APPENDIX 2
C (Egerton 88 f. 8a-c = C1H 1286-7) has five quotations from Bechbretha
with commentaries.
(a) ANDSOM A TAIRGILL- TAIRGILL- AR BECHAIB
.i. (§§1-7) geall da screabhall o fir bunadh na mbeach do lu cht na
ceith re feran// as nesa do na roisit a b eth (read beich) do mill iud na
feronn ; 7 ma romillsid na b eth (= beich) an feron/7 iar tabairt gill
tarsi chen/7, smacht coimaithcesa dioc uadhaibh amail na cethra aile
no gomo cain cuisc 7 mion ngalair i ollbrughe noe rob eth uadhaibh
& muna tardsad an geall si/7 is geall da screp all uadha do ga eh tir
dona cethxi tire is nesa dho resign gcai/7 cuisc 7 re mia/7 ngalair 7 re
hollbrugh nae 1 a tabairt sium a triur do g ach tir diobh, no gona
tuctha acht ao/mi dib do gach tir dibh 1 cidh mor do sealb aib bias
i ngach tir dibh nocha tabhair acht a cutruma sain doibh wile re re
na tri mbliadan 7 an cetdume ata ina xiachtanus a leas isi/7 crich is a
tabairt sin do 1 nocha tabhair i/2 eric uadha do neoch aile isi/2 crich
no go mbeth in eiric uadha do gach duine da ta cuid isi/7 tir & cid
soch aide isin [crich] ata ina xiachtanus a leas nocha thabharthar acht
an cutruma si/7 doibh uile.
(b) AILID SIDE CRO IMMA TORUD .i. (§§12-13) Is ed
dlegar df er bunadh na craibe cro do dhe/zam uma tor ud nach decha
an craobh uadh a feran/7 in fir aile amach; -j da ndecha, ciamod ail
do a tabairt cuigi amaich iar dai/7, nocha [d]legar do acht a thorud do
roin/7 doibh etarru ar dho go cen/7 tri mbliadan 7 a bre//7 df er barr
a ao/7ur an cethruim^r/ bl iadain 7 in comrain/7 sin do b eth etwrru do
gres.
(c) GIPE DA LINA INDACOMGNE .i. (§§14-16) ma rote/air
nechtairde dhibh in craobh coitchenn fuil eturra, a cht mas fidnem ed
doibh arao/2 hi, lethdire craibe fidnemid dioc donti rolcfair hi resi/7
f^r aile & masa fidh coimchesa (— comaithchesa) doib araon hi
lethdire fedh comaithchesa die do resin fer aile & masa nech aile
ro letair an cra[e]bh coitchenn robui etwrru, a d/re fe/7 d[o] cechtar ac a
fo aigni fidhn emid no fidh comaithchesa 1 ata ana fidnemed do
nec/7/ar aca 7 na f id comaithchesa [di]arail<? a naoninadh & mas da
bun xoletxad in cra/7/2 i f id comaithchesa, dire an crai/7/2 do breth
df er buna aon ur go ro an cutruma ata ar scath craibhe dhe, 1 o rosia
in cutruma ata ar scath craibe dhe, dire na craibe do roin/7 doib
APPENDIX 2
177
etwmi ar do & mas da bun roietrcid i fidnemed, d/re a n croin/7 uilp do
roiwz doib ar dho, u air nochan fuil dethbir bona na gabl a na craebh
do riaghail res i fidnemed.
(d) MADH BEICH ROGABAD .i. (§17) masa beth (= beich)
rogabsad ism craibh coit chenn uil eaturru, torad na mbeach do roin/7
doib et/zrru ar dho go cen/7 tri mbliadan 1 a mbr eth df er crain/7 a
aon ur otha na tri bliadhna amach gan comrain/7 uadha df er barr;
am ail beiris f er an barr 6 chianaib torud na craibc aonar gacha
cethrama// bXiadain gan comroin/7 uadha df er bu//ad an croin/?, coir
no (= dano) dheisidhe cia dobera f er bu//ad crain/7 sun/7 na beth
(= beich) aonar otha na tri bfxadna amach gan comroi/7/2 uad dfer
barr.
