mumcO

COs

the pResence of this Booknthej.m. kelly liBRaRy has Been ma6e possiBle thRouqh the qeneROSityof

Stephen

B.

Roman

^II-OO

IRISH TEXTS SOCIETY

cumaNN Na

s5rai6eaNN nsaeoicse

:

'

VOL. XLI(1939)

1941

Printed at ths

By Ponsonby & Gibbs.

LEBOR GABALA ERENNTHE BOOK OF THE TAKING OF IRELAND

Part IV

EDITED AND TRANSLATED, WITH NOTES, ETC.BYR.

A.

STEWART MACALISTER,

D.Litt.

DUBLIN:PUBLISHED FOR THE IRISH TEXTS SOCIETY

BY THE EDUCATIONAL COMPANY OF IRELAND, LTD. 89 TALBOT STREETI94I

CONTENTS.

Introduction

....

SECTION VI: FIR BOLG.

SECTION

VI.

Fir Bolg.Introduction.

all

The short episode of the Fir Bolg is the most jejune of the sections of Liber Praecursorum; yet it is not devoid

of suggestiveness. 1 In the five lords

R and their five wives arrive (ft 278). Their division into three groups, various landing places, and division of the country, are unknown to L, being reported The five brethren reign hi turn; the only by F (fl 279). first four of these apparently die natural deaths, but the fifth is slain by his successor, in the normal ''Golden Bough" manner, and this is continued to the end of the occupation. There are nine kings in all but one, Eochu mac Eire, seems to stand outside the family succession, so that we have here as elsewhere the damh ochtair, though it is not so expressed This last king has to meet the invading in this case (jj 280). Tuatha De Danann, and falls before them. The details of the battle are given in an obvious interpolation (ff 281), which also describes the subsequent fate of the Fir Bolg;;

this

that they fl 282, which practically says The three them. behind traces remaining left no tangible paragraphs are further snippets, which add nothing to ouris

continued in

knowledge.

R

2

describes the

of the bags with

coming of the Fir Bolg in coracles made which they had carried out their servile

and narrates their landing and partition of the different country, to the same effect as in ff 279, but in In fl 287 this is expanded, genealogically words (U 286). and etymologically, with interpolations here indicated by means of smaller type. The succession of the kings is given in ff 288. In U 289 we read of their defeat at Mag Tuired, and in fl 290 of the mutilation of Nuadu, the Tuatha De Danann leader, in theduties;battle.

the particulars U 291 repeats with much expansion and their Fir the of Bolg, the 281 as to in U dispersalL.G.

VOL.

IV.

B

2

SECTION

VI.

alleged descendants in Ireland are enumerated in fl 292. The additional fl 293 is a mere recapitulatory interpolation. 3 The composition of can, as before, be set forth in

R

tabular form.

=R =R *1296 = R *1297, 298 = R *1299 = R*1294*1 295

11

12781 279IT

with a few slight deviations

and1

insertions.

280

with some interpolations.butthelatter

11

12811282;portion,

1 300

=

R

introducing poem no. XLIX, is new, taking the place of R x 1283.1

1 284

R 3 therefore gives us after which come the Synchronisms. here practically the complete text of *Q, with a few interpolations which can be detected by comparison with theextant text of P; and until he comes to the Synchronisms he ignores R 2 altogether, except that he borrows from the VA 2 group of R (to which his copy, *W, seems to have belonged) the etymological fatuities that "points" (rindi) were first put upon javelins in the days of Rinnail, and that "knots" (fuidb) first appeared in timber in the reign of Foidbgenid. In considering this episode, naturally the first question which arises is the meaning of the name Fir Bolg. We may discard all "Belgic" and similar theories without discussion. We need not waste time over the "bags of earth" about which our historians tell us. Kuno Meyer's explanation

know, in his Contributions to Irish Lexicography "bolg") is by far the most reasonable: that Fir Bolg == Fir i mBolgaib (an expression used in poem(first

given, so far as Is.v.

no.

XLIX,

quatrainit

5)

=

bracati or breeches-wearers.

Thus

becomes a term of contempt for the "lower orders"; applied, by those who wore the dignified flowing costumes which the sculptures of the "High Crosses" depict for us, to those who found it convenient, in the life of activity in which their lot was cast, to have each leg separately Of such persons there are occasional representations, clothed.interpreted,e.g.,

sectioni

This in the initial letters of illuminated manuscripts. then, in its present form, is intended to be an

I

Sanation of

how;

came

to Ireland

the "plebeians," if so we may call them, ' prepared for the benefit of the patricians' ' '

for whose information the history, as a whole,

was compiled.

INTRODUCTION.This,

3

only a secondary adaptation of the no history, but a member of the same The parentage of the mythological complex as the rest. people with whom it is concerned, Dela son of Lot, links them immediately with the Fomorians; and this is

however,

is

story.

It is really

corroborated

find that the Fomorian leaders, who man" Nemed, are named Gann and Sengann, "Gann and Old Gann" names conspicuous in the Fir Bolg quintet. Gann and Genann are almost

when we

challenged "the holy

certainly a Dioscuric pair; and there can be little doubt that Sengann was originally the father of the twins, though the fact has become obscured by later speculations in artificial genealogy. The other two "Fir Bolg" leaders,

Slanga and Rudraige, are borrowed straight out of the Partholonian cycle. And though these persons afflict thechildren of Nemed, they are conquered in the end it is certainly no coincidence that persons described as "three sons of Nemed" appear in ff 289 to slay the last of the Fir Bolg kings. That the names of the father, and of the:

sons,is a

of this

Nemed

are differentT

names associated with w hat we may

call

from the correspondingthe official Nemed,' ''

'

matter of comparatively small importance in criticizing the identification. And we further note that the names of

Nemed before us, Cessarb, Luam, Luachra, are suggestively reminiscent of the antediluvian triad Capa, In a word, the perennial contention Luigne, and Luasad.the sons of theof good and evil, light and darkness, plenty and famine, follows its normal course, all through the Fir Bolg episode. The agricultural ritual of king-killing is prominently stressed:

the golden age of calm weather and blissful fertility presided over by the good king Eochu mac Eire is intensely primitive. In his present setting Eochu mac Eire is altogether out of 1he picture he has probably intruded on the uncongenial:

company in which we find him by a confusion of name. In R 1 Eochu son of Rinnail, who slew his predecessor Foidbgenid, 2 it was the R is a different person from Eochu son of Ere school of historians who discovered (or dreamt) that Ere was son of Rinnail, and who thus equated the two persons. The most complete link with the Fomorians is provided by the subsequent adventures, where, under various leaders, the Fir Bolg disperse to certain outlying islands and other:

4

SECTION

VI.

Each leader of these fugitives is called a and this vague personage is connected with the "Sliab Emoir," from which the Fomorians had set forthremote places.

"son of Umor" 1

:

on their two-hundred years' voyage to Ireland. That the Fomorians did not disturb the Fir Bolg during their occupation Is most easily explained on the hypothesis that these were essentially Fomorians themselves, at least fromthe standpoint of Mythology. The conclusions thus indicated can be expressed in tabular form thus:

INTRODUCTION.

5

Two things come out clearly from a comparison of the three Redactions of this section of LG. First, that they are ultimately founded upon an independent saga, external to the LG tradition. There is a closer correspondence between the texts here than in the rest of Liber Praecursorum even R 2 though it still stands apart from the other redactions, has here a closer affinity with them than elsewhere. Secondly,:,

what we may term historicothan mythological. It was designed to explain the origin not only of the "Plebeians," as we have seen, but also of the "Five Fifths," the Pentarchy of independent kingdoms, into which we find Ireland to be divided when thethat this basal saga becamepolitical rather

uncertain rays of dawning history first shine upon her. The divide the country between them; their divisions correspond more or less with the Pent archie division which we find in being, at the time of the Medb-Conchobor cycle of romance. This, however, is again a secondary adaptation, for the story does not hang together consistently in its present form. We begin with a five-fold monarchy, each king in his own province but we end with a succession of the samefive leaders:

monarchs, apparently ruling over the whole country each in his turn with the exception of the twins, Gann and Genann,

who go

2

together.

It is the old trouble

over again

:

each

historian sought to improve on the never realizing that every change

work of his predecessor, would require a number

Hence

of consequential changes throughout the whole compilation. arises the mass of inconsistencies and contradictions

with which the book is filled. Thus, in ff 279, a glossator informs us that the Fir Domnann were so called because they landed in Iriber Domnann. Some lines lower down, an earlier glossator had stated the exact contrary that the creek received its name from the men and he, or another, had explained the name of the Fir Domnann in a totally

:

different way.

To attempt

to

make any

reconciliation between

these discrepancies would be merely futile. They exist, and their existence must be accepted as evidence of the complexartificiality of2

our

texts,

and of nothing more.

Genann and Sengann are sometimes paired off together, and in the list of kings Sengann, "old Gann," succeeds his presumably younger namesakes.manipulation

By muddled

6

SECTION

VIFIR

BOLG.

SECTION

VI.

FIR BOLG.First Redaction.

L278.

4

J3

35

:

F2-

9 y 4.

Fir BolgA.

tra,7

coic3

Hhoisig tucsat

leo,

ut dixi-75

supra,Slaine..i.

Gand

Genann

Endraige

2

i4

Coic meic Dela

insin.

A

Sengand

coic:

6 7 Anust, Liber, Cnueha, Fiiat, Etar

||

iarsain, s unde dicitur t,

mna

Fuat hen279.

Slaine, nl2i

camtri,

lib

.

.

.

^o

raindsid Fir Bole

im

mac nDela meic Loith is e a cuiced, o Indber Cholbtha co Comar Tri nUsci mili do dainib a lin. Do gabsad in 3 trian aili an Inber 4 Dubglasi im Gann 7 im Sengand da mili a lin-side, Gand Comar Tri nUsci co Belach Conglaiss, Sengand o Belach Conglais co Lnimneach, A. for da coicid Muman. Genann 7 Rudrigi co trian in tluaig dogabsad an Inber Domnan Is e Genann do ba rig for elmieid t is de ata Fir Domnann Medba 1 Ailella; Rudrigi for coicid Conchobair. Da mili fossSlaine:

.i.

a trian in Inber Slaine

:

;

||.

a lin-side.

Is iat sin

Fir Bolg

7

Fir

Domnan

7

Gailiun.

Fix

Domnan

liainmnigtlia.

is uaitnib ainmnigter in t-inber. Fir Bolg ona bolgaib ro Gailiuin .i. ar lin a ngae ro hainmnigtha.

Is

~

aen-gabail

is

coic

maic Dela meic Loith,1

aen-latus aco, ar ad coic braith[r]i iad. .i. 1 in aen sechtmain do gabsad Erinn,3 5

278. taisig tucsad the second a added sec.'

