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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    ‘Thou hast leave to be a crane,’ Said the cleric furiously ; * As just punishment to thy handmaid, She ’ll be a crane along with thee.’ Aedh’s wife and her waiting-maid, Were turned into herons.1 They live still,2 and make complaint, The two old herons of Druim-Ceta. And Colum Cille then said to Domhnall that they should both go to converse with Aedh, son of Ainmire. And Domhnall was much afraid to converse with the king. But Colum Cille said, ‘ Be not much afraid, for the Holy Spirit shall be protecting thee against him.’ They went together to speak to the king. Grievous fear seized the king afterwards [on seeing the cleric3], because of the great miracle he had previously wrought. The clerics came subsequently into the assembly. The king rose and bade them welcome. ‘Our demand must be granted,’ [said Colum Cille4]. ‘ You shall get it truly,’ said the king. ‘ The poets must be retained,’ said Colum Cille. ‘ It shall not be done,’ said the king, ‘for their evils against us are great.’ ‘ Say not so,’ observed the cleric, ‘ for the praises they will sing6 for thee shall be enduring, as the praises the poets sung for him are enduring for Cormac,6 grandson of Conn. And the treasures that were given for them were transitory, while the praises live after them.’ And the cleric composed this little ‘ rhetoric,’ 7 viz.— ‘Cormac well broke battles,’ etc. 1 Herons. Cuirr-lena; lit. ‘ marsh - herons.’ 2 Live still. For many centuries after the date to which the conven- tion of Druim-Ceta is referred, as tradition states, these two herons frequented the part of the river Roe, near the place supposed to be the site of Druim-ceta, or Dormm-cete. 3 On seeing the cleric. Ocfacsin in clerig, L. B. Omitted in A. L. i The corresponding Irish words are wanting in A. L. 0 Will sing. Do genat; lit. ‘they will make.’ 6 Cormac. Cormac, son of Art, son of Conn, king of Ireland in the third century. 7 Rhetoric. Rithorig. In the Yel- low Booh of Lecan, preface, the word is rithlerg, i.e. an extemporaneous rhapsody.