APPENDIX 4
Commentary from L (H.3.18 p. 425ab = CIH 959.17-31).
(a) (§49) Fer fogaib frithe bech: trian i (= a) triun o daermanach
do eel ais 7 o daercheile do flaith; ar ecaemdhacht in bade asa
tabarthar is aire is becc berar uaithib. Manab ru no dirain/?, is trian
a frithi a daermanaigh d’ecla/S’i daercheili do flaith. Ma saermanach,
is cethraime a frithi d’eclaw go ruigi rig; mad righ, is trian asm set
is uaisli fogeib *j cethraime as gach set oilchena.
(b) (cf. Appendix 1 (g)) Tri bruigi righ dochuism: rod 7 diramd 1
romuir; trian do neoch fogaib a ndirain n 7 trian do neoch docuirithcr
muir; difi/s do a fadhabar for rod, aeht cuid frithi donti fogaib, maine
festar a bunad.
(c) (cf. §47) Diri craind bech bi co secht saithi. Cinaas sin, oir ni
cetharda sin, 7 ni sed [djiabulta 7 set cetharda in mil? ni lied uil an n
acht aithg in gxxna hinrcadh 7 gona iarloss, 1 bidh cetharda re thaeb.
In baili a nabair ‘ secht saithe ’ tall is ami aid rosoich (-th MS): (cf.
§§19-21) cc/saithi 7 a mac 7 a ua 7 tarbsaithi 7 mac, iarsaithi a aenar,
I in cheis fei n, conid ami aid sin it secht saithi rena acomal iter los 7
iarlos *] aithgm 7 cetharda re taeb i[n] ne[i]ch roraidsium. ( Another
version of this paragraph is on p. 438 a = CIH 982.19-21 : Dire craina
bech bidh co secht saithi .i. imii is dir ism crand mbech .i. da saithi
laisin ce^saithi 7 saithi laisin tanaisi 7 in smeraige a aenur 7 in
sechtmad int seincheis fei n).
TRANSLATION
(a) ‘ The man who finds a stray swarm of bees ’ : a third from a third
is due from a base church-tenant to the church and from a base
tenant (of a lord) to the lord ; on account of the difficulty of the place
from which it is brought, little is taken from them. If it is not forest
or unshared land, a third of [the produce of] the stray swarm of its
base tenant goes to the church and of a lord’s base tenant to the lord.
If it is a free church- tenant, one quarter of his stray swarm goes to
the church except in the case of a king; if it is a king, a third is due
from the most valuable thing which he finds and a quarter from
every other valuable.
APPENDIX 4
185
(b) There are three areas of a king: a road and unshared
land and the sea; a third of whatever he finds in unshared land and a
third of whatever the sea washes up; whatever is found on a road is
his property, except for the finding share of whoever finds it, unless
the original owner is known.
(c) ‘ The penalty for a tree of bees is up to seven swarms How is
that, for that is not a four-fold thing, and the honey is not a double
valuable or a four-fold valuable? (cf. CIH 478.8-10). It is not that
which is in question, but restitution with its increase and with its
after-profit, and there are four things besides. The place where it
says ‘ seven swarms ’ above, it extends thus: the first swarm and its
4 son ’ (i.e. secondary swarm; see note to §5 bliadain a sil) and its
‘ grandson ’ (i.e. tertiary swarm) and the bull-swarm and its 4 son ’,
the after-swarm by itself, and the hive itself, so thus there are seven
swarms to join with it including profit and after-profit and restitution
and the four things besides those which we have mentioned. (‘The
penalty for a tree of bees is up to seven swarms ’ i.e. that which is
proper for the tree of bees i.e. two swarms with the first swarm and
a swarm with the second and the foolish [swarm] by itself and the
seventh is the old hive itself).