e.[3]

[10-10] Stowe.

[11-11] YBL. 42b, 29-30.

[a] Omitting _i tri_, 'in three'; it is not found in Stowe or in YBL.
and seems out of place here.

[1-1] Stowe.

[2-2] Stowe.

[3-3] Stowe.

[4]His wife, Finna[b] daughter of Eocho Salbuide ('Yellow-heel') stood over
him and she was in great sorrow, and she made the funeral-song below:--

"I care for naught, care for naught;
Ne'er more man's hand 'neath my head,
Since was dug the earthy bed,
Cethern's bold, of Dun da Benn!

"Kingly Cethern, Fintan's son;
Few were with him on the ford.
Connacht's men with all their host,
For nine hours he left them not!

"Arms he bore not--this an art--
But a red, two-headed pike;
With it slaughtered he the host,
While his anger still was fresh!

"Felled by double-headed pike,
Cethern's hand held, with their crimes,[c]
Seven times fifty of the hosts,
Fintan's son brought to their graves!

"Willa-loo, oh, willa-loo!
Woman's[d] wandering through the mist.
Worse it is for him that's dead.
She that lives may find a man![e]

"Never I shall take a man[e]
Of the hosts of this good world;
Never shall I sleep with man;
Never shall my man with wife!

[W.4485.] "Dear the homestead, 'Horse-head's Dun,'[a]
Where our hosts were wont to go.
Dear the water, soft and sweet;
Dear the isle, 'Isle of the Red!'[b]

"Sad the care, oh, sad the care,
Cualnge's Cow-raid brought on me:
Cethern, Fintan's son, to keen.
Oh that he had shunned his woe!

"Great the doings, these, oh, great,
And the deed that here was done:
I bewailing him till death,
Him that has been smitten down!

"Finna, Eocho's daughter, I,
Found a fight of circling spears.
Had my champion had his arms:
By his side a slaughtered heap!"[4]

[4-4] Stowe, H. 1. 13 and Add. 18,748.

[b] Reading Finna, to agree with the reading in LL., _supra_, page 279.
Inna, in Stowe, etc.

[c] That is, unshrived of their sins (?), a Christian intrusion

[d] Literally, 'heifer's.'

[e] Literally, 'a bull.'

[a] In Irish, _Dun cind eich_.

[b] In Irish, _Innis ruaidh_.

[4-4] See note 4, page 211.

* * * * *

[Page 283]

XXIII

HERE FOLLOWETH THE TOOTH-FIGHT OF FINTAN

[W.4502.] Fintan, himself the son of