batch.motif.celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg-l14547-l14650
---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg-l14547-l14650
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
passage_locator:
label: 'CHAPTER III. THE LAST OF THE GREAT MEN / BOOK ELEVEN: OISIN AND PATRICK.
/ CHAPTER I. OISIN''S STORY / CHAPTER II. OISIN IN PATRICK''S HOUSE; lines 14547-14650'
start: '14547'
end: '14650'
translation: Gods and Fighting Men
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Oisin, living with Saint Patrick, complains of poor treatment and is accused
of lying when he says he has seen a larger blackbird quarter, rowan berry, and
ivy leaf than Patrick's food portions. Oisin tests a litter of pups, raises the
strongest one in darkness without blood or daylight, names it Bran Og, and later
journeys with a serving-boy to retrieve Fianna objects hidden under a rock. After
sounding the Fianna horn, great birds appear. Bran Og kills the largest bird,
becomes mad after tasting its blood, and Oisin kills the dog with an iron ball.
Oisin has the bird cut open and finds the huge rowan berry and ivy leaf, which
he shows to Patrick as proof. Later, when Oisin is blind, servants try to deceive
him about the weather to avoid being carried out to inspect cattle; a serving-girl
tells him to go, a servant simulates rain with water and a broom, and Oisin discovers
that the night is quiet.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Oisin complains that he is under a yoke drawing stones and not receiving sufficient
food or drink.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Patrick states that Oisin receives a quarter of beef, a churn of butter, and
a griddle of bread each day.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Oisin replies that he has seen a quarter of a blackbird, a rowan berry, and
an ivy leaf larger than Patrick's examples; Patrick accuses him of lying.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:4
text: Oisin tests a litter of pups by having them thrown against a fresh bullock
hide nailed to a wall, preserving only the pup that clings with teeth and nails.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: Oisin orders the surviving pup to be kept in darkness, cared for, and never
allowed to taste blood or see daylight.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: After a year, Oisin names the pup Bran Og.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: Oisin and the serving-boy pass Slieve-nam-ban, where witches of the Sidhe
are said to spin, and go into Gleann-na-Smol.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: Oisin raises a rock and has the boy take out a Fianna sounding horn, an iron
throwing ball, and a sharp sword.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: The serving-boy sounds the horn twice without seeing anything strange; Oisin
then blows three blasts on the horn.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: After Oisin blows the horn, the boy sees three clouds settling into the valley,
each described as a flight of increasingly large birds, with the third flight
the largest and blackest.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:11
text: Bran Og reacts with bulging eyes and hair standing up before being released.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:12
text: Bran Og attacks and kills the largest bird, then laps its blood and becomes
mad.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:13
text: Oisin has the boy place the iron ball in his hand and turn it toward the dog;
Oisin throws it into the dog's mouth and throat, choking him.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:14
text: Oisin has a quarter cut from the dead bird and has the bird opened; a very
large rowan berry and an ivy leaf larger than a griddle are found inside.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:15
text: Oisin returns to Patrick and shows the bird quarter, rowan berry, and leaf
as proof that he had not lied.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:16
text: Patrick acknowledges that Oisin told no lie.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:17
text: When Oisin has lost his sight, he carries a serving-man on his shoulders at
night to inspect the cattle.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:18
text: Servants falsely describe severe rain, snow, and cold to avoid going out with
Oisin.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:19
text: A serving-girl tells Oisin to rise and go out to the cows.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:20
text: A serving-man brings a vessel of water and a birch broom and dashes water
in Oisin's face so he will think it is raining.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:21
text: At the cattle pen, Oisin discovers the night is quiet and afterward asks the
servants no more weather news.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Oisin
description: Son of Finn, staying with Saint Patrick; an aged and later blind former
member of the Fianna who proves his truthfulness and still inspects cattle.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Saint Patrick
description: Host or authority figure in whose house Oisin stays; he accuses Oisin
of lying and later accepts his proof.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:7
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: serving-boy
description: Boy who follows Oisin's instructions, handles the pup, accompanies
Oisin, sounds the horn, sees the birds, and assists with the iron ball and bird
carcass.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Bran Og
description: The pup selected from the litter, raised in darkness without blood
or daylight, who kills the largest bird and becomes mad after tasting its blood.
