Tochmarc Becfola
Tochmarc Becfola [ 'toxmark' bʴegola ] ("The courtship for Becfola") is the title of a story from the Historical Cycle of Celtic Mythology in Ireland . The oldest surviving version is in the Leabhar Buidhe Lecain ("The Yellow Book of Lecan") and another in a manuscript from the 16th century.
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The Irish King Diarmait mac Áedo Sláine is on the hunt together with the noble Crimthann. You see a fairy coming out of her hill ( Síd ) and roaming the forest in a carriage. The king falls in love with her and takes her to his court in Tara ( Temair ). Since the woman refuses to give any information, he calls her Becfola ( bec fola , “without dowry”, also “without morning gift ”) and marries her, but she really only desires Crimthann. Since she cannot suppress this passion even after a long time, she decides to flee Tara with her lover. In the forest, however, Becfola is misled by fairies (elves) and can barely escape hunting wolves. Weakened by hunger, she joins a mysterious man who takes her to an island where he fights for rule with seven opponents. Then he brings Becfola back to Tara.
When she arrived there, she found out that no time had passed since her flight at the royal court and therefore no one could notice her disappearance. She decides to stay with Diarmait, but a monk comes to Tara and says he saw her on the island with a stranger and publicly accuses her of adultery. Becfola then confesses her guilt and leaves Tara forever.
The historical king Diarmait mac Áedo Sláine , who is also mentioned in the story Scéla Cano meic Gartnáin (“The story of Canos, Gartnan's son”), is the model for the king in this legend. He ruled Ireland together with his brother Bláthnat from 642 to 664.
See also
literature
- Bernhard Maier : Lexicon of Celtic Religion and Culture (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 466). Kröner, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-520-46601-5 .
Web links
- Chapter The Wooing of Becfola in the article Irish Fairy Tales on the English language Wikipedia.
- Royal Irish Academy: Irish manuscript series , Volume 1, Part 1, The Academy, 1870, p. 172 f.