AIDED MEIDBE: THE VIOLENT DEATH OF MEDB

BY VEENAM HULL
INTRODUCTION
THIS hitherto unpublished Middle Irish tale1 is preserved in the following two
manuscripts :2
A. The Book of Leinster,8 manuscript in Trinity College, Dublin, compiled
about the middle of the twelfth century, p. 124, col. b, 1. 33 to p. 125, col. a,
1. 23.
B. Edinburgh MS. XL, consisting of several independent parts of various
dates, p. 6,1. 7 to p. 7,1. 9.
A critical analysis of the tales which in common are found in both manuscripts
has led scholars to believe that B is not an independent recension, but, on the
contrary, is derived from A through an intermediate copy.4 In his edition of
the Mesca Ulad, which will soon be published, J. C. Watson would even go so
far as to say that B is a direct transcript of A. Though the dependence of B on A
may, therefore, be considered to have been sufficiently well established in the
case of other texts, the relationship of the manuscripts of the Aided Meidbe
requires a more careful examination, for there exist certain difficulties in regard
to the transmission of this tale which are not so easily obviated by the prevailing
theory.
In constructing a stemma, it is an accepted axiom that agreement in a common
error establishes the dependence of one manuscript upon the other. Such an
1
A rather free translation based solely on the Edinburgh text appeared in Kuno Meyer's analysis
of the contents of the Edinburgh Gaelic MS. XL in The Celtic Magazine, xn (1887), 211, 212. In
Die irische Helden- und Konigsage bis zum siebzehnien Jahrhundert, pp. 583-585, Professor Thurneysen
has given a full summary of the Aided Meidbe. To him and to Professor J. R. Reinhard I am indebted
for various suggestions and criticisms in preparing this edition. Mr J. C. Watson has also been kind
enough to furnish me with photostats of the Edinburgh recension.
2
In the Foras Feasa ar Eirinn (ed. P. S. Dinneen, Irish Texts Society, 1908), n, 212, Geoffrey Keat-
ing includes a brief account of Medb's death, but he omits the motif which led to her assassination.
D'Arbois de Jubainville in the Essai d'un Catalogue de la LitUrature Hlpique de Vlrlande, p. 28, records
the existence of this tale in the Royal Irish Academy MS. 28.B.21 (Betham, 110), p. 183, but a
collation of a transcript which Dr Myles Dillon kindly made for me with the corresponding passage
in Keating's Foras Feasa ar Sirinn conclusively proves that it is a direct copy of that work. Apart,
therefore, from the rifacimento made by Keating at the beginning of the seventeenth century, there
are known to exist at present only two MSS containing the Aided Meidbe. It should, however, be
noted that the first part of this tale describing Clothru's intercourse with her three brothers is briefly
mentioned in a poem entitled Druim Criaich composed by Cuan via Lothchain who died in 1024 A.D.;
cf. E. Gwynn, The Metrical Dindshenchas, Pt. rv (1924), pp. 42-56. In the Rennes Dindshenchas of
Druim Criaich, which is known to be a prose rendering of the aforesaid poem, this incident likewise
occurs; cf. W. Stokes Revue Celtique, xvi (1895), 148, 149. According to Professor Thurneysen, the
first part of the Aided Meidbe is based on these two sources and, consequently, could hardly have
been composed before Cuan ua Lothchain's death; cf. Die irische Helden- und Konigsage, p. 583.
8
Usually abbreviated LL. from its Irish title, namely Lebor Laignech. In the Catalogue of the Irish
Manuscripts in the Library of Trinity College, Dublin (ed. T. K. Abbott and E. J. Gwynn, p. 158), it
bears the number 1339, but the old press-mark was H.3.18.
i
Cf. R. Thurneysen, Die irische Helden- und Konigsage, p. 36.
53
 Aided Meidbe: The Death of Medb 53
error occurs in the Aided Meidbe. Both manuscripts read riasiu no-gabad1 in-
stead of riasiu wgabad so that they are apparently not independent of each
other, but together form one branch in the genealogical tree of the manuscript
tradition. Although this method of reasoning is in general sound, it should,
nevertheless, not be forgotten that such a mistake may have already existed
in the prototype whence all of the manuscripts are descended. In this particular
instance B is not necessarily derived from A, because both manuscripts commit
the same blunder. If, however, several such common blunders were to occur,
then the dependence of B on A would be established with more certainty, since
it is hardly possible that the primary source would have contained a series of
mistakes all of which would have been faithfully reproduced by several inde-
pendent copyists. With respect to the Aided Meidbe, therefore, the reading
no-gabad instead of ro-gabad does not furnish sufficient evidence to prove con-
clusively that B is transcribed from A or is even based on an intermediary copy,
because the incorrect form which occurs in both manuscripts may have already
been present in the archetype.
