This is the story of the death of This Mac Magach, of the red branch of the mythology Irish.
The death of This Mac Magach
1. Where did the death of This mac Magach come from?
It's not hard to say.
Once Cet came to Ulster looking for a man to kill, which he often did (namely, kill Ulates), for since his childhood he had not gone a day without having murdered an Ulate.
2. Wherefore he went westward, having already the heads of three times nine Ulites with him. And Conall Cernach was then sent on his tracks towards Brefne in Connaught (because the snow had fallen), until he found him in an unoccupied house, him and his coachman, cooking their meal. The horses, however, were harnessed to the chariot outside.
3. 'Here is Cet,' said Conall, 'and it is not becoming for us to fight with him because of his ferocity and violence. Lying is wild,” says Conall. " Misfortune! said the coachman, "Let no good come from your lips, and let you not storm the house in which lies the scourge that torments Ulster, and there is no shame for you in fall in battle at the same time as him, because of his great courage until now. 'O father,' said Conall, 'I will not lay down my life for any of the heroes of Ireland; but I will put a sign on the horses. Conall tore a lock of the horses' mane, and put it in front of the chariot, and rode east toward Ulster.
4. “Woe to this! Said the driver.
"There is no misfortune," said Cet. “It's a good thing he spared the horses. It was Conall (who did this), he said, and out of that will come a friendship, and that will be beneficial. »
'Woe,' said the coachman, 'that the man who massacred the men of Connaught can dishonor you, your name cannot wait until the Last Judgment without you killing him or putting him to flight this evening. "That's true indeed," Cet said. They pursued him as far as Ath Ceit, the ford of Cet.
5. “Well, Conall! Said Cet.
“What is it, O Cet? Conall said.
"You will not escape today, O evildoer," Cet said. "I think the same," Conall said, turning to him. And each of them struck the other, so that their cries and their breathing, and the . … horses, and the … of their coachmen (?) encouraging the heroes who were in the ford were heard through the wasteland, until all of them fell there. Cet, however, died immediately, and Conall passed out.
6. And Conall recovered from his fainting 'Take the horses with you for the men of Ulster,' he said, 'before those of Connaught...' However, the young man was unable to carry him in the chariot, so told him- he bid farewell, and returned home. “Well, it's bad,” said Conall, “that one Connaught man could hurt me when I swore that no Connaught man could kill me. And I would rather have sovereignty over the world that someone in Connaught could hurt me again, so that my death could not go to a Connaughter. »
7. Bélchú de Brefne, however, was the first to come there.
"Here's Cet," he said. "And that's Conall," he said. And henceforth Ireland will be happy, since these two dogs of war have fallen, which ruined Ireland between them. As he spoke, he rested the heel of his spear on Conall. “Leave not your spear on me, O Father,” said Conall.
"You are alive," said Bélchú. 'It is not thanks to you,' said Conall, 'that I live. “I see, O Conall, said Bélchú, you would like me to kill you. But I won't, because you're almost dead already. "You wouldn't even dare hurt my coat," said Conall, "you pitiful old woman." "I won't kill you now, but that's not all." I'll take you home, and you'll be cured; and when you recover, I will fight with you. »
8. Then he lifted him up on his back, dragging him half behind him, until he came to his abode. And he called in doctors until he got well. “Soon,” Bélchú said to his sons, “this man will escape me and he won't do us any good. Kill the man before he gets away from us! So all come to him next night, when I leave the door open for you, and kill him in his bed. The man of calamities and great misfortunes, that is to say Conall, knew the evil plans which were (prepared) against him.
9. "Close the door!" Conall said to Bélchú. He walked away but left the door open. “Alright now, Bélchú, said Conall, come to my bed. "No," said Bélchú. "I'm blowing your head off!" Said Conall, if you don't come to this bed. "Since it must be," said Bélchú. Then Bélchú closed the door. When Bélchú was asleep, Conall opened the door. The sons of Bélchú came to the bed in which their father was and plunged their three spears through his body, so that they killed him. And then Conall popped up and ran his sword through them, so that their brains were slammed into the walls. And he carried their four heads with him eastward until he reached his abode before daybreak. Here, then, is the Death of Cet and Bélchú of Brefne with his Sons.
