Adair - Daughter of the Morrigan and the Dagda

This is a translation of the Source text providing information on Adair, who is named as a daughter of the Morrigan and the Dagda. Translation by Morgan Daimler, commissioned by Lora O'Brien of the Irish Pagan School, for the Mórrígan Intensive Programme Resources, 2021.

Provided publicly now as an educational and community service resource, but this material may be quoted elsewhere ONLY with full and clear credit to the above sources, including a direct link to this page and Morgan Daimler on Patreon Here.

The Original Source Text: Dúan in Cethrachat Cest (a Poem of Forty Questions) - this is the reference for Adair, daughter of the Dagda and the Mórrígan, fyi, but it is given here in Middle Irish. https://celt.ucc.ie/published/G503000/

Footnotes in numbered parentheses ( )

Apraid a éolchu Elga, by Eochaid Eolach ua Céirín

 Duan in chethrachat cest in so, do-rigni Eochaid ua Cérín

Apraid a éolchu Elga

a slúaig Fótla fírergna.

in-fetabair thiar no thair.

ainm mná Féniusa Fárrsaid?

Bélait ingen Laitin máthair Níuil meic Féniusa.

 Gae greíne rus-marb.

The poem of the forty questions by Eochaid

Speak, you knowledgeable Irish (1)

host of the truly famous Ireland, (2)

do you know in the west or east

the name of the wife of Fénius Farsaid?

Bélait the daughter of Laiten, mother of Nél son of Fénius Farsaid. 

A ray of sunshine killed her.

Cía fer ro-marb Iár na n-each.

cia h-airmm 'sa-fríth a airlech

ni bás ro-fuc cíar-gegain.

int éoluch co n- ilbérlaib

.i. Féinius féin ro-marb Iar mac Néma 

do leccain chámaill íar n-dula do Iar co Bélait 

& marb Bélait do grád & ro-adhnocht h-i Carnn Bélaite.

Which man killed Iar of the horses? 

What place was his slaying?

Death did not take him dark-branched, 

the knowledgeable with the many languages.

That is Fénius himself killed Iar son of Néma

 with the jaw of a camel after Iar went to Bélait, 

and Bélait died of love and was buried in Carn Bélaite.

Cía h-aiged rucc Feínius feín.

i focus i n-etercheín?

c' áitt ro-adnacht in suí sean.

Iar macc Nému na nainteam?

.i. marb Féinius dana íar .u. láib do digh dermuit

 coro-adnacht h-i tuaiscirt Maigi Senair 

.i. in Eipithena ciuitate ro-adnocht Iar 

& nir-léc Féinius a adhnocul feín & Iar maróen i n-óencathair.

Which violent death (3) took Fénius himself,

 near or far? 

Where is the grave of the old sage

 Iar mac Néma of (4)?

That is Fénius also died after five days of drinking a great amount 

and was buried in the north of the plain of Senar.

That is in the city of Epithena Iar was buried

 and Fénius did not allow himself to be buried with Iar together in the same city.

Is cuich in triar tairptech teann.

ro-buí d' eísi na díleann.

co-failet a beinn i m-beinn.

as cach dithrib i nh-Érinn?

.i. tri bráthri do Chessair táncatar h-Érinn áenagaig ría n-dílinn 

& niro-acaillsit itir Cessair. 

Luám & Medar & Mel a n-anmann,

 i n-delbuib eón ro-bátar & i m-Beinn Bairche ro-bátar.

And who are the violent, strong three

who lived after the flood, 

so that they are from peak to peak

 over every wilderness in Ireland?

That is three brothers of Cessair came to Ireland the night before the flood 

and did not speak to Cessair.

Luam and Medar and Mel were their names

 They were in the shape of birds and they were on Benn Boirche.

Cid thuc Partholón ó thír.

cid ara-nderna mórgním?

Cía lín ro-buí a glinn i n-glinn.

cid arro-díth a n-Érinn?

.i. Parttolón ro-marb a athair & a máthair 

ac íarair ríghe dia bráthair

 (conid aire at-berar Parrtolón mac Sera friss .i. mac fingalach. cera .i. fingal),

 co-tánicc co h-Érinn ar teched a finghaile,

 conid íarum luid taimlechta ina fingail .i. .ix. m. do éc fri oínsechtmain díb.

What took Partholón out of his country? 

Why did he do the great deed? 

How many was he with from valley to valley? 

Where did he die in Ireland?

