CELT document G302002

King Eochaid has horse's ears

 p.46

VII

King Eochaid has Horse's Ears

The following story, now edited for the first time, will interest folklorists as an early Irish setting of two well-known and widely spread motives — the king with horse's ears, and the disclosure of a secret by musical instruments. A similar Irish story containing the same fusion of these two motives was published by Whitley Stokes in the second volume of the Revue Celtique, pp. 197 seq., from the commentary on the Amra Coluimb Chille in the Yellow Book of Lecan. Our version, which I would ascribe to the 10th century, is found in the Stowe manuscript D. 4. 2, fo. 32b1–53b2. It is entitled: Inni diata cuslinn Brighde ⁊ Aidhed mic Dhíchōime 'Whence is (St.) Brigit's pipe, and the Death of Dichoim's Son.'

I give here only the first part of this story leaving out the end which tells how St. Brigit took the pipe away from Mac Dichoime for having abducted a maiden in the service of her namesake Sen-Brigit, and how Mac Dichoime, deprived at the same time of his paramour and his beloved pipe, died.

The manuscript is carelessly written and requires numerous corrections.


unknown

Edited by Kuno Meyer

 52b1

Inní díatá Cuislinn Brighde ⁊ Aidhed Meic Díchōime

[1] [B]āi rí amra for h-Ib Failgi fecht n-aill .i. Eochaid a ainm. Būi ainim mōr forsin rīgh .i. dā n-óó eich ( pill) fair. Is amlaid immorro boī in rí ⁊ mind n-órdha 'na urthōcbālta ūas a chind do díchleith a ainmbe. In inbuidh immorro a berrtha no thēghed i fássaigibh ⁊ dīambraib ⁊ i n-āiddib dīcheltaibh dia berrad. In berrthaid  p.47 immorro nī thiced cen a marbad. Ba sí insin dūass ⁊ duilgine a berrthadha.

[2] Boī immorro mac brāthar dó ina thegluch. Ōengus a ainm ⁊ nī h-ed don-gairthi acht Mac Díchōime, ar bá Díchōem ainm a máthar ⁊ is ūaithi no ainmnigthe a m-mac, ar ba maith in máthair, cīarbo díchōem. Occlāech dono án amnass airgech ē-sede ⁊ is é no berradh in slūagh ⁊ is lais no bíd cerd glēsta a n-ech. h-É dono no indsmad a slegha ⁊ a sithslata ⁊ a n-goī ⁊ a l-laghna lethangéra. h-É dano nodas-pettad di fhethchoisig ⁊ timpānacht, do dhūanaibh ⁊ duchannaibh, do fāthrannaib h-espa ⁊ airchetail. Bá án dano h-ellomglicc int ī-ssiu h-ic snām ⁊ h-ic selgairecht. Ba h-urdairc i cerdaibh gaile ⁊ gaiscid int ī-siu .i. Ōengus mac Dīchōeme, co m-ba sercaid  52b2 sænimail ar gdh ⁊ inmhaine do feraibh ⁊ do mnāib. Ocus cid in rīghan .i. bean Eochadha nī fhūathaighedh a h-urscēla ⁊ ar-fæmfad a chomlaige, dīa m-bad chumma thol dia fir feisin ⁊ dīssi.

[3]  Ro līad ttra ind rīghan fon scēim sin for mac féta fin[d] Dīchōeme, co cūala cāch ⁊ co cūala in rī .i. Eochaid. Tnūthaighis tra in rī fria [mac a] brāthar ⁊ mīannaighis dia mharbad. Ba meabul lais dono a marbad tria ét, co tāncatar techtaire a dochum maic Dīchōem[e] ara tīssadh lais di chūairt araile fāssaigh. Et dí fāthaib dono do-cūas cuca-som sech cách ar mhīan a berrt[h]a, h-ūair tāinicc impach in berrtha, ocus do dhīgail ⁊ do h-indechadh a fergi ⁊ a h-eōit fair īarma īarna berradh. Bá tār mōr laisna slōghaib a n-ní-sin, ar ba derb lethu ar nā tīssa[d] int í-sin Mac Findchōeme īar m-[be]arbad in rīgh, feib nā toracht nech rīam reme.

