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Mongáin
"The Conception and Birth of Mongán"Editions
- V. Hull (ed), 'An Incomplete Version of the Imram Brain and
Four Stories Concerning Mongan', ZCP xviii (1930) 27-419 (Tucait Baili
Mongáin p. 414-415).
- J. Koch (ed & tr) The
Celtic Heroic Age: Literary Sources
for Ancient Celtic Europe and Early Ireland & Wales.
(Andover, MA 2000) 217-218.
- K. Meyer & A. Nutt (ed & tr), The Voyage of Bran. 2 Vols.
(London 1895-1897) 42-45 (Vol. I).
Manuscripts
- TCD H.4.22
- Lebor na hUidre p. 133a (incomplete)
- TCD H.2.16 (pp. 911-912)
- TCD H.3.18 (p. 555)
- R.I.A. N 23 (pp. 63-64)
- Egerton 88 (fo. 15b 1)
Date
- late tenth or early eleventh century (Meyer & Nutt, Vol. I., 5)
Characters
- Mongán (d. 625), son of Fíachna mac
Báetáin. In some stories, Mongán is
said to be the son of Manannán mac Lir or to be a reincarnation
of Finn mac Cumaill.
- Fíachna Lurga mac Báetáin (588-626),
king of
Ulster from Dál nAraide
- Áedán mac Gabráin (d. 606), king of
Scottish Dál Ríata
- Manannán mac Lir, an otherworldly figure associated
with the sea.
Notes
- This narrative is part of the Cycles of Mongán mac
Fíachna, Fíachna mac
Báetáin, and Áedán mac Gabráin.
- The events of this tale are also refered to Immram Brain.
Summary
Fiachna Lurga mac Báetáin goes
to Scottish Dál Ríata to help
his friend Áedán mac Gabráin, the king of that
territory, in his war against
the Saxons. In Fíachna’s absence, a
stranger comes to his wife at Ráth Mór (Co. Antrim) and
asks her to sleep with
him. In return, the stranger will save
her husband from a terrible warrior who is destined to kill him and she
will
give birth to a great child--Mongán. She
consents. The stranger
goes
to Scotland, tells Fíachna the arrangement he made with his wife, and
kills the dangerous warrior, thus saving Fíachna. After
this, Fíachna and Áedán rout
the Saxons. Fíachna returns home and thanks his
wife. In time, she bears Mongán mac
Fíachna, who
is also known as Mongán the son of Manannán mac
Lir, for
Manannán was the stranger who
came to her.
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