Immacallam in dá Thuarad facts for kids

The Immacallam in dá Thuarad, which means The Dialogue of the Two Sages, is an old Irish story. It's like a special debate between two very wise poets. This story can be found in a famous old book called the Book of Leinster, which was written a long, long time ago in the 1100s.

The Story of the Poets

This story tells us about a time when the most important poet, called an Ollamh, died. His name was Adna mac Uthidir, and he was the chief poet for Conchobar mac Nessa, the King of Ulster.

A New Chief Poet

When Adna died, his important job as Ollamh was given to another skilled poet named Ferchertne. Ferchertne was known for his great knowledge and experience in poetry.

Néde's Sad News

But Adna had a son named Néde. Néde was away studying in Scotland. One day, as he walked by the sea, he heard a sad, wailing sound. It seemed very strange to him. Néde was a poet, so he used a special spell on the water. The wave then told him the sad news: his father, Adna, had died. The wave also said that Ferchertne had taken his father's place as the chief poet.

The Return to Emain Macha

After hearing this, Néde quickly returned to Emain Macha, which was the capital city of Ulster. When poets traveled, they carried special branches. Néde carried a silver branch. This showed that he was a poet of the second rank. The chief poets, or Ollamhs, carried a branch made of gold. Other poets carried a branch made of bronze.

Bricriu's Tricky Plan

When Néde arrived, he met a mischievous person named Bricriu. Bricriu offered Néde the important job of Ollamh. In return, Néde had to give Bricriu a valuable gift: a beautiful purple tunic decorated with gold and silver. Néde agreed.

Bricriu then told Néde to go and sit in the Ollamh's special chair. But Bricriu also said, "No boy without a beard can be the chief poet of Emain Macha!" Néde was still very young and didn't have a beard yet. So, Néde quickly picked up some grass and used a spell to make it look like a beard on his face.

The Ollamh's Robe

Néde then went and sat in the chief poet's chair. He pulled his special robe around him. This robe was very fancy! It had three different parts. The middle part was covered in bright bird feathers. The bottom part had shiny speckles of a special metal called findruine. And the top part was a brilliant golden color.

The Confrontation

After Néde was seated, Bricriu went to Ferchertne. Bricriu said, "It's a shame, Ferchertne, that you're losing your job as chief poet today! A young, honorable man has taken the Ollaveship in Emain." This made Ferchertne very angry. He went to confront Néde, and that's how their big poetic debate, or "colloquy," began.