There exist, however, additional grounds for assuming that B is not a slavish
transcript of A. Towards the end of the Aided Meidbe, Furbaide is said to have
stretched a rope between two stakes and to have practiced the art of casting
between them. At this point .4 adds: 'nranad con-ermaised in ubullnobid for
cind in chualli,' 'he never ceased until he struck the apple that was on top of
the stake.' In B, on the contrary, this statement is not only much shorter, but
the resolution of the compendia in the manuscript is also a conjectural matter.2
It reads apparently as follows: 'no* tegmad a n-aill ua'railiu,' 'he always hit the
one (stake) from the other.' If B is really descended by direct transmission from
A, why then did the copyist alter the perfectly clear and intelligible sentence in
his source? Why was he not content to reproduce the reading of A? The answer
seems reasonably certain. What actually has happened is that B has probably
preserved the lectio difficilior of the prototype which the scribe of A no longer
understood and, therefore, rendered by a paraphrase. Consequently B is not a
copy of A, but both manuscripts represent two entirely different recensions of
the same text.
This theory finds further support in the fact that, although from a linguistic
point of view B belongs to the late Middle Irish period,3 it, nevertheless, occa-
sionally contains an older and a better reading than is to be found in A. Thus,
for example, may be cited the survival of the feminine form of the numeral,
namely teora, whereas A already has tri, and likewise the preservation of the
initial / in the preposition fri which in A is, however, spelled ri in accordance
with later practice. But not too much weight must be laid upon testimony of
this nature, since some scribes were simply more conservative than others in
making transcripts from manuscripts. At all events, these purely linguistic
1
The Edinburgh text actually reads riasiu no-gab, but the stroke of suspension over the 6 has
2
doubtless been omitted by the scribe through a careless oversight. See p. 56, nn. 2-3; p. 60, n. 26.
3
A few examples among many, illustrating the later forms in B as compared to the readings in A
eneifesta instead of fec[h]t-sa; suaineth instead of suanemain; do-bi instead of b6i.
54 Aided Meidbe: The Death of Medb
criteria do not invalidate the proposed theory that B is not a direct copy of
A, but perhaps represents an independent version of the archetype. Unfortu-
nately, however, the lack of sufficient critical data at present makes it impossible
to state definitely whether B is derived from A or directly descended from the
prototype. In view of this situation, the two texts are printed side by side in
parallel columns. By adopting this method of presentation, the page will also
not be so overloaded with variant readings, and the additions and omissions
which occur in these respective versions will be more clearly portrayed. Al-
though the translation is based upon the text in the Book of Leinster, all signifi-
cant changes in the Edinburgh recension are fully discussed in the footnotes.
The inability to establish with any degree of certainty the relationship be-
tween the two manuscripts which have preserved this tale is all the more to
be regretted, because it is not possible on the basis of the existing evidence to
determine the earliest date of composition of the Aided Meidbe. All that can be
said for the moment is that this text is found in the Book of Leinster which is
definitely known to have been compiled about the middle of the twelfth century.1
Nor does an examination of the linguistic phenomena point to an earlier terminus
a quo. If teora in the first line of the quatrain which is hypermetrical could be
emended to teoir or teuir, the feminine forms of the numeral during the strict
classical period of Old Irish, then it might be possible to conclude that the Aided
Meidbe was composed before the end of the tenth century. But there exist two
objections: First, the quatrain which does not occur in the Edinburgh recension
may not have belonged to the archetype. Second, Keating who repeats this
quatrain in his Forus Feasa ar Eirinv? in place of teora has tri which though
originally masculine, was also regularly used in the eleventh and twelfth centuries
for the feminine form. The scribe of the Book of Leinster may, therefore, have
found tri and not teoir or teuir in his source. If, however, tri was the reading of
the manuscript which he then altered into teora, the Aided Meidbe cannot have
been written before the beginning of the Middle Irish epoch.
On the other hand, the presence of several infixed pronouns in this text might
be used as an argument in favor of an earlier date, nor need the one example
of independent usage in the Book of Leinster3 be regarded as a deterrent factor,
since it may be ascribed to the copyist. But here again it is difficult to arrive
at any definite conclusions, for as Sean 0 Cathain has recently shown,4 pronom-
inal infixation continued well into the Middle Irish period, so that this evidence
can only be employed in order to establish a terminus ad quern. From a linguistic
point of view, therefore, the Aided Meidbe in its present state of transmission
can hardly have been compiled before the middle of the twelfth century. It may
have been written at an earlier date, but not until a third codex containing
this tale is discovered which will shed light on the relationship between the
two extant manuscripts will it be possible to determine the archetype and
to ascertain with some degree of certainty the probable date of composition.
1 !
Cf. R. Thurneysen, Die irische Helden- und Konigsage, pp. 33-36. See p. 57, n. 6.
8
In the sentence: 'Iss ed tra sin rerthairmisc iat de choscur in chatha.'
1
In an article entitled 'Some Studies in the Development from Middle to Modern Irish, based on
the Annals of Ulster,' Zeitschr.f. Celt. Phiiol. xrx (1933), 7.
 Aided Meidbe: The Death of Medb 55
TEXT'
A. The Book of Leinster B. Edinburgh MS. XL
Aided Meidbe
Cid dia'ta aided Meidbe ingine Echdach Cid dia"ta aded Medba Cruachan.i.
Feidlig a Temraig? ingen Echdach Feidlig o Temraig?
Tri mate Find.i.Conall Anglonnach I Oir do'batar tri mete Findgaill ann.i.