[4]  Luidis in gilla lais insin fāssach ⁊ fo-gabat fāstech and. “Ba ferr dūn ar m-berradh”, for in rī, “fo bīth is ar n-ūathadh.” “Am imtūailnge-se dono”, ar in gilla, “do dagh-berrtha”, ⁊ no-mberrand īarsin. “In maith ⁊ in maissech fil in cenn-sin īarna nūaberrad?” ol sē. “Is maith dano”, ol in gilla, “⁊ rop ferr ar cāch bess.” Righidh in rī a lāim do indsaigid a claidhib do marbad in gilla. “Meise no-mbēra”, ar in gilda, “⁊ do-bēra bēim de h-it chend-siu, a fhinghalaigh, co nā derna finghail for nech n-aile dom h-ēissi. Faicfe do mnāi ⁊ do h-orbhai ⁊ t' atharthir ⁊ do rīghi donn lō-so, a capaill chlūasmhár brēnchinn! Do-cicheta ilslōigh ⁊ sochaidi lium-sa do chenn īarna bein dīt”, ⁊ nochtais in gilla in claidheb ⁊ tōcbaiss ūass a chind dia thairbert fair ⁊ dia marbad. “Dess Dē thairiss”, ol Eochaidh. “Ní h-eadh  53a1 bīas etrunn, a gillai. For-bīa-ssa h-i comtomailt ma grāda-sa ⁊ tussa nom-berrfa dogrēs, acht ba maith  p.48 do rūn arna facca lim-sa.” “Bidh maith”, ol in gilla, “⁊ iss ed bīas and cairrdine tuillid don sceōl-sa.”

[5] Dolotar īarum dia tig a ndís ⁊ ba fāilidh in slūagh di sain. Ba galar mōr immorro don gillu gabāil im a rūn, condarulád h-i serc sīlige ⁊ h-i mbruth ⁊ i clamsaine ⁊ h-isin tróge cen nert, cen lāthar. Luidh in gillai laa n-ōen ann do īarair leigis ⁊ lesaigthi do thig araile fāthlegha bōi h-i nGensilliu. Occ techt dō dar Mōna[i]d Cōemtechta h-i nGensiulliu dofuit for a bēolu, co rōemdetar teōra fetāna fola asa bēlaib ⁊ assa srōnaib ⁊ bá slán di sain in gilla.

[6] In lá aile h-i cind blīadna dochōid in slōgh ⁊ intī mac Dīcōema cosin maghin cétna i torchair ⁊ in ro-scē a rún ⁊ h-incoisscid don slūagh: “Sunna” ar sé “romīcad-sa ⁊ ro-scēos trī srotha fola,” ⁊ turcbais r[a]ind:

  1. Sunna ro-hīccad amne
    intī siu mac Díchōeme
    do scēith 'ma rūin, rūathar ngarb,
    for Eochaid n-ūathmar n-agarb.
  2. Dīa lod d'īarair mo leigis
    īar mbliadain rūin ro-gabus
    romchuir h-i seirg seimne sé
    h-im-meirbe ocus h-im-mīgnē.
  3. Fetdāin fola, ferrde dam,
    darm bēl, darm srōin ros-ralad,
    rodāil mo Dīa h-i crunna
    condat cia filet sunna.

  4. S.
At-conncatar tra na slūaig na tēora flesca fhīrdīrghe ⁊ nī fetatar cía at-feta. Lēcais in slōgh remi de ⁊ anais fri cró comcruind do gnīm impu ⁊ cingis i ndegaid in tslōigh īar scaich ⁊ īar scuir a h-opra.

[7] Iar sin tra doroacht aroile fer cerddha do h-innagaid Eochach a tīrib Muman .i. cruittire amra ēside co aithib aurchetail. Iss ed dono do-rala, for cōi don crū cusna flescaibh ⁊ bātar h-i comdēscin na flesc. Co n-epert ind flesc fri araile: “Eochaid fer scēith, dā n-óe n-eich fair.” Rāidsit in sin fo trī. “Is maith dūn adhbunn de-seo for ar cruit,” co n-epert:

  1. Comrād na flesc, cech ladna,
    nipsam lesc ra lūathlabra,
    dogēnath adhbann triam chruit
    corop adband ard urdairc.
  2.  p.49
  3. Eochaid fer scēith scenmda a sccuir
    n-óe n-e[i]ch ro-glenamair,
    rāidsecha sain na slat slān,
    torud cocuir is comrād.

