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§
g) (a(D(a(3(3(3(a(D(D(a(a(a(D(0(0(S(D(D(0<0(D(a^^
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s
(0
Fr^wi <A^ folklore collection formed
by Lucy Ome Bowditch and Charles
Pickering Bowditch presented to the
HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY
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OLD CELTIC ROMANCES
TRANSLATED FROM THE GAELIC
BT
P. W. JOYCE, LL.D., T.C.D. ; M.R.I.A.
*♦ I shall tell you a pretty tale."
Coriolanus,
LONDON:
C. KEG AN PAUL & CO., 1, PATEENOSTEE SQUAEE.
1879.
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(rA« r»^A*« qfiramlatim and qf Te$ntdwiti(m are ruerved.y
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PREFACE,
Among the Celtic people of Ireland and the north-
west of Scotland, story-telling has always been a
favourite amusement. In the olden time, they had
professional story-tellers, variously designated accord-
ing to rank — ollaves, shanachies, filfes, bards, etc —
whose duty it was to know by heart a number of
old tales, poems, and historical pieces, and to recite
them at festive gatherings, for the entertainment of
the chiefs and their guests. These story-tellers were
always well received at the houses of princes and
chiefs, and treated with much consideration ; and on
occasions when they acquitted themselves well, so as
to draw down the applause of the audience, they
were often rewarded with costly presents.
To meet the demand for this sort of entertainment,
ingenious ''men of learning," taking legends or his-
torical events as themes, composed stories from time
to time; of which those that struck the popular fancy
were caught up and remembered, and handed down
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IV PREFACE.
from one generation of story-tellers to another. In
course of time, a body of romantic literature grew up,
consisting chiefly of prose tales, which were classified,
according to subject, into Battles, Voyages, Tragedies,
Military Expeditions, Cattle-Raids, Courtships, Pursuits,
Adventures, Visions, etc.*
Some of these tales were historical, i.e, founded
on historical events, and corresponded closely with
what is now called the historical romance; while
others were altogether fictitious — pure creations of the
imagination. But it is to be observed that even in
the fictitious tales, the main characters are always
historical, or such as were considered so. The old
ollaves wove their fictions round Conor Mac Nessa
and his Red Branch Knights, or Finn and his Feni,
or Luga of the Long Arms and his Dedannans, or Conn
the Hundred-fighter, or Cormac Mac Art; like the
Welsh legends of Arthur and his Round Table, or the
Arabian romances of Haroim-al-Raschid and his Court.
The greater number of the tales were, as I have
said, in prose. But some were in poetry; and in
many of the prose tales the leading characters are
often made to express themselves ^in verse, or some
striking incident of the story is repeated in a poetical
* In the Book of Leinster, a mannsoript now in Trinity College,
Dnbliu, which was transcribed about the year 1180, there is a very
interesting list of ancient historic tales — 187 in aU — classified in the
manner indicated above, which an ollave was obliged to master,
80 as to be able to repeat any one of them from memory, whenever
his patron required him to do so. (See O'Cnrry, <* Lectures on the
MS. Materials of Irish History," pages 243 and 584.)
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PBEFACE. V
form. Not unfrequently the fragments of verse
introduced into a prose tale are quotations from an
older poetical version of the same tale ; and hence it
often happens that while the prose may be plain
enough, the poetry is often archaic and obscure.
At some very early period in Ireland — how early
we have now no means of determining with certainty
— Celtic thought began to be committed to writing ;
and as everything seems to have been written down
that was considered worth preserving, manuscripts
accumulated in course of time, which were kept either
in monasteries, or in the houses of the hereditary
professors of learning. But in the dark time of the
Danish ravages, and during the troubled centuries
that followed the Anglo-Norman invasion, the manu-
script collections were gradually dispersed, and a
large proportion lost or destroyed. Yet we have
remaining — rescued by good fortune from the general
wreck — ^a great body of manuscript literature. Our
two most important collections are those in Trinity
College and in the Koyal Irish Academy, Dublin ;
where we have manuscripts of various ages, from the
year 1100 down to the present century, on every
conceivable subject — Annals, History, Biography,
Theology, Komance, Legend, Science, etc. These
manuscripts, which, it should be remarked, are nearly
all copies from older books, contain a vast collection
of romantic literature : it may, indeed, be said that
there is scarcely one important event in our early
history, or one important native personage or native
b
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VI PREFACE.
legend, that has not been made the subject of some
fanciful story.
The volume I now offer to the notice of the public
contains eleven tales, selected and translated from
the manuscripts of Trinity College and of the Royal
Irish Academy. Some have been already published,
with original text and literal translation, and are
to be found in the Transactions of various literary
societies, where, however, they are inaccessible to
the general run of readers ; and even if they were
accessible, they are almost unreadable, the transla-
tions having been executed, not for literary, but for
linguistic purposes. Others have never been trans-
lated or given to the public in any shape or form
till now.
Of the whole collection of eleven tales, therefore,
it may be said that they are quite new to the
general mass of the reading public. And furthermore,
this is the first collection of. the old Gaelic prose
romances that has ever been published in fair English
translation.
Scraps and fragments of some of these tales have
been given to the world in popular publications, by
writers who, not being able to read the originals,
took their information from printed books in the
English language. But I am forced to say that many
of these specimens have been presented in a very
unfavourable and unjust light — distorted to make
them look funny, and their characters debased to the
mere modem conventional stage Irishman. There is
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PREFACE. VU
none of this silly and odious vulgarity in the originals
of these fine old tales, which are high and dignified
in tone and feeling — quite as much so as the old
romantic tales of Greece and Kome.*
A translation may either follow the very words, or
reproduce the life and spirit, of the original ; but no
translation can do both. If you render word for word,
you lose the spirit ; if you wish to give the spirit and
manner, you must depart from the exact words, and
frame your own phrases. I have chosen this latter
course. My translation follows the original closely
enough iq narrative and incident ; but so far as mere
phraseology is concerned, I have used the English
language freely, not allowing myself to be trammelled
by too close an adherence to the very words of the
text. The originals are in general simple in style;
and I have done my best to render them into simple,
plain, homely English. In short, I have tried to tell
the stories as I conceive the old shanachies them-
selves would have told them, if they had used English
instead of Gaelic.
* Hacpberson never Binned in this way. He oanght the true key-
note ; and Ms " Poems of Ossian," however perverted in other
respects, are always dignified in thought and expression. Among
other examples of the true interpretation of the spirit of these old
romances, prose and poetry, I may mention Miss Brooke's " Beliques
of Irish Poetry," published in the end of the last century ; the Eev.
Dr. Drummond's "Ancient Irish Minstrelsy," published in 1852;
Lady Ferguson's graceful and interesting book, " The Story of the
Irish before the Conquest ** (1868) j and Mr. Standish 0' Grady's ably
written volume, the " History of Ireland " (Vol. I., The Heroic Period,
1878).
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Vm PREFACE.
In the originals, the stories run on without break
or subdivision;* but I have thought it better to
divide the longer ones into chapters, with appropriate
headings.
In almost all eases I had at my command several
copies of the same story, some of them diflfering in
phraseology and in minor points of detail, though
agreeing, in the main, in narrative and incident. I
foimd this a considerable advantage, as it gave me
more freedom in the choice of expression.
I have made full use of the literal translations of
those tales that have been already published in the
Transactions of the Ossianic Society, in the Atlantis,
in the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, and
in the Journal of the Royal Historical and Archaeo-
logical Association of Ireland. But, in order to secure
the advantage of various readings, I compared, in every
case, the published text with at least one copy of the
story, in the Royal Irish Academy, in Trinity College,
or in my own private manuscript collection.
The ancient institution of professional story-telling
held its ground both in Ireland and in Scotland down
to a very recent period ; and it is questionable if it
be even yet quite extinct. Within my own memory,
♦ With one partial exception. In ** The Book of the Dun Cow,"
" The Voyage of Maildnn " is divided into parts or chapters, which
are numbered on the margin in Eoman numerals, each chapter
relating to one particular island; but no spaces are left, and the
chapters have no headings. In this tale I have followed the old
sub-division.
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PREFACE. IX
tliis sort of entertainment was quite usual among the
farming classes of the south of Ireland. The family
and workmen, and any neighbours that chose to drop
in, would sit round the kitchen fire after the day's
work — or perhaps gather in a bam on a summer or
autumn evening — ^to listen to some local shanachie re-
citing one of his innumerable Gaelic tales. The story-
teller never chose his own words — ^he always had the
story by heart, and recited the words from memory,
often gliding into a sort of recitative in poetical
passages, or when he came to some favourite grandiose
description abounding in high-sounding alliterative
adjectives. And Very interesting it was to mark the
rapt attention of the audience, and to hear their
excited exclamations when the speaker came to relate
some mighty combat, some great exploit of the hero,
or some other striking incident Three years ago, I
met a man in Kilkee, who had a great number of these
stories by heart, and who actually repeated for me,
without the slightest hitch or hesitation, more than .
half — and if I had not stopped him would have given
me the whole — of " Cliirt an Mheadhon-Oidhche '*
(" The Midnight Court "), a poem about six times as
long as Gray's " Elegy."
I will now proceed to give a few particulars con-
cerning these tales, including a short account of the
manuscript or manuscripts from which each has been
translated.
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X PREFACE.
THE THREE TRAGIC STORIES OP ERIN.
Among the ancient Graelic tales, three were known as " the three
most sorrowful (tales) of story-telling," or "The Three Tragic
Stories of Erin ; " viz., " The Pate of the Children of Usna," " The
Fate of the Children of Lir," and " The Pate of the Children of
Turenn." I have not included the first in this volume, but a
poetical version of it has been written and published by my
brother.*
THE PATE OP THE CHILDREN OP LIR.
Two translations of this tale have been published : one literal,
with the Gaelic text, by Professor O'Curry, in the Atlantis (Nos.
vii. and viii.) ; and another, less literal, by Gerald Grif&n, in his
" Tales of a Jury-Room."
The oldest known copies of the tale are, one in the Catholic
University, Dublin, made by Andrew Mac Curtin, a well-known
(Gaelic scholar and scribe of the county Clare, who lived between
1680 and 1740 ; one in Trinity College, Dublin, made by Hugh
OTDaly, in 1758 ; and one in the British Museum, made by Richard
Tipper of Dublin, in 1718.t There is also a very good copy in the
Royal Irish Academy (23. C. 26), of which I made considerable use,
written in or about 1782, by Peter O'Connell, a good Gaelic
scholar of the county Clare. Prom a comparison of several of
these versions, O'Curry made his copy of the text as published in
the Atlantis,
There may be, and there probably are, older copies, in Trinity '
College, in the British Museum, or elsewhere, if we knew only
where to find them. And this observation applies to several of the
tales that follow, of which we have at hand only modem copies.
THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OP TURENN.
In the Book of Lecan (folio 28), which was compiled by the Mac
Pirbises, about a.d. 1416, is a short account, partly in prose and
partly in verse, of the celebrated eric-fine imposed on the three
* "Deirdr^," by Robert D. Joyce, M.D., M.E.I.A. Boston:
Roberts Brothers. Dublin : M. H. Gill and Son.
t O'Cnrry, AtUmtis, Nos. vii. and viii., page 890.
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PREFACE. XI
sons of Turenn, by Luga of the Long Arms, for killing his father
Kian ; but this old book does not give the story of the quest for
the fine. The full tale, text and literal translation, has been pub-
lished by O'Curry in the Atlantis, There are several good copies
in the Royal Irish Academy : one in 23. G. 10, transcribed by
Patrick Brown of the county Clare, in 1805 ; another in 23. E. 16,
written out by Michael Oge O'Longan, in 1797; and a third
(imperfect) in 23. M. 47, copied by Andrew Mac Curtin, in 1734.
There are references to these three sons of Turenn, and to the
manner of their death, in two very old authorities, viz., Cormac's
" Glossary " (about a.d. 900) ; and a poem by Flann of Monaster-
boice (who died a.d. 1056), a copy of which is in the Book of
Leinster, written about a.d. 1130.
In the older references to the sons of Turenn, they are called
Brian, luchar, lucharba ; but in some comparatively modem copies
of the tale the names are a little different — for instance, Peter
O'Connell calls them Uar, luchar, and lucharba ; and they vary
still further in other copies. I have taken advantage of this
variety to give the names in a more pronoimceable form in my
translation.
In the original, this tale is introduced by an anecdote of Nuada
of the Silver Hand and the two great Dedannan leeches, Midac and
Armedda (see page 92, infra)^ which has nothing whatever to do
with the story, and which I have omitted.
THE OVERFLOWING OF LOUGH NEAGH.
" Leabhar na h-Uidhre," or " The Book of the Dun Cow," from
which this and the two following tales are taken, is the oldest
manuscript of miscellaneous Gaelic literature we possess. It was
transcribed from older books by Maelmuire Mac Ceilechair, who
died A.D. 1106; and it is now deposited in the Royal Irish
Academy, Dublin— or rather, I should say, a large fragment of it,
for the book has suffered much mutilation. This venerable book
may now be said to be in the hands of the public, as it has been
lately reproduced in lithograph fac-simile, and published by the
Council of the Royal Irish Academy, at the Grovemment expense.
The story of " The Overflowing of Lough Neagh " (called in
the original " The Destruction of Eocho Mac Mairedo ") has been
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Xll PREFACE.
published, with text and literal translation, by the late J. O'Beirne
Crowe, in the Kilkenny Archaeological Journal (volume for
1870-1).
In this story I have been obliged to make a few transpositions
in the mere order of the incidents, for the narrative in the original
is in some places very ill arranged.
It is now nearly eight hundred years since this story was tran-
scribed from some old authority into " The Book of the Dun Cow ; "
and it is singular that the tradition of the formation of Lough
Neagh, by the overflow of an enchanted well which was neglected
by the woman in charge of it, still maintains a vivid existence
among the peasantry. (See on this subject the author's " Origin
and History of Irish Names of Places," Series I. 4th edition, page
176.)
CONNLA OP THE GOLDEN HAIR, AND THE
FAIRY MAIDEN.
This tale (called in the original "Echtra Condla Cain," "The
Adventures of Connla the Comely ") is taken from " The Book of
the Dun Cow." It has been published, with text and literal trans-
lation, by the late J. O'Beime Crowe, in the Kilkenny Archaeological
Journal (volume 1874-5, page 128).
This is one of the many tales that illustrate the ancient and
widespread superstition that fairies sometimes take away mortals
to their palaces in the fairy forts and pleasant green hills ; ^^ of which
the last story in this book — "Oisin in Tirnanoge'* — is another
example. This superstition prevailed in Ireland and the Scottish
Highlands as far back as either history or tradition reaches; it
flourished in full vigour within my own memory ; and it is scarcely
quite extinct — in Ireland at least — at the present day.* In con-
nection with the antiquity of this superstition, it must be borne in
mind that the present story was transcribed into " The Book of the
Dun Cow " in or about the year 1100, from some older book ; and
that it relates to the time of Conn the Hundred-fighter, king of
Ireland, who reigned in the second century of the Christian era.
* See the ballad and air of " The Fairy King's Courtship," in the
author's " Ancient Irish Music," page 1.
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PBEFACR XIU
THE VOYAGE OP MAILDUN.
Of this tale (which is now ^ven to the public for the first time)
the oldest copy is in ** The Book of the Dun Cow " (about the year
1100) ; but it is imperfect at both beginning and end — a portion
having been torn away when the book was mutilated at some
former time. There is a perfect copy in the Yellow Book of Lecan,
in Trinity College^ Dublin, and another in the British Museum
(MS. Harl. 5280).
After I had made a rough translation of the greater part of this
piece^ I discovered a good literal translation in manuscript in the
Eoyal Irish Academy, made by the late J. O'Beime Crowe,
which was of great use to me, as it helped to explain some strange
terms, and to clear up some obscure passages.
This voyage would appear from internal evidence to have been
made in the beginning of the eighth century (O'Curry says about
the year 700) ; for I think it likely that Maildun did actually go
on a voyage, which was afterwards made the framework round
which some ingenious ollave wove his fanciful story of the hero's
adventures.
Of the Imrama or voluntary sea expeditions (to which the"
present story belongs) there are, according to 0*Curry (Lect. MS.
Mat. 289), only four remaining, all very ancient. Of these the
best known is the " Voyage of St Brendan," imdertaken in the sixth
century, which was at one time celebrated all over Europe, and
which has been lately made the theme of a fine poem by Denis
Florence M*Carthy.
Another of these Imrama is the " Voyage of the Sons of O'Corra,"
which has been described at some length by Professor O'Curry
(Lect. MS. Mat 289). Of this I have a copy which I made from
the MS. 23. M. 50, Royal Irish Academy (and which I afterwards
carefully compared with another copy lent me by my friend, Mr. W.
M. Hennessy). I made a translation of this story, intending to
print it in the present volume ; but as there is a much older and
better copy in the ancient ** Book of Permoy," which 1 had not
time to consult in detail, I have thought it better to hold back for
the present the strange adventures of the sons of O'Corra. A
beautiful poetical translaticm of the whole tale has been made by
Mr. T. D. Sullivan of Dublin, and published in his volume of Poems.
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XIV PREFACE.
THE FAIRY PALACE OP THE QUICKEN TREES.
The "Bruighean Caerthainn," or "The Fairy Palace of the
Quicken Trees," which is now translated for the first time, is one of
the most popular of the Gaelic romances. I had three of the Royal
Irish Academy MSS. before me when translating it — ^viz., 23. C. 30,
transcribed in 1733, by the Irish writer and lexicographer, Andrew
Mac Curtin of the county Clare ; 24. B. 15, written in 1841 ; and
23. L. 24, cx)pied in 1766, by Dermot O'Mulqueen of the county
Clare.
This is one of a type of stories very common in Gaelic romantic
literature : — One or more of the heroes are entrapped by some
enchanter and held under a spell in a castle, or a cave, or a
dungeon ; till, after a series of adventures, they are released by the
bravery or mother-wit of some of their companions. " The Chase
of Slieve Fuad" and " The Chase of Slieve CuUinn " are two other
examples of this class of Gaelic tales.
THE PURSUIT OF THE GILLA BACKER AND HIS
HORSE.
This is a humorous story of a trick — a very serious practical
joke — played by Avarta, a Dedarman enchanter, on sixteen of the
Feni, whom he carried off to " The Land of Promise ; " and of the
adventures of Finn, Dermat O'Dyna, and the others, in their pursuit
of Avarta (who had taken the shape of the Gilla Backer) to recover
their companions. It may be regarded as belonging to the same
class as the last story.
O'Curry described the opening of this tale in his Lectures
(MS. Mat 316) ; and he was the first, so far as I know, to draw
attention to it. I think it strange that such a story should not
have been noticed before by writers on Gaelic literature ; for as a
work of imagination, it seems to me a marvellous and very beauti-
ful creation.
The battles fought by the king of Sorca, aided by Finn and his
Feni, against the King of the World, are described at much length
in the original ; but I have cut them down to a very short compass ;
and I have omitted altogether a long episode towards the end,
which travels away from the main story.
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PREFACE. XV
This tale has never been translated till now. I translated it
chiefly from the Royal Irish Academy MS., 24. B. 28, a well-
written manuscript, which was copied out by Edmond Terry, in
1728 ; but I kept another good copy beside me for comparison,
viz., that contained in the Royal Irish Academy MS., 23. G. 21,
written in 1795, by Michael Oge O'Longan of Cork, father of Mr.
Joseph O'Longan, now the Irish scribe in the Royal Irish Academy,
and the transcriber in fac-simile of ** Leabhar na h-Uidhre,*'
" Leabhar Breac," and ** Leabhar Laighneach."
THE PURSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA.
This tale is one of those mentioned in the list contained in the
Book of Leinster, which was written about a.d. 1130 (see note,
page iv.) ; but though this proves the tale to be an ancient one,
I have never come across a copy older than the last century.
" The Pursuit of Dermat and Grania " has been published, with
text and a very racy idiomatic literal translation, by Mr. Standish
Hayes O'Grady, in the Transactions of the Ossianic Society for
1855, from a comparison of two manuscripts, one of 1780 and the
other of 1842. In addition to Mr. O'Grady's published text, I made
use of another good copy (MS. Royal Irish Academy, 23. G. 21)
written in 1795, by Michael Oge O'Longan, already spoken of.
I cannot help believing that this fine story originally ended with
the death of Dermat ; though in all the current versions (including
Mr. O'Grady's printed text) there is an additional part recounting
the further proceedings of Grania and her sons, after the death of
the hero. But this part is in every respect inferior to the rest — in
language, in feeling, and in play of imagination. It seems to me
very clear that it was patched on to the original story by some
unskilful hand ; and I have accordingly omitted it, and ended the
story with the death of Dermat. I have also omitted two short
episodes — that of the cnumh or reptile of Corca Divna, as a mere
excrescence; and Finn's expedition to Scotland for aid against
Dermat. And, for the sake of clearness, I have slightly changed
the place of that part of the tale which recounts the origin of
the Fairy Quicken Tree of Dooros. There are one or two other
trifling but very necessary modifications, which need not be
mentioned here.
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XVI PREFACE.
A portion of the fine episode of " The Death of Dermat " — an
episode which, for power and pathos, it would not, I think, be easy
to surpass — has been rendered into English blank verse by Sir
Samuel Ferguson, and published in his " Lays of the Western
Gael ; " and the specimen he has given makes one regret that he
has not translated the whole passage.
THE CHASE OF SLIEVE CULLINN: THE CHASE
OF SLIEVE FUAD: OISIN IN TIRNANOGE.
In the original Gaelic these are three poetical tales. All three
have been printed, with Gaelic text and literal translation, in the
Transactions of the Ossianic Society : the two first by the late
John O'Daly, and " Oisin in Tirnanoge ^ by Professor O'Looney.
There are many good copies of these tales in the manuscripts of
the Royal Irish Academy ; though of not one of them have I seen
a copy older than the last century.
" The Chase of Slieve Cullinn " (commonly known as " The
Poem of the Chase ") has been translated into English verse by
Miss Brooke ; and there is another metrical translation in the Irish
Penny Journal (page 93). And of " Oisin in Tirnanoge," Mr. T. D.
Sullivan has given a graceful poetical rendering in his volume of
Poems, already mentioned.
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CONTENTS
The Patb op the Childben op Lib; ob. The Foub
White Swans.
