Edition: Elizabeth Gray
Translation: Elizabeth Gray [Isolde Carmody]
This text and its published translation are made available by kind permission of CELT, the Corpus of Electronic Texts, at University Colege Cork: http://www.ucc.ie/celt/
We will not always put the full text here on our blog, and we recommend that you read Gray’s edition, or better still, purchase the Irish Texts Society’s full edition with indexes and notes here.
Alternate translations by Isolde Carmody are in square brackets. For a full discussion on understanding the names in these opening sections, see the related article “Four Cities, Four Masters, Four Treasures”.
Line and section numbers are from E. Gray’s edition.
1] Bátar Túathai Dé Danonn i n- indsib túascertachaib an domuin,
2] aig foglaim fesa & fithnasachta & druídechtai & amaidechtai &
3] amainsechta, combtar fortilde for súthib cerd ngenntlichtae.
1. The Túatha Dé Danann were in the northern islands of the world, studying occult lore [wisdom] and sorcery [charms?], druidic arts and witchcraft [women’s magic] and magical skill [subtle arts], until they surpassed the sages of the pagan [lit. gentile] arts.
4] Ceitri catrachai i rrabatar og fochlaim fhesai & éolais &
5] díabuldánachtai .i. Falias & Goirias, Murias & Findias.
2. They studied occult lore [wisdom] and secret knowledge [knowledge] and diabolic arts [perh. originally just “crafts”] in four cities: Falias, Gorias, Murias, and Findias.
6] A Falias tucad an Lía Fáil buí a Temraig. Nogésed fo cech ríg
7] nogébad Érinn.
3. From Falias was brought the Stone of Fál which was located in Tara. It used to cry out beneath every king that would take Ireland.
8] A Gorias tucad ant sleg boí ac Lug. Ní gebtea cath fria nó frisintí
9] an bídh i lláimh.
4. From Gorias was brought the spear which Lug had. No battle was ever sustained [won] against it, or against the man [one] who held it in his hand.
10] A Findias tucad claidiub Núadot. Ní térnádh nech dei ó dobirthe
11] asa idntiuch boduha, & ní gebtai fris.
5. From Findias was brought the sword of Núadu. No one ever escaped from it once it was drawn from its deadly sheath [battle-sheath], and no one could resist it [win against it].
12] A Murias tucad coiri an Dagdai. Ní tégedh dám dimdach úadh.
6. From Murias was brought the Dagda’s cauldron. No company [guests] ever went away from it unsatisfied [displeased].
13] Cetri druíd isna cetri cathrachaib-sin. Mórfesae baí a Falias;
14] Esras boí hi nGorias; Uiscias boí a Findias; Semias baí a Murias. It
15] íad-sin na cetri filid ocar’ foglaindsit Túata Dé fios & éolas.
7. There were four wizards [druids] in those four cities. Morfesa was in Falias; Esras was in Gorias; Uiscias was in Findias; Semias was in Murias. Those are the four poets from whom the Túatha Dé learned occult lore [wisdom] and secret knowledge [knowledge].
16] Gnísit íarum Túadh Dé caratrad fri Fomorib & debert Balar úa
17] Néit a ingin .i. Ethne, de Cén mac Díen Cécht. Gonad í-side ruc a
18] ngen mbúadha .i. Lucc.
8. The Túatha Dé then made an alliance [treaty] with the Fomoire, and Balor the grandson of Nét gave his daughter Ethne to Cían the son of Dían Cécht. And she bore the glorious [victorious] child, Lug.
19] Tángatar Túad Dé i morloinges mór d’indsaigid Érionn dia gabáil
20] ar écin for Feraib Bolc. Roloiscset a mbaraca fo cétóir íar
21] torrachtain críce Corcu Belgatan (.i. Conmaicne mara andíu éat-sen),
22] cona pedh a n-aire for teiched cucu. Gu rrolíon an déi & an céu tánic
23] denaib loggaib an ferodn & an áer robo comfocus dóib. Conid as sin
24] rogabad a tíchtain a nélaip cíach.
