Cover art is ‘The Lakes of Killarney’ by an unknown artist (public domain)
Book of Leinster
Notes: Attributed to Cormac mac Culennáin (king-bishop of Cashel, died 908), concerning the origin of the mystical yew tree Ibar mac Angciss and its deadly power. This poem deals with the mythological backstory of the supernatural yew tree (ibar) called Ibar mac Angciss, which was fashioned by the fairy beings Fer Fí and Aeblean in revenge for the death of their father Eogabul and sister Áne at the hands of Ailill Olomm, king of Munster. The yew becomes a source of poison and catastrophe, ultimately connected to the deaths at the Battle of Mag Muccrama, one of the most famous battles of early Irish mythology, in which Art son of Conn and others fell. The name Ailill Olomm (“bare-eared”) is explained as coming from Áne biting off his ear. This is a classic example of Irish mythological dindshenchas-style narrative poetry, explaining the origins and terrible power of a famous supernatural object.
Cormac mac Culennáin sang:
- Let someone among you ask me — why does the remarkable yew exist? What is the reason for calling it so, above all others — Ibar son of Angciss?
- What kind of tree is the pure, powerful tree? If the evil deed was done, what was its kindred connection here for a while — the son of Ancis, from whom it is named?
- A meadow was seized at Ailill’s place here, with two horses on his land — from Dún Cláir to Dún Gair, from Áne to Dún Ochair.
- The fairy folk were displeased at the coming upon them in their land; they used to mow the grass every Samhain — it is no tale without its markers.
- Ailill went to inspect the fine grass, and Ferchess son of Commán, until they saw upon the plain three cows with three men behind them.
- “There are here men of plunder,” said Ailill without great anxiety, “a woman and two men without trouble, and three hornless dun cows —
- They are despoiling the grass, and it is dear food against our will, singing the music of the pleasant fairy-mound, to which the seed of Adam used to fall asleep.”
- “If they are singing the restful music of the fairy-mound,” said Ferchess son of Commán, “let us not take a step past that, until we stuff wax in our ears.”
- They did not hear the pleasant music after they put wax in their ears — until each saw the other — swift was the rising up.
- They set point against point — Eogabul and Ailill — Eogabul fell from it, and Áne was struck down.
- Ailill went to Áne, he drained her and dragged her, and went in to her company thereafter — not of her own will but by force.
- Áne gave a fright to Ailill — he did not deny her — and bit off his right ear from his bent head. From this Ailill Olomm [“bare-ear”] took his name.
- Ailill was angered by this; he drove his spear into Áne — he gave her no respite after that — until he left her without life.
- Though Ferchess did not depart from him, when he took up his weapons to move — though a slaying in the aftermath of defeat — without wound and without…
- Fer Í went into the fairy-mound where his company dwelt — great was the weeping and lamenting over Áne and over Eogabul.
- The fairy cavalry went out at the time of rising the following morning; they burned Dún Cláire and Dún Crott, setting them under bright fire.
- “Let us go to Dún Ochair Mag,” each said to the other in discussion — “let us kill Ailill in his house, and the daughter of Conn Cétchathach.”
- “We do not owe [anything against] the fair daughter of Conn,” said Fer Fí son of Eogabul; “without danger but with renown — I alone will avenge my father.”
- Fer Fí went westward then, and Aeblean his brother — they performed a deed without taboo; they shaped Ibar son of Angciss.
- It is there they shaped the tree — at Ess Máge of the great families. Three men whom it loved came to it: Mac Con, and Cian, and Eogan.
- The tree — between the withered and the green — Mac Con took it without malice; Cian took from it, yonder from the growth, its crooked part and its straight.
- No smaller was the other portion — Eogan took from it then, what was of it above the ground on the east, and what was of it below the ground.
- Such was the torment of the men — for they were of one mother’s kin — each strong person would take the whole tree alone.
- “You shall have the judgment of your father from me,” said Mac Con of the swords — “whatever it gives to you or to me, its losses shall not be spoken of.”
- Ailill gave judgment — though raw, his anger was great at Mac Con — he gave the yew to Eogan, and Mac Con to oblivion.
- Mac Con then challenged a battle against Ailill in revenge; it was not delayed long until the Battle of Cend Febrat was fought.
- It is there that Mac Con was wounded, so that he was lame — great the deed; he fell with Cairpre, brilliantly, [and] Dá Ner the fool of Daríne.
- Through it the hard Battle of Mag Muccrama of the great thicket was fought — it was a Tuesday, the day that was in it — when the nobles of Ireland fell.
- Through it Art son of Conn fell — he was a king over splendid Ireland; through it fell together the seven beautiful sons of Ailill.
- Through it Lug Lág was wounded — he performed the bold deed — Art son of fair Conn was slain, and Benni Britt from Britain.
- Through it Mac Con fell with horror, and Ferchess son of Commán, together with Sadb daughter of Conn — from the poison of the beautiful yew.
- It is not a tree but a fairy apparition — its company does not remain; it is not a wood of a forest that shelters it, but a great, exposed, stark-naked thing.
- The shelter of three hundred warriors was the shade of the tree — a wise deed; it would have been enough for a tower-house, a protection against every fierce blast.
- It lies hidden in a secret place, with fairy-mounds of false laws — it leaves behind only a wretch under a hundred, and a lasting finding and an eternal calamity.
- They fell, south and north, from the poison of the red-armed yew — great kings west and east — it is difficult to enquire about it.