century, when both Saxons and Long-Beards were overcome by Charlemagne.  The second part of the story is, then, no original legend, but belongs to the seventh or eighth century, or the classical period; and it looks as if there were two writers, one of whom, like the author of the Egerton version of Etain, embellished the love-story part of the original legend, leaving the end alone, while another author wrote an account of the legendary journey of the demi-god Fraech in search for his stolen cattle, adding the geographical and historical knowledge of his time.  The whole was then put together, like the two parts of the Etain story; the difference between the two stories in the matter of the wife does not seem to have troubled the compilers.

The oldest manuscript authority for the Tain bo Fraich is the Book of Leinster, written before 1150.  There are at least two other manuscript authorities, one; in Egerton, 1782 (published by Professor Kuno Meyer in the Zeitschrift für Celt.  Philologie, 1902); the other is in Ms. XL., Advocates’ Library, Edinburgh (published in the Revue Celtique, Vol.  XXIV.).  Professor Meyer has kindly allowed me to copy his comparison of these manuscripts and his revision of O’Beirne Crowe’s translation of the Book of Leinster text.  The text of the literal translation given here follows, however, in the main O’Beirne Crowe’s translation, which is in the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy for 1870; a few insertions are made from the other MSS.; when so made the insertion is indicated by a note.

For those who may be interested in the subsequent history of Fraech, it may be mentioned that he was one of the first of the Connaught champions to be slain by Cuchulain in the war of Cualnge; see Miss Faraday’s translation (Grimm Library, page 35).

PERSONS IN THE STORY

MORTALS

Ailill, King of Connaught.

Medb (or Maev), Queen of Connaught.

Findbar (or Finnabar), their daughter.

Froech (or Fraech), (pronounced Fraych); son of a Connaught man and a fairy mother.

Conall Cernach (Conall the Victorious), champion of Ulster.

Two Irish women, in captivity in the Alps, north of Lombardy.

Lothar (or Lothur), a follower of Fraech.

Bicne, a follower of Conall.

IMMORTALS

Befind, Fraech’s fairy mother.

Boand (pronounced like “owned"), sister to Befind; Queen of the Fairies.

Three fairy harpers.

TAIN BO FRAICH

THE RAID FOR THE CATTLE OF FRAECH

Now the news of the love of that maid to Fraech, at his home where he dwelt, was brought, And he called his folk, and with all he spoke, and for speech with the maid he sought:  And they counselled him thus:  “Let a message from thee be sent to thy fairy kin To entreat their aid when we seek that maid; a boon we may chance to win:  For the wondrous robes of the fairy land, and for gifts from the fairies plead; And sure thy mother’s sister’s hand will give to thee all thy need.”