The Death of Finn
Finn meditated upon a decision to leave Ireland for fear of
the prophecy 1 which the Cronanach had made to him; for
dread and fear had seized upon him that the fian would be
slaughtered and he himself would meet with death that year.
And this is the decision that he made, to leave Ireland and
go across the sea eastward to Britain, there to conclude
his fian-ship, for his power was no less in Britain than
here, so that the issue of that year and of the prophecy
which had been made of him might be the further off. And he
communicated that decision about going eastward across the
sea to Angus of the Brug and to the nobles of his people
and to all the fian, and he uttered the lay:
Let us go across the murmuring placid sea, oh fian of Finn
from great Tara; unless I find speedy help I shall part
from ever-fair Ireland.
To the Luagne the battle is destined, not a deed of
wailing, but a cause of tears; unless I find proper help I
shall part from my own fian here.
Angus mac Oc will come to our help for the sake of kinship;
it is easy to go to the Brug before going on the journey.
Then the nobles of the fian went to hold counsel, and they
came to the decision not to let Finn cross the sea that
year. “Do not go across the sea, O royal leader of the
fian,” said they, “for if chase and spoil fail us in
Ireland, there are enough of us here, leaders of the fian,
and landowners, to support you to the end of the year; and
we shall make a fresh feast for you every night until the
year is ended.” And upon this decision they fixed, and the
fian dispersed to their strongholds and homesteads to
prepare for Finn, so that he might find a banquet in the
house of every one of them. And the one to whom it fell to
attend and serve Finn on that night was Fer-tai son of
Uaithne Irgalach the fian-chief of Conall Muirthemne and
the Luagne of Tara. And the wife of Fer-tai was Iuchna
Ardmor daughter of Goll mac Morna; and he had a notable,
distinguished son, valorous, wise, and clever, whose mother
was Iuchna, and who was called Fer-li. He resembled his
grandfather Goll in size and stateliness and soldiership,
in virulence and strength and championship, in liberality
and prowess and might, in vigor and dexterity and
abundance, in hardness and boldness, in knightliness,
recklessness, and intrepidity, in magnanimity, in beauty of
form, in valor and dauntlessness.
Now when Fer-li saw the small number of the host that Finn
had with him, he meditated to practice treachery and deceit
and guile upon him with his people; for there were of his
people with him only Cedach Cithach the son of the King of
Norway, and Loegaire of the Swift Blows son of Dub son of
Salmor son of the King of the Men of Fannal, and five
hundred warriors with each of them. They had just come
across the sea to meet Finn, who had taken them with him
that night as an honor to them, having left behind all own
clan and his usual company except Aed Ballderg son of
Faelan son of Finn, and the three Cu’s from Moenmuig and
five hundred other warriors, together with these four, so
that the whole company of Finn numbered five thousand. And
Fer-li communicated his treacherous design to Emer Glunglas
son of Aed son of Garad son of Morna. “That is a fitting,
forcible design,” said Emer; “for Finn is our hereditary
enemy, since Goll the Great son of Morna has fallen by him,
and all the Clan Morna and our fathers and grandfathers.”
And they determined to slay Finn, with his people, by
treachery. And those who came to that decision were Fer-li
son of Fer-tai, and Emer Glunglas son of Aed son of Garad,
and the five sons of Urgriu of the Luagne of Meath, and the
three Taiblinnacbs from the stable plain of Fermoy. And
these all vowed to slay Finn with his people, and thus they
arranged and shaped the treachery; that is, to disperse and
hold up the small company that was with Finn; for there
were with him only five thousand, not counting the hounds
and gillies. And this is the device they shaped: that
fierce, stark naked men should come to the household of
Fer-tai to where Finn was billeting his people, and they
should say that slaughter and loss were being inflicted by
Finn’s people on those of Fer-tai, so that the story might
be the beginning of a conspiracy, and of a general
onslaught to kill Finn.
When Finn had billeted his people, a splendid wide-doored
hostel was arranged for him in the stronghold of Fer-tai,
with choice drapery and fresh rushes, and a great pile of
fire was kindled before Finn and Fer-tai and the few sons
of kings and princes that were with them. When Finn sat
down with his people to enjoy the feast, they saw the
conspirators and traitors coming toward them into the
hostel equipped with edge-speckled shields on the back of
each champion. When Finn saw the bloody aspect of assassins
upon those men, he knew what they were, and did not allow
the enter tainment to proceed, but kept watching the crew
of veritable enemies that had come into the hostel to him.