That is Partholón killed his father and his mother, 

because he wanted the kingship for his brother 

(with noble named Partholon son of Sera that is son of Fingalach (5). Cera (6) that is Fingal)

And he came to Ireland fleeing his kinslaying. 

Afterwards came a plague for his kinslaying: 9000 of them died in one week

Cía ro-buí for Temraig.

diar-fear snechta airdergnaid?

In rann ro-buí a Temraig de.

ba h-argat fíal findruine.

.i. h-i sechtmad blíadain flatha Éna Aircthig ro-fer froiss airget h-i Temruig 

& fross fína for h-Érinn uile.

Which ruled at Temair

 when the noble snow fell?

 The part of it that fell on Temair

 was fine silver electrum.

That is in the seventh year of Éna Airgtech's reign, a rain of silver fell in Temair 

and a rain of wine fell over all Ireland.

Coich in maccóem co mét n-glonn.

ránic Eamuin cin imroll.

ro-marb deich cét monar n-glé.

dia muinntir i n-oénaidque?

.i. Aengus dana mac In Dágda is é ránicc Emuin 

ar bréthir Concobair dia-n-epert: ‘for-ossna Cú Chulainn cach óen.’ 

& ro-marb Oengus .x.c. isin Cráebrúaid & ro-chuimrig Coin Culainn 

& do-fuc Conall & Celtchair & Conchobor h-i suán.

Who is the young man of great deeds 

who came to Emain without error

He killed a thousand, a clear task, 

people in one night?

That is skilled Oengus, the son of Dagda, came to Emain

 because of the words of Conchobor when he said: ‘CuChulainn outshines everyone.’ 

And Oengus killed a thousand in Craebruad and bound Cú Chulainn 

and put Conall and Celtchair and Conchobor to sleep

Cía dalta dia daltaib thair.

ro-sáraigustar Etain?

ocus abair rimm co glicc.

cade ainm athur Seinbicc?

.i. Abcán ua h-Ebricc in file is é 

ro-sáruigh Etan ingean Dián Cécht at brú Boínne 

gu rus-toirrchiustur, 

co-toracht Oengus iar sain gurro-marb Abcán.

 Conid íarum ruc Etan Senbec & Oengus ro-n-alt Senbeciar sin.

Which foster son of his foster sons in the east

 raped (7) Etan? 

And tell it to me shrewdly: 

what is the name of Senbec's father?

That is Abcán (8) grandson of Ebricc the poet is he

who raped Etan daughter of Dian Cécht on the bank of the Boyne River 

and impregnated her.

 Then Oengus came there separately (9) and killed Abcán.

 Then Etan brought Senbec and Oengus raised Senbec there. 

Anmonn na trí son n-doilbthe.

na-fácbaid co anforbthi.

 .i. Gó dana & anfír & ainfiss a n-anmonn na sonndoilbthe.

cid fod-era sund co se

soillse 'sin chrunn is brénche?

.i. diaro-eírig Críst asa adnocul is ed ro-chét saltair for crann crín, ut est tene sinnuig.

The names of the three with the false appearance, (10)

do not leave them incomplete. 

That is skilled Gó (11) and Anfír (12) and Ainfiss (13) are the names of the violent-appearing.

What is the effect on him

 The glow  there in the tree, the decay?

That is when Christ rose from his grave, he sang the psalter over a decayed trunk, hence the 'will o the wisp’ (14)

Cía do-rigni gart ar tús.

in-fetabair a imthús? 

.i. Seth mac Ádaim do-rat fleid dia bráthrib h-i Sléib Taboir 

& tuc crod da cach bráthair díb, 

co-farcaibsit bennachtain

 oca searb ocus milis molle.

cid dos-fucc i nd-oénoidque

 .i. Míchél at-bert fri Ádam: bennach lat na torthi, ar dot-roa demon aslaigh iterum dot malairt im no toirthi. 

Cach ní no-bennach Ádam is miliss, cach ní tárill demon is serb.

Who showed hospitality first?

 Do you know his history?

 That is Seth son of Adam gave a feast to his brothers on Mount Tabor

 and gave cattle to each brother among them

 so that they might leave him their blessing. 

With bitter and sweet at the same time, 

what did it create in one night?

That is Michael said to Adam: ‘Bless the fruits; for the tempting demon will come to you again to destroy you or else the fruits.

 Everything that Adam blessed is sweet; everything the devil got is bitter.

Cía do rígraidib Fer m-Bolc.

ro-gab Érinn cíarb anord

i m-Maigh Tured trúagh in dáil.

tuc cath do Túaith Dé dámaigh.

