Celtic Scotland : a history of ancient Alban / by William F. Skene.

  • William Forbes Skene
Date:
1886-1890
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Celtic Scotland : a history of ancient Alban / by William F. Skene. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    and put him in his own place. And the cleric left him many blessings,1 viz., that he should be fifty2 years in the sovereignty of Eria, and be battle-victorious during that time; and that every word he would say would be fulfilled by him; that he would be one year and a half in the illness of which he would die, and would receive the body of Christ every Sunday during that time. It was told to the queen3 that her son4 was cursed, aud the kingship [promised] to Domhnall. The queen said to her hand- maid, ‘ Go to Aedh, and say to him that if that crane-cleric 5 finds respect with him, I shall not be peaceable towards him.’ This thing was reported to Colum Cille, and he granted6 to the queen and to her handmaid that they should be two cranes7 in Druim-Ceta,8 from that day to the day of judgment, ut poeta dixit:— The queen’s anger grew therefrom— From Domhnall being in the kingship— The promise of kingship given to Domhnall, And her own son without land. ‘ What crane-work9 * 11 is that thou dost ?’ Said the queen, most wickedly. ‘ I’ll not be in peace with Aedh, plainly, For showing thee respect, 0 Cleric.’ 1 Blessings. Briathra; lit. * words,’ or ‘ promises.’ 2 Fifty. Domhnall only reigned from 628 to 642. 3 The queen. A. L. has do Aed, ‘ to Aedh ’ (the king). But the copies ■of the preface to the Amra in the LeabarBreac, and YellowBoolcof La- can, have donrigain, ‘to the queen. ’ 4 Her son. Conall was the queen’s son, and Domhnall her step-son. 5 Crane - cleric. Corr - chlerech. This contemptuous expression was probably used in allusion to St. Colum Cille’s tall stature, alta pro- carilas, as Oswald describes his shade (Adamnan, lib. i. cap. 1). 11 Granted. Do cedaig; lit. ‘ he allowed,’ ‘consented.’ 7 Cranes, or rather herons. Cuirr, pi. of corr, a heron. 8 Druim - ceta (pron. ‘ Drum- Ketta ’). Dr. Reeves identifies this place with the mound called the Mullagh (lit. summit) in Roe Park, near Newtownlimavady, Co. Lon- donderry. 9 Crane-work. Corrsuidhe, A. L. But the preface in Labor na h Uidre has (better) Corraigeclit. This word has two meanings. It means, firstly, the action of a crane (corr), and might be rendered * crane-ing,’ or screaming like a crane; and in the next place, it signifies incessant movement, from corra, to move. The author evidently intended to be facetious.