CHAPTKS PAOS
I. Boye Derg chosen King of the Dedannans ... 1
n. The Children of Lir ... ... 4
HL The Four Children of Lir are turned into Four
White Swans by their Stepmother ... ... 6
IV. The Four White Swans on Lake Darvra ... 10
V. The Four White Swans on the Sea of Moyle ... 18
VL The Four White Swans on the Western Sea ... 26
YII. The Children of Lir regain their Human Shape
and die ... ... ... ... ... 32
Thb Fate op the Childbbn op Tubenn; ob. The
iQUBST POB THE EbIO-FiNE.
L The Lochlanns invade Erin ... ... ... 37
n. The Murder of Kian ... ... ... ... 42
III. Defeat and Flight of the Lochlanns ... ... 47
IV. The Eric-Fine on the Sons of Turenn for the Slaymg
of Eian ... ... ... ... ... 51
V. The Sons of Turenn obtain Mannanan's Canoe, the
Wave-Sweeper ... ... ... ... 60
VI. The Apples of the Garden of Hisbema ... ... 63
VII. The Gifted Skin of the Pig ... ... ... 67
Vm. The Blazing Spear of the King of Persia ... 71
IX. The Chariot and Steeds of the King of Sigar ... 74
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xvin
CONTENTS.
X. The Seven Pigs of the King of the Golden Pillars 78
XL The Hound-Whelp of the King of Iroda ... 81
XII. Return of the Sons of Turenn, with part of the Eric-
Fine ... ...• ... 84
XIII. The Cooking-Spit of the Women of Fincara ... 87
XIV. The Three Shouts on Midkena's Hill ... ... 89
XV. Return and Death of the Sons of Turenn ... 91
The Overflowing op Lough Nbagh, and The Story
OP LiBAN THE Mermaid ...
97
CONNLA OP THE GOLDEN HaIR AND THE FaiBY MaiDBN
106
The Voyage op Maildun.
I.
11.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
vm.
IX.
X.
XI.
XIL
XIII.
XIV.
XV.
XVI.
XVII.
XVIIL
XIX.
XX.
XXI.
XXII.
xxin.
Maildun*8 Childhood and Youth. He begins his
Voyage in Quest of the Plunderers who slew
his Father ... ... ... ... ... 112
The First Island. Tidings of the Plunderers ... 117
The Island of the Monstrous Ants .«. ... 119
The Terraced Isle of Birds ... ... ... 120
A Monster ... ... ... ... ... 121
The Demon Horse-Race ... ... ... 122
The Palace of Solitude ... ... ... 124
The Island of the Wonderful Apple Tree ... 125
The Island of Bloodthirsty Quadrupeds ... ... 126
An Extraordinary Monster ... ... ... 127
The Isle of Red-Hot AnimalB ... ... ... 129
Tbe Palace of the Little Cat ... ... ... 131
An Island that dyed Black and White ... ... 133
The Island of the Burning River ... ... 135
The Miller of Hell 136
The Isle of Weeping ... ... ... ... 137
The Isle of the Four Precious Walls ... ... 139
The Palace of the Crystal Bridge ... ... 139
The Isle of Speaking Birds ... ... ... 143
The Aged Hermit and the Human Souls ... 143
The Island of the Big Blacksmiths ... ... 145
The Crystal Sea ... ... ... ... 147
A Lovely Country beneath the Waves ... ... 147
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CONTENTS. XIX
CHAFTSH PAOI
XXIV. An Island guarded by a Wall of Water 148
XXV. A Water-Arch in the Air ... ... ... 149
XXVI. The SUver Pillar of the Sea 150
XXVn. An Island standing on One Pillar ... ... 151
XXVm. The Island Qneen detains them with her Magic
Thread-Clew ... ... 152
XXIX. The Isle of Intoxicating Wine-Fruits ... ... 156
XXX. The Isle of the Mystic Lake 157
XXXI. The Isle of Laughing 163
XXXIL The Isle of the Blest ... 164
XXXin. The Hermit of the Sea-Book ... 164
XXXIV. Signs of Home 174
XXXV. Maildun meets his Enemy, and arri?es Home ... 175
The Faib¥ Palaob of thb Quicken Trees.
L Colga, King of Lochlann, invades Erin, and is sl^ 177
n. Midac, the Son of Colga, meditates Bevenge ... 181
IIL Finn is entrapped by Midac, and held by Enchant-
ment in the Palace of the Quicken Trees ... 189
IV. Innsa, Finn's Foster Son, defends the Ford leading
to the Palace of the Quicken Trees ... ... 196
V. Fiona, the Son of Finn, defends the Ford ... 203
VI. Dermat 0*Dyna slays the Three Rings of the
Island of the Torrent, breaks the Spell with
their Blood, and frees Finn ... ... ... 213
Vn. The Fight at the Ford with the Foreign Army ... 219
The Pubsuit of the Gilla Daoebr and hib Hobsb.
L Arrival of the Gilla Backer and his Horse ... 223
II. Conan and Fifteen of the Feni are carried off by
the Gilla Backer's Horse ... ... ... 235
m. Pursuit 239
rV. Dermat O'Dyna, in quest of the Gilla Backer,
encounters the Wizard-Champion at the Well ... 245
V. Dermat O'Dyna in Tir-fa-tonn ... ... ... 253
VI. Finn, in Quest of Dermat, fights many Battles ... 259
VII. Finn and Dermat meet ... ... ... 265
VIII. Conan and his Companions foimd and rescued ... 267
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xx contents.
The Pubsuit op Debmat and Gbania.
CHAPTBS PAOB
L Finn, the Son of Gumal, seeks the Princess Grania
to Wife 274
n. Dermat O'Dyna secretly espouses the Princess
Grania ... ... . ... ... ... 277
m. Flight and Pursuit ... ... ... ... 285
rv. The Fastness of the Seven Narrow Doors ... 289
V. The Three Sea-Champions and their Three Venomous
Hounds on the Trskck of Dermat and Grania ... 296
VI. What Befell the Three Sea-Champions and their
Three Venomous Hounds ... ... ... 305
Vn. Sharvan, the Surly Giant, and the Fairy Quicken
TreeofDooros ... ... ... ... 313
Vm. The Attack of the Witch-Hag ... ... ... 330
IX. Peace and Best at Last ... ... ... 332
X. The Death of Dermat ... .. ... 334
The Chase op Slievb Culunn ... ... ... 351
The Chase op Slieve Fuad ... ... ... ... 362
OisiN IN Tibnanoge; ob, The Last op the Feni ... 385
Notes ... ... ... ... ... ... 401
List op Pbopeb Names ... ... ... ... 417
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THE
FATE OP THE CHILDEEN OF LIE;
OK,
f THE FOUR WHITE SWANS.
Silent, O Moyle, be the roar of thy water ;
Break not, ye breezes, your chain of repose ;
While mnrmnring mournfully, Lir*s lonely daughter
Tells to the night-star her tale of woes.
HOOBB.
CHAPTEE L
BOVE DERG CHOSEN KING OF THE DEDANNANS.
After the battle of Tailltenn,* the Dedannans^ t of
the five provinces of Erin assembled in one place of
meeting, to consider on their state, and to choose
a king. For their chiefs said it was better for them
to have one king over all, than to be divided, as
they were, serving sundry lords and princes.
Now of those who expected the sovereignty for
themselves, the following chiefs were the noblest,
namely : — Bove Derg,t son of the Dagda ; his brother
* Now Teltown, on the river Blackwater, between Kells and
Navan, in Meath. (See note 1 at the end, for this battle.)
t The numbers refer to the notes at the end of the book.
:j: At the end of the book will be found an alphabetical list of all
the names of persons and places mentioned through the volume, with
their Gaelic forms, and, in many cases, their meanings.
^^ B
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2 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
Angus, of Bniga on the Boyne, who, however, had no
earnest wish to become king, preferring to remain as
he was; Ilbrec of Assaroe; Lir of Shee Finnaha ; and
Midir the Haughty of Bri-Leth.^
Then the chief people went into council, all except
the five above named ; and the decision they came to
was to elect Bove Derg, son of the Dagda, king over
the whole of the Dedannan race. When the election
was made known, none of those who were disappointed
took th(B matter to heart except Lir of Shee Finnaha
alone. And when Lir found that the chiefs had
chosen Bove Derg, he was greatly ofiended, and
straightway left the assembly in anger, without
taking leave of any one, and without showing any
mark of respect or obedience to the new king.
When the chiefs heard this, they were wroth; and
they said they would follow him to Shee Finnaha,*
and slay him with spear and sword, and bum his
house, because he did not yield obedience to the king
they had elected in lawful counciL
But Bove Derg would not permit them to do so.
" This man," he said, " will defend his territory, and
many will be slain; and I am none the less your king,
although he has not submitted to me."
Matters remained so for a long time. But at last
a great misfortune happened to Lir, for his wife died
after an illness of three days. This weighed heavily
* Shee Finnaha, Lir's residence, is thought to have been sitnated
near the boundary of Armagh and Monaghan, not far from Newtown
Hamilton.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIB. 3
on him, and his heart was weary with sorrow after
her. Her death, moreover, was a great event at that
time, and was much spoken of throughout Erin.
When the tidings reached the mansion of Bove
Derg, where the chief men of the Dedannans were
then assembled, the king said —
"As Lir's wife is now dead, my friendship would
be of service to him, if he were willing to accept it.
For I have in my house three maidens, the most
beautiful and the best instructed in all Erin, namely,
Eve, Eva, and Alva, my own foster children, and
daughters of Allil of Ara."*
The Dedannans agreed to this, and said that their
king had spoken wisely and truly.
Messengers were accordingly sent to Lir, and they
were told to say to him —
" If thou art willing to submit to the king, he will
give thee for a wife one of his three foster children ;
and thou shalt have his friendship for ever/*
. It was pleasing to Lir to make this alliance ; and
accordingly he set out next day from Shee Finnaha
with a company of fifty chariots ; and they never
halted or turned aside till they reached the palace of
Bove Derg, on the shore of the Great Lakcf Their
arrival gave much joy and happiness to the king and
his household ; for although Lir did not submit at first
to Bove Derg, he was a good man, and was greatly
♦ Ara, the islands of Ai*an, in Galwaj Bay.
t The Great Lake, i.e. Lough Derg, on the Shannon, above
Eillaloe.
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4 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
beloved by the king himself and by all his subjects.
So Lir and his followers got a kindly welcome ;
and they were supplied with everything necessary,
and were well attended to that night.
Next day, the three daughters of AllU of Ara sat
on the same couch with the queen their foster mother;
and the king said to Lir —
" Take thy choice of the three maidens, and which-
ever thou choosest, she shall be thy wife."
" They are all beautiful," said Lir, " and I cannot
tell which of them is best ; but I will take the eldest,
for she must be the noblest of the three." '
Then the king said, " Eve is the eldest, and she
shall be given to thee if it be thy wish."
So Lir chose Eve foi* his wife, and they were
wedded that day.
Lir remained a fortnight in the king's palace, and
then departed with his wife to his own house, Shee
Finnaha, where he celebrated his marriage by a great
royal wedding feasi
CHAPTER 11.
THE CHILDEEN OF LIR.
In course of time, Lir's wife bore him two children
at a birth, a daughter and a son, whose names were
Finola and Aed. A second time she brought forth
twins, two sons, who were named Ficra and Conn:
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIB. 5
and she died in giving them birth. This was a cause
of great anguish to Lir ; and he would ahnost have
died of grief, only that his mind was turned fix)m his
sorrow by his great love for his four little children.
When the news of Eve's death reached the
mansion of Bove Derg, the king was in deep grief,
and the people of his household raised three great
cries of lamentation for her. And when their mourn-
ing was ended, the king said —
" We grieve for our foster child, both on her own
account, and for the sake of the good man to whom
we gave her; for we are thankful for his alliance
and his friendship. But our acquaintance shall not
be ended, and our alliance shall not be broken ; for
I will give him her sister to wife, my second foster
chUd, Eva."
Messengers were sent to Lir to Shee Finnaha, to tell
him of this ; and he consented. So after some time he
came to the king's house to espouse her, and they
were imited ; and he brought her home with him to
his own house.
The four children grew up under Eva's care. She
nursed them with great tenderness, and her love for
them increased every day. They slept near their
father; and he would often rise from his own bed at
the dawn of morning, and go to their beds, to talk
with them and to fondle them.
The king, Bove Derg, loved them almost as well as
did their father. He went many times every year to
Shee Finnaha to see them ; and he used to bring them
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6 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
often to his palace, where he kept them as long as he
could on each occasion, and he always felt sad when
he sent them home.
At this time, too, the Dedannans used to celebrate
the Feast of Age^ at the houses of their chiefs by
turns; and whenever it happened that the festival
was held at Shee Finnaha, these children were the
delight and joy of the Dedannans. For nowhere
could four lovelier children be found; so that those
who saw them were always delighted with their beauty
and their gentleness, and could not help loving them
with their whole heart.
CHAPTER III.
THE FOUR CHILDREN OF LIR ARE TURNED INTO FOUR
WHITE SWANS BY THEIR STEPMOTHER.
Now when Eva saw that the children of Lir
received such attention and affection from their
father, and from all others that came to his house, she
fancied she was neglected on their account; and a
poisonous dart of jealousy entered her heart, which
turned her love to hatred; and she began to have
feelings of bitter enmity for her sister's children.
Her jealousy so preyed on her that she feigned
illness, and lay in bed for nearly a year, filled with
gall and brooding mischief; and at the end of that
time she committed a foul and cruel deed of treachery
on the children of Lir.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF UR. 7
One day she ordered her horses to be yoked to
her chariot, and she set out for the palace of Bove
Derg, bringing the four children with her.
Finola did not wish to go, for it was revealed to
her darkly in a dream that Eva was bent on some
dreadful deed of fratricide ;* and she knew well that
her stepmother intended to kill her and her brothers
that day, or in some other way to bring ruin on them.
But she was not able to avoid the fate that awaited
her.
When they had gone some distance from Shee
Finnaha on their way to the palace, Eva tried to
persuade her attendants to kill the children. " Kill
them, and you shall be rewarded with all the worldly
wealth you may desire; for their father loves me no
longer, and has neglected and forsaken me on account
of his great love for these children.**
But they heard her with horror, and refused,
saying, " We will not kill them. Fearful is the deed
thou hast contemplated, O Eva ; and evil will surely
befaU thee for having even thought of killing them.'*
Then she took the sword to slay them herself; but
her woman*s weakness prevented her, and she waa not
able to strike them.
So they set out once more, and fared on till they
came to the shore of Lake Darvra,t where they
alighted, and the horses were unyoked.
♦ The word " fratricide " is the nearest English equivalent to the
original word, fionghalj which means the murder of a relative.
t Lake Dama, now Lough Derravaragh, in Westmeath.
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8 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
She led the children to the edge of the lake, and
told them to go to bathe ; and as soon as they had
got into the clear water, she struck them one by one
with a druidical^ fairy wand, and turned them into
four beautiful snow-white swans. And she addressed
them in these words —
Ont to your home, ye swans, on Darvra's wave j
With clamorous birds begin your life of gloom :
Yonr friends shall weep your fate, but none can save ;
For I've pronounced the dreadful words of doom.
After this, the four children of Lir turned their
faces to their stepmother ; and Finola spoke —
" Evil is the deed thou hast done, Eva ; thy
friendship to us has been a fiiendship of treachery ;
and thou hast ruined us without cause. But the deed
will be avenged; for the power of thy witchcraft is
not greater than the druidical power of our friends to
punish thee ; and the doom that awaits thee shall be
worse than ours."
Our stepmother loved us long ago ;
Our stepmother now has wrought us woe :
With magical wand and f eaiful words,
She changed us to beautiful siiow- white birds ;
And we live on the waters for evermore.
By tempests driven from shore to shore.
Finola again spoke and said, "Tell us now how
long we shall be in the shape of swans, so that we
may know when our miseries shall come to an end."
"It would be better for you if you had not put
that question," said Eva; "but I shall declare the
truth to you, as you have asked me. Three hundred
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIB. 9
years on smooth Lake Darvra ; three hundred years on
the Sea of Moyle, between Erin and Alban;* three
hundred years at Irros Domnann and at Inis Gloraf on
the Western Sea Until the union of Largnen, the
prince from the north, with Decca, the princess from
the south ; until the Taillkenn X shall come to Erin,
bringing the light of a pure faith ; and until ye hear
the voice of the Christian belL And neither by your
own power, nor by mine, nor by the power of your
friends, can ye be freed till the time comea"
Then Eva repented what she had done ; and she
said, "Since I cannot afford you any other relief,
I will aUow you to keep your own Gaelic speech ; and
ye shall be able to sing sweet, plaintive, fairy music,
which shall excel all the music of the world, and
which shall lull to sleep all that listen to it. More-
over, ye shall retain your human reason ; and ye shall
not be in grief on account of being in the shape of
swans."
And she chanted this lay —
Depart from me, ye graoefol swans ;
The waters are now your home :
Your palace shall be the pearly oave.
Your conch the crest of the crystal wave,
And yonr mantle the milk-white foam !
* The sea between Erin and Alban (Ireland and Scotland) was
anciently called the Sea of Moyle, from the Moyle, or Mull, of
Gantire.
t IrroB Domnann; Erris, in the county Mayo. Inis Glora;
a small island about five miles west from Belmullet, in the same
county, still known by the same name.
X Taillkenn, a name given by the druids to St. Patrick.
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10 OLD CELTIC EOMANCES.
Depart from me, ye snow-white swans
With your mnsic and Graelic speech :
The crystal Darvra, the wintry Moyle,
The billowy margin of Glora's isle j —
Three hnndred years on each !
Victorious Lir, yonr hapless sire,
His lov'd ones in vain shall call';
His heart shall wither with wasting grief;
But vain the tears of the sorrowing chief —
And his anger on me shall fall.!
Through circling ages of gloom and fear
Your anguish no tongue can tell ;
Till Faith shall shed her heavenly rays.
Till ye hear the Taillkenn's anthem of praise,
And the voice of the ChristiMi bell !
Then ordering her steeds to be yoked to her chariot,
she departed westwards, leaving the four white swans
swimming on the lake.
Our father shall watch and weep in vain ;
He never shall see us return again.
Four pretty children, happy at home ;
Four white swans on the feathery foam ;
And we live on the waters for evermore.
By tempests driven from shore to shore.
CHAPTER IV.
THE FOUR WHITE SWANS ON LAKE DARVRA.
When Eva arrived at the house of Bove Derg, the
chiefs bade her welcome ; and the king asked her why
she had not brought the Children of Lir to him.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIR. 11
" Because," she replied, " Lir no longer loves thee ;
and he does not wish to intrust his children to thee,
lest thou shouldst harm them."
The king was greatly astonished and troubled at
this, and he said, "How can that be? For I love
those children better than I love my own."
But he thought in his own mind that Eva had
played some treachery on them. And he sent mes-
sengers with all speed northwards to Shee Finnaha,
to ask about the children, and to ask that they might
be sent to him.
When the messengers had told their errand, Lir
was startled; and he asked, "Have the children not
reached the palace with Eva ? "
They answered, '* Eva arrived alone, and she told
the king that you refused to let the children come."
A sad and sorrowful heart had Lir when he heard
this ; and he now felt sure that Eva had destroyed his
four lovely children. So, early next morning, his
chariot was yoked for him, and he set out with
his attendants for the king's palace ; and they travelled
with all speed till they arrived at the shore of Lake
Darvra.
The children of Lir saw the cavalcade approach-
ing ; and Finola spoke these words —
I see a mystio warrior band
From yonder brow approach the strand j
I see them winding down the vale.
Their bending ohariots slow advancing ;
I see their shields and gilded mail,
Their spears and helmets brightly glancing.
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12 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
Ah ! well I know that proud array ;
I know too well their thoughts to-day :
The Dannan host and royal Lir ;
Four rosy children they are seeking :
Too soon, alas ! they find us here,
Four snowy swans like children speaking !
Come, brothers dear, approach the coast,
To welcome Lir*s mysterious host.
Oh, woful welcome ! woful day,
That never brings a bright to-morrow !
Unhappy father, doomed for aye
To mourn our fate in hopeless sorrow !
When Lir came to the shore, he heard the birds
speaking, and, wondering greatly, he asked them how
it came to pass that they had human voices.
" Know, O Lir," said Finola, " that we are thy four
children, who have been changed into swans and
ruined by the witchcraft of our stepmother, our own
mother's sister, Eva, through her baleful jealousy."
When Lir and his people heard this, they uttered
three long mournful cries of grief and lamentation.
After a time, their father asked them, " Is it possible
to restore you to your own shapes ? "
"It is not possible," replied Finola; "no man has
the power to release us imtil Largnen from the north
and Decca from the south are united. Three himdred
years we shall be on Lake Darvra; three hundred
years on the sea-stream of Moyle; three hundred
years on the Sea of Glora in the west. And we shall
not regain our human shape till the Taillkenn come
with his pure faith into Erin, and until we hear the
voice of the Christian bell."
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF UR. 13
And again the people raised three great cries of
sorro^w.
" As you have your speech and your reason," said
Lir, " come now to land, and ye shall live at home,
conversing with me and my people."
" We are not permitted to leave the waters of the
lake, and we cannot live with our people any more.
But the wicked Eva has allowed us to retain our
human reason, and our own Gaelic speech; and we have
also the power to chant plaintive, fairy music, so sweet
that those who listen to us would never desire any
other happiness. Remain with us to-night, and we
will chant our music for you."
Lir and his people remained on the shore of the
lake; and the swans sang their slow, fairy music,
which was so sweet and sad, that the people, as they
listened, fell into a calm, gentle sleep.
At the glimmer of dawn next morning, Lir arose,
and he bade farewell to his children for a while, to
seek out Eva.
The time has come for me to part : —
No more, alas ! my children dear,
Yom: rbsj smiles shall glad my heart.
Or light the gloomy home of Lir.
Dark was the day when first I brought
This Eva in my home to dwell !
Hard was the woman's heart that wronght
This crael and malignant spell !
I lay me down to rest in vain ;
For, through the livelong, sleepless night,
My little lov'd ones, pictured plain,
Stand ever there before my sight.
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14 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
Finola, once my pride and joy ;
Dark Aed, adventurons and bold ;
Bright Ficra, gentle, playful boy j
And little Conn, with curls of gold ; —
Struck dow^i on Darvra's reedy shore.
By wicked Eva's magic power :
Oh, children, children, never more
My heart shall know one peaceful hour !
