Post by Fool Coyote on Mar 27, 2008 21:08:43 GMT -5
Scéla Conchobair maic Nessa
The Tidings of Conchobar son of Ness
The Book of Leinster
1. A wondrous princely man was Conchobar son of Ness, who is here recorded (as king) over Ulster. He was named from his mother, namely, Ness, daughter of Eochaid Yellowheel king of Ulster, was Conchobar's mother. This is why she was named Ness, to wit, there were twelve fosterfathers fostering the girl according to Eochaid's desire. Assa was the name they had for her at first, for it was very easy (assa) to foster her. There was a fierce champion in Ireland at that time named Cathbad son of Ross. Besides being a champion he was a wizard.[1] So he went on a round of championing into the districts of Munster. And he happened with his warrior-band to come to the house of the fosterers of Eochaid's daughter. The girl's twelve fosterers were all slain by him in a single night, and no one knew who had wrought the laughter.
2. After this the girl went a-championing, and took arms and fared forth with three enneads throughout Ireland that she might know who had killed her fosterers. And she laid the tribes waste, she devastated all equally, because she knew not her foes in particular. "Let her be called Ni-hassa (not easy) henceforward," says every one. Hence she was called Ni-hassa.
3. Then she went a-soldiering into the province of Ulster. She went one day there alone to bathe, when to her happened the the champion, Cathhad. He came between her and (her) earshafts and seized her, and they forgathered, so that she became his beloved wife and bore him a son. That, then, was the son, Conchobar son of Cathbad.
4. Bright indeed was the dignity that was born in him, namely onchobar. That then was reasonable, for in the hour that Christ was born, he was born. Seven years before his birth seven prophets were foretelling him, (and they said that) a wondrous birth would be born, at Christ's Nativity, on yonder stone whereon Conchobar was born, and his name would be famous in Ireland.
5. Great was Conchobar's dignity at the end of seven years after his birth. 'Tis then he obtained the kingship of Ulster. This was the cause thereof. His mother Ness, daughter of Eochaid, was unmarried. [2] Fergus son of Ross was then in the kingship of Ulster. He desired the woman, even Ness, for his wife. "Not so," quoth she, "till I get a guerdon therefor, to wit, a year's kingship for my son, so that it may conie to pass that his son may be called the son of a king." "Grant it," says every one, "and the kingship will be thine, though the nominal kingship will be his." So after this the woman sleeps with Fergus, and the kingship of Ulster is nominally Conchobar's.
6. Then the woman began to instruct her son and his fosterers and his household-namely, to strip every second man, and to give (his wealth) to another; and her gold and silver were given to the champions of Ulster because of the result to her son.
7. Now on that day year the end of that time arrived. Thereupon Fergus, claimed his pledges. "A colloquy about it!" say the Ulstermen. They took counsel in a single assembly. They deemed it a great dishonour that Fergus had given them (to Ness) as a bride-price. But they were thankful to Conchobar for his goodly gift to them. This then was their suffrage: "What Fergus sold, let it part from him: what Conchobar bought let it stay with him."
8. So 'tis then that Fergus parted from the kingship of Ulster, and 'tis then that Conchobar was called the overking of a fifth of Ireland.
9. Great, indeed, was the reverence that the Ulstermen gave to Conchobar. This truly was the reverence they had-namely, when any man of the Ulaid married a grown-up girl, she slept with Conchobar on the first night, so that he became her first husband.
10. On earth has been no wiser bairn. He never delivered a judgment at a time when it was not permitted him, in order that he might not deliver a false judgment, so that his crops might not be the worse thereof. [3]
11. On earth, then. has been no mightier champion, and he was never let into danger, i.e., to provide for the son of the king. Champions and war-veterans and valorous heroes used to be in front of him in battles and conflicts, so that there might be no danger to him.
12. When any man of Ulster used to give him a night's hospitality, he vised to sleep that night with the man's wife.
13. Three hundred, three score and five persons in Conchobar's household-that is, the number of days in the year is the number of men that were in Conchobar's household. Among them was a partnership-namely, a man to victual them every night, so that the first to feed them on that night, would come again at the end of the year. Not small was the feeding, to wit, a pig and a deer and a vat (of ale) for every man. There were, however, men within whom, as is told, that did not suffice, for instance, Fergus mac Róig. If true it be, noble was his size-i.e., the heptad of Fergus was not often met with any other, to wit, seven feet between his ear and his lips, and seven fists (ie. 42 inches) between his eyes, and seven fists in his nose, and seven fists in his lips. The full of a bushel-cup was the moisture of his head when being washed. Seven fists in his penis. A bushel-bag in his scrotum. Seven women to curb him[4] unless Flidais should come. Seven pigs and seven vats (of ale) and seven deer to be consumed by him, and the strength of seven hundred in him. It was needful for him then to feed the household for a week (seven days) more than anyone.
14. Now Conchobar himself used to give (?) them the (the feast of) Allhallowtide because of the assembly of the great host. It was needful to provide for the great multitude, because everyone of the Ulstermen who would not come to Emain in Allhallow-eve lost his senses, and on the morrow his barrow and his grave and his tombstone were placed.
15. So Conchobar had to make great provision. The three days before Allhallows and the three days after Allhallows were distinguished by him by feasting in Conchobar's house. Beautiful indeed was the abode. Three houses had Conchobar, to wit, the 7 Cróeb-ruad and the Téite Brecc and the Red Branch. In the Red Branch used to be the heads and the spoils. In the Cróebruad were the kings-that is, it was strong (?) for the kings. In the Téite Brecc, then, were the spears and the shields and the sword-that is, it was speckled with the hilts of the gold-hilted swords and the sheen of the blue spears, their collars and their coils of gold and silver, and with the golden and silvern scales and circles of the shields, and with the service of the cups and the horns and the goblets.
