"There was," we read, "a famous king of Leinster, called Mac Datho. This king owned a dog, Ailbe by name, who defended the whole province and filled Erin with his fame."[18] Ailill, king of Connaught, and Conchobar, king of Ulster, claim the dog; and Mac Datho, much perplexed, consults his wife, who suggests that he should promise Ailbe to both. On the appointed day, the warriors of the two countries come to fetch the dog of renown, and a grand banquet is served them by Mac Datho, the principal dish of which is a rare kind of pig--"three hundred cows had fed him for seven years." Scarcely are the guests seated, when the dialogues begin: "That pig looks good," says Conchobar. "Truly, yes," replies Ailill; "but, Conchobar, how shall he be carved?" "What more simple in this hall, where sit the glorious heroes of Erin?" cried, from his couch, Bricriu, son of Carbad. "To each his share, according to his fights and deeds. But ere the shares are distributed, more than one rap on the nose will have been given and received." "So be it," said Ailill. "'Tis fair," said Conchobar. "We have with us the warriors who defended our frontiers." Then each one rises in turn and claims the honour of carving: I did this.--I did still more.--I slew thy father.--I slew thy eldest son.--I gave thee that wound that still aches. The warrior Cet had just told his awful exploits when Conall of Ulster rises against him and says: "Since the day I first bore a spear, not often have I lacked the head of a man of Connaught to pillow mine upon. Not a single day or night has passed in which I slew not an enemy." "I confess it," said Cet, "thou art a greater warrior than I; but were Anluan in this castle, he at least could compete with thee; 'tis a pity he is not present." "He is here!" cried Conall, and drawing from his belt Anluan's head, he flung it on the table. In the "Murder of the Sons of Usnech,"[19] woman plays the principal part. The mainspring of the story is love, and by it the heroes are led to death, a thing not to be found elsewhere in the European literature of the period. Still, those same heroes are not slight, fragile dreamers; if we set aside their love, and only consider their ferocity, they are worthy of the Walhalla of Woden. By the following example we may see how the insular Celts could love and die. The child of Fedelmid's wife utters a cry in its mother's womb. They question Cathba the chief druid, who answers: "That which has clamoured within thee is a fair-haired daughter, with fair locks, a majestic glance, blue eyes, and cheeks purple as the fox-glove"; and he foretells the woes she will cause among men. This girl is Derdriu; she is brought up secretly and apart, in order to evade the prediction. One day, "she beheld a raven drink blood on the snow." She said to Leborcham: "The only man I could love would be one who united those three colours: hair as black as the raven, cheeks red as blood, body as white as snow."