[7] With the advent of St. Kemoc, the story comes within historical times. Lairgnen and Finghin were kings of Connaught and Munster, who flourished in the seventh century A.D.
[8] It was the wont among the early Celtic peoples to bury their dead erect, particularly in the case of kings, and great warriors, and sons and daughters of kings.
[9] i.e., from the north of Norway to the coasts of Denmark.
[10] Probably Isberna is Hispania (Spain), and the apples the golden apples of the Hesperides.
[11] Alba. That is, Gaelic Scotland, and in particular Argyll.
[12] Naois in the old Irish Gaelic.
[13] Ulster.
[14] This song, adapted to Macha, is founded upon a portion of the poem by Coel O’Neamhain, in honour of a beautiful queen named Crede, as translated by Professor Sullivan and others.
[15] Given as in the Gaelic: ciugear agus tri fichead agus tri chead. Large numbers are in Gaelic invariably built up thus (instead of, for example, as here, four hundred and sixty). In an old Irish-Gaelic version the particular number here is given as “five and three score above six hundred and one thousand” (i.e., 1,760).
[16] In old Irish Gaelic, Derdriu, then Deirdrê, sometimes Darethra. In Scotland, Dearduil (pronounced Dart’weel, Darth-uil, or “Darthool,” whence Macpherson’s “Darthula,” who rather loosely says the name is Dart’huile, a woman of beautiful eyes). The oldest name is said to signify alarm.