Lir then departed, and travelled south-west till he
arrived at the king's palace, where he was welcomed ;
and Bove Derg began to reproach him, in presence of
Eva, for not bringing the children.
"Alas!" said Lir; ''it was not by me that the
children were prevented from coming. But Eva,
your own foster child, the sister of their mother, has
played treachery on them ; and has changed them by
her sorcery into four white swans on Lake Darvra."
The king was confounded and grieved at this
news ; and when he looked at Eva, he knew by her
countenance that what Lir had told him was true;
and he began to upbraid her in a fierce and angry
voice.
" The wicked deed thou hast committed," said he,
" will be worse for thee than for the children of Lir ;
for their sufiering shall come to an end, and they shall
be happy at last."
Again he spoke to her more fiercely than before ;
and he asked her what shape of all others, on the
earth, or above the earth, or beneath the earth, she
most abhorred, and into which she most dreaded to be
transformed.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDEEN OF LIR. 15
She answered, " A demon of the air." *
" That is the form you shall take," said Bove Derg ;
and as he spoke he struck her with a druidical magic
wand, and turned her into a demon of the air.
She opened her wings, and flew with a scream up-
wards and away through the clouds ; and she is still
a demon of the air, and she shall be a demon of the
air till the end of time.
Then Bove Derg and the Dedannans assembled on
the shore of the lake, and encamped there ; for they
wished to remain with the birds, and to listen to their
music. The Milesian people f came and formed an
encampment there in like manner ; for historians say
that no music that was ever heard in Erin could be
compared with the singing of these swana
And so the swans passed their time. During the
day they conversed with the men of Erin, both
Dedannans and Milesians, and discoursed lovingly
with their friends and fellow nurselings ; and at night
they chanted their slow, sweet, fairy music^ the most
delightfiil that was ever heard by men; so that all
who listened to it, even those who were in grief, or
sickness, or pain, forgot their sorrows and their suffer-
ings, and fell into a gentle, sweet sleep, from which
they awoke bright and happy.
So they continued, the Dedannans and the Mile-
* A demon of the air was held in g^eat abhorrenoe by the anoient
Irish.
f The Milesian people ; the colony who conquered and succeeded
the Dedannans. (See note 1 at end.)
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16 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
sians, in their encampments, and the swans on the
lake, for three hundred years. And at the end of that
time, Finola said to her brothers —
" Do you know, my dear brothers, that we have
come to the end of our time here ; and that we have
only this one night to spend on Lake Darvra ? "
When the three sons of Lit heard this, they were
in great distress and sorrow ; for they were almost as
happy on Lake Darvra, surrounded by their fidends,
and conversing with them day by day, as if they had
been in their father's house in their own natural
shapes ; whereas they should now live on the gloomy
and tempestuous Sea of Moyle, far away from all
human society.
Early next morning, they came to the margin of
the lake, to speak to their father and their friends for
the last time, and to bid them farewell; and Finola
chanted this lay —
Farewell, faxewell, our father dear !
The last sad hour has come :
Farewell, Bove Derg ! farewell to all,
Till the dreadful day of doom ! *
We go from friends and scenes beloved,
To a home of grief and pain ;
And that day of woe
Shall come and go,
Before we meet again !
♦ It must be remembered that the children of Lir had some
obscure foreknowledge of the coming of Christianity.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIB. 17
II.
We live for ages on stormy Hojle,
In loneliness and fear ;
The kindly words of loving friends
We never more shall hear.
Four joyous children long ago ;
Four snow-white swans to-day ;
And on Moyle's wild sea
Onr robe shall be
The cold and briny spray,
- III.
Far down on the misty stream of time,
When three hundred years are o'er,
Three hundred more in storm and cold,
By Glora's desolate shore ;
Till Decoa fair is Largnen's spouse ;
Till north and south unite ;
Till the hymns are sung.
And the bells are rung,
At the dawn of the pure faith's light.
IV.
Arise, my brothers, from Darvra's wave,
On the wings of the southern wind ;
We leave our father and friends to-day
In measureless grief behind.
Ah ! sad the parting, and sad our flight
To Moyle's tempestuous main ;
For the day of woe
Shall come and go.
Before we meet again !
The four swans then spread their wings, and rose
from the surface of the water in sight of all their
friends, till they reached a great height in the air;
then resting, and looking downwards for a moment,
c
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18 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
they flew straight to the north, till they alighted on
the Sea of Moyle between Erin and Alban.
The men of Erin were grieved at their departure,
and they made a law, and proclaimed it throughout the
land, that no one should kill a swan in Erin from that
time forth.
CHAPTER V.
THE FOUR WHITE SWANS ON THE SEA OF MOYLE.
As to the children of Lir, miserable was their abode,
and evil their plight on the Sea of Moyle. Their
hearts were wrung with sorrow for their father and
their friends; and when they looked towards the
steep, rocky, far-stretching coasts, and saw the great,
dark wild sea around them, they were overwhelmed
with fear and despair. They began also to suffer
from cold and hunger, so that all the hardships they
had endured on Lake Darvra appeared as nothing
compared with their sufiering on the sea-current of
Moyle.
And so they lived, till one night a great tempest
fell upon the sea. Finola, when she saw the sky filled
with black, threatening clouds, thus addressed her
brothers —
" Beloved brothers, we have made a bad prepara-
tion for this night ; for it is certain that the coming
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDEEN OF LIR. 19
storm will separate us; and now let us appoint a
place of meeting, or it may happen that we shall never
see each other again."
And they answered, " Dear sister, you speak truly
and wisely ; and let us fix on Carricknarone, for that
is a rock that we are all very well acquainted with."
And they appointed Carricknarone as their place
of meeting.
Midnight came, and with it came the beginning of
the storm. A wild, rough wind swept over the dark
sea, the lightnings flashed, and the great waves rose,
and increased their violence and their thunder.
The swans were soon scattered over the waters, so
that not one of them knew in what direction the others
had been driven. During all that night they were
tossed about by the roaring winds and waves, and it
was with much difficulty they preserved their lives.
Towards morning the storm abated, and the sea
became again calm and smooth; and Finola swam
to Carricknarone. But she foimd none of her brothers
there, neither could she see any trace of them when
she looked all round from the summit of the rock over
the wide face of the sea.
Then she became terrified, for she thought she
should never see them again ; and she began to lament
them plaintively in these words —
The heart-breaking angaish and woe of this life
I am able no longer to bear :
My wings are bennmbed with this pitiless frost ;
My three little brothers are scattered and lost ;
And I am left here to despair.
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20 OLD CELTIC EOMANCES.
My three little brothers I never shall see
Till the dead shall arise from the tomb :
How I sheltered them oft with my wings and my breaist,
And I soothed their sorrows and Inlled them to rest,
As the night fell around ns in gloom !
Ah, where are my brothers, and why have I lived.
This last worst affliction to know ?
What now is there left but a life of despair ? —
For alas ! I am able no longer to bear
This heart-breaking anguish and woe.*
Soon after this she looked again over the sea, and
she saw Conn coming towards the rock, with his head
drooping, and his feathers all drenched with the salt
spray; and she welcomed him with joyful heart.
Not long after, Ficra appeared, but he was so faint
with wet and cold and hardship, that he was scarce
able to reach the place where Finola and Conn were
standing ; and when they spoke to him he could not
speak one word in return. So Finola placed the two
under her wings, and she said —
" K Aed were here now, all would be happy with
us."
In a little time they saw Aed coming towards
them, with head erect and feathers all dry and radiant ;
and Finola gave him a joyful welcome. She then
placed him under the feathers of her breast, while
Conn and Ficra remained under her wings; and she
said to them —
"My dear brothers, though ye may think this
* Many of these old poems begin and end with the same line
or couplet.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIB. 21
night very bad, we shall have many like it from this
time forth."
So they continued for a long time on the Sea of
Moyle, suifering hardships of every kind, till one
winter night came upon them, of great wind and of
snow and frost so severe, that nothing they ever before
suffered could be compared to the misery of that night.
And Finola uttered these words —
Onr life is a life of woe ;
No shelter or rest we find :
How bitterly drives the snow ;
How cold is this wintry wind !
From the icy spray of the sea,
From the wind of the bleak north>east,
I shelter my brothers three,
Under my wings and breast.
Onr stepmother sent ns here.
And misery well we know : —
In cold and hunger and fear ;
Oar life is a life of woe !
Another year passed away on the Sea of Moyle ;
and one night in January, a dreadful frost came down
on the earth and sea, so that the waters were frozen
into a solid floor of ice all round them. The swans
remained on Carricknarone all night, and their feet
and their wings were frozen to the icy surface, so
that they had to strive hard to move from their
places in the morning ; and they left the skin of their
feet, the quills of their wings, and the feathers of
their breasts clinging to the rock.
"Sad is our condition this night, my beloved
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22 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
brothers," said Finola, *' for we are forbidden to leave
the Sea of Moyle; and yet we cannot bear the salt
water, for when it enters our wounds, I fear we shall
die of pain/^
And she spoke this lay —
Our fate is mournful here to-day ;
Our bodies bare and chill,
Drenched by the bitter, briny spray,
And torn on this rocky hill !
Cruel our stepmother's jealous heart
That banished us from home ;
Transformed to swans by magic art,
To swim the ocean foam.
This bleak and snowy winter day.
Our bath is the ocean wide ;
In thirsty summer's burning ray.
Our drink the briny tide.
And here 'mid rugged rocks we dwell,
In this tempestuous bay ;
Four children bound by magic spell ; —
Our fate is sad to-day I
They were, however, forced to swim out on the
stream of Moyle, all wounded and torn as they were ;
for though the brine was sharp and bitter, they were
not able to avoid it. They stayed as near the coast
as they could, till after a long time the feathers of
their breasts and wings grew again, and their wounds
were healed.
After this they lived on for a great number of
years, sometimes visiting the shores of Erin, and some-
times the headlands of Alban. But they always
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIR 23
returned to the sea-stream of Moyle, for it was destined
to be their home till the end of three hundred years.
One day they came to the mouth of the Bann^
on the north coast of Erin, and looking inland, they
saw a stately troop of horsemen approaching directly
from the south-west. They were mounted on white
steeds, and clad in bright-coloured garments, and as
they woimd towards the shore their arms glittered
in the sun.
'* Do ye know yonder cavalcade ? " said Finola to
her brothers.
"We know them not," they replied; "but it is
likely they are a party of the Milesians, or perchance
a troop of our own people, the Dedannans."
They swam towards the shore, to find out who
the strangers were; and the cavalcade on their part,
when they saw the swans, knew them at once, and
moved towards them till they were within speaking
distance.
Now these were a party of the Dedannans ; and
the chiefs who commanded them were the two sons of
Bove Derg, the Dedannan king, namely, Aed the Keen-
witted, and Fergus the Chess-player, with a third part
of the Fairy Host.* They had been for a long time
searching for the children of Lir along the northern
shores of Erin, and now that they had found them,
they were joyful ; and they and the swans greeted
each other with tender expressions of friendship and
* Fairy host ; i,e. the Dedannans. (See note 1 at the end of the
book.)
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24 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
love. The children of Lir inquired after the De-
dannans, and particularly after their father Lir, and
Bove Derg, and all the rest of their friends and
acquaintances.
" They are all well," replied the chiefs ; " and they
and the Dedannans in general are now gathered
together in the house of your father, at Shee Finnaha,
celebrating the Feast of Age,^ pleasantly and agreeably.
Their happiness would indeed be complete, only that
you are not with them, and that they know not where
you have been since you left Lake Darvra."
" Miserable has been our life since that day," said
Finola; '^and no tongue can tell the suffering and
sorrow we have endured on the Sea of Moyle."
And she chanted these words —
Ah, happy is Lir's bright home to-day,
With mead and music and poet's lay :
But gloomy and cold his children's home,
For ever tossed on the briny foam.
Our wreathed feathers are thin and light
When the wind blows keen through the wintry night :
Yet oft we were robed, long, long ago,
In purple mantles and furs of snow.
On Moyle's bleak current our food and wine
Are sandy sea-weed and bitter brine :
Yet oft we feasted in days of old,
And hazel.mead drank from cups of gold.
Our beds are rocks in the dripping caves j
Our lullaby song the roar of the waves :
But soft rich couches once we pressed.
And harpers lulled us each night to rest.
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^
THE FATE OF THE CHILDBEN OF LIR. 25
Lonely we swim on the billowy main,
Throngh frost and snow, through storm and rain :
Alas for the days when ronnd as mo7ed
The chiefs and prinoes and friends we loved !
My little twin brothers beneath my wings
Lie close when the north wind bitterly stings,
And Aed close nestles before my breast ;
Thus side by side through the night we rest.
Our father's fond kisses, Bore Derg*s embrace.
The light of Mannanan's ^ godlike face,
The love of Angus * — all, all are o'er ;
And we live on the billows for evermore !
After this they bade each other farewell, for it was
not permitted to the children of Lir to remain away
from the stream of Moyle. As soon as they had
parted, the Fairy Cavalcade returned to Shee Finnaha,
where they related to the Dedannan chiefs all that
had passed, and described the condition of the children
of Lir. And the chiefs answered —
" It is not in our power to help them ; but we are
glad that they are living ; and we know that in the
end the enchantment will be broken, and that they
will be freed from their suflTerings."
As to the children of Lir, they returned to their
home on the Sea of Moyle, and there they remained
till they had fulfilled their term of years.
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26 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
CHAPTER VI.
THE FOUR WHITE SWANS ON THE WESTERN SEA.
And when their three hundred years were ended,
Finola said to her brothers —
" It is time for us to leave this place, for our period
here has come to an end."
The hour has oome ; the honr has come ;
Three hundred years ha7e passed :
We leave this bleak and gloomy home,
And we fly to the west at last !
We leave for ever the stream of Moyle ;
On the clear, cold wind we go j
Three hundred years round Glora's isle.
Where wintry tempests blow !
No sheltered home, no place of rest,
From the tempest's angry blast :
Fly, brothers, fly, to the distant west.
For the hour has come at last !
So the swans left the Sea of Moyle, and flew west-
ward, till they reached Irros Domnann and the sea
round the isle of Glora. There they remained for
a long time, suffering much from storm and cold, and
in nothing better off than they were on the Sea of
Moyle.
It chanced that a young man named Ebric, of
good family, the owner of a tract of land lying along
the shore, observed the birds and heard their singing.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDBEN OF LIR. 27
He took great delight in listening to their plaintive
music, and he walked down to the shore almost every-
day, to see them and to converse with them ; so that
he came to love them very much, and they also loved
him. This young man told his neighbours about the
speaking swans, so that the matter became noised
abroad ; and it was he who arranged the story, after
hearing it from themselves, and related it as it is
related here.
Again their hardships were renewed, and to de-
scribe what they suffered on the great open Western
Sea would be only to tell over again the story of their
life on the Moyle. But one particular night came, of
frost so hard that the whole face of the sea, from Irros
Domnann to Achill, was frozen into a thick floor of
ice ; and the snow was driven by a north-west wind.
On that night it seemed to the three brothers that
they could not bear their sufferings any longer, and
they began to utter loud and pitiful complaints.
Finola tried to console them, but she was not able
to do so, for they only lamented the more ; and then
she herself began to lament with the others.
After a time, Finola spoke to them and said,
" My dear brothers, believe in the great and splendid
God of truth, who made the earth with its fruits, and
the sea with its wonders ; put your trust in Him, and
He will send you help and comfort."
*' We believe in Him," said they.
'' And I also," said Finola, " believe in God, who is
perfect in everything, and who knows all things."
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28 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
And at the destined hour they all believed, and
the Lord of heaven sent them help and protection ;
so that neither cold nor tempest molested them from
that time forth, as long as they abode on the
Western Sea.
So they continued at the point of Irros Domnann,
till they had fulfilled their appointed time there. And
Finola addressed the sons of Lir —
" My dear brothers, the end of our time here has
come; we shall now go to visit our father and our
people."
And her brothers were glad when they heard this.
Then they rose lightly from the face of the sea,
and flew eastward with joyful hopes, till they reached
Shee Finnaha. But when they alighted they found
the place deserted and solitary, its halls all ruined and
overgi'own with rank grass and forests of nettles ;
no houses, no fire, no mark of human habitation.
Then the four swans drew close together, and they
uttered three loud mournful cries of sorrow.
And Finola chanted this lay —
What meaneth this sad, this fearful change.
That withers my heart with woe ?
The house of my father all joyless and lone,
Its halls and its gardens with weeds overgrown,-
A dreadful and strange cverthrow !
Ko conquering heroes, no hounds for the chase,
No shields in array on its walls,
No bright silver goblets, no gay cavalcades,
No youthful assemblies or high-bom maids, x
To brighten its desolate halls !
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIE. 29
An omen of sadness — ^the home of our yonth
All mined, deserted, and bare.
Alas for the chieftain, the gentle and brave ;
His glories and sorrows are stilled in the grave,
And we left to live in despair !
From ocean to ocean, from age nnto age.
We have lived to the fulness of time ;
Throngh a life snch as men never heard of we've passed,
In suffering and sorrow our doom has been oast,
Bj our stepmother's pitiless crime !
The children of Lir remamed that night in the
ruins of the palace — tlie home of their forefathers,
where they themselves had been nursed ; and several
times during the night they chanted their sad, sweet,
fairy music.
Early next morning they left Shee Finnaha, and
flew west to Inis Glora, where they alighted on a
small lake. There they began to sing so sweetly that
all the bu'ds of the district gathered in flocks round
them on the lake, and on its shore, to listen to them ;
so that the little lake came to be called the Lake of
the Bird-flocks.
During the day the birds used to fly to distant
points of the coast to feed, now to Iniskea of the
lonely crane,* now to Achill, and sometimes south-
wards to Bonn's Sea Rocks,t and to many other islands
* Iniskea ; a little rocky island near the coast of Erris, in Mayo.
"The lonely crane of Iniskea" was one of the "Wonders of Ireland.'*
According to an ancient legend, which still lives among the peasantry
of Mayo, a crane — one lonely bird — has lived on the island since the
beginning of the world, and will live there till the day of judgment.
t Bonn's Sea Eocks — called in the text Teach.Dhuinn, or Donn*s
House, which is also the present Irish name ; a group of three rocks
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30 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
and headlands along the shore of the Western Sea, but
they returned to Inis Glora every night.
They lived in this manner till holy Patrick came
to Erin with the pure faith ; and imtil Saint Kemoc
came to Inis Glora.
The first night Kemoc came to the island, the
children of Lir heard his bell at early matin time,
ringing faintly in the distance. And they trembled
greatly, and started, and ran wildly about; for the
sound of the bell was strange and dreadful to them,
and its tones filled them with great fear. The three
brothers were more affrighted than Finola, so that she
was left quite alone ; but after a time they came to
her, and she asked them —
" Do you know, my brothers, what sound is this ? "
And they answered, ''We have heard a faint,
fearful voice, but we know not what it is."
"This is the voice of the Christian bell," said
Finola ; " and now the end of our suffering is near ;
for this bell is the signal that we shall soon be freed
from our spell, and released from our life of suffering ;
for God has willed it."
And she chanted this lay —
Listen, ye swans, to the voice of the bell,
The sweet bell we've dreamed of for many a year;
Its tones floating by on the night breezes, tell
That the end of our long life of sorrow is near !
off Kenmare Bay, where Donn, one of the Milesian brothers, was
drowned. These remarkable rocks are now called in English the
" Bull, Cow, and Calf ."
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF Lia 31
Listen, ye swans, to the heavenly strain ;
'Tis the anchoret tolling his soft matin bell :
He has come to release ns from sorrow, from pain,
From the cold and tempestaons shores where we dwell !
Trust in the glorions Lord of the sky ;
He will free ns from Eva's druidical spell :
Be thankfnl and glad, for our freedom is nigh,
And listen with joy to the voice of the bell !
Then her brothers became calm; and the four
swans remamed listening to the music of the bell, till
the cleric had finished his matins.
" Let us sing our music now," said Finola.
And they chanted a low, sweet, plaintive strain of
fairy music, to praise and thank the great high King
of heaven and earth
Kemoc heard the music from where he stood ; and
he listened with great astonishment. But after a
time it was revealed to him that it was the children
of Lir who sang that music ; and he was glad, for it
was to seek them he had come.
When morning dawned he came to the shore of
the lake, and he saw the four white swans swimming
on the water. He spoke to them, and asked them
were they the children of Lir.
They replied, "We are indeed the children of
Lir, who were changed long ago into swans by our
wicked stepmother."
" I give God thanks that I have found you," said
Kemoc ; "for it is on your account I have come to this
httle island in preference to all the other islands of
Erin. Come ye now to land, and trust in me ; for it is
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32 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
in this place that you are destined to be freed from
your enchantment."
So they, filled with joy on hearing the words of
the cleric, came to the shore, and placed themselves
under his care. He brought them to his own house,
and, sending for a skilful workman, he caused him to
make two bright, slender chains of silver; and he put
a chain between Finola and Aed, and the other chain
he put between Ficra and Conn,
So they lived with him, listening to his instruc-
tions day by day, and joining in his devotions. They
were the delight and joy of the cleric, and he loved
them with his whole heart ; and the swans were so
happy that the memory of all the misery they had
suffered during their long life on the waters caused
them neither distress nor sorrow now.
CHAPTER VII.
THE CHILDREN OF LIR REGAIN THEIR HUMAN SHAPE
AND DIE.
The king who ruled over Connaught at this time was
Largnen, the son of Colman; and his queen was
Decca, the daughter of Finnin,* king of Munster, — the
same king and queen whom Eva had spoken of in her
prophecy long ages before.
* These are well-known historical personages, who flourished
in the seventh century.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIR. 83
Now word was brought to queen Decca regarding
these wonderful speaking swans, and their whole
history was related to her; so that even before she
saw them, she could not help loving them, and she
was seized with a strong desire to have them herself.
So die went to the king, and besought him that he
would go to Kemoc and get her the swans. But
Largnen said that he did not wish to ask them from
Kemoa Whereupon Decca grew indignant ; and she
declared tibat she would not sleep another night in the
palace till he had obtained the swans for her. So
she left the palace that very hour, and fled south-
wards towards her father's home.
Largnen, when he found she had gone, sent in
haste after her, with word that he would try to pro-
cure the swans ; but the messengers did not overtake
her till she had reached Killaloe. However, she re-
turned with them to the palace ; and as soon as she
had arrived, the king sent to Kemoc to request tiiat
he would send the birds to the queen; but Kemoc
refused to give them.
