Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition

Background details and bibliographic information

The Triads of Ireland

Author: unknown
File Description
Kuno Meyer
Electronic edition compiled by Emer Purcell Proof corrections by Emer Purcell and Ben Hazard
Funded by University College, Cork and
The HEA via the LDT Project. and
The IRCHSS via the Digital Dinneen Project.
1. First draft, revised and corrected.
Extent of text: 6800 words

Publication
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of University College, Cork
College Road, Cork, Ireland -- http://www.ucc.ie/celt
(2006)
Distributed by CELT online at University College, Cork, Ireland.
Text ID Number: T103006
Availability [RESTRICTED]
Available with prior consent of the CELT programme for purposes of academic research and
teaching only.

Sources
Manuscript sources
1. Trinity College Dublin, MS TCD 1318 (H 2.16), The Yellow Book of Lecan, a vellum of the
end of the fourteenth century, pp. 414b–418a, a complete copy.
2. Royal Irish Academy Dublin, MS 23 P 12, the Book of Ballymote, a vellum of the end of the
fourteenth century, pp. 65b–66b (ends imperfectly).
3. Royal Irish Academy Dublin, MS Stowe, D II 1, the Book of Húi Maine, a vellum of the
fourteenth century, fo. 190a–fo. 191a. A complete copy.
4. Royal Irish Academy Dublin, MS 23 P 2, the Book of Lecan, a vellum of the fifhteenth
century. The leaves on which the Triads are found are now bound up with the Codex H 2 17
belonging to Trinity College. It is a complete copy begining on p. 183b and ending on p.
184b. The editor remarks that, 'by an oversight' he has 'referred to the MS sometimes by Lec
and sometimes by H. In some cases both Lec and H will be found quoted in the variants. The
same MS is always meant.' This practice has been left stand.
5. Dublin, Royal Irish Academy, MS 23 N 10, a paper ms written in the year 1575, pp. 98–101.
A complete copy, the gap between p. 100 and 106 being made up by pp. 7a-10b of the
 vellum portion of the manuscript.
6. Trinity College Dublin, MS H 1 15, pp. 946–957. This is a paper ms written by Tadhg
Tiorthach Ó Neachtain in 1745. It is a complete copy with copious glosses in Modern Irish.
7. Dublin, RIA, Stowe Collection, a paper quarto now marked 23 N 27, containing on fo. 1a-7b
a copy of the Triads. It was written in 1714 by Domnall (or Daniel) o Duind mac Eimuinn.
Its readings closely agree with those of N.
8. Manchester, Rylands Library, a copy written in 1836 by Peter O'Longan, formerly in the
possession of the Earls of Crawford.
9. Edinburgh, Advocates Library, MS Kilbride III, vellum, begins on fo. 9b2.
The edition used in the digital edition
1. The Triads of Ireland. Kuno Meyer (ed), First edition [xv + 35 pp., v-xv Introduction, 1-35
Text and Translation, 36-43 Glosses and Notes, 45-46 Index Locorum, 46 Index Nominum,
47-54 Glossary.] Hodges Figgis & Co. London (1906) . Todd Lecture Series. , No. 13

Encoding

Project Description
CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts

Sampling Declaration
The present text represents pages 3–35 of the edited text; corrigenda are integrated.

Editorial Declaration

Correction
Text has been checked and proofread twice. All corrections, including some by Kuno Meyer and
supplied text, are tagged.

Normalization
The electronic text represents the printed text. The editor's corrigenda have been integrated.
Expansions shown in italics in the hardcopy have been marked. The editor gives variants from
Stowe Collection 23 N 7 MS in his preface. These are integrated into the apparatus.

Hyphenation
When a hyphenated word (hard or soft) crosses a line break, the break is marked after the
completion of the hyphenated word. There are no instances of hyphenated words crossing a page
break.

Interpretation
Names of persons (given names), places and group names are not tagged. Direct speech is rendered
q; except where it cannot be nested within or outside the apparatus; then it is rendered '.

Canonical References
This text uses the DIV1 element to represent the Section.
Profile Description
Created: Translation by Kuno Meyer.

