Post by Fool Coyote on Jul 12, 2008 0:34:16 GMT -5
The Boyhood Deeds of Finn mac Cumhaill
There befell a meeting of valor and a contest of battle about the chieftaincy of the Fian (national militia) and about the high-stewardship of Ireland between Cumall son of Trenmor, and Tirgriu son of Lugaid Corr of the Luagni. Cumall was of the Corco Oche of Cuil Contuinn, for to these the Ui Tairrsig, Cumall�s tribe, belonged. Torba, daughter of Eochaman of the Erne, was the wife of Cumall, until he married Muirne of the fair neck.
Then the battle of Cnucha[1] was fought between them, between Cumall and Urgriu. Daire the Red, son of Eochaid the Fair son of Cairbre the Valorous son of Muiredach, and his son Aed fought the battle along with Urgriu. Another name for that Daire was Morna Wry-neck. Luchet and Aed, son of Morna, met in the battle. Lucbet wounded Aed, and destroyed one of his eyes, whence the name of Goll, the One-eyed, stuck to him from that time forth. Luchet fell by Goll. The man who kept Cumall�s treasure-bag wounded Gumall in the battle. Cumall fell in the battle by Goll mac Morna, who carried off his spoils and his bead, whence there was a hereditary feud between Finn mac Cumaill and the sons of Morna.
Hence sang the shanachie[2]:
Goll, son of Daire the Red, with fame,
Son of Eochaid the Fair, of valor excellent,
Son of Cairbre the Valorous with valor,
Son of Muiredach from Finnmag.
Goll slew Luchet of the hundreds
In the battle of Cnucha, it is no falsehood:
Luchet the Fair of prowess bright
Fell by the son of Morna.
By him fell great Cumall
In the battle of Cnucha of the hosts.
It is for the chieftaincy of Erin�s fian
That they waged the stout battle.
The children of Morna were in the battle
And the Luagni of Tara,
Since to them belonged the leadership of the men of Ireland
By the side of every valorous king.
Victorious Cumall had a son,
Finn, bloody, of weapons hard:
Finn and Goll, great their fame,
Mightily they waged war.
Afterwards they made peace,
Finn and Goll of the hundred deeds,
Until Banb Sinna fell
About the pig at Tara Luachra.
Aed was the name of the son of Daire
Until Luchet with glory wounded him:
Since the fierce lance had wounded him,
Therefore was he called Goll.
Cumall left his wife Muirne pregnant. And she brought forth a son, to whom the name of Demne was given. Fiacal mac Con�chinn, and Bodball the druidess, and the Gray one of Luachar came to Muirne, and carried away the boy, for his mother durst not let him be with her. Muirne afterwards slept with Gleor Red-hand, king of the Lamraige, whence the saying, �Finn, son of Gleor.� Bodball, however, and the Gray one, and the boy with them, went into the forest of Sliab Bladma. There the boy was secretly reared. That was indeed necessary, for many a sturdy stalwart youth, and many a venomous hostile warrior and angry fierce champion of the warriors of the Luagni and of the sons of Morna were lying in wait for that boy, and for Tulcha the son of Cumall. In that manner then those two women-warriors reared him for a long time.
Then, at the end of six years, his mother came to visit her son, for she had been told that he was in that place, and besides, she was afraid of the eons of Morna for him. However, she passed from one wilderness to another, until she reached the forest of Sliab Bladma. She found the hunting-booth and the boy asleep in it. And then she lifted the boy to her bosom, and pressed him to her, and she pregnant at the time. It was then she made the quatrains, fondling her son:
There befell a meeting of valor and a contest of battle about the chieftaincy of the Fian (national militia) and about the high-stewardship of Ireland between Cumall son of Trenmor, and Tirgriu son of Lugaid Corr of the Luagni. Cumall was of the Corco Oche of Cuil Contuinn, for to these the Ui Tairrsig, Cumall�s tribe, belonged. Torba, daughter of Eochaman of the Erne, was the wife of Cumall, until he married Muirne of the fair neck.
Then the battle of Cnucha[1] was fought between them, between Cumall and Urgriu. Daire the Red, son of Eochaid the Fair son of Cairbre the Valorous son of Muiredach, and his son Aed fought the battle along with Urgriu. Another name for that Daire was Morna Wry-neck. Luchet and Aed, son of Morna, met in the battle. Lucbet wounded Aed, and destroyed one of his eyes, whence the name of Goll, the One-eyed, stuck to him from that time forth. Luchet fell by Goll. The man who kept Cumall�s treasure-bag wounded Gumall in the battle. Cumall fell in the battle by Goll mac Morna, who carried off his spoils and his bead, whence there was a hereditary feud between Finn mac Cumaill and the sons of Morna.
Hence sang the shanachie[2]:
Goll, son of Daire the Red, with fame,
Son of Eochaid the Fair, of valor excellent,
Son of Cairbre the Valorous with valor,
Son of Muiredach from Finnmag.
Goll slew Luchet of the hundreds
In the battle of Cnucha, it is no falsehood:
Luchet the Fair of prowess bright
Fell by the son of Morna.
By him fell great Cumall
In the battle of Cnucha of the hosts.
It is for the chieftaincy of Erin�s fian
That they waged the stout battle.
The children of Morna were in the battle
And the Luagni of Tara,
Since to them belonged the leadership of the men of Ireland
By the side of every valorous king.
Victorious Cumall had a son,
Finn, bloody, of weapons hard:
Finn and Goll, great their fame,
Mightily they waged war.
Afterwards they made peace,
Finn and Goll of the hundred deeds,
Until Banb Sinna fell
About the pig at Tara Luachra.
Aed was the name of the son of Daire
Until Luchet with glory wounded him:
Since the fierce lance had wounded him,
Therefore was he called Goll.
Cumall left his wife Muirne pregnant. And she brought forth a son, to whom the name of Demne was given. Fiacal mac Con�chinn, and Bodball the druidess, and the Gray one of Luachar came to Muirne, and carried away the boy, for his mother durst not let him be with her. Muirne afterwards slept with Gleor Red-hand, king of the Lamraige, whence the saying, �Finn, son of Gleor.� Bodball, however, and the Gray one, and the boy with them, went into the forest of Sliab Bladma. There the boy was secretly reared. That was indeed necessary, for many a sturdy stalwart youth, and many a venomous hostile warrior and angry fierce champion of the warriors of the Luagni and of the sons of Morna were lying in wait for that boy, and for Tulcha the son of Cumall. In that manner then those two women-warriors reared him for a long time.
Then, at the end of six years, his mother came to visit her son, for she had been told that he was in that place, and besides, she was afraid of the eons of Morna for him. However, she passed from one wilderness to another, until she reached the forest of Sliab Bladma. She found the hunting-booth and the boy asleep in it. And then she lifted the boy to her bosom, and pressed him to her, and she pregnant at the time. It was then she made the quatrains, fondling her son: