INTR OD UC TION. xix 



spear at the king of Grcece, so that it pierced the strong-ringed coat of 

 mail and the twenty-seven truly broad shirts of defence that vvere 

 protecting his body. And those two fell by each other sole to sole, and 

 lip to Hp. Then the sword of Finn mac Cubain was found above the 

 ground of the harbour. ' I am sad that Tcmair Erann and Finn mac 

 Cubain have fallen,' said Finn mac Cumail, ' for nobody ever went 

 dissatisfied from it in our time, and he whom I should not sufifer in my 

 fort or in the fort of Cormac mac Airt a week, he would suffer (to stay) 

 in his own fort for the length of a year. And let Follamain (the son of 

 Finn) the son of Cuban be called to me/ said Finn, ' that we may give 

 him his father's name, so that Temair Erann may not be without a 

 Finn mac Cubain in it.' Thus it was done and they were there until 

 the next morning. ' Who will go and fight to-day?' said Finn. ' I will 

 do that,' said Goll Garb, the son of the kingof Scotland and the daughter 

 of Goll mac Morna, who had been educated for a long time before that 

 with Finn, and what tliere remained of the clanna Morna. Few of chief 

 heroes were left there, except Conan Mael mac Morna, whose hand was 

 good, if only his bad words and his deeds had not . . . Then arose GoU 

 Garb, and took his grey-venomous battle-dress around him, and a 

 wonderful sight was that battle-soldier at that time. A small apple 

 or a great whet-stone might have stood on the top of each hair of his ; 

 and he swallowed his (one) eye into the back of his curly head, 

 and his right eye flashed so that the blunt fist of a warrior 

 was not bigger than it, when he beheld the foreigners coming towards 

 him. And there came against him, viz. the three kings from the rising 

 of the sun in the east, namely Dubchertach mac Firamaisi Muilenn mic 

 Firluaith and Cuilenn mac Faebarglais, and three battalions in ordcr 

 with them. Then GoII went among them, through them and across 

 in his fiery terrible heat(.^) and like a horrible dangerous fearful leopard, 

 and every one that looked at him once could not look at him again for 

 the greatness of his fury and his anger. And he began to slay them and 

 to destroy them, so that there were more of their dead than of thcir 

 living. He mangled their bodies, and maimed their white necks, and 

 quickly cut off their arms and blinded their eyes for ever, so that their 

 mind and senses left them, and they asked a tr ce from GoII Garb to 

 stay the venom of his sword. And Goll Garb left off, and this was the 



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