And Finn was arrayed thus he had a broad-chested, wadded
corslet about him, in which were twenty-seven board-like,
compact, waxed shirts protecting his body against fights
and the hazards of battle.
It was but a short time after that when they heard the loud
angry hue and cry, and fierce, stark-naked men clamoring
and vociferating coming toward the stronghold where those
nobles were. And this is what they said, that the fian and
Finn’s people were slaughtering and attacking the cows and
the farmers of the land.
“We do not like these sudden raids,” said Fer-li.
“It shall be well, however,” said Finn; “for any damages
shall be suitably made good, for two cows shall be given
for each single cow, and two sheep for one.”
“It is not for that purpose thou hast come,” said Fer-li,
“but to slay us as thou hast slain our father and our
grandfathers before us.” And as he said that he attacked
Finn suddenly, furiously, like one out of his senses. But
that was not an attack unawares, for Finn and his people
responded to it stoutly, martially, wrathfully, and the
battle was fought between them manfully, bravely, fiercely,
upon the central floor of the hostel. And Fer-tai was
Intervening and was protecting Finn. However, the champions
did not deign to look at each other until thrice nine brave
warriors had fallen between them upon the floor of the
hostel.
It was then that Iuchna Ardmor, wife of Fer-tai and mother
of Fer-li, heard the turmoil of the multitude and the
fierce shouts of the warriors as they were hacking each
other, and she came to the hostel, tore her checkered coif
from her head, loosed her fair yellow hair, bared her
breasts, and said, “My son, it is the ruin of honor and
disgrace to a soldier and a reproach to tell and dispelling
of luck to betray the princely Finn of the Lan; and now
quickly leave the hostel, my son,” said she.
And Fer-li left the hostel to his mother. And as he went
forth be said, “I announce battle to thee to-morrow, Finn.”
“That battle will be responded to,” said Finn, “for we
should be in no strait, if we were an equal number to give
battle to thee.” And that night Finn was served until he
was satiated, invigorated, and cheerful, both he and his
fian. And Finn said, “It ill suits my honor that Per-li
should importune me to-night nor grant me fair play. A time
will come,” said he, “when no one will grant fair play to
another,” and then he made this lay:
O Fer-li, whether it will be long or short till it come,
the time when the keen man will come he will not submit to
the like of thee.
He will be put down in the time of the blue-weaponed
foreigners, nor will he get Ireland from me, but a rout in
the north and a rout in the south.
The time will come when the foreigners will be slaughtered.
Whether it be long or short till it come, it is senseless
for anyone to overthrow his children.
I am Finn; good is your ale: so drink and drink! Since thou
dost not grant justice or fair play, thy grave will be on
the Boyne, O man.
When he had finished that song Finn said: “Warriors, I fear
the words which Fer-li speaks to us, remembering his feud
against us. It is true indeed,” said he, “that I have seen
Garad son of Morna in the battle of Cruinmoinn cutting down
the fian so that they did not dare to face him for the
boiling wrath of the champion. And indeed I have also seen
the veteran in sore plight by the Ban,” said Finn, and then
he spoke the lay:
Iuchna Ardmor daughter of Goll, mother of Fer-li of slender
hand; many are they whose head he has bowed; the son
resembles Goll.
Fer-li son of Fer-tai without fault, Emer who is accustomed
to many a fight, my two foster-sons will fall with me; to
me they grant no justice, meseems.
I saw Garad early; he would drain a lake as though it were
a river; on the day he fell by the fian ‘twas he that cried
ah! and woe!
Goll was splitting shields; there was the lord that dealt
out blood! in the battle of Cruinmoinn his hand and his
wrath seethed.
Thereupon Fer-tai son of Uaithne Lrgalach came into the
house where Finn was and sat down by Finn’s side and
pressed drink and merriment upon him, and said, “It is for
this that the battle has been proclaimed against thee
to-morrow, O royal fian-chief, because thou art without a
host or multitude.”
