Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Book of Clanranald (Author: [unknown])

section 14

12

The Army and Arming of the Last Lord of the Isles

It was at that time came the warriors, the wise, glorious fighting, chose worded, well counselled, noble, highly noble, active of deeds, high spirited, gold armoured Fingalians (men of the Hebrides), namely, the badged, luckful, silk-standarded, active, fiercely lively Macleans; and the soldierly, spirited, brave

p.261

Clan Mac Ian, together with the faithful, highly hospitable tribes around their lord to instruct the powerful prince, and counsel the hero, namely, the active champion of the Red Branch; and lively, vigorous troops with purple garments; and vast, loud shouting, fierce, high spirited parties; and beautifully coloured, bold, keenly encountering, stout hearted, austere troops of a good army. And they were in well-arranged battalions, namely, the proud, luminous countenanced, finely hued, bold, right judging, goodly gifting Clan Donald; the ready, prosperous, routing, very bold, right judging Clanranald; the attacking, gold shielded Clan Alister; the protecting, firm, hardy, well enduring Macphees; the fierce, strong men, the Maclachlans; the lively, vigorous, liberally bestowing, courageous, austere, brown shielded Macdougalls; the cheerful, chief renowned, battle harnessed Camerons; the inimical, passionate, hardy Macneils; the manly, sanguinary, truly noble Mackinnons; the fierce, undaunted, great feated Macquarries; the brave, defending, foraging, valiant, heroic, ale abounding Mackenzies; the active, spirited, courteous, great bestowing Clan Morgan (or Mackay) and the men of Sutherland came as a guard to the Royal Prince; and the powerful, lively active, great numbered, arrogant Mackintoshes, in a very large, powerful force around the chief of Clan Chattan, in active, hardy battalions with their champions. There came along with these warriors earls, princely high chiefs, knights, chiefs, lords, barons, and yeomen, at one particular place, to the noble son of Alexander; and these numerous rejoicing heroes, and powerful, active, fierce sounding hosts gathered together. This is the manner in which they appointed the powerful, fierce, active, mighty deeded, white armoured, supreme King of the Gael, viz., the terror striking, leopard like, awful, sanguinary, opposing, sharp armed, fierce, attacking, ready, dexterous, powerful, steady, illustrious, full subduing, furious, well prepared, right judging earl, as he received on him the armour of conflict and strife against every tumult, that is, his fine tunic, beautifully embroidered, of fine textured satin, ingeniously woven by ladies and their daughters; and that good tunic was put on him.

A silk jerkin which was handsome, well fitting, rich, highly embroidered, beautiful, many coloured, artfully done, gusseted, corded, ornamented with the figures of foreign birds, with branches of burnished gold, with a multiplicity of all kinds of embroidery on the sides of the costly jerkin. That jerkin was put on him to guard him against dangers.

A coat of mail, which was wide, well meshed, light, of substantial steel, beautifully wrought, gold ornamented, with brilliant Danish gems. Such a mail-coat as that was possessed by

p.263

the lithe Luga of Long Arms. John received a similar one in the name of the One Father to protect him in battles against the armies of his enemies. And there was put over that battle mail-coat an encircling belt, which was battle victorious, brilliant with blue stones, powerful, showy, branchy, artificial, ridgy, hard, with good clasps made of bronze, with figures of flying birds on its borders. An artist exercised his best skill in making that excellent girdle. And there was put over that an angular cape, gold bordered, even, with blue stones, of fine material, pointed, precious, buckled, close-fine, attractive, delectable, gold bordered, corded, ornamental, that the eye in continually looking at it would be melted by the brilliancy of the powerful cape.

And there was given to the powerful warrior, at the time of the meeting, a helmet of security, which was prosperous, crested, victorious, life preserving, whitish blue, excellent, awe striking, elegantly bordered, branch stoned; a star of prosperity in conflicts was that diadem ornamented with blue stones, never subdued in battles; fury seizes the armies on beholding that precious helmet.

And there was on the noble side of that powerful man a sword which was sharp, serviceable, long, very hard, sound, straight, of smooth surface, long bladed and of equal power throughout its full length. Mac-an-Luin was the like of it, which Fionn the Fenian Chief had; or the sword of the victorious Osgur, in the celebrated battle of Ventry; or such another blade as Cuchulinn of the Red Branch had, the son of the peaceful Sualtam; or the fine slaughtering sword of the battle victorious Connal Cernach, by which was effected the Red Raid. And although celebrated were their names, John happened to have better than any of them.

And he put on his fair hands his full military gloves that they should be a protection to the palms of his hands against the impression of the white ivory hilt made by the force of many blows in striking the powerful warriors.

