Acallam na senórach ll. 469–529. The story of Fulartach and Becán

Short description

Ed. Whitley Stokes, ‘Acallamh na senórach’ in Irische Texte mit Wörterbuch... (1900): lines 469–529; tr. Ann Dooley • Harry Roe, Tales of the elders of Ireland (1999): 16–18. Second day of the acallam (fourth part), incl. the story of Fulartach and Becán.

Incipit

Ocus nír chian dóibh (ann co) facadar in t-aen-óclách andes gach n-direch dá n-inn(saigid co n-degh-éc)usc

Main

Items

A young man [Fulartach mac Fergusa] approaches, bringing with him special nuts and golden apples. In response to questions asked by Patrick, he makes himself known and says that he took the fruit from Fid Gaibli (‘Wood of the River-Branch’); the kingship of Mide, Brega and the Déisi of Tara belong to him by right, but he has now taken to brigandry, plundering his own brother, Becán [who is king instead]. Patrick tells him that his inheritance will be his within a year [this story resumes later in the tale]. The conversation turns briefly to the nuts (...chnóibh corra cenn-bhuidhi) from the wood. Caílte recalls its significance in the time of Finn [...]. Patrick remarks that his chaplain Cessán, son of the King of Scotland, lives in the wood.

Subjects

brigandageviolence
brigandage

id. 26870

Devices

framing narrative⟨narrative devices⟩
framing narrative

id. 26551

Agents

Saint PatrickSaint Patrick
(fl. 5th century)
St Patrick
No short description available
See more Fulartach mac FergusaFulartach mac Fergusa
(time-frame ass. with Saint Patrick)
No short description available
See more Becán mac FergusaBecán mac Fergusa

Entry reserved for but not yet available from the subject index.

See more Cessán [son of the king of Scotland]Cessán ... son of the king of Scotland

Entry reserved for but not yet available from the subject index.

See more Déisi BregDéisi Breg
Déisi Temro;Déisi of Tara

al. Déisi Temro (Déisi of Tara).

Places

Fid GaibliFid Gaibli

No description available

Lexical items

Ir. dúthaigIrish dúthaig
Search eDIL

Ros meic Treoin (‘The forest of the son of Trén’), now Fid Gaibli, was the site of a hunting park (lubh-ghort sealga) owned by one of Finn’s warriors, Mag Lugach. When the Fían was here to hunt, it found enough game for the length of three days while there was shortage in the rest of Ireland and in Scotland.

Subjects

hunting parkhunting park
...
huntingforest and nature activities
hunting

id. 27452

Devices

framed narrative⟨narrative devices⟩
framed narrative

id. 26550

Agents

Mag LugachMag Lugach

Entry reserved for but not yet available from the subject index.

Verse beg. Cluain Cesáin ro clos amach (6 qq.)

Caílte sings a poem (6qq) in which he draws a contrast between the former life of the Fían in the wood, represented by hunting, red deer and abundance of apples and fish, and the modern, religious one of Cessán and other newcomers in the same place (3x called Clúain Cesáin), here represented by priests, psalms and sermons. Finn is credited with the gift of visionary sight as he was able to foretell that the wood will become sacred to angels [st. 4]. [...]

When it is time for Patrick and his company to have their evening meal, Fulartach ‘recommends’ the house of his brother Becán, between the kingdoms of Brega and Mide. Benén is sent forward with some companions, but his request for hospitality is denied to them, in spite of there being 800 milch-cows in Becán’s possession. Patrick formulates a form of malediction in prose and another one in verse (beg. Becán, ní rab ilar a tredan, 1q), following which the earth swallows up Becán, along with his household, animals and his property.

Fulartach offers Patrick and his clerics hospitality for the night, relying on 29 cows used to support his own warriors. Patrick tells him that the kingship will be his the following day, on the condition that he will not oppose the Church.

A title (ainm) is given to the tale: Díth mBécain (‘The destruction of Becán’).

Devices

text titles (internal)identifying texts by title
text titles (internal)

id. 27875

text-internal use of titles or tituli to identify texts or text sections.

framing narrative⟨narrative devices⟩
framing narrative

id. 26551

Included

Beg. Becán, ní rab ilar a tredan

Verse beg. Becán, ní rab ilar a tredan (1 q.)

See previous item.