Editing Mesgegra (section)

== Life and death ==
;Siege of Howth<ref>''Talland Étair'' ("The Siege of Howth"). {{harvp|Stokes|1887}} ed. tr., pp. 46–64</ref>

Mesgegra (Mess-gegra) was king of Leinster (North Leinster{{sfnp|Scowcroft|1995|p=146}}), whose parents were deaf and mute; his brother was named Mes-Róidia (''var.'' Mes roida).{{efn|Base text is Book of Leinster, variant H is Harleian 5280, fol. 54b, although dated by Stokes to the 15th century, belongs to the early 16th century and is in the hand of Gilla Riabhach O Cléirigh.{{sfnp|Meyer|1894|pp=v–vi}}}}{{sfnp|Stokes|1887|pp=52–53}}

To Leinster arrived the Ulster poet [[Athirne]], who had been dispatched from his king [[Conchobar mac Nessa]] and was making circuit around Ireland to exact ruthless demands of precious jewels, or women, or even an eye, on pain of receiving the poet's invective and dishonor. The poet intended to goad the Leinstermen into killing him, thereby causing war between Leinster and Ulster, so he named an impossible bribe, a lost buried heirloom jewel, but that was fortuitously found and given him.{{sfnp|Stokes|1887|pp=48–51}}

Mesgegra yielded his wife Buan to the poet for a night, but did not have his wife taken away afterwards, although he had to make a binding promise that she would be given to whichever Ulsterman arrived bearing Mesgegra's head. The poet then carried away him 150 wives of Leinstermen, so that the Leinster army did give pursuit, and clashed with the Ulster army. The ensuing battle, the Siege of Howth, was a bloody stalemate which ceased when Leinster retreated and erected a red wall as barrier, which Ulstermen were forbidden from crossing (due to a ''geis'').{{sfnp|Stokes|1887|pp=52–57}}

Mesgegra  was incautiously tarrying with just his [[gillie]] in his company at a spot called Cassán Chlóinta (Path of Clane), where a strange incident unfolds.<ref>{{harvp|Scowcroft|1995|pp=146–147}}: "this strange and complex narrative".</ref> A giant nut larger than a man's head floats down the stream, which Mesgegra takes and halves with a knife. The gillie wakes up claiming to have had an evil vision, and asks if his half of the nut was saved, then slashes off the king's hand without properly confirming. Learning his mistake afterwards, the gillie commits suicide.<ref name=rhys/>{{sfnp|Stokes|1887|pp=56–63}} The one-handed Mesgegra, forced to act as his own charioteer, is met with worse luck when he encounters the Ulster warrior [[Conall Cernach]], who was seeking revenge for two fallen brothers in the earlier battle. To make it a fair fight, Conall fought him with one hand tied to his side. Conall is triumphant and carries Mesgegara's severed head to Leinster, hoping to claim Mesgegra's queen as his prize (as the poet predicted), but she falls dead in sorrow.{{sfnp|Stokes|1887|pp=56–63}}

Mesgegra's head was hollowed out, and the brain mixed with lime for Connall to take back to Ulster's capital Emain Macha as trophy.{{sfnp|Stokes|1887|pp=61–62}}

;Aided Conchubair
Mesgegra's calcified brain became Connal's bragging piece in Ulster.<ref name=aided-pp4-5>{{harvp|Meyer|1906|pp=}}, ''Aided Conchubair'' "Death of Conchobar", pp. 4–5</ref> Mesgegra's brain was later stolen by Cet Mat Matach<ref name=aided-pp4-5/> ([[Cet mac Mágach]]<ref>version D, {{harvp|Meyer|1906|pp=18–21}}</ref>) of [[Connacht]] as it was prophesied that Mesgegra would eventually avenge himself even in death.<ref name=aided-pp4-5/> Cet shot the [[Brain balls|brain-ball]] and lodged in the head, resulting in a horrific injury. Mesgegra's brain ball made Conchobar unable to over-exert himself, but he still survive the injury another 7 years,{{sfnp|Meyer|1906|pp=6–9}} when the brain-ball dislodged with Conchobar's fury at the news of the [[crucifixion of Christ]].<ref>{{harvp|Meyer|1906|pp=2–21}}, "The Death of Conchobar", The Death Tales of the Ulster Heroes</ref>

It is worth mentioning that Cet had been outdone and shamed by Connal (and the Connachtsmen shamed by the Ulstermen in general by Connal's administration of the ''[[curadmír]]'' or "Champion's Portion" in the ''[[The Tale of Mac Da Thó's Pig|Scéla Muicce Meicc Dá Thó]]''),{{sfnp|Buttimer|1982|pp=61, 65}}<ref name=meyer-mac-da-tho/> and the trouble-making hosteller named Mac Dá Thó of Leinster, also called Mesroeda,<ref>{{harvp|Meyer|1894}} ed. p. 51, tr. p. 57, "The Story of Mac Dáthó's Pig and Hound".</ref> is identified as a brother of Mesgegera the king.{{efn|As noted in [[#Name and genealogy|§Name and genealogy]], supra.}}<ref name=dobbs/>{{sfnp|Buttimer|1982|p=61}}