Eltar

8

2 om. 1 (ter) Rudrai'gi man. in weak, faint inlc unde dicitur in marg. ~L, om. F.:

sin

*

mnaa L rc

iarsin

Cnnehu

SECTION VI. FIR BOLG.

278. Now as for the Fir Bolg, they brought five chieftains with them, ut dixi supra, to wit, Gann, Genann, Rudraige, Sengann, Slanga those were the five sons of Dela. Their five wives next, Anust, Liber, Cnucha, Etar [unde dicitur] Fuat,: :

Poem279.s.

no.

XLVI.

The Fir Bolg separated into three. With Slanga s. Loth his third [landed] in Inber Slaine his Fifth is from Inber Colptha to Comar Tri nUisce; a thousand men his The second third landed in Inber Dubglaisi with Gann tally. and Sengann two thousand were their tally, Gann from Comar Tri nUisce to Belach Conglais, Sengann from Belach that is, over the two Fifths of Miunu. longlais to Luimneach Genann and Rudraige with a third of the host, they landed in Inber Domnann [whence they are called Fir Domnann] Genann it is who was king over the Fifth of Medb and Ailell; Rudraige over the Fifth of Conchobor other two thousand were his tally. Those are the Fir Bolg, the Fir Domnann, andDela:

:

I

:

.

the Gailioin.

As to the Fir Domnann, the creek takes its name from them. The Fir Bolg they were named from their bags. The Gailioin, from the multitude of their javelins were they named.

five

They made one Taking and one princedom, for they were brethren, the five sons of Dela s. Loth. And in one weekcompletely erased with thethree compendium for ar surmounted by4

3

279. 1 This ^ in F only. written as though "triarn"n-strolce

-about

letters here

an

the letters bglasi yc

F

above

line

8

SECTION VI. FIR BOLG.ba saine laithi||.

$ cia

Slaine in Inber Slaine.

Dia Sathairn for callann August dogab Dia Mairt imorro dogabastar Gand :

Sengan. Dia Haine imorro dogab Genan i Rudrigi i is aen 5 Gailiun o Slaingi ro gabail amlaid sin, cia bad saine a slointi. G Gann 7 o Sengan do h[a]inmnigtha Fir Bolg. hainmnigtha. Fir Domnann o domnadh na hure do hainmnigtha Genand 7 Rudrigi iat-side cona muinteraib. Ar as (a > Fir Bole a n-anmanda Coic uili, i secht mbliadna trichat fod a fl.aith.tisa for Erenn. meic Dela coie rig Fer mBolg, .i. Gann, Genann, Rudraigi,:

Sengann, Slaine.

280. t "Clanna Dela didius

in sinser,

na fir seo, .i. Fir Bolg. 1 mac 4 Dela meic Loith meic 5 Oirthet meic

2||

Slane

6

Tribuait

meic 7 Gothoirb meic 8 Gosten meic 9 Fhortech meic 10 Semioin meic "Herglain meic Beoain meic 12 Zairn meic Nemid meic 13 14 NTr gab rig da n-ainmigter Erenn, co tancatar Agnomain. 14 Fir Bolg.

Noibliadain

rig17

Herinn.

24 Bratruad. GAND conerbaltatar de bliadna,

16 17 Herinn. gab SLANE, den 18 is e atbath d'Fheraib Bolg ar tus 19 in 20 KUDRAIGE, 21 da bliadain, conerbailt 22 sin

dib

15

ro

Brug

23

24

i

GENAND,i

25

cethri

Fremaind. 25 26 SENGAND, coic bliadna, co torchair la 27 Fiacha 28 Cenfinnan mac 29 Zairn t 30 meic Rudraige meic Dela. 30 :7 FIACHA, c5ic bliadna | 31 cenfinna uile bae 32 Erenn 33 na erchomair co torchair la 34 Rinnail mac Genaind

tham

||

:

||

meic Dela.

34

RINNAIL,30

Fodbgenid3T

35

mac Sengaindla

se bliadna, meic Dela in40

35

co torchair la36

Eba

Choirpri.38i

ODBGENID,

ceithre bliadna, co torchair

m-Maig

Murthemnewritten Gailiu 280. ^om. F

Eochaig mac

Rinnail meic Genaind

"written os()enga with an erased i in the vacant space. 2 6 3 B -th Slaine om. in nDela Ortet 7 8 r2 a0 -nirb Sdairnn Goiscen 'ForteeW Senioin "Eargalain " 1 *-li 15 16 "-" bliadain do Slaine om. L Erdo Agnomaid imorro, 20 18 19 atbath an Uma Slaingi deraib an Erinn Rudrigi -1 "' :3 .u. bliadna -nn (bis) "isan Brathruad L om. F -*- 2 J 20 eeitri mbliadna conerbladar do tarn a Fremann Sengann'

'

SECTION VI. FIE BOLG.they tookSaturday,Slaine.

9

On Ireland, [though the days were different]. the kalends of August, Slanga landed in Inber:

On Tuesday Gann and Sengann landed. On Friday Genann and Rudraige landed and thus is it one Taking, though they were differently styled. The Gaileoin, from Slanga were they named. From Gann and Sengann were the Fir Bolg named. The Fir Domnann were named from deepening the earth they were Genann and Rudraige with their followers. For they are all called Fir Bolg, and thirty-seven years was the The five sons of Dela length of their lordship over Ireland.:

were the

five

kings of the Fir Bolg,

i.e.,

Gann, Genann, Rudraige,

Sengann, Slaine.these men, the FirBolg, were the progeny of Slanga was the eldest, s. Dela s. Loth s. Oirthet s. Tribuat s. Gothorb s. Gosten s. Fortech s. Semeon s. Erglan s. Beoan s. Starn s. Nemed s. Agnomain. No king took, who was called "of Ireland," till the FirBolg came.280.

[Now

Dela.]

Nine kings of them took Ireland. SLANGA, one it is he who died of the Fir Bolg in Ireland at the first. RUDRAIGE, two years, till he died in Brug Bratruad. GANN and GENANN, four years, till they died of plague in Fremaind. SENGANN, five years, till he fell at the hands of Fiacha Cendfindan s. Starnyear

[s. Rudraige s. Dela]. FIACHA, five years [all the cows of Ireland had white heads in his presence] till he fell at the hands of Rindail s. Genann s. Dela. RINDAIL, six years, till he fell at the hands of Fodbgenid s. Sengann s. Dela in Eba Coirpre. FODBGEN, four years, till he fell in Mag Muirthemne at the hands of Eochu s. Rindail s. Genann s. Dela.

27

ao-3034

written Fiaca (as though Fiac[h]ra) 31 cendinda uili bai om y * 5 " 35 con torchair ba Rindal (bis)3?

F

28

(bis)32

cenindain

29 33

Sdairn

Her-

L3G

ina remes

Oibi)

Oidbgin(a)

Mi

Croibi (written (sic) Hoidbgen 40 39 Rinnall Eochaid Mug Murtemnetra as,

Read ar

ai sin

as in the other redactions.

10

SECTION VI.FIR BOLG.41

meic Dela.'

XT mbliadna. bai bliadain na re aeht drucht: 4: Ro 48 curthea gai a 49 Herind re lind. Is cen mess. 51 50 Herind ar tus. Do recht coir in ]eis doronad (a) in 54 55 53 la trl maccaib Nemid "rochair tra Eocho mac Eirc 58 meic 56 Badrni is e "sin cet ri d'Erind ro gaet ar tiis 58 59 Unde Colmn Cille cecinit, Dena moresnis in Herind.Eire, decc45

EOCHO mac44

42

hoi

fleochod

46

m

:

a mic,281.

59

ic.

cath doib ar Muig Tuirid, do has b cor in cath sin. Do mbebmaid (sic) fa deoid for c ar ro marbad ro lad an fo cet mile Feraib Bolg, 7 thuaid, 1 Is annsin rucad forsin rig, .i. dib siar, co Traig nEothaili.co fada a(6)i

Do radsad Fir Bolg

Cid Tuatha De for Eochaid, co torchair la tri macaib Nemid. Danann do marbad isan cath co mor, 1 foracbad in rig isan laithir ro benad a lam de i do badar na lega ca leigis secht-\;

mbliadna.

h

Fir Bolg tra do rochradar isan cat sin acht beg,

1

Erinn for teichid Tuatha De Danann, in Araind 1 an Hi i a Rachraind i an insib aili olehena. $ Gonad iad tuc Fomorcha iarsin don cat tanaisti Muigi Tuirid l is intib do batar co aimsir na coicidach for Erinn, co indarb-sa Cruithnig do rad-siden Tancatar for amus Cairb[r]i Nia Fer, iat. ferann doib, t nir etsat bith aigi ar Hruimi in cissa. dorat forra. Doladar iarsin for teichid ria Cai[r]bri for comairg[i] Medba do ratsidi ferann doib. Is i sin imirgi Mac nUmoir. % T Aililla is uaithib ainmnigter na Ongus mac Umoir ba rig tair orro; feranna sin, .i. Loch Cimi o Cime Ceithir-cindi mac Umoir, 1 Rind Tamain a Medraigi o Taman mac Umoir, Dun Aengusa nAraind Aengus, Carnn Conaill an Aidne o Conall, Maglodar-side 'a||

j

-\

;

[|

-\

nAdar Umoir

o Adar, in fili.

Mag Do

nAsail

Asal a Mumain beus. Menn mac badar an [djuntaib i an insib mara im

Erinn amlaid

sin,

conas dilgenn

Cu

Chulaind.

41 Eoehaid then rubbed out L: Eire F first written, mid sicoml 45 43 ** ins. frisin re sin bai fleoch;nl "bliadan a laitus om. na re 49 50 48 "Erinn Erinn raclit "nib for m ba5 "can cuirta 52 57 r 3 M Ere 5 rocair Badrai om. sin Eochaid macaib =8-58 - s9 f |-= f ua i r as ] jo r \ n{ \ ] g a ed an Erinn This in L only. It was probably a gloss in VL, written by someone who did iiot notice Dm! the poem is given later an, H 272.1"'

'

i-,

(

SECTION VI. FIR BOLG.

11

son of Ere, ten years. There was no wetting dew there was no year without harvest. Falsehoods were expelled from Ireland in his time. By him was executed the law of justice in Ireland for the first time. Eochu son of Ere fell at the hands of the three sons of Xemed s. Badra he is the first king of Ireland who received his death-wound in Ireland. [Unde Colum Cille cecinit "Dena moresnis a mic," etc.]in his time, save only: :

EOCHU

[the Tuatha De Danann] battle upon Mag Tuired they were a long time fighting that battle. At last it broke against the Fir Bolg, and the slaughter pressed northward, and a hundred thousand of them were slain westward to the strand of Eochaill. There was the king Eochu overtaken, and he fell at the hands of the three sons of Nemed. Yet the Tuatha De Danann suffered great loss in the battle, and they left the king on the field, with his arm cut from him; the leeches were seven years healing him. The Fir Bolg fell in that battle all but a few, and they went out of Ireland in flight from the Tuatha. De Danann, into Ara, and He, and Rachra and other islands besides. [It was they who led the to the second battle of Fomoraig Mag Tuired.] And they were

281.