Eochaid Find t Eochaid Feidlig. Tri mate Conall Anglonnach l EochawZ Arem l
dano la Eochdaig Feidlig l tri ingena. Na Eochaid Feidlig. Tri meic unorro la Echdaig
tri maic Bres t Nar t Lothur.i.na tri Find Feidlig t teora ingena.i.Bres l Nar l Lothur
Emna. Na tri ingena.i. Eithni Uathach l a tri meic, Eithni Fuathach l Clothra t
Medb Cruachan Z Clothro Cruachan dia'n- Medb Cruachan. Is de ro'ainmniugei
ebrad: Eithni Uathach.i.feoil lenab no'ithed comad
'Teora ingena Echdach Feidlig fuath leisna lenbife a luaid-si do gres.
— Fuaim iar fochlu —
Eithni Uathach, Medb Chruachan
Ocw* Clothru.'
In Chlothru dano is si ban-rigan i Crua- In Clothra sin imorro ba rigan a Crua-
chain riasiu no'gabad Medb flathius. Ar chan riasiu no"gab (sic!) Medb forlamus ar
ecin 6n o Echdaig. Batar tri maic Echdach eicin o Echdaig. Fechtus arm do'cuaid tri
oc triall rige do gait ar a n-athair. Do'lluid mete Echdach do iarraid forba for a n-athair
Clothru dia tairmesc t dia codnugud. Ar co'tanic Clothra da tairmesc. Do'luid
ai-som dano do'focrait cath for Eochdaig. Clothra cuca.
Do'lluid Clothro ar a cind.
'In do sargud far n-athar duib?' ar si. 'An do t-sarugud bar n-athar tangabur?'
'Is anfir m6r cia do'gnether.' ar si, 'I is anfir mor do'nithi,' ar si.
'Is ecen trd,' ar ind oic. 'Is ecin sin,' ar na hoig.
'Lrfacbaid iartaigi etir?' ar in ben. 'An'factai iardroiji itir?' ar in ben.
'Ni morithir,' or ind oic. 'Ni mor itir,' or na hoig.
'Is doich tuittim duib triana far n-anftr. 'Is doig tuitim daib la bur n-anfir,' ar
Tait chucum-sa,' ar si, 'or is inbaid com- Clothra, 't ticid cucum-sa,' ar si, 'air is
perta dam dus in'faicfid iartaige lim.' inmaid coimperta dam-sa I faicfwfe iard-
Do"gnither on. Luid each fer ar n-uair raide lim-sa.'
dib cucci co'mbai maith de.i.Lugaii Riab Do'nitAer l do"luid each fer ar uair cuici
n-Derg mac na tri Find Emna. co'mbi maith de.i.Lugawi Sriab n-Derg mac
'Na'tait a fect-sa,' ar sisi, 'i n-agid far na tri Finn Emna.
n-athar. Is 16r d'anfir duib comrac ria far 'Na'ergid festa don cath,' ar si. 'Is lor
siair cenco'tisaid do chath ria far n-athair.' daib cena neocb. do'ronsabur do anfir
Iss ed trd sin ro'thairmisc iat de choscur in comrac frim-sa cin rochtain a n-adii bur
chatha. n-athar.' Is ed sin ro'toirmisc don chath.8
Is and didiu do'meled Clothru dligeda Is ann didiu ro'caithed Clothra dliged
Connacht i n-inis Clothrand for Loch Ri. Connacht a n-inis Clothrann for Loch Ri.
As'berat-sum trd is Medb ros-marb-si et is Aderaid-sium is [s]i Medb ro'marb Clothra
triana taib tucsat na claidib in Furbaide i tria toeb tucsat na claidme Fwrbaidi Fer
mac Conchobair. Gabais ind'i Medb rige Benn mac Clothrainne. Gebais Medb ar
Connacht iar tain et do'bert Ailill i flaithem- sin rige Connacht I do'beir cuice Ailill a
nas chuci t is i n-inis Clothrand doTneled-si flaithemnacht t iar marb Ailella is a n-inis
dligeda Connacht. Et ba geis di-ssi cen a Clothrann do'caithedMedb dliged Connacht
fothrucud cecha maitni assin tiprait ar l ba geis di-si gan a fothracad gacha maitne
dorus na indsi. asin tibrait ro'bai a n-dorus na hindsi ud.
1
Punctuation and the use of capitals are made to accord with modern practice. Contractions which
can be expanded in more than one way are italicized.
1
The MS. reads i, the customary abbreviation for the Irish conjunction meaning 'and,' which,
however, at this period is usually resolved as ocus.
' In the MS. chatli is represented by an elongated k extending below the line with a mark of aspira-
tion over it. This compendium is also found in other codices.
56 Aided Meidbe: The Death of Medb
Luid didiu Furbaide fecht and co hinis
Clothrand t saidid cualli forsind lice forsa'n-
denad Medb a fothrucud et ro'chengail
suanemain do chind in chualli. i.cualli ba
comard ri Meidb l sinid in suanemain dar
Loch Ri siar t sair. Berid leis in suanemain
dia thaig. In tan iarum no"bitis macrad
Ulad oc a cluchi ba 6 cluchi Furbaide:
no'sined a suanemain eter da chualli I
no'bid oc diburgud eterro I ni'anad co-n-
ermaised in ubull no'bid for cind in chualli.