Use of language

Language: [EN] The text is in English.

Language: [GA] Some words are in Irish.

Language: [LA] Some words are in Latin.

Language: [GK] Some words are in Greek.

Language: [DE] Some words are in German.

Revision History
• (2007-09-06)
Beatrix Färber (ed.)
• File parsed, header modified; SGML and HTML versions created.
• (2006-07-18)
Emer Purcell (ed.)
• Header created.
• (2006-07-01)
Emer Purcell (ed.)
• File proofed (2); structural markup added.
• (2007-05-18)
Ben Hazard (ed.)
• File proofed (1); some structural markup added.
• (2007-05-18)
Ben Hazard (data capture)
• Text scanned.

Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition: T103006

The Triads of Ireland: Author: unknown

List of witnesses
• L: The Yellow Book of Lecan, pp. 414b-418a
• B: The Book of Ballymote, pp. 65b-66b.
• M: The Book of Hú Maine, fo. 190a-fo. 191a.
• Lec: The Book of Lecan (H 2 17 p.186b ends p. 184b Trinity College)
 • N: 23 N 10, pp. 98-101.
• H1: H 1 25, pp 946-957.
• S: Stowe Collection, 23 N 27, fo. 1a-7b.

p.3
¶1] The Head of Ireland—Armagh.
¶2] The Dignity of Ireland—Clonmacnois.
¶3] The Wealth of Ireland—Clonard.
¶4] The Heart of Ireland—Kildare.
¶5] The Seniority of Ireland—Bangor.
¶6] The Comfort1 of Ireland—Lusk.
¶7] The Sport of Ireland—Kells.
¶8] The Two Eyes of Ireland—Tallaght and Finglas.
¶9] The Sanctuary of Ireland—the House of Cairnech upon the Road of Asal2.
¶10] The Purity of Ireland—Scattery Island.
¶11] The Abbey-church of Ireland—Glendalough.
¶12] The Jurisprudence of Ireland—Cloyne.
¶13] The House of Wages 3of Ireland—Ferns.
¶14] The Singing the Litany of Ireland—Lismore.
¶15] The Lore of Ireland—Emly.
¶16] The Legal Speech of Ireland—Cork.
¶17] The Learning of Ireland—Roscarbery.
¶18] The Wantonness of Ireland—Terryglas.
¶19] The Spiritual Guidance of Ireland—Clonfert.
¶20] The Curse of Ireland—Lorrha.
¶21] The Judgment of Ireland—Slane.
¶22] The Severity of Piety of Ireland—Fore.
¶23] The Delight of Ireland—Ardbrackan.
¶24] .The Simplicity 4of Ireland—Roscommon.
¶25] The Welcome of Ireland—Raphoe or Drumlane.
¶26] The Charity of Ireland—Downpatrick.

p.5
¶27] The [...] of Ireland—Dairchaill.
¶28] The Stability of Ireland—Moville.
¶29] The Martyrdom of Ireland—Dulane.
¶30] The Reproach of Ireland—Cell Ruaid Ruad's Church.5
¶31] The Chastity of Ireland—Lynally.
¶32] The three places of Ireland to alight at: Derry, Taghmon, Kilmainham.
¶34] The three stone-buildings of Ireland: Armagh, Clonmacnois, Kildare.
¶35] The three fairs of Ireland: the fair of Teltown, the fair of Croghan, the fair of Colman Elo.
¶36] The three forts of Ireland: Dunseverick, Dun Cermna,6 Cathir Conree.
¶37] The three mountains of Ireland: Slieve Gua,7 Slieve Mis, Slieve Cualann.8
¶38] The three heights of Ireland: Croagh Patrick, Ac Chualann,9 Benn Boirche.10
¶39] The three lakes of Ireland: Lough Neagh, Lough Ree, Lough Erne.
¶40] The three rivers of Ireland: the Shannon, the Boyne, the Bann.
¶41] The three plains of Ireland: the plain of Meath, Moylinny, Moy-Liffey.11
¶42] The three dark places of Ireland: the cave of Knowth, the cave of Slaney, the cave of Ferns.
¶43] The three desert places of Ireland: Fid Mór Great Wood in Coolney, Fid Déicsen Spy-wood) in
Tuirtri,12 the Wood of Moher in Connaught.
¶44] The three unlucky places of Ireland: the abbotship of Bangor, the abbotship of Lynally, the
kingship of Mug-dorn Maigen.13

