Heroic Legends Of Ireland Part 18

(A Ma.n.u.sCRIPT OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY).

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),[1] 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.

[1. The name of Maine Annai, making an eighth son, is given in Y.B.L., but not in the Egerton MS.]

{p. 87} WHEN Ailill and Maev in the Connaught land abode, and the lords.h.i.+p 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[1] 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 {10} 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.

[1. p.r.o.nounced Mah-nee.]

{p. 88} LITERAL TRANSLATION.

The seven daughters of Regamon were the three Dunann, and the four Dunlaith;[1] from the names of these is the estuary of Dunann in western Connaught, and the Ford of Dunlaith in Breffny.

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.

[1. So Egerton, which Windisch follows here; the reading of Y.B.L. is Dunmed for the daughters, and Dumed for the corresponding ford.]

{p. 89} Of the daughters of Regamon now we speak: two names those maidens bore: For as Dunnan three ever known shall be; Dunlaith[1] 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; {20} "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[2] 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: {30} 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.

[1. p.r.o.nounced Dun-lay.

2. p.r.o.nounced Kell-ny.]

{p. 90} LITERAL TRANSLATION.

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[1] 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,[2] for these have we no power to give thee." "For these indeed," said Mani, "is all that now we do."[3]

[1. Properly "Coremodruad," the descendants of Modh Ruadh, third son of Fergus by Maev; now Corcomroe in County Clare.

2. "Only let it not be cows" is in the Egerton MS. alone.

3. "That we do" is Egerton MS. (cich indingnem), Y.B.L. has " cechi m-bem."]

{p. 91} 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: 40 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!

{50} "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!"

{p. 92} LITERAL TRANSLATION.

"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 a.s.sist 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; {p. 93} "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; {60} 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!"

{70} "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: {p. 94} LITERAL TRANSLATION.

(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 a.s.sist you with our honour and our protection, O ye daughters of Regamon," said he.[1] The maidens drove together their cows and their swine, and their sheep, so that none observed them; and they secretly pa.s.sed 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.

King Regamon was not there on that day. He was in the domain of Corco Baiscinn,[2]

[1. Windisch conjectures this instead of "said the warriors," which is in the text of Y.B.L.

2. In the south-west of Clare.]

{p. 95} 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, {80} 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[1] 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; [1. p.r.o.nounced Brewin.]

{p. 96} LITERAL TRANSLATION.

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.

"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[1] of the ford, as defence against Regamon and his people, so that they were unable to pa.s.s through the ford ere Ailill and his army came; [1. Literally "mouth."]

{p. 97} With the Firbolg[1] clans, in debate, he sat; and a cry as the raiders rode, {90} 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, {100} 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.

Now Ailill's sons, in the pa.s.s 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; [1. p.r.o.nounced Feer-bol.]

{p. 98} LITERAL TRANSLATION.

so thence cometh the name Ath Cliath Medraidi[1] (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.

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. Rest.i.tution 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 a.s.sembly 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.

[1. 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.]

{p. 99} For, where the O'Feara[1] Aidne folk now dwell, can ye plainly see In the land of Beara[2] the Less, that Ford, yet called Ath[3] Clee Maaree, In the north doth it stand; and the Connaught land divideth from Corcomroe; {110} And thither, with Regamon's troops to fight, did Ailill's army go.

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[4] Kine.

This tale, as the Tin bo Regamon, is known in the Irish tongue; {120} And this lay they make, when the harp they wake, ere the Cualgne[4] Raid be sung.

[1. p.r.o.nounced O'Fayra Ain-ye.

2. p.r.o.nounced Bayra.

3. Spelt Ath Cliath Medraidi. Ath is p.r.o.nounced like Ah.

4. p.r.o.nounced Kell-ny.]

{p. 103} 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 ma.n.u.script 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 pa.s.sages have, however, been supplied from the other ma.n.u.scripts 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 ma.n.u.scripts, but a quite different' version of the story given in the Glenn Masain Ma.n.u.script, a fifteenth century ma.n.u.script now in the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, gives another complexion to the tale.

The translation of this ma.n.u.script 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 {p. 104} accompanying ma.n.u.scripts. 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 princ.i.p.al 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 ma.n.u.script 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 ma.n.u.script. 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 ma.n.u.script, 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, s.h.i.+elds and weapons have enow!

{p. 105} 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 amba.s.sador 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 {106}.

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 a.s.sist 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 ma.n.u.script, the only a.n.a.logy 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 Ma.n.u.script 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 {p. 107} 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 Foltchin, that is Flidais the Queen, one of the tribe of the G.o.d-folk (the Tuatha d Danaan), she was wife of Adammair, the son of Fer Cuirp, and from her cometh the name Buar Flidaise , the Cattle of Flidais.

"Nia Sgamain, that is sg (deer) are a min (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 Sgamain, Adammair's son, for two kinds of cattle, cows and does, were milked in the days of Nia Sgamain, 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 emba.s.sy 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.

{p. 108} 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).

LITERAL TRANSLATION.

FLIDAIS was the wife of Ailill Finn (the Fair-haired) in the district of Kerry.[1] She loved Fergus the son of Rg on account of the glorious tales about him; and always there went messengers from her to him at the end of each week.

So, when he came to Connaught, he brought this matter before[2] Ailill: "What[3] 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!"

[1. Kerry is the district now called Castlereagh, in the west of the present county of Roscommon.

2. i.e. Ailill of Connaught.