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Available with prior consent of the CELT programme for purposes of academic research and teaching only. This book is available for purchase from the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (School of Celtic Studies). CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts The present text represents the editor's preface (v-vii), introduction (2-3) and odd pages 3–41 of the translation. For version B of the Text has been checked and proofread twice, all corrections and supplied text being tagged. The electronic text represents the printed text. The editor's corrigenda have been integrated. When a hyphenated word (hard or soft) crosses a line break, the break is marked after the completion of the hyphenated word. There are no instances of hyphenated words crossing a page break. Names of persons (given names), places and group names are not tagged. Direct speech is rendered It is a remarkable accident that, except in one instance, so very few copies of the death-tales of the chief warriors attached to King Conchobar's court at Emain Macha should have come down to us. Indeed, if it were not for one comparatively late manuscript now preserved outside Ireland, in the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, we should have to rely for our knowledge of most of these stories almost entirely on In the well-known list of Irish tales preserved in the The The Of the The The only tale among those enumerated above which has reached us in fairly numerous copies is that of the In addition to these Ulster death-tales, the We possess, as stated on page vi, five manuscript copies of tragical or violent deaths
, eight death-stories of Ulster heroes are enumerated as follows: the deaths of Cúchulinn, of Conall (Seven battles around Cathir Conrói, the wrecking of Fiamain mac Forói, the wrecking of Cúrói, together with the seventeen sons of Deda.
As is common in the tradition of the oldest Irish tales, these five manuscripts either represent different versions of various ages, or attempts to bring these versions into harmony with each other. We can distinguish the following three different accounts of the events which led to Conchobar's death.
Once when the men of Ulster were at a gathering, the sun was darkened and the moon turned into the colour of blood. On Conchobar's question as to the cause of this disturbance, the druid Cathbad tells the story of the Crucifixion, dwelling on the fact that Conchobar and Christ were born on the same night. Compare the
A second version places the gathering at Muirthemne. There, on a certain day, Bachrach, a Leinster poet, arrives from abroad,
In a third version, the Roman consul Altus visits Conchobar, either with presents from Tiberius (
All versions end very nearly alike; only the account in the Ba aprainn,
seized his weapons, and rushed madly about, either as far as the sea (
Two late versions—those in the
Lastly, in the
Once upon a time the men of Ulster were greatly intoxicated in Emain Macha. Thence there arise great contentions and comparison of trophies between them, even between Conall and Cuchulinn and Loegaire. Bring me,
said Conall, the brain of Mesgegra, so that I may talk to the competing warriors.
At that time it was a custom with the men of Ulster to take the brains out of the head of every warrior whom they slew in single combat, and to mix lime with them, so that they were made into hard balls. And whenever they were in contention or at comparison of trophies, these were brought to them, so that they had them in their hands.
Well, Conchobar,
said Conall, until the competing warriors perform a deed like this in single combat, they are not capable of comparing trophies with me.
That is true,
said Conchobar.
Then the brain was put upon the shelf upon which it was always kept. On the morrow every one went his own way to his sport. Then Cet, the son of Matu, went upon a round of adventures in Ulster. This Cet was the most troublesome pest that was in Ireland. This is the way he went, across the green of Emain, having with him three warriors' heads of the men of Ulster.
While the jesters (of Emain) were at play with the brain of Mesgegra, this is what one jester said to the other. Cet hears that. He snatches the brain out of the hand of one of them, and carries it off; for he knew that it had been foretold of Mesgegra that he would avenge himself after his death. In every battle and in every combat which the men of Connaught had with those of Ulster, Cet used to carry the brain in his girdle to see whether he could compass a famous deed by slaying a man of Ulster with it.
Once then Cet went eastwards until he took a drove of cows from the men of the Rosses. The men of Ulster overtook him in pursuit after him. Then the men of Connaught came up from the other side to rescue him. A battle is fought between them. Conchobar himself went into the battle. And it was then that the women of Connaught begged Conchobar to come aside so that they might see his shape. For there was not on earth the shape of a human being like the shape of Conchobar, both for beauty and figure and dress, for size and symmetry and proportion, for eye and hair and whiteness, for wisdom and manners and eloquence, for raiment and nobleness and equipment, for weapons and wealth and dignity, for bearing and valour and race. That Conchobar was faultless indeed. However, it was by the advice of Cet that the women importuned Conchobar. Then he went aside alone to be seen by the women.