p.7

¶45] The three evil ones of Ireland: the Crecraige,14 the Glasraige, the Benntraige.15
¶46] The three comfortable places of Ireland: the abbotship of Lusk, the kingship of the three
Cualu,16 the vice-abbotship of Armagh.
¶47] The three strands of Ireland: the strand of Ross Airgit,17 the strand of Ross Teiti, the strand of
Baile.18
¶48] The three fords of Ireland: Ath Cliath Hurdle-ford, Athlone the Ford of Luan, Ath Caille Wood-
ford19.
¶49] The three highroads of Ireland: Sligo Dala,20 Slige Asail, Slige Luachra.21
¶50] The three mountain-passes of Ireland: Baltinglass, the Pass of Limerick, the Pass of Dublin.
¶51] The three ridges of Ireland: Druim Fingin, Druim nDrobeoil, Druim Leithe.22
¶52] The three plains of Ireland: Moy Bray, Moy Croghan, Moy Liffey.
¶53] The three meadows of Ireland: Clonmacnois, Clones, Clonard.
¶54] The three households of Ireland: the household of Tara, the household of Cashel, the household
of Croghan.
¶55] The three waterfalls of Ireland: Assaroe, Eas Danainne,23 Eas Maige.
¶56] The three fields (?) of Ireland: the land of Rathlynan, Slieve Comman, Slieve Manchain.
¶57] The three wells of Ireland: the Well of the Desi, the Well of Uarbel,24 the Well of Uaran
Garaid.
¶58] The three uneven places of Ireland: Breffny, the Burren, Beare.
¶59] The three estuaries of Ireland: Inver na mBarc,25 Inver Feile,26 Inver Tuaige.27
¶60] The three conspicuous places of Ireland: Cuchulinn's Leap,28 Dunquinn, Sruve Brain. 29

p.9

¶61] The three familiar places30 of Ireland: Tralee, Logher, the Fews.
¶62] Three wonders concerning the Táin Bó Cuailnge : that the cuilmen came to Ireland in its stead;
the dead relating it to the living, viz. Fergus mac Róig reciting it to Ninníne the poet in the time of
Cormac mac Fáeláin; one year's protection to him to whom it is recited.
¶63] The three halidoms of the men of Ireland: breast, cheek, knee.
¶64] Three unfortunate things for a man: a scant drink of water, thirst in an ale-house, a narrow seat
upon a field.
¶65] Three unfortunate things of husbandry: a dirty field, leavings of the hurdle, a house full of
sparks.
¶66] Three forbidden things of a church: a nun as bellringer, a veteran in the abbotship, a drop upon
the altar.
¶67] Three rejoicings followed by sorrow: a wooer's, a thief's, a tale-bearer's.
¶68] Three sorrows that are better than joy: the heaviness of a herd feeding on mast, the heaviness
of a ripe field,31 the heaviness of a wood under mast.
¶69] Three rejoicings that are worse than sorrow: the joy of a man who has defrauded another, the
joy of a man who has perjured himself, the joy of a man who has committed parricide.32
¶70] The three worst welcomes: a handicraft in the same house with the inmates, scalding water
upon the feet, salt food without a drink.
¶71] Three unfortunate things for the son of a peasant: marrying into the family of a franklin,
attaching himself to the retinue of a king, consorting with thieves.
¶72] Three unfortunate things for a householder: proposing to a bad woman, serving a bad chief,
exchanging for bad land.
¶73] Three excellent things for a householder: proposing to a good woman, serving a good chief,
exchanging for good land.

