TRIADS
Fódla, and Ériu), numerous triple adversaries of Cú
Chulainn, the motif of the threefold death, and so on.
Trefocul(three-words) is the name in Irish metrics for
a collection of precepts that identify and correct faults
in versification. Descendants of mythic or divine fig-
ures are frequently encountered in groups of threes,
for example, the Dagda’s three daughters called Brigit,
or the three sons of Bres son of Elathu (Brian, Iuchar,
andIucharba), with the long triadic list of their belong-
ings and relations in LL 3902–3915. Triads in a narrow
literary sense denote short, gnomic, occasionally aph-
oristic statements that comprise three items (persons,
places, events, human activity, etc.) with a character-
istic and memorable trait in common. They are nor-
mally in prose and consist of an introductory reference
to the common characteristic, followed by the three
items, sometimes accompanied by an explanation. The
earliest examples of triads in the Irish written tradition
are found in the late-seventh century Cambrai Homily,
for example,“There are three kinds of martyrdom
which count as a cross for man, that is, white martyr-
dom, green martyrdom and red martyrdom” (Thesau-
rus Palaeohibernicus,vol. II, 246.27–31).
Trecheng Breth Féine
The central collection of Irish triads, constituting only
a fraction of the triadic sayings scattered throughout
Irish literature, is known under the name Trecheng
Breth Féine(TrBF) or “The Triads of Ireland” (literally
“a threefold grouping [?] of the judgments of the
Irish”), a title found only in a single manuscript. The
rare OIr. term trecheng, also trethenc(triad), not used
elsewhere in the collection, cannot be separated from
decheng(a pair of persons), but the further etymology
is unclear. The common OIr. word for “three things”
is the numeral abstract tréide. From the custom of
naming characteristic traits in triads, the plural of
tréide, sometimes spelled tréithe, later developed the
meaning “accomplishments, qualities, trait.” TrBF,
which survives in nine manuscripts from the fourteenth
to the nineteenth century, can be dated on linguistic
grounds to the second half of the ninth century. In all
manuscripts in which it appears, TrBF belongs to a
body of wisdom texts comprising Tecosca Cormaic,
Audacht Morainn, andBríathra Flainn Fína maic
Ossu. That TrBF had a separate origin, however, and
came to be associated with the other three texts only
later is shown by the fact that it is not included in
the oldest manuscript containing the three, the Book
of Leinster. Despite its title, only 214 of the 256
entries in TrBF are enumerations of threes. Single
items (§§ 1–7, 9–31), pairs (§§ 8, 124, 133–134),
tetrads (§§ 223, 230, 234, 244, 248, 251–252), a heptad
(§ 235), and an ennead (§ 231) are also included. The
entries are loosely arranged in groups according to
their contents. The first sixty-one contain mere topo-
graphical enumerations. A large portion of the entries
comment in a moralistic, sometimes misogynistic, tone
on human nature and on social conduct. Triads
149–186 are almost entirely legal, some of them direct
quotes from the law tracts. But a general legal orien-
tation, also apparent from the title of the collection,
underlies many more entries. Only a few (e.g., §§ 62,
236–237) display the mytho-historical focus that is so
prominent in the Welsh triads. Stylistically, the best
examples are distinguished by climactic or anticlimac-
tic conclusions and by paradoxical formulations, for
example, “Three rejoicings with sorrow afterwards: a
man wooing, a man stealing, a man giving testimony”
(§ 67). Entries are often paired with antithetical for-
mulations, for example, “Three things that make a fool
wise... ” vs. “Three things that make a wise man
foolish... ” (§§ 193–194).
It is better not to speak of an original author of TrBF
but rather of a compiler, who was not overly concerned
with giving his anthology a homogeneous appearance.
Mention has already been made of entries excerpted
from law texts. TrBF’s compilatory character also
emerges from linguistic and stylistic features. In the
majority of triads the numeral tríis used both attribu-
tively (three X) and as a substantivized neuter (three
things). Only in a group of thematically distinct triads
concerned with the prerequisites of professional
classes (§§ 116–123, 202) taken from the law tract
Bretha Nemed Toísech, and a few others (e.g., §§
77–78, 80–81) does the numeral abstract tréideappear
substantivally. One triad (§ 239) is formulated as a
question: “What are the three wealths of fortunate
people?... ” Two entries (§ 230, a tetrad; § 231, an
ennead) make no reference to the number of items in
their introductions at all, but start with cenéle(types
of... ).
Occasional triads are encountered in almost all wis-
dom texts, such as Audacht Morainn,Tecosca Cormaic,
andApgitir Chrábaid, and the Prouerbia Grecorum
includes a number of triads, pentads, heptads, and
octads.Bríathra Flainn Fína maic Ossuconsists
mainly of three-word sayings, for example, Ad·cota
cíall cainchruth(Good sense results in fair form, § 1.3)
andFerr dán orbu(A skill is better than an inheritance,
§ 6.1). Proverbial sayings in the form of triads were
still popular in twentieth-century Ireland, for example,
“Three kinds of men who fail to understand women:
young men, old men, and middle-aged men.”
DAVID STIFTER