Cet, however, went until he was in the midst of the women. He adjusts the brain of Mesgegra in the sling, and throws it so that it hit the crown of Conchobar's head, so that two-thirds of it entered his head, so that he fell upon his head forward to the ground. The men of Ulster ran towards him, and carried him off from Cet. On the brink of the ford of Daire Dá Báeththe Oakwood of the two foolish ones,
not identified.
The men of Connaught are then routed to Scé Aird na Con.the Hawthorn of the height of the hound (or hounds),
not identified.Let me be carried out of this!
said Conchobar. I shall give the kingship of Ulster to anyone who will carry me as far as my house.
I will carry thee,
said Cenn Berraide,Shornhead.
Highfield,
near Newtown Hamilton, Co. Armagh.Cenn Berraide's kingship over Ulster,
to wit, the king upon his back for (only) half the day.
However, the fight was kept up after the king from one hour of the day to the same hour on the next day, after which the men of Ulster were routed.
In the meantime his physician was brought to Conchobar, even Fingen. 'Tis he who would know from the smoke that arose from a house how many were ill in the house, and every disease that was in it. Well,
said Fingen, if the stone is taken out of thy head, thou wilt be dead forthwith. If it is not taken out, however, I would heal thee, but it will be a blemish for thee.
It is easier for us,
said the men of Ulster, to bear the blemish than his death.
His head was then healed; and it was stitched with thread of gold, for the colour of Conchobar's hair was the same as the colour of gold. And the physician said to Conchobar that he should be on his guard lest anger should come on him, and that he should not mount a horse, that he should not have connexion with a woman, that he should not eat food greedily, and that he should not run.
In that doubtful state, then, he was as long as he lived, even seven years; and he was not capable of action, but remained in his seat only, until he heard that Christ had been crucified by the Jews. At that time a great trembling came over the elements, and the heavens and the earth shook with the enormity of the deed that was then done, even Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, to be crucified without guilt. What is this?
said Conchobar to his druid.What great evil is being done on this day?
That is true, indeed,
said the druid who then tells the story of the Crucifixion. Awful is that deed,
said Conchobar. That man, now,
said the druid, was born in the same night in which thou wast born, even on the eighth before the calends of January, though the year was not the same.
It was then that Conchobar believed. And he was one of the two men that had believed in God in Ireland before the coming of the
Well, now,
said Conchobar,A thousand armed men shall fall by me in the rescue of Christ.
Thereupon he sprang towards his two lances and brandished them stoutly so that they broke in his hand; and then he took his sword in his hand and attacked the wood around him so that he made a plain of the wood, even Mag Lámraige in the land of the men of the Rosses. And he said this: 'Tis thus I should avenge Christ upon the Jews and upon those that crucified Him, if I could reach them.
Through that fury the brain of Mesgegra sprang out of his head so that his own brains came upon him, so that he died of it. And hence all say: A dweller in Heaven is Conchobar for the wish [I read dúthracht for durtacht.] which he has uttered.
This is the last thing Conchobar said, Whoever would carry me without stopping under me as far as my house,
said he, shall have the kingship of Ulster,
&c. [Here follows the story of Cenn Berraide, as above.] God revealed the brain of Mesgegra to Buite the son of Bronach, so that at this day it is Buite's pillow; and everyone upon whom the brain of Mesgegra goes as he goes to death is sure of Heaven. And there is a saying that it will be carried southward into Leinster, and that thereafter Leinster will have superiority. So this is the Death of Conchobar as far as that.it is a pity,
etc.without avenging the Creator.
This rhetoric Conchobar made when Bachrach, a druid of Leinster, told him that Christ was crucified, when Conchobar asked: What wonderful signs are these?
etc.
Or, again, it may have been Altus, the consul who had come to the Gaels from Octavian to seek the tribute, who told Conchobar that Christ was crucified.
Once upon a time Altus related to Conchobar mac Nessa the crucifixion of Christ. Altus, however, used to visit Conchobar with exchanges of treasures from Tiberius, the son of Augustus the Roman. For at that time stewards of the King of the Romans were equally over the centre of the world and over the islands of the west and east, so that every famous story that would happen there was equally known in the world.
Hence, in that way, the manner in which the crucifixion of Christ
Conchobar believes in Christ; and then he said that if he were near Christ the men of the world would know what he could do in fighting against the Jews that had crucified Christ. Hence Conchobar said: It was a pity,
&c.rhetoric
which follows.without avenging the Creator.
