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Cath
Maighe Léna "The Battle of Mag Léna" Editions
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(Jackson’s Text) After the Battle of Cnucha, three Munster kings war among themselves for supremacy--Mogh Néid mac Dergthened, Maicniad mac Luighdhech, and Conaire mac Moga Lámha. The cause of their strife is Éogan Mór, the son of Mogh Néid. This Éogan is also called Mogh Nuadhad because of a feat performed in his youth. He moved a huge stone, which no one else could budge, that was impeding the construction of the ráth of his foster-father, Nuadha Derg mac Dáirine. Amazed at the feat, Nuadha’s household shouted, “that slave is noble!” (Is uasal in mog úd, a Nuadha), referring to Éogan, and so Nuadha’s druid, Derg Damsa, proclaimed that Mogh Nuadhad “the Slave of Nuadha” would be his name. From then on, the Munstermen regarded Éogan as a person fit to be king (adhbar ríg). On another occasion, Éogan’s mother, Sída ingen Fhloind, has a dream that Derg Damsa, the druid, interprets as betokening seven years of famine. Capitalizing on this warning, Mog Néid declares that he will accept only food as his royal rent (ina chís rígh) from his clients. Consequently, he stores up a good deal of provisions in the prosperous years preceding the foretold famine. When it strikes, Clann Dedad, Clann Dáirine, and Clann Dergthenedh come to Mogh Néid for help. He promises to relieve their want if Conaire mac Mogha Lámha and Maicniad mac Luighdhech are banished from Munster and if his son Éogan is declared king. The starving populace has no choice but to agree. Conaire and Maicniad then go to Conn Cédchathach at Tara, and Éogan is proclaimed king of Munster. At the same time the Munster exiles reach Tara, Imchad Airmderg mac Briúin is banished from Ulster and goes to stay with Conn. To these three exiles, Conn marries his daughters--Sáraid with Conaire, Sadb with Maicniad, and Maín with Imchad. These marriage alliances, however, do not sit well with Éogan. As soon as he hears of the esteem they have received from the king of Tara, Éogan refuses to submit to him and threatens to depose him by entering into a treaty with Conn’s enemies. In response to these threats, Conn musters his allies--Conall Cruachna mac Aongusa Feirt (his foster-father), Goll mac Morna and the fíana, Crimthann Cúlbuide of Leinster, the men of Tethba, and the peoples of Tara. He also summons Bresal mac Briúin and Éochaid Cobha, the two kings of Ulster, but they refuse to come on account of the esteem Conn has shown Imchad. Éogan, in turn, musters the two Munsters. Conn then leads a hosting into Munster. His household troops under Asal mac Cuinn Fhéinneda defeat their Munster counterparts under Degad Dímsach at Fir Cell. The main battle, however, takes place the next day. Goll mac Morna and the fíana fight Mog Néid’s forces at Mag Siúil. The battle is furious, but ends with the death of Mog Néid at the hands of Goll. As Éogan bravely covers the retreat of the Munstermen, Conall Cruachna tries to attack him. However, Conall is intercepted and severely wounded by Flann mac Fíachrach, king of East Munster. Despite this, Éogan himself is overtaken on the southern plain of Éile by Conaire and Maicniad. He too is wounded, but his retinue carries him to safety. Éogan manages to get to Glais Fhinnra on Magh Femin and then sends Derg Damsa back to Conn on Magh Siúil to ask for a truce. But when Derg Damsa arrives, he first asks permission to bury Mogh Néid. Once the burial is completed, the druid asks Conn for a truce of three days and three nights, and Conn agrees. Derg Damsa returns to Éogan, who moves his troops to Glenn Lára in Luachair Dedhadh. Conn then plunders the former lands of Conaire and Maicniad, and Conall Cruachna and Clanna Morna burn much of West Munster. After this, the Munstermen submit to Conn and he divides the province between Conaire and Maicniad. Conn then travels south and stays at Carn Buide. Éogan and Conn clash again at what comes to be known as Cath na Cloichi Barraighi. With both sides suffering heavy losses, Éogan makes for Conn but is intercepted by Goll. Their combat is furious, but