role_refs:
- role:6
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: great birds
description: Three flights of enormous birds that appear as clouds after Oisin sounds
the Fianna horn; the largest bird has a shadow like a cloud.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: witches of the Sidhe
description: Figures associated with Slieve-nam-ban, where they are said to spin
with spinning-wheels.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: servants
description: Household servants who try to avoid accompanying blind Oisin by falsely
describing bad weather.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: serving-girl
description: Girl in the house who urges Oisin to go out to the cows despite the
servants' words.
role_refs:
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: serving-man carried by Oisin
description: Man whom blind Oisin carries on his shoulders to inspect cattle; he
uses water and a broom to simulate rain.
role_refs:
- role:5
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
roles:
- id: role:1
label: aged heroic claimant
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Oisin identifies himself as son of Finn and claims past knowledge of larger
food objects.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: keeper of Fianna relics and practices
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Oisin knows where the Fianna horn, iron ball, and sword are hidden and can
use the horn and ball effectively.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:3
label: blind cattle inspector
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: After losing sight, Oisin still carries a man out at night to see how the
cattle are doing.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:4
label: skeptical religious authority
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Patrick disputes Oisin's claim as a lie and later acknowledges its truth.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:7
- id: role:5
label: assistant
assigned_to:
- fig:3
- fig:9
basis: The serving-boy and serving-man accompany or assist Oisin in carrying out
tasks.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: role:6
label: chosen hound
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Bran Og is selected from the litter after clinging to the hide and is specially
reared.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:7
label: dangerous animal helper
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The dog kills the giant bird but becomes a threat after tasting blood.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:8
label: summoned monstrous birds
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The birds appear after the horn blasts and include a largest bird that fights
Bran Og.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:9
label: Sidhe-associated spinners
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The passage locates witches of the Sidhe at Slieve-nam-ban spinning with
spinning-wheels.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:10
label: deceptive servants
assigned_to:
- fig:7
- fig:9
basis: The servants agree to tell Oisin the weather is bad, and one simulates rain
with water and a broom.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: role:11
label: truthful household informant
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: The serving-girl tells Oisin to rise and go out to the cows rather than joining
the servants' avoidance.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Fianna sounding horn
literal_form: great sounding horn hidden under a rock and sounded to summon or reveal
the great birds
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: sym:2
label: iron throwing ball
literal_form: iron ball from under the rock, used by Oisin to kill the mad dog
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: sym:3
label: sharp sword
literal_form: sharp sword taken from under the rock and used to cut the bird
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:7
- id: sym:4
label: hidden rock cache
literal_form: rock raised by Oisin to reveal the Fianna horn, iron ball, and sword
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:5
label: giant rowan berry
literal_form: rowan berry found inside the dead bird, larger than Patrick's churn
of butter comparison
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:7
- id: sym:6
label: giant ivy leaf
literal_form: ivy leaf found inside the dead bird, larger than a griddle
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:7
- id: sym:7
label: giant bird quarter
literal_form: quarter cut from the largest bird, bigger than a quarter of a bullock
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:7
- id: sym:8
label: blood
literal_form: blood of the killed bird, lapped by Bran Og before madness comes on
him
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: sym:9
label: water used as false rain
literal_form: vessel of water dashed in Oisin's face with a birch broom to imitate
rain
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Oisin disputes Patrick's measure of food
summary: Oisin says Patrick's daily food allowance is not enough and claims to have
seen much larger food forms; Patrick accuses him of lying.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
- sym:6
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Selection and rearing of Bran Og
summary: Oisin tests a litter of pups against a bullock hide, keeps the strongest,
and orders it raised in darkness without tasting blood or seeing daylight.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Journey to the hidden Fianna relics
summary: Oisin and the serving-boy travel past Slieve-nam-ban to Gleann-na-Smol,
where Oisin raises a rock and has Fianna objects brought out.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Horn blasts and battle with the great bird
summary: After Oisin blows the horn, great birds appear; Bran Og kills the largest
bird, becomes mad after tasting blood, and Oisin kills Bran Og with the iron ball.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:5
label: Proof shown to Patrick
summary: Oisin has the giant bird cut open, recovers the large rowan berry and ivy
leaf, and shows the bird quarter and objects to Patrick, who admits that Oisin
did not lie.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:5
- sym:6
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: scene:6
label: Blind Oisin and the false weather
summary: Blind Oisin habitually carries a serving-man out to inspect cattle; servants
falsely report bad weather, one imitates rain with water and a broom, and Oisin
discovers the night is quiet.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: hero proves an implausible truth by recovering material evidence
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: Oisin is accused of lying about enormous food-like objects, then produces
a giant bird quarter, rowan berry, and ivy leaf to prove his statement.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy reference is broad; the passage emphasizes truthfulness and
proof rather than formal wisdom instruction.