“I am by no means in that condition,” said Finn. “For the
son of the King of the Men of Fannal is by my side, that is
Loegaire of the Swift Blows, and he will keep off three
hundred warriors from me in this battle. And Cedach Citach
son of the King of Norway is with me, who came to avenge
his brothers upon me and the fian; and when he had seen the
hounds and the men of the fian he fell greatly in love with
them and abandoned his intent of plunder and spoliation and
stayed with me. And he will keep off three hundred
battle-armed warriors from me in the battle, O Fer-tai,”
said Finn. “And there are many other full-bold warriors of
fierce deeds by my side who are eager for fight and agile
in con ffict and of unwearied powers and furious in the
onset”; and then he spoke the lay:
Mac Duib son of Salmor of the cloaks, Loegaire of the Swift
Blows, they will slay three hundred champions, the prophecy
shall not be falsified.
There is here the son of Norway’s king, Cedach Citach of
the com bats; by him three hundred of the host shall fall,
of warriors fierce and sword-red.
Woe to him who will oppose the fian when all shall rise for
combat! They do not refuse hard battle, reckless they rise
all at once.
When the Luagne come to battle to-morrow in the morning, by
dint of shields and blades and hands many a mother will be
without a son.
That night they were discussing the appointed battle and
conflict of the morrow. In the early-bright morning Finn
arose and sent messengers for his people, who responded
stoutly, bravely, and proudly from all directions; and Finn
with his fifteen hundred; warriors went to Ath Brea on the
southern Boyne, and they arrayed themselves in battle-order
upon the bottom of the ford in a mass of shields and swords
and helmets.
As for Fer-tai son of Uaithne Jrgalach and Fer-li son of
Fer-tai, they gathered their host and multitude, and they
came in fine, huge, brave, companies to one place, so that
they were three thousand battle-armed warriors. And they
came to Ath Brea and when they saw the small number on the
other side upon the bottom of the ford, they grumbled at
it. And this is the counsel they took they took their
dresses of battle and combat about them and advanced in
their light dresses and in their ponderous armor And these
are the nobles that were put in the front of the battalion
of the “pillars,” that is, Fer-tai son of Uaithne Jrgalach,
and Fer-h son of Fer-tai, and Emer Glunglas son of Aed son
of Garad son of Morna, and the five sons of Urgriu of the
ancient tribes of Tara, and the three Tablinnachs from the
stable plain of Fermoy, and the Luagne of Tara as well.
Now when the manful, puissant, powerful, terrible,
fierce-battling prince of the fian, and the valorous,
fierce, combative hero Finn mac Cumaill of many battalions
beheld that battle-phalanx arrayed against him, “It seems
to me,” said he, “those men are giving us battle in
earnest. And O my messenger Birgad,” said Finn, “go and
speak to those people and offer them terms.”
“What terms?” said Birgad.
“I will tell you,” said Finn. “It is I that gave them their
wealth and territory and their landed estates, and I will
give them as much again if they will not at this time come
against me. And remind them that they are foster-sons of
mine,” said Finn.
Then Birgad the female messenger came to where those nobles
were and told them that. “It is just to accept the terms,”
said Fer-tai, “for Finn loves thee dearly, Fer-li,” he
said. “For thou wast one of the twelve men that used to be
with Finn in his house; and thou always hadst the first of
counsel from him and the last of drink. And thou art a
foster-son of his,” said he.
“I pledge my word,” said Fer-li, “that I and Finn shall
never again drink together in friendship, nor will I ever
enter his house again.”
“That is ill advice,” said Fer-tai, “because Finn is a
noble, puissant, excellent prince,” said he, “for he with
his fian is valiant and ready for fight and attack. And I
have seen Finn in battles and combats, and I never saw his
equal for swiftness, for vigor, for fury, for hardness, for
boldness, for fierceness, for heroism in slaying hosts and
multitudes”; and then he spoke this lay and Fer-li replied:
Fer-tai. Woe to him who would give battle to the fian if he
were in his senses,—their deeds are fierce. It were better
to stay by Fiim himself and to go submissive to his house.
Fer-li. I shall not go to Finn, I shall meet him in the
round of battle, and I shall not stay by him, nor shall I
go submissive to his house.
Fer-tai. Finn is good at cutting down the battalions; his
is the vanquish ing hand in every direction; whoever fights
with the brilliant king, it is woe to himself, it seems to
me.
“It is ill advice,” said Fer-tai, “to give battle to Finn,
on account of his nobility and fierceness and valor.”