Fecht and didiu b6i dal m6r eter Con-
nachtu t Ultu im Loch Ri aniar l anair et
doTala Medb oca fothrucud matain moch
assin tiprait osin Loch cetna.
'Is alaind in delb ut,' or each.
'Cia sin?' ar Furbaide.
'Siur do mathar,' or each.
B6i-seom oc ithi blogi do thanaig. Ni
ro-an-som didiu ri cungid clochi. Do"beir in
mbloig isin tabaill. 0 ro-b6i a hetan Meidbi
friu, dos"leici in mbloig conid'n-ecmaing ina
mullach conid'romarb dond 6en-urchur i
n-digail a mathar.
Aided Meidbe in-sin.
Luid didiuFurbaidi macClothrainne fecht
ann a n-inis Clothrann t clannaid a cuailli
aeon leic forsa"fothracad Medb I cenglaid
suained do cinn in cuaille.i.cuaille comarta
fria Meidb l sinid in sua'meth dar Loch Rig
sair t ro'cengail da cuailli fe.. . * Berid lais
iarum in suameth dia tig I in tan no'bitis
macrad Ulad a cluithi ba he clwithi Fwr-
baidki: no'sined in suained eter da cuailli
l no"bid aca taiblrfA t no'tegmad} a n-aill
w&'tailiu?
Fecht ann didiu do'bi dail eter Ultat6 t
Connachtatft imon Loch anair l aniar. Is
ann ro"bui Medb aca fothrucud in tan sin
matin moch aeon tiprait ut forsan cloith
cefnai.
'Is alaind in deilb ut,' ar each.
'Cia sin?' ar Fwrbaidi.
'Medb,' ar each, 'siur do mathar-sa.'
Bai Fwrbaidi in tan sin ac ithi mire do
tanaigh I ni ro"han-som fri cuinchi clothi
acht do'beir mir do tanozj/A ina tabaill j
teilcid di l is amlaid ro'bai Medb in tan sin
a hetan friu gurtarla ina mullach gums'
marb de do digail a mathar fuiri.
Aded Meidbi t Clothrainni et reliqua.

TRANSLATION
The Violent Death of Medb
What is the cause of the violent death of Medb, the daughter of Eochaid4 Feidlig from
Temair?
The three sons5 of Find6 [were] Conall Anglonnach and Eochaid Find7 and Eochaid
I
About seven letters are illegible at this point in the photographic reproduction of the MS.
8
The m with a stroke of suspension is distinctly separated by a small space from the preceding g.
* In the MS. the initial u is followed by the Latin tachygram for quia which has a suprascript '2.'
4
In both MSS the nom. sing, is always spelled Eoch-, which may be expanded to Eochu or Eochaid.
Once the gen. sing, is written Echdach, otherwise Ech-, the resolution of which under normal circum-
stances would be Eckach. Since, however, these names are not distinguished in Middle Irish docu-
ments, it is hard to say what here is the form that the scribes had in mind, though, later, Eochu dies
out, whereas Eochaid continues to survive. In view of this fact and also for the sake of uniformity,
Eochaid, gen. sing. Echdach, is adopted as the norm both in the text and in the translation. For a dis-
cussion of these proper nouns, see O. Bergin, 'Eochu, Eochaid,' £riu, xi, 140-146.
6
When in A the compendium me with a stroke of suspension is employed for the nom. pi. of this
word, it is always resolved as mate. On the other hand, since B was written several centuries after A,
meic is doubtless the correct resolution of the compendium in this MS., though no linguistic study
has as yet been made to determine the precise date of this change in spelling.
II
B reads Findgaitt, gen. sing, of FindgaU, 'a Norwegian.' It is of interest to note! in connection
with this form that Macpherson whose works were at least in part based on Ossianic ballads and
Fenian tales always uses Fingal instead of Find mac Cumaill.
7
B substitutes Eochaid Arem, a familiar figure in Irish saga; cf. R. Thurneysen, Die irische Eelden-
und Konigsage, p. 680.
 Aided Meidbe: The Death of Medb 57
Feidlig. Now Eochaid Feidlig had three sons and three 1 daughters. The three sons [were]
Bres and Nar and Lothur, 2 that is, the three Finds' of Emain. The three 4 daughters [were]
Eithni Uathach 6 and Medb of Cruachu and Clothru of Cruachu concerning whom it was said:
The three daughters of Eochaid Feidlig
— A report along the North —
(Were) Eithni Uathach, Medb of Cruachu
And Clothru.'
1
B has preserved the correct fern. pi. form of the numeral, whereas A has tri, probably by analogy
with the preceding tri mate.
2
These three sons are mentioned elsewhere in Irish literature; cf. 2?rtu, u, 174 and m, 150; E.
Gwynn, The Metrical Dindshenchas, Pt. IV, 44; Archiv f. Celt. Lexikographie, I, 18; Revue Celiique,
xvi, 148, 149, XLIII, 282, XLVII, 296 and XLVIII, 171; Irische Texte, in, 332.