9. The Túatha Dé came with a great fleet to Ireland to take it by force [from necessity] from the Fir Bolg. Upon reaching the territory of Corcu Belgatan (which is Conmaicne Mara today), they at once burned their boats so that they would not think of fleeing to them. The smoke and the mist which came from the ships filled the land and the air which was near them. For that reason it has been thought that they arrived in clouds of mist.
25] Fectha cath Muighe Tuired etorra & Fir Bolc. Ocus maite for
26] Feraib Bolc, & marbtair cét míle díib am Eochdaig mac n-Eirc
27] immon rígh.
10. The battle of Mag Tuired was fought between them and the Fir Bolg. The Fir Bolg were defeated, and 100,000 of them were killed including the king, Eochaid mac Eirc.
28] Isen cath-sin dano robenad a lámh de Núadad .i. Sregg mac
29] Sengaidn rophen dei hí. Go tarad Díen Cécht an liaigh láim airgid
30] foair co lúth cecai láma & Crédhne in cerd ag cungnam fris.
11. Núadu’s hand was cut off in that battle – Sreng mac Sengainn struck it from him. So with Crédne the brazier helping him, Dían Cécht the physician put on him a silver hand that moved as well as any other hand.
31] Cid Túath Déi Dononn dano derocratar go már isin cath, im
32] Edleo mac n-Allai & am Ernmas, am Fhíoachaig & im Turild Bicreo.
12. Now the Túatha Dé Danann lost many men [people] in the battle, including Edleo mac Allai, and Ernmas, and Fíacha, and Tuirill Bicreo.
33] Do neoch immorro térná de Feraib Bolc asin cath, lotar ar
34] teched de saigid na Fomore gor gabsad a n-Árainn & a nd-Íle & a
35] Manaidn & a Rachraind.
13. Then those of the Fir Bolg who escaped from the battle fled to the Fomoire, and they settled in Arran and in Islay and in Man and in Rathlin.
36] Baí imcosnam flathae fher n-Érenn iter Túad Dé & a mná, ar
37] nirb’ inríghae Núadoo íar mbéim a láime de. Adpertutar ba cumdigh
38] dóip ríge do Pres mac Elathan, díe ngormac fesin, & co
39] {folio 63b} snaidhmfed caratrad Fomure fria an ríge de tabairt dó-sin, ar ba rí
40] Fomore a athair, ed ón Elotha mac Delbáeth.
14. There was contention regarding the sovereignty of the men of Ireland between the Túatha Dé and their wives [women], since Núadu was not eligible for kingship after his hand had been cut off. They said that it would be appropriate for them to give the kingship to Bres the son of Elatha, to their own adopted [dutiful] son, and that giving him the kingship would knit the Fomorians’ alliance [treaty] with them, since his father Elatha mac Delbáith was king of the Fomoire.
SOME NOTES ON LANGUAGE
The first 7 sections, describing the “northern islands of the world”, with their four cities, teachers and treasures, is taken almost verbatim from the Lebor Gabála Éirenn. This text represents a somewhat later tradition, and this is reflected in the Middle Irish language of these sections.
Section 8, describing the treaty between the Túatha Dé and the Fooire, has the oldest language in this opening episode.
Section 9, with the curious authorial gloss on the mistaken belief that the Túatha Dé arrived in clouds of mist, is in Late Middle Irish. This kind of “corrective” gloss becomes a feature of Middle and Early Modern Irish texts, where the teller of the story wishes to make clear that he doesn’t believe the more magical elements of the tale he is telling. It is worth noting that despite this, the author nevertheless tells the full, more “fanciful” version of his tale.
Would the gender distinction between druídechtai & amaidechtai be representative of gender roles in the medieval or could it be representative of a latin influence on lit do you think?
