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IRISH TEXTS SOCIETY
cumaNN Na s5rai6eaNN nsaeoicse
•: '
VOL. XLI
(1939) 1941
Printed at ths
By Ponsonby & Gibbs.
LEBOR GABALA ERENN
THE BOOK OF THE TAKING OF IRELAND
Part IV
EDITED AND TRANSLATED, WITH NOTES, ETC.
BY
R. A. STEWART MACALISTER, D.Litt.
DUBLIN:
PUBLISHED FOR THE IRISH TEXTS SOCIETY
BY THE EDUCATIONAL COMPANY OF IRELAND, LTD.
89 TALBOT STREET
I94I
CONTENTS.
SECTION VI: FIR BOLG.
|
Introduction .... |
1 |
|
First Rkdaction .... |
6 |
|
Second Redaction |
14 |
|
Third Redaction .... |
28 |
|
Vehsk Texts .... |
46 |
|
Notes on Prose Texts |
76 |
|
Notes on Verse Texts |
83 |
SECTION VII: TUATHA DE DANANN.
|
Introduction |
91 |
|
First Redaction . |
106 |
|
Second Redaction |
138 |
|
Third Rkdaction . |
166 |
|
Verse Texts |
212 |
|
Notes on Prose Texts |
292 |
|
Notes on Verse Texts |
314 |
SECTION VI. Fir Bolg.
Introduction.
The short episode of the Fir Bolg is the most jejune of all the sections of Liber Praecursorum; yet it is not devoid of suggestiveness.
In R1 the five lords 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 only by F (fl 279). The five brethren reign hi turn; the 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 in this case (jj 280). This last king has to meet the invading 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 is continued in fl 282, which practically says that they left no tangible traces behind them. The three remaining paragraphs are further snippets, which add nothing to our knowledge.
R2 describes the coming of the Fir Bolg in coracles made of the bags with which they had carried out their servile duties; and narrates their landing and partition of the country, to the same effect as in ff 279, but in different words (U 286). In fl 287 this is expanded, genealogically 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 the battle. U 291 repeats with much expansion the particulars in U 281 as to the dispersal of the Fir Bolg, and their
L.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.
The composition of R3 can, as before, be set forth in
tabular form.
*1294 = R1 1278
*1 295 = R1 1 279 with a few slight deviations
and insertions. *1296 = R1 IT 280 with some interpolations.
*1297, 298 = R1 1281
*1299 = R1 1282; but the latter portion,
introducing poem no.
XLIX, is new, taking
the place of Rx 1283. 1 300 = R1 1 284
after which come the Synchronisms. R3 therefore gives us here practically the complete text of *Q, with a few inter- polations which can be detected by comparison with the extant text of P; and until he comes to the Synchronisms he ignores R2 altogether, except that he borrows from the VA group of R2 (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 (first given, so far as I know, in his Contributions to Irish Lexicography s.v. "bolg") is by far the most reasonable: that Fir Bolg == Fir i mBolgaib (an expression used in poem no. XLIX, quatrain 5) = bracati or breeches-wearers. Thus interpreted, it 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 clothed. Of such persons there are occasional representations, e.g., in the initial letters of illuminated manuscripts. This section then, in its present form, is intended to be an i I Sanation of how the "plebeians," if so we may call them, came to Ireland ; prepared for the benefit of the ' ' patricians ' ' for whose information the history, as a whole, was compiled.
INTRODUCTION. 3
This, however, is only a secondary adaptation of the story. It is really no history, but a member of the same mythological complex as the rest. The parentage of the people with whom it is concerned, Dela son of Lot, links them immediately with the Fomorians; and this is corroborated when we find that the Fomorian leaders, who challenged "the holy man" Nemed, are named Gann and Sengann, "Gann and Old Gann" — names conspicuous in the Fir Bolg quintet. Gann and Genann are almost 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 the children 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, of this Nemed are different from the corresponding- names associated with wThat we may call the ' ' official ' ' Nemed, is a matter of comparatively small importance in criticizing the identification. And we further note that the names of the sons of the Nemed before us, Cessarb, Luam, Luachra, are suggestively reminiscent of the antediluvian triad Capa, Luigne, and Luasad. In a word, the perennial contention of 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 R1 Eochu son of Rinnail, who slew his predecessor Foidbgenid, is a different person from Eochu son of Ere : it was the R2 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.
remote places. Each leader of these fugitives is called a "son of Umor"1 : and this vague personage is connected with the "Sliab Emoir," from which the Fomorians had set forth 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 from the standpoint of Mythology.
