Duan na Ceàrdaich
Track Information
Original Track ID
CW0010.42
Original Tape ID
Summary
This Ossianic ballad tells how Fionn MacCumhail and his men took Fionn's magic sword, Mac an Luinn, to an enchanted smithy to be re-tempered, after it had lost its power. They followed the smith to the smithy, where there were four misshapen, four-armed blacksmiths, each with a claw-hammer and iron pincers.
Fionn's sword had to be tempered in human blood. The smith was unaware that his mother had been invited to the smithy and, when she entered, he killed her with the sword.
Item Notes
Fingalian ballad. 13 quatrains. Recorded at a cèilidh arranged by Mr Calum MacLean of the Irish Folklore Commission.
This ballad was often sung at Hogmanay. In some versions, some of the swords belonging to Fionn's men are named. These are 'Fead', 'Faoidh', 'Èigheach' and 'An Conallach'.
See:
'Folksongs and Folklore of South Uist' (M. F. Shaw ed., 1955) p. 29
'Leabhar na Fèinne' (J. F. Campbell ed., 1872) p. 59 and p. 65
'Stories from South Uist' (A. MacLellan & J. L. Campbell, 1961) p. 14
'Popular Tales of the West Highlands' vol. 3 (J. F. Campbell ed., 1861) p. 396
Recording Location
County - Inverness-shire
Parish - South Uist
Island - Benbecula
Language
Gaelic
Genre
Collection
Source Type
Wire
Audio Quality
Good