VARIA III. Quatrains relating to the controversy of the Red Hand
2011; Royal Irish Academy; Volume: 61; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1353/eri.2011.0006
ISSN2009-0056
Autores Tópico(s)Irish and British Studies
ResumoVARIA III Quatrainsrelatingto thecontroversy oftheRed Hand* The threequatrainseditedbelowform partofa controversy whicharosein thelateseventeenth century, as towhichfamily couldlegitimately layclaim to theheraldicsymboloftheRed Hand.1The controversy is relatively well known,as fourpoems belongingto it appeared in Reliquiae Celticaein 1894, and the topic has not infrequently been referred to in printsince O'Curry'sday.2 The substanceof thefourpoems is outlinedherein orderto providea contextforthequatrainspresentedbelow: (1) A Chormaic,cuimhnigh an chóir(Diarmaid (mac Laoisigh) Mac an Bhaird),3Cameron(1894) 291-3. The poet addresses a certainCormac, admonishinghim not to claim the symbolof the Red Hand forthe descendantsof Conn (here: í Néill) unjustly.4 Instead, the descendantsof for (here: Méig Aonghasa) should be allowed to retainthe symbolwhich rightly belongsto them.The argument is supportedby an appeal to theauthority ofwritten sources,viz. Scéla Mucce Meie Dathó, Leabhar Ultachand an O hUiginnpoem beginning Lámh dhearg Éireanní Eaehach.5The originofthesymbolis recounted, relating thatConall Cearnachlefttheimpression ofhisblood-stained hand on a standardwhileavengingCú Chulaimťsdeath.6Thishas been theinheritance of Conall's descendantsever since.The textends witha challengeto disputethepoet's assertions. (2) (Is) ná(i)r an sgéalsa teachtdo thoigh(Eoghan O Donnghaile), Cameron(1894) 293-4. A responseto poem (1). The authorupbraidsMac an Bhairdfor claiming theemblemon behalfofthedescendants ofRóch (elanna Róigh)' dismissesthe evidence adduced; and deals in particular withthetaleDeargruathar Conaill Chearnaigh ,arguing thatthisis *I amgrateful tothe editors ofÉriu andananonymous reader for helpful comments on this article. 1Thecontroversy isdated to1689 inTCD 1288 (H.1.14), p.157. 2 Cameron (1894), 291-9; O'Curry (1873), 264-5, 278.Forfuller discussions, seeSimms (1983), 146-7 andHughes (1990), 85-90. 3 For details ofDiarmaid MacanBhaird andthe other poets involved, seeHughes (1987), 61,66-8; deBrún etal.(1971), 181-2 andThomson (1969-70). 4 Theplausible suggestion that the poet isaddressing Cormac O Néill (d.1707) ismade by Hughes (1990), 86. 5 Scéla Mucce Meie Dathó: ed.Thurneysen (1935) and Breatnach (1996) (EMod); Leabhar Ultach isthe title ina copy inthe Book ofLecan ofthe text alsoknown asSenchas Silírand Senchas Ulad, transcribed inDobbs (1921); the poem hasbeen edited inÓ Riain (2008) and the copy inUCD Fr.A 25ispublished inABM ,poem 292. 6 Conall Cearnach's vengeance forms part ofthedeath-tale ofCu Chulainn; seeVan Hamel (1933),§§45-58 andKimpton (2009),§§25-30. Thedetail ofthestandard doesnot occur. DOI: 103318/ERIU.2011.61.171 Ériu LXi (2011) 171-178 © Royal Irish Academy 172 GORDON Ó RIAIN the onlydeed of note Conall's descendantshave to boast of.In contrast,the numerousbattles Conn Céadchathach foughtare irrefutable evidencethatthesymboloftheRed Hand belongsto hisdescendants byright, ifhandsreddenedinbattleare proofofa legitimate claim to it.7The author'saccountof the originof the emblemis different fromthatpresentedin poem (1); here it is relatedtoLebor Gabála traditions concerning theaftermath ofthe defeatoftheTuathaDé Danann bythesonsofMil. The survivors of the Tuatha Dé gave threevaluable objects (triseóide) to the sonsofMil in orderto obtainprotection (cádhas) fortheirpeople (cairde), one a largestandardbearingthe symbolof a red hand. (This information is attributedto Saint Seachnall).8 Since Irial FáidhslewthefoursonsofÉibhear,thestandardhas belongedto the descendantsof Éireamhón withoutcontention(gan imreasain ).9 (3) Labhradh TrianChonghailgo ciúin(Niall Mac Muireadhaigh, d. 1726),Cameron(1894) 295-7. A responseto poem (1). Mac an Bhairdis advisednotto claima symbolthat belongs to the descendantsof Colla (here: Clann Domhnaill). An account is given of how the standardof the descendants offorwas seizedbyone ofthethreeCollas whenthey defeatedthe kingof Ulster(FearghasFogha).10Colla placed his bloodyhandon thestandard, whichgave riseto theemblem.The poet suggeststhat Méig Aonghasa should instead adopt the symbolof a tawnylion, followingthe practiceof Conchobhar (mac Neasa) and ConghalClaon in theBattleofMagh Rath (the latteras reportedbythepoetFlann).11 The associationoftheRed Hand withthe descendantsof Echu made in the poem Lámh dheargEireann I Eachach is accepted, and it is noted thatthe symbolhas been used byClann Domhnaillwithinthepoet's own memoryand shouldbe leftto them.12 Niall willnotbe bestedin thismatter, and he asks a messengerto conveytheseremarksto theson ofLaoiseach (Diarmaid). 7Thepoem ends here inthe Black BookofClanranald (andsoalsoinCameron 1894), but a further thirteen quatrains arefound inother copies, for example Maynooth M8,368ff. 8 In LeborGabálaandother texts four objects arementioned, noneofwhich is a standard; seeHull(1930). 9 Cf. FFEII 116. 10Cf. FFÉII 364. 11Theultimate source ofthis information ispresumably thetaleCath Malghe Rath ; see O'Donovan (1842), 228(cf. alsopp343-50). Flann isreferred toashaving composed oneof the poems inthis taleatp.250. Thequatrain dealing with...
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