The two versions are independent. But though there are no wizards or
druids in the VG version, they appear in another story connecting
Diarmait with the foundation of Clonmacnois. This is to the effect
that Diarmait was at a place on the Shannon near Clonmacnois, called
Snam dá Én, and saw the glow of the first camp-fire lighted on the
site of the future monastery by Ciaran and his followers. The druids
who were with Diarmait told him that unless that fire were forthwith
quenched, it would never be put out. "It shall be quenched
immediately," said Diarmait; so with hostile purpose he advanced
on Clonmacnois, but instead of doing what he proposed, he suffered
himself to be pressed into the service of the builders, as the story
in VG narrates. The tale in LA is interesting, as showing (1) the
existence of a calendar of seasons lucky and unlucky for various
enterprises, and (2) a spirit of kindly tolerance on the part of the
pagan wizard.
The wiles of wizards were exposed by various saints, _e.g._ by Aed and
by Cainnech. These tales are curious; the wizard in each case
appeared to pass through a tree, but the saint opened the eyes of the
spectators, so that they saw him actually passing round it (CS, 353,
368; VSH, i, 156). This reads like the exposure of hypnotically
induced hallucinations.[24]
Diarmait mac Cerrbeil, or more properly mac Fergusa Cerrbeil, was
grandson of Conall Cremthainne, son of Niall Noi-giallach, the
ancestor of the royal line of Ui Neill. The reigning king, Tuathal
Moel-Garb, of whom we have already heard, was grandson of Coirpre,
another son of Niall. As a possible rival for the kingship, Tuathal
had driven him into banishment. Mael-Moire, or Mael-Morda, who
murdered Tuathal, was Diarmait's foster-brother. When Diarmait was
installed on the throne, he summoned the convention of Uisnech--one
of the places where from time immemorial religious Pan-Iernean
assemblies, resembling in character the Pan-Hellenic Olympic
gatherings, had been held. How Diarmait afterwards offended Ciaran,
was cursed by him, and met his death in consequence of that curse, may
be read in the tale printed in _Silua Gadelica_, No. vi, from which
we have just quoted the version of the story of setting up of the
corner-post.
There are chronological discrepancies, difficult if not impossible to
reconcile, between the annalist's dates for Diarmait and those for
Ciaran. The _Annals of Ulster_ places the death of Tuathal in 543, the
accession of Diarmait in 544, and the death of Ciaran in 548, seven
years after founding Clonmacnois. Some MSS. of these Annals, however,
omit the reference to the seven years, and place the accession of
Diarmait in 548, evidently to reconcile the stories. According to
the _Annals of the Four Masters_, Tuathal was slain in 538, Diarmait
succeeded in 539, and Ciaran died in 548. The _Annals of Clonmacnois_
is more consonant with the chronology of the Life of Ciaran. It tells
the tale so picturesquely that we transcribe it here, as before
modernising the spelling--
"535. Tuathal Moel-Garb began his reign, and reigned eleven years....
He caused Diarmait mac Cerrbeil to live in exile and in desert places,
because he claimed to have right to the crown....
"547. King Tuathal having proclaimed throughout the whole kingdom the
banishment of Diarmait mac Cerrbeil, as before is specified, with a
great reward to him that would bring him his heart, the said Diarmait
for fear of his life lived in the deserts of Clonmacnois, then called
Ard Tiprat: and meeting with the abbot Saint Ciaran, in the place
where the church of Clonmacnois now stands, who was but newly come
thither to live or dwell from Inis Aingin, and having no house or
place to reside or dwell in, the said Diarmait gave him his assistance
to make a house there, and in thrusting down in the earth one of the
pieces of the timber or wattles of the house, the said Diarmait took
Saint Ciaran's hand and did put it over his own head or hand in sign
of reverence to the saint: whereupon the saint humbly besought God of
His great goodness that by that time to-morrow ensuing that [_sic_]
the hands of Diarmait might have superiority over all Ireland.
Which fell out as the saint requested, for Mael-Moire ó hArgata,
foster-brother of Diarmait, seeing in what perplexity the nobleman
was in [_sic_], besought him that he might be pleased to lend him his
black horse, and that he would make his repair to Greallach da Phuill,
where he heard King Tuathal to have a meeting with some of his nobles;
and there would present him with a whelp's heart on a spear's head,
instead of Diarmait's heart, and so by that means get access to the
king, whom he would kill out of hand and by the help and swiftness
of the horse save his own life whether they would or no. Diarmait,
listing to the words of his foster-brother was amongst two
extremities, loath to refuse him and far more loath to lend it him,
fearing he should miscarry and be killed, but between both, he granted
him his request; whereupon he prepared himself, and went as he was
resolved, mounted on the said black horse, a heart besprinkled with
blood on his spear, to the place where he heard the king to be; the
king and his people seeing him come in that manner, supposed that it
was Diarmait's heart that was to be presented by the man that rode in
post-haste; the whole multitude gave him way to that king, and when he
came within reach to the king as though to tender him the heart, he
gave the king such a deadly blow of his spear that the king instantly
fell down dead in the midst of his people, whereupon the man was beset
on all sides and at last taken and killed, so as speedy news came to
Diarmait, who incontinently went to Tara, and there was crowned king
as Saint Ciaran prayed and prophesied before.... Diarmait was not
above seven months king, when Saint Ciaran died in Clonmacnois, where
he dwelt therein but seven months before, in the thirty-third year of
his age, on the 9th of September."
_The Stanzas in VG._--The metre is _ae freslige_. Literally: "I shall
speak witness truly / though single is thy numerous train // thou
shalt be a king pleasant, dignified / of Ireland this time to-morrow
/// The slaying of chosen Tuathal / Moel-Garb, it was a crying without
glory // thence is the choice saying / 'it was the deed of Moel-Moire'
/// Without rout and without slaughter / he took Uisnech, it was not
after an assembly // Diarmait the eminent gave / a hundred churches to
God and to Ciaran."
_The Episode of Tren_ (VG).--This story illustrates a belief in
sympathetic magic. What Tren had done to deserve this punishment is
unknown, nor is the site of Cluain Iochtar identified. Possibly he had
endeavoured to prevent Ciaran from founding his church; compare the
story of Findian and Baeth (LL, 2624). Patrick had a dispute with a
certain Trian, but the details of the story are different (TT, p. 45,
ch. lxxx, etc.). It is difficult for us to put ourselves into the
position of people who thought to honour their saint by telling a
story about him which we should consider not only silly but immoral.
But such an attempt must be tried if we are to understand anything of
ancient writings, in whatever language and from whatever countries
they may come down to us. Even when we read so modern and so universal
an author as Shakspere we must for the moment imagine ourselves
sixteenth-century Elizabethans; the more we succeed in doing so, the
better do we understand what we read. So, in criticising a story like
this, we must rid ourselves of all our twentieth-century prejudices,
and accept it in the simple faith of those to whom it was intended to
be told.
On one of the great carved crosses still to be seen in
Clonmacnois--that erected in memory of Flann King of Ireland (ob.
914)--there is a panel representing an ecclesiastic and a layman
holding an upright post between them. It has been plausibly
conjectured that this represents the erection of the corner-post of
the church, as described in our text.