Largnen became very angry at this ; and he set out
at once for the cleric's house. As soon as he had
come, he asked the cleric whether it was true that
he had refused to give the swans to the queen. And
when Kemoc answered that it was quite true, the
king, being very wroth, went up to where the swans
stood, and seizing the two sUver chains, one in each
hand, he drew the birds from. the altar, and turned
towards the door of the church, intending to bring
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34 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
them by force to the queen; while Kemoc followed
him, much alarmed lest they should be injured.
The king had proceeded only a Kttle way, when
suddenly the white feathery robes faded and dis-
appeared ; and the swans regained their human shape,
Finola being transformed into an extremely old woman,
and the three sons into three feeble old men, white-
haired and bony and wrinkled.
When the king saw this, he started with affright,
and instantly left the place without speaking one
word; while Kemoc reproached and denounced him
very bitterly.
As to the children of Lir, they turned towards
Kemoc ; and Finola spoke —
" Come, holy cleric, and baptise us without delay,
for our death is near. You will grieve after us, O
Kemoc ; but in truth you are not more sorrowful at
parting from us than we are at parting from you.
Make our grave here and bury us together ; and as I
often sheltered my brothers when we were swans, so
let us be placed in the grave — Conn standing near me
at my right side, Ficra at my left, and Aed before my
face."^
>*
Come, holy priest, with book and prayer ;
Baptise and shrive ns here :
Haste, cleric, haste, for the hour has come,
And death at last is near !
* Among the ancient Celtic nations, the dead were often bnried
standing np in the grave. It was in this vray Finola and her brothers
were buried.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF LIR. 35
Dig onr grave — a deep, deep grave,
Near the chnroh we loved so well ;
This little clmroli, where first we heard
The voice of the Christian bell.
As oft in life my brothers dear
Were sooth'd by me to rest —
Ficra and Conn beneath mj wing^,
And Aed before mj breast ;
So place the two on either hand —
Close, like the love that bound me ;
Place Aed as close before mj face,
And twine their arms around me.
Thns shall we rest for evermore,
M7 brothers dear and I :
Haste, cleric, haste, baptise and shrive,
For death at last is nigh !
Then the children of Lir were baptised, and they
died immediately. And when they died, Kemoc
looked up; and lo, he saw a vision of four lovely
children, with light, silvery wings, and faces all radiant
with joy. They gazed on him for a moment; but
even as they gazed, they vanished upwards, and he
saw them no more. And he was filled with gladness,
for he knew they had gone to heaven ; but when he
looked down on the four bodies lying before him, he
became sad and wept.
And Kemoc caused a wide grave to be dug near
the little church ; and the children of Lir were buried
together, as Finola had directed — Conn at her right
hand, Ficra at her left, and Aed standing before her
face. And he raised a grave-mound over them, placing
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36 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
a tombstone on it, with their names graved in Ogam;*
after which he uttered a lament for them, and their
funeral rites were performed.
So far we have related the sorrowful story of the
Fate of the Children of Lir.
* Ogam, a sort of writing, often used on sepulchral stones to
mark the names of the persons buried.
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THE
FATE OF THE CHILDEEN OF TUEENN ;
OB,
THP QUEST FOR THE ERIC-FINE.
For the blood that we spilled,
For the hero we killed.
Toil and woe, toil and woe, till the doom is fulfilled !
CHAPTER I
THE LOCHLANNS INVADE EEIN.
When the Dedannans ^ held sway in Erin, a prosperous
firee-bom king ruled over them, whose name was
Nuada of the Silver Hand.*
In the time of this king, the Fomorians,^ from
Lochlann,® in the north, oppressed the Dedannans, and
forced them to pay heavy tributes ; namely, a tax on
kneading-troughs, a tax on querns, and a tax on
baking flags; and besides all this, an oimce of gold
for each man of the Dedannans. These tributes had
to be paid every year at the Hill of Usna ; * and if
any one refused or neglected to pay his part, his nose
was cut off by the Fomorian tyrants.
* The Hill of Usna, in the parish of Conrj, in Westmeath, one of
the royal residences of Ireland.
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38 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
At this time a great fair-meeting was held by the
king of Ireland, Nuada of the Silver Hand, on the
Hill of Usna. Not long had the people been assem-
bled, when they saw a stately band of warriors, all
mounted on white steeds, coming towards them from
the east ; and at their head, high in command over all,
rode a young champion, tall and comely, with a coun-
tenance as bright and glorious as the setting sun.
This young warrior was Luga of the Long Arms.*^
He was accompanied by his foster brothers, namely,
the sons of Mannanan Mac Lir ; and the troop he led
was the Fairy Host from the Land of Promise.®
Now in this manner was he arrayed. He rode the
steed of Mannanan Mac Lir,^ namely, Enbarr of the
Flowing Mane : no warrior was ever killed on the
back of this steed, for she was as swift as the clear,
cold wind of spring, and she travelled with equal ease
on land and on sea. He wore Mannanan's coat of
mail : no one could be wounded through it, or above
it, or below it. He had on his breast Mannanan's
breast-plate, which no weapon could pierce. His
helmet had two glittering precious stones set front,
and one behind ; and whenever he took it off, his face
shone like the sun on a dry day in summer. Man-
nanan's sword, The Answerer, hung at his left side :
no one ever recovered from its wound ; and those who
,were opposed to it in the battle-field were so terrified
by looking at it, that their strength left them till they
became weaker than a woman in deadly sickness.
This troop came forward to where the king of
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 39
Erin sat surrounded by the Dedannans, and both
parties exchanged friendly greetings.
A short time after this they saw another company
approaching, quite imlike the first, for they were grim
and fierce and surly looking ; namely, the tax-gatherers
of the Fomorians, to the number of nine nines, who
were coming to demand their yearly tribute from the
men of Erin. When they reached the place where the
king sat, the entire assembly — ^the king himself among
the rest — ^rose up before them. For the whole De-
dannan race stood in great dread of these Fomorian
tax-collectors; so much so that no man dared even
to chastise his own son without first seeking their
consent.
Then Luga of the Long Arms spoke to the king
and said, "Why have ye stood up before this hateful-
looking company, when ye did not stand up for us ? "
"We durst not do otherwise," replied the king;
" for if even an infant of a month old remained seated
before them,, they would deem it cause enough for
kilh'ng us all."
When Luga heard this he brooded in silence for a
little while, and then he said, " Of a truth, I feel a
great desire to kill all these men ! "
Then he mused again, and after a time, said, "I
am strongly urged to kill these men ! "
"That deed would doubtless bring great evil on
us," said the king, " for then the Fomorians would be
sure to send an army to destroy us alL"
But Luga, after another pause, started up, exclaim-
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40 OLD CELTIC EOMANCES.
ing, " Long have ye been oppressed in this manner ! "
and so saying, he attacked the Fomorians, dealing red
slaughter among them. Neither did he hold his hand
till he had slain them all except nine. These he
spared, because they ran with all speed and sat nigh
the king, that he might protect them from Luga*s
wrath.
Then Luga put his sword back into its scabbard,
and said, *' I would slay you also, only that I wish you
to go and tell your king, and the foreigners in general,
what you have seen."
These nine men accordingly returned to their own
country, and they told their tale to the Fomorian
people from beginning to end — how the strange, noble-
faced youth had slain all the tax-collectors except
nine, whom he spared that they might bring home the
story.
When they had ended speaking, the king, Balor^ of
the Mighty Blows and of the Evil Eye, asked the
chiefs, " Do ye know who this youth is ? "
And when they answered, "No," Kethlenda,^
Balor's queen, said —
" I know well who the youth is : he is the
ndana,* Luga of the Long Arms, the son of your
daughter and mine ; and it has been long foretold that
when he should appear in Erin, our sway over the
Dedannans should come to an end."
Then the chief people of the Fomorians held
* Lnga of the Long Arms is often called The ndana, i.e. the
Man of many scienoes, to signify his various aooomplishments.
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* THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 41
council ; namely, Balor of the Mighty Blows, and his
twelve sons, and his queen Kethlenda of the Crooked
Teeth ; Ebb and Sencab, the grandsons of Neid ; Sotal
of the Large Heels ; Luath the Long-bodied ; Luath the
Story-teller ; Tinna the Mighty, of Triscadal ; Loskenn
of the Bare Knees ; Lobas, the druid ; besides the nine
prophetic poets and philosophers of the Fomorians.
After they had debated the matter for some time,
Bres, the son of Balor, arose and said, "I wiU go to
Erin with seven great battalions of the Fomorian
army, and I wiU give battle to the Ildana, and I wiD
bring his head to you to our palace of Berva." ®
The Fomorian chiefs thought well of this pro-
posal, and it was agreed to.
So the ships were got ready for Bres; abundant
food and drink and war stores were put into them,
their seams were calked with pitch, and they were
filled with sweet-smelling frankincense. Meantime
the two Luaths, that is to say, Luath the Story-teller
and Luath of the Long Body, were sent aU over Loch-
lann to summon the army. And when aU the fighting
men were gathered together, they arrayed themselves
in their battle-dresses, prepared their arms, and set
out for Erin
Balor went with them to the harbour where they
were to embark, and when they were about to go on
board, he said to them —
*" Give battle to the Ildana, and cut off* his head.
And after ye have overcome him and his people, put
your cables roimd this island of Erin, which gives us
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42 OLD CELTIC EOMANCES.
SO much trouble, and tie it at the stems of your ships :
then sail home, bringing the island with you, and
place it on the north side of Lochlann, whither none
of the Dedannans will ever follow it."
Then, having hoisted their many-coloured sails and
loosed their moorings, they sailed forth from the
harbour into the great sea, and never slackened speed
or turned aside from their course till they reached the
harbour of Eas-Dara.* And as soon as they landed,
they sent forth an army through West Connaught,
which wasted and spoiled the whole province.
CHAPTER II.
THE MURDER OP KIAN.
Now the king of Connaught at that time was Bove
Derg, the son of the Dagda,+ a friend to Luga of the
Long Arms. It chanced that Luga was then at Tara,J
and news was brought to him that the Fomorians
had landed at Eas-Dara, and were spoiling and wasting
the province. He immediately got ready his steed,
Enbarr of the Flowing Mane; and early in the morning,
when the point of night met the day, he went to the
king and told him that the foreigners had landed, and
♦ Eas-Dara, now Ballysodare, in the county Sligo.
t See page 1.
J Tara, in Meath, the chief seat of the king^ of Ireland.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDKEN OF TUBENN. 43
that they had wasted and plundered the province of
Bove Derg.
" I shall give them battle," said Luga ; " and I wish
to get from thee some help of men and anns."
" I will give no help," said the king ; " for I do not
wish to avenge a deed that has not been done against
myself"
When Luga heard this reply he was wroth, and
departing straightway from Tara, he rode westward.
He had not travelled long when he saw at a distance
three warriors, fully armed, riding towards him. Now
these were three brothers, the sons of Canta ; namely,
Kian and Cu and Kethen; and Kian was Luga*s
father. And they saluted each other, and conversed
together for a time.
" Why art thou abroad so early ? " said they.
"Cause enough have I," replied Luga; "for the
Fomorians have landed in Erin, and have wasted the
province of Bove Derg, the son of the Dagda. It is
well indeed that I have met you, for I am about
to give them battle, and I wish now to know what aid
I shall get from you."
" We will go into the battle with you," said they ;
" and each of us will ward off from you a hundred of
the Fomorian warriors."
" That, indeed, is good help," said Luga ; " but, for
the present, I wish you to go to the several places
throughout Erin where the Fairy Host * are abiding,
and summon them all to me."
* Fairj Host, i.e. the Dedannans. (See notes 1 and 8 at end.)
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44« OLD CELTIC EOMANCES.
The three brothers accordingly separated, Cu and
Kethen going south, while Luga's father, Kian, turned
his face northwards, and rode on till he came to Moy
Murth'emna.* He had not been long travelling over
the plain when he saw three warriors, clad in armour
and fully armed, coming towards him. These were
three Dedannan chiefs, the sons of Turenn, and their
names were Brian, Ur, and Urcar. Now these thiee and
the three sons of Canta were at deadly feud with
each other, on accoimt of an old quarrel, and whenever
they met there was sure to be a fight for life or death.
As soon as Kian saw these three, he said, " If my
two brothers were now with me, we should have a
brave fight ; but as they are not, and as I am only one
against three, it is better to avoid the combat." So
saying, he looked round, and seeing near him a herd
of swine, he struck himself with a golden druidical ^
wand, and changed himself into a pig ; and he quickly
joined the herd.
No sooner had he done so than Brian, the eldest
of the sons of Turenn, said to his brothers, " Tell me,
my brothers, do you know what has become of the
warrior that we saw just now approaching us on the
plain?"
"We saw him," said they, "but we know not
whither he has gone."
" You deserve great blame," said he, " that you are
not more watchful while traversing the country during
this time of war. Now I know what has happened
• M07 Murthemna, a plain in the oonniy of Louth.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 46
to this warrior ; he has changed himself, by a druidical
spell, into a pig ; and he is now among yonder herd.
And whoever he may be, of this be sure — ^he is no
friend of ours."
"This is an unlucky matter,'* said they; "for as
these pigs belong to one of ihe Dedannans, it would be
wrong for us to kill them ; and even if we should do
so, the enchanted pig might escape after aU."
" But," answered Brian, " I think I can manage to
distinguish any druidical beast from a natural one ;
and if you had attended well to your learning, you
would be able to do the same."
Saying this, he struck his brothers one after the
other with his golden druidical wand, and turned them
into two fleet, slender, sharp-nosed hounds. The
moment he had done so they put their noses to the
earth, and, yelping eagerly, set off towards the herd on
the trail of their enemy. When they had come near,
the druidical pig fell out from the herd, and made
towards a thick grove that grew hard by ; but Brian
was there before him, and drove his spear through his
chest.
The pig screamed and said, " You have done an ill
deed to cast your spear at me, for you know well who
I am."
" Your voice, methinks, is the voice of a man," said
Brian ; " but I know not who you are."
And the pig answered, "I am Kian, the son of
Canta ; and now I ask you to give me quarter."
Ur and Urcar, who had regained their shape and
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46 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
come up, said, " We will give you quarter indeed, and
we are sorry for what has happened to you."
But Brian, on the other hand, said, " I swear by the
gods of the air, that if your life returned to you seven
times, I would take it from you seven times."
"Then," said Kian, "as you will not grant me
quarter, allow me first to return to my own shape."
" That we will grant you," said Brian ; " for I often
feel it easier to kill a man than to kill a pig."
Kian accordingly took his own shape ; and then he
said, " You indeed, ye sons of Turenn, are now about
to slay me ; but even so, I have outwitted yoiL For
if you had slain me in the shape of a pig, you would
have to pay only the eric-fine^® for a pig; whereas,
now that I am in my own shape, you shall pay the
full fine for a man. And there never yet was killed,
and there never shall be killed, a man for whom a
greater fine shall be paid, than you will have to pay
for me. The weapons with which I am slain shall
tell the deed to my son ; and he will exact the fine
from you."
" You shall not be slain with the weapons of a
warrior," said Brian; and so saying, he and his
brothers laid aside their arms, and smote him fiercely
and rudely with the round stones of the earth, till they
had reduced his body to a disfigured mass ; and in this
manner they slew him.
They then buried him a man's height in the earth ;
but the earth, being angry at the fratricide,* refused
♦ Fratricide j Gaelic, fionghalf the murder of a relative. (See note.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 47
to receive the body, and cast it up on the surface.
They buried him a second time, and again the body
was thrown up from beneath the clay. Six times the
sons of Turenn buried the body of Kian a man's
height in the earth, and six times did the earth cast it
up, refusing to receive it. But when they had buried
him the seventh time, the earth refused no longer, and
the body remained in the grave.
Then the sons of Turenn prepared to go forward
after Luga of the Long Arms to the battle. But as
they were leaving the grave, they thought they heard
a faint, muffled voice coming up from the ground
beneath their feet —
The blood you have spilled,
The hero yonVe killed,
Shall follow your steps till your doom be fulfilled
CHAPTER III.
DEFEAT AND FLIGHT OF THE LOCHLANNS.
Now as to Luga. After parting from his father, he
journeyed westward till he reached Ath-Luan,* thence
page 7.) The sons of Turenn and the sons of Canta appear to have been
related to each other (see the third stanza of the poem, page 94).
♦ Ath-LuoMy now Athlonej Bos-Comcm, now Bosoommon; Moy-
Lurg, a plain in the county Boscommon ; Curlieu Hills, a range of
hills near Boyle, in Boscommon ; Kesh-Corran, a well-known
mountain in Sligo. The ** Great Plain of the Assembly " must have
been near Ballysodare, in Sligo.
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48 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
to Ros-Coman, and over Moy-Lurg to the CurKeu Hills,
and to the mountain of Kesh-Corran, till he reached
the " Great Plain of the Assembly," where the foreigners
were encamped, with the spoils of Connaught around
them.
As he drew nigh to the Fomorian encampment,
Bres, the son of Balor, arose and said —
" A wonderful thing has come to pass this day ; for
the sun, it seems to me, has risen in the west."
"It would be better that it were so," said the
druids,^ " than that matters should be as they are."
" What else can it be, then ? " asked Bres.
"The light you see," replied the druids, "is the
brightness of the face, and the flashing of the weapons
of Luga of the Long Arms, our deadly enemy, he
who slew our tax-gatherers, and who now approaches."
Then Luga came up peacefully and saluted them.
" How does it come to pass that you salute us," said
they, " since you are, as we know well, our enemy ? "
"I have good cause for saluting you," answered
Luga ; " for only one half of my blood is Dedannan ;
the other half comes from you ; for I am the son of
the daughter of Balor of the Mighty Blows, your
king."^ And now I come in peace, to ask you to give
back to the men of Connaught all the milch cows you
have taken from them."
" May ill luck follow thee," said one of the Fomo-
rian leaders, in a voice loud and wrathful, " until thou
get one of them, either a milch cow or a dry cow ! "
And the others spoke in a like strain.
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^
THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 49
Then Luga put a dniidical spell upon the plundered
cattle ; and he sent all the milch cows home, each to
the door of her owner's house, throughout all that
part of Connaught that had been plundered. But the
dry cows he left, so that the Fomorians might be
cumbered, and that they might not leave their en-
campment till the Fairy Host should arrive to give
them batde.
Luga tarried tiiree.days and three nights near
them, and at the end of that time the Fairy Host
arrived, and placed themselves imder his command.
They encamped near the Fomorians, and in a little
time Bove Derg, son of the Dagda, joined them with
tw^ity-nine hundred men.
Then they made ready for the fight. The Ddana
put on Mannanan's coat of mail and his breast-plate ;
he took also his helmet, which was called Cannbarr,
and it glittered in the sun with dazzling brightness ;
he slung his broad, dark-blue shield from his shoulder
at one side ; his long, keen-edged sword hung at his
thigh ; and lastly, he took his two long, heavy-handled
spears, which had been tempered in the poisonous
blood of adders. The other kings and chiefs of the
men of Erin arrayed their men in battle ranks;
hedges of glittering spears rose high above their
heads; and their shields, placed edge to edge, formed
a firm fence around them.
Then at the signal they attacked the Fomorians,
and the Fomorians, in no degree dismayed, answered
their onset. At first a cloud of whizzing javelins flew
E
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50 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
from rank to rank across the open space, and as the
warriors rushed together in closer conflict, their spears
were shivered in their hands. Then they drew their
gold-hilted swords, and fought foot to foot and shield
to shield, so that a forest of bright flashes rose high
above their helmets, from the clashing of their keen-
tempered weapons.
In the midst of the fight, Luga looked round, and
seeing at some distance, Bres, surrounded by his
Fomorian warriors, dealing havoc and death among
the Dedannans, he rushed through the press of battle,
and attacked first Bres's guards so fiercely that in
a few moments twenty of them fell beneath his blows.
Then he struck at Bres himself, who, unable to
withstand his furious onset, cried aloud —
" Why should we be enemies, since thou art of my
kin ? Let there be peace between us, for nothing can
withstand thy blows. Let there be peace, and I will
undertake to bring my Fomorians to assist thee at
Moytura,^ and I will promise never again to come
to fight against thee."
And Bres swore by the sun and the moon, by the
sea and land, and by aU the elements,* to fulfil his
engagement; and on these conditions Luga granted
him his life.
Then the Fomorians, seeing their chief overcome,
dropped their arms, and sued for quarter. The Fomo-
* A nsnal form of oath among the ancient Irish. (See, for an
account of this oath, the author's "Origin and History of Irish
Names of Places," Series IL chap. XIV.)
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 51
rian druids and men of learning next came to Luga
to ask him to spare their lives; and Lnga answered
them —
" So far am I from wishing to slay you, that in
truth, if you had taken the whole Fomorian race
under your protection, I would have spared them,"
And after this, Bres, the son of Balor, retximed to
his own country with his druids, and with those of
his army who had escaped from the battle.
CHAPTER IV.
THE EEIC-FINE ON THE SONS OF TURENN FOR THE
SLAYING OP KLiN.
Towards the close of the day, when the battle was
ended, Luga espied two of his near friends ; and he
asked them if they had seen his father, Eaan, in the
fight. And when they answered, " No," Luga said —
" My father is not alive ; for if he lived he would
surely have come to help me in the battle. And now
I swear that neither food nor drink will I take till
I have found out who has slain him, and the manner
of his death."
Then Luga set out with a small chosen band of
the Fairy Host, and he halted not till he reached the
place where he had parted from his father. And from
that he travelled on to the plain of Murthemna, where
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52 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
Kian had been forced to take the shape of a pig to
avoid the sons of Turenn, and where they had slain
him.
When he had come near to the very spot, he
walked some little way before his companions, and
the stones of the earth spoke beneath his feet, and
said —
"Here thy fether lies, O Luga. Grievous was
Kian*s strait when he was forced to take the shape
of a pig on seeing the three sons of Turenn ; and here
they slew him in his own shape ! "
The blood that they spilled,
The hero they kiUed,
Shall darken their lives till their doom be fulfilled I
Lxiga stood for a while silent, pondering on these
words. But as his companions came up, he told them
what had happened ; and having pointed out the spot
from which the voice came, he caused the ground to
be dug up. There they found the body, and raised it
to the surface ; and when they had examined it, they
saw that it was covered all over with gory wounds
and bruises.
