‘Another company has come there to the hill, to Slemon Midi,’ said Mac Roth.  ’A warrior of one whiteness in front of it, all white, both hair and eyelashes and beard and equipment; a shield with a boss of gold on him, and a sword with a hilt of ivory, and a broad spear with rings in his hand.  Very heroic has his march come.’

‘Dear is the bear, strong-striking, who has so come,’ said Fergus; ’the bear of great deeds against enemies, who breaks men, Feradach Find Fechtnach from the grove of Sliab Fuait in the north is that.’

‘Another company has come there to the hill, to Slemon Midi,’ said Mac Roth.  ’A hideous warrior in front of it, and he great-bellied, large-lipped; his lips as big as the lips of a horse; hair dark, curly, on him, and he himself ——­, broad-headed, long-handed; a cloak black, hairy, about him; a chain of copper over it, a dark grey buckler over his left hand; a spear with chains in his right hand; a long sword on his shoulders.’

‘He is a lion red-handed, fierce of ——­, who so comes,’ said Fergus.  ’He is high of deeds, great in battle, rough; he is a raging on the land who is unendurable, Eirrgi Horse-lipped from Bri Eirge in the north,’ said Fergus.

‘Another company has come there to the hill, to Slemon Midi,’ said Mac Roth.  ’Two warriors, fair, both alike, in front of it; yellow hair on them; two white shields with rivets of silver; they are of equal age.  They lift up their feet and set them down together; it is not their manner for either of them to lift up his feet without the other.  Two heroes, two splendid flames, two points of battle, two warriors, two pillars of fight, two dragons, two fires, two battle-soldiers, two champions of combat, two rods (?), two bold ones, two pets of Ulster about the king.’

‘Who are those, O Fergus?’ said Ailill.

’Fiachna and Fiacha, two sons of Conchobar Mac Nessa, two darlings of the north of Ireland,’ said Fergus.

‘Another company has come to the hill, to Slemon Midi,’ said Mac Roth.  ’Three warriors, fiery, noble, blue-faced, before it.  Three heads of hair very yellow have they; three cloaks of one colour in folds about them; three brooches of gold over their arms, three shirts ——­ with red ornamentation round about them; three shields alike have they; three swords gold-hilted on their shoulders; three spears, broad-grey, in their right hands.  They are of equal age.’

’Three glorious champions of Coba, three of great deeds of Midluachair, three princes of Roth, three veterans of the east of Sliab Fuait,’ said Fergus; ’the three sons of Fiachna are these, after the Bull; that is, Rus and Dairi and Imchath,’ said Fergus.

‘Another company has come there to the hill, to Slemon Midi,’ said Mac Roth.  ’A man lively, fiery, before it; eyes very red, of a champion, in his head; a many-coloured cloak about him; a chain of silver thereon; a grey shield on his left; [a sword] with a hilt of silver at his side; a spear, excellent with a striking of cruelty in his vengeful right hand; a shirt white, hooded, to his knee.  A company very red, with wounds, about him, and he himself wounded and bleeding.’