And he received an axe which was blue-sided, thin, light, sharp-edged, substantial, of true steel remelted (tempered), which had been possessed by a manly giant, namely, the Baron of the Piaid, with the terrible blows of which by the hero the powerful men were defeated. In the time of the rebellion this battle axe was in the possession of his lord, i.e., Macdonald, to whom it had been presented.

On concluding their Council, settling their controversies, rising of their champions, removing their difficulties, they unanimously united with the noble son of Alexander, the heroic King of Fingall, in turning their faces against foreigners, in parties, in numerous

p.265

companies, in troops, in crowds, in multitudes, in great armies, in battalions, in lines, in ranks, in kerns, in chasing parties, in defeating battalions; and there did not appear any forces equal to them from fortresses, strongholds, retreats, sequestered places, courts, cities, markets, or great towns, until the potent king obtained all the obedience granted to him; and it was to certify this that the poet sang these words:
    1. True is my praise of Macdonald,
      A champion with whom I unite;
      The hero of every conflict, the lion's heart,
      A hand that fails not, pride of the Gael;
      The champion of Ulster, the controller of Assemblies,
      The eye for causing the stopping of war.
      The sun of the Gael, the countenance of O'Colla;
      By the banks of Bann, quick sailing are his ships;
      A furious hound that checks plunders [Fodhla, Ireland?],
      A modest soul, the tree of Banba,
      The country with fire brands is red after him;
      His family ancestor came to Tara,
      Putting Meath in commotion, the leopard of Isla;
      Root of hospitality, powerful in every land;
      He refused no man, nor importunate bard;
      The bountiful branch of hospitality, of the land of Oileach,
      There did not spring from him but queens and kings.
      True are the statements.

      True is my praise.

The Elegy for Sir Norman Macleod, which Niall Mac Murnigh made.13

    1. The pleasures of Innsigall have ceased,
      A deep felt sorrow has taken their place,
      There is anguish and affliction without concealment,
      For the awful loss of the noble.
    2. The tribe of Leod of the highest spirit.
      The royal race of Scotland are in deep sadness;
      The greatest sorrow afflicts them
      Exceeding that of any other host of the Scotch.

      3. p.267

    3. The hospitality throughout Innsigall
      Is not so bountifully nursed,
      Yes, without the nourishing drink of metheglin;
      Dispirit rules the glory of the Gael.
    4. As a man with wounds in his troubles,
      Full of anxiety and extreme oppression,
      The hospitality finds no place of rest
      In the delightful blue land of the Gael.
    5. As a foster son is after his foster father
      Full of sadness and tribulation;
      The best of the good protecting men having departed,
      No wonder this anguish should arise.
    6. Sir Norman, who is now at the will of the worm,
      Calmed the lamenting to pleasing looks;
      And after all that, he is away from all parties,
      His repute from him without shepherd.
    7. The sway of the tribe of Leod is lessened,
      Without a chief forthcoming of equal power;
      The tribe of herds are in lasting sorrow,
      Their hereditary sway is altered.
    8. Their rulers are of short duration over them
      Compared with other tribes of the Scots;
      To them it is dangerous, be they ever so guarded,
      That he is not long lived among them.
    9. Death gains a defeat by prostrating all on their backs,
      Without war, without fighting a battle,
      Everlastingly against all tribes that have lived,
      Of the best and most powerful races.
    10. There is but a remnant of a noble clan
      By a loss sustained by the parties;
      Without disparagement to the Gael or Gall,
      He was their chief champion, but he does not live.
    11. In heaven there is no cause of jealousy,
      Heaven draws their fortunes;
      The praise is conferred on the church,
      The hour of their destiny has passed.
    12. Heroes that failed not to gain the victory,
      They passed their time in pleasures;
      Select princes of extensive lands
      Are in a fervour of grief in one hour.

      13. p.269

    13. Too much has gone of their rightful share,
      The choice of the stock of Fionnlochlann;
      Long shall he be piously in the remembrance of all,
      The extreme of all affliction is the loss.
    14. Dearly beloved of the noble mind,
      On the death of the chief from the advantage of power,
      The truly grand clan of men selected him
      On account of his great military spirit.
    15. Every happiness came into the country
      Until the death of the Royal son of Rory;
      On it has come the grievances,
      Every misfortune since you interred him.
    16. Their excessive grief is no wonder for them,
      To the nobles of Fionngall it is death;
      The pure-armed land on which no rout pressed
      On account of the chief mustering its forces.
    17. Mournful they go from it after him
      His royal troops, his trusty forces;
      The land of division walls of the best profit,
      Deep sorrow replaces her pleasures.
    18. Every great engagement in slaughtering or fighting
      The clan of King Leod had their full share in them;
      The end of the first hospitaller of each clan,
      Lamentable is the end of his justness.
    19. The weeping at Babilon in bondage,
      It would appear to you it came into this country,
      By the greatness of the downfall of power
      Through the death of the defender of this territory.
    20. Joy was in the affliction of sorrow,
      On account of its delightfulness being changed.
      Without an expedition it was plundered.
      The territory of the Isles is in a similar condition.
    21. Our sorrowful case of anguish is similar
      To that which occurred after Conn and Conaire;
      There was daily excessive grief among the learned,
      I believe that ours is an exact type of it.
    22. A sadness which has not ebbed after him
      Is that for the son of Macleod, a cause of true sorrow;
      On everyone therefore there is a gloom,
      On account of the decease of the chief of our protection.