Then Luga spoke after a long silence, "A, cruel
and merciless death has my beloved father suflFered at
the hands of the sons of Turenn ! "
He kissed his father's face three times, and again
spoke, grieving, " lU fare the day on which my father
was slain ! Wofal is this deed to me, for my eyes see
not, my ears hear not, and my heart's pulse has ceased
to beat, for grief. Why, O ye gods whom I worship.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILBBEN OF TURENN. 53
why was I not present when this deed was done?
Alas ! an eyil thing has happened, for the Dedannans
have slain their brother Dedannan. lU shall they fsixe
of this fratricide, for its consequences shall foUow
them, and long shaU the crime of brother against
brother continue to be committed in Erin ! "
And he spoke this speech —
A dreadfnl doom mj father f onnd
On that ill-omened even-tide ;
And here I mourn beside the monnd,
Where, whelmed by numbers, Kian died, —
This lonely mound of evil fame.
That long shall bear the hero's name !
Alas! an evil deed is done,
And long shall Erin rue the day :
There shall be strife *twixt sire and son,
And brothers shall their brothers slay ;
Vengeance shall smite the murderers too.
And vengeance all their race pursue !
The light has faded from mine eyes $
My youthful strength and power have fled
Weary my heart with ceaseless sighs ;
Ambition, hope, and joy are dead ;
And all the world is draped in gloom —
The shadow of my father's tomb !
Then they placed the hero again in the grave, and
they raised a tomb over him with his name graved in
Ogam ; * after which his lamentation lays were sung
and his funeral games were performed.
When these rites were ended, Luga said to his
people, " Go ye now to Tara, where the king of Erin
* A kind of writing. (See note, page 36.)
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54 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
sits on his throne with the Dedannans around him ;
but do not make these things known till I myself
have told them."
So Luga's people went straightway to Tara, as he
had bade them ; but of the murder of Kian they said
naught. Luga himself arrived some time after, and
was received with great honour, being put to sit high
over the others, at the king's side ; for the fame of his
mighty deeds at the battle of the Assembly Plain had
been noised over the whole country, and had come to
the ears of the king.
After he was seated, he looked round the hall, and
saw the sons of Turenn in the assembly. Now these
three sons of Tiu-enn exceeded all the champions in
Tara, in comeliness of person, in swiftness of foot,
and in feats of arms ; and, next to Luga himself, they
were the best and bravest in the battles against the
Fomorians ; wherefore they were honoured by the king
beyond most others.
Luga asked the king that the chain of silence *
should be shaken; and when it was shaken, and when
aU were listening in silence, he stood up and spoke —
" I perceive, ye nobles of the Dedannan race, that
you have given me your attention, and now I have
a question to put to each man here present: What
vengeance would you take of the man who should
knowingly and of design kill your father ? "
* Chain of silence ; a chain, probably hung with little bells, which
the lord of a mansion shook when he wished to get silence and
attention.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 55
They were all struck with amazement on hearing
this, and the king of Erin said —
" What does this mean ? For that your fether has
not been killed, this we all know well ! "
"My father has indeed been killed," answered
Luga; "and I see now here in this hall those who slew
him. And furthermore, I know the manner in which
they put him to death, even as they know it them-
selves."
The sons of Turenn, hearing all this, said nothing ;
but the Idng spoke aloud and said —
" If any man should wilfully slay my father, it is
not in om hour or in one day I would have him put
to death ; but I would lop off one of his members
each day, tiU I saw him die in torment under my
hands!"
All the nobles said the same, and the sons of
Turenn in Ike manner.
" The peisons who slew my father are here present,
and are joinaig with the rest in this judgment,** said
Luga ; " and as the Dedannans are all now here to
witness, I claim that the three who have done this
evil deed shaUpay me a fitting eric-fine for my father.
Should they rrfuse, I shall not indeed transgress the
king's law nor violate his protection ; but of a certainty
they shaU not leave this hall of Micorta * till the
matter is settled"
And the kiii^ of Erin said, " If I had killed your
♦ Mico'rta j the mme of the great banqneting hall of Tara, the
ruins of which are tobe seen to this day.
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fathej*, I should be well content if you were willing
to accept an eric-fine from me."
Now the sons of Turenn spoke among themselves ;
and Ur and Urcar said, " It is of us Luga speaks this
speech. He has doubtless found out that we slew his
father; and it is better that we now acknowledge the
deed, for it will avail us naught to hide it."
Brian, however, at first set his face against this,
saying that he feared Luga only wanted an acknow-
ledgment from them in presence of the otler De-
dannans, and that afterwards he might not nccept a
fine. But the other two were earnest in presring him,
so that he consented, and then he spoke to Luga —
" It is of us thou speakest all these thiigs, Luga ;
for it has been said that we three have been at enmity
with the three sons of Canta. Now, as to ihe slaying
of thy father Kian, let that matter rest ; 5ut we are
willing to pay an eric-fine for him, even £|5 if we had
kiUed him."
" I shall accept an eric-fine from you/ said Luga,
" though ye indeed fear I shaU not. I sh^l now name
before this assembly the fine I ask, and /f you think
it too much, I shall take oflF a part of it. ,
" The first part of my eric-fine is thr^e apples ; the
second part is the skin of a pig ; the t]trd is a spear ;
the fourth, two steeds and a chariot ; ^he fifth, seven
pigs; the sixth, a hound- whelp; the sevmth, a cooking-
spit; and the eighth, three shouts on ft hill. That is
my eric," said Luga ; " and if ye thinkf t too much, say
so now, that I may remit a part ; b^ if not, then it
will be well that ye set about payingft."
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 67
"So fax," said Brian, "we do not deem it too
great. It seems, indeed, so small that we fear there is
some hidden snare in what you ask, which may work
us mischief."
"I do not deem my eric too small," said Luga;
"and now I engage here, before the assembled De-
dannans, that I will ask no more, and that I will seek
no further vengeance for my father *s death. But, as I
have made myself answerable to them for the faithful
fulfilment of my promise, I demand the same guarantee
from you, that you also be faithful to me."
"Alas that you should doubt our plighted word !"
said the sons of Turenn. "Are we not ourselves
sujEcient guarantee for the payment of an eric-fine
greater even than this ? "
"I do not deem your word sufficient guarantee,"
answered Luga; "for often have we known great
warriors like you to promise a fine before all the
people, and afterwards to go back of their promise."
And the sons of Turenn consented, though un-
willingly, for they grieved that their word should be
doubted. So they bound themselves on either side —
Luga not to increase his claims; and the sons of
Turenn, on their part, to pay him the fiill fine. And
the king of Erin and Boye Derg, son of the Dagda,
and the nobles of the Dedannans in general, were
witnesses and sureties of this bond.
Then Luga stood up and said, " It is now time
that I give you a full knowledge of this eric-fine.
"The three apples I ask are the apples of the
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Garden of Hisbema,* in the east of the world, and
none others will I have. There are no apples in the
rest of the world like them, for their beauty and for
the secret virtues they possess. Their coloiu- is the
colour of burnished gold; they have the taste of honey;
and if a wounded warrior or a man in deadly sickness
eat of them, he is cured immediately. And they are
never lessened by being eaten, being as large and
perfect at the end as at the beginning. Moreover,
any champion that possesses one of them may perform
with it whatsoever feat he pleases, by casting it from
his hand, and the apple will return to him of itself.
And though you are three brave warriors, ye sons of
Turenn, methinks you will not find it easy to bring
away these apples ; for it has been long foretold that
three young champions from the Island of the West
would come to take them by force, so that the king
has set guards to watch for your coming.
" The pig*s skin I seek from you belongs to Tuis,
the king of Greece. When the pig was alive, every
stream of water through which she walked was turned
into wine for nine days, and all sick and wounded
people that touched her skin were at once cured,
if only the breath of life remained. Now the king's
druids told him that the virtue lay, not in the pig
herself, but in her skin ; so the king had her killed and
skinned, and he has her skin now. This, too, ye valiant
champions, is a part of my eric-fine which you will
find it hard to get, either by force or by friendship.
* The Garden of the Hesperides.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 59
"The spear I demand from you is the venomed
spear of Pezar, king of Persia. Its name is Slaughterer.
In time of peace, its blazing, fiery head is always kept
in a great caldron of water, to prevent it from burning
down the king's palace; and in time of war, the
champion who bears it to the battle-field can perform
any deed he pleases with it. And it will be no easy
matter to get this spear from the king of Persia.
" The two steeds and the chariot belong to Dobar,
king of Sigar.* The chariot exceeds aU the chariots
in the world for beauty of shape and goodliness of
workmanship. The two noble steeds have no equal
for strength and fleetness, and they travel with as
much ease on sea as on land.
" The seven pigs I demand are the pigs of Asal,
the king of the Golden Pillars. Whoever eats a part
of them shall not suffer from iU health or disease ; and
even though they should be killed and eaten to-day,
they will be alive and well to-morrow.
" The hoimd- whelp belongs to the king of Iroda,t
and his name is Failinis. He shines as brightly as
the sun in a summer sky ; and every wild beast of the
forest that sees him falls down to the earth powerless
before him.
" The cooking-spit belongs to the warlike women
of the island of Fincara. They are thrice fifty in
number, and woe to the champion who approaches
* Sigar, i.e, Sicily.
f Iroda was the name given by the Irish to some country in the
far north of Europe, probably Norway.
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their house; for each of them is a match for three
good warriors in single combat; and they never yet
gave a cooking-spit to any one without being over-
come in battle.
"The hill on which I require you to give three
• shouts is the Hill of Midkena, in the north of Lochlann.^
Midkena and his sons are always guarding this hill,
for they are under gesa^^ not to allow any one to
shout on it. Moreover, it was they that instructed my
father in championship and feats of arms, and they
loved him very much ; so that even if I should forgive
you his death they would not. And, though you
should be able to procure all the rest of the eric-fine,
you will not, I think, succeed in this, for they will
be sure to avenge on you my father's death.
" And this, ye sons of Turenn, is the eric-fine I
demand from you ! "
CHAPTER V.
THE SONS OF TUEENN OBTAIN MANNANAN'S CANOE,
"THE WAVE-SWEEPEE."
The sons of Turenn were so astounded on hearing
this eric-fine that they spoke not one word ; but rising
up, they left the meeting, and repaired to the house
of their father Turenn.
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THE FATE OF THE CHELDREN OF TURENN. 61
He heard their story to the end, and then said,
" Your tidings are bad, my sons, and I fear me you are
doomed to meet your death in seeking what the
ndana asks. But the doom is a just one, for it was
an evil thing to kill Kian. Now as to this eric-fine : it
cannot be obtained by any living man without the
help of either Luga himself or of if annanan Mac Lir ; ®
but if Luga wishes to aid you, ye shall be able to
get it. Go ye now, therefore, and ask him to lend you
Mannanan's steed, Enbarr of the Flowing Mane. If
he wishes you to get the full eric-fine, he will lend
you ihe steed ; otherwise he will refuse, flaying that
she does not belong to him, and that he cannot lend
what he himself has got on loan. Then, if ye obtain
not the steed, ask him for the loan of Mannanan's
canoe, the Wave-sweeper, which would be better for
you than the steed ; and he will lend you that, for he
is forbidden to refuse a second request."
So the sons of Turenn returned to Luga, and
having saluted him, they said-^
" It is not in the power of any man to obtain this
eric-fine without thy own aid, O Luga ; we ask thee,
iJierefore, to lend us Mannanan's steed, Enbarr of the
Flowing Mane."
" That steed is not my own," said Luga ; " and I
cannot lend that which I have myself obtained on
loan."
" If that be so," said Brian, " then I pray thee lend
us Mannanan's canoe, the Wave-sweeper."
" I shall lend you that," replied Luga ; " it lies at
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Bruga of the Boyne ; * and ye have my consent to
take it."
So they came again to their father, and this time
Ethnea, their sister, was with him; and they told
them that Luga had given them the canoe.
"I have much fear," said Turenn, "that it will
avail you little against the dangers of yoiu* quest.
Nevertheless, Luga desires to obtain that part of the
eric that will be useful to him at the battle of Moy-
tura,^^ and so fitr he will help you. But in seeking
that which is of no advantage to him, namely, the
cooking-spit, and the three shouts on Midkena's Hill,
therein he will give you no aid, and he wiU be glad
if ye perish in your attempts to obtain it."
They then set out for Bruga of the Boyne, accom-
panied by their sister Ethnea, leaving Turenn lament-
ing after them. The canoe they found lying in the
river ; and Brian went into it and said —
"It seems to me that only one other person can
sit here along with me;" and he began to complain
very bitterly of its smallness. He ceased, however,
at the bidding of Ethnea, who told him that the
canoe would turn out large enough when they came
to try it, and that it was under strict command not to
let any one grumble at its smallness. And she went
on to say —
*'Alas, my beloved brothers, it was an evil deed
* Bruga of the Boyne, the palace of Angus, the great Dedannan
magician, was sitnated on the north shore of the Boyne, not far from
Slane. (See note 1 at end.)
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 63
to slay the father of Luga of the Long Anns ! and
I fear you will suffer much woe and hardship on
account of it."
Ethnba.
The deed was a dark one, a deed fall of woe,
Your brother Dedannan to slay ;
And hard and relentless the heart of yonr foe,
The bright-faced Hdana, that foroed yon to go,
This eric of vengeance to pay !
The Brothkrs.
Oh, cease, sister Ethnea, cease thy sad wail :
Why yield to this terror and gloom P
Long, long shall the poets remember the tale,
For onr courage and ralonr and swords shall prevail,
Or win ns a glorions tomb !
Ethnea.
Then search ye, my brothers, go search land and sea ;
Gro search ye the isles of the East. —
Alas, that the cmel Ildana*s decree
Has banished my three gentle brothers from me,
On this f earfnl and perilons quest !
CHAPTER VI.
THE APPLES OF THE GAEDEN OF HISBERNA.
After this the three brothers entered the canoe,
which they now found large enough to hold them-
selves and their arms^ and whatsoever else they wished
to bring ; for this was one of its secret gifts. They
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then bade their sister farewell, and, leaving her weeping
on the shore, they rowed swiftly till they had got
beyond the beautiful shores and bright harboiu-s of
Erin, out on the open sea.
Then the two younger brothers said, "Now our
quest begins : what course shall we take ? "
Brian answered, " As the apples are the first part of
the fine, we shall seek them first."
And then he spoke to the canoe, " Thou canoe of
Mannanan, thou Sweeper of the waves, we ask thee
and we command thee, that thou sail straightway to
the Garden of Hisbema ! "
The canoe was not unmindful of the voice of its
master, and obeyed the command without delay,
according to its wont. It took the shortest way across
the deep sea-chasms, and, gliding over the green-sided
waves more swiftly than the clear, cold wind of March,
it stayed not in its course till it reached the harbour
near the land of Hisbema.
Brian now spoke to his brothers, "Be sure that
this quest is a perilous one, since we know that the
best champions of the country, with the king at their
head, are always guarding the apples. And now in
what manner, think you, is it best for us to approach
the garden ? "
" It seems to us," answered his brothers, " that we
had better go straight and attack these champions, and
either bring away the apples, or fall %hting for them.
For we cannot escape the dangers that lie before us ;
and if we are doomed to fall in one of these adventures.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 65
it may, perchance, be better for us to die here than to
prolong our hardships."
But Brian answered, " Not so, my brothers ; for it
becomes a warrior to be prudent and wary as well as
brave. We should now act so that the fame of our
skill and valour may live after us, and that future men
may not say, ' These sons of Turenn did not deserve to
be called brave champions, for they were senseless and
rash, and sought their own death by their folly.' In
the present case, then, what I counsel is this : Let us
take the shape of strong, swift hawks ; and as we
approach the garden, have ye care of the light, sharp
lances of the guards, which they will certainly hurl at
us : avoid them actively and cunningly, and when the
men have thrown all, let us swoop down and bring
away an apple each."
They approved this counsel; and Brian, striking
his two brothers and himself with a druidical magic
wand, all three were changed into three beautiftil
hawks. Then, flying swiftly to the garden, they
began to descend in circles towards the tops of the
trees ; but the sharp-eyed guards perceived them, and
with a great shout they threw showers of venomous
darts at them. The hawks, however, mindful of
Brian's warning, watched the spears with keen glances,
and escaped them every one, until the guards had
thrown all their light weapons. Then, swooping
suddenly down on the trees, the two younger brothers
carried off an apple each, and Brian two, one between
his talons and the other in his beak; and the three
F
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rose again into the air without wound or hurt of any-
kind. Then, directing their course westward, they
flew over the wide sea with the speed of an arrow.
The news spread quickly through the city, how
three beautiful hawks had carried off the apples ; and
the king and his people were in great wrath. Now
the king had three daughters, very skilful in magic
and cunning in counsel; and they forthwith trans-
formed themselves into three swift-winged, sharp-
taloned griffins, and pursued the hawks over the
sea. But the hawks, when they saw they were
pursued, increased their speed, and flew like the wind,
and left their pursuers so far behind that they
appeared to the griffins like three specks on the
sky. Then the angry griffins let fly from their eyes,
and from their open beaks, bright flashes of flame
straight forward, which overtook and blinded the
hawks, and scorched them, so that they could bear the
heat no longer.
" Evil is our state now," said Ur and TJrcar, " for
these sheets of flame are burning us, and we shall
perish if we do not get relief"
"I will try whether I cannot relieve you," said Brian ;
and with that he struck his brothers and himself with
his golden druidical wand ; and all three were instantly
turned into swans. The swans dropped down on the
sea ; and when the griffins saw the hawks no longer
straight before them, they gave up the chase. And
the sons of Turenn went safely to their canoe, bring-
ing the apples with them.
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CHAPTER VII.
THE GIFTED SKIN OF THE PIG.
After resting a little while, they held council as to
their next journey ; and what they resolved on was
to go to Greece, to seek the skin of the pig, and to
bring it away, either by consent or by force. So they
went into the canoe, and Brian spoke —
"Thou canoe of Mannanan, thou Sweeper of the
Waves, we ask thee and we command thee that thou
sail with us straightway to Greece ! "
And the canoe, obeying as before, glided swiftly
and smoothly over the waves, till the sons of Turenn
landed near the palace of the king of Greece.
" In what shape, think you, should we go to this
court ? " said Brian.
"We think it best," answered the others, "to
go in our own shapes ; that is to say, as three bold
champions."
" Not so," said Brian. " It seems best to me that
we should go in the guise of learned poets from Erin ;
for poets are held in much honour and respect by the
great nobles of Greece."
" It is, indeed, hard for us to do that," answered his
brothers, " for as to poems, we neither have any, nor
do we know how to compose them."
However, as Brian would have it so, they con-
sented, though unwillingly; and, tying up their hair
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after the manner of poets, they knocked at the door of
the palace. The door-keeper asked who was there.
" We are skilful poets from Erin," said Brian, " and
we have come to Greece with a poem for the king."
The door-keeper went and gave the message.
"Let them be brought in," said the king, "for it is
to seek a good and bountiful master whom they may
serve faithfully that they have come so far from Erin."
The sons of Turenn were accordingly led in to the
banquet hall, where sat the king surrounded by his
nobles ; and, bowing low, they saluted him ; and he
saluted them in return, and welcomed them. They sat
at the table among the company, and joined the feast
at once, drinking and making merry like the others ;
and they thought they had never seen a banquet hall
so grand, or a household so numerous and mirthful.
At the proper time the king's poets arose, according
to custom, to recite their poems and their lays for the
company. And when they had come to an end, Brian,
speaking low, said to his brothers —
"As we have come here as poets, it is meet that
we should practise the poetic art like the others;
therefore now arise, and recite a poem for the king."
"We have no poems," they replied, "and we do
not wish to practise any art except the art we have
learned and practised from our youth, namely, to fight
like brave champions, and to take by valour and force
of arms that which we want, if we be stronger than
our enemies, or to fall in battle if they be the
stronger."
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 69
"That is not a pleasant way of making poetry,"
said Brian; and with that he arose and requested
attention for his poem. And when they sat listening,
he said —
To praise thee, O Tuis, weVe oome to this land :
Like an oak among shrubs, over kings thou dost stand :
Thy bounty, great monarch, shall gladden the bard ;
And the Imnocta-fessa I claim as reward.
Two neighbours shall war, with an O to an ;
A bard unrequited — ^how dreadful a foe !
Thy bounty shall add to thy wealth and thy fame ;
And the Im/nocta-fessa is sJl that I claim.
''Your poem would doubtless be thought a very
good one," said the king, " if we were able to judge of
it ; but it is unlike all other poems I have ever heard,
for I do not in the least understand its sense."
" I will imfold its sense," said Brian.
To praise thee, O Tuis, weVe come to this land :
Like an oak among shrubs, over kings thou dost stand :
" This means that as the oak excels all the other trees
of the forest, so dost thou excel all the other kings of
the world for greatness, nobility, and generosity.
" ' Imnocta-fessa.* Imnocta means ' skin,' and fessa
* a pig.' That is to say, thou hast, O king, the skin of
a pig, which I desire to get from thee as a guerdon
for my poetry.
Two neighbours shall war, with an to an O ;
A bard unrequited — ^how dreadful a foe !
"0 means 'an ear;' that is to say, thou and I shall
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be ear to ear fighting with each other for the skin, if
thou give it not of thy own free will.
" And that, O king, is the sense of my poem."
"Thy poem would have been a very good one,"
said the king, " and I would have given it due meed
of praise if my pig's skin had not been mentioned in
it. But it is a foolish request of thine, O ferdana,*
to ask for that skin; for, even though all the poets
and men of science of Erin, and all the nobles of the
whole world were to demand it from me, I would
refuse it. Nevertheless, thou shalt not pass unre-
warded, for I wiU give thee thrice the full of the skin
of red gold — one for thyself, and one for each of thy
brothers."
" Thy ransom is a good one, king," said Brian ;
"but I am a near-hearted and suspicious man, and
I pray thee let me see with my eyes thy servants
measure the gold, lest they deal unfairly with me."
The king agreed to this; so his servants went with
the three sons of Turenn to the treasure-room, and one
of them drew forth the skin from its place, to measure
the gold. As soon as Brian caught sight of it, he
sprang suddenly towp-rds the servant, and, dashing
him to the ground with his right hand, he snatched
the skin with his left, and bound it hastily over his
shoulders.
Then the three drew their keen swords, and rushed
into the banquet hall. The king's nobles, seeing how
matters stood, surrounded and attacked them ; but the
* Ferdana, a poet ; literally, " a man of verse."
