The Tale of Abarta and the Quest for the Gilla Decair and His Steed
Have you ever pondered the origins of our name? This curious inquiry comes up often since it is rather uncommon. Notably, there is a river in Galway named Abartagh and a locality in County Waterford known as Abartach, which the Rev. Canon Power interprets as a ‘place rich in peat or puddles.’ While this description resonates well with Irish archaeologists, it does not pertain to our name. Back in 2013, we were approached by Frank McNally from the Irish Times, who expressed interest in our name. He had encountered a passage from P.W. Joyce that discussed a tradition called ‘Abarta.’ Joyce described it as an ancient term, no longer in use in the Irish language, that referred to “a blessing given by a craftsman upon the completion of any task.” This concept, he noted, dates back over a millennium. A blessing for hard work amidst muddy ponds? Truly fitting for our identity, yet our true inspiration for Abarta stems from a peculiar old Irish narrative.
Abarta, also known as Abartach, is a mysterious character featured in the Fenian Cycle, a collection of tales revolving around Fionn mac Cumhaill and the Fianna. His role predominantly emerges in the story titled The Pursuit of the Gilla Decair and his Horse.
The narrative unfolds with Abarta’s ambition to showcase his cleverness to Fionn in hopes of joining the Fianna. To execute his plan, he approached Fionn and the Fianna, adopting the guise of the ‘Gilla Decair,’ which translates to ‘Lazy Servant.’ In this context, the term ‘lazy’ can be misleading, as it indicates a servant whose master enjoys a life of leisure thanks to the hard work performed by the Gilla Decair. However, Abarta found the Fianna’s demeanor somewhat pretentious and snobbish, differing greatly from the noble reputation he had envisioned of this renowned band of warriors.
Abarta realized that possessing a horse would double his pay, prompting him to call forth his own. This steed was a colossal and fierce creature that, upon being freed from its restraints, unleashed chaos by slaughtering all the horses belonging to the Fianna. Understandably, this act did not go over well within the ranks of the Fianna, generating considerable outrage. Nonetheless, amidst their anger, there was a sense of grudging admiration for Abarta’s horse’s massive stature and ferocity.
One courageous member of the Fianna attempted to mount the horse; despite his abilities as a warrior, he could not get it to move. Another warrior quickly joined him, and still the horse remained unyielding. This scenario escalated until fourteen members of the Fianna found themselves on the back of this obstinate horse. Observing this spectacle, Abarta seized the opportunity to deliver a lesson to Fionn and his companions. He climbed onto the horse behind the fourteen warriors, which then galloped away at an astonishing pace, catching Finn entirely off guard.
