batch.motif.celtic-irish-heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy-gutenberg-l9868-l9987
---
record_id: batch.motif.celtic-irish-heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy-gutenberg-l9868-l9987
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
passage_locator:
label: THE RAID FOR THE CATTLE OF FRAECH / TAIN BO FRAICH / Part I / LITERAL TRANSLATION;
lines 9868-9987
start: '9868'
end: '9987'
translation: Heroic Romances of Ireland
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Fraech and his company arrive at the court of Ailill and Medb, are welcomed
into a richly described hall, and engage in chess, music, feasting, and hunting.
The passage includes an aetiological account of three kinds of music associated
with Uaithne, the Dagda's harp, and Boand. A prolonged chess game causes delay
in feeding the guests, but food is later distributed and the guests remain for
a fortnight.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A message from the king calls for parley, and the arriving party identifies
Fraech by his true name as son of Idath.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Ailill and Medb welcome the visitors and allot them a fourth of the house.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The house is described as having a sevenfold order, seven apartments or benches
from fire to side-wall, bronze rails, red yew partitioning, brass plates, windows
with brass frames, and a central apartment for Ailill and Medb adorned with bronze,
silver, and gilding.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The visitors hang up their arms, sit in the house, and receive welcome.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: Ailill and Medb arrange a chess-board, and Fraech plays chess first with an
unnamed person of their people and later with Medb.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: The chess-board is made of findruine with gold edges and is lit by a candle
of precious stones; the pieces are of gold and silver.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: Ailill orders food prepared for the warriors, while Medb says she desires
instead to play chess against Fraech.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: Fraech's people cook wild animals while Ailill asks Fraech's harpers to play.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: The harps or harp-bags are described with otter skins and adornments of ruby
or coral, gold, and silver.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: 'The passage says the three named kinds of music come from music played by
Uaithne, the Dagda''s harp, during a woman''s childbirth: sorrow at first, joy
in the middle, and sleep at the last son.'
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:11
text: Boand wakes from sleep and accepts three sons of Uaithne, naming Suan-traide,
Gen-traide, and Gol-traide in relation to cows, women, and men who will fall or
perish through hearing their art.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:12
text: Lothur divides food on the floor of the house, cutting joints with his sword
while not touching the food-part and not hacking the meat beneath his hand.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:13
text: Fraech and Medb play chess for three days and three nights, and Fraech says
he has beaten her but will not take her stake so that her hospitality will not
decay.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:14
text: Medb realizes with shame that the warriors have been without food; Ailill
says the people did not perceive the night because of the white light of the precious
stones in the house.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:15
text: Food is distributed, the guests are pleased, and they remain three more days
and nights feasting.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:16
text: Fraech says he came for a pleasing visit, then stays another week; the party
remains until the end of a fortnight, hunts daily near the dun, and is viewed
by the men of Connaught.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Fraech, son of Idath
description: A noble youth and visitor who identifies himself, plays chess, defeats
Medb, declines to take her stake, and remains at the dun with his company.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:9
- ev:11
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Ailill
description: Host and ruler who welcomes Fraech, describes him as noble, orders
food for the warriors, and discusses the lapse in hospitality with Medb.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:10
- ev:11
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Medb / Maev
description: Host and queen who welcomes Fraech, plays chess against him for three
days and nights, and later recognizes the shame of leaving the warriors unfed.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Fraech's people / warriors
description: Fraech's company is allotted space in the house, cooks wild animals,
receives food distribution, feasts, hunts, and is viewed by the men of Connaught.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- ev:10
- ev:11
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: The steward
description: The steward reports the visitors' identity to the king and queen.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Unnamed chess opponent
description: An unnamed person of Ailill and Medb's people with whom Fraech first
plays chess.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Fraech's harpers
description: Musicians asked by Ailill to play, associated with adorned harps or
harp-bags.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Uaithne, the Dagda's harp
description: A harp named as the source of the three named kinds of music in the
aetiological account.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Boand
description: A woman who wakes from sleep and accepts three sons of Uaithne, naming
Suan-traide, Gen-traide, and Gol-traide.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Lothur
description: A food-divider who cuts joints with his sword on the floor of the house.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: Fergus
description: A speaker who comments that the music has come stately.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:12
name_or_label: Men of Connaught
description: People who come to view Fraech's party while they stay and hunt near
the dun.