3
Finn means 'fair or white.' These three brothers were probably so called because of their fair or
blond complexion and not because their grandfather was Find.
4
A again has tri instead of teora or teoir which would be the fern, form of the numeral in Old Irish.
Unfortunately B omits this passage.
6
The additional material in B may be rendered as follows: 'For this reason she was called Eithni
Uathach (Eithni the Terrible), namely, she used to eat thefleshof infants so that the children always
disliked her to be mentioned.' In Old Irish the prep, la governs the accusative, but later the dative.
Hence lenbib and not lenbu is here the correct expansion of lenb-, the reading of the MS. Note also
the interesting use of comad in this sentence as the third sing. impf. ind. of the copula and compare
the corresponding phrase in The Expulsion of the Dessi (ed. K. Meyer, Y Cymmrodor, xiv, 108, §8)
which reads: 'Is de ba Heithne Uathach a hainm- se ar daig nos-aigtis in meicc bice' 'On this account
her name was Eithne Uathach, since the little boys used to dread her.' The two verbs, nos-aigtis and
comad are, therefore, identical in tense, though they differ somewhat in meaning. For an analysis of
the impf. ind. of the copula, of which apart from comad only plural forms are at present recorded, see
the forthcoming article on this subject by Professor 0. Bergin in the next number of Sriu. In other
texts the sister of Medb never has the epithet Uathach, nor does she eat children. Apparently she
was confused in the Aided Meidbe with another Eithni having these characteristics who, for example,
is described in the preceding passage from The Expulsion of the Dessi and also in the Tucait Indarba
na n-Dissi (ed. K. Meyer, Anecdotafrom Irish Manuscripts, i, 18).
6
This quatrain which only occurs in A is written in the meter called Sntdbairdne; cf. Eleanor
Knott, An Introduction to Irish Syllabic Poetry, pp. 17, 18. But in its present form it is metrically
defective, since the first line has nine syllables and the third line has seven syllables, whereas both
ought to have eight syllables. Fortunately, however, a more accurate version is preserved in Keating's
Foras Feasa ar Eirinn, II, 214:
Tri hingheana Eochach Feidhlioch,
Fuaim ar fochla
Eithne Uathach Meadhbh chaoin Chruachan
Agus Clothra.
As has already been demonstrated in the introduction, the scribe of A found either Iri or possibly
teoir in his immediate source which he altered into teora thereby making the first line hypermetrical,
nor is elision possible, because the i of ingena is fully stressed; cf. It. Thurneysen, 'Mittelirische
Verslehren,' Irische Texte, m, 127. If, therefore, in place of teora the reading tri or teoir is adopted,
the first line will have the requisite number of syllables. In the third line, on the contrary, the missing
syllable in A is obviously cdin, as is seen by Keating's chaoin which alliterates with Chruachan. This
word was carelessly omitted in the course of transcription by the copyist who seems to have been
ignorant of the rules of prosody. More difficult than the metrical restitution of the quatrain is the
meaning of the second line which is translated by the editor of Keating's Foras Feasa ar fiirinn as
'fame on a lofty seat.' But fuaim means 'sound, noise, report' and fochla can also signify 'the northern
half of Ireland'; cf. E. Hogan, Onomasticon Goedelicum, p. 426. Perhaps reference is made in this
cheville to the fact that Eochaid Feidlig, who later became high king of Ireland, originally came from
the northern part of the country.
58 Aided Meidbe: The Death of Medb
Now Clothru 1 was queen2 in Cruachu before' Medb took the sovereignty; 4 that 8 [was]
by force from Eochaid. The three sons of Eochaid were attempting to take away the
kingship from their father. 6 Clothru came to hinder and to restrain them. 7 Nevertheless,
they then proclaimed 8 battle against Eochaid. 9 Clothru came to them. 10
'Are you intending to outrage your father?' 11 she said. 'It is a great injustice that will be
done.'12
'It is indeed13 a necessity,' said the youths.
'Do you leave [any] descendants14 at all?' the woman enquired.
'Not any at all,' 16 the youths said.

1
Note the use of the definite article before the proper noun. In Middle Irish it often replaces the
Old Irish demonstrative pronoun inti, indi, etc., which before a name means 'the aforementioned.'
B, however, reads: in Clothra sin, 'that Clothra,' where the final o in Clothra represents an older u,
which is sometimes corruptly written o, as in The Book of Leinster version of this text.
2
Obviously 6a has been carelessly omitted between si and ban-rigan by the copyist of A, as the
reading in B shows. Since ban-rigan is the customary expression in Irish for 'queen,' no emendation
is here necessary, even though B has the shorter form.
* The conj. riasiu (Old Irish resiu) is followed by the ro-subj. so that nogabad is a mistake for
rogabad. The significance of the fact that both MSS make the same blunder has already been dis-
cussed in the introduction. See also note 5 for an explanation of the omission of the ending in B.
4
Forflathius,B substitutes forlamus, 'supreme power, usurpation.'
8
This pronoun is wanting in B, probably because the scribe no longer understood the construction.
0
B has changed the motif and thereby modified the primitive force of the incident. The version
in B may be rendered as follows: 'Once upon a time the three sons of Eochaid came to demand the
7
inheritance from their father.' In B the last phrase is omitted.
