. + +Then the serpent from Conall was loosed, from his belt +It 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 chief +And 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, and +And 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 mother +came to him. "Not active (or "lucky") of journey hast thou gone; it +shall cause much of trouble to thee," she says. "Thy cows have been +stolen, and thy three sons, and thy wife, so that they are in the +mountain of Elpa. Three cows of them are in Alba of the North with the +Cruthnechi (the Picts)." "Query, what shall I do?" he says to his +mother. "Thou shalt do a non-going for seeking them; thou wouldest not +give thy life for them," she says. "Thou shalt have cows at my hands +besides them." "Not so this," he says: "I have pledged my hospitality +and my soul to go to Ailill and to Medb with my cows to the Spoil of +the 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 a +hound of tie with them, until he goes to the territory of the +Ulstermen, 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, "shall +not be lucky for thee. Much of trouble awaits thee," he says, "though +in it the mind should be." "It will come to me," says Fraech to +Connall, "that thou wouldest help me any time we should meet." (?) "I +shall go truly," says Conall Cernach. They set of the three (i.e. the +three 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 go +south," 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 the +men of Erin," says Conall. "It shall not be lucky for the men of Erin +truly, the coming to this country. From the men of Erin too is my +mother. Aid thou me on account of relationship." + +"Tell us something about our movements. What is the quality of the +land we have to come to?" "A grim hateful land with troublesome +warriors, who go on every side for carrying off cows and women as +captives," 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 house +of the king, here are his cows in the country in front of you." "Let +thy aid come to us," says Conall. Little is my power, save guidance +only." "This is Fraech," says Conall, and they are his cows that have +been carried off." "Is the woman constant in your estimation?" she +says. "Though constant in our estimation when she went, perchance she +is not constant after coming." "The woman who frequents the cows, go +ye to her; tell ye of your errand; of the men of Ireland her race; of +the 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 the +woman that is in the Liss." + +"It shall not be lucky for you truly," she says, "the going up to the +multitude of the woman; more troublesome to you than everything," she +says, "is the serpent which is at guarding of the Liss." "She is not +my country-name(?)," says Fraech, "she is not constant in my +estimation; thou art constant in my estimation; we know thou wilt not +lead us astray, since it is from the men of Ulster thou art." "Whence +are ye from the men of Ulster?" she says. "This is Conall Cernach +here, the bravest hero with the men of Ulster," says Fraech. She +flings two hands around the throat of Conall Cernach. "The destruction +has come in this expedition," she says, "since he has come to us; for +it is to him the destruction of this dun has been prophesied. I shall +go out to my house,"[FN#41] she says, "I shall not be at the milking of +the cows. I shall leave the Liss opened; it is I who close it every +night.[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 to +you is the serpent which is at the dun; several tribes are let loose +from 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 serpent +darts leap into the girdle of Conall Cernach, and they plunder the dun +at once. They save off then the woman and the three sons, and they +carry away whatever was the best of the gems of the dun, and Conall +lets the serpent out of his girdle, and neither of them did harm to the +other. 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 the +Fort of Ollach mac Briuin (now Dunolly near Oban) with them, until they +were at Ard Uan Echach (high-foaming Echach). It is there the gillie +of Conall met his death at the driving of the cows, that is Bicne son +of Loegaire; it is from this is (the name of) Inver Bicne (the Bicne +estuary) at Benchor. They brought their cows over it thither. It is +there they flung their horns from them, so that it is thence is (the +name of) Tracht Benchoir (the Strand of Horn casting, perhaps the +modern Bangor?). + +Fraech goes away then to his territory after, and his wife, and his +sons, and his cows with him, until he goes with Ailill and Medb for the +Spoil of the Cows from Cualnge. + + + + +THE RAID FOR DARTAID'S CATTLE + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +This tale is given by Windisch (Irische Texte, II. pp. 185-205), from +two versions; one, whose translation he gives in full, except for one +doubtful passage, is from the manuscript in the British Museum, known +as Egerton, 1782 (dated 1414); the other is from the Yellow Book of +Lecan (fourteenth century), in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. + +The version in the Yellow Book is sometimes hard to read, which seems +to be the reason why Windisch prefers to translate the younger +authority, but though in some places the Egerton version is the fuller, +the Yellow Book version (Y.B.L.) often adds passages, some of which +Windisch has given in notes; some he has left untranslated. In the +following prose version as much of Y.B.L. as adds anything to the +Egerton text has been translated, with marks of interrogation where the +attempted rendering is not certain: variants from the text adopted are +placed below the prose version as footnotes. The insertions from +Y.B.L. are indicated by brackets; but no note is taken of cases where +the 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 agrees +closely with the two later texts, differing in fact from Y.B.L. in one +word only. All three texts are given in the original by Windisch. + +The story is simple and straightforward, but is a good example of fairy +vengeance, the description of the appearance of the troop recalls +similar descriptions in the Tain bo Fraich, and in the Courtship of +Ferb. The tale is further noticeable from its connection with the +province of Munster: most of the heroic tales are connected with the +other three provinces only. Orlam, the hero of the end of the tale, was +one 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 YELLOW +BOOK OF LECAN (FOURTEENTH-CENTURY) + + +EOCHO BEC,[FN#43] the son of Corpre, reigning in the land of +Clew,[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 discern +Who 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 gain +When 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 fray +Guardest 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 there +Heaped 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 brazen +chains: +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 array +Forth 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, amazed +At 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's +hall. +Then to Ailill, king of Connaught, Eocho spake: "From out my land +{50} Wherefore hast thou called me hither?" "Gifts are needed from thy +hand," +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 harm +I 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 garments +bright, +Even those that decked the princes who so lately fell in fight: + +Bridles, brooches, all I give thee; ere the morning sun be high +Thou 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 race +That in Connaught's land hath dwelling, come to-morrow to this place; +Munster's kine they hope to harry, for the Munster princes fell +Yesterday 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 score +For that fight," she said, "and with them seven times twenty warriors +more: +Far from thee we now are flying; but shall meet thee with thy power +When to-morrow's sun is shining; at the ninth, the fated hour." + +At the dawn, the time appointed, all those steeds and garments gay +Were 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 daughter +dwelt: +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 take +On 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 indicated +by being placed in square brackets. + + +EOCHO BEC, the son of Corpre, king of Cliu, dwelt in the Dun of +Cuillne,[FN#52] and with him were forty fosterlings, all sons of the +kings of Munster; he had also forty milch-cows for their sustenance. By +Ailill and Medb messengers were sent, asking him to come to a +conference. "[In a week,"][FN#53] said Eocho, "I will go to that +conference;" and the messengers departed from him. + + +[FN#52] The eleventh century MS., the Leabhar na h-Uidhri, which gives +the 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 of +Cuanach. + +[FN#53] At Samhuin day (Egerton). + + +One night Eocho lay there in his sleep, when he saw something approach +him; a woman, and a young man in her attendance. "Ye are welcome!" +said Eocho. ["Knowest thou us?"] said she, "Where hast thou learned to +know us?" "It seems to me as if I had been near to you." "I think +that we have been very near to one another, though we have not seen +each 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 thy +journey at home and abroad. A stately troop shall be round thee, and +goodly foreign horses shall be under thee."[FN#54] "With how many +shall I go?" said Eocho. "Fifty horsemen is the number that is +suitable for thee," she answered. + + +[FN#54] Y.B.L. adds a passage that Windisch does not translate: it +seems 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 of +gold and silver, shall come to thee from me; and with them fifty sets +of equipment of the equipment of the Side; and all of thy +foster-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 fifty +black horses, furnished with bridles of gold and silver tied fast to +the gate of the castle, also fifty breeches of silver with +embellishment of gold; and fifty youths' garments with their edges of +spun 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 also +fifty whips of white bronze (findruine), with end pieces of gold that +thereby they might be taken into hands.