The Táin

Shen´-cawn, the agéd poet, asked the poets Of Erin (for Mar-vawn´, the Swineherd-Saint, Had laid that task on him) whether a poet Amidst them could relate the Táin Bo Cooley Unb...

One eve it chanced to Al-yill and to Maev, —The while the beautiful, full-blazing sun Sank ’mid the bright cloud-rafters of the sky,— That they were standing on their green-gras...

These were Maev’s words. Then messengers went forth To Maev’s own seven sons, the seven Mahn-yas, That each might come, each with his folk and cantred, To Croohan on Moy Wee. An...

The many bands and troops which Maev had summoned Began to come upon Moy Wee. The first (And they arrived upon Moy Wee next day) Were Maev’s own seven sons, the seven Mahn-yas,...

That day those many hosts and bands and throngs, Ending their feasting on Moy Wee, had moved Forth on their travel and their arduous hosting. Their travel unto Ulster now we tel...

That little lad (said Fergus) was reared up On Moy Mweerhevna, in the noble house Where dwelt his father, and his mother, namely, In bright Doon Dalgan. There men told him tales...

Now, there was in the tent with them that night, Amidst the warriors and the noble chiefs, A warrior of the men of Domnann, namely, Faerdeeah son of Daman son of Dawra, A young,...

Now (said Faerdeeah, as he told his tale) Their daughters told those brewies and those lords Of land, who dwelt around the doon of Forgall, About that youthful warrior, who had...

The Four Great Fifths beside Ath Gowla so Remained that night; and so with histories, Recounting notable things, Al-yill and Maev With all the kings and chieftains whiled away T...

The Four Great Fifths of Erin kept their camp On cragged Drumenna yet three days and nights. But there no tents or booths were placed for them: No pleasant food or ale was serve...

A man of powerful bigness, excellent In shape and race, arose to attack Cucullin At milking-time next morn. This was Nathcrantil, A prowess-full man of Maev’s and Al-yill’s folk...

Now of the Bressla More, red, terrible, Cucullin’s Bressla More on Moy Mweerhevna, We next must tell. While Laeg was on that grave-hill He perceived somewhat: he perceived a man...

That evening Maev unto her private tent Summoned the chiefs and warriors and brave men; And they stood round her, leaning on their spears, Holding a council. And Maev said to th...

From out of Ulster some few men arrived To help Cucullin, and console and aid And ease him. These were Shennel Ooaha And the two sons of Gaega—Muridah And Cotreb. These men carr...

At time of the delightfulness and beauty Of the red light of morning, Al-yill rose From out his royal tent on Slane of Meath, And said: “From Sowin until spring-tide now We have...

So, in a high hill-nook on Fedain Collna, ’Mid whitening bushes of wild, spiky thorn, Cucullin lay, held to his sick-man’s bed By hooks and ties and crooks. Through night’s dark...

=Cooal= [_Cual_, L.L. 102ᵃ37]. The word seems to refer to the bristling mass of swords and spears with which each of these battle-castles was surrounded. See the description of...

In causing the Druid to give the account of the transmigrations of the swine-herds, and in causing Maev to be the narrator of her own youthful history, I merely adopt the charac...

1. _Cid dia mboi loṅges mac nUsnig._ “What caused the exile of the Sons of Usna?” L.L. 259ᵇ-261ᵇ. This text has been edited by Dr. Windisch, I.T., first series.

In making the Druid the narrator of this tale I again, as in Books I and II, adopt the Gaelic method. A knowledge of the tale is essential to the proper understanding of the _Tá...

The description of the making of Maev’s camp was suggested by a passage in _Cath Mhuighe Léana_, “The Battle of Magh Léana”; and the account of the harpers and their music was s...

I took the account of the combat of Laeriny from the MS. marked Addendum 18748 in the British Museum. The same narrative from Egerton 93 is printed by Nettlau, Rev. Celt. xiv, 261.

For the account given of himself by Loo the son of Ethlenn see “The Second Battle of Moytura,” edited by Dr. Whitley Stokes, Rev. Celt. xii; and for the substance of Maev’s spee...

For the death of Cucullin (only alluded to here, since it does not come within the scope of the narrative) see the text abridged from L.L. by Dr. Whitley Stokes, Rev. Celt. iii,...