The Ancient Irish Epic Tale Táin Bó Cúalnge. Anonymous

¹Then sat they down to wait till the army should come, the while their musicians played to them.¹ And Ailill took the withy in his hand and placed it in Fergus' hand, and Fergus read the ogam script graven on the plug of the withy, and made known to the men of Erin what was the meaning of the ogam writing that was on it. ²When Medb came, she asked, "Why wait ye here?" "Because of yonder withy we wait," Fergus made answer; "there is an ogam writing on its binding and this is what it saith: 'Let no one go past here till a man be found to throw a withy like unto this, using only one hand and made of a single branch, and I except my master Fergus.' Truly," Fergus added, "it was Cuchulain threw it, and it was his steeds that grazed this plain." And he placed the hoop in the hands of the druids,² and it is thus he began to recite and he pronounced a lay:—

      "What bespeaks this withe to us,

      What purports its secret rede?

      And what number cast it here,

      Was it one man or a host?

      "If ye go past here this night,

      And bide not ³one night³ in camp.

      On ye'll come the tear-flesh Hound;

      Yours the blame, if ye it scorn!

      "⁴Evil on the host he'll bring,⁴

      If ye go your way past this.

      Find, ye druids, find out here,

      For what cause this withe was made!"

      W. 596. ¹A druid speaks¹:

      "Cut by hero, cast by chief,

      As a perfect trap for foes.

      Stayer of lords—with hosts of men—

      One man cast it with one hand!

      "With fierce rage the battle 'gins

      Of the Smith's Hound of Red Branch.^a

      Bound to meet this madman's rage;

      This the name that's on the withe!

      ²"Would the king's host have its will—

      Else they break the law of war—

      Let some one man of ye cast,

      As one man this withe did cast!²

      "Woes to bring with hundred fights

      On four realms of Erin's land;

      Naught I know 'less it be this

      For what cause the withe was made!"

      After that lay: "I pledge you my word," said Fergus, "if so ye set at naught yon withy and the royal hero that made it, ³and if ye go beyond³ without passing a night's camp and quarterage here, or until a man of you make a withy of like kind, using but one foot and one eye and one hand, even as he made it, ⁴certain it is, whether ye be⁴ under the ground or in a tight-shut house, ⁵the man that wrote the ogam hereon⁵ will bring slaughter and bloodshed upon ye before the hour of rising on the morrow, if ye make light of him!" "That, surely, would not be pleasing to us," quoth Medb, "that any one should ⁶straightway⁶ spill our blood or besmirch us red, now that we are come to this unknown province, even to the province of Ulster. More pleasing would it be to us, to spill another's blood and redden him." "Far be it from us to set this W. 618. withy at naught," said Ailill, "nor shall we make little of the royal hero that wrought it, rather will we resort to the shelter of this great wood, ¹that is, Fidduin, ('the Wood of the Dûn')¹ southwards till morning. There will we pitch our camp and quarters."

      Thereupon the hosts advanced, and as they went they felled the wood with their swords before their chariots, so that Slechta ('the Hewn Road') is still the by-name of that place where is Partraige Beca ('the Lesser Partry') south-west of Cenannas na Rig ('Kells of the Kings') near Cul Sibrille.

      ²According to other books, it is told as follows: After they had come to ³Fidduin³ they saw a chariot and therein a beautiful maiden. It is there that the conversation between Medb and Fedelm the seeress took place that we spoke of before, and it is after the answer she made to Medb that the wood was cut down: "Look for me," said Medb, "how my journey will be." "It is hard for me," the maiden made answer, "for no glance of eye can I cast upon them in the wood." "Then it is plough-land this shall be," quoth Medb; "we will cut down the wood." Now, this was done, so that this is the name of the place, Slechta, to wit.²

      ⁴They slept in Cul Sibrille, which is Cenannas.⁴ A heavy snow fell on them that night, and so great it was that it reached to the shoulders^a of the men and to the flanks of the horses and to the poles^b of the chariots, so that all the provinces of Erin were one level plane from the snow. But no huts nor bothies nor tents did they set up that night, nor did they ^*LL. fo. 59. prepare food nor drink, nor made they a meal nor repast. None of the men of Erin W. 630. wot whether friend or foe was next him until the bright hour of sunrise on the morrow.

      Certain it is that the men of Erin experienced not a night of encampment or of station that held more discomfort or hardship for them than that night ¹with the snow¹ at Cul Sibrille. The four grand provinces of Erin moved out early on the morrow ²with the rising of the bright-shining sun glistening on the snow² and marched on from that part into another.

      Now, as regards Cuchulain: It was far from being early when he arose ³from his tryst.³ And then he ate a meal and took a repast, and ⁴he remained until he had⁴ washed himself and bathed on that day.

      He called to his charioteer to lead out the horses and yoke the chariot. The charioteer led out the horses and yoked the chariot, and Cuchulain mounted his chariot. And they came on the track of the army. They found the trail of the men of Erin leading past them from that part into another. "Alas, O master Laeg," cried Cuchulain, "by no good luck went we to our tryst with the woman last night. ⁵Would that we had not gone thither nor betrayed the Ultonians.⁵ This is the least that might be looked for from him that keeps guard on the marches, a cry, or a shout, or an alarm, or to call, 'Who goes the road?' This it fell not unto us to say. The men of Erin have gone past us, ⁶without warning, without complaint,⁶ into the land of Ulster." "I foretold thee that, O Cuchulain," said Laeg. "Even though thou wentest to thy woman-tryst ⁷last night,⁷ such a disgrace would come upon thee." "Good now, O