THE BATTLE OF VENTRY. 47 



Loiscinn Lomghluinigh 7 tainic ana ruathar roreatha amhail luas [f Jainnli na feirbi 

 na iarainne na mar sighi gaithi geiri glanuaire ac rochtain tar ceand machaire na 

 maighsleibhe dot iaraigh-si 7 dot iarmoracht tresan cath 7 nir fagaibh se cuil na 

 chearnn na aird na oirchinn na aireanach don chath gan iaraidh duit-si 7 tangadar 855 

 tri chaeca laech da theaghlach do lucht chulcoimeda leis isin chath 7 do conncadar 

 da fianghaisceadhach dot fein-si lad .i. Cairell Cathbuilleach 7 Aelchinn Cruachna 7 

 do indsaigheadar righ an domhain. Uair nir ail leo a leigin chugad-sa gan forder- 

 gadh doibh fen air 7 do thuiteadar lucht culcoimeda an righ leo 7 nir deargadar a 

 n-airm air fen 7 do thuiteadar-san araen leisean. 7 is mor an cathbheimneach catha 860 

 ata air ar fud an chatha ac rochtain chugad-sa.' 



Tainic imoro righ an domhain chuca fai sin 7 ni raibhe [fo. 9 b. 2.] a farradh 

 Finn ann sin acht Daelgus mac righ na Greigi 7 is ris aderthai Arcallach na tuaighi 

 duibhe .i. is e cedduine tuc tuagh leathan ar tus a n-Eirinn he 7 is hi ba harm do ann 

 sin. ' Tucus mo briathar/ ar se ' nach ligfinn Finn romain a cath no a comlann 865 

 co brach.' Eirghis Arcallach 7 tig builli barbarrdha don leathantuaigh bai 'na laimh 

 don righ, gur theasc an minn righ, co rainic an folt 7 ni tuc braen fola asa leathar. 

 Uair do impoigh a bel ar an tuaigh 7 tangadar caera teineadh fon faithce don billi 

 sin. 7 dorad an ri beim do-sum 7 dorinne dha chuit chudruma de. 



wit, Daire Donn, the son of Loiscenn Lomglunech, and he has come with the swift- 

 ness of a swallow or of a hare (?) or of a fawn, or like the gusts of a sharp pure-cold 

 wind coming across the head of a field or the side of a mountain, to seek thee and to 

 find thee out throughout the battle, and he has not left a corner or recess or quarter or 

 flank or front of the battle unsearched for thee. And three times fifty of his henchmen 

 have come with him into the battle as a rear-guard, and two warriors of thy fiann have 

 seen them, to wit, Cairell Cathbuillech (the Battle-striker) and Aelchinn of Cruachan, 

 and they have encountered the king of the world. For they were not willing to let him 

 to thee, without wounding him, and the rear-guard of the king have fallen by them, but 

 they have not reddened their weapons on him, and they have fallen through him 

 together. And great is the battle-striking of war at him in the midst of the fight 

 coming towards thee.' 



Then the king of the world came towards him, and nobody was there near Finn but 

 Daelgus, the son of the king of Greece, and he was called Arcallach of the Black Axe, 

 to wit, he was the first man that brought a broad axe into Erinn, and that was his 

 weapon there. ' I have given my word,' said he, 'that I would never let Finn into the 

 battle or fight before me.' Arcallach rose, and a barbarous blow of the broad axe, that 

 was in his hand, hit the king, so that it cut through the royal diadem and reached the 

 hair, but did not take a drop of blood out of his skin. For the lip of the axe turned, 

 and there went balls of fire over the plain from that blow. And the king of the world 

 gave him a blow and made tvvo equal portions of him. 