as the fían-chief begins to get the upper hand, Éogan’s otherworldly lover, Édaín Innsi Greagraidhe, puts a stone image in his place and spirits him and his troops away in ships from Cenn Mara. Éogan then uses her ships as a base from which to launch assaults against Conn’s troops. In a series of conflicts, he kills Éolang Airmderg, the son of the king of Leinster; Símha inghen Chorrluirgnig, a warrior-woman in Goll’s retinue; and Cuirrín Cennsholus, the son of the king of Connacht. Many other less prominent figures also fall by Éogan’s hand. Meanwhile, Conn and the Clanna Morna are sill attacking Éogan’s stone effigy at Cloch Barraighi until their weapons break. Conn then suspects enchantment and tells his men to cease their attack. The spell is broken and Conn beholds Éogan in his ships on the ocean. At Carn Buidhe that night, Conn divides Munster between Conaire and Maicniad before he sets off for Tara. Éogan sets sail, and for the next nine years, Conn rules all Ireland. Éogan goes to Inis Greagraidhi (Great Beare Island) and stays nine nights with Édaín. She predicts that he will remain exiled from Ireland for nine years, one year for each night he has stayed on Inis Greagraidhi. She then puts a coimghi chonaire on him (a spell to protect travelers) to ensure his safe return. Éogan then sets sail for Spain. The king of Spain is Éibher Mór mac Midhna. He has a daughter named Bera, who--according to his druid Dá Drona--is destined to marry a foreigner that will arrive that very night. He then tells Éibher to send his daughter to Sruth nÉibhir, where she will catch a salmon with a fine purple covering(?) on it. She is to remove this covering and use it to make a splendid cloak for her future spouse. Éibher informs his daughter and she does as instructed. In the meantime, Éogan arrives and is summoned to the house of the king where he is feasted. He stays with Éibher a while and woos his daughter but fears to ask for her hand lest he alienate the king. At an óenach, Éibher discovers their love and bids Bera to sleep with Éogan that night. She then puts the cloak she made around him, and it is so bright that it is seen all over the óenach. From that, Éogan gets the nickname taídlech “shining, flashing”. During the nine years of his stay in Spain, Bera bears Éogan a son, Oilill Ólomm, and two daughters, Caímhell and Sgothníamh. At the end of this time, Éogan begins to long for his homeland. With troops and ships provided by his father-in-law, Éogan sails back to Ireland (a passage described in a long run) and lands at Inis Greagraidhi. He is greeted by Édaín, who tells him that Conaire and Maicniad are at Carn Buidhe. Éogan sends Magar, son of the king of southern Ireland, there to tell the two kings and their people to submit to Éogan. They are drunk and ignore him. Then on Bera’s advice, Éogan sends Derg Damsa, his druid, on the same mission. When they again refuse to submit, Derg tells them to send their wives (Conn’s daughters) away, for a fight is coming. Éogan then surrounds their house and compels their submission. Next, he sends Magar to Fiachaid Baicedha, son of Cathaír Mór of Leinster, to remind him that Conn killed his father at Mag nAí and to ask him to join Éogan’s campaign against the high-king. Derg Damsa is sent to Bresal mac Briúin and Eochaid Cobha, joint kings of Ulster, to remind them that Conn’s father killed their father and to tell them that Conn plans to exact a heavy tribute from them. These embassies continue until Éogan is able to muster all the men of Ireland save the Connachta. Realizing that the odds are against him, Conn abandons Tara and goes to Cruachu, where he joins up with Conall Cruachna and Goll mac Morna. Éogan marches on Cruachu, but on the advice of Conaire and Maicniad, he offers to divide Ireland with Conn. North of the line from Áth Cliath Medhraighe to Áth Cliath Duiblinni will be Conn’s, south of it Éogan’s. Conn confers with his counselors and then agrees to the division. At this time, Finn mac Cumaill, whose father died in the Battle of Cnucha mentioned at the beginning of the text, is nine years old, and Éogan makes him rígfhéinnid of the southern