Voici l’histoire de la Courtise de Luaine et la mort d’Athirne, de la red branch of the mythology Irish.
The Court of Luaine and the death of Athirne
1. After causing the death of Derdriu, Conchobar mac Nessa was in mourning and sadness and great dejection took hold of him, and no music, no flash of light, no beauty, no joy on earth appeased his spirit, but he was still and always sad and gloomy. The nobles of Ulster came to tell him to seek in the provinces of Ireland, if by chance he could find there the daughter of a king or of the lord, who would make his sorrow for Derdriu extinguish. He agreed to this.
2. His two messengers were brought to him, namely Leborcham, daughter of Ae and Adarc, and Leborcham Rannach, daughter of Uangamain. Hideous and horrible indeed was the appearance of these messengers ***
3. Alors, les deux messagères cherchèrent en Erin, tant dans les forts que dans les grandes villes, et elles n’y trouvèrent aucune femme célibataire qui pourrait guérir la douleur de Conchobar. Alors Leborcham, fille de Ae et Adarc, arriva par hasard chez Domanchenn fils de Dega dans la province d’Ulster elle-même, et là, elle vit une jeune fille adorable, aux cheveux bouclés, pure de couleur, qui surpassait les femmes de la terre en son temps, à savoir, Luaine fille de Domanchenn. Leborcham demanda de qui elle était fille. On lui répondit «La fille de Domanchenn fils de de Dega». Leborcham dit que c’était Conchobar qui l’ avait envoyée chercher Luaine pour lui, car elle était la seule fille en Ireland qui avait la même allure que Derdriu, tant par la silhouette et les sentiments que par l’adresse. «C’est bien», dit son père, et c’est ainsi qu’il donna son accord en contrepartie d’un prix convenable pour la fiancée.
4. The messenger returned to the place where Conchobar was waiting, and reported to him the existence of the young girl, it was then that she said: “There I saw a young girl
sweet-beautiful, ripe for marriage, with golden hair, etc.
5. So that the love for the girl invaded his brain (?) And he could not bear not to go himself and see her clearly. So when he saw the girl, there was not a thumb-sized bone in him that was not filled with endless love for the girl. She was then betrothed to him, and the price for the bride corresponding to the maiden was imposed on him, and he returned again to Emain.
6. At this time came Manannan son of Athgno, king of Mann and the Stranger Isles, with a vast fleet, to plunder and ravage Ulster and take revenge on her for (the death of) the sons of Usnech; for this Manannan had been a friend of theirs, and it was he who brought up the children of Nôisé and Derdriu, namely, Gaiar the son and Aib-Gréne the daughter.
7. There were four Manannáns, and they did not live at the same time.
Manannan son of Allot, an excellent druid of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and he lived in the time of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Orbsen, in fact, (was) his real name. It was this Manannan who dwelt in Arran, and of him Emain Ablach was named, and it was he who was slain at the battle of Cuillenn by Uillenn Red-Browded, son of Caither, son of Nuada Airgetlam, who disputed the kingship of him of Connaught. And when his grave was dug, there Loch n-Oirbsen sprang up from under the earth, so that of him, of the first Manannan, Loch n-Oirbsen is designated.
8. Manannan son of Cerp, king of the Isles and of Mann. He lived at the time of Conaire son of Etirscél, and it was he who courted Tuag, daughter of Conall Collamair, Conaire's foster son, and from her Tuag Inber takes his name.
9. Manannan "son of the sea", namely, a famous merchant who traded between Erin and Alba and the Isle of Mann. He was also a druid, and he was the best pilot who frequented Ireland. It was he also who found, by celestial science (ie) by examining the air, the weather: good weather or storm, et de aen Manannán nominabatur, et ideo Scoti et Britones eum deum maris uocauerunt, et india filium maris esse dixerunt ma ut deum, et ideo adorabatur a gentibus ut deum, quia transforma(u)it se in multis formis per gentilitatem.
10. Manannan fils d’Athgno était le quatrième Manannan. C’est lui qui vint avec une grande flotte venger les fils d’Usnech, et c’est lui qui les avait pris en charge dans Alba. Seize ans furent les fils d’Usnech en Alba, et ils firent la conquète d’Alba de Slamannan jusqu’au nord d’Alba, et c’est eux qui expulsèrent de ce territoire les trois fils de Gnathal fils de Morgann, nommément Iatach et Triatach et Mani Rude-main, car leur père régnait sur cette terre, et ce sont les fils d’Usnech qui le tuèrent. Ainsi, le trio vint en exil chez Conchobar, et ce sont eux qui tuèrent les trois fils d’Usnech en tant que représentants de Eogan fils de Durthacht.
11. Then Manannan came for a great plunder of Ulster. The Ulates gathered to give battle at Manannan. They said Conchobar's showdown against the sons of Noise was not good. Peace was made between them (the Ulates) and Manannan and Bobarán the poet, the foster-father of Gaiar son of Nôisé, was sent to make peace with the answer. So Bobarán said:
Gaiar son of the famous Nôisé, foster-son of the great and pure Manannan,
so he came here, to plunder the country, etc.