The conclusions thus indicated can be expressed in tabular form thus : —
|
I |
II |
j*. |
||
|
gods of = |
= Partholonians = |
Fir Bolg "* |
15 o |
f Aborigines |
|
darkness |
1 |
1 |
'-3 r-j to m |
1 |
|
1 gods of light = |
= Nemedians = |
1 T. D. D. J |
1 lhemeri equati |
Goidels |
Literary manipulation subsequently differentiated the pairs no. I and no. II ; the euhemerists adapted pair no. II to their own purposes, leaving pair no. I historically rather shadowy. Further remodelling assimilated the Partholonians to the gods of light, thus rendering them liable to Fomorian assault; and the later historians obscured the essential identity of the Tuatha De Danann and the Goidels, having been misled by the entirely spurious story set forth in Liber Gccupationis. There must be few groups of ancient traditions in the world that have been so completely messed up by well-intentioned tinkering, as the scraps of genuine folklore underlying the Book of Invasions]
Keating adds nothing further to the details as printed below, except a set of verses giving an outline of the course of Hie voyage of the Fir Bolg from Greece, via the Torrian Sea and Spain, to Ireland. (Vol. i, I.T.S. edition, p. 192.) Their escape from Greek servitude has clearly been modelled on the Israelite exodus: one story (quoted by Keating from the Quire of Druim Snechta) states that they stole the ships of Hie Greeks, just as we have seen (ante, fl 120) the Israelites stealing the ships of the Egyptians.
'The alternative form, Gumor, is of course merely a corrupt 'urn. induced by the c of the preceding mac.
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 R2, though it still stands apart from the other redactions, has here a closer affinity with them than elsewhere. Secondly, that this basal saga became what we may term historico- political rather than 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 the uncertain rays of dawning history first shine upon her. The five leaders 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 same monarchs, apparently ruling over the whole country each in his turn — with the exception of the twins, Gann and Genann, who go together.2 It is the old trouble over again : each historian sought to improve on the work of his predecessor, never realizing that every change would require a number of consequential changes throughout the whole compilation. Hence 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 complex artificiality of our texts, and of nothing more.
2 By muddled manipulation Genann and Sengann are sometimes paired off together, and in the list of kings Sengann, "old Gann," succeeds his presumably younger namesakes.
6 SECTION VI— FIR BOLG.
SECTION VI.
FIR BOLG.
First Redaction. L 4 J3 35 : F 9 y 4.
278. Fir Bolg tra, coic Hhoisig tucsat leo, ut dixi supra, A. Gand 7 Genann 2- Endraige 2i Sengand -7 Slaine. Coic meic Dela 3insin. A coic 4mna 5iarsain, .i. Anust, Liber, 6Cnueha, Fiiat, 7Etar : || sunde dicitur t,
Fuat hen Slaine, nl cam lib . . .
279. ^o raindsid Fir Bole 2i tri, .i. a trian in Inber Slaine im Slaine mac nDela meic Loith — is e a cuiced, o Indber Cholbtha co Comar Tri nUsci : mili do dainib a lin. Do gabsad in 3trian aili an Inber 4Dubglasi im Gann 7 im Sengand : da mili a lin-side, Gand 0 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 ; t is de ata Fir Domnann ||. Is e Genann do ba rig for elmieid Medba 1 Ailella; Rudrigi for coicid Conchobair. Da mili foss a lin-side. Is iat sin Fir Bolg 7 Fir Domnan 7 Gailiun.