  4. C.

[8]  53a2Luid 'ar sain in cruitire do thigh in rīg ⁊ ro-ferad fāilte mōr fris lasin rīg. Bertair dano h-i tigh lighi ind rīg. “Sennaidh” for sē, ol Eochaid “cruit menmannraid dūn!” “Maith dūn,” ol sēat. Insucut do senmaim dó ⁊ i[s ed] sennait īarum .i. “Eochaid fer scēith, dā n-óe n-eich fair.” “Tucthar tene ⁊ caindel isin tegh!” ol in rī. Feib dorūacht in tene ⁊ dorocratar na caindle ⁊ na sutralla solasta: “Oirgidh” ol sé “for broinne na cruitire ⁊ no-dos-cenglaid!” ⁊ docūas ōn focētōir co ro-cenglaid ⁊ bātar co matain 'na cengaltaib.

[9] Ticc in slūagh arabārach. “Robo ferr” ol na cruitire “cen ar marbad co fessa tú ar cinaidh rīasiu ro-marbtha.” “Oirged cāch imach!” ol Eochaid. “Atmhaidh,” ol sē, “cīa ō tuccsaid in adhpund ucut.” “Is ed inso,” ol sēat. “Na flescca ro-cansat dūn, iss īat ro-hās[a]tar a scēith maic Dīchōeme.” “Is fīr,” for sē. “Is annssa do dāinib gabāil im rūnaib ro-dochtaibh, an tan nāt cumgat cidh na crainn gabāil fair. Fūaslaicidh donaib cruitirib!” for sē. Gataid a cathbar[r] dia chiunn: “Is so amail tū-ssa,” ol sē, “a h-uu Failge!” Co n-epert:

  1. Cathbarr 'mom cenn, bá mod mór,
    do dhín mo locht for cach slōgh:
    ūand ūair siu sūas co līn mbla
    do dīn mo clūas nī thiccfa.
  2. A h-ūi Failge, fēgaid sein
    clūassa Echach dā n-ōe n-eich:
    nī ceiledh cāch h-ic a thigh
    clūassa Echach d'fhírfaiccsin.
  3. Mōr in monor rún im nī,
    dūr a dēnam dom ēissi,
    a aithle cāich ro-dass-marb
    ba h-aithne āigh, ba h-aggarb.
  4. Nī fētfa nech rún amne
    a aithle maic Dhīchōeme,
    ' sa h-aithle scēoil na trī crann
    mé dom dheōin nī gēb cathbharr.

  5. Cathbarr.
 p.50 “Nī ba lughaide ttra” ol sēat, ar h-ūi Failge “do grādh-su do inmhuine dūin[n] ⁊ nī ba fainnide do recht do rīghe forn[n]'e.” Dombert in cathbarr don cruitire i sēot a imdergtha.

[10] Luid immorro [mac] Dīchōeme cosna flescaibh īar d[t]ain, co ndergenai cuislind ndēgabail dīb. Ocus gabais īar sin rīghe i ndegaid Eochach ⁊ cīa ro-gab rīge, nī ro-scar fria chuisslind.

Document details

The TEI Header

File description

Title statement

Title (uniform): King Eochaid has horse's ears

Title (alternative): Cuislinn Brighde ⁊ Aidhed Meic Díchóime

Author: unknown

Editor: Kuno Meyer

Responsibility statement

Electronic edition compiled by: Beatrix Färber

Funded by: University College, Cork, School of History

Edition statement

1. First draft.

Extent: 2290 words

Publication statement

Publisher: CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a Department of History project at University College, Cork

Address: College Road, Cork, Ireland — http://www.ucc.ie/celt

Date: 2016

Distributor: CELT online at University College, Cork, Ireland.

CELT document ID: G302002

Availability: Available with prior consent of the CELT programme for purposes of academic research and teaching only.

Source description

Manuscript Source

  • Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, RIA D 4. 2, 15th century, scribe Eoghain Ó Hachoideirn, fo 52b1–53b2. For a manuscript description see the ISOS online catalogue at https://www.isos.dias.ie.