fíana. Then for the next fifteen years, Ireland is at peace, while Conn waits for Éogan to dismiss his Spanish troops. One day when on a royal circuit, Éogan comes to Dublin. He is enraged by the fact that Conn has more ships than he does and he demands a share of the profits from Conn’s maritime ventures. Conn refuses, and Éogan invades the northern half of Ireland, setting up came at Magh Léana (the construction of which is described in an elaborate run). Éogan’s prophets then tell him what days will be auspicious for attacking Conn. However, unbeknownst to them at the time, their omens are deceiving. Éogan then builds three camps from which Fráech, son of the king of Spain, launches a series of attacks that deprive Conn of important lands. Pleased by these depredations, Eochaid Cobha ravages much of his remaining lands, prompting Conn to go to Tara, where he meets up with Clanna Feidlimidh Rechtmair and the Tuatha Temrach. Conn attacks the Ulaid and kills Eochaid. That night, he sleeps at Tara, where he is visited by his friends among the Tuatha Dé. They bring magic medicines that heal his soldiers. The next morning, his three otherworldly lovers--At, Lann, and Léna--urge him to go to Magh Léana. Conn goes and builds a longphort at Áth Luachra. At this point, the story recounts some of the wonders that occurred at Conn’s birth (see Airne Fíngein). Conn assembles his counsel. In the meeting, Conn shows some insecurity, expressing his fears. Although his men encourage him, Conn decides to offer Éogan terms; he is to have everything save Tethba, Tara, and Connacht. But when Conn sends Eochaid Glúingel and Fiachaid Láimgel, the two sons of Crimthann Cúlbuide, to convey the offer, Éogan refuses. In the course of the negotiations, the envoys provoke Éogan and he has them hanged. Conn is devastated and vows revenge. After arming himself (a process described in a long run), Conn goes to Druim Dam (later Druim Stuaga) on Magh Léana. He sends Finn mac Cumaill to guard Tara (why Finn is now with Conn rather than Éogan is not specified); however, Finn realizes he is being sent away because Conn does not trust him. Conn then asks Goll to conduct a nighttime raid, but Goll refuses, considering it dishonorable. Nevertheless, the fían-chief vows to ward off Éogan. Then each of Conn’s champions in turn declare who they will fight in the coming battle. After haranguing his men, Éogan receives a visit from three grotesque otherworld women, later identified as Conn’s lovers, At, Lann, and Léana. The three then prophesize the deaths of Éogan and Fráech. The women then go to Conn and foretell his success. That night, Conn makes a surprise raid of the longphort of the Spandairds. Fráech acquits himself well but is slain by Conn and Eochaid Énshúla. Conn’s hosts gives a shout of victory that wakes Éogan and the battle of Magh Léana begins. (A long battle-run follows.) The seven sons of Sicer are killed by the three sons of Conall Cruachna, and the seven sons of Dogar by the five sons of Feidlimid. Enraged at his losses, Éogan goes on a bloody rampage, and Conn tells Goll to make good his boast. Goll and Éogan meet in a furious fight. Goll starts to flag and the sons of Morna each wound Éogan and attack his Asian allies. Many men fall on both sides until all of Conn’s champions gang up on Éogan. Finally, Conn kills him with a spear thrust, though he is severely wounded in the process. The battle ends with Éogan’s death and the surviving Munstermen are allowed to depart in peace. Conn then builds a longphort at Magh Léana. He and his men utter a eulogy for Éogan and then bury their dead. Conn offers the kingship of Munster to Conaire mac Moga Láma, but he defers in favor of Maicniad. But when Maicniad receives the offer, he refuses, saying that he and Conaire should split the Munster kingship. Then Conn promises Conaire that he will succeed him as king of Tara. Both kings give hostages to Conn and Maicniad marries his sister Sadb. Then Ireland is at peace, as Derg Damsa goes to tell Sída, Éogan’s mother, about the battle.
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| Copyright 2004-5 Dan M. Wiley. Last updated 11/14/05 | |