Fix Domnan is uaitnib ainmnigter in t-inber. Fir Bolg ona bolgaib ro liainmnigtlia. Gailiuin .i. ar lin a ngae ro hainmnigtha.
Is aen-gabail ~ is aen-latus aco, ar ad coic braith[r]i iad. .i. coic maic Dela meic Loith, 1 in aen sechtmain do gabsad Erinn,
278. 1 taisig tucsad 2 om. 1 (ter) : Rudrai'gi 3 sin * mnaa Lr
the second a added sec. man. in weak, faint inlc 5iarsin c Cnnehu
' Eltar 8 unde dicitur in marg. ~L, om. F.
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, Fuat, Etar : [unde dicitur]
Poem no. XLVI.
279. The Fir Bolg separated into three. With Slanga s. Dela s. Loth his third [landed] in Inber Slaine : his Fifth is from Inber Colptha to Comar Tri nUisce; a thousand men his tally. The second third landed in Inber Dubglaisi with Gann and Sengann : two thousand were their tally, Gann from Comar Tri nUisce to Belach Conglais, Sengann from Belach I longlais to Luimneach — that is, over the two Fifths of Miunu. 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, and 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.
They made one Taking and one princedom, for they were five brethren, the five sons of Dela s. Loth. And in one week
279. 1 This ^ in F only. -about three letters here completely erased 3 written as though "triarn" — with the compendium for ar surmounted by an n-strolce 4 the letters bglasi yc F above line
8 SECTION VI.— FIR BOLG.
$ cia ba saine laithi ||. Dia Sathairn for callann August dogab Slaine in Inber Slaine. Dia Mairt imorro dogabastar Gand - Sengan. Dia Haine imorro dogab Genan i Rudrigi : i is aen gabail amlaid sin, cia bad saine a slointi. 5Gailiun o Slaingi ro hainmnigtha. 0 Gann 7 Go Sengan do h[a]inmnigtha Fir Bolg. Fir Domnann o domnadh na hure do hainmnigtha : Genand 7 Rudrigi iat-side cona muinteraib. Ar as(a> Fir Bole a n-anmanda uili, i secht mbliadna trichat fod a fl.aith.tisa for Erenn. Coic meic Dela coie rig Fer mBolg, .i. Gann, Genann, Rudraigi, Sengann, Slaine.
280. t "Clanna Dela didiu na fir seo, .i. Fir Bolg.1 || 2Slane sin sinser, mac 4Dela meic Loith meic 5Oirthet meic 6Tribuait meic 7Gothoirb meic 8Gosten meic 9Fhortech meic 10Semioin meic "Herglain meic Beoain meic 12Zairn meic Nemid meic 13Agnomain. 14NTr gab rig da n-ainmigter Erenn, co tancatar Fir Bolg.14
Noi rig dib 15ro gab 16Herinn. 17SLANE, den bliadain17 — is e atbath 18d'Fheraib Bolg ar tus 19in Herinn. 20KUDRAIGE, 21da bliadain, conerbailt 22sin Brug 23Bratruad. 24GAND i 24GENAND, 25cethri bliadna, conerbaltatar de tham i Fremaind.25 26SENGAND, coic bliadna, co torchair la 27Fiacha 28Cenfinnan mac 29Zairn t 30meic Rudraige meic Dela.30 || :7FIACHA, c5ic bliadna : | 31cenfinna uile bae 32Erenn 33na erchomair || co torchair la 34Rinnail mac Genaind meic Dela. 34RINNAIL, se bliadna, 35co torchair la Fodbgenid35 mac Sengaind meic Dela in Eba 36Choirpri. 3TODBGENID, ceithre bliadna, co torchair 38i m-Maig Murthemne la 30Eochaig mac 40Rinnail meic Genaind
written Gailiu "written os()enga with an erased i in the vacant space. 280. ^om. F 2 Slaine 3 om. in ' nDela B Ortet 6 -th
7 -nirb 8 Goiscen 'ForteeW a0Senioin "Eargalain r2 Sdairnn " Agnomaid 1*-li om. L 15 do 16 Er- "-" bliadain do Slaine imorro, atbath an Uma Slaingi 18 deraib 19 an Erinn 20 Rudrigi
-1 .u. bliadna "isan :3Brathruad L om. F "' -nn (bis)
-*-2'J eeitri mbliadna conerbladar do tarn a Fremann 20 Sengann
SECTION VI.— FIE BOLG. 9
they took Ireland, [though the days were different]. On Saturday, the kalends of August, Slanga landed in Inber Slaine. 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 length of their lordship over Ireland. The five sons of Dela were the five kings of the Fir Bolg, i.e., Gann, Genann, Rudraige, Sengann, Slaine.