Thereupon he shook himself(?)
The men of Ulster were holding a great gathering in the plain of Murthemne. Then towards the gathering came Bochrach, a poet and druid of the men of Leinster, having come out of Leinster after learning poetry. Of him Conchobar asked tidings of Alba and Leth Moga.
There is great tidings indeed,
said he, which have happened in the eastern world, even the crucifying of the King of Heaven and Earth by the Jews; and He it is whom seers and druids have prophesied. To save and to rescue the men of the world from the sin of Adam He came from holy heaven; and He assumed flesh from the Virgin Mary without the presence of man
viz., Altus also had told this. 'Tis he who used to come with messages and with treasures and precious things from Tiberius Caesar Augustus, even the king of the Romans, and the king of the world, to Conchobar son of Ness, to Emain Macha. For at that time stewards of the king of the world were equally over the centre of the world and in the islands of the setting and rising sun, so that every famous story that happened was equally known in the whole world.
In that way the manner in which the crucifixion of Christ happened became known to Conchobar. For Altus told him that
Or 'tis thus it happened.
On the day that Christ was crucified, Conchobar was at a gathering, and the nobles of the men of Ireland around him. Now when darkness came upon the sun, and the moon turned into the colour of blood, Conchobar asked of Cathbad what ailed the elements. Thy own foster-brother,
said he, He who was born on the same night as you, is now undergoing martyrdom and has been put on the cross, and that is what this portends.
At that Conchobar arises and takes his weapons upon him, and he said: He is indeed my foster-brother and coeval, and 'tis He that was born in the same night with me,
and then he made an onslaught from thence until he reached the sea, and he went into it up to his teeth. 'Tis during the onslaught then that Conchobar sang this lay: 'Twas a pity that the Jews after a King's death,
&c.
And thereupon Conchobar said: The men of the world would know what I can do in fighting against the Jews for the sake of the crucifixion of Christ, if I were near Him.
Then he rose and made the onslaught, until Mesgegra's brains jumped out of his head, so that Conchobar died forthwith. Hence the Gaels say that Conchobar was the first pagan who went to Heaven in Ireland, for the blood that sprang out of his head was a baptism to him. And then Conchobar's soul was taken to hell until Christ encountered her as He brought the captive host out of hell, so that Christ took the soul of Conchobar with Him to Heaven.
At the Ford of Daire Dá Báeth, Cet mac Mágach threw the stone at Conchobar, viz., the brain of Mesgegra, king of Leinster. Fingen, the wizard-leech of Conchobar, 'tis he who would not let the stone be taken out of his head. Muma, however, the artificer, 'tis he who put a cover around it outside his head. Bachrach, a Leinster poet, told Conchobar that Christ had been crucified. In Mag Lamraige he told it to him. 'Tis there Conchobar fell in clearing the plain. Seventy-three feet was his length. Fifty feet, however, was the length of Tadg mac Céin,
Of that stone which ruined Conchobar the poeta running,
speedily.
pillow of Bute,
until Doom that shall be thy name with every one, O stone!
Aed mac Ainninne cohabited with Mugain of the Furzy Hair.
Then the poet was seized by Conchobar's command, and the poet asked that his death might be drowning, and Conchobar granted him that; whereupon he was taken to be drowned to every lake in Ireland; and he would sing a spell upon the water so that it ebbed away until there was not a drop in itWoe is me, Lóegaire!
he cried. They could not find in all Ireland a place in which to drown a poet till they came to this stead.
Lóegaire arose and took his sword in his hand; and as he was leaping forth he strikes the crown of his head against the lintel of the door, so that it took off the hinder part of his skull, and his brains were scattered over his cloak. And thereupon he slew thirty of the drowners, and Aed escaped from them. And then Lóegaire died. So far the Tragical Death of Lóegaire.
(No translation supplied by Meyer. Cf. the version given in
There was a famous man of the men of Ulster, even Blái the Hospitaller. He owned seven herds of cattle, seven score kine in each herd, and a plough-team with each herd. He also kept a guest-house. Now it was a Not good is what thou hast done, woman,
said Blái the Hospitaller. Thy coming to me as thou hast come is a
It is a wretched man,
said the woman, that violates his own
'Tis true. I am an old man, and moreover thou art inciting me,
said he. That night he sleeps with her.
