batch.motif.celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg-l13368-l13481
---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg-l13368-l13481
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
passage_locator:
label: 'CHAPTER VIII. THE BOAR OF BEINN GULBAIN / BOOK EIGHT: CNOC-AN-AIR. / CHAPTER
I. TAILC, SON OF TREON / CHAPTER II. MEARGACH''S WIFE; lines 13368-13481'
start: '13368'
end: '13481'
translation: Gods and Fighting Men
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: '"I knew by the voice of the battle-crow over your dun every evening... that
misfortune and grief were at hand."'
summary: Ailne laments the deaths of her husband and two sons, listing ominous signs
that foretold their defeat. Grania denies that Finn or the Fianna used treachery.
Ailne refuses hospitality and seeks satisfaction, leading to battle; Ailne is
defeated and the hill is named Cnoc-an-Air, the Hill of Slaughter.
language: English
quote_policy: quoted
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Ailne grieves for three men who have fallen far from home by the Fianna.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Ailne says she knew of the impending deaths through repeated signs involving
the Sidhe, birds, blood, animals, visions, and changes in the landscape.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: obs:3
text: Grania tells Ailne not to accuse Finn or the Fianna of treachery or deceit.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:4
text: Ailne says she would not reproach the Fianna if the men had fallen in fair
battle, and suggests they may have been overcome by Druid spells.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:5
text: Ailne refuses food from Grania and the Fianna and seeks satisfaction for the
death of her husband and two sons.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:6
text: A battle is fought between Ailne's side and the Fianna; Ailne is worsted and
returns with the remaining men.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:7
text: The hill where the battles were fought receives the name Cnoc-an-Air, the
Hill of Slaughter.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Ailne of the Bright Face
description: A queen or noble woman who laments her husband and two sons, accuses
Finn and the Fianna, refuses hospitality, and leads or accompanies the opposing
side in battle.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Grania
description: A woman present with the Fianna who answers Ailne and defends Finn
and the Fianna against charges of treachery.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Finn, son of Cumhal
description: Leader of the Fianna, accused by Ailne of treachery and defended by
Grania.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: The Fianna
description: The fighting band opposed by Ailne; Grania defends them, and they fight
a hard battle against Ailne's side.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:7
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Ailne's three men
description: Ailne's husband and two sons, described as three strong fighters whose
deaths she laments and seeks to avenge.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: The Sidhe
description: A great host seen fighting over the dun and in the valleys of the air,
interpreted by Ailne as a sign of destruction for her three men.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Ailne's army
description: The force that Ailne hopes will destroy the Fianna and that later fights
them; survivors return with Ailne.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
roles:
- id: role:1
label: lamenting avenger
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Ailne laments the dead and demands satisfaction for their deaths.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- id: role:2
label: defender of Finn and the Fianna
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Grania repeatedly denies that Finn or the Fianna acted through treachery.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:3
label: accused leader
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Ailne names Finn as treacherous, while Grania rejects the accusation.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: role:4
label: battle party
assigned_to:
- fig:4
- fig:7
basis: The Fianna and Ailne's forces fight a severe battle against one another.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:5
label: slain kin
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Ailne identifies the dead as her husband and two sons and seeks satisfaction
for them.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:6
label: omen-bearing supernatural host
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Ailne interprets the Sidhe fighting in the air as foretelling destruction.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Sidhe host fighting in the air
literal_form: The great host of the Sidhe fighting over the dun and in the valleys
of the air.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: battle-crow over the dun
literal_form: The voice of the battle-crow heard over the dun every evening.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: raven voice and flight
literal_form: The raven's voice every morning and its flight before the men as they
left the dun.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: blood in water
literal_form: A stream near the dun turning to blood and a vision of a lake of blood
in place of the dun.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: sym:5
label: withering tree
literal_form: The tree before the dun withers.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:6
label: eagle over the dun
literal_form: An eagle comes every evening over the dun.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:7
label: howling hounds
literal_form: Ciardan's hounds and Uaithnin howl mournfully or early each morning.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:8
label: tears of blood
literal_form: Ailne sees tears of blood on the cheeks of the three men when they
depart.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:9
label: severed head and hands in vision
literal_form: Ailne sees a sorrowful vision of herself in danger, with her head
and hands cut off.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Ailne's lament of portents
summary: Ailne mourns her three dead men and recites many signs that she says foretold
their defeat and death.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
- sym:5
- sym:6
- sym:7
- sym:8
- sym:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:2
label: Grania disputes the accusation of treachery
summary: Grania tells Ailne not to speak against Finn or the Fianna and says the
three men fell by bravery and the strong hand, not by deceit.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:3
label: Refusal of hospitality and demand for satisfaction
summary: Grania invites Ailne to eat and drink with her and the Fianna, but Ailne
refuses and demands satisfaction for her husband and sons.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: scene:4
label: Battle at Cnoc-an-Air
summary: Ailne's forces and the Fianna fight a hard battle; Ailne is defeated and
the battlefield hill is named the Hill of Slaughter.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:7
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Ominous signs foretelling death in battle
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Ailne repeatedly interprets supernatural, animal, bodily, and landscape signs
as foretelling the deaths of her three men.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents the signs as Ailne's knowledge and lament; it does
not separately verify each omen outside her speech.