[FN#56] + + +[FN#55] co m-belgib (?) Windisch translates "bridles," the same as +cona srianaib above. + +[FN#56] Y.B.L. adds, "Through wizardry was all that thing: it was +recited (?) how great a thing had appeared, and he told his dream to +his people." + + +Then King Eocho arises, and prepares himself (for the journey): they +depart with this equipment to Cruachan Ai:[FN#57] and the people were +well-nigh overcome with their consequence and appearance: their troop +was great, goodly, splendid, compact: [fifty heroes, all with that +appearance that has just been related. + +"How is that man named?" said Ailill. "Not hard, Eocho Bec, the king +of Cliu." They entered the Liss (outer court), and the royal house; +welcome was given to them, he remained there three days and three +nights at the feasting.] + + +[FN#57] Egerton here gives "Ailill and Medb made them welcome;" it +omits the long passage in square brackets. + + +"Wherefore have I have been invited to come?" said Eocho to Ailill: "To +learn if I can obtain a gift from thee," said Ailill; "for a heavy need +weighs upon me, even the sustenance of the men of Ireland for the +bringing of the cattle from Cualgne." + +"What manner of gift is it that thou desirest?" said Eocho. "Nothing +less than a gift of milking-kine," said Ailill. "There is no +superfluity of these in my land," said Eocho; "I have forty +fosterlings, sons of the kings of Munster, to bring them up (to +manhood); they are here in my company, there are forty cows to supply +the needs of these, to supply my own needs are seven times twenty +milch-cows [there are fifty men for this cause watching over them]. + +"Let me have from thee," said Ailill, "one cow from each farmer who is +under thy lordship as my share; moreover I will yield thee assistance +if at any time thou art oppressed by superior might." "Thus let it be +as thou sayest," said Eocho; "moreover, they shall come to thee this +very day." + +For three days and three nights they were hospitably entertained by +Ailill and Medb, and then they departed homewards, till they met the +sons 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 each +other in combat, and [at the island of O'Conchada (Inse Ua Conchada)] +they fought together. In that place fell the forty sons of kings round +Eocho Bec, and that news was spread abroad over all the land of +Ireland, so that four times twenty kings' sons, of the youths of +Munster, died, sorrowing for the deaths of these princes. + +On another night, as Ailill lay in his sleep, upon his bed, he saw some +thing, a young man and a woman, the fairest that could be found in +Ireland. "Who are ye?" said Ailill. "Victory and Defeat are our +names," she said. "Victory indeed is welcome to me, but not so +Defeat," 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 palace +in 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 is +thine own son, Orlam mac Ailill, whom she loves. Let Orlam prepare for +his journey with a stately troop of valiant men, also forty sons of +those kings who dwell in the land of Connaught; and by me shall be +given to them the same equipment that the other youths had who fell in +yon fight, bridles and garments and brooches; [early in the morning +shall 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 of +the river Nemain, upon the northern side, he was a champion of renown +for the guarding of the men of Munster; longer than his hand is the +evil he hath wrought. To this man also they appeared, and "What are +your names?" said he: "Tecmall and Coscrad (Gathering of Hosts, and +Destruction)," said they. "Gathering of Hosts is indeed good," said +Corp Liath, "an evil thing is destruction": "There will be no +destruction for thee, and thou shalt destroy the sons of kings and +nobles": "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 a +queen, and each heir of a king that is in Connaught, is now coming upon +you to bear off cows from your country, for that the sons of your kings +and queens have fallen by the hand of the men of Connaught. To-morrow +morning, at the ninth hour they will come, and small is their troop; so +if valiant warriors go thither to meet them, the honour of Munster +shall be preserved; if indeed thine adventure shall meet with success." + + +[FN#59] Y.B.L. gives the passage thus: "Assemble with you the sons of +kings, and heirs of kings, that you may destroy the sons of kings and +heirs of kings." "Who are they?" said Corp Liath. "A noble youth it +is from Connaught: he comes to yon to drive your cows before him, after +that your young men were yesterday destroyed by him, at the ninth hour +of the morning they will come to take away the cows of Darta, the +daughter of Eocho." + + +"With what number should I go?" he said. "Seven times twenty heroes +thou shouldest take with thee," she replied, ["and seven times twenty +warriors besides"]: "And now" said the woman, "we depart to meet thee +to-morrow at the ninth hour." + +At the time (appointed), when morning had come, the men of Connaught +saw the horses and the raiment of which we have spoken, at the gate of +the fort of Croghan, [even as she (the fairy) had foretold, and as we +have told, so that at that gate was all she had promised, and all that +had been seen on the sons of kings aforetime], and there was a doubt +among the people whether they should go on that quest or not. "It is +shame," said Ailill, "to refuse a thing that is good"; and upon that +Orlam departed [till[FN#60] he came to the house of Dartaid, the +daughter of Eocho, in Cliu Classach (Cliu the Moated), on the Shannon +upon the south (bank). + + +[FN#60] Egerton Version has only "towards Chu till he came to the home +of Dartaid, the daughter of Eocho: the maiden rejoiced," &c. From this +point to the end the version in the Yellow Book is much fuller. + + +[There they halted], and the maiden rejoiced at their coming: "Three of +the kine are missing." "We cannot wait for these; let the men take +provision on their horses, [for rightly should we be afraid in the +midst of Munster. Wilt thou depart with me, O maiden?" said he. "I +will indeed go with thee," said she]. "Come then thou," said he, "and +with thee all of thy cows." + +[Then the young men go away with the cows in the midst, and the maiden +was with them; but Corp Liath, the son of Tassach, met them with seven +times twenty warriors to oppose their march. A battle was fought], and +in that place fell the sons of the kings of Connaught, together with +the warriors who had gone with them, all except Orlam and eight +others,[FN#61] who carried away with them the kine, even the forty +milch-cows, and fifty heifers, [so that they came into the land of +Connaught]; but the maiden fell at the beginning of the fight. + + +[FN#61] Y.B.L. inserts Dartaid's death at this point: "and Dartaid +fell at the beginning of the fight, together with the stately sons of +Connaught." + + +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 of +Corpre, fell: and for this reason this story is called the Tain bo +Dartae, 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 of +the Raid of the Cattle of Dartaid; namely the Yellow Book of Lecan, and +the Egerton MS. 1782. In the case of this tale, the Yellow Book +version is more legible, and, being not only the older, but a little +more full than the other version, Windisch has translated this text +alone: the prose version, as given here, follows this manuscript, +nearly as given by Windisch, with only one addition from the Egerton +MS.; the omissions in the Egerton MS. are not mentioned, but one or two +changes in words adopted from this MS. are mentioned in the foot-notes +to the prose rendering. + +The whole tone of the tale is very unlike the tragic character of those +romances, which have been sometimes supposed to represent the general +character of old Irish literature: there is not even a hint of the +super-natural; the story contains no slaughter; the youthful raiders +seem to be regarded as quite irresponsible persons, and the whole is an +excellent example of an old Celtic: romance with what is to-day called +a "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 could +fire: +All those seven sons were as Mani[FN#62] known; the first was as Morgor +hailed, +For his love was great: it was Mingar's fate that in filial love he +failed: +The face was seen of the mother-queen on the third; and his father's +face +Did the fourth son show: they the fifth who know cannot speak all his +strength 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 can +tell; +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 the +queen. + + +[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 name +for four: +And in Breffny's land is the Ford Dunlaith, and the fame of the four +recalls; +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 that +cattle-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 make +their way, +And bear to our court that tribute back; for greatly we soon shall need +Such 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 the +Cuailgne[FN#64] Kine!" +Thus Ailill spoke; and Queen Maev replied, "The men to perform that task +Right 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 the +words we speak." +To his side King Ailill has called his sons, his mind to the youth he +shows. +"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 on +this 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 to +fight. + + +[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 be +found concealed! +We have dwelt till now in our father's halls, too tenderly cared for +far: +Nor hath any yet thought, that to us should be taught the arts that +belong 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 sons +had sent: +To the south of the Connaught realm they reached, the burg that they +sought was plain +For 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 learn +How entrance we may attain to win, and back with the news return +We must test the strength of the maidens' love!" On Mingar the task was +set, +And with two beside him, he searched the land, till three of the