Transcript

Inseod féin mo scéal mar chualas ('s) ní dhéanfad dualgas bréige. Á mbeinn bodhar ní chloisfinn. Á mbeinn dall ní fheicfinn. Á mbeinn ann le tús na hóige bheadh seanscéal nó scéal nua agam. Ach ' réir mar thá sé agam inseoidh mé dhíbh é.

Bhí rí anseo in Éirinn fadó a raibh beirt mhac aige. Agus choinnigh sé ar scoil iad go rabhadar... (an fear óg) bliain is fiche. Ní rabh a fhios aige (cén) ceocacu a choinneodh sé le aghaidh an ríocht. Chuaigh sé go dtí (seandraoi do) bhí aige agus d'fhiafraigh sé dhe cad a dhéanfadh sé.

"Inseoidh mise dhuit," (a) dúirt an seandraoi. "An fear is fearr acu a dhéanfaidh do chomhairle."

"Is cá bhfios dom ceocacu an fear is fearr?" a dúirt sé.

"Bhuel, nuair a bheidh siad ag dul ar scoil amáireach abair leo deabhadh a dhéanamh abhaile, go bhfuil gnó priaclach agat díobh, agus an fear deireanach, sin é an fear a chuirfidh tú uait."

Mar sin do bhí. Dúirt sé leothu ar maidin (a dhul a)... deabhadh a dhéanamh abhaile, go rabh gnó priaclach aige dhíobh. Agus bhí báire comórtais ag na scoláirí (ag teacht) agus (siod) é an chéad fhear (do ghlaodar) mar bhí ana-ghrá dhon chomán agus dhon liathróid aige. D'fhan sé acu ag iomáint agus tháinig an mac críonna abhaile.

Agus nuair a tháini' sé abhaile, "Bhuel, bíodh an lá inniubh leat," a dúirt sé leis an mac óg, "ach má dheineann tú amáireach é caithfidh tú do bhóthar a bhogadh!"

Mar sin do bhí. Bhí an scéal céanna tráthnóna lá arna mháireach. Bhí an báire (dhá roinnt) agus sé an chéad fhear do glaodh (é). Agus chuaigh ag iomáint. Nuair a tháini' sé abhaile dúirt an t-athair leis, "Caithfidh tú tú dhul ag tryáil t'fhortúin (anois) amáireach."

"Alright," a dúirt sé. "Ós rud (é) athá romham tá sé chomh maith 'om é a dhéanamh."

Dúirt sé lena mháthair bollóg a dhéanamh dhó i gcomhair na maidine. Dhein. D'éirigh sé ar maidin agus nigh sé a aghaidh 's a lámha is thug sé a aghaidh soir ó dheas. D'iarr sé ar Dhia a leas a chur roimhe. Thugadh sé seacht gcnoc, seacht ngleann, seacht gcaisleán 'á mbeidís ann. Thugadh sé an cnoc do léim, an gleann do choiscéim. Bhí sé ag imeacht ó rotha na maidne go rotha an meán lae, go raibh néalta nua na hoíche ag teacht, soilse séimhe an lae ag imeacht, gearrán bán ag dhul ar scáth na copóige, (is diaraíocht) ar an gcupóig 'á bhfanfadh sí leis, gur seoladh isteach i gcoill é. (Bhain) sé beart (na tine breá). Bhain sé crann mór agus dúirt sé an chéad éan a gheobhadh thairis go bhfaigheadh sé an (...). By gor, chuaigh éan mór thairis is bhuail sé buille dhá chrann air agus leag sé é. Agus phioc sé agus ghlan sé agus chuir sé (bior) 'na, isteach 'na mhuineál, agus bhí sé a róstadh leis an dtine nuair a tháini' fear beag (feosach) suas chuige.

"Dé bheatha, a Mhic Rí in Éirinn," a dúirt sé.

"Go maire tú slán," a dúirt Mac Rí in Éirinn. "Nach breá atá m'ainm agat."

"Tá," a dúirt sé. "Bhí do leithéid (in aghaidh a ghoil) an bóthar anseo. Bhí sé insa targaireacht. Ach an bhfuil fonn ort mo choill a dhó?" a dúirt sé.

"Níl," a dúirt mac rí in Éirinn. "Á mbeadh sí seo róstaithe agam mhúchfainn an tine aríst."

"Maith an buachaill," a dúirt sé.

By gor, nuair a bhí an t-éan róstaithe aige tharraing sé chuige bollóg agus an t-éan agus dúirt sé leis an bhfear beag suí anuas go n-itheadh sé a dhóthain de seo.

"Sure níl aon ocras mór orm," a dúirt an fear beag, "ach mar sin féin fear maith a thabhairfeadh dom é."

D'itheadar an bhollóg agus an t-éan.

"Bhuel anois," a dúirt an fear beag, "is é an t-ainm athá ormsa Rí na Coille Glaise agus tabhairfidh mé bua dhuit. Níl aon fhaill ag aon laoch, fathach ná beithíoch fiáin ná ollaphiast tú a mharú choíche," a dúirt sé.

"Ó, is maith é sin," a dúirt Mac Rí in Éirinn.

