[The High Deeds of Finn and other Bardic Romances of Ancient Ireland by T. W. Rolleston]@TWC D-Link book
The High Deeds of Finn and other Bardic Romances of Ancient Ireland

CHAPTER XV
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The brazier comes and breaks open the hilt and the name of Dubdrenn stands written within it.

Thus a dead thing testified in law against a living man.
Then Socht said, "Hear ye, O men of Erinn and Cormac the King! I acknowledge that this man is the owner of the sword." And to Dubdrenn he said, "The property therein and all the obligations of it pass from me to thee." Dubdrenn said, "I acknowledge property in the sword and all its obligations." Then said Socht, "This sword was found in the neck of my grandfather Angus, and till this day it never was known who had done that murder.
Do justice, O King, for this crime." Said the King to Dubdrenn, "Thou art liable for more than the sword is worth." So he awarded to Socht the price of seven bondwomen as blood-fine for the slaying of Angus, and restitution of the sword to Socht.

Then the steward confessed the story of the sword, and Cormac levied seven other cumals from the brazier.

But Cormac said, "This is in truth the sword of Cuchulain, and by it was slain my grandfather, even Conn of the Hundred Battles, at the hands of the King of Ulster, of whom it is written:-- "With a host, with a valiant band Well did he go into Connacht.

Alas, that he saw the blood of Conn On the side of Cuchulain's sword!" Then Cormac and Fithel agreed that the sword be given to Cormac as blood-fine for the death of Conn, and his it was; and it was the third best of the royal treasures that were in Erin: namely, Cormac's Cup, that broke if a falsehood were spoken over it and became whole if a truth were spoken; and the Bell Branch that he got in Fairyland, whose music when it was shaken would put to sleep wounded men, and women in travail; and the Sword of Cuchulain, against which, and against the man that held it in his hand, no victory could ever be won.
VIII THE DISAPPEARANCE OF CORMAC In the chronicle of the Kings of Ireland that was written by Tierna the Historian in the eleventh century after Christ's coming, there is noted down in the annals of the year 248, "Disappearance of Cormac, grandson of Conn, for seven months." That which happened to Cormac during these seven months is told in one of the bardic stories of Ireland, being the Story of Cormac's Journey to Fairyland, and this was the manner of it.
One day Cormac, son of Art, was looking over the ramparts of his royal Dun of Tara, when he saw a young man, glorious to look on in his person and his apparel, coming towards him across the plain of Bregia.
The young man bore in his hand, as it were, a branch, from which hung nine golden bells formed like apples.


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