p.11

¶74] Three holidays33 of a landless man34: visiting in the house of a blacksmith, visiting in the
house of a carpenter, buying without bonds.
¶75] Three slender things that best support the world: the slender stream of milk from the cow's dug
into the pail, the slender blade of green corn upon the ground, the slender thread over the hand of a
skilled woman.
¶76] Three hands that are best in the world: the hand of a good carpenter, the hand of a skilled
woman, the hand of a good smith.
¶77] Three things which justice demands: judgment, measure, conscience.
¶78] Three things which judgment demands: wisdom, penetration, knowledge.
¶79] Three characteristics of concupiscence: sighing, playfulness,35 visiting.
¶80] Three things for which an enemy is loved: wealth, beauty, worth.36
¶81] Three things for which a friend is hated: trespassing,37 keeping aloof,38 fecklessness.
¶82] Three rude ones of the world: a youngster mocking an old man, a healthy person mocking an
invalid, a wise man mocking a fool.
¶83] Three deaf ones of the world: warning to a doomed man, mocking39 a beggar, keeping a loose
woman from lust.
¶84] Three fair things that hide ugliness: good manners in the ill-favoured, skill in a serf, wisdom in
the misshapen.
¶85] Three ugly things that hide fairness: a sweet-lowing cow without milk, a fine horse without
speed, a fine person without substance.
¶86] Three sparks that kindle love: a face, demeanour, speech.
¶87] Three deposits with usufruct: depositing a woman, a horse, salt.
¶88] Three glories of a gathering: a beautiful wife, a good horse, a swift hound.
¶89] Three accomplishments of Ireland: a witty stave, a tune on the harp,40 shaving a face.

p.13
¶90] Three ungentlemanly things: interrupting stories, a mischievous game, jesting so as to raise a
blush.
¶91] Three smiles that are worse than sorrow: the smile of the snow as it melts, the smile of your
wife41 on you after another man has been with her,42 the grin of a hound ready to leap at you.43
¶92] Three deaths that are better than life: the death of a salmon, the death of a fat pig, the death of
a robber.44
¶93] Three fewnesses that are better than plenty: a fewness of fine words, a fewness of cows in
grass, a fewness of friends around ale.45
¶94] Three sorrowful ones of an alehouse: the man who gives the feast, the man to whom it is
given, the man who drinks without being satiated.46
¶95] Three laughing-stocks of the world: an angry man, a jealous man, a niggard.
¶96] Three ruins of a tribe: a lying chief, a false judge, a lustful47 priest.
¶97] Three preparations of a good man's house: ale, a bath, a large fire.
¶98] Three preparations of a bad man's house: strife before you, complaining to you, his hound
taking hold if you.48
¶99] Three shouts of a good warrior's house: the shout of distribution, the shout of sitting down, the
shout of rising up.
¶100] Three darknesses into which women should not go: the darkness of mist, the darkness of
night, the darkness of a wood.
¶101] Three props of obstinacy:49 pledging oneself, contending, wrangling.
¶102] Three characteristics of obstinacy:50 long visits, staring, constant questioning.

p.15
¶103] Three signs of a fop: the track of his comb in his hair, the track of his teeth in his food, the
track of his stick 51 behind him.
¶104] Three ungentlemanly boasts: I am on your track, I have trampled on you, I have wet you with
my dress.
¶105] Three live ones that put away dead things: a deer shedding its horn, a wood shedding its
leaves, cattle shedding their coat.52
¶106] Three places of Ireland to make you start: Tulach na n-Escop,53 Achad Deo,54 Duma
mBuirig.
¶107] Three wonders of Ireland: the grave of the dwarf,55 the grave of Trawohelly,56 an echo
near.57
¶108] Three oratories of Ireland: the oratory of Birr, the oratory of Clonenagh, the oratory of
Leighlin.
¶109] Three maidens that bring hatred upon misfortune: talking, laziness, insincerity.
¶110] Three maidens that bring love to good fortune: silence, diligence, sincerity.
¶111] Three silences that are better than speech: silence during instruction, silence during music,
silence during preaching.
¶112] Three speeches that are better than silence: inciting a king to battle, spreading knowledge
(?),58 praise after reward.59
¶113] Three impossible demands: go! though you cannot go, bring what you have not got, do what
you cannot do.
¶114] Three idiots that are in a bad guest-house: the chronic cough of an old hag, a brainless tartar
of a girl, a hobgoblin of a gillie.
¶115] The three chief sins: avarice, gluttony, lust.