maids +they met: +By springs of water they found the maids, drew swords, and against them +leapt! +"O grant our lives!" was the maiden's cry, "and your lives shall be +safely kept!" +"For your lives," he said, "will ye grant a boon, set forth in three +words of speech?" +"At our hands," said she, "shall granted be, whatever thy tongue shall +teach; +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 are +here!" + +"Who art thou then?" from her faltering broke: "Mani Mingar am I," he +replied; +I am son to King Ailill and Maev: And to me thou art welcome," the +maiden cried; +"But why have ye come to this land?" said she: For kine and for +brides," he said, +Have we come to seek: And 'tis right," said she, such demands in a +speech to wed: +Yet the boon that you ask will our folk refuse, and hard will your task +be found; +For a valiant breed shall you meet, I fear, in the men who guard this +ground!" +"Give your aid," he said, "then as friends: But time," said she, "we +must have for thought; +For a plan must be made, e'er thy word be obeyed, and the kine to thy +hands be brought: +Have ye journeyed here with a force of men? how great is the strength +of your band?" +"Seven score are there here for the fight," he said, "the warriors are +near 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 shall +aid 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 at +your 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 for +brides, they say, +Have they come to seek:" "And with zeal their wish would we joyfully +now fulfil +If but powers to aid were but ours," they said, "which would match with +our right good will: + +But I fear the youths in this burg who dwell, the plans that we make +may foil; +or far from the land may chase that band, and drive them away from +their spoil!" +"Will ye follow us now, with the prince to speak?" They willingly gave +consent, +And together away to the water-springs the seven maidens went. +They greeted Mani; "Now come!" said he, "and bring with you out your +herds: +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 you +safely keep, +Ye seven daughters of Regamon!" The cattle, the swine, and sheep +Together 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 was +brought. + +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 were +good, +At the Briuin[FN#65] Ford should the hosts unite; too strait hath the +path been made +For so vast a herd": and to Morgor's word they gave heed, and his +speech 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 the +raiders rode, +Was behind him raised: to the king came men, who the news of that +plunder showed: +Then the king arose, and behind his foes he rode, and o'ertook their +flight, +And on Mani Morgor his host pressed hard, and they conquered his men in +the fight. +"To unite our band," thus Morgor cried, "fly hence, and our comrades +find! +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 bear +report." +The maidens went to the Croghan Fort, to Maev with their news they +pressed: +"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 the +war prepared, +With Ailill the warriors of Connaught came; and Fergus beside them +fared, +And the exiles came, who the Ulster name still bore, and towards that +Ford +All that host made speed, that their friends in need might escape from +the 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 were +met: +Of white-thorn and of black-thorn boughs were the hurdles roughly +framed, +And thence the name of the ford first came, that the Hurdle Ford is +named; + +For, where the O'Feara[FN#67] Aidne folk now dwell, can ye plainly see +In 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 from +Corcomroe; +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, they +gave 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 the +kine had gained: +But the kine, restored to their rightful lord, in Regamon's hands +remained; +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 cows +resign, +That the men might be fed of Ireland, led on the Raid for the +Cualgne[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 Raid +be 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 land +dwelt in the land of Connaught, and his name was Regamon. He had many +herds of cattle, all of them fair and well-shaped: he had also seven +daughters with him. Now the seven sons of Ailill and Medb loved these +(daughters): namely the seven Maine, these were Maine Morgor (Maine +with great filial love), Maine Mingar (Maine with less filial love), +Maine Aithremail (Maine like his father), Maine Mathremail (Maine like +his mother), Maine Milbel (Maine with the mouth of honey),[FN#71] Maine +Moepert (Maine too great to be described), Maine Condageb-uile (Maine +who combined all qualities): now this one had the form both of father +and mother, and had all the glory that belonged to both parents. + + +[FN#71] The name of Maine Annai, making an eighth son, is given in +Y.B.L., but not in the Egerton MS. + + +The seven daughters of Regamon were the three Dunann, and the four +Dunlaith;[FN#72] from the names of these is the estuary of Dunann in +western 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 counsel +together. "Some one from us," said Ailill, "should go to Regamon, that +a present of cattle may be brought to us from him; to meet the need +that there is on us for feeding the men of Ireland, when the kine are +raided from Cualgne." "I know," said Medb, "who would be good to go +thither, if we ask it of them; even the Maine; on account of their love +for the daughters." + +His sons were called to Ailill, and he spoke with them. "Grateful is +he, and a better journey does he go," said Maev, "who goes for the sake +of his filial love." "Truly it shall be that it is owing to filial +love that we go," said Mani Morgor. "But the reward should (also) for +this 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 domains +or the land of foes. Too tenderly have we been brought up; none hath +let us learn of wars; moreover the warriors are valiant towards whom we +go!" + +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 were +in the south of Connaught, in the neighbourhood of the domain of +Corcomroe[FN#73] in the land of Ninnus, near to the burg. "Some of +you," said Mani Morgor, "should go to find out how to enter into the +burg; 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, and +at once he and his comrades drew their swords against them. "Give life +for life!" said the maiden. "Grant to me then my three full words!" +said Mani Mingar. "Whatever thy tongue sets forth shall be done," said +the maiden, "only let it not be cows,[FN#74] for these have we no power +to give thee." "For these indeed," said Mani, "is all that now we +do."[FN#75] + + +[FN#73] Properly "Coremodruad," the descendants of Modh Ruadh, third +son 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," said +he: "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 will +not be granted, the men are valiant to whom you have come." "Let your +entreaties be our aid!" he said. "We would desire," she said, "that it +should 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 the +other maidens": "We shall assist you," said the maidens, "as well as we +can." + +They went from them, and came to the other maidens, and they said to +them: "Young heroes from the lands of Connaught are come to you, your +own true loves, the seven sons of Ailill and Medb." "Wherefore are +they come?" "To take back with them cattle and wives." "That would we +gladly have, if only we could; (but) I fear that the warriors will +hinder them or drive them away," said she. "Go ye out, that ye may +speak with the man." "We will speak with him," they said. The seven +maidens went to the well, and they greeted Mani. "Come ye away," he +said, "and bring your cattle with you. That will be a good deed. We +shall assist you with our honour and our protection, O ye daughters of +Regamon," said he.[FN#76] The maidens drove together their cows and +their swine, and their sheep, so that none observed them; and they +secretly passed on till they came to the camp of their comrades. The +maidens greeted the sons of Ailill and Medb, and they remained there +standing together. "The herd must be divided in two parts," said Mani +Merger, "also the host must divide, for it is too great to travel by +the one way; and we shall meet again at Ath Briuin (the Ford of +Briuin)." 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 Corco +Baiscinn,[FN#77] to hold a conference with the Firbolgs. His people +raised a cry behind him, message was brought to Regamon, and he went in +pursuit with his army. The whole of the pursuing host overtook Mani +Morgor, 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 be +sent to the cattle to summon the young men hither, and the maidens +shall drive the cattle over the ford to Cruachan, and shall give Ailill +and Medb tidings of the plight in which we are here." The maidens went +to Cruachan, and told all the tale. "Thy sons are at Ath Briuin in +distress, and have said that help should be brought to them." The men +of Connaught with Ailill, and Medb, and Fergus, and the banished men of +Ulster went to Ath Briuin to help their people. + +The sons of Ailill had for the moment made hurdles of white-thorn and +black-thorn in the gut[FN#78] of the ford, as defence against Regamon +and his people, so that they were unable to pass through the ford ere +Ailill and his army came; so thence cometh the name Ath Cliath +Medraidi[FN#79] (the Hurdle Ford of Medraide), in the country of Little +Bethra in the northern part of the O'Fiachrach Aidne between Connaught +and 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 that +in the Dinnshenchus, the cattle are said to have been taken "from +Dartaid, the daughter of Regamon in Munster," thus confusing the Raids +of Regamon and Dartaid, which may account for O'Curry's incorrect +statement in the preface to Leabhar na h-Uidhri, p. xv. + + +A treaty was then made between them on account of the fair young men +who had carried off the cattle, and on account of the fair maidens who +had gone with them, by whose means the herd escaped. Restitution