Literature, editions, translations

  1. Whitley Stokes, Mythological Notes: VII. Labraid Lorc and his Ears, Revue Celtique 2 (1870) 197–199 (from H 2 16, the Yellow Book of Lecan, col. 690, 691).
  2. Käte Müller-Lisowski, Irische Volksmärchen (Jena 1923) (German translation).
  3. Rudolf Thurneysen, 'Die Flöte von Mac Díchoeme', Zeitschrift für celtische Philologie 19 (1932) 117–124. (Based on the second part of the manuscript).
  4. Tristano Bolelli (ed), 'La leggenda del re dalle orecchie di cavallo in Irlanda'. In: Due studi irlandesi. Preistoria della poesia irlandese. La leggenda del re dalle orecchie di cavallo in Irlanda. (Pisa 1950) 43–98. (Based on the stories 'Labraid Lorc and his ears' and 'King Eochaid has horse's ears). With Italian translation and glossary.
  5. Máirtín Ó Briain, 'Cluasa capaill ar an rí: AT 782 i dtraidisiún na hÉireann', Béaloideas 53 (1985) 11–74.
  6. Gaël Milin, Le roi Marc aux oreilles de cheval, vol. 197, Publications romanes et françaises (Geneva 1991).
  7. John Carey, 'From David to Labraid: sacral kingship and the emergence of monotheism in Israel and Ireland, in: Katja Ritari and Alexandra Bergholm (eds), Approaches to religion and mythology in Celtic studies. (Newcastle upon Tyne 2008) 2–27.
  8. Ralph O'Connor, Classical Literature and Learning in Medieval Irish Narrative (Woodbridge 2014).
  9. Otia Merseiana 3 is available on www.archive.org.

The edition used in the digital edition

‘Stories and songs from Irish manuscripts VII: King Eochaid has horse’s ears’ (1903). In: Otia Merseiana‍ 3. Ed. by Kuno Meyer, pp. 46–50.

You can add this reference to your bibliographic database by copying or downloading the following:

@article{G302002,
  editor 	 = {Kuno Meyer},
  title 	 = {Stories and songs from Irish manuscripts VII: King Eochaid has horse's ears},
  journal 	 = {Otia Merseiana},
  volume 	 = {3},
  address 	 = {London},
  publisher 	 = {Th. Wohlleben},
  date 	 = {1903},
  pages 	 = {46–50}
}

 G302002.bib

Encoding description

Project description: CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts

Sampling declarations

The electronic text covers pages 46–50. The English translation is available in a separate file, T302002.

Editorial declarations

Correction: Text has been checked and proof-read twice.

Normalization: The electronic text represents the edited text. Meyer's introduction is integrated. Names are capitalized in line with CELT practice. In Meyer's edition, the acute accent and macron are used to mark long vowels. Both are retained. Meyer's corrections are marked corr sic="" resp="KM". Text supplied by him is marked sup resp="KM"; editorial expansions are marked ex. Editorial footnotes are integrated into the electronic edition.

Quotation: Direct speech is marked q.

Hyphenation: Soft hyphens are silently removed. When a hyphenated word (hard or soft) crosses a page-break, this break is marked after completion of the hyphenated word.

Segmentation: div0=the tale; p=the editor's paragraph; page-breaks are marked pb n="".

Interpretation: Names are not tagged, nor are terms for cultural and social roles.

Reference declaration

A canonical reference to a location in this text should be made using “paragraph”, eg paragraph .

Profile description

Creation: 900–1000 (poem 9th century; prose later)

Language usage

  • The text is in Old Irish. (ga)
  • The Introduction is in English. (en)

Keywords: prose; medieval; Kings Cycle; Disfiguration; Blemish; Horse

Revision description

(Most recent first)

  1. 2019-06-05: Changes made to div0 type. (ed. Beatrix Färber)
  2. 2016-05-03: SGML and HTML files created. (ed. Beatrix Färber)
  3. 2016-03-16: Header completed; remaining structural and content encoding applied to whole file; file proofed (2), parsed and validated. (ed. Beatrix Färber)
  4. 2016-03-15: Header created. Introduction and missing text scanned in and proofed (1). (ed. Beatrix Färber)
  5. 1996: File proofed (1, 2); some structural markup added. (ed. Students of the CURIA Project)
  6. 1996: File scanned. (data capture Students of the CURIA Project)

Index to all documents

CELT Project Contacts

More…

Formatting

For details of the markup, see the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI)

page of the print edition

folio of the manuscript

numbered division

 999 line number of the print edition (in grey: interpolated)

underlining: text supplied, added, or expanded editorially

italics: foreign words; corrections (hover to view); document titles

bold: lemmata (hover for readings)

wavy underlining: scribal additions in another hand; hand shifts flagged with (hover to view)

TEI markup for which a representation has not yet been decided is shown in red: comments and suggestions are welcome.

Other languages

T302002: King Eochaid has horse's ears (in English Translation)

Source document

G302002.xml

Search CELT

    CELT

    2 Carrigside, College Road, Cork

    Top