      23. p.271

    23. Long will be remembered by the Clan Leod
      The death of the warrior of the blood of King Leod;
      They are preparing for heartfelt grief,
      Being full of excessive sadness and sorrow.
    24. A death of the deepest anguish it is
      To his friends and his followers;
      Over his grave as they perform a neachd
      They have their turn at the tomb which we cannot get.
    25. As I used to receive from him, while along with him,
      As much pleasure as I desired;
      Alas that I obtained so much friendship,
      Since he died in the hour of my praying.
    26. The women of every country are in sadness,
      Also their heroes and ecclesiastics;
      Their faithful freemen are in grief,
      The extremity of severe affliction is among them.
    27. The hospitality, the pure generosity,
      The joyous exclamation, the ready welcome,
      They have all gone with him into the earth,
      For an age after him there will be but lamentation.
    28. The anguish of the blood of Donald of the Isles
      Was unceasingly for a long time;
      The loss of the branch of the tribe
      Was lamentation and skin-wound to the stock.
    29. The Clan Maclean in mourning clothes,
      A degree which did not exalt their honour,
      Their sorrow is greater than any other affliction,
      Therefore they have on them their mourning.
    30. The elegies of Connor and of Conn,
      Of the grandson of Magnus of the house of Man
      Long are they in the memory of all,
      The loss will be recorded in every leaf.
    31. The Clan Leod are mournful after him,
      The hosts of the Scottish Isles are
      Without liveliness of heart for the loss that has been willed;
      Sorrow has gained a sway over them.
    32. They are in a state of expectation,
      The princes of the Macleods of the ships,
      Always under a load of sorrow,
      Good are their warriors at the time of mustering.

      33. p.273

    33. 14The salmon of the high stream of the Barrow,
      And the Orkney Islands rising up simultaneously;
      Great softness of the heart which yielded sadness
      Amongst the heroes of Norseland.
    34. The learned were found in obscurity,
      Their protector lives not;
      They overstepped the rest,
      When they were grieved and sad.
    35. He was the chief protector of the learned men of Scotland,
      He was the knowledge of the order of sciences,
      His death has confirmed their difficulties,
      The literati are like trees without relief.
    36. He was the lamp of true history,
      Or a person in its nearest type;
      Why, God, should it not be a grievance to us
      That the earth is over his body, and I believe.
    37. We are in want of gold and cattle,
      Since the chief of Rushgarry died:
      The learned men since the hour of his death
      Have forsaken their havens of watching.
    38. Flaming troubles pervaded the stars of heaven,
      They poured forth showers of lightning;
      The hills are not illumined by day,
      Their grief for him mastered them.
    39. The rivers are rising over the woods,
      There is a scarcity of fish in the bays;
      The fruitage is not found in the land,
      The roaring of the sea is very coarse.
    40. At the last hours of his death
      Dreadful tokens appeared to us;
      Foreboding clouds which denoted grief
      Were of gold colour in the northern region.

      41. p.275

    41. A victorious prince who did not break his word
      Was Sir Norman to the time of death;
      Except the coffin in the earth in which he lies
      There was no column raised for his monument.
    42. The death of a prince of a mighty tribe
      Is a want of honour to the learned professors;
      Woe to the poet who received attention,
      His heart is gone without recovery.
    43. Ours is greater than the lamentation for cities,
      Above the grief for the daughters of supreme kings,
      Or the death of a beloved spouse,
      You may judge the severity of our affliction.
    44. Seventeen hundred and two to be reckoned,
      And three years the age of the supreme king,
      A gold wand the purest to be seen,
      To the death of the excellent son of Rory.
    45. Were you to estimate the greatness of the anguish,
      The vastness of the sorrow would suffice,
      Among all persons, although lesser day by day.
      The grief for him the time he died.
    46. The pleasures of Innsigall have ceased.
      [Omitted].

    47. Without a remembrance of the time of our prosperity,
      Bountiful was he in paying for poems;
      The cause of our sorrow I behold in the love —
      The pure glory going to death.