Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Fenian Cycle

Unfortunately, there is much debate as to the true origin of the Fenian Cycle. It's generally believed that it was written sometime around 1200AD, but the only surviving copy was included in the 16th cent manuscript, Book of Dean Lismore. Regardless, there are a few descriptions of individuals within The Colloquy of the Ancients (translated by Standish Hayes O'Grady [http://www.yorku.ca/inpar/colloquy_ogrady.pdf]) that I'm going to present here. Their similarity to the entries from Tain Bo Cualgne make them at least feasible for now.

1) Falartach, son of Fergus ("The rule over Bregia's tuatha and Meath's, and over the Decies of Tara, is that which constitutes my right; but I am a freebooter and an outlaw.") - a) about him was a crimson mantle, b) in it a fibula of gold, c) next to his skin a shirt of yellow silk.

2) Credhe's mansion - "A bowl she has whence juice of berries flows, with which she has been used ot make her eyebrows black; crystal vats of fermenting grains, cups she has and goblets exquisite. The colour of her dun is as that of lime; coverlets and rushes [for the beds] abound among them there; silk is among them, and many a blue mantle; among them are red gold and the polished drinking-horn." (There is a fairly detailed description of her house here that I'll not enter, but later in the paragraph it continues.) ..."The household that is in her house, to them it is that above all their lines are fallen in pleasant places; their mantles are neither pale nor smooth [i.e. neither faded nor worn to a gloss], their redundant locks are curly and in colour fair."

3) Uncertain exactly who they are describing on page 33 - "with a fringed mantle thrown over him, and indued with a soft crimson hood"

4) Page 37 - "Against Bresal's green-mantled son..."

5) Derg dianscothach son of Eoghan out of the tuatha of Usnach - a) a crimson mantle, fringed, enfolded him, b) high on his breast was a silver brooch, c) a white shield having ornament of interlaced creatures in red gold, d) his hair behind was rolled into a ball covered with a golden cuach.

6) Aillen mac Midhna - "...Finn opposed the crimson and fringed mantle which he wore..."

7) Donn son of Aedh son of Garadh mac Morna - a) a fringed mantle, b) a fibula of gold upon the breast, c) a tunic of solf silk

8) Trenbrugaid son of Treon's company - a) every man of them had on a deep blue mantle, b) beautiful shirts of pure white

9) rath Artrach, in the land of Kinelconall - "The gentle nubile yellow-haired damsels and the small green-mantled boys of the residence..."

10) 'non-warrior' page 93 - "... a) wore a fair green mantle, b) having in it a fibula of silver, c) a shirt of yellow silk next his skin, d) over and outside that again a tunic of soft satin, e) a timpan of the best slung on his back

11) Eoghan, the arch-hospitaller - a) a crimson mantle wrapped around him, b) with a brooch of gold

12) Aedh son of Aedh - a) next to his skin he had a shirt of yellow silk, b) a handsome green mantle round him, c) and in the same a brooch of gold surmounting his breast

13) Scothniamh or 'Flower-luster', daughter of the Daghda's son Bodhb derg - a) a mantle of green, b) a smock of soft silk being next her skin, c) and on her forehead a glittering plate of yellow gold.

14) Caeilte mac Ronan - a) around him a crimson mantle, b) a brooch of gold in it

15) Dark-browed young man page 122 - a) about him a fringed mantle of fair crimson b) with a brooch of gold

16) Doireann, daughter of the Daghda's son Bodhb Derg - a) girt with a silken tunic b) wrapped in a green mantle c) held with a brooch of gold d) on her head was a golden diadem, emblem of a queen.

17) A strapping young fellow page 131 - "...clad in garb of defence and wearing a mantle of wethers' wool from the flock-abounding land of promise; and his cloak's skirtful of healing and balsamic herbs..."

18) Donn mac Midir (?) - "... a shirt of king's satin was next his skin; over and outside it a tunic of the same soft fabric, and a fringed crimson mantle confined with a bodkin of gold upon his breast;"

19) A gift page 157 - "...a ribbed shirt in the which while thou art no opposition shall affect thee [in thy undertakings]; a fringed mantle likewise, purely crimson, of wool of the land of promise from beyond, and its border yellow with gold:"

20) Echna, daughter of Muiredach mac Finnachta, the king of Connacht's daughter - "A smock of royal silk she had next to her skin; over that an outer tunic of soft silk, and around her a hooded mantle of crimson fastened on her breast with a golden brooch."