58 History of Animal Plagues. 



slaughter (or) of people ; and they used to be before the eyes of the 

 people visibly (in daylight). The beginning of the great mor- 

 tality of oxen (bo-ar), that is, the unknown " maelgarbh/^ hav- 

 ing come for the first time/ ^ This expression Dr O'Connor 

 translates ' scabies valde insolita.' 



A.D. 992. A long and severe winter, and an extremely dry 

 summer, followed by famine. The wheat crops were affected 

 with blight or ergot, and the forage was generally of a bad 

 quality. Soon after there was a widespread and deadly epidemy 

 of ergotism {fou sacrd) in France. In this year, in Germany, 

 there was an extensive epizooty of carbuncular fever in the lower 

 animals." 



' A great mortality upon men {duine-hadh), cattle, and bees 

 in Ireland this year.' ^ Bees were largely kept in Ireland at 

 this time, and were a great source of wealth to the people. 



^ After these great troubles, there followed within a year after 

 such famine and scarcitie in South Wales, that many perished 

 for want of food.' * 



A.D. 994. 'A very rigorous winter, commencing on the nth 

 November, and lasting till the nth May. Pestilential and cold 

 winds blew, and heavy dews fell. Towards the middle of July 

 there was a great frost, and so severe was the drought, that the 

 fish died in many pools, and numbers of trees withered. The 

 flax and corn perished. A terrible plague broke out amongst 

 men, pigs, and sheep. In this year a grievous famine in many 

 parts of Saxony.' ^ In France ergotism {feu sacr4) was pre- 

 valent. 



A.D. 995. A comet was seen this year in England. A deadly 

 form of dysentery attacked man and beast, and proved most 

 destructive.® It was 'a worse year in Saxony than the former, 

 for so great a pestilence, which was named Osterludi, raged 

 amongst them, that not only their houses, but many of their 

 towns, remained empty, their inhabitants being dead.' "^ ' A 



1 Annals of Tighernach. 



' Spangenberg. Op. cit. Fabricius. Origines Saxon, p. 218. Wirth. Op. 

 cit. p. 85. 



^ Annals of Ulster. * D. Pcnvel. Hist, of Cambria. 



* Annales Quedlinburgens. Pertz, M. v. p. 72. 



^ Short. Op. cit. p. 93. ' Annal. Quedlin. 