280. [Now these men, the FirBolg, were the progeny of Dela.] 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.
Nine kings of them took Ireland. SLANGA, one year — 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. Starn [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 written Fiaca (as though Fiac[h]ra) F (bis) 28 cenindain 29 Sdairn ao-30 om y 31 cendinda uili bai 32 Her- L 33 ina remes
34 Rindal (bis) *5"35 con torchair ba (sic) Hoidbgen 3G Croibi (written Oibi) 3? Oidbgin M i Mug Murtemne 39 Eochaid 40 Rinnall
(a) Read ar ai sin tra as, as in the other redactions.
10 SECTION VI.— FIR BOLG.
meic Dela. 41EOCHO mac Eire, decc 42mbliadna. XT ' hoi fleochod 44na re aeht drucht:45 46m bai bliadain 4:cen mess. Ro 48curthea gai a 49Herind re lind. Is ]eis doronad(a) in 50recht coir in 51Herind ar tus. Do "rochair tra 53Eocho mac 54Eirc la trl 55maccaib Nemid meic 56Badrni : is e "sin cet ri d'Erind 58ro gaet ar tiis in Herind.58 59Unde Colmn Cille cecinit, Dena moresnis a mic, ic.59
281. Do radsad Fir Bolg cath doib ar Muig Tuirid, do has co fadaa(6) i cor in cath sin. Do mbebmaid (sic) bfa deoid for Feraib Bolg, 7 ro lad an ar fo thuaid, 1 ro marbad ccet mile dib siar, co Traig nEothaili. Is annsin rucad forsin rig, .i. for Eochaid, co torchair la tri macaib Nemid. Cid Tuatha De 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. hFir Bolg tra do rochradar isan cat sin acht beg, 1 lodar-side 'a 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 iat. Tancatar for amus Cairb[r]i Nia Fer, -\ jdo rad-siden 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 T Aililla ; do ratsidi ferann doib. Is i sin imirgi Mac nUmoir. % Ongus mac Umoir ba rig tair orro; [| -\ is uaithib ainmnigter na feranna sin, .i. Loch Cimi o Cime Ceithir-cindi mac Umoir, 1 Rind Tamain a Medraigi o Taman mac Umoir, Dun Aengusa <i> nAraind 0 Aengus, Carnn Conaill an Aidne o Conall, Mag nAdar o Adar, Mag nAsail 0 Asal a Mumain beus. Menn mac Umoir in fili. Do badar an [djuntaib i an insib mara im Erinn amlaid sin, conas dilgenn Cu Chulaind.
first written, mid sicoml 1 then rubbed out L: Eire F 41 Eoehaid "bliadan a laitus 43bai fleoch;nl ** om. na re 45 ins. frisin re sin
"nib for m ba5 "can 48cuirta 49Erinn 50raclit "Erinn
52 rocair °3 Eochaid M Ere 5"' macaib r'° Badrai 57 om. sin
=8-58 f |-= fuair i-,as] jo r\n{\ (]0 gaed an Erinn °°-s9 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.
SECTION VI.— FIR BOLG. 11
EOCHU son of Ere, ten years. There was no wetting in his time, save only 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.]