The Fir Bolg gave them;

in [those islands]till

till the time of the Provincials over Ireland, the Cruithne drove them out. They came to Cairbre Nia

Fer, and he gave them lands; but they were unable to remain with him for the heaviness of the impost which he put upon them. Thereafter they came in flight before Cairbre under theprotection of Medb and of Ailill, and these gave them lands. This is the wandering of the sons of Umor. [Oengus son of Umor was king over them in the east], and from them are

namedof

those territories, Loch Cime from Cime Four-heads son Umor, the Point of Taman in Medraige from Taman son of Umor, the Fort of Oengus in Ara from Oengus, the Stone-heap281. This

scribe,

paragraph in. F only. All lenition-nvarlcs were omitted by the and have been inserted in the MS. in weaker inlc.

(a) A small dot over the second d, probably not a lenition mark, in L. (b) For an explanation of the reference letters in this paragraph and the corresponding paragraphs in the other redactions, see the notes at the end of the

section.

12

SECTION VI.FIR BOLG.

Ni hairmilhir raitha naid elaidida do chlaidi, na loch do maidm, na muigi do slaidi, la Feraib Bolg. Is da sil na tri tuatha filid an Erinn nach do Gaedilaib .i. Gabraig Succa i282.

Conachtaib,

-]

U

Thairsig,

1

Gailiun

i

Laignib.

Is e sin tuir-

thusad Fer mBolg.

L283. Isiat

Fsin

rig:

Fir

Is

do sin do chan in sencaid

mBolg,

i

a

n-aideda

unde

in duan,

poeta cecinit

FirBolg batar sunna

sel

.

.

Colum

Cille cecinit

Underesnis,

dixit.

Colam

Cilli

Dene mo284. Raindsid

a mici

.

tra Fir

Bolg Erinn

cuic

rannaib,

amail

adubramar. Cuieid nGaind issed forsa mi Cairbri Nia Fear. Coicid Cuicid Sengainn ised forsa mi Eoehaid mac Luchta. forsa nGenaind Cuicid Sin. mac Dedad forsa mi issed Slaingi Coiced Rudraigi forsa mi Concobur mac mi Ailill mac Mada.Nesa.

Erenn,

2

raind bias co brat for chuiccedaid amail ro raindsid Fir Bolg.

Conid

i

sin

x

(sic)

285. Fintan cecinit do raind

na coiced

Conid dia cuimniugadh sindo chan in senchaid inso3

Coic urranna Herenn.'('land24 5

Coic coicid Erenn dine.i6 i

Shemioin dana, Galeoiniar

Fir

Domnand

uile.

Tricha

bliadan

nGenand

Rudraige

tancatar

Tuatha De Danann 7in Herinn.282. This

paragraph in

F

only.12

284. This paragraph in

F

ovl/i

dittographed

written am.

SECTION VI. FIR BOLG.of Conall in Aidne from. Conall,

13

Asail from Asal inpoet.

Miimutill

also.

Mag Adair from Adar, Mag Menn son of Umor was thein islands of the sea

They were

in fortresses

and

around

Ireland in that wise,282.

Cu Chnlaind overwhelmed

them.

No forts or entrenchments are reckoned as having been dug, nor lakes to have hurst forth, nor plains to have been Of their seed are the cleared, in the time of the Fir Bolg. three communities who are in Ireland not of Goidelic stock; to wit the Gabraide of the Sue in Connaehta, the Ui Thairsig,and the GaileoinFir Bolg.283. Those are the kings of and their deaths:

in Laigen.

Those are the adventures of the

Thereof the historian sangthe song,

the Fir Bolg

unde poeta

cecinit

PoemColumCille cecinit

no.

XLVII.lit

dixit

Colum

Cille

Poem284.

no.

XLVIII.

Now

we haveNia Fer.

said.

the Fir Bolg divided Ireland into five parts, as The Fifth of Gann it is, over which was Coirpre The Fifth of Sengann it is, over which was Eochu

mac Luchta.

The Fifth of Slaine it is, over which was Dedad son of Sin. The Fifth of Genann it is, over which was Ailell son of Mata. The Fifth of Rudraige it is, over which was Concobor son of Ness. And that is the division of the provinces of Ireland which shall endure for ever, as the Fir Bolg divided285. Fintancecinit

them.of

division of the Provinces

the

So

to

memorize

that,

the

historian sang as follows

3

Poem no. LII. XLIX. The. progeny of Semeon were all the Gaileoin and Fir Domnann. Thirty years after Genann and Rudraige, the Tuatha De Danann came into Ireland. Gaileoin F 285. lio changed sec. man. to leo L Clanna Semeinoin -ann F Domnann uili trica ins. tra prefixed n ys LPoemno.]

2

:

4

5

:

:

Rudrigi

7

an Er.

14

SECTION VI. FIR BOLG.

Second Redaction.

V

7

pa

13

:

D

13 a 22

:

E

5 y 34

:

R

76

A

a 1

:

A

10 a 1

(begins in286.'J'as

Poem

LII, quatrain 12).4

Gabail Fer7

2

3 mBolcg andso 8

siss

5

iarum.

Ba

mbliadan lar togail Tuir 9 co "tancatar Fir Conaind, "Bolcg, % amail "atrubrumar 13 issin duain A tirib Grec "tancatar, for teched in 15 chissa "doratsat 17 Greic "fortho, .i. "tarrudh 20 uire for 21 leccaib lomnia, comtar 22 muighe fo seothaib. 23 24 25 26 Dorigensat na fir sin sithchurchu doib dona bolcaib 27 28 29 30 i mbertis in uir, 7 tancatar dochum nErenn, do J ascnom a 31 n-atharda. Amail is 32 bes do "each, rotrafri||.

Eriu

re da cet

S4

randsat Herinn.

nlnber Slaine im Slaine mac 36 nDela meic 39 a chiiicedh o Inber 40 Colptha eo 41 Comur TrI Loit, i 4 43 45 46 -nUisce mile do 44 dainib a lin. aile Rogabsat in trian 4-j n 48j nDer 49j) UD gj a j sse j soQ an(j ^ j m g en g- ann d a mile 51 a lm-side Gann on 52 Chomur co 53 Belach Conglais, 54 Sengand o 53 Belach Conglais co Luimnech .i. for da 55 coicedh Muman.trian38

A

35

in

37

isse

:

61

m

.

Genanneo

7

Rudraide co:

56

trian62

57

in tsluaigh,63

Inber

Domnannfor66

X is aire

asberar Fir68

gabsat Domnann 64 dlb

ro

58

59

an

||

choicedh G7 Medba 69 70 coicedh Concobair da 71 mile

"Genand

772

Ailella,

Rudraige dana for

:

a 1-lmside.

286.610 14

1

vns. 17

E

2

fass -dar

VDE DE:

Eiriu

V

tang-

-dar

E

Gc E21

the c yc 1S f orthu

Heriu DE " Bolg E * cHsa D-tha

mBolgc E

3

insoni12

s

om,

DE DEE10

4

sis

D

5

om,

DE

9

Chon-

V

ad-

-amar

DEE21

Conuing E "sin DE Gicc D,20

D10

chisai

E

-radsad

D~

E

tarrud

D23

lecaibli

loma

E

sithchaurcha

D

maigi

D

maighe23

Eom,

tartugh-sad DE26

Ebolcg-

huire sithcurchu

sithchurca

EnEir.32

Einnuir also

V2S

"immbertis innuir 28 dochom D doq Enatharrda

D

ambeirdis andnir30

E31

V

bolgtang31

D V DE DED

Eboss

ascnam a nathardoi

D

E

31

-dha

V

V

beis

E

33

ehaeh

D

asgnam arann-

SECTION VI.FIR BOLG.

15

Next comes the Taking of the Fir Bolg here Ireland was waste for a space of two hundred after the capture of Conaing's Tower, till the years Fir Bolg came, [as we have said in the poem]. From the lands of the Greeks they came, fleeing from the impost which the Greeks had laid upon them carrying clay on to bare rock-flags and making them flowery Those men made them long canoes of the bags plains. in which they were wont to carry the clay, and they came286.

below.

lo Ireland, in quest of their patrimony. does, they partitioned Ireland.

As everyone

With Slangahis

s.

Dela

s.

Lot his third landed in Inber Slaine:

:

from Inber Colptha to Comar Tri nUisce a thousand men his tally. The second third landed in Inber two thousand were their Dubglaisi with Gann and Sengann Gann from the Comar to Belach Conglais, Sengann from tallyFifthis

:

Belach Conglais to Luimnech, that is, over the Two Fifths of Genann and Rudraige with a third of the host, they landed in Inber Domnann [which is why they are called Fir Bomnann] Genann over the Fifth of Medb and Ailill, Rudraige over the Fifth of Conchobor two thousand were their tally.

Mumu.

:

S5

iuinuiur

39

a chuiced

D an inber E D hi chuig- E nUs46

3G

nDeala40

E43

3I

Loith,

Cholpthamili47

Comar45

EE

I> -gi

E

D D

Colba4S

DE ED

3S

hise

D

ise

EE

Commur Ddaoinib49

doinibInuer

D

D Gann DE allin- D -sidhe V Comar E Duglaisi E -mi E Beal- E (bis) coiced D coiged E triun D 57 an E tsluaig D -sad E ind DE Indber E Domnonn D Domli- E isberar D adberar E Domh- E dibh E -onn D -ann E choiciud D coig- (the e dotted sec. man.) E Oill-u D Ailealla E Meo D Medbha E choiced D coig- E mhile E ins. beus D beos E -chob- D -chubhair E a linside E.rogabhsadnaile!4

E

an

E

-glasi

50

51

32

53

55

5C

6S

59

60

61

:

62

63

64

03

66

61

68

69

70

71

72

:

16287. Is4

SECTION VI. FIR BOLG.Hatsin

Fir

2

Bolcg7

i

Fir

3

Domnonn

i

Gaileoin.Fir5

9

Domnann 6 "anmain in inbir i r-ragbatar 8 ainmnighther, .i. Inber 10 12 13 fir no donmaigtis Donmann; nd Fir Domnann, .i. fir donmin-"fonn, "in mond .i. "in talmuin. Fir 16 Bolcg dana, o na "bolgaib is i n-imarchuirtis.i.;

21 22 in uir ro 20 hainmnigter. Gaileoin, .i. gaei-lin, .i. o'n gaib ro hainnmigter No 23 Gaileoin, .i. 26 gaileon no 20 gailifian, ar is 23 ar a n-gaib ro 2 *hairmidhe. 28 29 2, 30 .i. in trian no gebedh lama for na da trian aile $ fo ghael, fondarrig ||. Fir Bolg lucht ind 31 imarclmir, Fir Domnann lucht na claide, Galeoin lucht 32 na gaibedh 33 lama 34 forthu.