- id: motif:2
label: Blood-water portent of slaughter
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Ailne names a stream turning to blood and a vision of a lake of blood as
signs of treachery and death.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The blood-water images appear within Ailne's lament and vision language.
- id: motif:3
label: Lament leading to revenge battle
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Ailne's grief for her husband and sons turns into refusal of hospitality,
demand for satisfaction, and battle with the Fianna.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: The passage does not frame this as a formal legal vengeance ritual beyond
the stated demand for satisfaction.
- id: motif:4
label: Place-name from battle slaughter
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The hill receives the name Cnoc-an-Air, the Hill of Slaughter, because of
the battles fought there.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: Only the immediate naming explanation is supplied in this passage.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The passage fits a broader omen-portent pattern in which birds, animal cries,
blood imagery, visions, and changes in trees or waters foretell death or defeat.
claim_level: same_function
target: omen-portent pattern foretelling battle death
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: This is a functional comparison to a general pattern; the passage alone
does not establish historical contact, common inheritance, or a specific external
taxonomy number.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: quote
locator: 13368-13383
quote_or_summary: 'Ailne laments: "my three proud lions" and says her "three sure
fighters" have fallen far off by the Fianna.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation used.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 13384-13403
quote_or_summary: Ailne says the Sidhe fought over the dun, she heard their voices,
saw tears of blood on the men's cheeks, heard the battle-crow, and heard the raven;
these signs foretold death and non-return.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: quote
locator: 13404-13413
quote_or_summary: Ailne says the stream near the dun turned to blood, an eagle came
over the dun, and the tree before the dun withered.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise quotation/paraphrase used.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 13420-13435
quote_or_summary: 'Ailne adds further signs: the raven''s flight, mournful hounds,
sleeplessness and tears, a vision of her own severed head and hands, Uaithnin
the hound howling, and a vision of a lake of blood.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 13414-13419, 13436-13442
quote_or_summary: Grania tells Ailne not to speak against Finn or the Fianna and
says the three men were not brought to their end by treachery or deceit.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: 13443-13469
quote_or_summary: Ailne says she would not reproach the Fianna if the men had fallen
fairly, suspects Druid spells, refuses food from those who did such deeds, and
wants satisfaction for her husband and two sons.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: 13470-13478
quote_or_summary: Terms for combat escalate to a great battle; many men die on each
side, Ailne of the Bright Face is worsted, and she returns with surviving men
to their own country.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: quote
locator: 13479-13481
quote_or_summary: '"the hill in the west those battles were fought on got the name
of Cnoc-an-Air, the Hill of Slaughter."'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation used.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: Literal extraction is straightforward. Motif labels are descriptive rather
than tied to a supplied detailed motif index; comparison is limited to a general
functional pattern.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Only the provided passage and metadata were used. Available taxonomy refs were applied only to explicit water and tree symbols.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg__l13368-l13481
passage_sha256=eed2232934f2a32d4912fffbfe38aeb74e606b8d5ced725f39701903a1609ae9