p.17
¶116] Three things that constitute a buffoon: blowing out his cheek, blowing out his satchel,
blowing out his belly.
¶117] Three things that constitute a comb-maker: racing a hound in contending for a bone;
straightening a ram's horn by his breath, without fire; chanting upon a dunghill so that all antlers
and bones and horns that are below come to the top.
¶118] Three things that constitute a carpenter: joining together without calculating (?), without
warping (?); agility with the compass; a well-measured stroke.
¶119] Three things that constitute a physician: a complete cure, leaving no blemish behind, a
painless examination.
¶120] Three things that constitute a blacksmith: Nethin's spit, the cooking-hearth of the Morrigan,
the Dagda's anvil.For a description and pictures of these appliances, see YBL., p. 419a, and
Egerton, 1782, fo. 46a.60.
¶121] Three things that constitute an artificer: weaving chains, a mosaic ball,61 an edge upon a
blade.
¶122] Three things that constitute a harper: a tune to make you cry, a tune to make you laugh, a tune
to put you to sleep.62
¶123] Three things that constitute a poet: 'knowledge that illumines,' 'teinm laeda,'63 improvisation.
¶124] Two ominous cries of ill-luck: boasting of your first slaughter, and of your wife being with
another man.
¶125] Three things betokening trouble: holding a plough-land in common, performing feats
together, alliance in marriage.
¶126] Three drops of a wedded woman: a drop of blood, a tear-drop, a drop of sweat.
¶127] Three caldrons that are in every fort: the caldron of running (?), the caldron goriath,64 the
caldron of guests.

p.19
¶128] Three tokens of a blessed site: a bell, psalm-singing, a synod of elders.
¶129] Three tokens of a cursed site: elder, a corncrake, nettles.65
¶130] Three nurses of theft: a wood, a cloak, night.
¶131] Three qualities66 that bespeak good fortune: self-importance, [...], self-will.
¶132] Three qualities67 that bespeak misfortune: weariness, premature old age, reproachfulness.
¶133] Two sisters: weariness and wretchedness.
¶134] Two brothers: prosperity and husbandry.
¶135] Three unlucky [...]:68 guaranteeing, mediating, witnessing. The witness has to swear to his
evidence, the guarantor has to pay for his security, the mediator gets a blow on his head.69
¶136] Three false sisters: 'perhaps,' 'may be,' 'I dare say.'
¶137] Three timid brothers: 'hush!' 'stop!' 'listen!'
¶138] Three dead things that give evidence on live things: a pair of scales, a bushel, a measuring-
rod.
¶139] Three pottages of guaranteeing [...] 70
¶140] Three black husbandries: thatching with stolen things,71 putting up a fence with a
proclamation of trespass, kiln-drying with scorching.
¶141] Three after-sorrows: a wooer's, a thief's, a tale-bearer's.
¶142] Three sons whom folly bears to anger: frowning, [...] ,72 mockery (?).
¶143] Three sons whom generosity bears to patience: [...] , blushing, shame.
¶144] Three sons whom churlishness bears to impatience: trembling, niggardliness, vociferation.
¶145] Three cold things that seethe: a well, the sea, new ale.
¶146] Three sounds of increase: the lowing of a cow in milk, the din of a smithy, the swish of a
plough.