12. And peace and friendship were then made between (Conchobar and) Manannan, and theeric (blood money) for his father was given to Gaiar by the will of the lords of Ulster, and the other two, Annli and Ardan, were placed with Conchobar. A territory of Liathmaine was given in land to Gaiar, namely, the land of Dubthach Vipertongue, as he was (then) at war with Ulster with Fergus. So they parted in peace, and from then on they were friends.
13. Luaine's actions, however, are now in question.
14. When Athirne the importunate and his two sons, Cuindgedach and Apartach, heard of the maiden's connection with Conchobar, they went to solicit her, to beg favors from her. So when they saw the girl, all three gave her their love, and the desire for her filled them so that they would rather not be alive unless they slept with her. They came in turn to beg the young girl, and they declared that they would cease to live, and that for each of them they would make on her a glám dicinnunless she had trade with them.
15. The girl said, “It is not right for you to say that, when I must be the wife with Conchobar”.
"We can't stay alive," they said, "unless we go with you."
The young girl refused to sleep with them. So they did three satires on her, which left three spots on her cheeks, namely, Shame and Dishonor and Imperfection, black, red and white.
Subsequently, the young girl died of shame and embarrassment.
16. Then Athirne fled with his sons to Benn Athirni above the Boyne, for he feared that for the deed he had done vengeance would be inflicted upon him by Conchobar and the men of Ulster.
17. Now regarding Conchobar, it seemed to him a long time to sleep without a wife. Then, with the great ones of Ulster, namely, Conall Cernach and Cuchulainn and Celtchair and Blai Brugaid, and Eogan son of Durthacht, and Cathbad and Sencha, he came to fort Domanchenn son of Dega – of the Tuatha Dé was his kindred, and there was his land. So they found the maiden dead, and the people of the fort mourning her. A great silence fell over Conchobar regarding this matter, and the pain within him was second (only) to his pain for Derdriu.
18. Conchobar said, “What revenge would be just regarding this? The nobles of Ulster answered that the deserved punishment for this would be to kill Athirne with his sons and family; "and very often," they said, "Ulster found reproach and battle on his account."
19. Next came the young woman's mother, that is, Be-guba, who groaned sadly and painfully in the presence of Conchobar and the Ulster greats. “O king,” she said, “not one person's death will result from this act, for for her father and I will die of grief for her. This death will bring us what was destined and announced according to the prophecy of the druid, when he said
Many women mourn at the destruction of men by the words of Athirne, etc.
20. Then Cathbad said, “Beasts of prey,” he said, “shall be sent against you by Athirne, namely, Satire and Disgrace and Shame, Curse and Fire and Bitter Word. It is he who has the six sons of Dishonor, namely, Avarice and Refusal and Denial, Hardness and Rigor and Rapacity. These will be launched against you,” he said, “so that they will be at war with you.”
21. Then Domanchenn also came, uplifting and blaming the Ulates.
22. "A question," said Conchobar, "How will you act, O Ulates?" It was Cuchulainn who gave the advice to destroy Athirne the Rigorous. It was Conall the combative, the righteous, who studied it. It was Celtchair the Sharp that conspired. It was the renowned Munremar who planned it. It was Cumscraid the guardian (?) who decided it. It was the double-edged young men of Ulster, heroic, haughty, severe, who took this decision, to go and destroy the residence of Athirne.
23. Then [Domanchenn to Luaine's mother] says:
It is indeed sad, O Bé-Guba, sad is the fate that assassinated you: It is a great pain that we have, to see you on the tomb of Luaine, etc.
24. A mighty lamentation was then made over the maiden, and her death song and funeral games were performed, and her tombstone was set up. Sad and sorrowful indeed were his father and mother, and he was sad to be in the presence of the lament they were making.
25. Next, Conchobar says:
On the plain is the grave of Luaine, daughter of Domanchenn the Red: never in the golden Banba came a woman more difficult to beg.
Celtchair:
Will you tell us how were, O champion, O Conchobar, the company of Luaine and Derdriu, who had the most beautiful conversation?
Conchobar:
I will tell you how it was, O Celtchar son of Uthechar: Better was Luaine, who never spoke a lie, there was no rivalry between them. Sad is any prophecy that takes her away, that because of her she must go to death, that for that her mound must be dug, that her grave is considerable. Bé-Guba and Dega's son, and Luaine – it's death that will cut me off – on the same day they went on the journey, so they have only one grave. Athirne to the four children, evil is for him the deed he has done: they will all perish, the man, the sons, the women, in revenge because of this tomb.
26. Conchobar then wept greatly for the girl and after that he began to raise the Ulates against Athirne.
Then the hUlates followed Athirne to Benn Athirni, and walled him up with his sons and all his household, and slew Mór and Midseng his two daughters, and burned his fortress over him.
27. The doing of this act seemed evil to the poets of Ulster, therefore Amorgen then says:
Great sadness, great pity, the destruction of the very famous Athirne, etc.
The tomb of Athirne here, may it not be dug by you, O poets, etc.
Woe (to him) who works for the destruction of man, woe to him who caused his murder!
He had a hard javelin – enduring its brilliance – which Cridenbél the satirist used to make.
He had a spear that would have killed a king, etc.
I will make her death song here, and I will make her lament,
and I'm going to raise his grave here, and build his beautiful tumulus.
Athairni Fert. Finished.