19

aen gabail i is 35 aen 36 flathus, ar 37 it coic braithre 39 coic meic Dela meic Loit t meic Arthuait iat, .i. 41 40 In oen sechtmain Dia Sathairn, hi rogabsatar kallann August, ro 42 gab 43 Slaine 44 ind Inber Slaine Dia 45 Mairt in 46 dias 4T aile .i. 48 Gand i 49 Sengand; DiaIs35 38||.:

:

Endraige, is aen gabail amlaid sin, 59 cid 60 at saine a 61 sloinnte. 63 64 e2 mninntir C3 atrubrad; Gaileoin tra, do Slaine cona SG Fir Bolg do Gann i do Sengand asrubrad, t cen G7 cor G8 dilsin doib Fir Domnann, 69 6n inber asrubrad 70 .i. Genann i Rndraige cona 71 muinntir 72 iatsidiie. Ar 73 ai 74 sin tra, is Fir Bolg a n-anmand nile, i secht 75 mbliadna t'ot a Hatha for Erind. trichataile,.i.

50r,(i

H6ene57

in

51

dias58

52

53

54

Genand

55

-

i

||

;

7li

287.e

a

iatt

D

iad

E'

2

anmainun

(sic)

D12

Bolg913

E

3

-and

E10

4

Gal-

D

"

-andB

Ero

irrabatar V;

haimnnigter"'fonn'

BE

-ghbh-

(lenition sec.

DE

(om. h- E)

om.

.i.

E

nD- E na domnadis15

man.) E a dot substituted for14 1G20

A.

E E E E

E

niond clmnged by

er to inond'

V18

D gae-lin Da\\>

inon D mon E indimarouirdis E:

r

'

an talm- DE inn D an E232 - 20

Bolg

-nighti

DEgeib32

E

E o na gaibh Gaeleoin D Gaoileoin " 20 hmlia E gael D gaol22

gaoilin25

nogaibedD

E E E M lamma D lamha E

on gaib D o a ngaoibh 27 om. DE gebed

30

f ondairrig34

DE

31

-cuir

f ortha

DE

33

oen

D E D

SECTION VI. FIR BOLG.287.

17

Those are the Fir Bolg, the Fir Domnann, and

the Gaileoin.Fir Domnann, from Inber Domnann, the name of the creek where they landed, are they called; or Fir Domnann, that is fir domain- fonn (Men of territory-deepening), that is, men who used to deepen the mundus, or the Fir Bolg then, from the bags in which they used to carry the world. earth are they named. The Gaileoin, that is gaei-lm [javelins-reckoning] from the javelins are they named for it was in their javelins that they were renowned. Or Gaileoin, that is gaileoin or gail'fian [valour-warriors] ;:

the third who used to exercise authority over the other two thirds [fo ghael The Fir Bolg are the people of the carrying, the the viceroy"]. Fir Domnann the people of the digging, the Gaileoin the people who used to exercise authority over them.

"under

They are one Taking and one princedom, for theyfive brethren, the five sons of Dela son of Loth [son of Artuat]. In one week they landed On Saturday, the kalends of August, Slanga landed in Inber Slaine On Tuesday, the second pair, Gann and Sengand on Friday the other pair, Genand and Rudraige. Thus they are one Taking, though they were differently styled. The Gaileoin is what Slanga and his people are called:

were

:

:

:

what Gann and Sengann are called, [though it is not the most special name for them] the Fir Domnann, named from the creek, they are Genann and Rudraige with their people. Howbeit, they are all called Fir Bolg, and thirty-seven years was the lengthis;

The Fir Bolg

of their reign over Ireland.

aon E Dheala43

36

(bis)'

flaithes

E40

37

id coig braitri iad

E

39

Loith

DE44

aoin45 50:4

DEMair Hoeni

41

rogab46

E E

3S4=

coig m.

Slangi in Inver

D49

and

E

E

diass

VC1

gabhaille

E

47

4852

Gannaili

D=3

DDE.i.

-gann

DED63 67

D

Haoine5=

E

51

diassis

.i.

in

D58

only

57

oen

aon

EC2

-aidh

-ann DE E9 cidh D

-dh-

D-intir

56

yc

ad

EC4

slonnti-indtirC9

V V D DE

sloinnti

E68

Galeoin

M ad70 om.74

Shengann75

D D

Shlanghicor bof od

D DE

Slge

Edilsi

D

w

E

-ann

DE

l.g.

VOL.

71 muinteraib om. m- D

D76

muindteraib E a flaithesa E.

doibh "iad-

E E

ondaoi

73

D E

iv.

C

18

SECTION VI. FIR BOLG.DER.288.

SLAINI,bliadain

sindsir

mac

do arrighi nErenn, ar ni ro gab rig con ainmniugad Rig Herinn noco tancatar Fir Bolcg. Co tucsat rigi do Slaine, condorchair annDela,

Ni rogaib ri 2 eo n-ainmnigad rigi nErenn co tangatar FirBolg,45 3

1

i

do

ratsat

rlge

do

Slangisinser

mac Dela, mac nDela.dos

ar ba he Bliadain'coner-

6

cetamus

SlaingeRig.

Dinn Rigaile.

.i.

Duma

Slaini

ainm

bailt in

Dind

Is e atbath d'Feraib Bolcg ar tus in Herinn.

Da13

bliadain do

8a

RUDRAIGE15 19

conerbailt sin10(n

9

cethair do17

GANN i do GENANN, conerblatar do "tham hi Fremainn. A 14 coic SENGAIND, co torchair la Fiacha mac Zairn. FIACHA CENDFINNAIN, coic bliadna, f12

Bruigh.16

A

>|

18

-\

cendfinna 21 uile bai Erenn ina flaith co torchair la 22 Rinnail 23 mac Genainn. Se bliadna do RINDAIL, co torchair la20||

24

Foidbgen mac

25

Sengaind

26

in debaig Craibe.

FODBGEN macna aimsir docrannaib:

Sengaind,

is

27

Fodbgenidla

.iiii.

bliadna co

fassatar foidb tria

torchair

2S

Heochaid

mac

conorchair ala

Murtemne

Heochaid

Muigh mac

Eire meic Rindail. EOCHAID, decc bliadan do, co tanic Tuath

De Danann.

Isse sin rig degh-

nEirc meic 29 Rinnail meic 30 Genaind 31 hi Maig Murthem32 33 ni. Is e sin rig degenach 34 Fer mBolg. Decc bliadan 3D co 36 tancatar 37 Tuath De Danann.

enach For mBolcg.

C'onid

38

iatsin secht

39

mbliadna trichat Hatha Fer

40

mBole2r.

288.ri'ghe7 10

]

rogabh4

E

2

E

Slainghi

D8

conderbailt

E

conainmniughad m. Deala E Dinn Righ ESl-e

riglie

E rige sinnser:

D DE16

3

iloradsad

8a

conerbaltatar

Fiachaich D ,9 " Zair 1S Fiachu D Ceindf innan ER Stairn E 20 :1 cendifinna D ceinniinna ER huile bae Her. ina flaith D bae Herenu13

-muin

D DR

(-dar E) " cuicc -mhainn E

DE

tamh

Rudraigi

D

15

D tarn E -gainn D -guinn E Cennfinnan D D:i

cedamus "Brug " D ai

E

DE

uili

R

"Rind-

E

-al

R

^Rinnail

Fodbgein

DER

Fodbgen E

SECTION VI. FIR BOLG.

19

288.

SLANGA,

the

eldest

of the sons of Dela, a year had he in the kingship of Ireland,

no king called King of Ireland ruled till the Fir Bolg came. They gave the kingship to Slanga, till he fell in Dinn Rig. otherwise called Duma Slaini. He it is who died of the Fir Bolg in Ireland at theforfirst.

No king, so called, took the kingship of Ireland till the Fir Bolg came, and they gave the kingship to Slanga son of Dela, for he was the eldest of the sons of Dela. year at

A

first

had Slanga, Dind Rig.

till

he died in

Twoto

years had

RUDRAIGE

till

he died in the Brug.

Four

GANN

and

Fremaind. Fiacha son[all

GENANN, till they died of plague in Five had SENGANN, till he fell at the hands of of Starn. FIACHA CENDFINDAIN, five years;totill

fell at

the kine of Ireland had white heads in his reign], till he the hands of Rindail son of Genann. Six years had

RINDAIL,Sengann

he

fell

at

the hands

of

FODBGEN

son of

in the fight of Craeb.

FODBGENit is

son of Sengann,

Fodbgen,hes.

in his time that knotstill

grewin

fell at

through trees;

he

fell

Ere

s.

four years till the hands of Eochu Rindail s. Genand, inthe

Mag Murthemneof

at the

hands

Mag Muirthemne. He waslast

Eochu s. Ere s. Rindail. EOCHU had ten years till theTuatha De Danann came.

He

king of the Fir Bolg. Ten years had he till the Tuatha De Danann came.

was theBolsr..

last

king of the Fir

So that those are the thirty-seven years of the princedomthe Fir Bolg.25

of

SengairmEoch-

DEER)29

26

hi cath in2I

in debaig Craibe2S

ceitri

R35

Rind-

EB

Eba Corp D i catli E hi cath R (om. bliadna Fodbgeinid E .iiii. b. Foidbgein R 30 31 -nn E om. hi Maig M. ER ins.:

hi cath E, a cat

bFer E 39 om, m34

D

m40

jcEdo

ri38

D

ER(a)

righ

-gad(sic)

E E

33 3T

deigen-

E

deginach3S

Tuatha

R

iadsin

R E

mBolg D. F.B.

E.

Here R resumes.

20289.

SECTION VI. FIR BOLG.Ba maith in ri mac Eire. Ni bai1

Conid iarsin fogniset cath mor Mughi Tuiredh i Conmaicnib Cuile Tolat i ConachEochaid mac Eircc ba ri taib. Ni bai Heremi in tan sin.fleochadh acht drucht frissin re sin, i ni bai bliadain een mess.re lind, 1 is leis do righnedh in reeht Ocus coir in Herind ar tus.

sin

Eochaid

fieehad acht

drucht frisin re sin. Ni bai bliadain cin mes. Ro cuirthi

Herinn re doronad in rechtgai a

lind.