8
Literally: 'they proclaim.' For dofocrait read dofocrat.
8 10
B leaves out this whole sentence. In place of ar a cind B has mica, which is a synonym.
11
The version in B is somewhat different: 'Is it in order to outrage your father that you came?'
The correct spelling of sdrgud is sdrugud which occurs in B, but the shorter form is found in other
prose texts, and especially in verse, where otherwise the metrical line would be one syllable too long;
cf. E. Windisch, 'Tain B6 Cualnge,' Irische Texte, v, 251; W. Stokes, Saliair na Rann, p. 55; Mary
Hayden, 'The Songs of Buchet's House,' Zeitschr.f. Celt. Philol. vin, 266.
12
Literally: 'that is done ' Note the use of cia with the subj. as an explicative particle.B,however,
has altered the construction by omitting cia. " For trd B substitutes sin, 'that.'
14
In B iardraigi is a later spelling for iartaigi; cf. C. Plummer, Bethada Ndem nSrenn: Lives of Irish
Saints, i, 338.
16
The translation is based on the reading of B which might be rendered literally: 'It is not great at
all.' Perhaps morithir in A is the passive to m&raid, 'makes great, magnifies,' but then one expects
mdrither with a conjunct ending after the negative particle nl. In The Battle of Mag Mucrime (ed.
W. Stokes, Revue Celtique, xin, 450-452) it is of interest to note that the same phrase is found in a
similar context. After the druid Dil and his daughter had come to Eogan mac Ailella in order to cast
a spell over Lugaid mac Con and his followers who were ravaging Ireland, the druid realized by
Eogan's speech that the king was doomed to die, whereupon he asked him: 'Infacbai-seo iartaige?'
'Nf m6rithir,' ar Eogan. 'Maith, am, a ingen,' ar Dfl. 'F6i la Eogan dus inbiad rigi Muman uaim-se
. . . . ' This passage is translated by Stokes as follows: 'Leavest thou posterity?' 'Not so great, 'says
Eogan. 'Good indeed, my daughter,' says Dfl. 'Sleep with Eogan to see if the kingship of Munster
shall be from me . . . " In the glossary to the text Stokes regards m6rtihir as the equative of m6r,
'great,' which would then mean 'as great as' and not 'so great.' Several other objections may also
be advanced against his interpretation: First, the equative of m6r in Old Irish at all events is moir,
though perhaps later such an analogical formation as mdrithir might conceivably have come into exist-
ence. Second, the equative is only used to indicate an equivalence of degree between two objects,
which certainly does not apply to the present case where there is no second element to hand for pur-
poses of comparison. Third, the phrase ni mdrithir in both instances occurs in the same MS., namely
The Book of Leinster, so that no evidence exists that more than one scribe employed this collocation.
In view of these circumstances, it is, therefore, safer to assume that morithir is a mistake for mar ilir
 Aided Meidbe: The Death of Medb 59
'It is probable that you will fall [in battle] through1 your unrighteousness. Come to
me,' she said, 'to see whether you will leave2 descendants with me, for it is my time3 of
conception.'
That is done. Each man went in turn4 to her and good came6 thereof, namely Lugaid
Riab n-Derg,6 the son of the three Finns of Emain.
'Do not come7 now,8 'she said, 'against your father. It is sufficient unrighteousness for
you to have sexual union9 with your sister without coming to [engage in] battle with your
father.'10 That then hindered them11 from the victory in the battle.12
Now Clothru used to spend13 the tributes" of Connaught in Inis Clothrand16 on Loch Ri.16

which is the reading of the Edinburgh codex, especially since The Book of Leinster is notorious for
its corruptions. Whatever may be the correct form, the repetition of this expression in an almost
identical situation is of importance inasmuch as it shows how closely related to one another these
various texts are.
1
The reading iriana in A, for which B substitutes la, is a later by-form of tria by analogy with
riana for older renna or rinna from re (ri).
2
B has altered the phrase to: 'and you will leave.' In A faicfid is an incorrect spelling of -faicbid
from Old Irish faictb-.
' Inmaid in B is a later orthographical variant of inbaid. The customary expression, however, is
amser chomperta; cf. W. Stokes, 'The Voyage of Mael Duin,' Revue Celtique, ix, 454.
• The nasalization of Hair indicates that ar is the apocopated form of iar. In the Miitelirische Vers-
lehren (ed. R. Thurneysen, Irische Texte, in, 54) iar n-uair occurs, though Kuno Meyer in his edition "
of this poem prints ar uair, the reading of the other MS., which he wrongly renders by 'apart'; cf.
'Miscellanea Hibernica,' Univ. of Illinois Studies in Lang, and Lit. n, no. 4, p. 20. Apparently this
phrase could be construed with either iar or ar. For further examples, see L. C. Stern, 'Bemerkungen
zu den Berner Glossen,' Zeitschr.f. Celt. Philol. rv, 186; E. Windisch, Irische Texte, i, 723, 724; G.
6
Calder, Togail na Tebe, p. 298. B has the later form combl.
