Irische Texte : mit ersetzungen und Wterbuch

Fitness of Names. 353
Hostages for hostages to the king of Oriel
From the king of Tara tkrough a hero's might.
For their nobleness, for then- majesty,
For their hardiliood in giving battle.
145. Fiacha FoUénáitJiech . 'HaLr-threaden'. Likened to
golden thread was the long, full-beautifid hair that was on him;
for lengthy and . . . fine was his hair. Wherefore (the names)
Fiacha Foltsnáithech and Foltlebar 'Long-hair' clave to him.
146. Bathi. Feradach, son of Fiacha, was his first name.
And when he obtained the kingship of Erin he went into the
world eastward to gain a realm, and he gained the kingship
of the west of Em'ope up to the Alps.
Now at that time there dwelt in the heart of the Alps a
righteous man named Fer-ménia. He had a strong, impregnable
tower. So Feradach, son of Fiachra, with his army began
to destroy Fer-menia's tower, and they could do nothing to it.
The king swore that he would not leave the tower until he
had taken it. The hosts began energetically to destroy the
tower and to shoot at everj^ one who was therein. Whatsoever
the hosts would shoot against the tower, whether stones or
weapons, would scarcely reach the ground past the king, when
he caught them in his hands and himself distributed them again
to every one. Wherefore all said of him: "Active is the way
the king seizes the weapons"! "True indeed", says the druid,
"and Dai/ii 'active' shall be his name fi.'om this work". Wherefore
(the name) Dathi clave to him thenceforward. But the king
died there through his pride and through his injustice to the
faithful man. For a flash of lightning came to him firom heaven
and bm-nt and killed the king. As the poet said:
He had not taken according to his váúx the holy man's building
When a thunderbolt burnt Dathi.
147. Ailill 3Iolt 'Wether': his mother, Ethne, daughter of
Conm-a, (when she was big with him) felt a longing for the
flesh of a wether (molt). And Fial, daughter of Eochaid, the
king's consort, afterwards gave him that nickname. Or Ailill