Is leis

coir ar tus in3

Herinn. 13a5

2

Condnaigset Tuathcath no

Bo

cuirthi ga sa

Herind

De Danannfognisiut6i

Feraib Bolg.cath7

Conid

4

rige co iar sin

mor

Da

Muighis

Nuadha macEtarlaim bari

Echtaigh meic for Tuaith De

TuiredTolati

Conmacni

Culi

Danann.

mac12

Connachtaib. ''Eochaid Eire ba ri 10 Erenn X1 in13

tan

sin,

i

Nuadai

macri

Echtuig meic Etarlaim ba for 15 Tuaith De Danann.

14

radsat Fir Bolg cath 17 doib, .i. Cath 18 Muighe 19 21 20a in catha sin, i ro ic slaide Tuiredh, ro bass co clan 22 23 b for Feraib Bole ro lad an ar fo i fodeoid, mebaig 24 25 c 26 27 d mili dib 6 28 Muig Tuired marbadh cet ar i thuaid, 29 32 30 31 co Tracht rucadh 33 for.sin nEothaill. Is andsin 3 36 35 e Eochaid mac nEircc, co torchair 37 and -rIg, J .i. for

Do

16

||

la

38

tribi

Luam290.

macaib 39 Nemidh t meic 42 Luachro a n-anmand

40

Badrui,

41.i.

Cessarb

i

II.

Gid Tuath De Danann ro ^narbaidhmor,i

2

issin cath7

sin co

ro

3

facbait

4

a

ri

5

sind

6

lathair

sin,

i

ro

289.3

1_1

o?n.

ER3a

-

righe8

Ei

Feruil) I)

condaigsed f ar E

E

conaigset5

8 ' .i. in cet cath D hi E Conmaienibh E Conmaenaib R Eochu R Connachtaibli and om. Tolat E Cuile Tolad R ,4 " Nuada ER 10 12 an ER Her- E inbaid R -aig R " doibh E ,s 1G rat sat "Tuathaib ER radsad E -ghi D =2 10 20 miiidh D bas DE in ehatha D an catha R ig D ic slaidi E 23 Feruib D fo deoid (-oigh E) for (the uidh yc T>), meabaigh E

R (read conairgset) doglmised VE fogniset R;'

aglossed

Cuile

DR

1

SECTION VI. FIR BOLG.289. So that thereafter they joined the great battle of Mag

21

son of

Tuired in Conmaicne of Cul Tolad in Connacht. Eochn sonof Ere was king of Ireland at time. There was no that wetting save only dew in thattime, and there was no year without harvest. Falsehood was expelled in Ireland in his time, and by him was executed the law of justice in Ireland at the first. Nuadu son of Echtach son of Etarlam was king over

Good was that king Eochu Ere. There was no wetting, save only dew in that time. There was no year without harvest.

Falsehoods were

expelled from Ireland in his time. By him was the law ofjustice executed in Ireland at

the

first.

So the Tuatha De

Danann

ship thereafter they joined the great of battle Mag Tuired in

offered battle or kingand to the Fir Bolg,

ConmacneConnachta.time,

of

Cul.

Toladof

in

the Tuatha

De Danann.

Eochu son

Ere

was king of Ireland at that and Nuadu son of Echtach son of Etarlam was king over the Tuatha De Danann.

The Fir Bolg gave them battle, the Battle of Mag Tuired, and they were a long time fighting that battle. At last it broke upon the Fir Bolg, and the slaughter was pressed northward, and eleven hundred of themwereslain from Mag Tuired to Tracht Eochaille. There the king [Eoehaid s. Ere] was overtaken, and he fell there at the hands of the three sons of Nemed [son of Badra; Cessarb, Luam, and Luachra were their names].290.

loss in that battle,F.B. VEE 2I dibh ho E3034

Howbeit the Tuatha De Danann suffered great and they left their king on that field,24

thuaidh28

V31

tuaith

D*e

tuaidh

E32

=3

ins. ro

DED

Maig

D

moigh R

29

nEothaile

ins.

in tsair

E35

annsiil

DEom. n40

rugadnEirc

3842

4

E Nemid R Badrai DR Cesarb DE Cesarp R Luachrai D Luaera E Luachiu R. sin DER cat E 290. marbuitt D -baid E -bait R fagbad DE in DE ind R sin DE isin R laithir DR om. DER benad DRtri

righ

E30J

Eochu

R

R

DE DE41 3

26 mile DE nEotaile E 33 f orsind D31

om.

DER

R

Neiin-

2

5

6

'

8

22F

SECTION VI. FIR BOLG."lain

12

6'n gualaind 10 sis. mbliadna oca leghns legha 35 dobretha 1G lam 17 n-arguit fair ||,

benadh a

de

s

secht

|

Ocus ro "batar 13 comad 14 and

18

amail asbert,

Sreng mac Sengaind co slegaib Ocus ni liairmitir ratha do elaidhi, na locha do maidm, na muighi do slaidhi, in aimsir Fer mBolc. Conid do sin ro diet Tanaide

Fir Bolg batar sunna291.6

sel.

Fir Bole tra ro Hamnait 2 issin 3 catli sin 4 inge v ^mad bec, i in bec 8 sin 'do 9 Ernaidib lotar for "teched "Tuaithi De Danann, co 12 ro gaibset in 13 Araind i 14inlf,

h

in indsib Gall, i in arailib 21 insib Conid 22 indtib olchena, ut dicitur in Britonia. batar 23 co 24 haimsir na 25 coicedacli for 26 Erenn i C7 inllii 20

lj

16

hi

Rechraind

17j

18

i

eonidh iat tucsat Fomorcha cosin catli ndedenach Muighi Tuired. Co 28 ro indarbsat 29 Cruithnigh 30 iat ass na hindsib a mbatar, 30 31 i 32 tancatar iar sin 33 ar 34 amus 38 35 36 37 Cairpri Madh Fir, i do rat-side ferand doib. Ocus 44 43 39 40 41 42k tue ni ro chlssa fetsad bith anfaile in oce, ar 48 47 45 46 fortho. techedh Dolotar larom for Cairpri, for 50 51 52 49 feranda Medba tucsa-sidhe i Ailella, comairghe|| ~i

lamhleges35

E.uii.

10

siss

V16

" bhatar

E.uii.

12

ins.

a

E

:

bl.

DRIf

legha da leigeslaini

dobreatha291.

Ein5

here to end of*

V D madh V ingi D .lib VD Ernadib ERHhamnuitti

" aim D 17 1S R E lamh E fro m argait nargid Tanaid d [= dixit] ye V in marg. only. 3 2 chath DR tamnaid E sin DE isin R " 7 9 8 soin D Ernai beg DE beg Eb.

E

" con

leglii'

(lege R) co a

E

D

10

-chedh

V12

first13

expimcted

VEi

-the

R

Aruinnin n-ar

D D

-ainni

"anEEa39

Rechraind18

V:an

Rechraind

R

indsib

" R Tuaithi, E ragbaiset raghbhaised ragaibset R " om. He (om. n-) ER Hi D 1 hi Rechraind R in insib D aninnsib R E innsib R -chen- ai D cena E-cheth1B

D

teich-

E

-ehed

D

17

:o

SECTION VI. FIR BOLG.

23

with his arm cut off from the shoulder down. Leeches were seven years working his cure, [and an arm of silver was put upon him],as one saith

Poem

no. L.

No forts are reckoned as having been dug, nor lakes as having burst forth, nor plains as having been cleared, in the time of the Fir Bolg. And thereof sang Tanaide

Poem291.

no.

XLYII.

the Fir Bolg were cut off in that battle, all and that few of the Erna went in flight from the Tuatha De Danann, and landed in Ara, and He, and Iiachra, and in the islands of the foreigners, and in other islands as well, ut dicitur in Britain. And thev were

Now:

but a few

thereil

till

the time of the Provincials over Ireland [and

was they who brought the Fomoraig to the last battle of Mag Tuired]. Then the Cruithne drove them out from the islands where they were, and they came thereafter to Coirpre Nia Fer, and he gave them lands. But thev were unable to remain with him, for the maliciousness of the impost which he put upon them. Thereafter they came in flight before Coirpre under the21

Britonnia

V

Britoiniali25

E

Britania

R26

~ intibHer-

D

conad inutib27

E. .

23

conidh 2S rosinnarbsatar Tuired in only (-inar- R) rusindarbsad E 3- 30 29 iarsin as (is E) na hinnsib (om. This word ims. DE (Cruitn. E) 34 31 x 33 animus D for ER om. i DER a mbatar) DER -gat- DE 30 33 Mad R " feronno (sic) D ferann E Coirbri E Coirpri R amas R 40 39 38 beitli E f edsad DR I edsad E doibh E f eranna R

go

D

24

om.

-ged-

DE

V

D DR

Eir-

E

t

.

41 44

oca

E

occe

R

a anf oille

DE

anf oillef ortu

E

anbf oille46

R R

43

cisa47 49

E

cissa

R

tug

D

tugad

E

f orta48

R

dollotar

teiched-airgi

E teched R E -airge R

ind50

cisai,

with no Cairpre sprs. yc

Medbai

D Meadba E

51

D D -airghiu D tugsad-side DEtecheth

2453

SECTION VI. FIR BOLGLi

Oengus mac 59 dana 62 60 61 .i. Loch feranda na sunna, congabsat ainmnigter 67 68 6S Cimi o 64 CMmbe 65 Chethir-chenn, i 66 Kind Tamain im 72 71 70 cc *Medraighi, i Loch Cuthra, i Rind mBera, i Modlinn, 74 75 73 Dun nAengusa in Araind, i Carnd Conaill 76 i i 78 77 nAdhair meic 79 Humoir 80 ind crlcli Aidhne, i Magdoib,C6

isi

sin

04

imirghe mac nUmoir.57

D3

f

Gumair ba

ri

foraib

thair.

||

Is

38

uaidib

81

SG

ind batar

Humoir Loch nTJair meic Humoir. Ocus 90 ro 9 93 D1 a nduinib i 92 an innsib mara im *Erinn amlaid 97 98 96 95 Choin Culainn i "im co rosdilegsat Ulaidh im sin, 101 lco im 102 Ros mac 103 nDedadh i 104 im Conall Cernach i Chet mac 10D Maghach, et rel.fhilid,87

82

i

Druimaile,i

83

nAsail

i

Mag

84

Main meic

85

file

88

89

ioe

Ni

lOThaipjnithjj,

ios

rItha

do111 113

109

chloide

no

110

locha

do

tomaidm

no

112

slaide la ffabail

muighi do Fer mBolg.

292.filet5

x

Atberat

2

araile

3

comadh do Feraib Bole na7

teora10

4

finelx 17-\

an Herenn nach do Gaedelaib .i. 12 Conachtaib i Hui 13 Tairrsigh 14 Laigen:

G

8

9

Gabraidi15

Succu

i

la

t)a

16

Failge,

tucsat (om. -side)imirci53

RH

C2

-nna

ER

53

issi:

Vbar

R

5G Gumoir R om. R: ainmnighter

Oenghus Aongus E Gumoir D Gumhoir E

V

ri

imirghi foraib tair

'4 r

I)

imeirgi

E EI)

Aengus mac5S

"

foruib

D01

uaidhib

V

hi sunnai D congabsad E 04 Chimin D Cime E Cimme R m Rinn DER Cetlmchend R

w ferannai D -anna R 3 Cimbi hi sunna E

conagabsatt

I)

Cime

E Cimmc R

M Cethar-ehema mc.G. D Ceithir eend E m Tamuin D os ins. o Taman in marg. 9 ro Media ige D Meadraige E Medraidi R Cutra D ycR: a E i R " Cutrau E Cutiu R "Rinn R "Modlind DB nOengusai D u Aruind D Arainn HR ,G hi D "Cam DE Carnn R nOengusa E "Aidne DR Aidhni E "TJmoir VI) "nAdar D nAdhar E nAdar Rin

80

R

81

fil-

DE

file

R85

82

Druimm DE

S3

nAssaill8?

Efill

84

Maein8S

Maen E Magh Main

V

Umoir

DR

s0

in

DER

ER

eli

DR D

SECTION VI. FIR BOLG.

25

protection of Medb and Ailill, and they gave them lands, is the wandering of the sons of Umor. [Oengus son of Umor was king over them in the East.] From them are named the lands which they received there, namely Loch Cime from Cime Four-heads, and the Point of Taman in Medraige, and Loch Cutra, and the Point of Ber, and Modlinn, and Dun Oengusa in Ara, and Cam Conall in the territory of Aidne, and the Plain of Adar son of Umor the poet, and the ridge of Asal, and the Plain of Main son of Umor the other poet, And they were in and the lake of Uar son of Umor. fortresses and in islands of the sea around Ireland in that wise, till the Ulidians crushed them, in the company of Cu Chulainn, Conall Cernach, Kos son of Deda, Get

and that

son of Maga,

etc.

are reckoned as been dug, nor lakes as having having burst forth, nor plains as having been cleared, in the time of the Taking of the Firforts

No

Bolg.292.

Some say

in Ireland not of Goidelic stock

that of the Fir Bolg are the three communities the Gabraide of the Sue in:

Connachta, Ui Tairsig of Laigen in Ui Failge, and Gaileoin of

aili

R

89

in innsip97

imm D E nDedad RCernac112

* 91 Unioir DR in duinib rogabatar E M urn R 94 an ansib R Her- DE 98 urn R Choin Caul- D Chon Chaul- E

DER8=

92

E

" urn

go

DR

om. an D: 9C Ulaid E 10 Chon-

1Mv,i

m airmitirBmaigi292.

um R um Cith RI08

102

Ross10

E

103

nDedh.106

rathoD

109

Magach DR claidiER

V nDeg D nDedaid E Not in V at this placeloca

E

m thorn- E

ER

" 3 slaidi

E-li

slaigi R.

E combad dib R D Gaedelaip E 9 *om. E -de R Shuca D Sucea E Suca R hi I) Gabraigi u Conn- E Thairr- V Tars D Hu Thairsig E Lagen E 15 om. Hu E Hua R i E Foilgi Datberad52

E

DE

4

fini

E

in

D

ind

.i.

E DE

6

3 conadib Er- R

D

combadip'

Gaideluib

10

1J

12

13

1G

26ls

SECTION VI.FIR BOLG.19

Gaileoin

Laigen.siss,

20

Conidh dond imirgediata.

sin

Mac ntjmoir

adubradh so

Findaigh in senchus

VArandsat 3 Fir Bole 4 5 Erenn a coic randaib amail 6 atrubrumar 7 romainn. 8 Coiced293.x

DER32

Ro

2

Isse sin tairthiud35

33

fir

Fer

Bole, conid do ro36

chachuin

in

sin

senchada

37:

Tanuidesel.

9

Gainn

issed

10

forsa.i.

raib

cecinit

"Coirpre Nia Fer,eo13

512

Boind14

Comur

Tri nUsce.ised

Coicedh

3S

1517

Sengain Eoehaid

fors1618

mbai

Fir Bolg batar sunna Fir Bolg tra, coic7

toisigA.

macSin.

Luctha.

tucsatar leo ut dixi supra

fors mbi 19 Coiced Begadh mac 20 nGenainn 21 ised fors 22 mbi 24 23 C6iced Ailill mac Mata.

Coiced Slaine ised

Genann, Rudraige agus Sengann Slainghi. Coic meic Dela sin. A coic mna iarom,Anust,Liber, Cnucha, Ettar, ut dictum est Fuat ben Slaine.

Gann

Fuat,

2e

Rudraighe ised fors Concobur mac 27 Nesa.28

25

mbai Conidsin

hi sin31

roind

29

bias

30

co brath

Conid hibrath amailfor

sin roind bias go

Erenn, rocanadh,

ar

conid

do

coigedaib Herenn, Fir doronsat Bolg.sin

dia Conid cuimniiigad rochan in senchaid indso,

Coic coicid Erenn ane.

Cland Semioin dana Gaileoin Fir Domnann nili; tricha

= 19 E Gailiuin R om. to end of poem DER. Lagen E This passage is vn D' after the synchronisms, with the following variants: A marginal note states that it was copied in D from Lebor na 2 Huidri. Presumably it was not in 00 R , but had been copied into \/VA 3 2 ins. tra D rannsat D from a us. of R1 (see IT 284). Om. Ro D 4 7 B 8 Her- D hi coicc rannuih I) om. rann- A adrubrammar D 8 10 9 romoind A fors mbai D Coicedh A nGaind DA " 12 Coiced A nUsce D Boind om. .i. Cairpri Niad D Corpri Nia A 18 u mbi D 15 1C A D A Luchto D issed D Luchta EchSengaind

"Galiuin293.s

:

I

>

:

:

.

.

.

:

SECTION VI. FIR BOLG.So that of that wandering of the sons of Laigen. the following said

27

Umor was

Poem293.

no. LI.

The Fir Bolg dividedfive

That

is

the

wandering of:

Ireland intoof

portions,

as

we have said above. The Fifth Gann it is, over which Cairpre Nia Fer was, that is from the Boyne to Comar Tri The Fifth of Sengann nUisce.it

the Fir Bolg men, and thereof the learned historian sang

Tanaide cecinit

Poem

no.

XLVII.

Now

of

over which Eochaid son The Fifth of Lncht was. Slaine it is, over which Degais,

brought

as for the Fir Bolg, they five chieftains with

son of Sin was.of

The Fifth

them ut dixi supra, to wit, Gann, Genann, Rudraige, those were Sengann, Slanga:

over which The Ailill son of Mata was. Fifth of Rudraige it is, over which Conchobar son of Ness

Genann

it

the five sons of Dela.five

Their

is,

wives next, Anust, Liber, Cnucha, Fuat, Etar, ut dictum

est

was.

That then is the divisionshallso

PoemSo thatis

no.

XLVI.

whichfor

be upon Irelandthatofit

the division which

sung

ever,

was

the provinces of Ireland shall

have for ever the way in which the Fir Bolg made it. To memorize that the historiansang as follows

Poem

no. LII.

NowSemeon.

the

Galeoinall

and Firafter

Domnann were

children of

Thirtv vears

(The mark of lenition is ambiguously placed in V, out slightly nearer the " 1S than the c) f orsmbai D Coig. Slaingi D Degad A 19 20 21 Coicead A Coig- D -aind A Genuind (om. n-) D issed A om. D 22 23 25 mbui D Oilill D mbi A mboi D Ooicedh Rudraige A 26 27 28 29 30 Conch- DA Nessa VA roinn A biass V go D 31 for coigedaib Herenn, aiuail doronsat Fir Bolg. Conid dia cuinrniugad 32 34 33 sin rochan in senchaid indso D fire E Is be E Ise R mbolgc E 35 36 37 mbolc R chachain E eochain R an R Tanaide E om. T. ect. R 3S from here to end of 1[ in D only.t:'-*

28

SECTION VI. FIR BOLG.bliadantraiar

nGenann

i

Rudraide tangatar Tuatha De

Danann Herinn.Third Redaction.

B294.4

16

j8

4

:

M

277

/?

15.:

Fir 'Bolg 2 tra, coic 3 toisig tugsad leo, ut dicitur 5 6 7 8 .i. Gand i Geanand, Rudraige i Seanghand i Slaine 9 9 10 coic meic Deala sin. Ocns a coig mna larsin, .i.:

11

Anast, Liber, Cnucha, "Fuad, Alttar, id dicitur

Fuat ben295.a

Sldine, nl

cam

lib.

Eoindsead Fir 2 Bolg 3 a tri % iad i 4 ro roindsead 6 Erinn ar 5 cuig, .i. a trian an Indbir 7 Slaine im 8 Slaine 10 mac nDela meic Loith, i is e a "cuiged 5 Inber Colpa gu Comar Tri nUisce: 11 12 mlle do 13 dainibb 14 a lin. Ocus 16 17 ele an Inber Dubhglassi, .i. (a) "dogabsat in trian 18 Gand i Seangand da mili a lin- 19 sidein 20 Gand 6 21 Comar Tri nUisci 22 gn Bealach Conglais, Seangand o 23 Bealach Conglilais gn Luimneach, .i. for 24 dha cuigid Mnman. 25 Genand i Rndraige gn trian in 26 tsluaig, do 29 27 28 gablisad an Inber Domnand, t i is iat Fir Domnand,||fJ

:

"

is

30

naidhibhi

322r,

Genann | Meadbha

31 t-inbear ainmnighther in 33 ro bo righ for mac Deala11

||.

Is e34

ctiiged37

Choncobair, da 40 41 Bbolg i Fir Domnand

38

i Rudraige Oilella; mile fos a lin- 39 sidhe:

36

fori

is

coigead iad sin Fir

i

Gaileoin.

*

= 2 * 3 Genom. .i. 294. ] Bole thra thaisich thucsad 9_9 8 ' meic Loich. sin Deala Rudraidi Sengann Slange 10 Anaist coic Fuat, Altar. 6 2 5 3 4 coic this word 295. 1 ins. do Bole do roindsed ar not quite clear in B the db are written in a compendium; making the> 10 9 7 8 Loich nDeala word look like iniber Slainge Slange 1= " dainib 11-11 mili coiced o indbear Golptha co Comur Tri nUisqi M Sen14 1T 15 1S Indber Dubglaisi mis. fa sead -sad aile

T

:

SECTION VI. FIR BOLG.Genami

29

and Rudraige the Tuatha De Danann came to

Ireland.

Here follow

the Synchronisms.

294.

