34 



Mr. Petrie on the History and Antiquities of Tara Hill. 



Munster, and Eochaidh, the son of Eochaidh 

 Doimhlen of the Damnonii, over Leinster. These 

 then swore by the sun and moon, and by every 

 power which is in heaven and on earth, that 

 even though the provinciahsts should be able, they 

 would never contend with his descendants."— 

 Leabhar Gabhala, in Book ofLecan,fol. 296. 



pop Chonoaccaib, acup Gochaio TTIac 

 Daipi, pop mumham moip ocupeochaio mac 

 Gacbach tDoimlen do Oomnanncbaib, pop 

 CaijniB. TJo 50b pom cpa pacba jpeni 

 ocup epca coup each cumachcaich pil pop 

 mm ocup pop calmain, ciamDaip coimnepc 

 coiceoaich Bpeno, conapcaip coimnepc ppi 

 a clomo pin co bpach. 



The word Danar in the above extract, which literally signifies Dane, but 

 is there figuratively used, as it is to the present day, to denote a cruel person, a 

 foreigner, shews that the prose part of this work was compiled after the Danish 

 ravages in Ireland ; yet as several MSS. of it of the twelfth century exist, its 

 antiquity cannot be brought lower than that age, while the poems which it quotes 

 as authority are usually some centuries earlier. The poems given for the events 

 of Tuathal's reign are the compositions of Maelmura Othna, a distinguished poet 

 and historian, who was Abbot of Fahan, in the County of Donegal, and who, 

 according to the Annals of the Four Masters, died in 884. They are quoted 

 by O'Du vegan, who died in 1372, from King Cormac's Psalter, written, as it 

 is believed, before the year 900. 



In one of these poems the form of the pagan oath of the Irish Chiefs, as 

 recorded to have been sworn on this as well as on other important occasions, is 

 more minutely stated than in the prose ; and as this is perhaps the most ancient 

 authority in which it is found, and as it has never been hitherto published, it is 

 here given with a literal translation. 



Qce pacba po 50b Cuachal, 



Cpen ppi cobach, 

 Hem, calam, gpian, epca man, 



TTluip, cip copao, 

 Copa, lartia, beoil im cheanjca, 



Cluapa, puile, 

 Gchpoic, jai, pceich, cloiDim cpooa, 



Co na n-DUipe, 

 Opeacha oaine, opucc la oaichgen, 



Cpaij la cuili ; 

 Icb, blicc, mep, cac maic ap cena 



po jni DUini. 

 t)o paoao uili na pacha, 



Sin lap n-oli^eD, 



These are the sureties which Tuathai took. 



Mighty at exacting. 

 Heaven, earth, sun, pure moon. 



Sea, fruitful land, 

 Feet, hands, mouths with tongues, 



Ears, eyes, 

 Horses, javelins, shields, valiant swords 



With their hardness. 

 Countenances of men, dew with colours, 



Strand with flood ; 

 Corn, milk, fruit, each good likewise 



Which man doth. 

 These sureties all were given, 



According to law, 