p.21
¶147] Three wealths in barren places: a well in a mountain, fire out of a stone, wealth in the
possession of a hard man.
¶148] Three renovators of the world: the womb of woman, a cow's udder, a smith's moulding-block.
¶149] Three concealments upon which forfeiture does not close: a wife's dowry, the food of a
married couple, a boy's foster-fee.
¶150] Three contracts that are reversed by the decision of a judge: the contracts of a woman, of a
son, of a cottar.
¶151] Three that are incapable of special contracts73: a son whose father is alive, a betrothed
woman, the serf of a chief.
¶152] Three sons that do not share inheritance: a son begotten in a brake,74 the son of a slave, the
son of a girl still wearing tresses.
¶153] Three causes that do not die with neglect: the causes of an imbecile, and of oppression, and of
ignorance.
¶154] Three bloodsheds that need not be impugned: the bloodshed of battle, of jealousy, of
mediating.
¶155] Three cohabitations75 that do not pay a marriage-portion: taking her by force, outraging her
without her knowledge through drunkenness, her being violated by a king.
¶156] Three that are not entitled to exemption: restoring a son, the tools of an artificer, hostageship.
¶157] Three deposits that need not be returned: the deposits of an imbecile,76 and of a high
dignitary, and a fixed deposit.77.
¶158] Three dead ones that are paid for with living things: an apple-tree, a hazle-bush, a sacred
grove.78.
¶159] Three that neither swear nor are sworn: a woman, a son who does not support his father, a
dumb person.
¶160] Three that are not entitled to renunciation of authority: a son and his father, a wife and her
husband, a serf and his lord.
¶161] Three who do not adjudicate though they are possessed of wisdom: a man who sues, a man
who is being sued, a man who is bribed to give judgment.
¶162] Three on whom acknowledgment does not fall in its time: death, ignorance, carelessness.

p.23
¶163] Three usucaptions that are not entitled to a fine: fear, warning, asportation.
¶164] Three wages that labourers share: the wages of a caldron,79 the wages of a mill, the wages of
a house.
¶165] Three oaths that do not require fulfilment80: the oath of a woman in birth-pangs, the oath of a
dead man, the oath of a landless man.
¶166] Three ranks that ruin tribes in their falsehood: the falsehood of a king, of a historian, of a
judge.
¶167] Three free ones that make slaves of themselves: a lord who sells his land, a queen who goes
to a boor, a poet's son who abandons his father's craft.
¶168] Three brutes whose trespasses count as human crimes: a chained hound, a ferocious ram, a
biting horse.
¶169] Three brutish things that atone for crimes: a leashed hound, a spike in a wood, a lath [...]81
¶170] Three things that [...] salt-meat, butter, iron [...] 82
¶171] Three signs that [...]83 in a judge's house: wisdom, information, intellect.
¶172] Three things that should be proclaimed: the flesh-fork of a caldron, a bill-hook without a
rivet, a sledge-hammer without [...]84
¶173] Three doors of falsehood: an angry pleading, a shifting foundation of knowledge, giving
information without memory.
¶174] Three doors through which truth is recognised: a patient answer, a firm pleading, appealing to
witnesses.
¶175] Three glories of a gathering: a judge without perturbation, a decision without reviling, terms
agreed upon without fraud.
¶176] Three waves without wisdom: hard pleading, judgment without knowledge, a talkative
gathering.
¶177] Three glories of speech: steadiness, wisdom, brevity.
¶178] Three ornaments of wisdom: abundance of knowledge, a number of precedents, to employ a
good counsel.

p.25

¶179] Three hateful things in speech: stiffness,85 obscurity, a bad delivery.

¶180] Three steadinesses of good womanhood: keeping a steady tongue, a steady chastity, and a
steady housewifery.
¶181] Three strayings of bad womanhood: letting her tongue,86 and [...] and her housewifery go
astray.
¶182] Three excellences of dress: elegance, comfort, lastingness.
¶183] Three that are not entitled to sick-maintenance: a man who absconds from his chief, from his
family, from a poet.
¶184] Three sauces that spoil a sick-bed: [...],87 honey, salt food.
¶185] Three women that are not entitled to a fine: a woman who does not care with whom she
sleeps, a thievish woman, a sorceress.
¶186] Three things that ruin every chief: falsehood, overreaching, parricide.88
¶187] Three things that characterise every chaste person: steadiness, modesty, sobriety.
¶188] Three things by which every angry person is known: an outburst of passion, trembling,
growing pale.
¶189] Three things that characterise every patient person: repose, silence, blushing.
¶190] Three things that characterise every haughty person: pompousness, elegance, display of
wealth.
¶191] Three things that tell every humble person: poverty, homeliness, servility.
¶192] Three signs of wisdom: patience, closeness, the gift of prophecy.
¶193] Three signs 'of folly': contention, wrangling, attachment to everybody.
¶194] Three things that make a fool wise: learning, steadiness, docility. 89
¶195] Three things that make a wise man foolish: quarrelling, anger, drunkenness.
¶196] Three things that show every good man: a special gift,'90 valour, piety.
¶197] Three things that show a bad man: bitterness, hatred, cowardice.
¶198] Three things that set waifs a-wandering: persecution, loss, poverty.

