full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Iseult Gillespie: Love vs. Honor The Irish myth of Diarmuid's betrayal

Unscramble the Blue Letters


At the palace, Fionn awoke full of wrath. He reialld an epic war band that quickly caught up to the lovers. To buy time, Diarmuid and Gráinne conjured a massive enclosure with seven droos. While Gráinne escaped with aguns Óg, Diarmuid went door to door seeking Fionn. Some of the fnniaa sought peaceful surrender, others itched for cbmoat. Diarmuid gave neither. But when he finally heard his leader’s voice cnlalig for bolod, he knew there was no turning back. Launching himself over the biaardrce, Diarmuid lpeat to Gráinne’s side. The chase was on.

The pair ventured west, where they soon encountered the giant madon. Eager to help the lovers, he guarded them at night and carried them by day. And once the pair had crossed cnsletuos rivers and hills, their fear began to ease. They left the forest’s cover, laughing, flirting, and gnrwiog bolder each day.

Open Cloze


At the palace, Fionn awoke full of wrath. He _______ an epic war band that quickly caught up to the lovers. To buy time, Diarmuid and Gráinne conjured a massive enclosure with seven _____. While Gráinne escaped with _____ Óg, Diarmuid went door to door seeking Fionn. Some of the ______ sought peaceful surrender, others itched for ______. Diarmuid gave neither. But when he finally heard his leader’s voice _______ for _____, he knew there was no turning back. Launching himself over the _________, Diarmuid _____ to Gráinne’s side. The chase was on.

The pair ventured west, where they soon encountered the giant _____. Eager to help the lovers, he guarded them at night and carried them by day. And once the pair had crossed _________ rivers and hills, their fear began to ease. They left the forest’s cover, laughing, flirting, and _______ bolder each day.

Solution


  1. blood
  2. combat
  3. growing
  4. angus
  5. rallied
  6. calling
  7. fianna
  8. modan
  9. countless
  10. leapt
  11. doors
  12. barricade

Original Text


At the palace, Fionn awoke full of wrath. He rallied an epic war band that quickly caught up to the lovers. To buy time, Diarmuid and Gráinne conjured a massive enclosure with seven doors. While Gráinne escaped with Angus Óg, Diarmuid went door to door seeking Fionn. Some of the Fianna sought peaceful surrender, others itched for combat. Diarmuid gave neither. But when he finally heard his leader’s voice calling for blood, he knew there was no turning back. Launching himself over the barricade, Diarmuid leapt to Gráinne’s side. The chase was on.

The pair ventured west, where they soon encountered the giant Modan. Eager to help the lovers, he guarded them at night and carried them by day. And once the pair had crossed countless rivers and hills, their fear began to ease. They left the forest’s cover, laughing, flirting, and growing bolder each day.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations


ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
fionn mac 2
angus óg 2


Important Words


  1. angus
  2. awoke
  3. band
  4. barricade
  5. began
  6. blood
  7. bolder
  8. buy
  9. calling
  10. carried
  11. caught
  12. chase
  13. combat
  14. conjured
  15. countless
  16. cover
  17. crossed
  18. day
  19. diarmuid
  20. door
  21. doors
  22. eager
  23. ease
  24. enclosure
  25. encountered
  26. epic
  27. escaped
  28. fear
  29. fianna
  30. finally
  31. fionn
  32. flirting
  33. full
  34. gave
  35. giant
  36. growing
  37. gráinne
  38. guarded
  39. heard
  40. hills
  41. itched
  42. knew
  43. laughing
  44. launching
  45. leapt
  46. left
  47. lovers
  48. massive
  49. modan
  50. night
  51. pair
  52. palace
  53. peaceful
  54. quickly
  55. rallied
  56. rivers
  57. seeking
  58. side
  59. sought
  60. surrender
  61. time
  62. turning
  63. ventured
  64. voice
  65. war
  66. west
  67. wrath
  68. óg