I. The Conception of Mongán

p. 42

Gaelic omitted. . .

p. 43

p. 44

I. The Conception of Mongán.

Fiachna Lurga, the father of Mongán, was sole king of the province. ¹ He had a friend in Scotland, to wit, Aedán, ² the son of Gabrán. A message went from him to Aedán. A [5] message went from Aedán to him that he would come to his aid. He was in warfare against Saxons. ³ A terrible warrior was brought by them for the death of Aedán in the battle. Then Fiachna went across. He left his queen at home.

While the hosts were fighting in Scotland, a noble-looking [10] man went to his wife in his stronghold in Rathmore of Moylinny. At the time he went there were not many in the stronghold. He asked the woman to arrange a place of meeting. The woman said there were not in the world possessions or treasures, for which she would do anything to disgrace her [15] husband's honour. He asked her whether she would do it to save her husband's life. She said that if she were to see him in danger and difficulty, ⁴ she would help him with all that lay in her might. ⁵ He said she should do it then, ⁶ 'for thy husband is in great danger. A terrible man has been brought against [20] him on whom they cannot . . ., and he will die by his hand. If we, I and thou, make love, thou wilt bear a son thereof. That son will be famous; he will be Mongán. I shall go to the battle which will be fought to-morrow at the third hour, so that I shall save him, and I shall vanquish ⁷ the warrior before the

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eyes of the men of Scotland. And I shall tell thy husband our adventures, and that it is thon that hast sent me to his help.'

It was done thus. When army was drawn up against army, the hosts saw something---a noble-looking man before the army of Aedán and Fiachna. He went towards Fiachna in [5] particular, and told him the conversation with his wife the day before, and that he had promised to come to his help at that hour. Thereupon he went before the army towards the other, and vanquished the soldier. And the battle was routed before Aedán and Fiachna. [10]

And Fiachna returned to his country. And the woman was pregnant and bore a son, even Mongán son of Fiachna. And he thanked his wife for what she had done for him, and she confessed all her adventures. So that this Mongán is a son of Manannán mac Lir, though he is called Mongán son of [15] Fiachna. For when he went from her in the rooming he left a quatrain with Mongán's mother, saying:

'I go home, ¹
The pale pure morning draws near: ²
Moninnán son of Ler [20]
Is the name of him who came to thee.'

Footnotes

44:1 As such he is enumerated in the list of the kings of Ulster in LL. p. 41 C.

44:2 King of the Scotch Dalriada (574-606).

44:3 As to Aedin's wars with the Saxons, see Reeves' Adamnan, p. 36, and Bede, Hist. Eccl. i. 34.

44:4 Lit 'if he were to see in danger anything that were difficult.'

44:5 Lit. 'with anything she were able.'

44:6 I read dagné, 3rd sg. of the present subjunctive with infixed pronoun.

44:7 fes, 1st sg. of the s-fut. of fichim, Lat. vinco. Cf. fessaiter .i. fichfitir, LL. 188 b, 6.

45:1 I take daim to stand for doim, date sg. of dom. f. = Lat. domus (gen. na domo, Rev. C. xiv. p. 454, l. 15). Or should we compare dia daim i. dia deoin, which occurs in Torhmarc Emire, Rev. C xi. p. 444, l. 38: luid Cúchulind dia daim huadaib, 'C. went of his (own) will from them'?

45:2 As to the construction of dofil with following acc., see Glossary.