p.27
¶199] Three chains by which evil propensity is bound: a covenant, a monastic rule, law.
¶200] Three rocks to which lawful behaviour is tied: a monastery,91 a chieftain, the family.
¶210] Three candles that illumine every darkness: truth, nature, knowledge.
¶220] Three things that constitute a king: a contract with other kings, the feast of Tara, abundance
during his reign.
¶230] Three locks that lock up secrets: shame, silence, closeness.
¶204] Three keys that unlock thoughts: drunkenness, trustfulness, love.
¶205] Three inheritances that are divided in the presence of heirs: the inheritance of a jester, of a
madman, and of an old man.
¶206] Three youthful sisters: desire, beauty, generosity.
¶207] Three aged sisters: groaning, chastity, ugliness.
¶208] Three well-bred sisters: constancy, well-spokenness,kindliness.
¶209] Three ill-bred sisters: fierceness, lustfulness, obduracy.
¶210] Three sisters of good fortune: good breeding, liberality, mirth.
¶211] Three sisters of good repute: diligence, prudence, bountifulness.
¶212] Three sisters of ill repute: inertness, grudging, closenstedness.
¶213] Three angry sisters: blasphemy, strife, foulmouthedness.
¶214] Three irreverent sisters: importunity, frivolity, flightiness.
¶215] Three reverent sisters: usefulness, an easy bearing, firmness.
¶216] Three woman-days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. If women go to men on those days, the
men will love them better than they the men, and the women will survive the men.
¶217] Three man-days: Thursday, Friday, Sunday. If women go to men on those days, they will not
be loved, and their husbands will survive them. Saturday, however, is a common day. It is equally
lucky to them. Monday is a free day to undertake any business.
¶218] Three duties of guarantorship: staying at home, honesty, suffering (?); staying in one's
residence, honesty lest he utter falsehood, suffering (?) payment, viz. letting oneself be stripped for
an illegal action instead of the debtor.

p.29

¶219] Three pottages of guarantorship: wer-geld or a debtor's [...] or non-possession (?)92.

¶220] Three things hard to guarantee and to become a hostage and to make a contract for: to go
security for constructing the fort of a king, an oratory, and a caldron. For it is hard for a man of a
family to he given with (?) his fellow.93
¶221] Three things that are undignified for everyone: driving one's horse before one's lord so as to
soil his dress, going to speak to him without being summoned, staring in his face as he is eating his
food.
¶222] Three lawful handbreadths: a handbreadth between shoes and hose, a handbreadth between
ear and hair, a hand-breadth between the fringe of the tunic and the knee.
¶223] What is worst in a household? Sons of a bawd, frequent feasts, numerous alliances in
marriages, abundance of mead and wine. They waste you and do not profit.
¶224] Three illnesses that are better than health: the lying-in of a woman with a male child, the
fever of an abdominal disease that clears the bowels, a feverish passion to check evil by its good (?).
¶225] Three welcomes of an ale-house: plenty and kindliness and art.
¶226] Three services the worst that a man can serve: serving a bad woman, a bad lord, and a bad
smith.94
¶227] Three things that are best in a house: oxen,95 men, axes.
¶228] Three that are worst in a house: boys, women, lewdness.96
¶229] Three signs of boorishness: strife, and contention, and mistaking a person for another (?)97
¶230] Various kinds of mercenaries: [...] 98
¶231] Various kinds of dispensers: [...] 99