Celtchar came to know that; and he went to seek his wife. Blái the Hospitaller went until he was by the side of Conchobar in the royal house. Celtchar also went until he was on the floor of the royal house. There were Conchobar and Cúchulinn playing a game of
Forsooth, Cúchulinn!
said Conchobar. Indeed, then, Conchobar!
said Cúchulinn. The board is measured from the drop hither and thither to know to which of them it was nearer. Now the drop was nearer to Conchobar, and it was the longer till revenge.
Celtchar escaped until he was in the land of the Déisi of Munster in the south.
This is bad, O Conchobar!
said the men of Ulster. This means the
said the men of Ulster. Let him come, then,
said Conchobar; and let his son go for him, and let him be his safeguard.
At that time with the men of Ulster a father's crime was not laid upon his son, nor a son's crime upon the father. So he went to summon him until he was in the south.
Wherefore hast thou come, my son?
said Celtchar. That thou mayst come to thy land,
said the lad. What is my safeguard?
I,
said the lad. True,
said he.Subtle is the treachery which the men of Ulster practise upon me, that I should go on my son's guarantee.
Subtle shall be his name and the name of his offspring,
said the druid.
said Celtchar, and I will go
This is done, and hence is Semuine
However, this is the fine which was demanded for Blái the Hospitaller, to free them from the three worst pests that would come into Ulster in his time.
Then Conganchnes
Free us from this pest, O Celtchar!
said Conchobar. Surely I will,
said Celtchar. And on a certain day he went to converse with the Horny-skin so that he beguiled him, promising to him his daughter, even Niam daughter of Celtchar, as well as a dinner for a hundred every afternoon to be supplied to him. Then the woman beguiled him, saying to him: Tell me,
she said, how you may be killed.
Red-hot iron spits have to be thrust into my soles and
Then she told her father that he should have two large spits made, and a sleeping spell put upon them, and that he should gather a large host to himself. And so it was done. And they went on their bellies, and the spears were thrust into his soles with sledge-hammers and right through his marrow, so that he fell by him. And Celtchar cut off his head, over which a cairn was raised, viz. a stone was placed by every man that came there.
And this is the second pest, even the Free us from it, O Celtchar!
said Conchobar. And Celtchar went into a wood and brought out a log of alder; and a hole was dug in it as long as his arms, and he boiled it in fragrant herbs and in honey and in grease until it was soft and tough. Celtchar went towards the cave in which the Dun Mouse used to sleep, and he enters the cave early before the
And that day, at the end of a year afterwards, cow-herds were by the side of the cairn of Horny-skin, and heard the squealing of whelps in the cairn. And they dug up the cairn and found three whelps in it, viz. a dun hound, and a hound with small spots, and a black hound. The hound with the small spots was given as a present to Mac Datho of Leinster; and for its sake multitudes of the men of Ireland fell in the house of Mac Datho, and
Free us from that pest, O Celtchar!
said Conchobar. Celtchar went towards the glen in which the hound was, and a hundred warriors with him, and three times he calls the hound until they saw it coming towards them, making straight for Celtchar until it was licking his feet. It is sad, indeed, what the hound does,
said all. I will no longer be incriminated for thy sake!
said Celtchar, giving it a blow with the Woe!
cried everybody. 'Tis true,
said he, as he raised the spear, when a drop of the hound's blood ran along the spear and went through him to the ground, so that he died of it. And his lament was set up and his stone and tomb were raised there. So this is the Tragical Death of Blái the Hospitaller, and of Horny-skin, and of Celtchar the son of Uthechar.
Fergus was in exile in Connaught after his honour had been violated in the matter of the sons of Usnech; for he was one of the three guarantors that were given to them, the other two being Dubthach Chafertongue and Cormac Conlonges the son of Conchobar. These were all in exile in the west to the end of fourteen years, and (during all that time) wailing and trembling in Ulster never ceased through them,
Once after deeds of valour they were by the lakeGo down, O Fergus,
said Ailill, and drown the men.
They are not good in water,
said Fergus. Nevertheless he went down. Medb's heart could not bear that, so that she went into the lake. As Fergus entered the lake, all there was of gravel and of stones at the bottom of the lake came to the surface. Then Medb went till she was on the breast of Fergus, with her legs entwined around him, and then he swam around the lake. And jealousy seized Ailill. Then Medb went up.
It is delightful what the hart and the doe are doing in the lake, O Lugaid,
said Ailill. Why not kill them?
said Lugaid, who had never missed his aim. Do thou have a cast at them!
said
Turn my face towards them!
said Lugaid, and bring a lance to me!
