The Death of Lethan

Lethan came on to his ford on the Nith (?) in Conaille.  He waited himself to meet Cuchulainn.  It vexed him what Cuchulainn had done.  Cuchulainn cuts off his head and left it, hence it is Ath Lethan on the Nith.  And their chariots broke in the battle on the ford by him; hence it is Ath Carpat.  Mulcha, Lethan’s charioteer, fell on the shoulder of the hill that is between them; hence is Gulo Mulchai.  While the hosts were going over Mag Breg, he struck(?) their ——­ still. [Note:  2 Something apparently missing here.  The passage in LL is as follows:  ’It is the same day that the Morrigan, daughter of Ernmas, came from the Sid, so that she was on the pillar in Temair Cuailnge, taking a warning to the Dun of Cualnge before the men of Ireland, and she began to speak to him, and “Good, O wretched one, O Dun of Cualnge,” said the Morrigan, “keep watch, for the men of Ireland have reached thee, and they will take thee to their camp unless thou keepest watch”; and she began to take a warning to him thus, and uttered her words on high.’ (The Rhetoric follows as in LU.)]

Yet that was the Morrigan in the form of a bird on the pillar in Temair Cuailnge; and she spoke to the Bull: 

        ‘Does the Black know,’ etc. [Note:  A Rhetoric.]

Then the Bull went, and fifty heifers with him, to Sliab Culind; and his keeper, Forgemen by name, went after him.  He threw off the three fifties of boys who used always to play on him, and he killed two-thirds of his boys, and dug a trench in Tir Marcceni in Cualnge before he went.

The Death of Lochu

Cuchulainn killed no one from the Saile ind Orthi (?) in the Conaille territory, until they reached Cualnge.  Cuchulainn was then in Cuince; he threatened then that when he saw Medb he would throw a stone at her head.  This was not easy to him, for it is thus that Medb went and half the host about her, with their shelter of shields over her head.

Then a waiting-woman of Medb’s, Lochu by name, went to get water, and a great troop of women with her.  Cuchulainn thought it was Medb.  He threw two stones from Cuince, so that he slew her in her plain(?).  Hence is Ath Rede Locha in Cualnge.

From Findabair Cuailnge the hosts divided, and they set the country on fire.  They collect all there were of women, and boys, and maidens; and cattle, in Cualnge together, so that they were all in Findabair.

‘You have not gone well,’ said Medb; ’I do not see the Bull with you.’

‘He is not in the province at all,’ said every one.

Lothar the cowherd is summoned to Medb.

‘Where is the Bull?’ said she.  ‘Have you an idea?’

‘I have great fear to tell it,’ said the herd.  ‘The night,’ said he, ’when the Ulstermen went into their weakness, he went with three twenties of heifers with him, so that he is at the Black Corrie of Glenn Gatt.’

‘Go,’ said Medb, ’and carry a withe [Note:  Ir. gatt, a withe.] between each two of you.’