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sons of Turenn, nothing daunted by the number of
their foes, hewed down the foremost and scattered the
rest, so that scarce one of the whole party escaped
death or deadly wounds.
Then at last Brian and the king met face to face,
nor was either slow to answer the challenge of the
other. They fought as great champions fight, and it
was long doubtful which should prevail ; but the end
of the combat was, that the king of Greece fell by the
overpowering valour of ^Brian, the son of Turenn.
After this victory, the three brothers rested in the
palace till they had regained their strength, and healed
up their wounds by means of the apples and the pig's
skin; and at the end of three days and three nights
they found themselves able to undertake the next
adventure.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE BLAZING SPEAR OF THE KING OF PERSIA.
So, after holding council, they resolved to go to seek
the spear of the king of Persia ; and Brian reminded
his brothers that now, as they had the apples and the
skin to aid them, it would be all the easier to get
the spear, as well as the rest of the fine.
Leaving now the shores of Greece with aU its blue
streams, they went on board the canoe, which, at
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Brian's command, flew across the wide seas ; and soon
they made land near the palace of Pezar, king of
Persia. And seeing how they had fared so well in
their last undertaking, they resolved to put on the
guise of poets this time also.
And so they put the poet's tie on their hair, and,
passing through the outer gate, they knocked at the
door of the palace. The door-keeper asked who they
were, and from what country they had come.
'' We are poets from Erin," answered Brian ; " and
we have brought a poem for the king."
So they were admitted and brought to the presence
of the king, who seated them among the nobles of his
household ; and they joined in the drinking and the
feasting and the revelry.
The king's poets now arose, and chanted their
songs for the king and his guests. And when the
applause had ceased, Brian, speaking softly, said to
his brothers —
" Arise, now, and chant a poem for the king."
But they answered, " Ask us not to do that which
w« are unable to do ; but if you wish us to exercise
the art we have learned from our youth, we shall do
so, namely, the art of fighting and overcoming our
foes."
"That would be an unusual way of reciting
poetry," said Brian ; '' but I have a poem for the king,
and I shall now chant it for him."
So saying, he stood up ; and when there was
silence, he recited this poem —
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDBEN OF TURENN. 73
In royal state may Pezar ever reign,
Like some vast yew tree, monarch of the plain j
May Fezar's mystic javelin, long and bright,
Bring slaughter to his foes in every fight !
When Pezar fights and shakes his dreadful spear,
Whole armies fiy and heroes quake with fear :
What shielded foe, what champion can withstand.
The blazing spear in mighty Fezar's hand !
" Your poem is a good one," said the king ; " but
one thing in it I do not understand, namely, why you
make mention of my spear."
"Because," answered Brian, "I wish to get that
spear as a reward for my poem."
" That is a very foolish request," said the king,
" for no man ever escaped punishment who asked me
for my spear. And as to your poetry, the highest
reward I could now bestow on you, and the greatest
favour these nobles could obtain for you, is that I
should spare your life."
Thereupon Brian and his brothers started up in
great wrath and drew their swords, and the king and
his chiefs drew their swords in like manner; and they
fought a deadly fight. But Brian at last, drawing
forth one of his apples, and taking sure aim, cast it at
the king and struck him on the forehead; so that
Pezar fell, pierced through the brain.
After this Brian fought on more fiercely than
before, dealing destruction everywhere around him ;
but when the chiefs saw that their king had fallen,
they lost heart and fled through the doors, till at
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length none remained in the banquet hall but the
three sons of Turenn.
Then they went to the room where the spear was
kept ; and they found it with its head down deep in
a great caldron of water, which hissed and bubbled
round it. And Brian, seizing it boldly in his hand,
drew it forth ; after which the three brothers left the
palace and went to their canoe.
CHAPTER IX.
THE CHARIOT AND STEEDS OF THE KING OF SIGAR.
Resting now for some days from their toil, they
resolved to seek the steeds and chariot of the king
of Sigar ; for this was the next part of the Ildana's
eric-fine. So they commanded the canoe, and the
canoe, obedient to their behest, glided swiftly and
smoothly over the green waves till they landed in
Sigar. Brian bore the great, heavy, venomed spear
in his hand; and the three brothers were of good
heart, seeing how they had succeeded in their last
quest, and that they had now three parts of the fine.
"In what shape think you we should go to this
court ? " said Brian.
" How should we go," answered the others, " but in
our own shapes, namely, as three hostile champions.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 75
who have come to get the chariot and steeds, either
by force or by good will ? "
" That is not what seems best to me," said Brian.
"My counsel is, that we go as soldiers from Erin,
willing to serve for pay ; and should the king take us
into his service, it is likely we shall find out where
the chariot and steeds are kept."
His brothers having agreed to this, the three set
out for the palace.
It happened that the king was holding a fair-
meeting on the broad, level green before the palace ;
and when the three warriors came near, the people
made way for them. They bowed low to the king ;
and he asked them who they were, and from what
part of the world they had come.
"We are valiant soldiers from Erin," they answered,
" seeking for service and pay among the great kings of
the world."
"Do you wish to enter my service ? " asked the
king: and they answered, "Yes." So they made a
covenant with each other — the king to place them in
a post of honour and trust, and they to serve him
faithfully, and to name their own reward. Where-
upon the brothers entered the ranks of the king's
body-guard.
They remained in the palace for a month and a
fortnight, looking round and carefiilly noting every-
thing ; but they saw nothing of the chariot and steeds.
Al the end of that time Brian said to his brothers —
"It fares ill with us here, my brothers; for we
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know nothing of the chariot and steeds at this hour,
more than when we first came hither/'
The others said this was quite true, and asked if
he meant to do anything in the matter.
"This is what I think we should do," answered
Brian. " Let us put on our travelling array, and take
our arms of valour in our hands ; and in this fashion
let us go before the king, and tell him that unless he
shows us the chariot and steeds, we shall leave his
service."
This they did without delay ; and when they had
come before the king, he asked them why they came
to his presence so armed and in travelling gear.
"We will tell thee of that, O king," answered
Brian. " We are valiant soldiers from Erin, aud into
whatsoever lands we have travelled, we have been
trusted with the secret counsels of the kings who
have taken us into their service ; and we have been
made the guardians of their rarest jewels and of all •
their gifted arms of victory. But as to thee, king,
thou hast not so treated us since we came hither ; for
thou hast a chariot and two steeds, which exceed all
the chariots and steeds in the world, and yet we have
never seen them."
" A small thing it is that has caused you to pre-
pare for departure," said the king; "and there is,
moreover, no need that you should leave my service ;
for I would have shown you those steeds the day you
came, had I only known that you wished it. But ye
shall see them now; for I have never had in my
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 77
service soldiers from a distant land, in whom I and
my people have placed greater trust than we have
placed in you."
He then sent for the steeds, and had them yoked to
the chariot — those steeds that were as fleet as the clear,
cold wind of March, and which travelled with equal
speed on land and on sea.
Brian, viewing them narrowly, said aloud, "Hear
me, king of Sicily. We have served thee faithfully
up to this time ; and now we wish to name our own
pay, according to the covenant thou hast made with
us. The guerdon we demand is yonder chariot and
steeds ; these we mean to have, and we shall ask for
nothing more."
But the king, in great wrath, said, " Foolish and
luckless men ! Ye shall certainly die because you have
dared to ask for my steeds ! "
And the king and his warriors drew their swords,
and rushed towards the sons of Turenn to seize them.
They, on the other hand, were not taken unaware ;
and a sore fight began. And Brian, watching his
opportunity, sprang with a sudden bound into the
chariot, and, dashing the charioteer to the groimd, he
seized the reins in his left hand; then, raising the
venomed spear of Pezar in his right, he smote the
king with its fiery point in the breast, so that he fell
dead. And the three brothers /iealt red slaughter
among the king's guards, till those who were not slain
scattered and fled in all directions. So they fared in
this undertaking.
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CHAPTER X.
THE SEVEN PIGS OF THE KING OF THE GOLDEN
PILLARS.
After resting till their wounds were healed, Ur and
Urear asked where they should go next.
" We shall go," said Brian, " to Asal, the king of
the Golden Pillars, to ask him for his seven pigs; for
this is the next part of the Ildana's eric-fine."
So they set out ; and the canoe brought them
straightway to the land of the Golden Pillars, without
delay and without mishap. As they drew nigh to
the harbour, they saw the shore lined with men all
armed. For the fame of the deeds of these great
champions had begun to be noised through many
lands ; how they had been forced to leave Erin by the
hard sentence of the Ildana ; and how they were
seeking and bearing away the most precious and
gifted jewels of the world to pay the fine. Wherefore
the king of the Golden Pillars had armed his people,
and had sent them to guard the harbours.
The king himself came down to the beach to meet
them. As soon as they had come within speaking
distance, he bade them stay their course ; and then he
asked them, in an angry and chiding tone, if they were
the three champions firom Erin, who had overcome
and slain so many kings.
Brian answered, "Be not displeased with us, O
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 79
king ; for in all this matter we are not to blame. The
ndana has demanded a fine which we perforce must
pay; for we have promised, and the Dedannans are
our guarantee. If the kings to whom he sent us had
given us peaceably the precious things we demanded,
we would gladly have departed in peace ; but as they
did not, we fought against them, unwillingly indeed,
and overthrew them ; for no one has as yet been able
to withstand us."
" Tell me now," said the king, " what has brought
you to my country ? "
"We have come for thy seven pigs," answered
Brian ; " for they are a part of the fine."
"And in what manner do you think ye shall get
them ? *' asked the king.
Brian answered, "Thou hast heard, O king, how
the Ildana has brought us to these straits, and we
must pay him the fine, every jot, or else we shall die
at the hands of our people. Thou, perchance, wilt have
pity on our hardships, and give us these pigs in token
of kindness and friendship, and if so we shall be
thankful ; but if not, then we will fight for them, and
either bring them away by force, after slaying thee
and thy people, or fall ourselves in the attempt."
Hearing this, the king and his people went into
council ; and after debating the matter at full length,
they thought it best to give the pigs peaceably, seeing
that no king, however powerful, had as yet been able
to withstand the sons of Turenn,
The three champions wondered greatly when this
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was told to them ; for in no other country had they
been able to get any part of the fine without battle
and hardship, and without leaving much of their blood
behind them. So they were now very glad; and
thanked Asal and his people.
The king then brought them to his palace, and
gave them a kind welcome; and they were supplied
with food and drink to their hearts' desire, and slept
on soft, downy beds. So they rested after all their
weary journeys and toils.
When they arose next morning, they were brought
to the king's presence, and the pigs were given to
them ; and Brian addressed the king in these words —
The prizes weVe brought to this land,
We have won them in conflict and blood j
Bat the gift we have sought at thy hand,
That gift thou hast freely bestowed.
The red spear rewarded our deeds,
When Pezar the mighty we slew ;
And the fight for the chariot and steeds.
Ah, long shall the Sigarites rue !
Great Asal ! in happier days,
When our deeds bring us glory and fame,
Green Erin shall echo thy praise,
And her poets shall honour thy name !
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDEEN OF TURENN. 81
CHAPTER XL
THE HOUND-WHELP OF THE KING OF IBODA.
" Whither do you go next, ye sons of Turenn V asked
AsaL
*'We go/' answered Brian, ''to Iroda, for Failinis,
the king's honnd-whelp."
" Then grant me this boon," said the king, " namely,
that ye let me go with you to Iroda. For my daughter
is the king's wife; and I will try to prevail on him
that he give you the hound-whelp freely and without
battle."
This they agreed to. But the king wished that
they should go in his own ship ; so it was got ready,
and they went on board with all their wealth; and
it is not told how they fared till they reached the
borders of Iroda. The shores were covered with fierce,
armed men, who were there by orders of the king
to guard the harbour; and these men shouted at the
crew, warning them to come no farther; for they
knew the sons of Turenn, and well they knew what
they came for.
Asal then requested the three champions to remain
where they were for a time, while he went on shore
to talk with his son-in-law. Accordingly he landed,
and went to the king, who, after he had welcomed
him, asked what had brought the sons of Turenn to
his country.
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" They have come for your hound-whelp," answered
Asal.
And the king of Iroda said, "It was an evil
counsel you followed, when you came with these
men to my shores; for to no three champions in
the world have the gods given such strength or such
good luck as that they can get my hound-whelp,
either by force or by my own free will"
"It will be unwise to refuse them," replied AsaL
" They have overpowered and slain many great kings ;
for they have gifted arms that no warrior, however
powerful, can withstand; and behold, I have come
hither to teU you what manner of men these are, that
you might be advised by me, and give them your
hound-whelp in peace."
So he pressed him earnestly ; but his words were
only thrown away on the king of Iroda, who spoke
scornfully of the sons of Turenn, and refused Asal's
request with wrathftd words.
Asal, much troubled at this, went and told the
sons of Turenn how matters stood. And they, having
without delay put on their battle-dress, and taken
their arms in their hands, challenged the king of
Iroda and his people. Then began a very fierce and
bloody battle ; for though nothing could stand before
the sons of Turenn, yet the warriors of Iroda. were
many and very brave. So they fought till the two
younger brothers became separated from Brian, and
he was quite surrounded. But as he wielded the
dreadful spear of Pezar, with its blazing, fiery point.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 83
his enemies fell back dismayed, and the ranks were
broken before him, so that those who crossed his path
stood in a gap of danger.
At length he espied the king of Iroda, where he
fought hedged round by spears ; and he rushed through
the thick of the battle straight towards him, striking
down spears and swords and men as he went. And
now these two valiant warriors fought hand to
hand a stout and watchful and fierce battle — for the
others fell back by the king's command; and it was
long before any advantage was gained on either side.
But though to those who looked on, Brian seemed
the more wrathful of the two, yet he held back his
hand, so as not to slay his foe ; and this it was, indeed,
that prolonged the combat, for he sought to tire out
the king. At length, watching his opportunity, Brian
closed suddenly, and, seizing the king in his strong
arms, he lifted him clean off the ground, and bore him
to where Asal stood. Then, setting him down, he
said —
"Behold thy son-in-law; it would have been
easier to kill him three times over than to bring him
to thee once!"
When the people saw their king a prisoner, they
ceased fighting ; and the end of all was that peace
was made, and the hound-whelp was given over to
the sons of Turenn, Then they took their leave, and
left the shores of Iroda in friendship with the king
and with Asal his father-in-law.
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CHAPTER XII.
RETURN OP THE SONS OP TURENN, WITH PART OF
THE ERIC-FINE.
Now we shall speak of Luga of the Long Arms. It
was revealed to him that the sons of Turenn had
obtained aU those parts of the fine which he wanted for
the battle of Moytura ; ^^ but that they had not yet got
the cooking-spit, or given the three shouts on Mid-
kena's Hill. So he sent after them a druidical spell,
which, falling on them soon after they had left Iroda,
caused them to forget the remaining part of the fine,
and filled them with a longing desire to return to
their native home. Accordingly they went on board
their canoe, bringing with them every part of the fine
they had gotten already ; and the canoe glided swiftly
over the waves to Erin.
At this time Luga was with the king at a fair-
meeting on the plain before Tara; and it was made
known to him secretly that the sons of Turenn had
landed at Bruga of the Boyne. He left the assembly
anon, telling no one ; and he went direct to Caher-
Crofinn* at Tara, and, closing the gates and doors
after him, he put on his battle array, namely, the
smooth Greek armour of Mannanan Mac Lir, and the
enchanted mantle of the daughter of Flidas.
* Caher-Crofinn, otherwise called Rath-ree, the principal for-
tress at Tara, the remains of which are still to be seen.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 85
Soon after, the sons of Turenn were seen approach-
ing ; and as they came forward, the multitude flocked
out to meet them, gazing with wonder at the many-
marvellous things they had brought. When the three
champions had come to the royal tent, they were
joyfully welcomed by the king and by the Dedannans
in general ; and then the king spoke kindly to them,
and asked if they had brought the eric-fine.
"We have obtained it after much hardship and
danger," they replied; "and now we wish to know
where Luga is, that we may hand it over to him."
The king told them that Luga was at the as-
sembly ; but when they sent to search for him, he was
nowhere to be found.
" I can tell where he is," said Brian. " It has been
made known to him that we have arrived in Erin,
bringing with us gifted arms that none can withstand ;
and he has gone to one of the strongholds of Tare, to
avoid us, fearing we might use these venomed weapons
against himself."
Messengers were theii sent to Luga to tell him
that the sons of Turenn had arrived, and to ask him
to come forth to the meeting, that they might give
him the fine.
But he answered, " I will not come to the meeting
yet ; but go ye back, and tell the sons of Turenn to
give the fine to the king for me."
The messengers returned with this answer; and
the sons of Turenn gave to the king for Luga all the
wonderftd things they had brought, keeping, however
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86 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
their own arms ; after which the whole company went
into the palace.
When Luga was told how matters stood, he came
to where the king and all the others were; and the
king gave him the fine. Then Luga, looking narrowly
at everything that had been given up to him, said —
" Here, indeed, is an eric enough to pay for any
one that ever yet was slain, or that shall be slain
to the end of time. But yet there is one kind of fine
that must be paid to the last farthing, namely, an
eric-fine; for of this it is not lawful to hold back
even the smallest part. And moreover, O king, thou
and the Dedannans whom I see here present, are
guarantees for the full payment of my eric-fine. Now
I see here the three apples, and the skin of the pig,
and the fiery-headed spear, and the chariot and
steeds, and the seven pigs, and the hound-whelp ;
but where, ye sons of Turenn, is the cooking-spit
of the women of Fincara? And I have not heard
that ye have given the three shouts on Midkena's
HiU."
On hearing this, the sons of Turenn fell into a
faintness like the faintness before death. And when
they had recovered they answered not one word, but
left the assembly and went to their father's house.
To him and their sister Ethnea they told all that
h^d befallen them ; and how they should set out on
another quest, as they had forgotten part of the eric-
fine through the spells of Luga.
At this Turenn was overwhelmed with grief; and
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 87
Ethnea wept in great fear and sorrow. And so they
passed that night. Next day, they went down to the
shore, and their father and sister went with them
to their ship, and bade them farewelL
CHAPTER XIIL
THE COOKING-SPIT OF THE WOMEN OF FINCAEA.
Then they went on board their ship — ^for they had
Mannanan's canoe no longer — and they sailed forth
on the green billowy sea to search for the Island of
Fincara. For a whole quarter of a year they wan-
dered hither and thither over the wide ocean, landing
on many shores and inquiring of aU they met; yet
they were not able to get the least tidings of the
island.
At last, they came across one very old man, who
told them that he had heard of the Island of Fincara
in the days of his youth ; and that it lay not on the
surface, but down deep in the waters, for it was sunk
beneath the waves by a speU in times long past.^
Then Brian put on his water-dress, with his helmet
of transparent crystal on his head, and, telling his
brothers to await his return, he leaped over the side
of the ship, and sank at once out of sight. He walked
about for a fortnight down in the green salt sea.
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seeking for the Island of Fineara; and at last he
found it.
There were many houses on the island ; but one he
saw larger and grander than the rest. To this he
straightway bent hi^ steps, and founcj it open. On
entering, he saw in one large room a great number of
beautiful ladies, busily employed at aU sorts of em-
broidery and needlework; and in their midst was a
long, bright cooking-spit lying on a table.
Without speaking a word, he walked straight to
the table, and, seizing the spit in one hand, he turned
round and walked towards the door. The women
neither spoke nor moved, but each had her eyes fixed
on him from the moment he entered, admiring his
manly form, his beauty, and his fearlessness; but
when they saw him about to walk oflF with the spit,
they all burst out laughing; and one, who seemed
chief among them, said —
"Thou hast attempted a bold deed, O son of
Turenn! Know that there are thrice fifty warlike
women here, and that the weakest among us would
be able of herself to prevent thee taking this cooking-
spit, even if thy two brothers were here to help thee.
But thou art a brave and courageous champion, else
thou wouldst not have attempted, unaided, to take it
by force, knowing the danger. And for thy boldness
and valour, and for the comeliness of thy person, we
will let thee take this one, for we have many others
besides."
So Brian, after thanking them, brought away the
spit joyfully, and sought his ship.
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 89
Ur and XJrcar waited for Brian in the same spot
the whole time, and when he came not, they began to
fear that he would return no more. With these
thoughts they were at last about to leave the place,
when they saw the glitter of his crystal helmet down
deep in the water, and immediately after he came to
the surface with the cooking-spit in his hand. They
brought him on board, and now aU felt very joyful and
courageous of heart.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE THREE SHOUTS ON MIDKENA'S HILL.
The three brothers next sailed away towards the
north of Lochlann, and never abated speed till they
moored their vessel near the Hill of Midkena, which
rose smooth and green over the sea-shore. When
Midkena saw them approaching, he knew them at
once, and, coming towards them armed for battle, he
addressed them aloud —
" You it was that slew Kian, my friend and pupil ;
and now come forth and fight, for you shall not leave
these shores till you answer for his death."
Brian, in no degree daunted by the fierce look and
threatening speech of Midkena, sprang ashore, and
the two heroes attacked each other with great fury.
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When the three sons of Midkena heard the clash of
arms, they came forth, and, seeing how matters stood,
they rushed down to aid their father ; but just as they
arrived at the shore, Midkena fell dead, cloven through
helmet and head by the heavy sword of Brian.
And now a fight began, three on each side ; and if
men were afar oflF, even in the land of Hisbema, in
the east of the world, they would willingly come the
whole way to see this battle, so fierce and haughty
were the minds of those mighty champions, so skilful
and active were they in the use of their weapons, so
numerous and heavy were their blows, and so long did
they continue to fight without either party giving
way. The three sons of Turenn were at last dread-
fully wounded — ^wounded almost to death. But neither
fear nor weakness did this cause them, for their valour
and their fury arose all the more for their wounds,
and with one mighty onset they drove their spears
through the bodies of their foes; and the sons of
Midkena fell before them into the long sleep of death.
But now that the fight was ended, and the battle-
fury of the victors had passed off — ^now it was that they
began to feel the effects of their wounds. They threw
themselves full length on the blood-stained sward, and
long they remained without moving or speaking a
word, as if they were dead; and a heavy curtain of
darkness fell over their eyes.
At last Brian, raising his head, spoke to his
brothers to know if they lived, and when they
answered him feebly, he said —
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TUKENN. 91
" My dear brothers, let us now arise and give the
three shouts on the hill while there is time, for I feel
the signs of death."
