| The Cycles of the Kings | |
| Baile
in Scáil "The Phantom's Frenzy" Editions
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Accompanied by his three poets and three druids, Conn goes out upon the ramparts of Tara before dawn. He leaps upon a certain stone, which screams beneath his feet. However, when he asks the learned men about him to explain the marvel, they ask for a respite of fifty-three days. When the time is up, Cessarn tells Conn that the stone is called fál and that the number of times it screamed equals the number of kings of Conn’s lineage that will succeed him. Cessarn then says that he is not destined to tell Conn the names of those kings. Just then a mist descends upon them. A rider approaches, casting a spear in their direction three times until he is warned of Conn’s presence. The rider then invites them to his house. They set out and come to a house on a plain in which are a beautiful maiden and a silver vat of ale. Alongside is the phantom (scál) on his throne. He tells Conn that his name is Lug mac Ethnenn and that he is going to tell him the length of his reign and those of the men who will succeed him. The maiden, who is identified as sovereignty personified, draws ale from the vat and asks the scál to whom she should give it. He responds by naming each king in turn from Conn on down, while Cessarn writes his words down in ogam. When the recitation is finished, the house, maiden, and the scál vanish, but Conn is left with the ogam staves, the vat of ale, and its utensils. What follows is a list of the kings (with little snippets about them) from Conn down to Congal Cennmagair (d. 710). |
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| Copyright 2004 Dan M. Wiley. Last updated 07/14/04 | |