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The Battle on the Viking Ships: The Death of Failbe

Fiangel laments the death of Failbe (poem)

Fiangal pulls Sitric into the sea where they both drown

Seghda and Congal attack but the Viking ships are swamped

The poem about the battle

Conchubar, the king of Ciarraige, kills Ilbrech, son of the king of Lochlann

The Baiscne attack the fleet of the Berserks and kill Lenn Turmun of the Berserks

Donnchuan, son of Ceinneidigh, is freed from the mast

The ships of Munster land and the Vikings leave

Ceallachan laments the death of Failbe

Donnchadh, the son of Caem's poem about the battle

The burial of the nobles in four graves at a church in north Dundalk

Donnchadh, the son of Caem's second poem about the battle

They burn their ships and those of the Vikings and discuss the route home

Ceallachan and Donnchadh urge a route via Dublin

They plunder and burn everything on their way between Dundalk and Dublin

The plot by the women of Dublin fails

The army stays a week in Dublin and Donnchuan. son of Cennedig, takes Bebinn as his wife in Dublin

The Munster army meets the army of Leinster on the route home

They seek revenge on Muirchertach and Donnchadh, son of Flann Sinna, king of Erin and plundered Tara

Ceallachan dies in 952

74.The nobles of Clan Corc [then] arranged an artfully weaponed, hard and keen-edged enclosure round the mast while the hero was cutting the long ropes,so that they left the battle-soldier in the centre of the ship between the champions. Failbe gave one of the two blades into the hand of Cellachan in the hard fight. Cellachan began to smash the bones of the heroes along the sides of the noble ship, until he leapt in to the ship of the heroic Failbe.

But there was poured down a vehement and fierce shower of arrows upon the brave Failbe in the dark ship, as many are wont to overpower few.

75. When the Foreigners had slain and stripped that true hero, they struck off the brave mans head and raised it upon the prow of the ship. When the hard, impetuous troops and the sprightly young men of Munster saw that decapitation, the battle became more furious, and the fight closer with the brave hosts. Fiangal arose bravely, though every good hero had become weak, lowspirited and thinking of flight after the fall of his chieftain. He began to lament his lord and pledged his word that Sitric should not get back alive to the Lochlann hosts. For the hero was a fosterbrother of the gentle Failbe. But he was aware that his weapons would take no effect upon the mailclad veteran, and he thought it a pity that his lord should lay in the ship without revenge. And he said the lay:

"Do you grieve for the body of the Ua Conaire?" etc. 1)

1) The poem is found in full in 23/H.I.a., p. 85. whence I translate.

Do you grieve for the body of Ua Conaire

Being in the Norse ship,

And his head upon its curved prow,

The descendant of Mugh of the beautiful heroic hands?

 

He did not deserve above all others.

Not to be followed [i. e. to be abandoned] -- the cause is true -,

If I myself could have been in the ship

Of Failbe, the man of the heavy, golden hair.

 

Cheerful and thoughtful before the hosts,

Was the champion of the great victories.

He was a generous giver in the banquetting-house,

The descendant of Aengus with great nobleness.

 

Fair Failbe! O fair Failbe!

He gave his life for my sake.

I grieve that he is left behind me

In the ship of Sitric, the son of Turgeis.

 

I shall not come alive southward

To the country of Munster of the great forts,

Unless he is left behind shamefully

The man whose handsome body has fallen. The body.

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76. Fiangal then made an eager, falconlike leap into the warship of Sitric and fixed his fair hands in the bosom of the Norseman's coat of mail, and dragged the Fair Lochlannach down into the sea so that they together reached the gravel and the sand of the sea, and rested there.

77. Then the two other valiant, redarmed chiefs of the same warlike clan, namely Seghda and noble Congal reached the two strong sons of Turgeis, namely Tor and Magnus. But the looks of the heroes were no faces of friends around ale, nor was it a maidens love for her mate. But the champions sprang like lions from the massive

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ships, (or) like the violent indomitable waves over the long sides of the Norse ships. And the heroes left their own ships void and empty, while the Norse ships became full in their hold, and their sides leaned over. For the pouring in of the clan of Corc into their wombs was a terrible addition to the ships, and they [i. e. the ship] were full of Norsemen before; so that the ships did not wait for the fight of the heroes, but burst open to the salt sea, so that every barque was swamped with its troops. Hence the poet said these words:

"Great the courage of the noble soldiers", etc. 1)

1) Only the first line of the poem is found in the Book of Lismore. The

poem is found in full in 23/H.I.a.,p. 86. from where I give a translation of it here below.