But they were not able to rise.
Then Brian, gathering all his remaining strength,
stood up and lifted one with each hand, while his own
blood flowed plentifully ; and then they raised three
feeble shouts on Midkena's Hill.
CHAPTER XV.
RETURN AND DEATH OF THE SONS OF TURENN.
Making no further delay, he led them to their ship,
and they set sail for Erin. While they were yet
far off, Brian, gazing over the sea towards the west,
suddenly cried out —
"Lo, I see Ben Edar* yonder, rising over the
waters ; and I see also Dun Turenn farther towards
the north."
And XJr answered from where he reclined with
XJrcar on the deck, " If we could but get one sight of
Ben Edar methinks we should regain our health and
strength; and as thou lovest us, and as thou lovest
* Ben Edar, now Howth HiU, near Dublin. Dun Turenn, the
fortress of their father Turenn.
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thy own renown, my brother, come and raise our
heads and rest them on thy breast, that we may see
Erin once more. After that, we shall welcome either
life or death."
Ue.
brother, torch of valour, strong of hand.
Come, place our weary heads upon thy breast;
And let us look upon our native land.
Before we sink to everlasting rest !
Beian.
BelovM sons of Turenn, woe is me !
My wounds are deep, my day of strength is past ;
Yet not for this I grieve, but that I see
Your lives, my noble brothers, ebbing fast !
Ue.
Would we could give our lives to purchase thine ;
Ah, gladly would we die to ease thy pain !
For art thou not the pride of Turenn's line.
The noblest champion of green Erin's plain ?
Beian.
That mighty Dannan healer, Dianket j *
Or Midac, who excelled his sire in skill;
The maiden-leech, Armedda, mightier yet.
Who knew the herbs to cure, the herbs to kill :
Oh, were they here ; or had we now at hand
Those gifted apples from the distant East ;
Then might we hope to reach our native land.
And live again in joy and peace and rest !
* Dianket, the great Dedannan physician. His son Midac and
his daughter Armedda were still more skilful than their father. (See
note 1 at the end.)
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 93
Ur.
Brother, methinks conld we but see once more
Ben Edar's slopes, or Breg^ia's ♦ dewy plain,
Tailltenn,t or Broga's % mjstio mansion hoar,
Oar blood would course in health and strength again.
Or let us once behold our father's home.
On winding Liffey down by Ahaolee,§
Old Erevan's hill,|| or Tara's T regal dome ;
Then welcome death or life, whiohe'er may be !
So Brian raised their heads and rested them on his
breast, and they gazed on the rocky cliffs and green
slopes of Ben Edar while the ship wafted slowly
towards land.
Soon after this they landed on the north side of
Ben Edar, from which they made their way slowly
to Dun Tnrenn. And when they had reached the
green in front of the house, Brian cried out —
" Father, dear father, come forth to thy children ! "
Turenn came forth and saw his sons all wounded
and pale and feeble.
• Bregia, the plain lying between the Liflfey and the Boyne.
t TaiUtenn, now Teltown, on the Blackwater, about midway be-
tween Navan and Kells, in Meath. Here annual meetings were held
from the most ancient times, on the first of August, and for some
days before and after, at which games were celebrated, like the
Olympic games of Greece.
J Bruga on the Boyne, where Angus or Mac Indoc, the great
Dedannan enchanter, had his "mystic mansion hoar." (See note 1 at
the end.)
§ Ahaclee, the old name of Dublin.
II Frevan, now the hill of Frewen, rising over Lough Owel, near
Mullingar, where the ancient Irish kings had one of their palaces.
f Tara, in Meath, the chief seat of the Irish kings.
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And Brian said, " Go, beloved father-^go quick to
Tara, and quickly return. Bring this cooking-spit
to Luga, and tell him that we have given the three
shouts on Midkena's HILL Say that we have now paid
the full eric-fine, and bring back from him the apples
of the Garden of Hisbema, to heal our wounds, else
we die."
Brian.
Fatter, our wounds are deadly ; nonght can save
Thy children's liyes bnt Lnga's friendly hand :
Gro, seek him, father — ^fare thee fast — and crave
The healing apples from Hisbema*s land !
TUEENN.
In vain, my sons, ye seek to fly your doom ;
The stern Ildana's mind too well I know :
Alas ! far liefer would he see your tomb.
Than all the treasures all this world could show !
Brian.
But he is just ; and though his sire we slew.
Have we not paid full eric for the deed ?
The great Ildana is our kinsman too.
And will relent in this our time of need.
Then go, my father, thou art swift and strong ;
Speed like the wind — why linger here to mourn?
Go straight to Luga's home, nor tarry long;
Or, father, we shall die ere thou return !
Tiirenn set out and travelled like the wind tiQ he
reached Tara, where he found Luga.
He gave him the cooking-spit, and said, " Behold,
my three sons have now paid thee the full eric-fine,
for they ha,ve given the three shouts on Midkena's
Hill. But they are wounded even unto death; and
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THE FATE OF THE CHILDREN OF TURENN. 95
now give me, I pray thee, the apples from the Garden
of HiBbema, to cure them, else they die."
But Luga refused, and turned away from Turenn.
Turenn hastened back to his sons with a sorrowful
heart, and told them that he had failed to get the
Then Brian said, " Take me with thee to Tara. I
will see him, and perchance he may have pity on us,
and give us the apples."
And it was done so. But when Brian begged for
the apples, Luga said —
" I will not give them to thee. If thou shouldst
offer me the fuU of the whole earth of gold, I would
not give them to thee. Thou and thy brothers com-
mitted a wicked and pitiless deed when you slew my
father. For that deed you must suffer, and with
nothing short of your death shall I be content."
For the blood that you spilled,
For the hero you killed —
The deed is avenged, and yonr doom is fnlfilled !
Brian tmned away and went back to his brothers,
and, lying down between them, his life departed ; and
his brothers died at the same moment.
Then their father and their sister stood hand in
hand over their bodies, lamenting. And Turenn spoke
this lay —
Oh, pulseless is my heart this woful hour,
My strength is gone, my jey for ever fled j
Three noble champions, Erin's pride and power,
My three fair youths, my children, cold and dead !
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96 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
Mild Ur, the fair.baired ; IJrcar, straight and tall ;
The kings of Banba * worthy both to be j
And Brian, bravest, noblest, best of all,
Who conqnered many lands beyond the sea :
Lo, I am Turenn, your unhappy sire,
Monming with feeble voice above your grave ;
No life, no wealth, no honours I desire ;
A place beside my sons is all I crave !
After this Turenn and Ethnea fell on the bodies
of the three young heroes and died.
And they were all buried in one grave.
This is the story of the Fate of the Children of
Turenn.
* Banba, one of the ancient names of Ireland.
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'--i^' in— 'Mi III! ■■*
THE
OVEEFLOWING OF LOUGH NEAGH,
AKD THE
STOEY OF LIBAN THE MEEMATD.
In the days of old a good king ruled over Muman,*
whose name was Marid Mac Carido. He had two
sons, Ecea and Rib. Ecea was restless and unruly,
and in many ways displeased the king ; and he told
his brother Rib that he had made up his mind to
leave his home, and win lands for himself in some far
off part of the country. Rib tried hard to dissuade
him; but though this delayed his departure for a
while, he was none the less bent on going.
At last Ecea, being wrought upon by his step-
mother Ebliu (from whom Slieve Eblinne f was
afterwards named), did a grievous wrong to his
£B.ther, and fled from Muman with aU his people;
and his brother Rib and his stepmother Ebliu went
with him. Ten hundred men they were in aU,
* Mnmaii, i.e. Munster.
t Slieve Eblinne, now Slieve Eelim or Slieve Phelim, in Tip-
perary, sometimes called the Twelve Hills of Evlinn. " Eblinne " is
the genitive of " Bblin."
H
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98 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
besides women and children; and they turned their
faces towards the north.
After they had travelled for some time, their
druids^ told them that it was not fated for them to
settle in the same place ; and accordingly, when they
had come to the Pass of the two Pillar Stones, they
parted.
Eib and his people turned to the west, and they
journeyed till they came to the plain of Arbthenn.
And there the water of a fountain burst forth over the
land, and drowned them aU ; and a great lake was
formed, which to this day is called the Lake of Eib.*
Ecca continued his journey northwards ; and he
and his people fared slowly on tiU they came near
to Brugaf of the Boyne, the palace of Mac Indoc,
where they were fain to rest. No sooner had they
halted, than a tall man came forth from the palace,
namely, Angus Mac Indoc of the Bruga, son of the
Dagda, and commanded them to leave the place
without delay. But they, being spent with the toil
of travel, heeded not his words, and, pitching their
tents, they rested on the plain before the palace.
Whereupon Angus, being wroth that his commands
were unheeded, killed all their horses that night.
Next day, he came forth again, and he said to
them, " Your horses I slew last night ; and now, unless
ye depart from this place, I will slay your people
to-night."
• Now Longh Eee, on the Shannon.
f See note, page 62 ; see also note 1 at the end of the book.
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LIBAN THE MERMAID. 99
And Ecca said to him, "Much evil hast thou
done to us akeady, for thou hast killed all our horses.
And now we cannot go, even though we desire it, for
without horses we cannot travel."
Then Angus brought to them a very large horse
in full harness, and they put all their goods on him.
And when they were about to go, he said to them —
"Beware that ye keep this great steed walking
continually; not even a moment's rest shall ye give
him, otherwise he will certainly be the cause of your
death." 1*
After this they set out again, on a Sunday in the
mid-month of autumn, and travelled on till they
reached the Plain of the Grey Copse,* where they
intended to abide. They gathered then round the
great steed to take their luggage off him, and each was
busy seeing after his own property, so that they for-
got to keep the horse moving. And the moment he
stood still, a magic well sprang up beneath his feet. ^*
Now Ecca, when he saw the well spring up, was
troubled, remembering Angus's warning. And he
caused a house to be built round it, and near it he
built his palace, for the better security. And he chose
a woman to take care of the well, charging her strictly
to keep the door locked, except when the people of the
palace came for water.
After that the King of Ulad,-)- that is to say, Muri-
* The Plain of the Grey Copse, according to the legend, was the
name of the plain now ooTered bj Lough Neagh.
t Ulad, %.e. Ulster.
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100 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
dach, the son of Fiaca Findamnas (who was grandson of
Conal Cama of the Red Branch '^) came against Ecca
to drive him forth from Ulad. But Ecca made a stout
fight, so that he won the lordship of half of Ulad from
Muridach. And after that his people settled down on
the Plain of the Grey Copse.
Now Ecca had two daughters, Ariu and Liban,
of whom Ariu was the wife of Cuman the Simpleton.
And Cuman went about among the people, foretelling
that a lake would flow over them from the weU, and
urging them earnestly to make ready their boats :
Come forth, come forth, ye yaliant men ; bnild boats, and bnild ye
fast!
I see the water snrging out, a torrent deep and vast ;
I see our chief and all his host overwhelmed beneath the wave ;
And Arin, too, my best beloved, alas ! I cannot save.
Bat Liban east and west shall swim
Long ages on the ocean's rim.
By mystic shores and islets dim.
And down in the deep sea cave !
And he ceased not to warn all he met, repeating
this verse continually; but the people gave no heed to
the words of the Simpleton.
Now the woman who had charge of the well, on a
certain occasion forgot to close the door, so that the
speU was free to work eviL And immediately the
water burst forth over the plain, and foi-med a great
lake, namely the Lake of the Copse. And Ecca and
all his family and all his folk were drowned, save only
his daughter Liban, and Conang, and Cuman the
Simpleton. And they buried Ariu, and raised a
mound over her, which is called from her Cam-Arenn.
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UBAK THE MEBMAID. 101
Of Conang nothing more is tolA But as to
Cnman, he died of grief after his wife Ariu ; and he
was buried in a mound, which is called Cam-Cuman
to this day in memory of him.
And thus the great Lake of the Copse was formed,
which is now called Lough Necca,* in memory of
Ecca, the son of Marid. And it was the overflow of
this lake which, more than all other causes, scattered
the Ultonians over Erin.
Now as to Liban. She also was swept away like
the others ; but she was not drowned. She lived for
a whole year with her lap-dog, in her chamber beneath
the lake, and God protected her from the water. At
the end of the year she was weary; and when she
saw the speckled salmon swimming and playing all
round her, she prayed and said —
"O my Lord, I wish I were a salmon, that I
might swim with the others through the dear green
sea!"
And at the words she took the shape of a salmon,
except her face and breast, which did not change.
And her lap-dog was changed to an otter, and attended
her afterwards whithersoever she went, as long as she
lived in the sea.
And so she remained swimming about from sea to
sea for three hundred years ; that is to say, from the
time of Ecca, the son of Marid, to the time of Comgall
of Bangor. ^®
Now on one occasion, Comgall sent Beoc, the son
* Lough Kecca, now Lough Neagh.
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102 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
of Indli, from Bangor to Rome, to talk with Gregory *
concerning some matters of order and rule. And when
Beoc*s curragh ^"^ was sailing over the sea, he and his
crew heard sweet singing in the waters beneath them,
as it were the chanting of angels.
And Beoc, having listened for a while, looked down
into the water, and asked what the chant was for, and
who it was that sang.
And Liban answered, " I am Liban, the daughter
of Ecca, son of Marid ; and it is I who sang the chant
thou hast heard."
" Why art thou here ? " asked Beoc.
And she replied, " Lo, I have lived for three hun-
dred years beneath the sea ; and I have come hither to
lix a day and a place of meeting with thee. I shall
now go westward ; and I beseech thee, for the sake
of the holy men of Dalaradia,t. to come to Inver
Ollarba J to meet me, on this same day at the end of
a year. Say also to Comgall and to the other holy
men of Bangor, all that I say to thee. Come with
thy boats and thy fishing-nets, and thou shalt take
me from the waters in which I have lived.'*
" I shall not grant thee the boon thou askest," said
Beoc, '' unless thou give me a reward."
" What reward dost thou seek ? " asked Liban.
♦ Gregory, i.e. Pope Gregory.
f Dalaradia, the old name of a territory whicli inclnded the
sonthem half of the county Antrim and a part of Down.
J Inver Ollarba, i.e. the inver ^ or mouth of the river Ollarba,
which was the ancient name of the Lame Water, in Antrim.
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MBAN THE MERMAID. 103
" That thou be buried in one grave with me in my
own monast^y/' answered Beoc.
" That shall be granted to thee," said Liban.
Beoc then went on his way to Rome. And when
he had returned, he related to Comgall and to the
other saints of the monastery at Bangor, the story of
the mermaid. And now the end of the year was nigh.
Then they made ready their nets, and on the day
appointed they went in their boats to Inver Ollarba, a
goodly company of the saints of Erin. And Liban was
caught in the net of Fergus of Miluc :* and her head
and shoulders were those of a maiden, but she had the
body of a fish.
Now the boat in which she was brought to land
was kept half full of sea water, in which she remained
swimming about And many came to see her ; and all
were filled with wonder when they saw her strange
shape and heard her story.
Among the rest came the chief of the tribe of
Hua-Conang, wearing a purple cloak; and she kept
gazing at him earnestly. The young chief, seeing this,
said to her —
" Dost thou wish to have this doak ? K so, I will
give it to thee willingly."
But she answered, "Not so: I desire not thy
cloak. But it brings to my mind my father Ecca;
* Milne, or Meelick, the name of an ancient ecclesiastical estab-
lishment in the county Antrim. See " Ecclesiastical Antiquities of
Down, Connor, and Dromore " (page 8), by the Rev. William Beeves,
M.B., M.E.I.A.
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104 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
for on the day he was drowned, he wore a cloak of
purple like thine. But may good luck be on thee for
thy gentleness, and on him who shall come after thee
in thy place ; and in every assembly where thy suc-
cessor sits, may he be known to all without inquiry."
After that there came up a large-bodied, dark-
visaged, fierce hero, and killed her lap-dog. Where-
upon she was grieved; and she told him that the
heroism of himself and his tribe should be stained
by the baseness of their minds, and that they should
not be able to defend themselves against injuries till
they should do penance, by fasting, for her sake.
Then the warrior repented what he had done, and
humbled himself before her.
And now there arose a contention about her, as to
whom she should belong. Comgall said she was his,
forasmuch as she was caught in his territory. But
Fergus urged that she belonged to him by right, as it
was in his net she was taken. And Beoc said he had
the best right of all to her, on account of the promise
she had made to himu
And as no one could settle the dispute, these three
saints fasted and prayed that God would give a judg-
ment between them, to show who should own Liban.
And an angel said to one of the company, " Two
wild oxen will come hither to-morrow from Cam-Arenn,
that is to say, from the grave-mound of Liban's sister,
Ariu. Yoke a chariot to them, and place the mermaid
in it ; and into whatsoever territorj^ they shall bring
her, she shall remain with the owner thereof."
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LIBAN THE MERMAID. 105
The oxen came on the morrow, as the angel had
foretold And when they were yoked, and when Liban
was placed in the chariot, they brought her straight-
way to Beoc's church, namely to Tec-Da-Beoc.
Then the saints gave her a choice — either to die
immediately after baptism, and go to heaven ; or to
live on earth as long as she had lived in the sea, and
then to go to heaven after these long ages. And the
choice she took was to die immediately. Whereupon
ComgaU baptised her ; and he gave her the name of
Murgen, that is, " Sea-bom," or Murgelt, that is " Mer-
maid."
And she is counted among the holy virgins, and
held in honour and reverence, as God ordained for her
in heaven ; and wonders and miracles are performed
through her means at Tec-Da-Beoc.
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CONNLA OF THE GOLDEN HAIE,
AND THE FAIEY MAIDEN.
CoNNLA of the Golden Hair was the son of Conn
the Hundred-fighter.^® One day as he stood with his
father on the royal TTill of Usna,* he saw a lady a
little way off, very beautiful, and dressed in strange
attire. She approached the spot where he stood;
and when she was near, he spoke to her, and asked
who she was, and from what place she had come.
The lady replied, "I have come from the Land
of the Living^® — a land where there is neither death
nor old age, nor any breach of law. The inhabitants
of earth call us Aes-shee,^® for we have our dwellings
within large, pleasant, green hills. We pass our time
very pleasantly in feasting and harmless amusements,
never growing old; and we have no quarrels or
contentions."
The king and his company marvelled very much ;
for though they heard this conversation, no one saw
the lady except Connla alone.
" Who is this thou art talking to, my son ? " said
the king.
* Hill of Usna. (See note, page 87.)
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PRINCE CONNLA AND THE FAmY MAIDEN. 107
And anon she answered for the youth, "Connla
is speaking with a lovely, noble-bom young lady,
who will never die, and who will never grow
old. I love Connla of the Golden Hair, and I have
come to bring him with me to Moy-mell,^ the plain
of never-ending pleasure. On the day that he comes
with me he shall be made king ; and he shall reign
for ever in Fairyland, without weeping and without
sorrow. Come with me, O gentle Connla of the
ruddy cheek, the fair, freckled neck, and the golden
hair! Come with me, beloved Connla, and thou
shalt retain the comeliness and dignity of thy form,
free from the wrinkles of old age, till the awful day
of judgment!"
Th J flowing golden hair, th7 oomel7 face,
Thy taU majestic form of peerless g^raoe,
That show thee sprang from Conn's exalted race.
King Conn the Hundred-fighter, being much
troubled, called then on his druid,* Coran, to put forth
his power against the witchery of the banshee ^ —
" O Coran of the mystic arts and of the mighty
incantations, here is a contest such as I have never
been engaged in since I was made king at Tara —
a contest with an invisible lady, who is beguiling
my son to Fairyland by her baleful charms. Her
cunning is beyond my skill, and I am not able to
withstand her power ; and if thou, Coran, help not, my
son will be taken away from me by the wiles and
witchery of a woman from the fairy hills.'*
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108 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
Coran, the druid, then came forward, and began
to chant against the voice of the lady. And his
power was greater than hers for that time, so that
she was forced to retire.
As she was going away she threw an apple to
Connla, who straightway lost sight of her ; and the
king and his people no longer heard her voice.
The king and the prince returned with their
company to the palace; and Connla remained for
a whole month without tasting food or drink, except
the apple. And though he ate of it each day, it
was never lessened, but was as whole and perfect in
the end as at the beginning. Moreover, when they
offered him aught else to eat or drink, he refused
it; for while he had his apple he did not deem
any other food worthy to be tasted. And he began
to be very moody and sorrowful, thinking of the
lovely fairy maiden.
At the end of the month, as Connla stood by
his father's side among the nobles, on the Plain of
Arcomin, he saw the same lady approaching him from
the west. And when she had come near, she addressed
him in this manner —
"A glorious seat, indeed, has Connla among
wretched, short-lived mortals, awaiting the dreadful
stroke of death ! But now, the ever-youthful people
of Moy-mell, who never feel old age, and who fear
not death, seeing thee day by day among thy friends,
in the assemblies of thy Fatherland, love thee with
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PRINCE CONNLA AND THE FAIRY MAIDEN. 109
a strange love ; and they will make thee king over
them if thou wilt come with me."
When the king heard the words of the lady, he
commanded his people to call the druid again to him,
saying—
"Bring my druid, Goran, to me; for I see that
the fairy lady has this day regained the power of her
voice."
At this the l^dy said, ''Valiant Conn, fighter
of a hundred, the faith of the druids'has come to
little honour among the upright, mighty, numberless
people of this land. When the righteous law shall be
restored, it will seal up the lips of the false, black
demon ; and his druids shall no longer have power to
work their guileful speUs."
Now the king observed, and marvelled greatly,
that whenever the lady was present, his son never
spoke one word to any one, nay, even though they
addressed him many times. And when the lady had
ceased to speak, the king said —
" Oonnla, my son, has thy mind been moved by the
words of the lady ? "
Connla spoke then, and replied, "Father, I am
very unhappy ; for though I love my people beyond
all, yet I am fiUed with sadness on account of this
lady!"
When Connla had said this, the maiden again
addressed him, and chanted these words in a very
sweet voice —
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110 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
THE OHAl^ OF THE FAIRY MAIDEN TO OONNLA OF
THE GOLDEN HAIR.
A land of youth, a land of rest,
A land from sorrow free ;
It lies far off in the golden west,
On the verge of the aznre sea.
A swift canoe of crystal bright.
That never met mortal view —
We shall reach the land ere faU of night,
In that strong and swift canoe :
We shaU reach the strand
Of that sonny land,
From druids and demons free ;
The land of rest,
In the golden west,
On the verge of the azure sea !