281. The Fir Bolg gave them [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 west- ward 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 Fomoraig to the second battle of Mag Tuired.] And they were in [those islands] till the time of the Provincials over Ireland, till 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 the protection 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 named those territories, Loch Cime from Cime Four-heads son of Umor, the Point of Taman in Medraige from Taman son of Umor, the Fort of Oengus in Ara from Oengus, the Stone-heap
281. This paragraph in. F only. All lenition-nvarlcs were omitted by the scribe, 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.
282. 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 i Conachtaib, -] U Thairsig, 1 Gailiun i Laignib. Is e sin tuir- thusad Fer mBolg.
L F
283. Is iat sin 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 Unde dixit Colam Cilli
Dene mo resnis, a mic . .
284. Raindsid tra Fir Bolg Erinn i cuic rannaib, amail adubramar. Cuieid nGaind issed forsa mi Cairbri Nia Fear. Cuicid Sengainn ised forsa mi Eoehaid mac Luchta. Coicid Slaingi issed forsa mi Dedad mac Sin. Cuicid nGenaind forsa mi Ailill mac Mada. Coiced Rudraigi forsa mi Concobur mac Nesa. Conid i sin xraind bias co brat for chuiccedaid (sic) Erenn, 2amail ro raindsid Fir Bolg.
285. Fintan cecinit do raind Conid dia cuimniugadh sin na coiced — do chan in senchaid inso —
Coic urranna Herenn. Coic coicid Erenn dine.
'('land Shemioin dana, 2Galeoin i Fir 3Domnand uile. Tricha bliadan 4iar 5nGenand i 6Rudraige tancatar Tuatha De Danann 7in Herinn.
282. This paragraph in F only.
284. This paragraph in F ovl/i 1 dittographed 2 written am.
SECTION VI.— FIR BOLG. 13
of Conall in Aidne from. Conall, Mag Adair from Adar, Mag Asail from Asal in Miimu also. Menn son of Umor was the poet. They were in fortresses and in islands of the sea around Ireland in that wise, till Cu Chnlaind overwhelmed them.
282. No forts or entrenchments are reckoned as having been dug, nor lakes to have hurst forth, nor plains to have been cleared, in the time of the Fir Bolg. Of their seed are the three communities who are in Ireland not of Goidelic stock; to wit the Gabraide of the Sue in Connaehta, the Ui Thairsig, and the Gaileoin in Laigen. Those are the adventures of the Fir Bolg.
283. Those are the kings of Thereof the historian sang the Fir Bolg and their deaths : the song, unde poeta cecinit
Poem no. XLVII.
Colum Cille cecinit lit dixit Colum Cille
Poem no. XLVIII.
284. Now the Fir Bolg divided Ireland into five parts, as we have said. The Fifth of Gann it is, over which was Coirpre Nia Fer. 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 divided them.
285. Fintan cecinit of the So to memorize that, the division of the Provinces — historian sang as follows Poem no. XLIX. Poem no. LII.
The. progeny of Semeon were all the Gaileoin and Fir Domnann. Thirty years after Genann and Rudraige, the Tuatha De Danann came into Ireland.
285. ] Clanna Semeinoin 2 lio changed sec. man. to leo L : Gaileoin F 3 Domnann uili : trica 4 ins. tra 5 prefixed n ys L : -ann F
0 Rudrigi 7 an Er.
14 SECTION VI.— FIR BOLG.
Second Redaction.
V 7 p 13 : D 13 a 22 : E 5 y 34 : R 76 A a 1 : A 10 a 1 (begins in Poem LII, quatrain 12).
286. aGabail Fer 2mBolcg 3andso 4siss 5iarum. Ba 'J'as tra 7Eriu fri re da cet 8mbliadan lar togail Tuir 9Conaind, co "tancatar Fir "Bolcg, % amail "atrubrumar 13issin duain ||. A tirib Grec "tancatar, for teched in 15chissa "doratsat 17Greic "fortho, .i. "tarrudh 20uire for 21leccaib lomnia, comtar 22muighe fo seothaib. 23Dorigensat na fir sin 24sithchurchu 25doib dona 26bolcaib 27i mbertis in uir, 7 28tancatar 29dochum 30nErenn, do £Jascnom a 31n-atharda. Amail is 32bes do "each, ro S4randsat Herinn.