(e) (§§36 ff.) Comroinn tri mbXiadan ar beachaib fesa u ( read a)
mbun ( inserted above line : gid i mbun) crain/7 uasailneim/2/ cidh i
mbun chrain/7 isilneim/2/ gabait iat, -j a nimcomp/ o fir crain/7 frisin
re sin 1 a ndilsi do otha in re sin amach.
(f) Comruind bliadhna ar beachaib fessa a mb arr, gidh a mbarr
crain/7 uasailneim/2/ gidh i mbarr crain/7 isilneim/2/ gabait iat, 1 i
(read a) nimchomcf o fir bun aid beach risin re sin, -j a ndilsi do otha
in re adcr dli ged amach (sin is inserted above the line as an alternative
to ader dliged).
(g) Comroind tri mbXiadan ar beachaib cundtabartacha, gidh i
mbun gid i mbarr gabait iat 1 a nimchome/ o fir bun aid beach risin re
si/7 1 a dilsi do otha in re sin amach; 1 is ed is bun ad (read bun) an/7
gach u ar na cumangar a tab a/'rt as gan leatradh craind, iss ed is barr
an/7 each uair na (read a) cumangar a taba/'rt ass gan leatrad crain/7.
(h) Is ann ata bun *j barr do viaglad ann: in ta/7 ata teachtugud
for conaadh 1 far claruidh na caillc; 1 muna bhuil iechtugud fora
con nad no fora clara/2/, giam ad bun rogabdaois is ama/7 beacha barr
iat; giaco fuil techtug/a/ ara connad no ara cl araid, nocho lughaiti
is dir techdugao' forna beachaibh.
(i) Masa beich fessa i mbun crain/7 uasa//neimz2/, da trian dfer
crain/7 an/7 *] aontria/7 dfpr bun aid beach; masa beich fessa a mbarr
in crain/7 sain, trian dfer crain/7 ann -j da tria/7 dfer bunaid bech. Masa
beich feasa i mbun crain/7 isilneim/2/, is roin/7 ara do. Masa beich
fessa i mbarr in crain/7 si/7, cethra/7/7t/?e dfer crain/7 an/7 *] teora
cethr aimthe dfer bun aid bech.
(j) Masa beich cundtabartacha i mbun crain/7 uasa//neim/2/, tri
cethra//77r/?e dfer crain/7 1 cethra/mf/ze dfer bun aid beach .i. da ran/7
dec do denu/77 don lan an/7: cethre ranaa dib cuit fir buna/7/ beich
i ;8
APPENDIX 2
(read bech) in tan robo beich cin/zti iat, -] ocht rann a cuit fir c/ain/z ;
*1 beirigh cnnntabairt cethraimthe a coto df er bun aid beach, u air
cethraimthe cot a fis beiris cun/ztabazrt uadh .i. ran/? iside; tabozV in
rann si n risna ho cht ran/zuib ata df er crain/z, conad nai ran na dfir
crain/z -j tri ranzza df<?r bunaid beach .i. tri cethraimthe si n dfer crain/z
*1 cethraimthe df er bun aid bech.
