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Editions

• W. Stokes (ed. & tr.), ‘Cóir Anmann’ Irische Texte (Leipzib 1897) §41.

Manuscripts

• T.C.D., H. 3. 18 (ed. by Stokes)

• The Book of Ballymote (shorter recension)

• The Book of Lecan (shorter recension)

• Advocates’ Library, Edinburgh, Kilbride III (shorter recension)
  

Date

• Middle Irish
  

Characters

• Ailill Ólomm: son of Mog Nuadat and king of southern Ireland from Clanna Dergthened (prehistoric ancestors of the Éoganachta).  According to this text, his previous name was Mais mac Moga Nuadat.

• Áine: the daughter of Éogabál from Druim nÉogabáil (a ridge associated with the Otherworld).  Both Áine and her father are otherworldly figures.

Notes

• This story is important because it explains how Ailill acquired his poisonous tooth (fiacail fidba), which is instrumental in the death of his foster-son Mac Con.  See Aided Meic Con and Cath Maige Mucrama.

Summary

While sleeping one night on Druim nÉogabáil, Ailill Ólomm is attacked by Áine ingen Éogabáil, who strips all the flesh off of one of his ears in revenge for Ailill's murder of her father.  (See the beginning of Cath Maige Mucrama for another account of these events.)  Because of that disfigurement (aithis), he comes to be known as Ailill Ó-lomm or Ailill ‘bare-ear’.

When Ailill awakens and discovers what Áine has done, he is furious and in pain.  He runs her through with his five-pointed spear with such force that the weapon goes clean through her and strikes a rock.  Ailill notices that one of its five points has become crooked as a result, so he puts the bent tip under one of his teeth and works it back into shape.  That spear, though, is special.  It has three magical prohibitions (trí geassa) on it: (1) it was not to be used to kill a woman; (2) it was not to be stuck against a rock; and (3) it was not to be straightened under a tooth.  Ailill has just managed to violate all three in rapid succession.

As a result, Ailill suffers terrible consequences from violating the spear’s geissi.  His tooth becomes black and poisonous, his breath becomes foul, he suffers frequent fits of madness, and in time, he goes completely blind.