Fergus was washing himself in the lake, and his breast was towards them. And his chariot is brought to Ailill, so that it was near him; and Lugaid threw the lance, so that it passed out through his back behind. The cast has gone home!
said Lugaid. That is true,
said all; it is the end
breast
and end
.
How sad,
said Lugaid, if I should have killed my foster-brother and comrade innocently.
My chariot to me!
said Ailill. All the host began to flee, each man towards the shore, both the exiled and the men of Connaught. Fergus draws out the lance and hurls it after Ailill, so that it passed through the deerhound which was between the two hind-shafts of the chariot. Thereupon Fergus came out of the lake, and straightens himself out upon the hill by the side of the lake; and his soul passed out of him forthwith. And his grave is there still.
Once upon a time Cet went into Ulster to seek the slaying of a man, a thing he often did (viz., to slay Ulstermen), for from his childhood he never went without the slaughter of an Ulsterman.
So he went westwards, having the heads of thrice nine men of Ulster with him. And Conall Cernach was then sent upon his track to Brefne in Connaught (for winter-snow had fallen), until in an empty house he found him and his charioteer cooking their meal. The horses, however, were under the chariot outside.
This is Cet,
said Conall, and it is not fitting for us to fight with him on account of his ferocity and his fierceness. He is a savage man,
said Conall. Woe!
said the charioteer, no good comes over thy lips, not to storm the house in which is the pest that is harrying Ulster, and it is no shame for thee to fall in combat together with him; for such is his courage until now.
O father,
said Conall, I shall not give my life to any hero of the men of Ireland; but I shall put a token upon the horses.
Conall snatches a lock out of the mane of the horses, and puts a wisp upon the front of the chariot, and goes away eastward to Ulster.
Woe, Cet!
said the charioteer. Not woe,
said Cet. It is well that he has spared the horses. This is Conall('s doing),
said he, and from this there shall be friendship, and it will be well.
Woe,
said the charioteer, that the man who has made a laughter of the men of Connaught should put disgrace upon thee, and thy name will not endure till Doom without thy killing him or putting him to flight this evening.
Right indeed,
said Cet. They went after him as far as Cet's Ford.
Now, Conall!
said Cet. What is that, Cet?
said Conall. Thou shalt not escape to-day, O evil one,
said Cet. That is my opinion too,
said Conall, turning towards him. And each of them smites the other, so that their shouting and their panting, and the
And Conall awoke out of his swoon. Take the horses with thee to the men of Ulster,
said he, before the men of Connaught
Now, this is bad,
said Conall, that a single man of Connaught should have wounded me,
Bélchú of Brefne, however, was the first to come there. This is Cet,
said he. And here is Conall,
said he. And henceforth Ireland will be happy, since these two slaughter-hounds have fallen, who ruined Ireland between them.
So saying, he set the butt-end of his spear on Conall. Take away
said Conall. take heed
.Thou art alive,
said Bélchú. No thanks to thee,
said Conall, I am alive.
I see it, O Conall,
said Bélchú, thou wouldst have me slay thee. But I shall not do so, for thou art dead as it is.
Thou wouldst not dare to wound even my cloak,
said Conall, thou wretched old woman.
I shall not kill thee now, but there is something else. I shall carry thee with me to my house, and thou shalt be healed with me; and when thou art whole, I shall fight with thee.
So then he lifts him on his back, half dragging him behind, until he reached his house. And he brought physicians to him until he was whole. It will be even so,
said Bélchú to his sons, this man will escape from me and will do us no good. Kill ye the man
The man of affliction and great woe, even Conall, knew the evil intent which was (harboured) against him.
Close the house!
said Conall to Bélchú. He goes forward and leaves the house open. Well now, Bélchú,
said Conall, come into my bed.
Nay,
said Bélchú. Off with thy head!
said Conall, unless thou come into the bed.
It must needs be,
said Bélchú. Then Bélchú closed the house. When Bélchú had fallen asleep, Conall opens the house. The sons of Bélchú come towards the bed in which their father was and put their three spears through him, so that they killed him. And then Conall arises and plies his sword upon them, so that their brains were scattered about the walls. And he carries their four heads with him eastward until he reached his house before it was morning. So that is the Death of Cet and of Bélchú of Brefne with his sons.
(No translation supplied by Meyer. Cf.