"Bhuel, mar sin a bheidh sé," a dúirt sé. "Cuimhnigh ormsa nuair a bheidh tú in aon phriacail."

D'imigh sé leis lá arna mháireach. Agus nuair a bhí an oíche ag teacht bhí seanaghabha ag goil amach as ceártain agus é ag cur glas ar an ndoras.

"Dia dhuit!" a dúirt sé le seanaghabha.

"Dia is Muire dhuit," a dúirt an gabha.

"(An) dtabhairfeá lóistín na hoíche dhom?"

"Muise tabhairfidh," a dúirt sé. "Is olc agam féin é, ach an miste dhom fiafraí dhíot cail tú ag dul?"

"Táim ag lorg maighistir," a dúirt sé.

"Maith mar a tharlaigh," a dúirt an gabha. "Táimse ag lorg buachaill le ráithe agus (...)."

Translation

I will tell my story myself as I heard it and I will not do my duty dishonestly. If I was deaf I would not hear. If I was blind I would not see. If I was there at the start of youth I would have an old tale or a new story. But as I have it I will tell it to you.

There was a king here in Ireland long ago who had two sons. And he kept them in school until they were... the younger man was twenty one years old. He did not know which one of them he would keep for the kingdom. He went to an old druid he had and he asked him what he should do.

"I'll tell you," said the old druid. "The one of them who would best fulfil your advice."

"And how do I know which of them is the best?" he said.

"Well, when they are going to school tomorrow tell them to hurry home, that you have urgent business for them, and the last man, he is the man you will send away."

So it was. In the morning he told them to go and... to hurry home, that he had urgent business for them. And they had a hurling match coming home (?) and it was the first man (?) that they called because he had a great love for hurling and for the ball. He stayed hurling with them and the older son came home.

And when he came home, "Well, you are in luck today," he said to the younger son, "but if you do it tomorrow you will have to hit the road!"

So it was. It was the same story the following evening. The hurling match was being divided(?) and he was the first man called. And he went hurling. When he came home the father said to him, "You must go to try your fortune now tomorrow."

"Alright," he said. "As it is a thing which is awaiting me I had better do it."

He told his mother to make him a loaf for the morning. She did. He got up in the morning and he washed his face and his hands and he set off to the southeast. He asked God to set him on the right course. He would pass seven mountains, seven glens, seven castles if they were there. He would leap the mountain, step over the glen. He was going from the turning of the morning to the turning of midday, until the new clouds of the night were coming in, the soft lights of the day going, the shades of the night falling (lit. 'a white gelding going under the shadow of a dock-leaf'), and (...) ('the dockleaf would be hanged if she kept up with him'), until he came into a forest. He cut a bundle of sticks for a fine fire. He cut a big tree and he said that the first bird that would pass him would get the (...). By gor, a big bird went past him and he hit it with a belt of his tree and knocked it down. And he plucked it and cleaned it and he put a spit into its neck, and he was roasting it away at the fire when a little bearded man came up to him.

"Greetings, Son of the King of Ireland," he said.

"May you long survive," said Son of the King of Ireland. "How well you know my name."

"Indeed," he said. "You were fated(?) to come along the road here. It was foretold. But do you want to burn my forest?" he said.

"I don't," said the Son of the King of Ireland. "If this was roasted I would put the fire out again."

"Good boy," he said.

By gor, when he had roasted the bird he took the loaf and the bird and he told the small man to sit down and eat his fill of this.

"I am not very hungry," said the small man, "but all the same it is a good man who would give it to me."

They ate the loaf and the bird.

"Well now," said the small man, "my name is the King of Kyleglass and I will give you a talent. No hero, giant or wild beast or serpent will be able to kill you now," he said.

"Oh, excellent," said the Son of the King of Ireland.

"Well, so it will be," he said. "Think of me when you are in any peril."

He left the following day. And when the night was coming there was an old smith going out of a forge and locking the door.

"Hello!" he said to the old smith.

"Hello!" said the old smith.

"Will you give me lodgings for the night?"

"Indeed, I will," he said. "I am sorry(?), but do you mind me asking where you are going?"

"I am looking for a master," he said.

"How well it happened," said the smith. "I have been looking for a boy for three months and (...)."

Commentary

This is an incomplete version of an international folktale, ATU 300 The dragon slayer. It is one of the most popular folktales in folk tradition, with examples having been recorded throughout the world. See Hans Jorg Uther, The types of international folktales: a classification and bibliography (3 vols, Helsinki, 2004). There are hundreds of Irish versions, which were recorded from most parts of the country. See Seán Ó Súilleabháin and Rieder Th. Christiansen, The types of the Irish folktale (Helsinki, 1968). International folk motifs found in this example include Q40 Kindness rewarded, Q150 Immunity from disaster as reward and Q42.1.1.1 Reward for giving last loaf. The introduction to this story, as well as several examples in the body of the tale, demonstrate the use of formulaic rhetorical language and stock phrases which were common in Irish storytelling. See Kevin O'Nolan, 'The use of formula in storytelling', Béaloideas 39-41 (1971-3), 233-50. A complete version of this tale can be found in Séamus Ó Duilearga, 'Rí na Coille Gluise', Béaloideas 20 (1950), 167-76.