of +the herd was awarded to Regamon, and the maidens abode with the sons of +Ailill and Medb; and seven times twenty milch-cows were given up, as a +dowry for the maidens, and for the maintenance of the men of Ireland on +the occasion of the assembly for the Tain bo Cualnge; so that this tale +is called the Tain bo Regamon, and it is a prelude to the tale of the +Tain 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, like +the other three Preludes to the Tain bo Cualnge, occur in the Yellow +Book of Lecan; but its manuscript age is far the oldest of the four, as +it occurs in both the two oldest collections of Old Irish romance, the +Leabbar na h-Uidhri (abbreviated to L.U.), and the Book of Leinster +(abbreviated to L.L.), besides the fifteenth century Egerton MS., that +contains the other three preludes. The text of all three, together +with a translation of the L.U. text, is given by Windisch in Irische +Texte, 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 prose +translation given here follows Windisch's translation pretty closely, +with insertions occasionally from L.L. The Egerton version agrees +closely with L.L., and adds little to it beyond variations in spelling, +which have occasionally been taken in the case of proper names. The +Leabhar na h-Uidhri version is not only the oldest, but has the most +details of the three; a few passages have, however, been supplied from +the other manuscripts which agree with L.U. in the main. + +The whole tale is much more like an old Border riding ballad than are +the other three Preludes; it resembles the tone of Regamon, but differs +from it in having a good deal of slaughter to relate, though it can +hardly be called tragic, like Deirdre and Ferb, the killing being taken +as a matter of course. There is nothing at all supernatural about the +story as contained in the old manuscripts, but a quite different' +version of the story given in the Glenn Masain Manuscript, a fifteenth +century manuscript now in the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, gives +another complexion to the tale. + +The translation of this manuscript is at present being made in the +Celtic Review by Professor Mackinnon; the version it gives of the story +is much longer and fuller than that in the Leabhar na h-Uidhri, and its +accompanying manuscripts. The translation as printed in the Celtic +Review is not as yet (July 1905) completed, but, through Professor +Mackinnon's kindness, an abstract of the general features of the end of +the story may be given here. + +The Glenn Masain version makes Bricriu, who is a subordinate character +in the older version, one of the principal actors, and explains many of +the allusions which are difficult to understand in the shorter version; +but it is not possible to regard the older version as an abridgment of +that preserved in the Glenn Masain MS., for the end of the story in +this manuscript is absolutely different from that in the older ones, +and the romance appears to be unique in Irish in that it has versions +which give two quite different endings, like the two versions of +Kipling's The Light that Failed. + +The Glenn Masain version commences with a feast held at Cruachan, when +Fergus and his exiles had joined their forces with Connaught as a +result of the murder of the Sons of Usnach, as told in the earlier part +of the manuscript. At this feast Bricriu. engages in conversation with +Fergus, reproaching him for his broken promises to the Ulstermen who +had joined him, and for his dalliance with Queen Maev. Bricriu, who in +other romances is a mere buffoon, here appears as a distinguished poet, +and a chief ollave; his satire remains bitter, but by no means +scurrilous, and the verses put into his mouth, although far beneath the +standard of the verses given to Deirdre in the earlier part of the +manuscript, show a certain amount of dignity and poetic power. As an +example, the following satire on Fergus's inability to keep his +promises 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 measure +Promised 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 attend +him, undertakes a journey to Ailill the Fair, to obtain from him the +bounty that Fergus had promised but was unable to grant. He makes a +fairly heavy demand upon Ailill's bounty, but is received hospitably, +and gets all he had asked for, as well as honour for his poetic +talents. He then asks about Ailill's wife Flidais, and is told about +her marvellous cow, which was able to supply milk to more than three +hundred men at one night's milking. Flidais returns from a journey, is +welcomed 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 in +which Bricriu extols the great deeds of Fergus, supplying thereby a +commentary on the short statement at the beginning of the older +version, that Flidais' love to Fergus was on account of the great deeds +which had been told her that he had done. Flidais declares to Bricriu +her love for Fergus, and Bricriu, after a vain attempt to dissuade the +queen from her purpose, consents to bring a message to Fergus that +Flidais and her cow will come to him if he comes to her husband's +castle 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 the +guise of an ambassador to Ailill the Fair, with the secret intention of +carrying off Flidais. Fergus receives the sanction of Maev and her +husband for his errand, and departs, but not as in the older version +with a few followers; all the Ulster exiles are with him. Dubhtach, by +killing a servant of Maev, embroils Fergus with the queen of Connaught; +and the expedition reaches Ailill the Fair's castle. Fergus sends +Bricriu, who has most unwillingly accompanied him, to ask for +hospitality; he is hospitably received by Ailill, and when under the +influence of wine reveals to Ailill the plot. Ailill does not, as in +the older version, refuse to receive Fergus, but seats him beside +himself at a feast, and after reproaching him with his purpose +challenges him to a duel in the morning. The result of the duel, and +of the subsequent attack on the castle by Fergus' friends, is much as +stated in the older version, but the two stories end quite differently. + The L.U. version makes Flidais assist in the War of Cualgne by feeding +the army of Ailill each seventh day with the produce of her cows; she +dies after the war as wife of Fergus; the Glenn Masain version, in the +"Pursuit of the Cattle of Flidais," makes the Gamanrad clan, the +hero-clan of the West of Ireland, pursue Maev and Fergus, and rescue +Flidais and her cow; Flidais then returns to the west with Muiretach +Menn, 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 is +peculiar to the version in the later manuscript, the only analogy in +the eleventh century version is the semi-supernatural feeding of the +army of Ireland, but in this it is a herd (buar), not a single animal, +that is credited with the feat, and there is really nothing +supernatural about the matter; it is only the other version that +enables us to see the true bearing of the incident. The version in the +Glenn Masain Manuscript looks much more ancient in idea than that in +the older texts, and is plainly capable of a mythic interpretation. It +is not of course suggested that the Glenn Masain version is ancient as +it stands: there are indeed enough obvious allusions in the text to +comparatively late works to negative such a supposition, independently +of linguistic evidence, but it does look as if the author of the +eleventh century text had a super natural tale to work upon, some of +whose incidents are preserved in the Glenn Masain version, and that he +succeeded in making out of the traditional account a story that +practically contains no supernatural element at all, so that it +requires a knowledge of the other version to discover the slight trace +of the supernatural that he did keep, viz. the feeding of the army of +Ireland by the herd (not the cow) of Flidais. + +It is possible that the common origin of the two versions is preserved +for us in another place, the Coir Annam, which, though it as it stands +is a Middle Irish work, probably keeps ancient tradition better than +the more finished romances. In this we find, following Stokes' +translation, given in Irische Texte, III. P. 295, the following +entries:-- + +"Adammair Flidaise Foltchain, that is Flidais the Queen, one of the +tribe 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, the +Cattle of Flidais. + +"Nia Segamain, that is seg (deer) are a main (his treasure), for in his +time cows and does were milked in the same way every day, so that he +had great wealth in these things beyond that of all other kings. The +Flidais 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 Nia +Segamain, and by his mother was that fairy power given to him." + +It seems, then, not impossible that the original legend was much as +stated in the Coir Annam, viz. that Flidais was a supernatural being, +milking wild deer like cows, and that she was taken into the Ulster +Cycle and made part of the tale of Fergus. + +This adoption was done by an author who made a text which may be +regarded as the common original of the two versions; in his tale the +supernatural character of Flidais was retained. The author of the L.U. +version cut out the supernatural part, and perhaps the original embassy +of Bricriu; it may, however, be noted that the opening of the older +version comes from the L.L. text, which is throughout shorter than that +in L.U., and the lost opening of L.U. may have been fuller. The author +of the Glenn Masain version kept nearer to the old story, adding, +however, more modern touches. Where the new character of Bricriu comes +from is a moot point; I incline to the belief that the idea of Bricriu +as a mere buffoon is a later development. But in neither version is +the story, as we have it, a pre-Christian one. The original +pre-Christian idea of Flidais was, as in the Coir Annam, that of a +being outside the Ulster Cycle altogether. + + + + +THE DRIVING OF THE CATTLE OF FLIDAIS + + +FROM THE LEABHAR NA H-UIDHRI (ELEVENTH-CENTURY MS.), THE BEGINNING AND +A 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 