- id: motif:2
label: hidden heroic relics retrieved from under a rock
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Oisin knows where a Fianna horn, iron ball, and sword are concealed and has
them taken from beneath a raised rock.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: No provided taxonomy reference directly matches hidden weapons or relic
recovery.
- id: motif:3
label: summoning or revealing monstrous creatures by sounding a horn
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Only after Oisin blows three blasts on the Fianna horn does the serving-boy
see three clouds of enormous birds settling into the valley.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The passage does not explicitly state whether the horn summons the birds
or reveals them; it only gives the sequence of horn blasts followed by their appearance.
- id: motif:4
label: specially reared animal helper becomes dangerous after tasting blood
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Bran Og is raised in darkness and kept from blood and daylight, kills the
largest bird, laps its blood, becomes mad, and turns back toward Oisin and the
boy.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives the prohibition and consequence but does not explain
why blood causes madness.
- id: motif:5
label: blind elder deceived by simulated weather
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: After Oisin loses sight, servants falsely describe storms and one dashes
water on him to make him think it is raining, but he discovers the night is quiet.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
confidence: high
cautions: No provided taxonomy reference directly matches this household deception
episode.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 14547-14558
quote_or_summary: Oisin complains of insufficient food and says he has seen a blackbird
quarter, rowan berry, and ivy leaf larger than Patrick's daily portions; Patrick
accuses him of lying.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 14560-14565
quote_or_summary: In anger, Oisin has pups thrown against a fresh bullock hide and
orders only the pup that clings to be reared, with the rest drowned.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 14567-14570
quote_or_summary: Oisin orders the pup kept in darkness, cared for, and never allowed
to taste blood or see daylight; after a year he names it Bran Og.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 14572-14582
quote_or_summary: Oisin travels with the serving-boy and chained pup past Slieve-nam-ban,
where witches of the Sidhe spin, to Gleann-na-Smol; he raises a rock and has the
boy take out a Fianna horn, an iron ball, and a sharp sword.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 14582-14595
quote_or_summary: The boy sounds the horn twice without seeing anything; Oisin blows
three great blasts, after which the boy sees three clouds that are flights of
increasingly large birds, the last the biggest and blackest.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 14597-14611
quote_or_summary: Bran Og reacts intensely, is loosed, kills the largest bird, laps
its blood, becomes mad, rushes back toward Oisin and the boy, and is choked when
Oisin casts the iron ball into its mouth and throat.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 14613-14624
quote_or_summary: Oisin has a quarter cut from the dead bird and has its body opened,
finding a huge rowan berry and an ivy leaf larger than a griddle; he shows these
to Patrick, who admits he told no lie.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 14626-14629
quote_or_summary: When Oisin has no sight left, he nightly carries one of the serving-men
on his shoulders to inspect the cattle.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 14629-14650
quote_or_summary: Servants agree to tell Oisin it is a bad night and describe rain,
snow, and cold; a serving-girl urges him to go to the cows, a serving-man uses
water and a birch broom to imitate rain, and Oisin discovers at the cattle pen
that the night is quiet.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: The passage is explicit about the narrative sequence, figures, and objects.
Motif labels are descriptive and mostly not tied to supplied taxonomy, since few
available references directly match the episode. No comparison claims are made
because the passage itself does not support a specific external comparison.
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: |-
All evidence is summarized from the supplied public-domain passage; no external sources or unprovided taxonomy identifiers were used.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg__l14547-l14650
passage_sha256=58c9ce59b8758b10c3524a996e1f63a2454225180c4c61b7a69dc372f6110fe0