Pictish Mystic · Lore · Red Branch
Fergus son of Róich and the Names of His Sons
Cóir Anmann, “The Fitness of Names”, tells how the people of the old tales came by their names. In §§281–285 it explains the name of Fergus son of Róich, the names of his sons, and the name of Fiacha son of Fer Feba.
Fergus son of Róich. Fergus son of Róich, whence is that name? Róich, daughter of Eochaid son of Dáire, was his mother, and from her he was named.
Roch of the elf-mounds. Or maybe, the old book says, Roch, daughter of Ruad son of Derg Dath-fola, from the elf-mounds, was the mother of Fergus, and the mother of Sualtach son of Róich. It was she who gave Sualtach the magical might of an elf, and from her he was called Sualtach Síde, “of the elf-mound”.
Cíar, or Mog Táeth. Cíar son of Fergus was dark of face beyond the other sons. He was also called Mog Táeth, “the servant of Táeth”, for Táeth son of Dega, of Munster, fostered him.
Corc the Red, or Fer Deóda. Corc the Red was so called because his face was crimson, red and ruddy. His other name was Fer Deóda, for Medb bore him later than Cíar and Conmac.
Conmac, son of the hounds. Cú son of Fergus was Conmac, “son of the hounds”, for more than the other sons he was fond of hounds.
Fer Tlachtga. Fer Tlachtga son of Fergus was named “Tlachtga’s husband”, for his wife was Tlachtga, daughter of Mog Ruith.
Fiacha son of Fer Feba. And Fiacha was called son of Fer Feba, “Feb’s husband”. For Feb, daughter of Conchobar mac Nessa, was the wife of Conall Cernach, and she bore him a son.
So the Fitness of Names keeps a mother, a fosterer, a face, a hound and a wife in these names.
These are legends from medieval manuscripts, not recorded history.
Story told by John. Source: Cóir Anmann ("The Fitness of Names"), §§281–285, translated by Whitley Stokes (Irische Texte, Dritte Serie, 2 Heft, 1897), on Mary Jones's Celtic Literature Collective.
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