A trian 35in nlnber Slaine im Slaine mac 36nDela meic 37Loit, i 38isse a 39chiiicedh o Inber 40Colptha eo 41Comur TrI 4-nUisce : 43mile do 44dainib a lin. 45Rogabsat in trian 46aile 4-jn 48jnDer 49j)UDgjajsse jm soQan(j ^ jm geng-ann . da mile 51a
lm-side — Gann on 52Chomur co 53Belach Conglais, 54Sengand o 53Belach Conglais co Luimnech .i. for da 55coicedh Muman. Genann 7 Rudraide co 56trian 57in tsluaigh, ro 58gabsat 59an eoInber 61Domnann : X is aire 62asberar Fir 63Domnann 64dlb || — "Genand for 66choicedh G7Medba 7 68Ailella, Rudraige dana for 69coicedh 70Concobair : da 71mile 72a 1-lmside.
286. 1vns. 1 E 2 mBolgc E 3 inso DE 4 sis D 5 om, DE
6 fass V 7 Eiriu V Heriu DE s om, ni- DE 9 Chon- V Conuing E
10 tang- DE -dar E " Bolg E 12 ad- E -amar DE "sin DE
14 -dar DE : the c yc D * cHsa D chisai E 10 -radsad E » Gicc D, Gc E 1S f orthu D -tha E 10 tarrud D tartugh- E 20 huire D
21 lecaibli loma E ~ maigi D maighe E 23 -sad DE 21 sithcurchu V sithchaurcha D sithchurca E 23 om, E 26 bolcg- V bolg- DE
"immbertis innuir D ambeirdis andnir E innuir also V 2S tang- DE
28dochom D doq E 30nEir. E 31 ascnam a nathardoi D asgnam a
natharrda E 31 -dha V 32boss V beis E 33ehaeh D 31rann- D
SECTION VI.— FIR BOLG. 15
286. Next comes the Taking of the Fir Bolg here below. Ireland was waste for a space of two hundred years after the capture of Conaing's Tower, till the 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 plains. Those men made them long canoes of the bags in which they were wont to carry the clay, and they came lo Ireland, in quest of their patrimony. As everyone does, they partitioned Ireland.
With Slanga s. Dela s. Lot his third landed in Inber Slaine : his Fifth is from Inber Colptha to Comar Tri nUisce : a thousand men his tally. The second third landed in Inber Dubglaisi with Gann and Sengann : two thousand were their tally — Gann from the Comar to Belach Conglais, Sengann from Belach Conglais to Luimnech, that is, over the Two Fifths of Mumu. 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.
S5 iuinuiur D an inber E 3G nDeala E 3I Loith, DE 3S hise D ise E
39 a chuiced D hi chuig- E 40 Cholptha D Colba E « Commur D
Comar E « nUs- I> -gi E 43 mili D « doinib D daoinib E
45 rogabhsad E 46 naile E 47 an E 4S Inuer D 49 -glasi D
Duglaisi E 50 Gann DE 51 allin- D -sidhe V 32 Comar E
53Beal- E (bis) !4-mi E 55 coiced D coiged E 5C triun D
57 an E : tsluaig D 6S -sad E 59 ind DE 60 Indber E 61 Domnonn D Domli- E 62 isberar D adberar E 63 Domh- E 64 dibh E
03 -onn D -ann E 66 choiciud D coig- (the e dotted sec. man.) E
61 Meo D Medbha E 68 Oill-u D Ailealla E 69 choiced D coig- E
70 -chob- D -chubhair E 71 mhile E 72 ins. beus D beos E : a linside E.