(k) BEICH BID A FAICHE .i. (§§50-54) laneneclan/i a
cutrumus clethe dona bechaib a lios no a lubgort -j is maighin, -j
manab a maighin, robo 1 eth; [lethjen eclann a cutrumw^ a clethe dib
i faichz, -| is maighi zz; *] mu/zab mai gin, is cethraimthe ; sechtmad
eneclainne im orra i cutrumz/s clethi dibh i sec/ztarfaichi, -j is m aigin,
1 mu/zab m aigin robo an cethramad ran n dec ; letheneclann a cutru mus
lai dona beach aib a lis no a lubgort, *] is maig in, i mu/zab maigz'/z,
robo cethraimthe ; cethraimthe eneclainne im orra a cutrumws laoi dona
bech aib i faichz, -] is maigz'/z, mu/zab maigin , robo seachtmaJ; & in
cethramad ran n dec im orra a cutrunms laoi dona beachaz'Zz i sechtarfaichz, “] is mai gin, i munab mai gin, robo int ochtmad ran n fz'c/zit;
dire comlan im orra cidbe inadh asar gada iad .i. cethre cesa dire -\
cis aithgi/za i ngach cis, i nochon fuil d ethber laoi na clethi do riagail
re bech aib ; no d ono chena lanen eclann a cutrumz/5 clethi dib i maig in
1 letheneclann un/zta a sechtarmaigin : letheneclann a cutrumas laoi
dib i mai gin -j sechtmad eneclainne a sechtarmaxgin.
(l) Is ed dlegar d fer fritho na mbeach, a nesgaire; *j mana derrno,
is fiach gaidi dhioc dho, no gomo aisag na haithgi/?a uadha gan fiach
gaidi.
Misi domnall *j bibh a barr so er bechbrethaib.
TRANSLATION
(a) ‘ Most difficult among fore-pledges is a fore-pledge for bees ’
i.e. a pledge of two scruples from the original owner of the bees to the
owners of the four nearest lands that his bees should not come to
despoil the lands; and if the bees despoil the land after giving a pledge
for it, they pay a fine of neighbourhood as in the case of other
animals, or they must give ‘ the due of punishment ’ and ‘ the desire
of sickness ’ and allabrig n-ai and if they have not given their pledge,
he must give a pledge of two scruples to each of the four nearest
lands before ‘ the due of punishment ’ and before ‘ the desire of
sickness ’ and before allabrig n-ai ; and to give the three of them to
APPENDIX 2
179
each land; or that only one of them should be given to each land;
and though there be many owners in each land, he only gives that
amount to them all for the period of three years; and the first
person who is in need of it in the holding is to get it, and he does
not give the fine to anybody else in the holding; or that he should
give the fine to everybody who has a share in the land and although
many may be in need of it in the holding, they all get only that
amount.
(b) ‘ It requires an enclosure about its fruit ’ i.e. the owner of the
base of the branch is required to make an enclosure about its fruit
so that the branch does not extend into the land of another man;
and if it does, though he may wish to pull it back afterwards, he is
only entitled to divide its fruit in half between them for three years,
and it is due to the owner of the branches alone in the fourth year,
and it is divided between them in that way for ever.
(c) ‘ Whichever of the two destroys it ’ i.e. if either of them cut
the common branch which is between them, unless it is a sacred
tree to them both, the man who cut it pays a half fine for the branch
of a sacred tree to the other man, and if it is a ‘ tree of neighbourhood ’ (i.e. a non-sacred tree) to them both, he pays a half fine for a
‘ tree of neighbourhood ’ to the other man, and if it was somebody
else who cut the common branch which was between them, he pays
a fine to both of them in accordance with the nature of the sacred
tree or the ‘ tree of neighbourhood ’ and if it is a sacred tree to one
of them and a ‘ tree of neighbourhood ’ to the other in the same
place and if the tree has been cut in a ‘ wood of neighbourhood,’
the fine for the tree is given to the owner of the trunk of the tree
until he gets the equivalent for a branch from it, the fine for the
branch is to be divided in half between them, and if it has been cut
at the base in a sacred tree, the fine for the whole tree is to be divided
in half by them, for there is not the distinction of trunk or fork or
branches to take into account in a sacred tree.
(d) ‘ If it is bees which have settled ’ i.e. if it is bees which have
settled in the common branch which is between them, the produce
of the bees is divided in half between them for three years and they
are given to the owner of the tree alone after the three years and he
does not divide [them] with the owner of the branches; as the aforesaid owner of the branches gets the produce of the branch alone
every fourth year without dividing it with the owner of the trunk of
the tree, it is proper accordingly that the owner of the trunk of the
i8o
APPENDIX 2
tree here should alone get the bees after the three years without
dividing them with the owner of the branches.