Great the courage of the noble soldiers,

Failbhe, Seaghda and fierce Conall,

Two of them of the blue-weaponed race of Conaire,

Men most brave at maiming bodies.

 

They leave their own ships empty,

Those soldiers -- 'twas not a grievous thing --

So that they leapt into their ships,

Upon the chosen children of Turgeis.

 

Those strong and brave three

Made battle upon the foaming sea

To that they leapt -- though difficult the feat --

upon the troop of the full-blue armour.

 

Too heavy for each hard ship

Were the crews of two ships though it was a full disturbance --

And the sides of the barques tilted

For the Norsemen . . . . . of the fair sea-shores.

 

The sea sucks down alas!

Each ship, each boat with hard swords,

 

They did not therefore abandon their strife,

The sons of Turgeis and of strong Cairbre.

 

Thus did my nimble heroes die,

On the sea -- 'tis not a false tale --,

Seghda and Conall of the hosts,

Tor and active, great Magnus.

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78. Then the martial warships of Ciarraige and the furious angry crews of Fair Lochlann met, and they exchanged showers of arrows, and sudden fusilades of hard stones, and sharp showers of javelins, and skilfully directed, very stout spears. And they made a sudden, fierce attack, and a rough, hostile combat. Then Conchubar, the heroic king of Ciarraige, met the slaughtering Ilbrech, son of the king of Fair Lochlann. They fought very hard and eagerly, because the Ciarraige remembered the plundering of their country by the champion. They plied their spears with excessive eagerness, their battle-axes with powerful onslought, their swords with fierce fight, and their knives with furious, sudden assault. For the good ships were close to each another, and their weapons reached each others breasts and bosoms, so that they fell together on this side and that in their ships. Conchubar however dragged Ilbrec by his head towards him, and struck off the head of the good champion, and exhibited it in triumph. But he fell himself on the neck of the soldier, and thus died. And to verify this the poet sang the lay:

Conchubar, valiant was the champion 1),

The king of Ciarraige of the beautiful hair,

His fall - sorrowful is the deed --

By the people of the full-blue cuirasses.

1) Only the first line of the poem is found in the Book of Lismore; the rest is translated from 23/H.I.a., p. 86.

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His sprightly men did not abandon

The descendant of Fergus, the fair, bright man,

But they fell in the north on the sea,

By the steady host of Fair Lochlann.

 

Conchubar and glorious Ilbrec,

The son of the king of Lochlann -- he was a complete hero --,

The valiant heroes fought

In their full-great ships.

 

Wide were the wounds of men,

The handsome heads of heroes were cut off,

Their sides were quickly pierced,

Each nimble hero lost his strength.

 

He leaves that man upon his back,

The fairhaired son of the king of Fair Lochlann,

And cuts off his head without hindrance,

Conchubar the son of Mac Bethadh.

80. Then the descendants of Cairbre which are called Baiscne and the fleet of the Berserks met to attack each another. But they remembered their recent enmities and their hostility, and the noble hosts especially laid to the charge of the cruel fleet the violation of Senan and the plundering of Scattery Island. Diarmaid and Baiscenn skilfully streered their barque, they hurled their arrows and spears against each other, went upon their stout oars of strong ash, and dealt hard blows to each other.

80. However, this eager, indomitable couple, namely Diarmaid and Baiscenn, rushed in their fierce onset into the ship of the Norseman, and slew the champion in the very middle of his ship, viz. Lenn Turmun of the Berserks. Diarmaid fell in the black ship, but Baiscenn struck off the head of the fierce Norseman, and exhibited it in triumph, as the poet has said:

 

There fell in the hard battle

the descendants of red-sworded Cairbre,

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and the battallion of the Berserks, though it was in vain

All except Baiscenn of lasting victories (?).

81. Then the strong and vigorous descendants of Fergus and the far-plundering descendants of Corc reached the watchful Donnchuan. When they saw the hero as a bound and fettered captive, they ordered that the swift, big ship of Lochlann should be brought up to the one side of the Norse ship and the brownplanked ship of Conchubar to the other side of the high ship. This advice was adopted by the champions, and they leapt over the broad railings of the ship of the Norseman, and untied the hard fetters, and let down the ropes, so that the hero-champion, i. e. Donnchuan son of Ceinneidigh, was left free in the middle of the ship. But while the chiefs were removing the champion from the mast, the Lochlannachs of the ship slaughtered their people.

