40 THE BA TTLE OF VENTRY. 



gaire fan fein. Is ann sin tuc Druimderg urrcar don Crod^rg chuigi gur cwrtha 

 ais ana bhel he gur aidhbli a hurgrainne do leith a chuil 'nas do leith a aidhche. 



725 Ro thuit imoro a sciath 7 ro baidh a lasair o dha thuit a thigearrna 7 rainic 

 Draimdherg chuigi 7 do scar a cheann re a colainn 7 ro maidh an morghnim 7 is 

 i sin cabhair is fearr leisan {ein fuaradar leisan fianghaisceadh riamh. 



[fo. 8b. I.] Asa aithli sin imoro do bruchtdhoirtedar nacatha ceachtarrdha coim- 

 dhicra comdhuthrachtacha sin fo cheiH ana coilltibh comdhlutha 7 ana m-bloisc- 



730 beim brodla 7 ana n-dubdhortaibh diieann co grod 7 gu garb 7 co gaibhtheach, 

 co borb 7 co badhbha 7 co brathamail, co dana 7 co dian 7 co deithfireach 7 rob' 

 imdha ann sin fead cloidem re cnaimh 7 trost cnamha ag a chirrbadh 7 colla arna 

 crechtnugud 7 suili arna saebdallud 7 doidi arna n-druimgerradh 7 mathair gan 

 mac 7 bean chaemh gan cheili. Ro freagradar imoro na duiH uachtaracha a 



735 comdail an chatha leo d' faisneis na n-olc 7 na n-imneadh budh cinnti do dhenamh 

 isin lo sin 7 do m^rlabhair an muir d' faisneis na n-easbadh 7 do thogadar na tonna 

 tromghair truaghadhbal da sirchaineadh 7 do bhuiredar na piasta da piastfaisn^is 

 7 do gheisedar na garbhchnuic le gabhadh na greisi sin 7 do crithnaz^^eadar na 

 coillti do chaineadh na curadh 7 ro gaireadar na glaschlocha o ghnimaibh na 



740 n-gerreann 7 do ghuiledar na gaetha ag admhail na n-ardecht 7 do crithna?^>^ an 

 talamh ac tarrngaire an tromair 7 do gormbrataigh an grian le gair feadhaigh na 



of Norway, and saw nothing of him without some armour except his mouth, and that wide 

 open as he laughed at the fiann. Then Druimderg made a cast with the Croderg at him 

 and hit him in his mouth, so that his hideousness was more awful from behind than from 

 before. Then his shield fell down, and its blaze went out as its master fell. And 

 Druimderg went up to him, and separated his head from his body, and boasted of his 

 great deed. And that was the best help the fiann ever got through the valour of one 

 of the fiann. 



Thereafter those two equally eager and keen armies poured forth against each other, 

 like dense woods, and with their proud noisy strokes, and spilling a black deluge, 

 actively, fiercely, perilously, angrily, furiously, destructively, boldly, vehemently, hastily, 

 and great was there the grating of swords against bones, and the cracking of bones 

 that were crushed, and bodies that were mangled, and eyes that were blinded, and arms 

 that were shortened to the back, and mother without son, and fair wife without mate. 

 Then the beings of the upper regions responded to the battle, telling the evil and the 

 woe that was destined to be done on that day, and the sea chattered telling the losses, 

 and the waves raised a heavy woeful great moan in wailing them, and the beasts howled 

 telling of them in their bestial way, and the rough hills creaked with the danger of that 

 attack, and the woods trembled in wailing the heroes, and the grey stones cried from 

 the deeds of the heroes, and the winds sighed telling the high deeds, and the earth 



734. freagxz.adar MS. 



