batch.motif.celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg-l9711-l9745
---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg-l9711-l9745
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
passage_locator:
label: CHAPTER VII. ILBREC OF ESS RUADH / CHAPTER VIII. THE CAVE OF CRUACHAN / CHAPTER
IX. THE WEDDING AT CEANN SLIEVE / CHAPTER X. THE SHADOWY ONE; lines 9711-9745
start: '9711'
end: '9745'
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: Finn hunts on Bearnas Mor, where a wild pig kills many of the Fianna's
hounds before Bran overcomes it. A tall man comes out of the hill, asks Finn to
spare the pig, brings the company into the Sidhe hill at Glandeirgdeis, and changes
the pig with a Druid rod into a young woman named Scathach. Finn asks to marry
her, and her father agrees for that night. Scathach plays a harp whose silver
string puts Finn, Bran, and the company into a heavy sleep. At sunrise they awaken
outside on Bearnas Mor, where they first saw the pig.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Finn is hunting on the mountain of Bearnas Mor when a great wild pig turns
on the hounds of the Fianna and kills most of them.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Bran attacks the wild pig and gets the best of it.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: A very tall man comes out of the hill and asks Finn to let the pig go free.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The tall man brings Finn and his company into the hill of the Sidhe at Glandeirgdeis.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: At the door of the house, the tall man strikes the pig with his Druid rod,
and the pig changes into a beautiful young woman named Scathach, the Shadowy One.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The tall man makes a feast for the Fianna.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: Finn asks the young woman in marriage, and her father says he will give her
to him that night.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: Scathach asks for a harp at night; the harp has iron, bronze, and silver strings.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: The harp's iron string makes the hosts of the world cry; the bronze string
makes them laugh until the same hour the next day; the silver string makes all
men of the whole world fall into a long sleep.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: Scathach plays the sleepy silver string until Finn, Bran, and all his people
are in a heavy sleep.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:11
text: At sunrise, Finn and his company awaken outside on the mountain of Bearnas,
where they first saw the wild pig.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Finn
description: Leader of the Fianna in the passage; he hunts, spares the pig, enters
the Sidhe hill, asks Scathach in marriage, and falls asleep under the harp's power.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Bran
description: Finn's hound or companion who attacks the wild pig and later falls
asleep with Finn and his people.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: The Fianna / Finn's people
description: Finn's company; their hounds are attacked, they are feasted in the
Sidhe hill, and they fall into a heavy sleep.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Wild pig / Scathach, the Shadowy One
description: A great wild pig that is spared, brought to the Sidhe hill, changed
by a Druid rod into a beautiful young woman named Scathach, and later plays the
sleep-inducing silver string of a harp.
role_refs:
- role:5
- role:6
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Very tall man / Scathach's father
description: A tall man who comes out of the hill, asks Finn to spare the pig, brings
the company into the Sidhe hill, transforms the pig with a Druid rod, makes a
feast, and agrees to give Scathach to Finn in marriage.
role_refs:
- role:8
- role:9
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
roles:
- id: role:1
label: hunter
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Finn is hunting on Bearnas Mor at the start of the episode.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: suitor
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Finn asks Scathach in marriage.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:3
label: animal helper or companion
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Bran attacks the wild pig and overcomes it on behalf of Finn's side.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:4
label: warrior company or retinue
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The Fianna accompany Finn, are feasted, and sleep under Scathach's harp-playing.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: role:5
label: dangerous animal adversary
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The wild pig turns on the hounds of the Fianna and kills most of them.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:6
label: transformed woman
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The pig is struck with a Druid rod and changes into a beautiful young woman
named Scathach.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:7
label: magical musician or enchanter
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Scathach plays the silver string of the harp until Finn, Bran, and the company
are asleep.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:8
label: Sidhe host
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The tall man brings the company into the hill of the Sidhe and makes a feast
for the Fianna.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:9
label: father of prospective bride
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The passage identifies the tall man as Scathach's father and says he agrees
to give her to Finn that night.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:10
label: transforming magician
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: He strikes the pig with a Druid rod and it changes into Scathach.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: mountain of Bearnas Mor