82. The champions became fiercely angry because of this, made a violent attack upon the sullen Lochlannachs, and dealt hard, dangerous blows upon the gloomy Lochlannachs, so that they cleft their shields, and cut their armour into pieces, and tore their targes. And the son of the king of Cold Lochlann fell with the flower of his people. While they were slaying the great Lochlannach, the Lochlannachs of the ship were harassing the rear of the brave champions. They then quickly and suddenly turned round upon the warriors and gave a hard, vehement onslaught on the champions, so that they did not stay in the ship before the heroes, but the champions of the ship leapt over the broad railings into the sea, where they were quickly drowned. But when they found no more Norsemen to slay in the ship, they raised the head of the son of the king of Cold Lochlann in triumph upon the prow of the galley. Conchubar came upon the bow of the ship, and the Norsemen . . . . . and they severed their bodies from their souls. Donnchuan began to lament, and he said:

"Valiant the triumphs of the fierce heroes", etc. 1)

1) I have not been able to find more than the first line of this poem.

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83. However, it was ebb-tide when the fleets met, and the broad waves of the

flood-tide brought the ships of the Munstermen to land.But when the ships had reached land, the Munstermen went into them to join those who were left of their people. But when the Lochlannachs who were left perceived this, they went away in thirteen ships and left the harbour at once, and carried neither king nor chieftain with them.

84. Then Cellachan arrived in the ship of Failbe the Fair, but Failbe lay slain in it on his bed of gore. Cellachan was greatly lamenting him and said: "It is a loss to us that this man has fallen, and there will not be found a hero after him who will rescue his lord, as he did, for his sword gave a brave sound as he fought for me in the galley. And he said, lamenting Failbe:

A loss to Munstermen is Failbe the Fair.

Who gave his life for my sake,

He sprang to bring it back

into the ship of Sitric, son of Turgeis.

 

There was a sword in his right hand,

And a sword in his nimble left,

So that he drove them into the sea,

Where the Norsemen perished.

 

By him my fetters were cut,

Though not with the consent of the men.

The sword which was in his left

the heroic king put into my hand.

 

I myself destroyed with the sword

All that were between me and the side of the ship,

Failbe fought in my rear,

So that I left the ship of the son of Turgeis.

 

Failbe was not slain alone,

Woe that he should have been in peril!

 

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[He did not fall], until the ship was red of their blood.

[of the blood] of his hosts and [of] the Norse host.

 

Manly Fiangal leapt away from us

To avenge his lord.

He carried Sitric with him from his ship,

So that the son of the Lagmann's son was drowned.

 

A blessing upon the soul of Fiangal,

Though he died without fierce wounds,

If Sitric were not under the sea,

The drowning of Fiangal were a loss.

 

He was the darling of the maidens,

the descendant of Aengus, the fair bright man

He brought me out of their fetters,

He was the flower of our noble Munstermen.

 

He was the leader of our battalions,

He was the conqueror of every chieftain,

Our man of battle at every hour,

The descendant of red-weaponed Conall of great deeds.

 

Failbe, king of Corcoduibhne,

He was a comely man at courtship,

He was the love of the women of Munster,

The gentle-worded descendant of Conaire.

 

I would have enjoyed to night,

Although I have sustained battle and great evil -

 

If Failbe were alive after him,

The drowning of Sitric son of Turgeis.

 

It is sad that Failbe of the comely hair

Should not return to the land of Cashel,

 

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It would have been delightful to us in the south,

If he had come with us to be healed.

 

O Donnchad, and o Donnchuan!

Gather forthwith your hosts . . . .

. . . . . . . . . marching homewards,

Although we took . . . . . . . . . .Failbe fair is a loss to the Munstermen."

 

86. The heroic Munstermen assembled their ships from the wide sea, and brought them to land, and Cellachan and Donnchuan were welcomed by the heroes. They began to lament their nobles, their chiefs, and their warriors. And Donnchadh son of Caem said the lay:

It is good for us, O gentle Cellachan,

O son of Buadachan of fair aspect,

That you have not gone over the full sea,

With Sitric, eastward over the bitter brine.

 

The Munstermen have delivered you,

O Cellachan of the blue blades,

It is they who made a bold march,

To Armagh of the great towers.

 

If they had not gone in their ships

Across the waters, across the heavy waves,

The chieftains of Western Munster,

Your hard fetters would have been long and lasting.

