The Triads Of Ireland Part 10

[Note 117: _om._ BMHLec dirge N otrach N corotochra N a mbid na hichtar N huachtar N congnaim N]

118. Trede nemthigedar saer: dluthud cen fomus, cen fescred, lud luadrinna, beimm fo chommus.

[Note 118: _om._ BMHLec tri ara neimit_er_ N dluthugud N feiscre N ludh luaithreand N]

119. Trede neimthigedar liaig: digallrae, diainme, comchissi ce_n_ ainchiss.

[Note 119: _om._ BMHLec ara neimit_er_ liagh N coimcisin gin ainces N]

120. Trede neimthigedar gobainn: bir Neithin, fulacht na Morrigna, inneoin in Dagda.

[Note 120: _om._ BMHLec ara neimit_er_ gobaind N bir ndechin N]

121. Trede neimthigedar cerdai: fige ronn, caer comraic, plett for faebur.

[Note 121: _om._ BMHLec cerd N flet N]

122. Trede neimthigedar cruitire: golltraige, gentraige, suantraige.

[Note 122-123: _om._ BMHLec]

123. Trede neimthigedar filid: immas forosna, teinm laeda, dichetal di chennaib.

124. Da migairm mithocaid: commaidem do chetguine, do ben la fer n-aile.

[Note 124: atte da ni igairm (!) do neoch .i. maidem a c_het_guine [et] a bean do beith fri fer n-aill BM mitocaid N a cedgona N a ben la fer n-aile N]

125. Teora airi[se]na iarnduba: comar, cocless, clemnas.

[Note 125: tri hairnadmand BMN iardubha M coicless LM coicle M]

126. Tri bainne cetmuintire: bainne fola, bainne der, bainne aillse.

[Note 126: banda NBM]

127. Tri coiri bite in cach duini: coire erma, coire goriath, coire aiged.

[Note 127: core B duini L duine B goiriat N aitiu N notead B notheadh M]

116. Three things that const.i.tute a buffoon: blowing out his cheek, blowing out his satchel, blowing out his belly.

117. Three things that const.i.tute a comb-maker: racing a hound in contending for a bone; straightening a ram's horn by his breath, without fire; chanting upon a dunghill so that all antlers and bones and horns that are below come to the top.

118. Three things that const.i.tute a carpenter: joining together without calculating (?), without warping (?); agility with the compa.s.s; a well-measured stroke.

119. Three things that const.i.tute a physician: a complete cure, leaving no blemish behind, a painless examination.

120. Three things that const.i.tute a blacksmith: Nethin's spit, the cooking-hearth of the Morrigan, the Dagda's anvil.[77]

[77] For a description and pictures of these appliances, see YBL., p.

419_a_, and Egerton, 1782, fo. 46_a_.

121. Three things that const.i.tute an artificer: weaving chains, a mosaic ball,[78] an edge upon a blade.

[78] O'Curry, Manners and Customs, ii., p. 253, thought that a _caer comraic_ was 'a ball of convergent ribs or lines,' perhaps such a bead or ball of mosaic gla.s.s as is depicted in Joyce's _Social History of Ancient Ireland_, vol. ii., p. 32, fig. 171. _A caer comraic_ of eight different colours is mentioned in LB. 108_b_ 20.

122. Three things that const.i.tute a harper: a tune to make you cry, a tune to make you laugh, a tune to put you to sleep.[79]

[79] _Cf._ H. 3. 18, p. 87: treide nemtighther cruit; goltraiges, gentraiges, suantraiges.

123. Three things that const.i.tute a poet: 'knowledge that illumines,'

'_teinm laeda_,'[80] improvisation.

[80] The names of various kinds of incantations. See Cormac's Glossary and Ancient Laws, s.v.

124. Two ominous cries of ill-luck: boasting of your first slaughter, and of your wife being with another man.

125. Three things betokening trouble: holding a plough-land in common, performing feats together, alliance in marriage.

126. Three drops of a wedded woman: a drop of blood, a tear-drop, a drop of sweat.

127. Three caldrons that are in every fort: the caldron of running, the caldron _goriath_,[81] the caldron of guests.

[81] Quite obscure to me. There is a heavily glossed poem in H. 3. 18, beginning _Coire goriath_. In H. 2. 15, p. 117^b, after the colophon to Duil Laithne (Goid.,^2 p. 79), there are some further glosses, among which I find: goiriath .i. gardhamh in gach iath, erma .i. uasal-iompu no iar-iompa. But _erma_ seems the genitive of _erim_, 'a course.'

128. Tri comartha lathraig bendachtan: clocc, salm, senad.

[Note 128: lathrach bennachtan H bendacht L senad NBMH ocsenad L]

129. Tri comartha lathraig mallachtan: tromm, tradna, nenaid.

[Note 129: mallachtan HM neanad B neanntoch M tradnai BM tradna H]

130. Teora muimmecha taide: caill, coim, adaig.

[Note 130: tri muime BM tri buime gaiti H coill HM]

131. Teora ranna sluinte fri caintocad: trumma, toicthiu, talchaire.

[Note 131: sloindti caintocaid N toicte N]

132. Teora ranna sluinte dotcaid: tlas, aes, airbire.

[Note 132: dotcaid N tla.s.s ois oirbire N]

133. Di derb[.s]iair: tlas [et] truaige.

[Note 133: siair L tlas [et] trousca N truaighe BMH]