literal_form: mountain
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs:
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:7
- id: sym:2
label: hill of the Sidhe at Glandeirgdeis
literal_form: Sidhe hill
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: Druid rod
literal_form: rod used to strike the pig and cause transformation
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:4
label: three-stringed harp
literal_form: harp with iron, bronze, and silver strings
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:5
label: sleepy silver string
literal_form: silver harp string that causes long sleep
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: sym:6
label: wild pig form
literal_form: great wild pig later changed into Scathach
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Hunt and attack on the hounds
summary: Finn hunts on Bearnas Mor; a wild pig kills most of the Fianna's hounds,
and Bran overcomes the pig.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Sparing the pig and entering the Sidhe hill
summary: A tall man comes out of the hill, asks Finn to spare the pig, and brings
the company into the Sidhe hill at Glandeirgdeis.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Transformation at the house door
summary: At the door of the house, the tall man strikes the pig with a Druid rod,
and it becomes Scathach, the Shadowy One.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: Feast and proposed marriage
summary: The tall man gives a feast for the Fianna; Finn asks to marry Scathach,
and her father agrees for that night.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:5
label: Harp-induced sleep and return outside
summary: Scathach plays the harp's silver string, putting Finn, Bran, and the company
into heavy sleep; at sunrise they awaken outside on Bearnas Mor.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Animal-to-woman transformation
taxonomy_refs:
- shapeshifter
basis: The wild pig is struck with a Druid rod and immediately changes into the
beautiful young woman Scathach.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents a single transformation and does not state whether
Scathach can change herself or repeatedly shift form.
- id: motif:2
label: Otherworld bride sought from the Sidhe
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_beloved
- sacred_marriage
basis: Finn asks Scathach, a woman revealed inside the Sidhe hill and daughter of
the tall Sidhe host, in marriage; her father agrees for that night.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The marriage is proposed and promised but not completed in this passage.
- id: motif:3
label: Entrance into a hidden otherworld dwelling
taxonomy_refs:
- hero_descent
- mystical_quest
basis: Finn and the Fianna are brought into the hill of the Sidhe at Glandeirgdeis
after the encounter with the wild pig and the tall man from the hill.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The movement is into a Sidhe hill rather than an explicitly described
underworld descent or quest.
- id: motif:4
label: Magical music causing universal emotion or sleep
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The harp has iron, bronze, and silver strings that cause crying, laughing,
or long sleep; Scathach uses the silver string to put Finn, Bran, and the company
into heavy sleep.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy reference directly names magical music or enchanted
sleep.
- id: motif:5
label: Enchanted sleep prevents the promised union
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: After Scathach's father agrees to give her to Finn that night, Scathach plays
the silver string until Finn and his company sleep, and they awaken outside on
the mountain.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage implies the marriage does not occur, but does not explicitly
state Scathach's motive.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 9715-9719
quote_or_summary: On Bearnas Mor, Finn is hunting; a great wild pig kills most of
the Fianna's hounds, and Bran attacks and overcomes it.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 9719-9721
quote_or_summary: The pig screams; a very tall man comes out of the hill and asks
Finn to let the pig go free.
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: summary
locator: 9721-9725
quote_or_summary: After Finn agrees, the tall man brings them into the Sidhe hill
at Glandeirgdeis; at the house door he strikes the pig with a Druid rod, and it
changes into a beautiful young woman called Scathach, the Shadowy One.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 9726-9728
quote_or_summary: The tall man makes a feast for the Fianna; Finn asks the young
girl in marriage, and her father says he will give her to him that night.
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: 9730-9737
quote_or_summary: At night Scathach asks for a harp with iron, bronze, and silver
strings; the strings respectively cause crying, laughter lasting until the next
day, and long sleep for all men of the world.
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: 9739-9740
quote_or_summary: Scathach plays the sleepy silver string until Finn, Bran, and
all his people are in heavy sleep.
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: 9742-9745
quote_or_summary: At sunrise the next morning they awaken outside on the mountain
of Bearnas, where they had first seen the wild pig.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/gods-and-fighting-men-gregory.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Literal sequence is clear in the supplied passage. Motif labels involving
otherworld marriage and descent are interpretive and should be reviewed.
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: |-
No comparison claims were added because the passage itself does not explicitly compare this episode to another text or tradition.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-irish-gods-and-fighting-men-gregory-gutenberg__l9711-l9745
passage_sha256=279ee03b70b6b186d624d75fb3f115964f8fc6353345d16884ab1c77cb2a7c11