its +end, +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 crave +Let 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 warriors +here?" +"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 tell +That 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 me +set: +For the men who have marched here beside me, the means to win life I +must get." +"I will give no such present," said Ailill," thou comest not here as my +guest: +Men will say, 'twas from fear that I gave it, lest my wife from my arms +thou should'st wrest: +Yet an ox of my herds, and some bacon, if thou wilt, shall my hand to +thee give; +That the men who have marched here beside thee on that meat may be +stayed, 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 be +And 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-haired +to fight, +And he chased them away from his castle, and slew as they scattered in +flight; +A twenty he reached, and he slew them: they fell, on that field to +remain; +And but seven there were of that thirty who fled, and their safety +could 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 they +told. + +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 three +Within the hold lay still, +And Flidais cared for all, for she +To 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 greeting +Heralds bore that day. +Fergus, ere he perished, +First he sought to aid +He that thought who cherished +Friendship's claims obeyed: +Then his foe he vainly +Hoped in truce to bind: +Peace, 'tis said, was plainly +Dear to Connaught's mind! + +The wounded men, on litters laid, +Without the walls they bore +To friendly hands, with skill to aid, +And fainting health restore. + +At the castle of Ailill the Fair-Haired the Connaught-men rushed in +attack, +And to win it they failed: from his ramparts in defeat were his foes +driven back: +For long in that contest they struggled, yet naught in the fight they +prevailed - +For a week were the walls of the castle of Ailill the Fair-Haired +assailed, +Seven score of the nobles of Connaught, and all of them warriors of +might, +For the castle of Ailill contended, and fell as they strove in the +fight. + +"'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 I +confess +That 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 have +been quelled; +And the vengeance we wait for from Ulster hath long been by Ulster +withheld; +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 mocking +befall: +One man hath come forth from yon castle; alone he hath wounded them +all-- +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 of +straw!" + + +[FN#84] Spelt Bricriu. The usual epithet of Bricriu, "Bricriu of the +Poison 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 blows +To crush and slay, destruction was heaped by foe on foes. + +Of the wounding at length and the slaughter all weary the champions had +grown, +And the men who the castle of Ailill had held were at length over +thrown: +Of those who were found in that castle, and its walls had defended so +well, +Seven hundred by warriors of Ulster were smitten to death, and they +fell: +And there in his castle fell Ailill the Fair-haired, and fighting he +died, +And a thirty of sons stood about him, and all met their death by his +side. + +The chief of those who perished, by Ailill's side who stood +Within 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 the +Gamanra[FN#90] clan, +And his friends from the sea-girded Donnan had sent to his aid every +man; +All these had with Ailill been leaguered, their help to him freely they +brought, +And that aid from them Ailill. took gladly, he knew that his hold would +be 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 Maev +Would bring all Connaught's troops to the rescue: for Fergus that aid +they would lend, +And Fergus the succour of Connaught could claim, and with right, as a +friend. + + +[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 clan +Nursed in Tara Loochra[FN#91] many a fighting man. +Deda sprang from Munster; far in Ulster's north +Oft from Emain Macha Rury's[FN#92] clan went forth: +Vainly all with Rury strove to fight, the twain +Rury's clan hath vanquished; Rury all hath slain! + + +[FN#91] Temair Luachra, an ancient palace near Abbeyfeale, on the +borders of the counties of Limerick and Kerry. "Tara," as is well +known, 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 to +sack; +And the folk of Queen Maev and King Ailill followed close on the +Ulstermen's track: +And they took with them captives; for Flidais away from her castle they +tore; +And the women who dwelt in the castle away to captivity bore: + +And all things therein that were precious they seized on as booty; the +gold +And the silver they seized, and the treasures amassed by the men of +that hold: +The horns, and the goblets for drinking, the vats for the ale, and the +keys, +The gay robes with all hues that were glowing lay there for the raiders +to seize: +And much cattle they took; in that castle were one hundred of milk +giving kine; +And beside them a seven score oxen; three thousand of sheep and of +swine. + +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 dwell +And he of Ulster's kingdom a part in lordship held: +He ruled in Mag I Murthemne[FN#92], yea, more than that, he won +The 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 district +of Kerry.[FN#93] She loved Fergus the son of Rog on account of the +glorious tales about him; and always there went messengers from her to +him at the end of each week. + + +[FN#93] Kerry is the district now called Castlereagh, in the west of +the 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: "it +is hard for me to lay bare your land, without there being loss to thee +of honour and renown therewith." "Yes, what shall we do next in the +matter?" 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 reason +why it should not be thyself who goest to him: the gift will be all the +better 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 do +next, 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 they +were at the Ford of Fenna in the north of the land of Kerry. They go +to the burg, and welcome is brought to them.[FN#96] "What brings you +here?" said Ailill Finn. "We had the intention of staying with you on +a 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 begins +at this point. + + +"If it were one of thy people who had the quarrel, he should stay with +me until he had made his peace. But thou shalt not stay," said Ailill +Finn, "it has been told me that my wife loves thee!" "We must have a +gift of cows then," said Fergus, "for a great need lies on us, even the +sustenance of the troop who have gone with me into exile." "Thou shalt +carry off no such present from me," he said, "because thou art not +remaining with me on a visit. Men will say that it is to keep my wife +that I gave thee what thou hast required. I[FN#97] will give to your +company one ox and some bacon to help them, if such is your pleasure." +"I will eat not thy bread although offered (lit. however)," said +Fergus, "because I can get no present of honour from thee!" + + +[FN#97] L.L. and Egerton make the end of this speech part of the +story: "There was given to them one ox with bacon, with as much as they +wished 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 thee +and they betake themselves outside. + +"Let a man come at once to fight me beside a ford at the gate of this +castle!" said Fergus. + +"That[FN#98] will not for the sake of my honour be refused," said +Ailill; "I will not hand it (the strife) over to another: I will go +myself," said he. He went to a ford against him. "Which of us," said +Fergus, "O Dubhtach, shall encounter this man?" "I will go," said +Dubhtach; "I am younger and keener than thou art!" Dubhtach went +against Ailill. Dubhtach thrust a spear through Ailill so that it went +through his two thighs. He (Ailill) hurled a javelin at Dubhtach, so +that he drove the spear right through him, (so that it came out) on the +other side. + + +[FN#98] The end of the speech is from L.L.: the L.U. text gives the +whole speech thus: "For my honour's sake, I could not draw back in this +matter." + + +Fergus threw his shield over Dubhtach. The former (Ailill) thrust his +spear at the shield of Fergus so that he even drove the shaft right +through it. Fergus mac Oen-laimi comes by. Fergus mac Oen-laimi holds +a shield in front of him (the other Fergus). Ailill struck his spear +upon this so that it was forced right through it. He leaped so that he +lay there on the top of his companions. Flidais comes by from the +castle, 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 Cruachan +Ai, and tell there the whole story to Ailill and Medb. + +Then Ailill and Medb arise, and the nobles of Connaught and the exiles +from Ulster: they march into the district of Kerry Ai with their troops +as far as: the Ford of Fenna. + +Meanwhile the wounded men were being cared for by Flidais in the +castle, and their healing was undertaken by her. + +Then the troops come to the castle. Ailill Finn is summoned to Ailill +mac Mata to come to a conference with him outside the castle. "I will +not 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 had +come to Ailill the Fair-haired, both that he might save Fergus, as it +was 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 by +a scribe or narrator whose sympathies were with Connaught. The passage +does 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 the +castle, and they could get no hold on him, a full week long went it +thus with them. Seven times twenty heroes from among the nobles of +Connaught fell during the time that they (endeavoured) to storm the +castle 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 Ailill +mac Mata. "The expedition is bad for the honour of the Ulstermen, in +that 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 has +fallen at the hands of one of the three! Truly these heroes are great +to be under such wisps of straw as axe the men of this castle! Most +worthy 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 my +Papa Fergus, since one man in single combat