 

There came six score ships,

To seek you with fierce resolve,

The men of (Corco) Laigde and Duibne across the sea,

The Ciarraige and Corcobaiscinn.

 

The Ui Echach and the Corcamruadh

Came over the sea of cold waters,

 

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Until they reached the beautiful Sruth na Maeile

To slay the bright-blue Foreigners.

 

They sprang upon the fierce battalions

Around the Height of red-haired Macha,

North, east, and south,

And west alike dexterously.

88. Then they brought the nobles of their people into the town to bury them. And they were greatly sorrowful and exhausted after the battle during that night: They arose early next morning in order to bury their people, and they carried the highest of their chieftains and the nobles of their people with them to the church on the northern side of Dundalk. Their chieftains were placed in four graves, and Donnchadh son of Caem came before them and began te relate their triumph. And he made the lay at the end of the story [i. e. which finishes our story].

89. Seven score ships on the sea

Came with the chieftains;

There escaped not without slaughter

But three score of their people.

 

Cobthach of the battles was slain,

Bloody Flann was slain,

. . . Eiderscel was drowned,

And his crew was slain.

 

Cobthach fell in the battle

Together with the Lochlannach Ladhach.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .a vast amount of gold In Ath Cliath of the drinking-horns.

 

Eiderscel fell here

Together with the Lochlannach of the blades.

And bloody Flann fell

Together with Old Amlaib, the mighty dealer of wounds.

 

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Dubdaboirenn, a brave man (?) (fell)

With Lenn-Turmun of the Journey,

When the earl was slain there,

Who was the strongest of the men of Lochlann.

 

Segda and Failbe were slain,

It was a cause of woe to us,

And wounded to death was fierce Conall

From the country of Munster of the great host.

 

They encountered them upon the sea,

Sitric with the Norse ship,

And Magnus, the strong tower,

And Tora of the sharp spear-points.

 

Magnus fall on the sea

And Segda of the shining armour,

Tora arid Congal likewise,

Sitric and ever-active Failbe.

 

The hard Ciarraighe fought

With Fair Lochlann from the northern land,

When noble Conchobar fell

Together with the king of Fair Lochlann of the drooping hair.

 

Corcobaiscinn, the expert troop, [fought]

Against Lenn-Turmun of the city of the Berserks.

When there fell together upon the sea

The Berserks and Corcobaiscinn.

 

There met in the harbour,

Cold Lochlann and Corcamruadh,

Until they had slain each other

On the sea full readily.

 

Then the flood-tide brought to land

Some of their ships with full force.

In them the Munstermen went out

Upon the sea full of ships.

 

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After Cellachan had gone on board

To the people of Failbe of the dark weapons,

When he had arrived at the battle-place,

They did not dare to encounter the chieftains son.

 

The Norsemen went away

From the prows of their shining ships.

There did not come on the journey

But only six out of seven.

90. When their people had arrived at one place, they collected their own ships and the ships of the Lochlannachs, and burned them all, and they (also) burned the town. Some of them were saying that they ought to decide which way they would take, and some of them were asking where they should go to reach their own country. "The way right to the south", said some of them. "Not so", said Cellachan and Donnchadh son of Caem, "but let us proceed to Ath Cliath, where the sons, and women, and people of the Lochlannachs are, and the woman for the sake of whom Cellachan was captured and our men were slain, even Mor, the daughter of Aedh son of Echu". And he made the lay:

91. "Make a valiant resolution,

O handsome, active heroes,

Which way you will go to the south

Into the country of Munster of the great forts.

 

If you go across the plain of Cruachan,

You will meet a fierce, overwhelming contest;

They will not let you reach your home

Without battle and hard fight.

 

If you cross the plain of Meath,

O host whose valour is all-sufficient,

You will find on the way to the east,

Donnchadh and the Lochlannachs.

 

We shall proceed through the plain of Meath.

For 'tis there is the hostile tribe,

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Until we reach -- though it be a hard task --

South to Munster the red maned.

 

Proceed ye to Ath Cliath.

To Meath it shall be great sorrow.

Though its aspect is fair to-day,

There shall be forts there under black smoke.

Make a valiant resolution.

92. Then the men of Munster set out on their way, and journey, and expedition orderly, bravely, and prudently. They plundered each territory, and burned each fortress and town that they met on their straight way from Dundalk to Ath Cliath. There came a message before them to the royal town, and it was told to the women of the Norsemen that their husbands were slain, and that Cellachan was taken from them by force.

