[3-3] Stowe.

    [4-4] YBL. 41b, 41.

    [5-5] Stowe.

“Look at this bloody wound for me, too, my good Fingin,” said Cethern.  Fingin looked into the bloody wound.  “The joint deed of two brothers is here,” said the leech. “’Tis indeed true,” replied Cethern.  “There came upon me two leading, king’s warriors.  Yellow hair upon them; dark-grey mantles with fringes, wrapped around them; leaf-shaped brooches of silvered bronze in the mantles over their breasts; broad, grey lances in their hands.”  “Ah, but we know that pair,” quoth Cuchulain; “Cormac Colomon rig (’King’s pillar’) is the one, and Cormac son of Mael Foga, of the bodyguard of Ailill and Medb (the other).  What they sought was that thou shouldst fall at their hands.”

“Look at this bloody wound for me too, O Fingin my master,” said Cethern. [LL.fo.90b.] Fingin looked into that bloody wound.  “The assault of two brothers is here,” said the leech.  “Aye then, ’tis true,” answered Cethern.  “There came upon me two tender youths there; very much alike were they; curly [1]dark[1] hair on the one of them; curly yellow hair on the other; two green cloaks wrapped around them; two bright-silver brooches in the cloaks over their breasts; two tunics of smooth yellow silk [2]with hoods and red embroidery[2] next their skin; [3]two[3] white-hilted swords at their belts; two bright shields having the likenesses of beasts in white silver they bore; two five-pronged spears with veins of all-white silver in their hands.”  “Ah, but we know that pair,” quoth Cuchulain; “Mane ’Like to his mother’ and Mane ‘Like to his father,’ two sons of Ailill and Medb; and it would be matter of victory, [W.4377.] triumph and boasting to them, hadst thou fallen at their hands.”

    [1-1] YBL. 42a, 28.

    [2-2] YBL. 42a, 30-31.

    [3-3] Stowe.

“Look at this bloody wound for me, too, O Fingin my master,” said Cethern.  “There came upon me a pair of young warriors of the Fian there.  A brilliant appearance, stately-tall and manlike, they had; wonderful garments from far-away countries upon them.  Each of them thrust [1]the spear he had[1] at me. [2]Then[2] I thrust [3]this spear[3] through each of them.”  Fingin looked into the bloody wound.  “Cunning are the bloody wounds they inflicted upon thee,” said the leech; “they have severed the strings of thy heart within thee, so that thy heart rolls about in thy breast like an apple in motion or like a ball of yarn in an empty bag, and there is no string at all to support it; [4]and there is no means to cure thee or to save thee,[4] and no healing can I effect here.”  “Ah, but we know those twain,” quoth Cuchulain; “a pair of champions from Norway who, [5]because of their cunning and violence,[5] have been sent particularly by Ailill and Medb to slay thee; for not often does one ever issue alive from their combats, and it would be their will that thou shouldst fall at their hands.”