The Tidings of Conchobar son of Ness
The Book of Leinster
1. A wondrous princely man was Conchobar son of Ness, who is here recorded (as king) over Ulster. He was named from his mother, namely, Ness, daughter of Eochaid Yellowheel king of Ulster, was Conchobar's mother. This is why she was named Ness, to wit, there were twelve fosterfathers fostering the girl according to Eochaid's desire. Assa was the name they had for her at first, for it was very easy (assa) to foster her. There was a fierce champion in Ireland at that time named Cathbad son of Ross. Besides being a champion he was a wizard.[1] So he went on a round of championing into the districts of Munster. And he happened with his warrior-band to come to the house of the fosterers of Eochaid's daughter. The girl's twelve fosterers were all slain by him in a single night, and no one knew who had wrought the laughter.
2. After this the girl went a-championing, and took arms and fared forth with three enneads throughout Ireland that she might know who had killed her fosterers. And she laid the tribes waste, she devastated all equally, because she knew not her foes in particular. "Let her be called Ni-hassa (not easy) henceforward," says every one. Hence she was called Ni-hassa.
3. Then she went a-soldiering into the province of Ulster. She went one day there alone to bathe, when to her happened the the champion, Cathhad. He came between her and (her) earshafts and seized her, and they forgathered, so that she became his beloved wife and bore him a son. That, then, was the son, Conchobar son of Cathbad.
4. Bright indeed was the dignity that was born in him, namely onchobar. That then was reasonable, for in the hour that Christ was born, he was born. Seven years before his birth seven prophets were foretelling him, (and they said that) a wondrous birth would be born, at Christ's Nativity, on yonder stone whereon Conchobar was born, and his name would be famous in Ireland.
5. Great was Conchobar's dignity at the end of seven years after his birth. 'Tis then he obtained the kingship of Ulster. This was the cause thereof. His mother Ness, daughter of Eochaid, was unmarried. [2] Fergus son of Ross was then in the kingship of Ulster. He desired the woman, even Ness, for his wife. "Not so," quoth she, "till I get a guerdon therefor, to wit, a year's kingship for my son, so that it may conie to pass that his son may be called the son of a king." "Grant it," says every one, "and the kingship will be thine, though the nominal kingship will be his." So after this the woman sleeps with Fergus, and the kingship of Ulster is nominally Conchobar's.
6. Then the woman began to instruct her son and his fosterers and his household-namely, to strip every second man, and to give (his wealth) to another; and her gold and silver were given to the champions of Ulster because of the result to her son.
7. Now on that day year the end of that time arrived. Thereupon Fergus, claimed his pledges. "A colloquy about it!" say the Ulstermen. They took counsel in a single assembly. They deemed it a great dishonour that Fergus had given them (to Ness) as a bride-price. But they were thankful to Conchobar for his goodly gift to them. This then was their suffrage: "What Fergus sold, let it part from him: what Conchobar bought let it stay with him."
8. So 'tis then that Fergus parted from the kingship of Ulster, and 'tis then that Conchobar was called the overking of a fifth of Ireland.
9. Great, indeed, was the reverence that the Ulstermen gave to Conchobar. This truly was the reverence they had-namely, when any man of the Ulaid married a grown-up girl, she slept with Conchobar on the first night, so that he became her first husband.
10. On earth has been no wiser bairn. He never delivered a judgment at a time when it was not permitted him, in order that he might not deliver a false judgment, so that his crops might not be the worse thereof. [3]
11. On earth, then. has been no mightier champion, and he was never let into danger, i.e., to provide for the son of the king. Champions and war-veterans and valorous heroes used to be in front of him in battles and conflicts, so that there might be no danger to him.
12. When any man of Ulster used to give him a night's hospitality, he vised to sleep that night with the man's wife.
13. Three hundred, three score and five persons in Conchobar's household-that is, the number of days in the year is the number of men that were in Conchobar's household. Among them was a partnership-namely, a man to victual them every night, so that the first to feed them on that night, would come again at the end of the year. Not small was the feeding, to wit, a pig and a deer and a vat (of ale) for every man. There were, however, men within whom, as is told, that did not suffice, for instance, Fergus mac Róig. If true it be, noble was his size-i.e., the heptad of Fergus was not often met with any other, to wit, seven feet between his ear and his lips, and seven fists (ie. 42 inches) between his eyes, and seven fists in his nose, and seven fists in his lips. The full of a bushel-cup was the moisture of his head when being washed. Seven fists in his penis. A bushel-bag in his scrotum. Seven women to curb him[4] unless Flidais should come. Seven pigs and seven vats (of ale) and seven deer to be consumed by him, and the strength of seven hundred in him. It was needful for him then to feed the household for a week (seven days) more than anyone.
14. Now Conchobar himself used to give (?) them the (the feast of) Allhallowtide because of the assembly of the great host. It was needful to provide for the great multitude, because everyone of the Ulstermen who would not come to Emain in Allhallow-eve lost his senses, and on the morrow his barrow and his grave and his tombstone were placed.
15. So Conchobar had to make great provision. The three days before Allhallows and the three days after Allhallows were distinguished by him by feasting in Conchobar's house. Beautiful indeed was the abode. Three houses had Conchobar, to wit, the 7 Cróeb-ruad and the Téite Brecc and the Red Branch. In the Red Branch used to be the heads and the spoils. In the Cróebruad were the kings-that is, it was strong (?) for the kings. In the Téite Brecc, then, were the spears and the shields and the sword-that is, it was speckled with the hilts of the gold-hilted swords and the sheen of the blue spears, their collars and their coils of gold and silver, and with the golden and silvern scales and circles of the shields, and with the service of the cups and the horns and the goblets.