NowAnd

as for the Fir Bolg,: :

they brought

five

chieftains with them, ut dicitur

to wit,

Gann, Genann,

Rudraige, Sengann, SlangaDela.

those were the five sons of

their five wives, next, Anust, Liber, Cnucha,; Fuad, Altar, ut dicitur,

Poem295.

no.

XLVI.into three

The Fir Bolg separated them [selves]

rand they divided Ireland into five]. With Slanga s. Dela s. Loth his third [landed] in Inber Slaine his Fifth is from Inber Colptha to Comar Tri nUisce a The second third landed in thousand men his tally. Inber Dubglaisi, with Gann and Sengann two thousand were their tally Gann from Comar Tri nUisce to Belach Conglais, Sengann from Belach Conglais to Luimnech that is, over the two Fifths of Mumu. Genann and in Inber with a third of 'the landed host, they Rudraige from Fir and and are the Domnann, Domnann[, they them is the creek named]. Genann [s. Dela] it is, who was king over the Fifth of Medb and Ailill; Rudraige over the Fifth of Conchobor other two thousand were his tally. Those are the Fir Bolg, the Fir Domnann,: :

:

and the Gaileoin.1923

22 20 21 co Belach Chomur Tri nUisqi om. -sidein Sengand 24 25 da coiced Gand i Rudraidi co Belach Conglais co Luimnech 30 2 28 29 27 uaithib -nann indber iad sin tluaigh ro gabsad 32 31 om. G. mac D. B tindber .i. indber Domnann ainmnigtear 37 38 34 35 33 coiced Rudraidi coiced Meadba Ailella do bo rig 41 42 40 3S 39 iflaithis bai acco mili -side Bole nann Chonchobair-

M

-\

(a)

.i.

should doubtless be im.

30

SECTION VI.FIR BOLG.

BFir

Mtra o

Domnandnaro

domhanrohain-

toirneadhinnigheadh,

liuiri

Fir

bolgaibh Gaileoin o na

Bolg o na hainmnigheadh,gaibro.i.

Fir Domnann o domaintoirneam na lmiri ro hainmniged, Fir Bole imorro o naro hainmnigead iad, Gaileoin imorro o na gaib leoin ro hainmniged iadsen, no lin ainm na ngaeithed robolcaib

liain-

mnigeadh, a nghae;

.i.

gai lin,

ar lin

ga

bai aeo

;

42 aen gabhail i is aen flaithus acco, ar ad coic 43 Ocus 44 ar Loith. braitri iad, .i. coic meic Deala meic 43 laithe H. aen tseachtmain roghabhsad, t gia bad saine 47 Slaine 46 ro gabh callaind for Ughaist Dia Sathairnd 51 50 Gand 49 ro Mairt Dia gliabsadair an Inbhear Slaine.

ocus

is

-i

Dia Haine umorro ghabli Seangand. 55 54 bad E? Rudraighe; i is aen gabhail amhlaigh sin, gia "hainm56 ro 5 Gaileoin "Slainge sloindte. saine aroiBB

52

Geanand

64 63 cona muindtir hainmnighthea: Geanand i Budraighe 66 65 Arai sin tra is Fir Bolg a n-anmanda iad-sidhain. 68 fad a flaithusa for 7 trichad uile; i secht mbliadna 70 69 Fhear sin, .i. cuig righ Erinn. Cuig maic Deala 71 Slame. mBolg, i. Gann, Genann, Budraige, Sengann,

nighead. O Fir 62 Bolg.

GhandFir

i

o

60

Seanghand ro663

Domnand

hainmmghthea dhomnadh na Mire ro

61

2 ^indsear mac nDeala meic Loitli meic 4 Tribuaidh meic Gothoirbh meic "Toirrtheacta meic 7 6 Seimeom meic 5 Fhoirrtheacht meic Goistin meic

296

Slaine,

uair id coic braithri

giabadsa me laithe Challaind Ugaisti

51

Ganngebet

-\

Seangann69

- an aein seehtmain rogobsad - Loich De Satam for B gia bad Taen laitM ima FM -rainn V (om. is) comnart cein cain D comrad " comar F eomracc D comroind B ita5

-neach nuar B a maig

F

-neach

AR

-nech Euar

M

D

each

FM

13

coicidh

VA

coigid

D

coigidh

B

76

NOTES ON SECTION

VI.

NOTES ON SECTIONProse Texts.

VI.

3 R fl 278 R 2 H 293 (D) ad fin. This is tf 294. linked directly to the last paragraph in the preceding section 1 We may contrast the opening paragraph of (R ]\ 244).1-:

R

R

2

(]\

286),

which readsas

like

the introduction of just suchto postulate in

an independent saga

we have seen reason

the introduction to this section.

R

1

fl

279

=

=

R

2

U 286 (latter half), 287

=R

3fl

295.

Missing.

from L, and although in F # Q perhaps not originally in R 1 F and *Q (== R 3 ) are essentially identical, though comparisonindicated in thereveals glossarial matter (chiefly etymological) in both texts, way usually followed in this edition; these

glosses are contradictory, and have no doubt accumulated in several strata. mark the words cia ba same laithi as

We

though they appear in both R and R because the two mss. of R 3 have both muddled the sentence, and in This suggests to me that it was interdifferent ways. 3 the exemplar from which lined, not very legibly, in oo R both texts are ultimately derived from which it follows that il Even excising the glosses, the was interlined in *Q.1

3

glossarial,

,

,

:

is evidently composite, as the second half is to a an unnecessary repetition of matter in the first extent large half. Here Gann and Genann are separated, Gann being

paragraph

paired off with Sengann, and Genann with Rudraige. Once again we find a vague date Saturday the kalends of Augustbut no year-number. But the date is not arbitrary it has been calculated, apparently on the basis of the Julian For R 2 in ]\ 322, informs us that the Tuatha De calendar. Danann landed on Monday, the kalends of May. This was

:

,

37 years after the Fir Bolg invasion: and if the first year of a stretch of 37 years, reckoned by the Julian calendar, has its first of August on Saturday, there are three chances to one that the last year will have its first of May on Monday (if the last year be leap-year, the day will be:

NOTES ON SECTION

VI.

77

Tuesday). Once more we see evidence that these dates were computed, and we infer that the year-numbers were entered in the margins of the earlier mss. The sentence in ff 286, amail atrubrumar issin duain, has been marked as an interit does not ring true, and it polation evidently refers to Poem XLI, quatrain 34, which is also interpolated quite:

by the same man. Inber Slaine the Slaney Estuary; Inber ColptJw the the confluence of the Boyne Estuary; Comar ha dtri nuisce Suir, Xore, and Barrow (thus Slanga's "Fifth" is Laigen). Inber Dubglaisi perhaps mouth of the Douglas river between Blackrock and Passage, Co. Cork Belach Conglais is pass running through the neighbourhood of Cork Luimnech is the region where now stands the city of Limerick (so that the "Fifth" of Gann was East Muma, and that of Sengann West Muma). Inber Domnann Malahide Bay: Genann's"Fifth" was Connacha, Rudraige's was Ulaid. R 1 ff 280 R 2 U 288 R 3 fl 296. The opening sentencelikely

=

=

=

=

:

:

=

=

=

L's substitute for the preceding paragraph. Though here marked as giossarial it is quite likely germinal, being the original sentence out of which the details set forth in R 1 and R 3 agree except for a ft 279 have been developed. few interpolations, easily detected by comparison, and here indicated typographically. (The paragraph almost certainly with the Noi words began rig dib, the preceding sentence being a giossarial comment interlined above, and the now prefixed genealogy having been originally a marginal intrusion.) R 2 gives the same material though with a different verbal order. R 3 is of course from *Q, but it cannot be said that R 2 has either borrowed from or lent to R1 directly. Both come from a common source, which most likely was a heavily As has been noted in the glossed copy of Min, TJ 303. introduction to this section, this paragraph is quiteinis

R

1

incompatible, in its conception of the political organization of Ireland, with what has just gone before it must necessarily:

come from a different source. Bind Big or Duma Slainge

is usually identified with an imposing earthwork overlooking the Barrow a short distance

south of Leighlin Bridge. It is now commonly called Burgage Motte, and although in size and in other respects it differs

78

NOTES ON SECTION

VI.

from an ordinary Norman earthwork, it bears a sufficient resemblance to that class of monuments to make necessary a test by excavation before the identification can be fullyaccepted.

Brug Bratruadus thatit:

is

identified with

Brug na Boinne

was at Keating was slain but I have found name of the "Palace of the Frewin Hill, Co. Westmeath,tells

the latter place that Rudraige no story to account for the Red Cloaks." Fremaind is

and Mag Muirthemne is the Eba Choirpri, the plain N. of Ben plain of Co. Louth. Bulbin, has undergone a curious metamorphosis in passing from text to text. The influence of inflexional de-nasalizationhas

provided

it

with

an illegitimate

initial

D,1

and theor debed,

Meanwhile GJioirpri, written ^p has been wrongly expanded into Craibi. As there were several places called Craeb, a "battle" in one of them would not have The violent contradiction of these appeared impossible. the statement that Eochu mac Eire was "the king-killings by first monarch to receive a mortal wound in Ireland" is enough to show that what we are told about him came from a quite different document, which knew nothing of the Fir Bolg kings and their fates, and which in all probability had originally nothing whatever to do with the Fir Bolg. The interpolation after the name of Fiacha, that "Cows were white-headed in his time" is repeated on almost every occasion when we encounter one of the fairly numerous kings of that name. "What its ultimate meaning may be, or if it has any ultimate meaning at all, are questions for which it,

resulting "strife."

"Deba" has become confused with debaid

is

possible

to

give2

conjectural answers,

without,

however,

any expectation of being able to verify them.

R

1

fi

281

=R

289, 290, 291

=R

3fl

297, 298.

Apparently

part of a separate story which has become incorporated in all three texts. It is not in L, and it is certainly intrusive in F, for it introduces the invading Tuatha De Danann with

crude abruptness merely telling us that the Fir Bolg gave them battle, without telling us who the adversaries were. In R 8 where it has become completely incorporated, 1 a sentence,1

A

fact

here

and elsewhere indicated by giving the assimilated

It is foreign to the text of native (or at least naturalized) in the text of R 3.

matter the dignity of large type.

R

1,

but

NOTES ON SECTIONaddedfills

VI.