“Not so at all,” said Fer-li; “we shall accept nothing at
all from him but battle. For yon decrepit old warrior will
not stand up against us,” said he, “for readiness and
bravery in the up-rising of battle”; and the messenger
turned back and reported these words to Finn.
“I pledge my word,” said Finn, “if our army would come to
us, we should not propose those terms to them. Go thou
again, my messenger,” said Finn, “and offer them further
terms.”
“What further terms?” said the messenger.
“The award of judges, and in addition to it their own award
to them.”
And again the messenger came and offered those terms. “It
is just to accept the terms,” said Fer-tai; “and whoever
has given battle to Finn unjustly has always been routed by
Finn”; and Fer-tai spoke a lay thus and Fer-li replied:
Fer-tai. I have seen Finn cutting down hosts on which he
broke the battle; to fight with him is an unequal contest,
woe to him who goes to meet him!
Fer-li. Finn will not go without fighting him though fierce
be his prowess, until he be as I wish, without sense,
without reason.
Fer-tai. The men of Moinmuig will be there with mighty
blades; from your conflict, 0 fearless fian, oxen will be
without a yoke.
“It is time for me to depart now,” said the messenger.
“No other substance or terms will be accepted from you
except battle,” said Emer Glunglas son of Aed son of Garad;
and so said the sons of Urgriu son of Lugaid Corr, and so
said the Luagne of Tara.
The messenger went and gave a true account to Finn; “and
they say that you are a worn-out, feeble-handed old man,
Finn,” said the messenger.
“I pledge my word,” said Finn, “that I will fight them like
a youngster,” and then he spoke this lay:
The ancient Luagne of Tara with false words, if they come
to Brea, I shall give vigorous battle.
The son of Aed son of Garad, Emer Glunglas, this is the end
of his sway to be in this battle.
The sons of Urgriu will fall in witness of it; every wrong
which I recount, to them it shall be destruction.
Foes will deem it sport when they scatter spears; they will
carry with them on their lips the ancient stories.
Thereupon Finn said, “Go, my messenger, and offer them
further terms on account of the pride of their host and the
excellence of their prowess and the boldness of their
noblemen and the daring of their counsel; for every enemy
is unforgiving, my messenger,” said he; “and offer them
their own award, for a battle without terms is not good.”
So Birgad the messenger came to where those chieftains were
and offered them their own award. “We shall not accept
substance nor terms nor territory nor land, but battle, so
that we may avenge our ancient wrongs,” said the old
warrior. And Fer-li attempted to kill the messenger but he
was prevented. “I pledge my word for it,” said Fer-li, “O
Birgad, if thou art seen again, that I will shorten thy
life.”
And Birgad returned upon the road and lifted up her dress
to the rounds of her legs, her tongue quivering with the
great danger in which she was, and so she came to where
Finn was.
“O royal chief of the fian,” said Birgad, “those yonder
have with one accord taken their counsel against you,” said
she, “and act bravely against those warriors and the Luagne
of Tara.”
“It shall be done, then,” said Finn; “for the debtor’s
speech which I shall hold with them will be bloody and
crushing, wrathful and relentless.”
Then rose the royal chief of the fian of Erin and Scotland
and of the Saxons and Britons, of Lewis and Norway, and of
the hither islands, and put on his battle-dress of combat
and conflict, a thin, silken shirt of wonderful, choice
satin of the fair-cultivated Land of Promise over the face
of his white skin: and outside over that he put his
twenty-four waxed, stout shirts of cotton, firm as a board,
about him, and on the top of these he put his beautiful
plaited, three-meshed coat of mail of cold, refined iron,
and around his neck his graven gold-bordered breastplate,
and about his waist he put a stout corslet with a decorated
firm belt with gruesome images of dragons, so that it
reached from the thick of his thighs to his arm-pit, whence
spears and blades would rebound. And his stout-shafted
martial, five-edged spears were placed over against the
king, and he put his gold-hafted sword in readiness on his
left, and he grasped his broad-blue, well-ground Norse
lance, and upon the arched expanse of his back he placed
his emerald-tinted shield with flowery designs and with
variegated, beautiful bosses of pale gold, and with
delightful studs of bronze, and with twisted stout chains
of old silver; and to protect the hero’s head in battle he
seized his crested, plated, four-edged helmet of beautiful,
refined gold with bright, magnificent, crystal gems and
with flashing, full- beautiful, precious stones which had
been set in it by the hands of master-smiths and great
artists.