role_refs:
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
roles:
- id: role:1
label: visiting noble guest
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Fraech is welcomed as a noble youth and received into the house.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: royal hosts
assigned_to:
- fig:2
- fig:3
basis: Ailill and Medb welcome the guests, arrange activities, and are responsible
for hospitality.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:10
- id: role:3
label: steward or reporter
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The steward tells the king and queen the visitors' identity.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:4
label: guest retinue
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Fraech's people accompany him, cook animals, receive food, feast, and hunt.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:10
- ev:11
- id: role:5
label: chess players
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:6
basis: Fraech plays chess with an unnamed person and then against Medb.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:9
- id: role:6
label: musicians
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Ailill asks Fraech's harpers to play.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:7
label: mythic musical source
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: The passage states that the three named kinds of music derive from Uaithne,
the Dagda's harp.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:8
label: mother or accepting figure in music aetiology
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: Boand wakes and accepts the three sons of Uaithne named in the passage.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:9
label: food divider and carver
assigned_to:
- fig:10
basis: Lothur divides the food and cuts joints with his sword.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:10
label: commenting witness
assigned_to:
- fig:11
basis: Fergus comments on the stately arrival of the music.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:11
label: spectators
assigned_to:
- fig:12
basis: The men of Connaught come to view the visitors.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: sevenfold royal hall
literal_form: House with sevenfold order and seven apartments or benches around
the fire-to-wall space.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: fire in the hall layout
literal_form: Fire named as a point in the house plan, from fire to side-wall.
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: central adorned royal apartment
literal_form: Ailill and Medb's apartment in the exact centre of the house, adorned
with bronze, silver rails, gilding, and a silver wand.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:4
label: jewel-lit chess-board
literal_form: Findruine chess-board with gold edges, precious-stone candle, and
gold and silver figures.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:5
label: white light of precious stones
literal_form: Light of precious stones in the house, bright enough that night was
not perceived.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: sym:6
label: adorned harps or harp-bags
literal_form: Harp-bags or harp parts made with otter skins and adorned with ruby
or coral, gold, and silver.
associated_figures:
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:7
label: three strains of music
literal_form: Sorrow, joy, and sleep music associated with Gol-traide, Gen-traide,
and Suan-traide.
associated_figures:
- fig:8
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: sym:8
label: feast food and carved joints
literal_form: Cooked wild animals and joints divided with a sword for distribution
in the house.
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:10
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:8
- ev:10
- id: sym:9
label: three days and three nights
literal_form: Repeated duration of chess-playing and later feasting.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Arrival and welcome at the dun
summary: A message calls for parley; Fraech's party gives their names, the steward
reports them, and Ailill and Medb welcome them into the house.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Description of the royal house
summary: The passage describes the hall's sevenfold arrangement, metal fittings,
windows, central royal apartment, and encircling structure.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Reception, chess, and preparation of food
summary: The guests hang up their arms and are welcomed; Ailill and Medb arrange
chess, Fraech plays, food is ordered, and Medb chooses to play chess against Fraech.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Harp music and its aetiology
summary: Fraech's harpers are asked to play, and the passage explains the origin
of three kinds of music from Uaithne, the Dagda's harp, during childbirth and
Boand's awakening.
figure_refs:
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: scene:5
label: Division of food
summary: Lothur divides food in the house, cutting joints with his sword in a precise
manner.
figure_refs:
- fig:10
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: scene:6
label: Three-day chess game and delayed hospitality
summary: Fraech and Medb play chess for three days and nights; Fraech refuses Medb's
stake, Medb realizes the guests have lacked food, and distribution is made, followed
by three days and nights of feasting.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:5
- sym:8
- sym:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: scene:7
label: Conversation, extended stay, and hunting
summary: Fraech explains that he came for a visit; he and his company stay until
the end of a fortnight, hunt daily near the dun, and are viewed by the men of
Connaught.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:12
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Formal reception of named strangers into a ruler's hall
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The visitors identify themselves, are welcomed by Ailill and Medb, allotted
a part of the house, and seated after hanging up their arms.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: This is an episode of courtly reception and hospitality; no broader taxonomic
motif is assigned from the available list.
- id: motif:2
label: Luxurious numerically ordered royal hall
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The hall is described with sevenfold order, repeated metal fittings, a central
royal apartment, and precious materials.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives architectural detail but does not explicitly interpret
its symbolism.