16 SECTION VI.— FIR BOLG.
287. Is Hat sin Fir 2Bolcg i Fir 3Domnonn i 4Gaileoin.
Fir 5Domnann 6 "anmain in inbir 7i r-ragbatar 8ainmnighther, .i. Inber 9Donmann; nd Fir Domnann, 10.i. fir donmin-"fonn, 12.i. fir 13no donmaigtis "in mond .i. "in talmuin. Fir 16Bolcg dana, o na "bolgaib isi n-imarchuirtis 19in uir ro 20hainmnigter. Gaileoin, .i. 21gaei-lin, .i. 22o'n gaib ro hainnmigter ; ar is 23ar a n-gaib ro 2*hairmidhe. No 23Gaileoin, .i. 26gaileon no20 gailifian, .i. in trian no 2,gebedh 28lama for na da trian aile $ fo 29ghael, 30fondarrig ||. Fir Bolg lucht ind 31imarclmir, Fir Domnann lucht na claide, Galeoin lucht 32na gaibedh 33lama 34forthu.
Is 35aen gabail i is 35aen 36flathus, ar 37it coic braithre iat, .i. 38coic meic Dela meic 39Loit t meic Arthuait ||. In 40oen sechtmain 41rogabsatar : Dia Sathairn, hi kallann August, ro 42gab 43Slaine 44ind Inber Slaine : Dia 45Mairt in 46dias 4Taile .i. 48Gand i 49Sengand; Dia 50H6ene in 51dias 52aile, 53.i. 54Genand i 55Endraige, - r,(iis 57aen gabail 58amlaid sin, 59cid 60at saine a 61sloinnte. e2Gaileoin tra, do 63Slaine cona 64mninntir C3atrubrad; Fir Bolg do Gann i do SGSengand asrubrad, t cen G7cor G8dilsin doib || ; Fir Domnann, 696n inber asrubrad 70.i. Genann i Rndraige cona 71muinntir 72iatsidiie. Ar 73ai sin tra, is Fir Bolg a 74n-anmand nile, i secht 75mbliadna trichat 7lit'ot a Hatha for Erind.
287. a iatt D iad E 2 Bolg E 3 -and E 4 Gal- D " -and E
e
anmainun (sic) D ' irrabatar V; -ghbh- (lenition sec. man.) E Bro
haimnnigter BE (om. h- E) 9nD- E 10 a dot substituted for A. E
"'fonn DE 12 om. .i. E 13 na domnadis E 14 niond clmnged by
' er to inond V : inon D mon E 15 an talm- DE 1G Bolg E
•a\\> D 18 indimarouirdis E r' inn D an E 20 -nighti E
•' gae-lin D gaoilin E 22 o na gaibh E 23 on gaib D o a ngaoibh E
DE 25Gaeleoin D Gaoileoin E 2°-20 om. DE 27 gebed D
geib- E ■" hmlia E 20 gael D gaol E 30 f ondairrig DE 31 -cuir E
32nogaibedD M lamma D lamha E 34 f ortha DE 33 oen D
SECTION VI.— FIR BOLG. 17
287. 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 world. Fir Bolg then, from the bags in which they used to carry the 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 "under the viceroy"]. The Fir Bolg are the people of the carrying, the Fir Domnann the people of the digging, the Gaileoin the people who used to exercise authority over them.
They are one Taking and one princedom, for they were five 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 : The Fir Bolg is 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 length of their reign over Ireland.
aon E (bis) 36flaithes E 37 id coig braitri iad E 3S coig m.
Dheala E ' 39 Loith DE 40 aoin DE 41 rogab E 4= gabh E
43 Slangi in Inver D 44 and E 45 Mair E 46 diass V 47 aille V
48 Gann D 49 -gann DE 50 Hoeni D Haoine E 51 diass V
52 aili D =3 .i. in D only :4 -ann DE 5= -dh- D 56 is yc D
57 oen D aon E 58 -aidh D E9 cidh D «° ad E C1 slonnti D
sloinnti E C2 Galeoin D 63 Shlanghi D Slge E C4 -intir D -indtir E
M ad- E 68 Shengann D 67 cor bo DE w dilsi doibh E C9 ond D
70 om. .i. E 71 muinteraib D muindteraib E "iad- E 73 aoi E 74 -ann DE 75 om. m- D 76 f od a flaithesa E.
l.g. — VOL. iv. C
18
SECTION VI.— FIR BOLG.
