§ Táin Bó Cúailnge "The Cattle Raid of Cooley" (12c.)
In the Táin, "the Cattle-Raid of Cooley" *1,
Fergus mac Roigh has just been equipped with the might sword ⇒Caladbolg , and it matches up against Conchobar's shield Ochain .
This is one of the central conflicts, as Fergus, the ousted fromer king of Ulster battles Conchubar, the king installed afterwards. The Ulstermen hear the noise of the sword battering against the shiled.
|
Tanic Conchobar reme go airm i cuala in cath do 5980
maidm ba trí ris atúaid. Acus gebid scíath
ra sciath and, .i. ra Fergus mac Róig, .i. in n-óchain Conchobair
cona cethri óeib óir & cona cethri sethrachaib [do]
derggóir. And-sain rabert Fergus tri balcbemmenda Bodba issin n-óchain Conchobair, go ro geis a scíath for Conchobar. A ra géised scíath Conchobair, ra géistis sceith Ulad uile. Gia ro bói da threisi & da tharpigi ra búail Fergus a sciath bar Conchobar, ra bói da chalmacht & da churatacht ra chongaib Conchobar in sciath, conna ra chomraic ó in scéith ra hó Conchobair cid itir.
|
Conchobar went his way to the place where he heard the battle had gone three times against him from the north, and he lifted shield against shield there, namely against Fergus mac Roig, even Ochain ('the Fair-ear') of Conchobar with its four ears of gold and its four bracings of red gold. Therewith Fergus gave three stout blows of Badb on the Ochain of Conchobar, so that Conchobar's shield cried aloud. Whenever Conchobar's shield cried out, the shields of all the Ulstermen cried out. However great the strength and power with which Fergus smote Conchobar on the shield, so great also was the might and valour wherewith Conchobar held the shield, so that the ear of the shield did not even touch the ear of Conchobar.
|
*1
Windisch, Ernst, 1844-1918. Die altirische Heldensage Táin Bó Cúalnge nach dem Buch von Leinster, in Text und Übersetzung mit einer Einleitung [und Wörterverzeichniss]. , pp. 865, 867, 874, 875
*2
Dunn, Joseph 1872-, The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Táin Bó Cúalnge, "The Cualnge cattle-raid," now for the first time done entire into English out of the Irish of the Book of Leinster and allied manuscripts,
(London: David Nutt. 1914)
*3
Kinsella, Thomas tr., The Táin; translated from the Irish epic Táin bó Cúailnge (London, New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1970.)
§ Táin Bó Cúailnge "The Cattle Raid of Cooley" (12c.)
In an earlier history of Scéla Conchubhair *1 it is told that Conchubar suroounded himself with the best champions
and would hold banquets for them:
{MS folio 107a}
- 17. INd Ochoin Chonchobair and .i. sciath Conchobair: cethri imle óir impe, ocus Fuban Conculainn, ocus Lamthapad
Conaill Cernaig, ocus ind &Ochnech Ḟlidais. ocus ind Orderg Ḟurbaide,
ocus in
- 12510]
Choscrach Causcraid, ocus ind Echtach Amairgin, ocus ind Ír Chondere. ocus in Chaindel Nuadat. ocus ind Leochain Fergusa.
ocus ind Uathach Dubthaig. ocus ind Lettach Errgi. ocus in Brattach
Mind, ocus ind Luithech Noisen. ocus ind Nithach Loegaire. ocus
in Chroda Chormaic. ocus in Sciatharglan Senchada, ocus in Chomla Chatha Cheltchair. Moo
- 12515]
- turim dano anro boí do sciathaib and olchena.
—ed. Whitley Stokes,
"Scéla Conchobair maic Nessa"
Ériu. vol. II., pp.23- *1
[LL ≅ 107a]
[≅ CELT: The Book of LeinsterVol. 2, section 1,
{107a-}
17. Therein was the Ochoin of Conchobar—that is, Conchobar's
shield: four rims of gold were round it. And Cúchulainn's Fubán,
and Conall Cernach's Lámthapad, and the Óchnech of Flidas, and
the Órderg of Furbaide, and the Coscrach of Causcrad, and the Echtach of Amergen, and the Ír of Condere, and the Caindel of
Nuada, and the Leochain of Fergus, and the Uathach of Dubthach,
and the Lettach of Errge, and the Brattach of Mend, and the
Luithech of Nóisiu, and the Nithach of Loegaire, and the Cróda of Cormac, and the Sciatharglan of Senchaid, and the Comla Chatha of Celtchar. More than can be numbered were all the
other shields therein. [Snippet view]
| |
Kinsella's more recent translation to the Táin is prefaced by
the Scéla Conchubhair, translated as "How Conchobar was Begotten and how he took the Kingship of Ulster," and there, the catalogue of shield-names runs thus *3:
Ochain was there, Conchobor's shield, the Ear of
Beauty — it had four gold borders around it;
Cúchulainn's black shield Dubán;
Lámthapad — the swift to hand — belonging to Conall
Cernach;
Ochnech belonging to Flidais;
Furbaide's red-gold Orderg;
Cúscraid's triumphant sword Coscrach;
death-daling Echtach that belonged to Amargin;
Condere's angry Ir;
Nuadu's Cainnel — a bright torch;
Fergus's hacking sword Leochain;
the fearful Uathach that belonged to Dubthach;
Errge's Lettach;
Menn's Brattach;
Noisiu's joyful Luithech;
Nithach the wounder belonging to Laegaire;
the bloody Croda of Cormac;
Sencha's resonant shield Sciatharglan;
Celtchar's Comla Catha, the Door of Battle;
and other shields beyond counting.
| | |
HOME > Fantasy Items Index >
Celtic Myth >
.