And in that way he went forth, a famous tree of upholding
battle, and a bush of shelter for brave warriors, and a
stable stake for hosts and multitudes, and a protecting
door-valve for warriors and battle-soldiers of the western
world; nor did he stop in his course until he reached the
brink of the ford. Truly it was no wonder that the kingship
of Erin and Scotland and the headship of the fian of the
whole world would be in the hands of Finn mac Cumaill at
that time; for be was one of the five masters in every
great art, and one of the three sons of comfort to Erin,
along with Lug Lamfada son of Cian, who ousted the race of
Fomorians from Ireland; and Brian Boruma (Boru) son of
Cennedig, who brought Ireland out of bondage and oppression
so that there was not a winnowing-sheet of any kiln without
a Norse slave to work it until Brian cast them out; and
Finn mac Cumaill, the third son of comfort to Ireland, who
expelled from Ireland marauders and reavers and monsters
and many beasts and full many a fleet of
piles and every other pest. And there came a plague to
Ireland from one corner to another; and for a whole year
Finn fed the men Ireland and put seven cows and a bull in
every single farmstead in Ireland.
Now, however, that illustrious puissant chieftain came and
pledged the small host that was with him to behave bravely
gainst the army before them. And the fifteen hundred fian
warriors that were with Finn rose at the powerful urging of
the voice of their lord; and each warrior leaped into his
coat of mail snd grasped his sword and seized his lance, so
that they were a mass of shield and sword and helmet around
Finn mac Cumail and Cedach Citach son of the King of
Norway, and around Loegaire of the Swift Blows the son of
Dub son of Salmor son of the King of the Men of Fannall,
and around Aed Ballderg son of Faelan son of Finn, and the
three Cus of Moinmuige. And they lifted up a dense, vast,
huge, dark-red, and flaming forest of stout-shafted,
martial, fire-edged spears and of broad-blue lances and of
bloody, red-edged javelins, and made a triumphant, angry,
fierce fold, and a firm, compact, indestructible,
inseparable platform of beautiful, bulging shields, and of
delightful, all-white shields, and of graven, emerald
shields, and of crimson, blood-red shields, and of shining,
variegated shields, and of crimson, spiky shields, and of
yellow-speckled, buffalo-horn shields. It was enough of
horror and heart-trembling to their enemies to see them in
that wise, for the venomousness of their weapons and the
warlike array of their equipment and the stoutness of their
hearts and the ferocity of their intent. And they made a
fierce, swift, light-winged, intrepid rush in their well
arranged phalanx and in their destructive mass and in their
furious band to the center of the ford.
Then from the other side came to the ford the three
thousand battle-equipped warriors that the “pillars” of
Tara numbered, and put their attire of battle and contest
about them, and their trumpets were sounded before them,
and their war-cries were raised defiantly, and their battle
was put in order, and their impetuous, bold soldiers and
their fierce warriors and their valiant heroes were arrayed
in the forefront of the mutual smiting, that is, Fer-tai
son of Tlaithne Irgalach, and Fer-li son of Fer-tai, and
Emer Glunglas son of Aed son of Garad, and the five sons of
Urgriu, and Aithlech Mor son of Dubriu, and Urgriu himself,
and the three Tablinnachs: from the stable plain of Fermoy.
And they made a swarming, swift, torrential rush to the
center of the ford from the other side against Finn and his
people.
And they did not long rest content with looking at each
other, before the two armies flung themselves against one
another. And they uttered loud, mighty shouts so that their
echo rang in woods and rocks, in cliffs and river-mouths
and the caves of the earth and in the cold outer zones of
the firmament. And there were hurled between them showers
of bloody, sharp-edged javelins, and of broad ball-spears
for throwing, and of hard, mighty stones. And the battle
became closer and the conflict intense, and the slaughter
grew vast, and the combat became embittered, and each
warrior attacked another vehemently, fiercely, impatiently,
furiously, madly, and they made an angry, wrathful,
crushing, masterful, brisk, bitter, earnest fight, and they
flung huge stones to break each other’s heads and skulls
and helmets, and the fringes of the two armies became
mingled in confusion. Then indeed many a stout spear was
broken, and many a hard-ground sword bent, and many a
shield shattered, and helmets and head-pieces broken to
pieces, while soldiers and champions were inflicting
wounds. Then there were many bodies maimed and skins
lacerated, and sides pierced, and bold warriors mangled,
and champions cut down, and bodies of heroes in their
litter of blood. It was enough to kill half-hearted
warriors and cowards merely to behold the transverse
smiting of the crooked blades upon the shoulders of men,
and to hear the roar of the champions as they fell, and the
clangor of the shields as they were split, and the crack of
the lined corslets as they were broken, and the ringing of
the swords upon the crests of helmets, and the outcry of
the hosts as they were defending themselves against the
champions.
