Curses & Insults

Mallacht a gaiscid fair!

(curse * of his * weaponry * on him)

A curse on his weapons!

This is Lugaid's curse on Ferbáeth, who has agreed to fight his old comrade Cú Chulainn in exchange for the hand of Finnabair, the daughter of Ailill and Medb.

Dá n-ó pill fort!

(two * ears * of horse * on you)

Two horse's ears on you! May you be a laughing-stock!

This expression of disparagement is found in "Sanas Cormaic" as "da n-ó bill fort" (where the 'b' could be an unusually explicit representation of the eclipsis of 'p' after the neuter noun "ó"). It is also found much later in Keating's "Forsas Feasa ar Éirinn", in the tale of Labhraidh Loingseach. Labhraidh, like King Midas before him, had ears that looked just like a horse's ears. He had his hair cut just once a year, and had his barber, who was chosen by lot, killed immediately thereafter in order to protect his shameful secret. But one year he spared a young barber, the only son of a widow, in respose to the pleas of the boy's mother. The boy promised to keep the secret, but finally he couldn't stand to keep it bottled up entirely, so he whispered it to a big willow tree. Shortly thereafter, Craiftine the harper broke his harp. He cut the makings of a new harp from the same willow tree. When it was completed and he played on it, everyone who heard its music thought it was saying "dá ó phill for Labhraidh Lorc .i. dá chluais chapaill ar Labhraidh Lorc".

Bécán
ní rab ilar a thrétán!
Oiret rab grian ar deiseal,
ní rab seiser d'óib Bécán!

(Bécán / not * may be * multitude * his * little herd /
as long as * may be * sun * on * sunwise course /
not * may be * six persons * of * descendants * Bécán)

Bécán
may his herd not be numerous!
So long as the sun follows its course,
may Bécán not have six descendants!

This curse is found in "Acallam na Senórach" (519). When Bécán, although wealthy, refused hospitalilty to St. Patrick's clerics, Patrick brought death upon him and his cattle and all his people with these words. The CELT edition (= Whitley Stokes, "Acallamh na Senórach" in Irische Texte) has "tredan". Tomás Ó Cathasaigh retained this with the meaing "fasting" in his edition and translation in the article "Curse and Satire" in Éigse xxi. Amending this to "trétán", a diminutive of "trét = herd", gives a better meaning in the context, and a much better rhyme with "Bécán". Dooley and Roe take this meaning in their translation in _Tales of the Elders of Ireland_. A further emendation of the initial consonsant to 'th-' is required by the masculine possessive pronoun "a".

Gurab écen mér dot múnad in airecht.

(may it be * necessary * finger * for your * pointing out * in * assembly)

May you be beneath notice. May you be insignificant.

From Félire Óengusso 96.15.

Bé Néit fort!

(woman/wife * of the war god Néit * on you)

Damn you!

A curse quoted in entry #168 of "Sanas Cormaic".

Bás fort béolu!

(death * on your * lips)

Death upon your lips!

A curse, spoken as a threat by the daughter of Echaid in the tale "Fingal Rónáin". Later in the same tale, Rónán curses her with the words "Mallacht fort béolu!" (A curse on your lips!) Compare Ailill's threat in "Táin Bó Fraích", when he demands that his daughter return a thumb ring: "atbélat do béoil mani aisce úait" ("your lips will die if you do not give it back"). When Moncha dies of childbirth in "Cath Maige Mucruma", the text says simply "atbailet a béoil" ("her lips die"). In "Buile Suibhne", the mad hero curses the old woman who lures him back into his old flighty, fleeing ways with the exclamation "Mallacht for do bhél, a chailleach!" (A curse on your mouth, old woman!)