laid him low!" + +Then the champions of Ulster arise, naked as they were, and make a +strong and obstinate attack in their rage and in the might of their +violence, so that they forced in the outer gateway till it was in the +midst of the castle, and the men of Connaught go beside them. They +storm the castle with great might against the valiant warriors who were +there. A wild pitiless battle is fought between them, and each man +begins 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 seven +hundred warriors there in the castle with Ailill the Fair-Haired and +thirty of his sons; and Amalgaid the Good;[FN#100] and Nuado; and +Fiacho Muinmethan (Fiacho the Broad-backed); and Corpre Cromm (the Bent +or Crooked); and Ailill from Brefne; and the three Oengus Bodbgnai (the +Faces 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 men +of Domnan who had bidden himself to come to him to aid him: they were +in the same place assembled in his castle; for he knew that the exiles +from Ulster and Ailill and Medb with their army would come to him to +demand the surrender of Fergus, for Fergus was under their protection. + +This was the third race of heroes in Ireland, namely the Clan Gamanrad +of 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 of +Ailill; and they laid waste the castle, and take Flidais out of the +castle with them, and carry off the women of the castle into captivity; +and they take with them all the costly things and the treasures that +were there, gold and silver, and horns, and drinking cups, and keys, +and vats; and they take what there was of garments of every colour, and +they take what there was of kine, even a hundred milch-cows, and a +hundred and forty oxen, and thirty hundred of little cattle. + +And after these things had been done, Flidais went to Fergus mac Rog +according to the decree of Ailill and Medb, that they might thence have +sustenance (lit. that their sustenance might be) on the occasion of the +Raid of the Cows of Cualgne. As[FN#101] a result of this, Flidais was +accustomed each seventh day from the produce of her cows to support the +men of Ireland, in order that during the Raid she might provide them +with 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 his +home, and he received the lordship of a part of Ulster, even Mag +Murthemni (the plain of Murthemne), together with that which had been +in the hands of Cuchulain, the son of Sualtam. So Flidais died after +some 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 all +Fergus' needs whatsoever they might be (lit. she used to provide for +Fergus every outfit that he desired for himself). Fergus died after +some time in the land of Connaught, after the death of his wife, after +he had gone there to obtain knowledge of a story. For, in order to +cheer 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 of +this journey that he found his death in the west, through the jealousy +of Ailill. + + +[FN#102] L.L. and Egerton give "thereafter," adopted in verse +translation. + + +This, then, is the story of the Tain bo Flidais; it[FN#103] is among +the preludes of the Tain bo Cualnge. + + +[FN#103] This sentence does not occur in the Leabhar na h-Uidhri. It +is given as in the Egerton version: the Book of Leinster gives "it is +among 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 bo +Dartada and the Tain bo Regamon; namely the Yellow Book of Lecan, and +Egerton 1782. The text of both is given by Windisch, Irische Texte, +II. pp. 239-254; he gives a translation of the version in the Yellow +Book, with a few insertions from the Egerton MS., where the version in +Y.B.L. is apparently corrupt: Miss Hull gives an English translation of +Windisch's rendering, in the Cuchullin Saga, pages 103 to 107. The +prose version given here is a little closer to the Irish than Miss +Hull's, and differs very little from that of Windisch. The song sung +by the Morrigan to Cuchulain is given in the Irish of both versions by +Windisch; he gives no rendering, as it is difficult and corrupt: I can +make nothing of it, except that it is a jeering account of the War of +Cualgne. + +The title Tain bo Regamna is not connected with anything in the tale, +as given; Windisch conjectures "Tain bo Morrigna," the Driving of the +Cow of the Great Queen (Morrigan); as the woman is called at the end of +the Egerton version. The Morrigan, one of the three goddesses of war, +was the chief of them: they were Morrigan, Badb, and Macha. She is +also the wife of the Dagda, the chief god of the pagan Irish. The +Yellow Book version calls her Badb in this tale, but the account in the +Tain bo Cualnge (Leabhar na h-Uidhri facsimile, pp. 74 and 77), where +the prophecies are fulfilled, agrees with the Egerton version in +calling 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 terrible +shout: +He fell, as he woke from his slumber, with the thud of a weight, to the +ground, +From his couch on that side of the castle that the rising sun first +found. +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 was +stirred, +That across the plain came sounding." "And whence was the cry thou hast +heard?" +"From the north-west quarter it travelled, it crossed the great +Cayll[FN#106] Cooen road!" +"Follow on, on that track," said Cuchulain, "till we know what that +clamour 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 made +stand +For a chariot rattled toward them, from the clay-soiled +Coolgarry[FN#108] land +And 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 twain +A 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 wore +Was red, and a cow he goaded, that shambled on before. + + +[FN#107] Spelt Ath Ferta, or more fully Ath da Ferta, the ford of the +two 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 cow +belong," +Said the woman; "no byre of thy comrades or thy friends hath that cow +yet 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 sage +decree +On this cow would'st thou give, Cuchulain?--too great is that task for +thee!" +Said the hero, "Why speaketh this woman? hath the man with her never a +word?" +"'Twas not him you addressed," was her answer, "when first your +reproaches we heard." +"Nay, to him did I speak," said Cuchulain, "though 'tis thou to reply +who would'st claim!" +'Ooer-gay-skyeo-loo-ehar-skyeo[FN#109] is the name that he bears," said +the dame. + + +[FN#109] Spelt Uar-gaeth-sceo-luachair-sceo + + +"'Tis a marvellous name!" said Cuchulain, "if from thee all my answer +must come, +Let it be as thou wishest; thy comrade, this man, as it seemeth, is +dumb. +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 you +can!" +Then Cuchulain sprang at the chariot: "Would ye make me a fool with +your jest?" +He cried, as he leapt at the woman; his feet on her shoulders he +pressed, +And he set on her head his spear-point: "Now cease from thy sharp +weapon-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 satirical +spells; +The man is called Darry I mac Feena[FN#111]: in the country of +Cualgne[FN#112] he dwells; +I of late made a marvellous poem; and as fee for the poem this cow +Do I drive to my home." "Let its verses," said Cuchulain," be sung to +me now!" +"Then away from me stand!" said the woman: "though above me thou +shakest thy spear, +It will naught avail thee to move me." Then he left her, but lingered +near, +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 of +Cualgne 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-land +shall dwell!" +And her word was accomplished; that region to-day is the Grella +Dolloo,[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 from +my sight!" +And she sang, "For thy deed it is fated that evil shall soon be thy +plight!" +Thou canst. do naught against me," he answered. "Yea, evil in sooth can +I send; +Of thy Bringer of Death I am guardian, shall guard it till cometh thine +end: +From the Under-world Country of Croghan this cow have I driven, to breed +By the Dun Bull of Darry[FN#114] Mae Feena, the Bull that in Cualgne +doth 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 of +Cualgne, be sure." + + +[FN#114] Spelt Daire mac Fiachna. + + +"Nay, clearer my fame shall be ringing," the hero replied," for the +Raid: +All bards, who my deeds shall be singing, must tell of the stand that I +made, +Each warrior in fight shall be stricken, who dares with my valour to +strive: +Thou shalt see me, though battle-fields thicken, from the Tain Bo +returning alive!" + +"How canst thou that strife be surviving?" the woman replied to his +song, +"For, when thou with a hero art striving, as fearful as thou, and as +strong, +Who like thee in his wars is victorious, who all of thy feats can +perform, +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 I +will 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 it +glide: +From woe it shall ne'er be escaping, till it loose me, and pass on its +way!" +And she said: "As a wolf myself shaping, I will spring on thee, eager +to slay, +I will tear thee; the flesh shall be rended from thy chest by the +wolf's savage bite, +Till a strip be torn from thee, extended from the arm on thy left to +thy right! +With blows that my spear-shaft shall deal thee," he said, "I will force +thee to fly +Till thou quit me; my skill shall not heal thee, though bursts from thy +head either eye!" +I will come then," she cried, "as a heifer, white-skinned, but with +ears 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 will +be, +And a hundred white cows shall come running, with red ears, in like +fashion to me: + +As the hooves of the cows on thee trample, thou shalt test 'truth of +men in the fight': +And the proof thou shalt have shall be ample, for from thee thy head +they shall smite!" +Said Cuchulain: "Aside from thee springing, a stone for a cast will I +take, +And that stone at thee furiously slinging, thy right or thy left leg +will break: +Till thou quit me, no help will I grant thee." Morreegan,[FN#115] the +great Battle Queen, +With her cow to Rath Croghan departed, and no more by Cuchulain was +seen. +For she went to her Under-World Country: Cuchulain returned to his +place. +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 from +the north; it