The Triads Of Ireland Part 18

236. Three wonders of Glenn Dallan[116] in Tirowen: the boar of Druim Leithe. It was born there, and Finn was unable to do aught against it, until it fell in Mag Li[117] by a peasant who was kiln-drying. Whence Finn said:

[116] Now Glencar, six miles to the north of the town of Sligo.

[117] The territory of the Tir Li, west of the river Bann.

"Not well have we fed our hounds, Not well have we driven our horses, Since a little boor from a kiln Has killed the boar of Druim Leithe."

The Beast of Lettir Dallan. It has a human head and otherwise the shape of a smith's bellows. The water-horse which lived in the lake by the side of the church cohabited with the daughter of the priest and begot the beast upon her.

The Ox of Dil[118] is the third wonder. Its father came out of the same lake, and went upon one of the cows of the landholder who lived near the church, and begot the ox upon her.

[118] The oxen of Dil, daughter of Mil or Legmannair, are mentioned in the Dindsenchas, No. 44 and 111 (Rev. Celt. xv.).

237. Tri hamra Connacht: lige neothaili 'na thracht. Comard he frisin tracht. Intan atraig in muir, comard he fria lan. Dirna (.i. cloch) in Dagdai, cia fochertar im-muir, cia berthair hi tech fo gla.s.s, dodeime a tiprait oca mbi. In da chorr i n-Inis Cathaig, nocha legat corra aili leo inna n-insi [et] teit in banchorr isin fairrgi siar do duth, co toet cona heisinib essi [et] nocon f.a.gbat curaig eolus cia airm in doithi.

[Note 237: comaird i frisin lan N focerda a muir no cia bert_ar_ N _no_ do deime _no_ dogeibt_er_ a tibr_aid_ oca mbid N do _no_ todeime L corr N chuirr L Ceitig N leigitt N do doich N heisenaib eisib [et]

nochan f.a.gbuid N eolus _om._ L hairm in doich N]

238. Tri luchra ata mesa: luchra tuinde, luchra mna boithe, luchra con foleimnige.

[Note 238: _om._ LHBM luchra duine H^1 foleimnigh N]

239. Cisne tri ana soitcedach? Ni handsa son. Immarchor erlam, cuirm cen arus, c.u.mmairce for set.

[Note 239: a tri N]

240. Tri maic beres genas do gais: gal, gart, gaire.

241. Tri airfite dala: druth, fuirsire, oirce.

[Note 241: druith H^1]

242. Tri ata ferr do [.f]laith: fir, sith, slog.

[Note 242: adda H^1]

243. Tri ata mesa do [.f]laith: len, brath, miairle.

[Note 243: adda H^1 ada N]

244. Ceithre bais breithe: a breith i ngo, a breith cen dilse, a breith cen ailig, a breith cen forus.

[Note 244: disle H^1 disliu N]

245. Tri adcoillet gais: anfis, doas, dichuimne.

[Note 245: a tri N ainbh[.f]es H^1 duas H^1]

246. Tri muime ordain: delb chain, cuimne maith, creisine.

[Note 246: ordan H^1 chaoin H^1]

247. Tri muime menman: sotla, suirge, mesce.

[Note 247: socla .i. sochlu H^1]

248. Cetheora miscne flatha: .i. fer baeth utmall, fer doer dimain. fer guach esindraic, fer labor disceoil; ar ni tabair labrai acht do chethrur: .i. fer cerda fri hair [et] molad, fer coimgni cuimnech fri haisneis [et] scelugud, brethem fri bretha, sencha fri senchas.

249. Tri dorcha in betha: aithne, rathaiges, altrom.

237. Three wonders of Connaught: the grave of Eothaile[119] on its strand. It is as high as the strand. When the sea rises, it is as high as the tide.

The stone of the Dagda. Though it be thrown into the sea, though it be put into a house under lock, ... out of the well at which it is.

The two herons in Scattery island. They let no other herons to them into the island, and the she-heron goes on the ocean westwards to hatch and returns thence with her young ones. And coracles have not discovered the place of hatching.

[119] _Cf._ -- 197.

238. Three worst smiles: the smile of a wave, the smile of a lewd woman, the grin of a dog ready to leap.[120]

[120] _Cf._ -- 91.

239. What are the three wealths of fortunate people? Not hard to tell. A ready conveyance(?), ale without a habitation(?), a safeguard upon the road.

240. Three sons whom chast.i.ty bears to wisdom: valour, generosity, laughter (filial piety?).

241. Three entertainers of a gathering: a jester, a juggler, a lap-dog.

242. Three things that are best for a chief: justice, peace, an army.

243. Three things that are worst for a chief: sloth, treachery, evil counsel.

244. The four deaths of judgment: to give it in falsehood, to give it without forfeiture, to give it without precedent, to give it without knowledge.

245. Three things that ruin wisdom: ignorance, inaccurate knowledge, forgetfulness.

246. Three nurses of dignity: a fine figure, a good memory, piety.

247. Three nurses of high spirits: pride, wooing, drunkenness.

248. Four hatreds of a chief: a silly flighty man, a slavish useless man, a lying dishonourable man, a talkative man who has no story to tell.[121] For a chief does not grant speech save to four: a poet for satire and praise, a chronicler of good memory for narration and story-telling, a judge for giving judgments, an historian for ancient lore.[122]

[121] _i.e._, who has nothing worth hearing to say.

[122] See a similar pa.s.sage in Ancient Laws i., p. 18, and in the tale called, 'The Conversion of Loegaire to the Faith' (Rev. Celt. iv., p.

165).

249. Three dark[123] things of the world: giving a thing into keeping, guaranteeing, fostering.