Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 3, 1892.djvu/496

 488 The Bodleian Dinnshenckas.

Cruachan, another fairy-king. Both occur in the Cophur in da muccida, ed. Windisch, Irische Texte, 3rd Series, part i, pp. 235 et seq.

Ljiimnech, anciently apphed to the lower Shannon only. O' Donovan, Topogr. Poems, p. 1.

According to the Book of Leinster, 247 a, the two champions passed through various existences, and were variously named. They were Rucht and Runce when they were two swineherds ; Ingen and Eitte (" Talon and Wing") when they were two kites (hawks?) ; Bled and Blod when they were two beasts under seas ; Rind and Faebur ("Point and Edge") when they were two champions; Scath and Sciath ("Shadow and Shield") when they were two phantoms; Crunniuc and Tunniuc when they were two worms ; and the Whitehorn of Ai and the Dun of Cualnge when they were the two bulls famed in the Tain Bo Cualnge.

[21. Sliab nEchtga.] — [13=^ 2] Sliab nEchtga can[as] rohainm- niged ?

Ni ansa .i. Echtga hUathach ingean Aurscathaigh^ ma/c Tindi Truim do Tuathfl/b Dea Donand. Is ann ro alt, hi Ciiil" Echtair hi toeb Nenta, la Moach Moelchenn. Roboi deogbaire Gaind ^ Sengaind oca cuingid .i. Ferg^^i' mac Ruide Lusca Beist. Is-^ arai asb(?rti Lusca P[ei]st de fobith peist ro alt assa lusca .i. assa noedenda^r/z/, inna medhon.

Rofaim ind ingin feiss da^^* leissium fodaig feraind cuchchaire ;] deoghbaire boi ina laim o ri n-0\neccmacht .1. o Moen co fairrgi insin. Ni boi ddiuo innmais laiss ~\ boi ferann. Boi, d^fio, inn- mais lasind ingin 3 ni boi ferann na horba, 3 issed connaitecht fair .1. fother fossad cona febaib. Roherbad di assliab ut .1. Echtga, ^ b^rtair di bai ann indorsa .1. b6 anntuaith ;] bo annddess, Unde SUab nEchta.
 * j beridh in b6 atuaith trian mblechta sech in mboin andess.

Echtga Uathach os gach blaidh, ingen airdairc Urscathaig* ; si conaitecht sliab nach slait {or Fergus 'na turfochraic.

Echta the Awful, daughter of Aurscothach, son of Tinne Tromm of the Tuatha De Donann. She was reared at Ciiil Echtair beside Nenta, by Moach Baldhead. The cupbearer of Gann and Sengann was wooing her, even Fergus son of Ruide, Lusca Beist. Why he was called " Lusca Beist" was because from his cradle {lusca), that is, from his infancy, he nourished a monster (beist) in his inside.

Now the girl consented to marry him for sake of the cook-and- cupbearer's land that he held from the King of Connaught. It extended from Moen to the sea. Fergus had no (movable) wealth, though he had land. The girl, however, had wealth, though she had neither land nor heritage. And this is what she demanded of him, even a firm fother (?) with its stock. Yon moun- tain, even Echtga, was entrusted to her, and two cows are now

1 MS. Aurscathaidh. 2 ms. ciuil. ^ ^5. beisti.

^ MS. Urscathaid