land of Scáth: the term Scáth means shadow or shade, and is of the same origin as the English word. His story runs thus:[1]
"A journey I made, Loegaire,
When I went to the land of Scath;
There was the fort of Scath with its lock of iron—
I laid hands upon it.
Seven walls there were around this city;
Hateful was its stronghold:
An iron palisade there was on each wall,
On which seven heads were biding;
Doors of iron there were on every side;
No serious defences against women.
I struck them with my foot,
So that they fell into fragments.
A pit there was in the fort,
That belonged to the king, as they say;
Ten serpents burst forth
Over its brim[2]—it was a deed!
Thereupon I ran at them,
Though the throng was huge,
And reduced them to bits
Between my two fists.
There was a house full of toads,
That were let loose upon us,
Sharp and beaked beasts
That clave to my snout.
Ugly dragon-like monsters
Were sent against us;
- ↑ The text occupies folios 113—115 in the Book of the Dun, and it has been published, with a translation and notes, by Mr. O'Beirne Crow, in the Journal of the Kilkenny Arch. Society for 1870-1, pp. 371—448. Important corrections will be found in Stokes' Remarks on the Celtic Additions to Curtius' Greek Etymology, &c. (Calcutta, 1875), pp. 55-7.
- ↑ Somewhat similar adventures are related of Connall Cernach in the story called Táin Bó Fráich: see the Bk. of Leinster, 252a, and the whole story as published with a translation by O'Beirne Crow in the R. Ir. Academy's Irish MS. Series, i. 136—171.