93. Then the wife of Tora, son of Turgeis, namely Mor, the daughter of Donnchadh, said: "I know", said she, "a plot that will result in the death of Cellachan and in the destruction of the Munstermen: Let us even go to the summerhouse where Mor, the daughter of Aedh, son of Echu, is, the woman, who loves Cellachan, and tell her that Cellachan has perished, and that the Munstermen are slain, and she will die from grief for Cellachan, and he himself will die from grief for her, and the Munstermen will be routed, when he has died." "Let this be done", said the women, and they told the young woman these tidings. "It is not true for you, O women," said Mor, "and it would be better for you if that story were true. And it is certain that Cellachan would die, if I should die. But I get news of him every night in my bed, and yet I am not his wife", said the woman.

94. Then the van of the Munster army reached the town, and they collected the cows and cattle-droves of the town, and its gold, and silver, and many riches, and brought the women and young men of the town together. Mor, daughter of Aedh, son of Echu, and Bebinn, the daughter of Turgeis, were brought to Cellachan, who said to Donnchuan. son of Cennedig, that he should take Bebinn to his wife. And so it was done by them, and

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each man of them likewise had his choice of women afterwards. They spent a week in arranging this. And as they went away they burned the town.

95. They proceeded forward to the eastern point of the plain of Almhuin. And as they were there, they saw five battalions drawn up in the middle of the plain with choice shields, and swords, and coats of mail, and with shining spears, and targets, and helmets. And he who was there was Murchadh, son of Finn, king of Leinster, and his three brothers, Donnchadh, Finn, and Aedh, and Conghal, son of Laigsech, king of Leix of Leinster, and Donnchadh, son of Aedh, king of Fotharta of Leinster, and Muirchertach, son of Tuathal, king of Ui Mail, and Conchubar, son of Donnchad, king of Ui Failghe. and Bran Berba, son of Amalghadh, king of Omagh and of Ui Mairgi.

96. When the king of Leinster saw the Munster army coming towards him, he said to a priest of his people: "Arise", said he, "and go to the men of Munster, and demand hostages for me from them, and those hostages shall be Cellachan and Donncuan, and tell them that I shall not accept other hostages, but those two, or else let us fight on the mountain." The Priest proceeded to the place where the Munstermen were, and delivered his message to them.

97. Anger and rage arose in the champions of Munster at those big words. Donnchadh, son of Caem, said: ". . . . . . . . . . .

our march, and it will not be easy to save (?) . . . . . . . . . . and for destroying nobles and chieftains . . . . . . . . . in fighting for those two, if we gave them to them. And tell them that we would not give to them the worst gillie in this host to avoid battle."98. Then Donnchadli said: "I wish to ask a boon from you. O men of Munster, namely to let me be in the front of the battle and have what is left of the descendants of Eoghan here, and that Cellachan shall not go into battle. That was granted to him. And Cellachan said: "Since I am not myself permitted to come into the battle, avenge ye Cormac, the son of Cuilennan, well upon the men of Leinster; for there are two years and a halt and two score years without revenge. And for every cleric who

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was slain there they offered but one cow". And he recited the lay:

"Send against Leinster of the graves!" etc.

99. Then the noble, valiant descendants of Eoghan arose, and arranged themselves into a furious, steady, brave battalion of champions. 1)

100. However, when all the fierce Lochlannachs were drowned, and when the noble lords of Munster had fallen, Cellachan went on land, and the minds and spirits of the high chieftains rejoiced before him. Cellachan sent people to burn the bulk of the fleet which had not gone down in the salt sea. And the resolution the champions came to, was to attack the king of Cenel Conaill, for it was he who had sent messengers (as we have told before) to Armagh to the Lochlannachs, to tell them to bring Cellachan to Dundalk. Muirchertach did not show himself before them, although they raided and plundered the whole country. After that they came to Tara, and sent messengers to proclaim battle against Donnchadh, son of Flann Sinna, king of Erin, for he had previously permitted that Cellachan was taken prisoner in Ath Cliath. Donnchadh refused to fight with them, and when he had refused, they plundered the territory of Tara. After this they came to Cashel in Munster, and the territories were divided suitably by Cellachan among the nobles. And thenceforward they spent the time peacefully and tranquilly, until Cellachan of Cashel, the son of Buadachan, died a laudable death at Cashel Anno Domini 952.

1) Here the story ends abruptly. The last chapter is translated from the paper manuscript 23/H.I.a. in the Royal Irish Academy p. 87-88.

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