And the warriors did not cease from the deadly conflict
until from one end to the other the ford was crimson and
turbid, and until with the mass of blood that flowed out of
the warriors’ wounds the heavy troubled waters of the Boyne
from the ford downward were a blood-red foaming cauldron.
Then came a couple of Finn’s people into the battalion of
the “pillars,” that is Tnuthach son of Dubtach, and Tuaran
son of Tomar, and these two brought disaster upon the
troops, so that nine warriors fell by each of them, until
two of the sons of Urgriu came against them in the battle,
so that the four fought together. And that couple of Finn’s
people fell by the sons of Urgriu in the confines of the
combat.
Thereupon a fierce, implacable warrior of Finn’s people
came into the battalion of the “pillars,” namely, Loegaire
of the Swift Blows son of Dub son of Salmor son of the King
of the Men of Fannall, and he made a breach of a hundred in
the battle right in front of him, and he plied his wrath
upon the Luagne of Tara, so that one hundred warriors of
the people of Fer-li fell by it. However, when Fer-li saw
the spreading of the slaughter and that great royal
clearance and the battle-breaking which Loegaire wrought on
his people, he came to meet him.
“Furious are these onslaughts, O Loegaire,” said Fer-li.
“It is true, indeed,” said Loegaire, “and no thanks to
thee. ‘Tis not a friendly discourse which you have held
with our people.”
Then came a hundred flaming full-keen warriors of Fer-li’s
people against Loegaire in battle, and they all fell by
Loegaire’s hand before the eyes of their lord. And Loegaire
wounded Fer-li, and in return for his wound Fer-li wounded
him. And just then there came another hundred angry
implacable warriors of Fer-li’s people, and those hundred
also fell by Loegaire’s hand in the confines of the battle.
And he wounded Fer-li and Fer-li wounded him. However,
these two pledged each other to encounter and combat, so
that they planted stout-shafted martial hard-socketed
spears into each other’s sides and ribs. It was confusion
to the companies and trembling to the battalions to be
looking on at the encounter of these two, until Loegaire
fell by Fer-li in the confines of combat, and Fer-li
boasted of the triumph.
That did not intimidate or frighten Finn or his people, but
they pressed the battle and urged the attack. After the
fall of Loegaire came Cedach Citach son of the King of
Norway, into the battalion of the “pillars,” and terrible
were the slaughters which he wrought among the battalions
round about him, so that sole would touch sole, and aim
arm, and neck neck, wherever he went among the enemy. When
Emer Glunglas beheld the slaughter of the warriors and that
onset of the royal hero, he came himself to meet Cedach
like an angry combative bull to a trial of strength. When
they saw one another they rushed at each other stoutly for
the contest, so that everyone who was Looking on was
confounded. However, three hundred valiant, fierce warriors
fell between them, and their household guard fell, nor was
there any help found against the men, and to come near them
was certain end of life. They never spared one another~s
body until they both fell at each other’s hands in the
presence of the battalions.
Then came Aed Ballderg son of Faelan Finn among the hosts
of the “pillars,” and a wide passage was made for him in
the battle, so that he was terrible to see wherever he
went. And Aitlech Mor son of Dubriu, and Aed met in battle,
so that thrice nine warriors of the flower of Urgriu’s
people fell by Aed Ballderg, and they made a valiant bloody
heroic combat against one another. Those were terrible
wounds and perilous maimings, and intersecting were the
injuries which they inflicted on each other’s bodies, until
Aed Ballderg fell in the confines of the combat.