6
Namely Lugaid 'of the red stripes,' who was so named from the horrible circumstances attendant
upon his incestuous conception. In the Vita sancti Declani episcopi de Ard Mor (ed. C. Plummer,
Vitae Sanctorum Hiberniae, n, 32), this incident is related with the following explanation: Tpse iam
Lugaid Robdearg sic uocatus est, eo quod illos tres rubros circulos circa se in corpore suo habuit.' The
three circles on Lugaid's body are also mentioned in the Catk Boinde (ed. J. O'Neill, £riu, n, 174),
but in other accounts he is said to have had only two stripes, one around his throat and the other
above his waist; cf. W. Stokes, 'C6ir Anmann,' Irische Texie, m, 832, §105 and S. H. O'Grady, Silva
Gadelica, n, 495. In place of Riab B reads Sriab which occurs frequently as an alternative spelling of
this name. The oldest form, however, is Reo; cf. R. Thurneysen, Die irische Helden- und Konigsage,
p. 686. Riab may, therefore, be the product of contamination, since it apparently represents an in-
termediary stage between Reo and Sriab.
7
For 'come' B substitutes 'go.' • In Bfesla is the modern form of afeclit-sa.
' This particular meaning of comrac which usually signifies 'an encounter, meeting, combat' finds
support in other texts; cf. E. Gwynn, The Metrical Dindshenchas, in, 86 and S. H. O'Grady, Silva
Gadelica, i, 416. The finite verb is also recorded in precisely the same sense; cf. K. Meyer, 'Die Ge-
schichte von Philipp und Alexander von Macedonien,' Irische Texte, u, pt. 2, 77.
10
2?has altered this sentence as follows:'With respect to all that you have done of unrighteousness,
it is already sufficient for you to have sexual union with me without going against your father.'
11
Note the use of the independent instead of the infixed pronoun at this point, the significance of
which has been discussed in the introduction.
12
The omission of coscur in B spoils the point of the story, for despite their moral turpitude, the
sons of Eochaid did not abandon the fight against their father, but suffered defeat and destruction
at his hands.
18
In place of do-meled B has ro-caithed, for which read nocaithed. At the time that the scribe of B
made his version, the verb do-meil was probably no longer in current usage.
" For another example of dliged in collocation with do-meil, see K. Meyer, Contributions to Irish
Lexicography, p. 666. " Namely, the island of Clothru.
16
Now Lough Ree on the river Shannon near the eastern boundary of Connaught.
60 Aided Meidbe: The Death of Medb
They say indeed that Medb killed her and that through1 her side the swords brought forth
Furbaide2 mac Conchobair.3 Afterwards, the aforesaid4 Medb assumed the kingship of
Connaught and took Ailill into sovereignty with her6 and6 she was wont to spend the trib-
utes7 of Connaught in Inis Clothrand. And it was a tabu8 for her not to bathe herself
every morning in8 the well at the entrance10 to the island.
Then once upon a time Furbaide went to Inis Clothrand and he stuck11 a stake on12 the
flagstone on which Medb was accustomed to perform her ablutions,13 and he fastened a
rope" to the top of the stake—a stake that was as high16 as Medb — and he stretched16
the rope back and forth17 across Loch Ri.18 He bore19 the rope20 to his house.21 Whenever
afterwards the youths of Ulster were wont to be playing,22 this was Furbaide's game :M
he used to stretch his rope24 between two stakes and he was wont to cast26 between them
and26 he never ceased until he struck27 the apple that was on top of the stake.

1
For an analysis of this form, see p. 59, n. 1.
!
It is not possible in English to render the definite article which A, though not B, has preserved
before this proper noun. In origin, Furbaide was probably a participial formation from the root
ben.-, preceded by the preverbal prepositions for and uss. Hence in Furbaide would approximately
mean 'the cut out one.' The proposed etymological translation, however, is also confirmed by various
glosses which occur in other texts to this name. These are: urbad (also spelled furbad, forbad), gerrad
and teascad; cf. J. O'Neill, 'Cath Boinde,' Sriu, n, 176 and W. Stokes, 'C6ir Anmann,' Irische Texte,
in, 396. Though the precise sense of urbad is unknown, both gerrad and teascad signify 'the act of cut-
ting or lopping off,' which is a fairly close rendition of Furbaide.
3
The living infant in the dead mother's womb could, of course, only be saved by a Caesarian opera-
tion which apparently in this instance was performed with swords.
4
Note the use of the deictic ind-l to indicate that Medb has already been mentioned. In B this
demonstrative pronoun is omitted.
6
Perhaps chuci here means "for that purpose," as it frequently does in modern Irish.
0
B adds: "after the death of Ailill."
7
See note 56. B substitutes do-caithed for do-meled in A. Compare p. 59, n. 13.
8
For the relation of this passage to the whole subject of tabu or prohibition, see J. R. Reinhard,
The Survival of Geis in Mediaeval Romance, pp. 162-166. • Literally: 'out of.'
10
The exact translation of ar dorus is uncertain, unless ar has taken the place of an older for, in
which case this prepositional phrase would signify 'in front of, before.' The variant reading a n-dorus
in B, however, certainly means 'at the entrance to,' and also 'before.' In the latter sense it corresponds
exactly to Middle Welsh yn drws; cf. R. Thurneysen, 'Mittelkymr. "Uch Pen," ' Zeiischr. f. Cell.