p.31
¶232] Three that are most difficult to talk to: a king about his booty, a viking in his hauberk, a boor
who is under patronage.
¶233] Three whose spirits are highest: a young scholar after having read his psalms, a youngster
who has put on man's attire,100 a maiden who has been made a woman.
¶234] Four on whom there is neither restraint nor rule: the servant of a priest, a miller's hound, a
widow's son, and a stripper's calf.
¶235] Three hard things101: to go security on behalf of a king or highly privileged person, for a
king's honour is wider than any claim; to go security for battle, for no one is capable of any security
for a battle save a king under whose yoke are seven tribes; to go security for captivity, except one
who owns a serf. Seven prohibitions: to go security for an outlaw, for a jester and for a madman, for
a person without bonds, for an unfilial person, for an imbecile, for one excommunicated.
Troublesome moreover is every security, for it is necessary for it to give sudden notice as regards
every pledge which he gives, now beforehand, now afterwards.
¶236] Three wonders of Glenn Dallan 102 in Tirowen: the boar of Druim Leithe. It was born there,
and Finn was unable to do aught against it, until it fell in Mag Li 103 by a peasant who was kiln-
drying. Whence Finn said:
1. Not well have we fed our hounds,
Not well have we driven our horses,
Since a little boor from a kiln
Has killed the boar of Druim Leithe.

The Beast of Lettir Dallan. It has a human head and otherwise the shape of a smith's bellows. The
water-horse which lived in the lake by the side of the church cohabited with the daughter of the
priest and begot the beast upon her.
The Ox of Dil 104 is the third wonder. Its father came out of the same lake, and went upon one of
the cows of the landholder who lived near the church, and begot the ox upon her.

p.33

¶237] Three wonders of Connaught: the grave of Eothaile105 on its strand. It is as high as the strand.
When the sea rises, it is as high as the tide. The stone of the Dagda. Though it be thrown into the
sea, though it be put into a house under lock, [...] out of the well at which it is. The two herons in
Scattery island. They let no other herons to them into the island, and the she-heron goes on the
ocean westwards to hatch and returns thence with her young ones. And coracles have not discovered
the place of hatching.
¶238] Three worst smiles: the smile of a wave, the smile of a lewd woman, the grin of a dog ready
to leap.106
¶239] What are the three wealths of fortunate people ? Not hard to tell. A ready conveyance (?), ale
without a habitation (?), a safeguard upon the road.
¶240] Three sons whom chastity bears to wisdom: valour, generosity, laughter filial piety ?.
¶241] Three entertainers of a gathering: a jester, a juggler, a lap-dog.
¶242] Three things that are best for a chief: justice, peace, an army.
¶243] Three things that are worst for a chief: sloth, treachery, evil counsel.
¶244] The four deaths of judgment: to give it in falsehood, to give it without forfeiture, to give it
without precedent, to give it without knowledge.
¶245] Three things that ruin wisdom: ignorance, inaccurate knowledge, forgetfulness.
¶246] Three nurses of dignity: a fine figure, a good memory, piety.
¶247] Three nurses of high spirits: pride, wooing, drunkenness.
¶248] Four hatreds of a chief: a silly flighty man, a slavish useless man, a lying dishonourable man,
a talkative man who has no story to tell.107 For a chief does not grant speech save to four: a poet for
satire and praise, a chronicler of good memory for narration and story-telling, a judge for giving
judgments, an historian for ancient lore.108
¶249] Three dark109 things of the world: giving a thing into keeping, guaranteeing, fostering.

p.35
¶250] Three prohibitions of food: to eat it without giving thanks, to eat it before its proper time, to
eat it after a guest.
¶251] Four elements1 of wisdom: patience, docility, sobriety, well-spokenness; for every patient
person is wise, and every docile person is a sage, every sober person is generous, every well-spoken
person is tractable.
¶252] Four elements 110 of folly: silliness, bias, wrangling, foul-mouthedness.
¶253] Three tabus of a chief: an ale-house without story-telling, a troop without a herald, a great
company without wolfhounds. 111
¶254] Three indications of dignity in a person: a fine figure, a free bearing, eloquence.
¶255] Three coffers whose depth is not known: the coffer of a chieftain, of the Church, 112 of a
privileged poet.
¶256] Three debts which must not be neglected: 113 debts of land, payment of a field, instruction (?)
of poetry.