Now when the prince of the fian, Finn, saw that the
champions of the fian were laid low and that their strong
men had fallen and men of rank had been slain, the perfect,
wise chieftain understood that fame was more lasting than
life for him and that it was better for him to die than to
flinch before the enemy. ‘Twas then the royal fian-chief
came to the hosts of the “pillars,” and his spirits grew
high and his courage rose and he quickened his hands and he
plied his blows, so that his bird of valor arose over the
breath of the royal warrior, so that crowds of warriors
were unable to stand against his prowess, so that men fell
round his knee and a heap of them was piled up in their
maimed-bodied and bloody-truncated necks and litter of gore
wherever he would go into the battle. And he went among
them and through them and over them like a fierce, furious
bull that has been badly beaten, or like a lion whose young
have been wounded, or like a turbulent wave of deluge that
in the time of flood spouts from the breast of a high
mountain, breaking and crushing everything that it reaches.
And three times he went round the battalion of the
“pillars,” as the woodbine hugs a tree, or as a fond woman
clasps her son, and the crushing of thighs and shin-bones
and halves of heads under the edge of his sword in the
battle was like the smiting of a smith in the forge, or
like the uproar of withered trees cracking, or like sheets
of ice under the feet of a cavalcade. And pale-faced and
buck-shaped sprites and red-mouthed battle-demons and the
specters of the glen and the fiends of the air and the
giddy phantoms of the firmament shrieked as they waged
warfare and strife above the head of the fian-chief
wherever he went in the battle. rAnd the royal warrior
never ceased from that onset until the bat tajion of the
“pillars” was annihilated both by slaughter and ~fljgbt,
all save Fer-li, Fer-tai, and the five sons of Urgriu.
When Fer-li saw Finn by himself without any troops to
protect him and without a friend to guard his back, he came
to meet him maid rehearsed his enmity against the royal
fian-chief. Finn answered Fer-li and said, “Thou wilt
thyself fall because of these feuds.” And these two began a
long combat on the spot. The encounter of these two was
impetuous, vengeful, stern, and of fierce strokes. The
harsh clashing of the swords and of the tusk-hilted blades
against the helmets of each other was horrible, parlous.
When Fer-li bad worn out his sword against the head and
body of the royal fian-chief, he seized his stout-shafted,
five-edged spear and made a stout, valiant, justly-poised
warrior-like cast at Finn, so that he sent the spear
through the ample dress which was about the royal warrior,
so that the spear pierced him through and through after
mangling his body. Angrily and destructively did the royal
fian-chief answer that murderous wound which Fer-li had
inflicted upon him, so that he gave him a fierce, hard,
bone- crushing blow with his sword, and struck his head off
his body. And Finn boasted of that veteran warrior and that
prop of battle having fallen by him.
However, when Fer-tai beheld his son falling he came
vehemently, sullenly, impatiently towards Finn, and said,
“Those in sooth are great deeds, Finn.”
“That is true,” said Finn, “and why hast thou not come
until now?”
“I had hoped thou wouldst have fallen by Fer-li, and I
should have liked thee to fall by him rather than by me.”
“Hast thou come to commiserate me,” said Finn, “or to
attack me?”
“To attack thee indeed,” said Fer-tai; “for nought of
lordship nor of wealth has been appointed for which I
should forgive the slaying of my son.”
And he attacked Finn without sense, without reflection, and
without sparing. Finn met that truly bold champion. Those
two performed many heroic feats to destroy and annihilate
each other; but it were difficult and impossible to give a
description of that fight, for the charges were bull-like,
headlong, and fierce, parlous and dangerous were the wounds
and cruel and terrible the injury which they infficted on
each other. And Fer-tai seized an opportunity of wounding
the royal fian-chief, and gave him such a thrust with his
spear that the wound yawned no less on the other side than
on the side on which he had struck. And in revenge for his
wound Finn dealt Fer-tai such a fierce blow with his sword
that neither the long corslet nor the compact wadding nor
the hard foreign armor was any protection to Fer-tai, so
that the champion fell to the ground in two heavy pieces.
And Finn boasted of having achieved that great deed.
This was the hour in which the five eons of Urgriu came
upon the scene and turned their faces toward Finn. When
Finn beheld these inveterate enemies making for him, he
avoided them not. And each of them planted a spear in the
royal fian-chief. And he replied to the five champions with
equal force and gave them wound for wound. When the sons of
Urgriu saw that the hero had been wounded in the earlier
combats which he had fought with Fer-tai and his son
Fer-li, and that he was feeble from loss of...
(The rest is lacking in the manuscript.)