The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Tain Bo Cualnge Part 64

[10-10] Stowe.

[11-11] YBL. 42b, 29-30.

[a] Omitting _i tri_, 'in three'; it is not found in Stowe or in YBL.

and seems out of place here.

[1-1] Stowe.

[2-2] Stowe.

[3-3] Stowe.

[4]His wife, Finna[b] daughter of Eocho Salbuide ('Yellow-heel') stood over him and she was in great sorrow, and she made the funeral-song below:--

"I care for naught, care for naught; Ne'er more man's hand 'neath my head, Since was dug the earthy bed, Cethern's bold, of Dun da Benn!

"Kingly Cethern, Fintan's son; Few were with him on the ford.

Connacht's men with all their host, For nine hours he left them not!

"Arms he bore not--this an art-- But a red, two-headed pike; With it slaughtered he the host, While his anger still was fres.h.!.+

"Felled by double-headed pike, Cethern's hand held, with their crimes,[c]

Seven times fifty of the hosts, Fintan's son brought to their graves!

"Willa-loo, oh, willa-loo!

Woman's[d] wandering through the mist.

Worse it is for him that's dead.

She that lives may find a man![e]

"Never I shall take a man[e]

Of the hosts of this good world; Never shall I sleep with man; Never shall my man with wife!

[W.4485.] "Dear the homestead, 'Horse-head's Dun,'[a]

Where our hosts were wont to go.

Dear the water, soft and sweet; Dear the isle, 'Isle of the Red!'[b]

"Sad the care, oh, sad the care, Cualnge's Cow-raid brought on me: Cethern, Fintan's son, to keen.

Oh that he had shunned his woe!

"Great the doings, these, oh, great, And the deed that here was done: I bewailing him till death, Him that has been smitten down!

"Finna, Eocho's daughter, I, Found a fight of circling spears.

Had my champion had his arms: By his side a slaughtered heap!"[4]

[4-4] Stowe, H. 1. 13 and Add. 18,748.

[b] Reading Finna, to agree with the reading in LL., _supra_, page 279.

Inna, in Stowe, etc.

[c] That is, unshrived of their sins (?), a Christian intrusion

[d] Literally, 'heifer's.'

[e] Literally, 'a bull.'

[a] In Irish, _Dun cind eich_.

[b] In Irish, _Innis ruaidh_.

[4-4] See note 4, page 211.

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XXIII

HERE FOLLOWETH THE TOOTH-FIGHT OF FINTAN

[W.4502.] Fintan, himself the son of Niall Niamglonnach ('of the brilliant Exploits') from Dun da Benn [1]in the north,[1] was father of Cethern son of Fintan. And he came to save the honour of Ulster and to avenge his son upon the hosts. Thrice fifty [2]with many pointed weapons[2] was his number. And thus it was they came, and two spear-heads on each shaft with them, a spear-head on the top and a spear-head at the b.u.t.t, so that it made no difference whether they wounded the hosts with the points or with the b.u.t.ts. They offered three[a] battles to the hosts. And thrice their own number fell at their hands, and there fell also the people [LL.fo.91b.] of Fintan son of Niall, all excepting Fintan's son Crimthann alone,[3] so that there did not escape any of his people excepting himself and his son.[3]

This one was saved under a canopy of s.h.i.+elds by Ailill and Medb. [4]And the son was separated from him, his father Fintan, and was saved by Ailill out of fear of Fintan and in order that Fintan might not wreak his fury on them till he should come with Conchobar to the battle.[4] Then said the men of Erin, it would be no disgrace for Fintan son of Niall to withdraw from the camp and quarters, and that they would give up Crimthann son of Fintan to him, and then the hosts would fall back a day's march to the north again; and that he [W.4515.] should cease from his deeds of arms against the hosts till he would come to encounter them on the day of the great battle at the place where the four grand provinces of Erin would clash at Garech and Ilgarech in the battle of the Cattle-reaving of Cualnge, as was foretold by the druids of the men of Erin. Fintan son of Niall consented to that, and they gave over his son to him. [1]He made friends.h.i.+p with them then when his son had been restored to him.[1] He withdrew from the camp and station, and the hosts marched a day's journey back to the north again, to stop and cease their advance. [2]Thereafter Fintan went to his own land.[2] In this manner they found each man of the people of Fintan son of Niall and each man of the men of Erin, with the lips and the nose [3]and the ear[3] of each of them in the teeth and tusks of the other [4]after they had used up their arms.[4] The men of Erin gave thought to that: "This is a tooth-fight for us," said they; "the tooth-fight of Fintan's people and of Fintan himself." So this is the 'Tooth-fight' of Fintan.

[1-1] Stowe.

[2-2] YBL. 42b, 36.

[a] 'Seven,' YBL. 42b, 38.

[3-3] YBL. 42b, 38-39.

[4-4] YBL. 42b, 39-43.

[1-1] YBL. 42b, 43-44.

[2-2] Stowe.

[3-3] Stowe.

[4-4] Stowe.

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