came straight towards him; the cry was dire, and most +terrifying to him. And he awaked in the midst of his sleep, so that he +fell, with the fall of a heavy load, out of his couch,[FN#116] to the +ground on the eastern side of his house. He went out thereupon without +his weapons, so that he was on the lawns before his house, but his wife +brought out, as she followed behind him, his arms and his clothing. +Then he saw Laeg in his harnessed chariot, coming from Ferta Laig, from +the north; and "What brings thee here?" said Cuchulain. "A cry," said +Laeg, "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 to +know 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 da +Derga 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 were +there, straightway they heard the rattle of a chariot from the quarter +of the loamy district of Culgaire. Then they saw the chariot come +before them, and one chestnut (lit. red) horse in it. The horse was +one footed, and the pole of the chariot passed through the body of the +horse, 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, she +had two red eye-brows, and the mantle fell between the two +ferta[FN#119] of her chariot behind till it struck upon the ground +behind her. A great man was beside her chariot, a red[FN#120] cloak +was upon him, and a forked staff of hazel at his back, he drove a cow +in front of him. + + +[FN#118] The above is the Egerton text: the text of Y.B.L. gives "A +red woman there, with her two eyebrows red, and her cloak and her +raiment: the cloak fell," &c. + +[FN#119] It is not known certainly what the ferta were: Windisch +translates "wheels," but does not give this meaning in his Dictionary: +the ferta were behind the car, and could be removed to sound the depth +of a ford. It is suggested that they were poles, projecting behind to +balance the chariot; and perhaps could be adjusted so as to project +less or farther. + +[FN#120] This is the Egerton text; the Y.B.L. text gives "a tunic +forptha on him the meaning of forptha is unknown. + + +"That cow is not joyful at being driven by you!" said Cuchulain. "The +cow does not belong to you," said the woman, "she is not the cow of any +friend or acquaintance of yours." "The cows of Ulster," said +Cuchulain, "are my proper (care)." "Dost thou give a decision about +the cow?" said the woman; "the task is too great to which thy hand is +set, O Cuchulain." "Why is it the woman who answers me?" said +Cuchulain, "why was it not the man?" "It was not the man whom you +addressed," said the woman. "Ay," said Cuchulain, "(I did address +him), 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 thyself +who answers,[FN#122] since the man answers not. What is thine own +name?" said Cuchulain. "The woman to whom thou speakest," said the +man, "is Faebor-begbeoil-cuimdiuir-folt-scenbgairit-sceo-uath."[FN#123] + "Do ye make a fool of me?" cried Cuchulain, and on that Cuchulain +sprang into her chariot: he set his two feet on her two shoulders +thereupon, and his spear on the top of her head. "Play not sharp +weapons on me!" "Name thyself then by thy true name!" said Cuchulain. +"Depart then from me!" said she: "I am a female satirist in truth," she +said, "and he is Daire mac Fiachna from Cualnge: I have brought the cow +as fee for a master-poem." "Let me hear the poem then," said +Cuchulain. "Only remove thyself from me," said the woman; "it is +none[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 her +chariot, and she sang to him[FN#125] . . . . . . Cuchulain threw a +spring at her chariot, and he saw not the horse, nor the woman, nor the +chariot, 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 only +I had known it was you," said Cuchulain, "not thus should we have +separated." "What thou hast done," said she, "shall be evil to thee +from it." "Thou hast no power against me," said Cuchulain. "I have +power indeed," said the woman; "it is at the guarding of thy death that +I am; and I shall be," said she. "I brought this cow out of the +fairy-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 that +time that thou art in life, so long as the calf which is in this cow's +body is a yearling; and it is this that shall lead to the Tain bo +Cualnge." "I shall myself be all the more glorious for that Tain," +said Cuchulain: "I shall slay their warriors: I shall break their great +hosts: I shall be survivor of the Tain." + + +[FN#126] Windisch is doubtful about the meaning of this word. He gives +it as "dangerous" in his translation; it may also mean "magical," +though he thinks not. In a note he says that the meaning "dangerous" is +not certain. + +[FN#127] In Egerton "the Dun of Cualnge." + + +"In what way canst thou do this?" said the woman, "for when thou art in +combat against a man of equal strength (to thee), equally rich in +victories, thine equal in feats, equally fierce, equally untiring, +equally noble, equally brave, equally great with thee, I will be an +eel, and I will draw a noose about thy feet in the ford, so that it +will be a great unequal war for thee." "I swear to the god that the +Ulstermen swear by," said Cuchulain, "I will break thee against a green +stone of the ford; and thou shalt have no healing from me, if thou +leavest me not." "I will in truth be a grey wolf against thee," said +she, "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. The +word is breth in Y.B.L. and breit in Egerton. Breit may be a strip of +woollen material, or a strip of land; so the meaning of a strip of +flesh seems possible. + + +"I will beat thee from me," said he, "with the spear, till thy left or +thy right eye bursts from thy head, and thou shalt never have healing +from me, if thou leavest me not." "I shall in truth," she said, "be +for thee as a white heifer with red ears, and I will go into a lake +near to the ford in which thou art in combat against a man who is thine +equal in feats, and one hundred white, red-eared cows shall be behind +me and 'truth of men' shall on that day be tested; and they shall take +thy 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 from +under 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, and +the Morrigan with her cow to the fairy mound of Cruachan; so that this +tale is a prelude to the Tain bo Cualnge. + + +[FN#129] All this sentence up to "so that this tale" is from the +Egerton version. The Yellow Book of Lecan gives "The Badb thereon went +from 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 to +the end of page 132 a. of the facsimile. The text corresponds to the +end 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 in +that volume placed on page 26, but occurs in the manuscript at the +place 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 is +not 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, with +the exception of the poem just referred to, been published before +except in the facsimile; the remainder of the text of the L.U. version +of the Courtship of Etain, together with the poem, has been given by +Windisch in the first volume of the Irische Texte. + +The immediate object of the publication of this text, with its +interlinear translation, is however somewhat different; it was desired +to give any who may have become interested in the subject, from the +romances contained in the two volumes of this collection, some idea of +their exact form in the original, and of the Irish constructions and +metres, as no Irish scholarship is needed to follow the text, when +supplemented by the interlinear translation. The translation may be +relied 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 of +Irish composition, as it contains all the three forms used in the +romances, rhetoric, regular verse, and prose: the prose also is varied +in character, for it includes narrative, rapid dialogue, an antiquarian +insertion, and two descriptive passages. The piece of antiquarian +information and the resume of the old legend immediately preceding the +second rhetoric can be seen to be of a different character to the +flowing form of the narrative proper; the inserted passage being full +of explanatory words, conid, issairi, is aice, &c., and containing no +imagery. The two descriptions, though short, are good examples of two +styles of description which occur in some other romances; neither of +these styles is universal, nor are they the only styles; the favour +shown to one or the other in a romance may be regarded as a +characteristic 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 batar +or a similar verb repeated in each sentence, but in all cases giving a +brilliant word-picture, absolutely clear and definite, of what it is +intended to convey. The second style, exemplified here by the +description of the horses that Mider offers to Eochaid, consists of a +series of epithets or of substantives, and is often imitated in modern +Irish. These passages are usually difficult to translate, as many +words appear to be coined for the purpose of the descriptions; but, in +the best writings, the epithets are by no means arbitrary; they are +placed so as to contrast sharply with each other, and in many cases +suggest brilliant metaphors; the style being in this respect more like +Latin than English. Absolutely literal translations quite fail to +bring out the effect of such passages; for not only is the string of +adjectives a distinctively Irish feature, but both in English and in +Greek such metaphors are generally expressed more definitely and by +short sentences. There is also a third style of description which does +not appear in the prose of any of the romances in this collection, but +appears often in other romances, as in the Bruidne da Derga, Bricriu's +Feast, and the Great Tain; it resembles the first style, but the +sentences are longer, yet it does not give clear descriptions, only +leaving a vague impression. This style is often used for descriptions +of the supernatural; it may be regarded as actual reproductions of the +oldest pre-Christian work, but it is also possible that it is the +result of legends, dimly known to the authors of the tales, and +represented by them in the half-understood way in which they were +apprehended by them: the Druidic forms may have been much more clear. +Such passages are those which describe Cuchulain's distortions; the +only passage of the character in this collection is in the verse of the +Sick-bed, vol. i. page 77. Five of the romances in the present +collection have no descriptive passages in the prose; the Combat at the +Ford and the Tain bo Fraich show examples of both the first and the +second form, but more often the first; the Tain bo Regamna, though a +very short piece, also shows one example of each; for the description +of the goblins met by Cuchulain is quite clear, and cannot be regarded +as belonging to the third form. There is also one case of the second +form in the Tain bo Dartada, and two other cases of the first in the +Court ship of Etain-one in the Egerton, one in the Leabhar na h-Uidhri +version. The best example of the first style is in the Egerton version +of Etain (vol. i. page 12); the best example of the second is the +description of Cuchulain's horses (vol. i. page 128); a still better +example 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 fair +idea of the style of this form of composition. Description is common +in the verse, and it is in this case a prominent feature. It may be +noted that lines 8, 16, 23, 26 will not scan unless the present +diphthongs are divided, also that the poem has fewer internal rhymes +than is usual in this regular verse. + +The two passages in rhetoric, for so I take them to be, are good +examples of the style. An attempt has been made to divide them into +lines, but this division is open to criticism, especially as some lines +in one of the two passages cannot be translated, and the translation of +some other lines is doubtful: the division suggested does, however, +appear to me to give a rough metre and occasional rhymes. It is +possible that, if attention is called to those lines which are at +present untranslatable, something may be done for them. The verse +translations given in vol. i. pages 27 and 29, give the meaning that I +take 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 been +italicized, nor has that for fri; all other abbreviations, including +acht, final n in the symbol for con, and that for or in the recognized +symbol for for, have been italicized. In the rhetorics, owing to their +difficulty, the abbreviation for n has been italicized throughout; the +symbol for ocus is not italicised. A few conjectures have been +inserted, the text being given as a foot-note; a conjectured letter +supposed to be missing has been inserted in brackets, and a restoration +by Professor Strachan of a few letters where the MS. is torn are +similarly placed in brackets. The rest of the text is carefully copied +from the facsimile, including the glosses, which are inserted above the +words 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 imcaisiu +maigi Breg, + +in time of summer, mounted on heights of Tara for viewing of plain of +Breg, + + +[FN#131] A conjecture: MS. fosrocaib= fo-s-ro-od-gaib, an unknown +compound. + + +boi fo a li ocus fo bluth cach datha. Am-imracacha inti + +was good its colour, and good blossom of every hue. When looked about +the 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 height +beside + + +[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. Spear +five-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 silent +Eochaid, 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 opened +the Liss + + + +in trath sin. Tolluid ar inchaib Eochoda iarsain asbert Eochaid iarom, + +at that hour. He came under protection of Eochaid thereon; said +Eochaid 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, at +chess-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 is +hers the house + + + +ata ind fithchell. Ata sund chenae, ol Mider, fidchell nad + +where is the chessboard. There is here yet, said Mider, a chessboard +which 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 shining +in every + + + +hairidi for sin clar di liic logmair, ocus fer-bolg di figi rond +credumae. + +direction on that board of costly stones, and a men-bag of woven chains +of brass. + + + +Ecraid Mider in fidchill iarsin. Imbir ol Mider. Ni immer acht + +Set out Mider the chessboard thereupon. Play! said Mider. Not will I +play, 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 my +stake, + + + +L. gabur n-dub-glas ite cend-brecca, croderga, biruich, + +50 horses of dark-gray, and they with dappled heads, blood-red, with +ears 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 an +edge on them; femendae? = Lat. vehemens; soaistidi is the form adopted +by 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 is +plain from the succeeding story. The work of Mider and his folk in +paying 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. Over +foreheads + + + +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 their +shoulders. 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 the +causeway: + + + + +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 a +power + + + +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 deponent +form of atregaim. It would be more natural to take the word as from +adagur; 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. It +is 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 thy +bestowing 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 mind +against 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 thy +mind, 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 two +parties, said + + + +Mider. Berar tochell n-Echdach alla sin. Rucais mo + +Mider. Is carried off stake of Echaid in that very place. Thou hast +carried 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 it +off long since, + + + +for Mider. Cacht cid adcobrai form-sa? for Echaid. Di laim im + +said Mider. Question what wishest thou from myself? said Echaid. Two +arms 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, and +said, + + + +tis dia mis on diu, doberthar dait ani sin. In + +thou shalt come in a month from to-day, (and) shall be given to thee +that 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 was +he 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 used +to 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 genitive +singular, 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 the +last two certainly follow the word (above the line in which it occurs) +that they seem to gloss: it is therefore probable that the first does +so too; the two lines of a couplet are on the same line in the +manuscript. It {footnote p. 156} seems then possible that the gloss +"it is many-coloured" refers, not to the foxglove, but to the preceding +line, "the colour of eyes is number of our hosts," and that the writer +of this gloss gave the same meaning to the rather hard description of +the 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 as +many-coloured or freckled, but his gloss of lossa does not seem happy. +The meaning "growth" is taken from O'Reilly's Dictionary. + + + +no lossa +Is 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: this +does not rhyme, nor give good sense; note, however, that muin has no +accent-the text gives one. + + +no is dath +is li sula ugai luin: + +or is hue +is 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" is +established for the word; the line possibly means "it will seldom be so +after," &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) of +reproach 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 that +account 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 it +was 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, the +causeway, 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. more +ertechta 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 amles +to 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 of +champions + + + +h-Erind, cach cuaird imm araile im Temrach immedon ocus a nechtair, + +of Ireland, each ring about another, around Tara im the middle, and +outside 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, and +its 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 great +might. 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 her +pouring (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 on +that night. + + + +Tosbert im mod na slûag ateonnairc. Sochsit uli iarom ocus + +He brought to amazement the hosts that he saw.[FN#145] Were silent all +thereon, 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 promise +is 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 very +thing up to now. + + + +Atrugell etain fein dam-sa, ol Mider, ticht uait-siu. + +Thou hast promised Etain herself to me, said Mider, message (lit. a +coming) 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 seeking +thee with + + + +mainib ocus setaib at aildem in ere, ocus ni tucus-sa + +treasures and jewels that are the most beautiful in Ireland and not I +took 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 gives +me 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 me +Echaid 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 of +his 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! said +Mider. + + + +i. mider +Atetha a gaisced ina laim cli, ocus gabais in mnai fo a leth-oxail dess, + +that is, Mider +He took his weapons in his hand left, and took the woman under his +shoulder 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 is +this, + + + +ro gabsat do sid ar Femun. Ocus luid Echaid co fomno + +they took (the road) to elfmound about about Femun. And went Echaid +with 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 of +the fair-haired women. + + + +B (a si com)[FN#146] arli fer n-Erend, fochlaid each sid [a gap, 12 +letters 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, to +fill up a gap in the manuscript. + + + +tised a ben. do uadib, Foce [a gap of 13 letters, rest of the version +lost.] + +should come his wife to him from them. + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, HEROIC ROMANCES OF IRELAND V2 *** + +This file should be named 5679.txt or 5679.zip + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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