That is, Luchta the wizard went to study in Brittany, and there he saw a strange thing (used) for discerning truth and falsehood, namely, an iron was hallowed by the wizards, and then cast into a fire until it became red, and then it was put on the palm of the accused. Now if guilt were with him the iron used to burn him. But it did him no harm unless he were guilty. Thereafter Luchta told them that it would be needed ‘for us, the men of Erin,’ saith he, ‘to distinguish between truth and falsehood’. Luchta afterwards brought with him his hallowed iron, and it was (used) in distinguishing between truth and