Voici l’histoire de la Courtise de Ferb, de la red branch of the mythology Irish.
The Court of Ferb
Conchobar, le fils de Nessa, reposait une nuit dans son sommeil, et comme il était couché il eut une vision, car il vint à lui une dame dans la fleur de la jeunesse, belle de forme et d’apparence. « Bon est mon accueil, » déclara la dame. « En vérité est-ce un bon accueil ? » déclara Conchobar. « Que veut dire cette vision ? » dit-il. « Honneur et la bonne fortune t’attendent,» répondit-elle. « Et que m’a donc, » déclara Conchobar, « alloué l’avenir ? » « Les hommes d’Irlande te rechercheront, » dit la dame, « et tes femmes, tes fils, tes filles, et ton bétail seront enlevés par Medb et par Ailill, et les avis rusés de Fergus les aideront. » « Quand viendra le temps, » dit Conchobar, « où ils commenceront cette razzia ? » « Au cours d’une nuit, » dit-elle, « qui est éloignée de cette nuit de sept ans, le Blanc dévastera les terres de Cualgne pour ce Brun venu de Cualgne, à la poursuite desquels cette attaque contre ton peuple sera faite. » « Je n’aime pas, », dit Conchobar, « le genre de faits dont tu as parlé. » « Mais avant que ce jour ne vienne, » dit-elle, « il y a une action glorieuse à faire pour toi. Dans les marches extérieures de ton royaume se trouve Mani Morgor, le fils d’Ailill, trois fois cinquante est le nombre des guerriers avec lui, et à Glen Geirg, près de toi, il se trouve maintenant, il est venu pour son mariage avec la fille de Gerg: le nom de la jeune fille est Ferb. Là hâte-toi contre lui, car demain, à la neuvième heure, le banquet sera donné. » « Quel nombre », dit Conchobar, « de guerriers dois-je prendre? » « Rassemble trois centaines de guerriers, » dit-elle; et elle s’écarta de lui, et elle disparut de sa vue. Au matin Conchobar se réveilla, et à Mumain Aitenchaitrech, sa reine, il conta l’histoire qu’il avait entendu. « Si tu voulais m’écouter, » dit-elle, « tu n’irais pas – il y a déjà suffisamment de raisons de luttes pour notre peuple et pour eux. » « Par la route que nous prenons pour notre razzia », répondit Conchobar, « je reviendrai assurément. » « Eh bien, » dit-elle, « va par la voie que tu recherches. »
And these three hundred departed, and then went, until they came to the house of Gerg, until they reached the fortress of Raith Imbuee, where King Gerg dwelt. Rumors of music reached them through the walls, and the fortress was open before them. Conchobar advanced towards the castle, and his three hundred warriors beside him, so that they stood at the gate. Belle was the king's house. There were Gerg and Buan his wife, thirty [men] with Flann, thirty with Dubhtach, thirty with Donnell, thirty with Angus, and thirty [men] of his clan with Falbe Flann. They were there because of the loyalty they owed to the house of Gerg, beside the servants who likewise were there; moreover, there was Mani and his retinue – three times fifty was their number.
Now, all these had their copper shields. If from each man a bushel of gold and a bushel of silver and bronze had been owed, the rivets of the spear of each man among them, with the rings of gold that were in their hair, would have discharged the debt. In the house were a hundred tablets of brass. A brass vat was on the floor of the house, and it had been filled with wine. For three days and three nights they had feasted, and when Conchobar came to the door only half the wine remained. In the house were Gerg and Buan his wife and Mani Morgor, with his troop of warriors, drinking wine and beer, and the gate of the fortress and the house in which they sat were defenseless. Conchobar advanced until he reached the door of the house; likewise the servant of Conchobar advanced until he came inside this house. This servant's name was Broth [broth means broth]. Then the Druid who was with them uttered his cry of lamentation, and all heard this lay which he sang:
"Broth in the bowl is uncovered,
Soon strangers will take it;
The troops are awakened to the sound of battle,
The heroes will shed blood!
Many houses are collapsing,
Warriors fall into duels,
Feats of arms lead them all.
So is it decreed! "
Then Brod threw his spear at Gerg, so that it went straight through his body. And king Gerg dropped the cup from his hand, and he collapsed on the floor of the house. “Broth was found in the cut, O Gerg! cried Conchobar. "Rise, O young people," he said, and thirty warriors rushed into that house beside Conchobar. And of Mill's son Conchobar struck off the head, and likewise a hundred heads were cut off. Then Conchobar and Brod came out of the house, and he left the rest of his young warriors behind; for three days and three nights they remained in this house.
Meanwhile, the lady, namely the Badb, went on her way, and in Croghan she appeared. “Your son,” she told Medb, “was defeated at Glenn Geirg. "Who defeated him?" " she says. “Conchobar, with the valiant heroes of Ulster around him. Medb took her arms, and she gathered together six hundred of her warriors and young heroes, furthermore she took with her Fergus and the Ulster exiles, and she marched till she came to Glenn Geirg, and there they fought together. Medb with his own hand slew sixteen warriors, as well as the two Amalgaid, the two sons of Conchobar. One hundred Ulster men were killed; but four hundred of the men of Connaught and of the people of Medb fell in the struggle, and Medb was defeated. Then the men of Ulster went into the city (where Gerg had dwelt), and none of the inhabitants of that city escaped their hands; and they took all the treasures and the expensive things that were there, and they took away the brazen basin, that it came into the land of Ulster, and they cleared the country of this band of men of Connaught, and they returned in triumph to their own country. So this story has to do with that raid where the Bull was taken west, for it was then that the men of Ulster carried off the vat. When they were all gathered for a raid, or when they were gathered for an assembly, this vat was sufficient for them all, and hence the vat called Ol n-guala came into the possession of the men of Ulster, and thence also came (the name of) Loch Guala, which is now in Daminis within the borders of Ulster.