288. SLAINI, sindsir mac nDela, bliadain do arrighi nErenn, ar ni ro gab rig con ainmniugad Rig Herinn noco tancatar Fir Bolcg. Co tucsat rigi do Slaine, condorchair an Dinn Rig .i. Duma Slaini ainm aile. Is e atbath d'Feraib Bolcg ar tus in Herinn.
DER.
Ni 1rogaib ri 2eo n-ainmnigad rigi nErenn co tangatar Fir Bolg, i 3do ratsat
4Slangi mac Dela, 5sinser mac nDela. 6cetamus do Slainge bailt in sDind Rig.
rlge do
ar ba he
Bliadain
'coner-
Da bliadain do 8aRUDRAIGE conerbailt sin 9Bruigh. A cethair do GANN i do GENANN, 10conerblatar do "tham 12hi 13Fremainn. A 14coic 15SENGAIND, (n>| co torchair la 16Fiacha mac 17Zairn. 18FIACHA 19CENDFINNAIN, coic bliadna, f -\ 20cendfinna 21uile bai Erenn ina flaith || co torchair la 22Rinnail mac Genainn. Se bliadna do 23RINDAIL, co torchair la 24Foidbgen mac 25Sengaind 26in debaig Craibe.
FODBGEN mac Sengaind, is na aimsir do fassatar foidb tria crannaib : conorchair a Muigh Murtemne la Heochaid mac Eire meic Rindail. EOCHAID, decc bliadan do, co tanic Tuath De Danann. Isse sin rig degh- enach For mBolcg.
27Fodbgenid .iiii. bliadna co torchair la 2SHeochaid mac nEirc meic 29Rinnail meic 30Genaind 31hi Maig Murthem- ni. Is e sin 32rig 33degenach 34Fer mBolg. Decc bliadan 3Dco 36tancatar 37Tuath De Danann.
C'onid 38iatsin secht 39mbliadna trichat Hatha Fer 40mBole2r.
288. ] rogabh E 2 conainmniughad riglie E : rige D
ri'ghe E 4 Slainghi D Sl-e m. Deala E ° sinnser DE 7 conderbailt E 8 Dinn Righ E 8a Rudraigi
10 conerbaltatar DE (-dar E) » tamh D tarn E
13 -muin D -mhainn E " cuicc D 15 -gainn D -guinn E " Zair DR Stairn E 1S Fiachu D ,9 Cennfinnan D Ceindf innan ER
20 cendifinna D ceinniinna ER :1 huile bae Her. ina flaith D bae Herenu
uili R "Rind- E -al R ^Rinnail D :iFodbgein DER Fodbgen E
3 iloradsad
°cedamus E
"Brug D
" i D a E
16 Fiachaich D
SECTION VI.— FIR BOLG.
19
288. SLANGA, the eldest of the sons of Dela, a year had he in the kingship of Ireland, for 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 the first.
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. A year at first had Slanga, till he died in Dind Rig.
Two years had RUDRAIGE till he died in the Brug. Four to GANN and to GENANN, till they died of plague in Fremaind. Five had SENGANN, till he fell at the hands of Fiacha son of Starn. FIACHA CENDFINDAIN, five years; [all the kine of Ireland had white heads in his reign], till he fell at the hands of Rindail son of Genann. Six years had RINDAIL, till he fell at the hands of FODBGEN son of Sengann in the fight of Craeb.
FODBGEN son of Sengann, it is in his time that knots grew through trees; till he fell in Mag Murthemne at the hands of Eochu s. Ere s. Rindail. EOCHU had ten years till the Tuatha De Danann came. He was the last king of the Fir Bolsr. .
Fodbgen, four years till he fell at the hands of Eochu s. Ere s. Rindail s. Genand, in Mag Muirthemne. He was the last king of the Fir Bolg. Ten years had he till the Tuatha De Danann came.