| The Cycles of the Kings | |
|
Cath Belaig Dúin
Bolg "The Battle of Belach Dúin Bolg"
Editions
Manuscripts
Date
Characters
Notes
Summary Once upon a time, Cummascach, the son of Áed mac Ainmirech, went upon a royal circuit of the Southern Uí Néill and the Laigin. Although his father advised him to behave himself, Cummascach demanded to sleep with the wife of every man who put him up for the night. In time, he came to the house of Brandub mac Echach, the king of Leinster. However, when Brandub’s wife refused to sleep with him, Cummascach did very wicked things (ulcu móra) to the local women. Needless to say, Brandub and the nobles of the province were enraged and decided to lock Cummascach in the fort in which he was staying and burn it down around him. Cummascach escaped through the roof only to be beheaded by Conall ua Lonán. Fearing reprisals, the Laigin sent messengers to Áed mac Ainmirech at Ailech Néit to tell him what happened. They sued for peace and offered him many gifts but he refused. Instead, the king gathered the forces of Leth Cuinn and raided Leinster. The Laigin sent Bishop Áedán to the king to offer terms, but Áed said he would accept no terms till the cleric put his hands on his testicles (riasiu taibread in cleireach a lama ar a uirgid). The bishop became angry and swore that Áed would lose his own privates before that same time on the morrow (co mbentar asad-sa do chongaib ferdo ria sin trath-sa amarach). That night, Áed’s army bivouacked at Cell Belad near Belach Dúin Bolg, but there was a conflict between the Northern Uí Néill and Áed Róin’s people over the positioning of tents in the encampment. Consequently, Díarmait mac Áedo Róin went to Brandub. They stuck a pact (cotach) with one another atop Slíab Suidi an Ríg, which from then on came to be known as Slíab in Chadaig (i.e. Slíab in Chotaig). In addition, Díarmait was given a small hermitage (dísert), which came to be called Dísert Díarmata. After some deliberation, the Laigin sent messengers to Cáemgin Glinne dá Locha (St. Kevin of Glendalough) to ask him what they should do now that Áed mac Ainmirech had refused all their offers. When the messengers arrived at Glenn dá Locha, they found the saint using a billhook to remove some briars. In response to their query about the invaders, Cáemgin said, ‘You see what I am doing’. Brandub took the saint’s response to mean that he should attack the king of Tara. The Laigin assault on the Uí Néill longphort is described in a rather confusing passage (§13). Using wild horses with bags of stones tied to their tails, a massive torch, and a lot of yelling, the Laigin stormed the fort and routed the Uí Néill (Do theithsead tra iarsin .i. Aed cona slogaib tre uathbas na fiadech 7 na coindli 7 ri crith-gairb Laigen ac teacht a longphort Leithi Cuinn). A large number of men were slain in the commotion. (The description of the Laigin strategy in this assault is much clear in the Bóroma tract.) Scróncherr mac Dubanaig ran down Áed mac Ainmirech and beheaded him, and in fulfillment of the saint’s curse, a she-wolf came and carried off his privates. Becc mac Cuanach, the king of Airgialla, was also killed in that assault as was a large number of the Laigin themselves. Bishop Áedán buried both Áed mac Ainmirech and Becc mac Cuanach in his own church. With the king of Tara dead and buried, the Northern and Southern Uí Néill began fighting amongst themselves. The battle was fierce, and many were killed, including Morand and Becc mac Díarmata. In the end, the Southern Uí Néill under Colmán were defeated by the Northern branch under Domnall mac Áedo, the son of the late king. This conflict came to be known as Cath Belaig Dathí.
|
| Copyright 2004 Dan M. Wiley. Last updated 08/18/05 | |