.i. Tríath mac Amuir in rí deídenoch do Feruib Bolg in nómad rí díb. 

Ocus is h-é tuc cath Maighe Turead do Thúathaib Dé Danonn.

Which of the kings of the Fir Bolg,

 who ruled Ireland (with) bad leadership,

 on Mag Tured , wretched the meeting,

gave battle with the retinue of the Tuath Dé?

That is Triath son of Amuir, the last king of the Fir Bolg, was the ninth king among them. 

And he gave battle at Mag Tured to the Tuatha Dé Danann.

Cadead anmunn na sé m-ban.

& anmunn a n-athar.

tucsat léo Meic Míled muáid.

o Thúaith Dé Danann drechruáid?

.i. Lían & Liphi & Lemain tri h-ingena Midir. 

Aillenn & Cuilleann & Cairchi .iii. ingena Goibnenn.

What are the names of the six women

 and the names of their fathers

 who took the sons of the noble Mil

from the red-faced Tuath Dé Danann?

That is Lian and Liphe and Lemain, Mider's three daughters. 

Aillenn and Cuillenn and Cairche, the three daughters of Goibniu.

Ocus anmunn na fear trá.

cusa-ndeachatar na mná.

a aés dána na n-dúan dil.

éistigh uán ocus apraidh.

.i. Lían co Cuáilgne,

 Lifi co Fúat, 

Lemain co Murthemni, 

Aillenn co Lugaidh, 

Cuillenn co Surghe, 

Cairche ra Sobairche.

And the names of the men then

 to whom the women came: 

people of art with the beloved poems, 

listen to us and speak.

That is Lian to Cuailgne,

Life to Fuat, 

Lemain to Murthemne, 

Aillenn to Lugaid, 

Cuillenn to Surge, 

Cairche to Sobairche.

Cía rí díb déighenach dián.

ro-gab for gasrad Gaílían?

ocus apraid rimm cen ail.

cía ainm boí forsin rígh-sain?

.i. tri rí déc díb ó Thúathaib Dé Danann for h-Érinn co-táncatar Meic Miled 

.i. Gola ó-sluinnter Slíab n-Gola h-i Ciaraighe is é ba rí déigenach díb.

Which swift, final king among them 

had the warriors (15) of the Gailian? 

And tell me without reproach 

what name was on this king?

That is thirteen kings (16) of the Tuatha Dé Danann ruled Ireland until the sons of Miled came. 

That is Gola, after whom Sliab n-Gola is named in Kerry, who was the last king of them.

Ocus ainm mná Ébir aird.

ni-fetatar na doérbaird.

ainm a máthar cemafath.

ocus ainm a degathar.

.i. Adair dana ingen In Dagda móir

 is í ro-faei la h-Éber

 .i. in Mórrigan dana ainm a m-máthar Adairi mná Ébir.

And the name of the noble Éber's wife 

 the base poets (17) do not know him 

 the name of her mother (? 18)

and the name of her noble father.

That is Adair the daughter of the great Dagda, 

who cohabited with Éber; 

That is the skilled Morrígan is the name of the mother of Adair wife of Eber.

Caide a n-díl ó sin alle.

Túaithe Dé na trommdaíne.

innisid abus is tair.

caide a n-ord ocus apraidh.

Apraid a eol-.

What is their fate from then until now,

 the powerful people of the Tuatha De? 

Proclaim it at here and in the east, (19)

what is their honour, and speak

Speak wisely.
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Footnotes:

1. Elg is an old name for Ireland, hence Elga Irish or Irishmen
2. Fotla, another older name for Ireland
3. Aiged a form of aided, meaning a violent death
4. Nainteam is of uncertain meaning
5. Fingalach, literally means a kin-slayer
6. Cera is uncertain but the eDIL suggest it may be a form of dearg meaning red and also bloody, hence 'Bloody that is Kinslaying'
7. Ro- sáraigustar, violated, outraged
8. Abcán, literally ‘little dwarf’
9. Sain may also be read as specially or differently
10. Doilbthe can have several meanings including fictitious, forged, shaped, or magically created
11. Falsehood
12. Untruth
13. Ignorance
14. Tene sinniug aka will o the wisp or fox fire. Phosphorescence from dead wood
15. Gasrad, a term for warriors but originally meaning young men
16. Literally three kings and ten
17. Deorbaird – the lowest classes of poets, literally ‘unfree inferior poet’
18. Cemafath, unknown meaning
19. Often a reference to Scotland and England or Europe more generally

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