Philol., viii, 348. " Literally: 'sticks.' B reads clannaid, 'he plants.'
12
In place of for, B substitutes ac, a variant spelling of oc, "at."
13
Instead of the abstract, B employs the finite form of the verb which here may be rendered: 'was
wont to bathe.'
14
A has preserved the older inflection of suanem, which later and especially in modern Irish has
become a dental stem.
u
B replaces the adjective in A by the gen. sing, of the corresponding substantive.
16
Literally: 'he stretches.'
17
2? has 'forward.' It adds a few more words not in A, but unfortunately the concluding portion is
no longer legible in the photographic reproduction of the MS. The translation of the beginning is as
follows: 'and he tied it to a stake . . . '
18 19 M
See p. 59, n. 16. Literally: 'he bears.' See note 14 above.
21
The reading tig in B is really more correct than taig,but the latter form occurs not infrequently
in Old Irish. ** Instead of cluchi, B has cluithi.
23
B again substitutes th for ch in the same word. ** See note 14 above.
a
Taiblcth in B is a denominative from taball and means 'slinging, casting.' For a discussion of this
word, see my article entitled 'Middle Irish Taibleth,' Zeiischr. f. Celt. Philol. xx, 407,408.
28
As has already been indicated in the introduction and in notes 16 and 17, the reading of the
ensuing words in B is by no means certain, which is all the more to be regretted, since this passage
 Aided Meidbe: The Death of Medb 61
Now once upon a time there was1 a great assembly2 between the men of Connaught
from the west and those of Ulster from the east around Loch Ri, s and Medb happened to
be bathing herself early in the morning in4 the well above the selfsame Loch.6
'Beautiful is yonder form,'6 said each one.
'Who is that?' Furbaide asked.
'The sister of your mother,'7 all answered.
He was eating a piece8 of cheese. He did not then tarry to9 seek10 a stone.11 He put12 the
piece [of cheese]13 in14 the sling. When Medb's forehead16 was [turned] towards them, he
letfly16the piece [of cheese]17 and it struck her18 on the crown of the head so that he killed
her19 by the one cast in vengeance of his mother.20
That is the death of Medb.21

probably reproduces verbatim the archetype, whereas A has paraphrased it. The text here printed
would mean: 'he always hit the one [stake] from the other.' Though in Old Irish the verb do-ecmaing,
of which -lecmad is the impf. ind., is usually employed as a gloss to 'accidit,' it later also seems to
signify 'he attains, he hits'; cf. S. H. O'Grady, Silva Gadelica, i, 413. But both the resolution of the
contractions and the translation of the foregoing sentence must not be regarded as definitive.
27
Though co-n-ermaised may be the pret. subj. of ar-midethar, it seems more likely that it is the
impf. ind. of the weak verb ermaisid which in modern Irish is spelled urmaisid.
1
B here employs the modern form of the substantive verb.
2
In place of the nominative form, B employs the ending of the oblique case. In Middle Irish this
change is especially characteristic of the fern, a-stems; cf. J. Strachan, 'Contributions to the History
of Middle Irish Declension,' Trans, of the Philol. Soc. (London, 1905), p. 10.
8 l
See note p. 59, n. 16. Literally: 'out of.' Compare note 67.
6
B alters this phrase to: 'on the same stone.' It again employs th for ch; cf. p. 60, nn. 22, 23.
6
In B the oblique case is used in place of the nominative; cf. note 2 above.
7
The version in B which differs slightly is as follows: 'Medb,' all answered, 'the sister of your
8
mother.' B substitutes mire, the gen. sing, of mir, 'a morsel.'
9
Instead of ri, B has fri which is the better reading.
10
The spellings cuinchi in B and cungid in A show that the oldest form is cuindchid (from com-di-
sagid) which occurs several times in the Milan codex and elsewhere, though the Wtirzburg glosses
only record cuingid; cf. H. Pedersen, Vergleichende Grammatik der keltischen Sprachen, n, 607.
11
B again uses th instead of ch in this word. See note 5 above.
18
Literally: 'he puts.' " B reads: 'the morsel of cheese.' " B has: 'in his.'
16
The initial h in hetan is the Middle Irish sign for gemination before a vowel caused in this instance
by the preceding fern. poss. pron. .
16
Literally: 'he letsfly.'Note the infixed fern. pron. anticipating blog.
17
Thefirstpart of this sentence in B is as follows: 'and he letsflyat her and at that time Medb had
her forehead turned towards them.'
18
Since the reference here is to Medb, one expects conda-maing and not conidn-ecmaiftg. But
in Middle Irish the masc. and fern, forms of the infixed personal pronouns tend to become confused so
that they are often employed interchangeably; cf. J. Strachan, 'The Infixed Pronoun in Middle
Irish,' Sriu, I, 158-179. " For conidromarb, read conda-romarb; cf. note 18.
20
Though the sense is the same, B has slightly altered the construction of this sentence which is as
follows: 'so that through it he killed her in avenging his mother on her.'
21
In B the conclusion differs somewhat: 'The death of Medb and Clothru et cetera.'