(e) Bees of known origin in the trunk are divided for three years,
whether they were taken (with some uncertainty we take gabait iat
to be 3 plural preterite passive of gaibid) in the trunk of the tree of a
noble dignitary or in the trunk of the tree of a lower dignitary, and
they are guarded by the owner of the tree during that period and
they belong to him from then onwards.
(f) Bees of known origin in the branches are divided for one year,
whether they were taken (?) in the branches of the tree of a noble
dignitary or in the branches of the tree of a lower dignitary, and they
are guarded by the original owner of the bees during that period, and
they belong to him from the end of the period which the law says
onwards.
(g) Bees of doubtful origin are divided for three years, whether
they were taken (?) in the trunk or in the branches, and they are
guarded by the original owner of the bees during that period, and
they belong to him after that period ; and ‘ trunk ’ there means
whenever they cannot be removed without cutting the tree,
‘ branches ’ there means whenever they can be removed without
cutting the tree.
(h) Here there is regulation by ‘ branches ’ and ‘ trunk ’ : when
the branches and planks of the wood are owned; and when the
branches or planks are not owned, though they should settle on
the trunk, they are treated as bees of branches; and although the
branches or planks are not owned, it is no less proper that the bees
should be owned.
(i) If they are bees of known origin in the trunk of the tree of a
noble dignitary two thirds go to the owner of the tree, and one third
to the original owner of the bees; if they are bees of known origin
in the branches of that tree, one third goes to the owner of the tree
and two thirds to the original owner of the bees. If they are bees of
known origin in the trunk of the tree of a lower dignitary, they are
divided in half. If they are bees of known origin in the branches of
that tree, a quarter goes to the owner of the tree, and three quarters
to the original owner of the bees.
(j) If they are bees of doubtful origin in the trunk of the tree of
a noble dignitary, three quarters go to the owner of the tree, and one
quarter to the original owner of the bees i.e. to divide it all into
twelve parts: four of those parts are the share of the original owner
APPENDIX 2
181
of the bees when they are bees of certain origin, and eight parts are
the share of the owner of the tree; and the doubt deprives the original
owner of the bees of a quarter of his share, for the doubt takes the
quarter of the share of knowledge from him i.e. his part; it adds that
part to the eight parts which go to the owner of the tree, so that nine
parts go to the owner of the tree and three parts go to the original
owner of the bees i.e. that is, three quarters to the owner of the tree
and one quarter to the original owner of the bees.
(k) 4 Bees which are in a green ’ i.e. full honour-price in equality
with a large [animal] for the bees in a courtyard or in a garden, if
it is a precinct, and if it is not in a precinct it is half; half honourprice in equality with a large [animal] for them in a green if it is a
precinct, and if it is not a precinct it is one quarter; one seventh
honour-price in equality with a large [animal] for them outside a
green, if it is a precinct, and if it is not a precinct it is one fourteenth;
half honour-price in equality with a small [animal] for the bees in a
courtyard or in a garden when it is a precinct, and if it is not a
precinct, it is one quarter; one quarter honour-price in equality with
a small [animal] for the bees in a green if it is a precinct and if it is
not a precinct it is one seventh, and one fourteenth in equality with
a small [animal] for the bees outside a green if it is a precinct, and
if it is not a precinct it is one twenty-eighth; and there is full penalty
from whatever place they were stolen i.e. four hives as penalty and
one hive as restitution for each hive, and the distinction between
large and small [animals] is not taken into account with bees, or
further, full honour-price in equality with a large [animal] for them
in a precinct and half honour-price for them outside a precinct, half
honour-price in equality with a small [animal] for them in a precinct
and one seventh honour-price outside a precinct.
(l) The man who finds a stray swarm of bees must proclaim them,
and if he does not he must pay the fine for theft or he must return
the restitution without paying the fine for theft.
I am Domnall (O’Davoren) and let anyone do better than this
on bee-judgments.