Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Metrical Dindshenchas (Author: [unknown])
poem/story 11
ATH LIAC FIND I
- Ath Liac Findwhence comes it? wherefore does no shanachie declare? what forgetfulness has made it dim, since Find left the stone there?
- When there fellgreat was the fightthirty nines and fifty fighting round the three doughty sons of Cerb, who came along the stream from the north-west:
- When there fell in the ford four Conalls, two Colmans, four Suibnes, two sons of Brecc, four Dubthachs, two Diarmaits:
- Flathgus, Find's henchman, turned his face toward the cry of one o'er-matched: there fell by his hand, where he stood at bay, four fours and two nines.
- When Fland son of Eochaid Red-brows assailed the ford from the north he slew fiftyfamous meetingthat strong wolf-head of conflict.
- When he told the tale
[...]
the loss of the son of Conna from Mag Lir, whom Find slew that morn, cast the host into a stupor of dismay:
- When Setna uttered thereafter his word
[...]
that the faith of fair fight should be broken against Umall's son of the Leinstermen:
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- When Sinand came thereafter, Mongan's daughter, from the fairy dwellings, she gave a stone with a chain of gold to Find, son of long-limbed Umall.
- Thereupon Find put out his hand for the strong triple-edged stone and pledged the head that was on the shoulders of Guaire Goll who carried it,
- That he would not use aught but spear or sword or brandfierce his onset: it was one of his gessa afterward that his side should touch the ground.
- Then he hurled the stone into the ford when his battle-wrath came to him: so that there perished thereby Senach, Senchán and Bran.
- So it found rest thereafter in the full wide grey pool, till it be cast upon the shore on a Sunday at the hour of matins.
- A maiden will find it then at morn, whose name is Bé Thuinne: she will set her straight leg upon the hoop of red gold.
- It is seven years' space from then till the brink of Judgement Day: never have I been found astray: that is the story of the ford.
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