79

to the preceding U 296 to:

some

extent, but imperfectly,

has long explanatory passages in its two versions (V as against DER), emphasizing the virtues of Eochaid mac Eire, and describing briefly the coming of the Tuatha De Danann (reserving a fuller account for the 2 following section). R has undoubtedly the best text it has the most complete list of the places in which the Fir Bolg found refuge, and has a number of unusual words for which these are almost easier synonyms are substituted in P*Qthe lacuna::

R

2

certainly glosses in the source-text, which the scribes of those mss. have adopted in preference to their respective lemmata. The sentence conad iad tuc Fomorcha .... Muigi Tuirid

which suggestively brings the Fir Bolg and the Fomorians into association with one another, was an interlined gloss in 2 1 the source-text it has been adopted by R and R in different places, and in both makes an awkward interruption of the The same may be said of Oengus mac Umoir ba rig sense.:

though appearing in all three redactions, no less awkwardly. the sense Incidentally it interrupts hints at an eastern origin for the Fir Bolg, incompatible with the matter immediately preceding, but quite appropriate totair orro, which,

This the identification of those people with the Fomorians. sentence must have been a mere gloss in the source-text.

and other modifications within the LG tradition marked in this paragraph, in order to make a distinction between the two groups of accretions. Instead, The reference letters are they are catalogued below.Glossesitself

are not

inserted in the text.(a)2 3 Slaide must ic slaide in catha (R R ). cor in catha (R 1 ) be original, cor being a gloss adopted by R1 3 it is absent from R (&) fa deoid, glossarial in original text precedes for F.B. in R and follows it in R\

i

:

.

:

,

1

,

(c)

cet

It is most The ar is inserted by 2 (ar) mile siar. : 3 likely that siar is original, and that it was excised in because it was found to be incompatible with the southern.

R

RR

Mag(d) 5

Tuired

site.2 3:

(e)

Cdo sin (R ). ) Nothing corresponding in Doubtless interpolations in the LG text. mac nEircc only in R2 and doubtless an interpolation there. M. Badrui, .i. Cessarb etc., in R2 R3 , not in R1 Probably a glossarial interpolation interlined in the source text, taken over by R2 , R3 but ignored by R\

Muig Tuired (R.

R

1

,

.

80(/)i

NOTES ON SECTIONis

VI.

e 1iug('f)laith

F.mB.

An,

interpolation in.

R

3.

(g)

on gualaind sis. Interpolation in R2 The absence of secht the mbliadna following, from R3 is a mere haplography:

2 interpolated in R 2 R F.B. to tamnait of The inge mad bee is to be reading(h) RJ R3 have substituted preferred, as the lectio difficilior.

"silver

arm"

is

.

,

do rochradar, acht. As they agree, glossarial explanations they must derive from a common source, doubtless glossesin the source text.(i)

A

Herinn

RRa

3

is

probably correct.

Do Ernaidib

in

R

2

ha3

the appearance of being a bit of pedantry. 2 3 (j) In indsib Gall, R has dropped out from R'R by the homoiotes of in insib aile. Ut dicitur in Britonia must have been a 2 and incorporated gloss upon indsib Gall, taken over byall,

R

in the(fc)

wrong

Anfaile in

R

2

place, is to be preferred to truimi in

RRJ

3

on the same2

principle as in (K).(I)

The same probably

applies to tucsa-sidhe in J 3 dorat-sidein in various forms in

R

as against

RR

.

In the

list

of refuge-sites,

WW

are similar.

R

2

inserts

Loch Cutra, Rind mBera, Modlinn, Mag Main, and Loch TJair. On the other hand R 2 omits some of the names of persons eponymous of these sites, which we may therefore The suppose to have been glossarial in the original text. eponym of Mag M

eliath

na fer 43 do

so sinrat sat

i

na ferrigi17

13

14

sa,

gabaisn

Tfiatha

De Danann

Tlgl4ri

LUG.i.

"Herenn,a18

torchair16

lais

senathair,

do LUGr, i do rochair lais 4G t .i. Balar a senathair||

Balar Bailc-beimnech, 20 do cloich a tabaill. Bai tra21

47

co cloichSochaide'

48

assa thabaill.ro co5ar,2

4*

Lughi

22

tra

niarbad

cethracha

bliadan24

50

252!5

rigi2T

nErenn26i

sin

chath-sat'i'iu,

mBressatrubairt

dar

eis

maroon 50

amail

in catha

dedinaig i\Iuigesecht mbliadna

Tuired,

fichet etir

na

28

cath.

Domnand in Indech mac De 53 ndanaib i eladnaib ri, fer co 54 dar iarfaig Luo- do rside,:

312.8

'Itm A Itim R

2

Airget-

Rcath

3

rocair'

V

deginach muigi

R

5~5

om.

Ris

6

is

A

Oghma

a small mark over the d. to he written Doi in the saint MS. Hinncch A Innecli mac De (om. n-) R "Fhomuire A: Fhomoiii. after 10 which ins. is iar mbas Nuadad i na fer sa R Bruidne i Cassmael A :following ycA, and

Perhaps Hindhech V: there

* deidinach A m. Elathain R The D of nDe:

Domnann appears

SECTION VII. TUATHA DE DANANN.the celebrationfestival(?)

119

or the

of

dicebat, "the nasad of Lug, or the nasad of Beoan [son] of Mellan."312.

Oengus tempus

Unde Lug. multum post

Lugnasad. Lugnasad, the "assembly" (?) of Lug son of Eithne,is

fortnight

after

the

name

of the games.

To

return

to

the

Nuadu Airgetlamthelast

fell in

Tnatha De Danann. Xuadu Argatlam fell in the last battle of Mag Tuired, and

battle

of

Mag

Tuired,

daughterthe

and Macha of Ernmas, by

Macha daughtermas, at the

of

Em-

hands of Balar

the Strong Smiter. In that battle there fell Ogma s.

Elada at the hands of Indech son of the De

of Balar the In that Smiter. Strong. battle there fell Ogma son of Eladan son of Net at the hands of Indech son of De Domnann, king of the

hand

Domnann,Fomoire.

kingat

of

the

Fomoire.

Bruidnefell

Bruidnefell

Casmaelof

and the hands

Casmaelnech.

at the

and hands

Oehtriallaeh s. Indech. After the death of Nuadu and of those men, took the kingship of Ireland,

of Ochtrilach son of NinAfter the slaying of

Nuadu and

of these

men

in

LUG

that battle, the Tnatha De Danann gave the kingshipto

his grandfather Balar the Strong Smiter fell at his hands, with a stone

and

LLTG,

and

his

grand-

[Balar] fell at his hands with a stone from hissling.

father

from

his sling.

Lug was

forty years in the kingship of Ireland after the last battle of Mag Tuired, andBruidne also14

Now manybattle

were slain in thatIndech son of

and Bress along withas32

them,

said

RK.i.

gabaid.lx.

RA

Lugh

" Oehtriallaeh 16 A Er- Rb.-b.

R17

nlndig

R1S

13 ~ 13

om.'",

R

leis22

and om.

Balar23

Rirrigi

20

ins.

om. lais .i. Balar

Rb.-b.-*

sen-

Rtar

VA

hirrigi

V.

19 A ins. "Lugh VA

A27

i

rigi Er.i

R2S

26

deidhenaiga-a

deigenaig.

R.

o?rc.

R

23 A an R da ehath (cath R) sin AR

These words (i cath Tuired) have heen copied by some scrawl on the lower margin of L.

idler in a

rough

120

SECTION VII. TUATHA DE DANANN.De Domnann,the king and Cia lln do rochair 53 sin chath D6 Secht sain Maige Tuired?fir, 57

secht

fichit,:

secht

cet,

seeht caoea

no noii

cet fiche

cethrachat, $

imm Ua

Neit

l|

nocha,58

57

$

-i-

m

Ogina macI

Elathan meie Neit.

Bal tra Lug mac 59 Eithbliadan cethraca nend co eis n-Herend dar irrige 61 chatha in dedenaig C2 Secht Tuired. Maige mbliadna fichet etir 63 na da chath- 64 sa Maige Tuired.313.

^al dana EOCH23

"Bol

EOCHO OLLA.i.

AID OLLATHAIRDagda Mor mac5

4.i.

in

THIRmacIs1215

in

Dagda Mor13

Eladain6

ochtmoga l)liadan i rigi 7 A 8trl meic .i. nErenn. 9 Oengus i Aed i Cermut Coem tri meic Dian Cecht, .i. Cu i 10 Cethen i Cian.;

ochtmoga Eladan, 14 bliadan i r-rige nHerenn.fair

ro

gniseti i

fir

Herenni

sid in Broga,

a

thrl mac, i.

Oengus

Aed

Cermait Caem. 15

34

M cath 32 81 so Ernnmais om. Muigi 3S 8B M da Bruidine "Fomoire om. Domnain L -adh-eacli 4, lo L: na da cainte la Hoctriallach m. Ninnig F 1 Calmal L 45 41 43 42 42 leis m. o mhnal da sa isin cath sin mas n rige [i.e. mbas] 48 " 49 Neit hu HIS. Balar i. asa F do .i. Balar interlined L, om. 01 adrubairt Fomoire co mBres araen "-""isin cath sin itir T.D.D. 53 51 " ndainib i eladadaib " -nain i catli diar narfaig Innech "-" .uii.l.l.c.c.xl. im U Neit G8 F om. here .i. ycL, Muigi Tuiread29

Nuadu Airgetlam35

-\

SECTION VII. TUATHA DE DANANN.were twenty-seven years between the battles,there

121

man:

skilled

in

arts

andof

sciences,

when Lug askedis

him "What who fell in

Tuired? Seven men, seven score, seven hundreds, seven fifties or nine hundreds:

the tally of those that battle of Mag

twenty

forties,

ninety,

[in-

cluding the grandson of Net] [that is, including Ogma son of Elathan son of Net].

Lug ,son of Ethniu was forty years in the kingship of Ireland after the last battle of Mag Tuired there were twenty-seven years between these two battles of Mag Tuired.:

313.

Then

EOCHUthe

EOCHU OLLATHAIR,thatis the great Dagda, son of Elada, eighty years in the kingship of Ireland. Over him did the men of Ireland make the mound

OLLATHAIR,

great Dagda, son of Elada, was eighty years in the kingship of Ireland. His three sons

were Oengus and Aed and Cermat Coem; the three sons of Dian Cecht, Cu and Cethen and Cian.

of the Brug, and (over) his three sons, Oengus, Aed,

and Cermad Coem.

noco

5S.i.

Eladan61 2

59

Ethleann62

mMuigi4

-ghi nEr.63

:

the64

n before

Herenn313.5

j/cLJ

catha dedenaighdone-

in:

sin.

boi

RG

Aarigi

3

Elathan

R

irrigi10

A

R

Eocha R 7 Herenn

om. ins

R

thri

V

Dagdia mor R 9 Cermad

Ceithen Cen R "Bui tra Eoch (sic) Ollothor X Elathan in L, the upper x yo and smudged across in red 15 ~ 15 14 aicci batar na tri maicc .i. Aengus i Aed i Cermait Caem. rigi nEr. Is forro a cethrur ro gniset fir Erenn sidh in Broga.12

Caem R

" written lxx

122

SECTION VII. TUATHA DE DANANN.L

pmeic.i.

314.