- id: motif:3
label: Jewel-lit chess contest obscuring passage of time
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Fraech and Medb play chess for three days and nights, and the household does
not perceive night because of the white light of precious stones.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:9
- ev:10
confidence: high
cautions: The text attributes the lapse in perceived night to precious stones, but
does not explicitly call the event magical.
- id: motif:4
label: Three kinds of music named from childbirth emotions
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: 'The passage says three named strains of music originate from Uaithne''s
playing during childbirth: sorrow, joy, and sleep.'
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: The passage is a compact aetiological insertion; details of the sons and
effects are syntactically difficult in translation.
- id: motif:5
label: Powerful music causing beings to fall or perish
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Boand's speech links Suan-traide, Gen-traide, and Gol-traide with cows and
women who shall fall by Medb and Ailill and men who shall perish by hearing art
from them.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The translation is difficult and the exact causal relation between the
music, Medb and Ailill, and the deaths is uncertain.
- id: motif:6
label: Hospitality endangered by absorption in a game and restored by food distribution
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Medb realizes with shame that the visiting warriors have gone without food
during the chess game; Ailill orders distribution, and the guests feast afterward.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents this as a social or hospitality failure rather than
a sacred transgression.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 9868-9876
quote_or_summary: A message from the king calls for parley; the visitors name Fraech,
son of Idath; the steward reports this, and Ailill and Medb welcome them and allot
them a fourth of the house.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 9876-9894
quote_or_summary: The house is described as sevenfold, with seven apartments or
benches, bronze rails, red yew partitions, brass plates and windows, and Ailill
and Medb's centrally placed apartment adorned with bronze, silver, gilding, and
a silver wand; a note states uncertainty about whether 'imdai' means apartments
or benches.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 9896-9905
quote_or_summary: The guests hang up their arms and sit; Ailill and Medb welcome
them, arrange the chess-board, and Fraech plays chess with an unnamed person of
their people.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 9910-9919
quote_or_summary: The chess-board is of findruine with gold edges, a precious-stone
candle, and gold and silver figures; Ailill orders food for the warriors, but
Medb says she wants to play chess against Fraech.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 9924-9930
quote_or_summary: Fraech's people cook wild animals; Ailill asks for Fraech's harpers
to play; the harps or harp-bags are described with otter skins and adornments
of ruby or coral, gold, and silver.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: 9932-9939
quote_or_summary: 'The passage states that the three kinds of music are named from
music played by Uaithne, the Dagda''s harp, during a woman''s childbirth: sorrow
first, joy in the middle, and soothing sleep at the last son.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: 9941-9945
quote_or_summary: Boand wakes from sleep and accepts Uaithne's three sons, naming
Suan-traide, Gen-traide, and Gol-traide, with reference to cows, women, and men
who fall or perish through hearing their art.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: 9947-9953
quote_or_summary: The music ceases; Fergus comments; Fraech orders food brought
in; Lothur divides it on the floor, cutting each joint with his sword without
touching the food-part or hacking the meat.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: 9955-9961
quote_or_summary: The chess-playing lasts three days and three nights because of
the abundance of precious stones in Fraech's household; Fraech tells Medb he has
beaten her but will not take her chess stake to avoid decay of her hospitality.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: 9963-9975
quote_or_summary: Medb says the day has seemed longest; Fraech says three days and
nights have passed; Medb is ashamed that the stranger warriors lack food; Ailill
notes they did not perceive night because of the white light of precious stones;
food is distributed and the guests feast three days and nights.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:11
type: summary
locator: 9977-9987
quote_or_summary: Fraech is asked what brought him and says a visit is pleasing;
Ailill praises his company; Fraech stays another week, the party remains to the
end of a fortnight, hunts daily near the dun, and the men of Connaught come to
view them.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/celtic-irish/project-gutenberg/heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Literal extraction is well supported by the supplied passage. Motif labels
are descriptive and not mapped to the provided motif-family taxonomy because the
passage does not explicitly support those broader categories. No comparison claims
were added.
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: |-
Used only supplied passage and metadata. Footnote uncertainty about 'imdai' was retained in evidence and observations where relevant.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:celtic-irish-heroic-romances-of-ireland-leahy-gutenberg__l9868-l9987
passage_sha256=531b3c2d754924b20c20d1e016f15f5111d566980172a50ad94490a6f088f1a0