The magi in the latin trad take the place of druids in some case and are universally male and the oracles female in latin trad but arent there female druids in lit and at some point the word for magic becomes a universal/genderless draiocht…?
To begin with, it’s worth bearing in mind that this whole section (SS 1 – 7) belongs to the later Lebor Gabála tradition. In my view, the core description of what the Túatha Dé Danann were learning before coming to Ireland is fis & eolus & [diabul]dánacht; “wisdom and knowledge and [devilish] arts”. This is the most oft-used set of terms throughout the tradition regarding the coming of the Túatha Dé to Ireland.
Secondly, druí is not a gender-specific term. However, as with most male-centred cultures, there is often an asumption that any activity or character is masculine unless otherwise stated. (When I was studying for my English Literature degree, there was a choice of two optional subjects: “The Irish Writer and Society” or “The Irish Woman Writer and Society”. I chose neither on principle!) There are texts, both literary and legal, which use terms such as bandruí, “woman-druid”, and banfhili, “woman-poet”. Druidecht as an abstract is not restricted to one gender or the other.
I chose the translation “women’s magic” for amaidechtai because the meanings encompassed by that term seemed specific to women. However, this is the same word that gives us amadán in Modern Irish – a term for a fool or idiot.
Overall, I think the medieval redactors working with the Lebor Gabála tradition were searching for as many terms (alliterative if possible!) for magic or wizardry or whatever else gave their stories good special effects. They were also working hard to integrate the native tradition with the Classical and Biblical traditions. Indeed, there is a curious authorial gloss in our text, when Lug first comes to Tara and is tested with a game of fidchell. It points out that since the Second Battle of Moytura took place at the same time as the seige of Troy, and that since fidchell was only invented then, Lug could not possibly have played fidchell at this time since it couldn’t yet have spread to Ireland. Nonetheless, the redactor retains the episode rather than excluding it from the narrative.
Similarly, with the position of the Túatha Dé Danann in the Christian cosmos, most redactors try hard to keep our sympathies with the Túatha Dé, even if they are not Christian. Only occasionally does one find a gloss or commentary warning that “believing in” the Túatha Dé is sinful or unchristian.
Anyway, that’s the context out of which these sections arise. We’ll be coming back to this theme whenever we compare the Old Irish Cath Maige Tuired with the corresponding Middle and Early Modern Irish versions.
Thanks for replying sorry i didnt see it until now… i forgot to click subscribe when i replied.
Would you say amaidechtai is woman magician in the way medb is a woman king in the tain since its related to amadan and since its in the context of devilish arts? A derogatory/cautionary thing reinforcing trad gender roles?
I hadnt considered that gender was assumed to be masculine unless they say otherwise… thanks. It makes me think… and at this hour of te morning thats impressive :D
I wouldn’t class “amaiti” as “woman magician”, but rather a woman who practises women’s mysteries e.g. midwifery. Also, I’m not convinced about characterising Medb as a “woman king”. She is an anomaly in saga terms, but if you look at the mythology surrounding her, she takes sovereignty from her sisters, Eithniu and Clothru, by killing them both. Her killing of Clothru is her final undoing, as she meets her death at the hand of Clothru’s son. It is more a case of assuming sovereignty by greed and violence. There are distinct terms for king (rí) and queen (rigain), with different roles, behaviours and honour-price throughout the law and status texts.
So then as a term amaiti is specifically feminine? (I dunno how to break it down and if I cant find it on the OI eList or eDil im stuck, sorry) and not just like a banfile can be…a by word for an Irish cassandra type in narrative? The female element an indicator of crapness because ‘women cant be proper poets’ type of thing.
Medbh in the narrative of the tain. Would you say its how she conducts herself as a sovereign thats the cautionary element rather then a ‘dont transcend traditional gender roles it turns out bad’ kinda thing?
Sorry if my harpin on about gender is annoying Im just obsessed with medieval gender roles at the mo and the blog offers me a rare chance to chat with someone who actually has opinions :)