A pleasant land of winding vales, bright streams, and verdurous
plains.
Where summer all the live-long year, in changeless splendour reigns;
A peaceful land of calm delight, of everlasting bloom ;
Old age and death we never know, no sickness, care, or gloom j
The land of youth,
Of love and truth,
From pain and sorrow free j
The land of rest,
In the golden west,
On the verge of the azure sea !
There are strange delights for mortal men in that island of the
west;
The sun comes down each evening in its lovely vales to rest :
And though far and dim
On the ocean's rim
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PRINCE CONNLA AND THE FAIRY MAIDEN. Ill
It seems to mortal view,
We shall reach its halls
Ere the eyening falls,
In m7 strong and swift oanoe :
And eyer more
That yerdant shore
Onr happy home shall be ;
The land of rest,
In the gfolden west,
On the yerge of the azure sea !
It will guard thee, gentle Gonnla of the flowing golden hair.
It will guard thee from the dmids, from the demons of the air ;
My crystal boat will guard thee, till we reaeh that western shore.
Where thou and I in joy and loye shall liye for eyermore :
From the druid's incantation.
From his black and deadly snare,
From the withering imprecation
Of the demon of the air,
It will guard thee, gentle Connla of the flowing golden hair :
My crystal boat will guard thee, till we reach that silyer strand
Where thou shalt reign in endless joy, the king of the Fairy-land ! *
When the maiden had ended her chant, Connla
suddenly walked away from his father's side, and
sprang into the curragh, the gleaming, straight-gliding,
strong, crystal canoa The king and his people saw
them afar off and dimly, moving away over the bright
sea towards the sunset. They gazed sadly after them,
till they lost sight of the canoe over the utmost
verge; and no one can tell whither they went, for
Connla was never again seen in his native land.
* This is an expansion, rather than a translation, of the original,
which is yery short, and in some places yery obscure.
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN.
AN Acoainsrr
OP THE ADYENTTTBBB OP MAILDXTK AND HIS GREW,
AND OP THE WONDERFUL THINOfl THEY SAW DTJBINQ THEIR VOYAOB
OP THREE YEARS AND SEVEN MONTHS, IN THEIR CURRAOH,^'
ON THE WESTERN SEA.
CHAPTER I.
IklAILDUN'S CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH. HE BEGINS HIS
VOYAGE IN QUEST OF THE PLUNDEREES WHO SLEW
HIS FATHEE.
Theee was once an illustrious man of the tribe of
Owenaght* of Ninus, Allil Ocar Aga by name, a goodly-
hero, and lord of his own tribe and territory. One
time, when he was in his house unguarded, a fleet,
of plunderers landed on the coast, and spoiled his
territory. The chief fled for refuge to the church of
Dooclone ; but the spoilers followed him thither, slew
him, and burned the church over his head.
* There were several tribes named Owenaght in the south of
Ireland. This particnlar tribe were .called, as in the text, the
Owenaght of Ninus, and also, according to an interlined gloss in the
"Book of the Dtin Cow," the Owenaght of the Aras, i.e. of the Aran
Islands. Their territory was situated in the north-west of the
oonnty Clare, opposite the Islands of Aran.
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 113
Not long after AlliVs death, a son was bom to
him. The child's mother gave him the name of
Maildun ; and, wishing to conceal his birth, she brought
him to the queen of that country, who was her dear
friend. The queen took him to her, and gave out that
he was her own child ; and he was brought up with
the king's sons, slept in the same cradle with them,
and was fed from the same breast and from the same
cup. He was a very lovely child ; and the people who
saw him thought it doubtful if there was any other
child living at the time equally beautiftd.
As he grew up to be a young man, the noble
qualities of his mind gradually unfolded themselves.
He was high-spirited and generous, and he loved
all sorts of manly exercises. In ball-playing, in
running and leaping, in throwing the stone, in chess-
playing, in rowing, and in horse-racing, he surpassed
all the youths that came to the king's palace, and won
the palm in every contest.
One day, when the young men were at their
games, a certain youth among them grew envious of
Maildun ; and he said, in an angry and haughty
tone of voice —
" It is a cause of much shame to us that we have
to yield in every game, whether of skill or of strength,
whether on land or on water, to an obscure youth,
of whom no one can tell who is his father or his
mother, or what race or tribe he belongs to."
On hearing this, Maildun ceased at once from
play; for until that moment he believed that he
I
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114 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
was the son of the king of the Owenaght, and of the
queen who had nursed him. And going anon to
the queen, he told her what had happened; and he
said to her —
" If I am not thy son, I will neither eat nor drink
till thou tell me who my father and mother are."
She tried to soothe him, and said, " Why do you
worry yourself searching after this matter? Give
no heed to the words of this envious youth. Am
I not a mother to you ? And in all this country,
is there any mother who loves her son better than
I love you ? "
He answered, "All this is quite true; yet I pray
thee let me know who my parents are."
The queen then, seeing that he would not be
put off, brought him to his mother, and put him
into her hands. And when he had spoken with
her, he asked her to tell him who his father was.
"You are bent on a foolish quest, my child,"
she said; "for even if you knew all about your
father, the knowledge would bring neither advantage
nor happiness to you; for he died before you were
bom."
" Even so," he replied, " I wish to know who he
was."
So his mother told him the truth, saying, " Your
father was Allil Ocar Aga, of the tribe of Owenaght
of Ninus."
Maildun then set out for his father's territory;
and his three foster brothers, namely, the king's
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 115
three sons, who were noble and handsome youths like
himself, went with him. When the people of his
tribe found out that the strange youth was the son
of their chief, whom the plunderers had slain years
before, and when they were told that the three
others were the king's sons, they gave them all a
joyful welcome, feasting them, and showing them
much honour ; so that Maildun was made quite happy,
and soon forgot all the abasement and trouble he
had undergone.
Some time after this, it happened that a number
of young people were in the churchyard of Doodone —
the same church in which Maildun's father had been
slain — exercising themselves in casting a hand-stone.
The game was to throw the stone clear over the
charred roof of the church that had been burned ; and
Maildun was there contending among the othera A
foul-tongued fellow named Brickna, a servant of the
people who owned the church, was standing by ; and
he said to Maildun —
"It would better become you to avenge the
man who was burned to death here, than to be
amusing yourself casting a stone over his bare, burnt
bones."
" Who was he ? " inquired Maildun.
" Allil Ocar Aga, your father," replied the other.
" Who slew him ? " asked Maildun.
" Plunderers from a fleet slew him and burned him
in this church," replied Brickna; "and the same
plunderers are still sailing in the same fleet."
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116 OLD CELTIC EOMANCES.
Maildun was disturbed and sad after hearing this.
He dropped the stone that he held in his hand, folded
his cloak round him, and buckled on his shield. And
he left the company, and began to inquire of all he
met, the road to the plunderers' ships. For a long
time he could get no tidings of them ; but at last some
persons, who knew where the fleet lay, told him that
it was a long way off, and that there was no reaching
it except by sea.
Now Maildun was resolved to find out these
plunderers, and to avenge on them the death of his
father. So he went without delay into Corcomroe,*
to the druid® Nuca, to seek his advice about building
a curragh, and to ask also for a charm to protect him,
both while building it, and while sailing on the sea
afterwards.
The druid gave him fall instructions. He told
him the day he should begin to build his curragh, and
the exact day on which he was to set out on his
voyage ; and he was very particular about the number
of the crew, which, he said, was to be sixty chosen
men, neither more nor less.
So Maildun built a large triple-hide curragh,^"^
following the druid's directions in every particular;
chose his crew of sixty, among whom were his two
friends, Germane and Diuran Lekerd ; and on the day
appointed put out to sea.
* Corcomroe, an ancient territory, now a barony in the north-
west of the comity Clare. (For the meaning and history of this
name, see the author's " Origin and History of Irish Names of Places,"
Series I. Part i. Chapter ii.)
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 117
When he had got only a very little way from the
land, he saw his three foster brothers running down
to the shore, signalling and calling out to him to
return and take them on board ; for they said they
wished to go with him.
"We shaU not turn back," said Maildun; "and
you cannot come with us ; for we have already got
our exact number."
"We will swim after you in the sea till we are
drowned, if you do not return for us," replied they ;
and so saying, the three plimged in and swam after
the curragh.
When Maildun saw this, he turned his vessel
towards them, and took them on board rather than
let them be drowned.
CHAPTER II.
THE FIRST ISLAND. TIDINGS OF THE PLUNDEREES.
They sailed that day and night, as weU as the whole
of next day, tiU darkness came on again ; and at mid-
night they saw two small bare islands, with two great
houses on them near the shore. When they drew
near, they heard the soimds of merriment and laughter,
and the shouts of revellers intermingled with the loud
voices of warriors boasting of their deeds. And listen-
ng to catch the conversation, they heard one warrior
say to another —
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118 OLD CELTIC EOMANCES.
" Stand off from me, for I am a better warrior than
thou ; it was I who slew Allil Ocar Aga, and burned
Doodone over his head ; and no one has ever dared to
avenge it on me. Thou hast never done a great deed
Ukethat!"
"Now surely," said Germane and Diuran to
Maildun, " Heaven has guided our ship to this place !
Here is an easy victory. Let us now sack this house,
since God has revealed our enemies to us, and delivered
them into our hands ! "
While they were yet speaking, the wind arose, and
a great tempest suddenly broke on them. And they
were driven violently before the storm, all that night
and a paxt of next day, into the great and boundless
ocean ; so that they saw neither the islands they had
left nor any other land ; and they knew not whither
they were going.
Then Maildun said, "Take down your sail and
put by your oars, and let the curragh drift before the
wind in whatsoever direction it pleases God to lead
us ;" which was done.
He then turned to his foster brothers, and said to
them, " This evil has befallen us because we took you
into the curragh, thereby violating the druid's direc-
tions ; for he forbade me to go to sea with more than
sixty men for my crew, and we had that number
before you joined us. Of a surety more evil will come
of it."
His foster brothers answered nothing to this, but
remained silent.
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 119
CHAPTER III.
THE ISLAND OF THE MONSTROUS ANTS.
For three days and three nights they saw no land.
On the morning of the fourth day, while it was yet
dark, they heard a sound to the north-east; and
Germane said —
" This ife the voice of the waves breaking on the
shore."
As soon is it was light they saw land and made
towards it. While they were casting lots to know
who should go and explore the country, they saw
great flocks of ants coming down to the beach, each of
them as large is a foaL The people judged by their
numbers, and ly their eager and hungry look, that
they were bent on eating both ship and crew; so
they turned th*ir vessel round and sailed quickly
away.
Their multitudes cointless, prodigious their size ;
Were never suchmts seen or heard of before.
They struggled andtumbled and plunged for the prize,
And fiercely the famne-fire blazed from their eyes,
As they ground wih their teeth the red sand of the shore !
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120 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
CHAPTER IV.
THE TEBBACED ISLE OF BIRDS.
Again for three days and three nights they saw no
land. But on the morning of the fourth day they
heard the murmur of the waves on the beach ^ and as
the day dawned, they saw a large high island, with
terraces all round it, rising one behind another. On
the terraces gi-ew rows of tall trees, on wi^ich were
perched great numbers of large, bright-coloared birds.
When the crew were about to hold council as to
who should visit the island and see irhether the
birds were tame, Maildun himself offered to go. So
he went with a few companions ; and they viewed
the island warily, but foimd nothing to hurt or
alarm them ; after which they caught great numbers
of the birds and brought them to their ship.
A shield-shaped island, with terraces ciowned,
And great trees circling round and ron^d :
From the summit down to the wave-wjshed rocks,
There are bright-coloured birds in my^ad flocks —
Their plumes are radiant ; but hungeris keen ;
So the birds are killed,
TiU the curragh is filled,
And the sailors embark on the ocear green !
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 121
CHAPTER V.
A MONSTEE.
They sailed from this, and on the fourth day discovered
a large, sandy island, on which, when they came near,
they saw a huge, fearful animal standing on the beach,
and looking at them very attentively. He was some-
what like a horse in shape ; but his legs were like the
legs of a dog ; and he had great, sharp claws of a blue
colour.
MaUdun, having viewed this monster for some
time, liked not his look; and, telling his companions to
watch him closely, for that he seemed bent on mischief,
he bade the oarsmen row very slowly towards land.
The monster seemed much delighted when the ship
drew nigh the shore, and gamboUed and pranced about
with joy on the beach, before the eyes of the voyagers ;
for he intended to eat the whole of them the moment
they landed.
" He seems not at all sorry to see us coming," said
Maildun ; " but we must avoid him and put back from
the shore."
This was done. And when the animal observed
them drawing off, he ran down in a great rage to the
very water's edge, and digging up large, round pebbles
with his sharp claws, he began to fling them at the
vessel ; but the crew soon got beyond his reach, and
sailed into the open sea.
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122 OLD CELTIC KOMANCES.
A horrible monster, with blazing eyes,
In shape like a horse and tremendous in size,
Awaiting the cnrragh, they saw ;
With big bony jaws
And morderons claws.
That filled them with terror and awe :
How gleeful he dances,
And bellows and prances,
As near to the island they draw ;
Expecting a feast —
The bloodthirsty beast —
With his teeth like edge of a saw :
Then he ran to the shore.
With a deafening roar.
Intending to swallow them raw :
But the crew, with a shout,
Put their vessel about,
And escaped from his ravenous maw ! *
CHAPTER VI.
THE DEMON HOESE-RACE.
After sailing a long distance, they came in view of
a broad, flat island. It fell to the lot of Germane to go
and examine it, and he did not think the task a
pleasant one. Then his Mend Diuran said to him —
" I will go with you this time ; and when next it
falls to my lot to visit an island, you shall come with
-me." So both went together.
They found the island very large ; and some dis-
tance from the shore they came to a broad green
• See note, page 128.
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 123
race-course, in which they saw immense hoof-marks,
the size of a ship's sail, or of a large dining-table. They,
found nut-shells, as large as helmets, scattered about ;
and although they could see no one, they observed all
the marks and tokens that people of huge size were
lately employed there at sundry kinds of work.
Seeing these strange signs, they became alarmed,
and went and called their companions from the boat to
view them. But the others, when they had seen them,
were also struck with fear, and all quickly retired
from the place and went on board their curragh.
When they had got a little way from the land, they
saw dimly, as it were through a mist, a vast multitude
of people on the sea, of gigantic size and demoniac
look, rushing along the crests of the waves with great
outcry. As soon as this shadowy host had landed,
they went to the green, where they arranged a horse-
race.
The horses were swifter than the wind; and as
they pressed forward in the race, the multitudes raised
a mighty shout like thimder, which reached the crew
as if it were beside them. MaUdun and his men, as
they sat in their curragh, heard the strokes of the
whips and the cries of the riders ; and though the race
was far off, they could distinguish the eager words of
the spectators: — ^'^ Observe the grey horse!" "See
that chestnut horse!" "Watch the horse with the
white spots ! " " My horse leaps better than yours ! "
After seeing and hearing these things, the crew
sailed away from the island as quickly as they were
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124 OLD CELTIC KOMANCES.
able, into the open ocean, for they felt quite sure that
the multitude they saw was a gathering of demons.
A spacious isle of meadowy plains, with a broad and ssmdy shore :
Two bold and trusty spies are sent, its wonders to explore.
Mysterious signs, strange, awful sights, now meet the wanderers'
eyes :
Vast hoof -marks, and the traces dire of men of monstrous size :
And lo I on the sea, in countless hosts, their shadowy forms expand ;
They pass the afErighted sailors by, and like demons they rnsh to
land;
They mount their steeds, and the race is run, in the midst of hell's
uproar :
Then the wanderers quickly raise their sails, and leave the accursed
shore.
CHAPTER VII.
THE PALACE OF SOLITUDE.
They suflFered much from hunger and thirst this
time, for they sailed a whole week without making
land ; but at the end of that time they came in sight of
a high island, with a large and very splendid house
on the beach near the water's edge. There were two
doors — one turned inland, and the other facing the sea ;
and the door that looked towards the sea was closed
with a great flat stone. In this stone was an opening,
through which the waves, as they beat against the
door every day, threw numbers of salmon into the
house.
The voyagers landed, and went through the whole
house without meeting any one. But they saw in one
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 125
large room an ornamented couch, intended for the head
of the house, and in each of the other rooms wa^ a
larger one for three members of the family : and there
was a cup of crystal on a little table before each couch.
They found abundance of food and ale, and they ate
and drank till they were satisfied, thanking God for
having relieved them from hunger and thirst.
Aloft, high towering o*er the ocean's foam,
The spacions mansion rears its glittering dome.
Each day the billows, through the marble door,
Shoot Hying salmon floundering on the floor.
Conches that lore the sailors to recline.
Abundant food, brown ale, and sparkling wine ;
Tables and chairs in order duly placed.
With crystal cups and golden goblets graced.
But not a living soul the wanderers found ;
'Twas silence all and solitude profound.
They eat and drink, give thanks, then hoist their sail,
And skim the deep once more, obedient to the gale.
CHAPTER VIII
THE ISLAND OF THE WONDERFUL APPLE TEEE.
After leaving this, they suffered again from himger,
till they came to an island with a high hill round it
on every side. A single apple tree grew in the middle,
very taU and slender, and all its branches were in like
manner exceedingly slender, and of wonderful length,
so that they grew over the hill and down to the sea.
When the ship came near the island, Maildun
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126 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
caught one of the branches in his hand. For three
days and three nights the ship coasted the island,
and during all this time he held the branch, letting
it slide through his hand, till on the third day-
he found a cluster of seven apples on the very end.
Each of these apples supplied the traveUers with food
and drink for forty days and forty nights.
CHAPTER IX.
*THE ISLAND OF BLOODTHIRSTT QUADRUPEDS.
A BEAUTIFUL island next came in view, in which
they saw, at a distance, multitudes of large animals
shaped like horses. The voyagers, as they drew
near, viewed them attentively, and soon observed that
one of them opened his mouth and bit a great piece
out of the side of the animal that stood next him,
bringing away skin and flesh. Immediately after,
another did the same to the nearest of his fellows.
And, in short, the voyagers saw that all the animals
in the island kept worrying and tearing each other
from time to time in this manner; so that the
ground was covered far and wide with the blood
that streamed from their sides.
In needless strife they oft contend,
A cruel, mntnal-mangling brood j
Their flesh with gory tasks they rend,
And crimson all the isle with blood.
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILD13N. 127
CHAPTER X.
AN EXTRAOBDINABY MONSTER.
The next island had a wall all round it When they
came near the shore, an animal of vast size, with a
thick, rough skin, started up inside the waU, and ran
round the island with the swiftness of the wind.
When he had ended his race, he went to a high
point, and standing on a large, flat stone, began to
exercise himself according to his daily custom, in the
following manner. He kept turning himself completely
round and round in his skin, the bones and flesh
moving, whUe the skin remained at rest.
When he was tired of this exercise, he rested a
little ; and he then began turning his skin continually
round his body, down at one side and up at the other
like a mill-wheel; but the bones and flesh did not
move.
After spending some time at this sort of work, he
started and ran round the island as at first, as if to
refresh himself. He then went back to the same spot,
and this time, while the skin that covered the lower
part of his body remained without motion, he whirled
the skin of the upper part round and round like the
movement of a flat-lying millstone. And it was in
this manner that he spent most of his time on the
island.
Maildun and his people, after they had seen
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128 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
these strange doings, thought it better not to venture
nearer. So they put out to sea in great haste. The
monster, observing them about to fly, ran down to the
beach to seize the ship ; but finding that they had got
out of his reach, he began to fling round stones at
them with great force and an excellent aim. One of
them struck Maildun's shield and went quite through
it, lodging in the keel of the curragh ; after which the
voyagers got beyond his range and sailed away.
In a wall-circled isle a big monster they fonnd,
With a hide like an elephant, leathery and bare 5
He threw np his heels with a wonderfnl bound,
And ran round the isle with the speed of a hare.
But a feat more astounding has yet to be told :
He turned round and round in his leathery skin;
His bones and his flesh and his sinews he rolled —
He was resting outside while he twisted within !
Then, changing his practice with marvellous skill,
His carcase stood rigid and round went his hide;
It whirled round his bones like the wheel of a mill —
He was resting within while he twisted outside !
Next, standing quite near on a green little hill,
After galloping round in the very same track,
While the skin of his belly stood perfectly still.
Like a millstone he twisted the skin of his back !
But Maildun and his men put to sea in their boat,
For they saw his two eyes looking over the wall ;
And they knew by the way that he opened his throat.
He intended to swallow them, curragh and all ! *
* The verse in the original is quite serious ; but I could not resist
the temptation to give it a humorous turn. The same observation
applies to the verse at page 122.
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 129
CHAPTER XI.
THE ISLE OP EED-HOT ANIMALS.
Not daring to land on this island^ they turned away
hurriedly, much disheartened, not knowing whither to
turn or where to find a resting-placa They sailed for
a long time, suflfering much from hunger and thirst,
and praying fervently to be relieved from their
distress* At last, when they were beginning to
sink into a state of despondency, being quite worn
out with toU and hardship of every kind, they
sighted land.
It was a large and beautiful island, with innumer-
able fruit trees scattered over its surface, bearing
abundance of gold-coloured apples. Under the trees
they saw herds of short, stout animals, of a bright red
colour, shaped somewhat like pigs'; but coming nearer,
and looking more closely, they perceived with astonish-
ment that the a.nimals were all fiery, and that their
bright colour was caused by the red flames which
penetrated and lighted up their bodies.
The voyagers now observed several of them
approach one of the trees in a body, and striking
the trunk all together with their hind legs, they
shook down some of the apples and ate them. In
this manner the animals employed themselves every
day, from early morning till the setting of the sun,
K
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130 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
when they retired into deep eaves, and were seen no
more till next morning.
Numerous flocks of birds were swimming on the
sea, all round the island. From morning till noon,
they continued to swim away from the land, farther
and farther out to sea ; but at noon they turned round,
and from that to sunset they swam back towards the
shore. A little after sunset, when the animals had
retired to their caves, the birds flocked in on the
island, and spread themselves over it, plucking the
apples from the trees and eating them.
Maildun proposed that they should land on the
island, and gather some of the fruit, saying that it
was not harder or more dangerous for them than for
the birds ; so two of the men were sent beforehand to
examine the place. They found the ground hot imder
their feet, for the fiery animals, as they lay at rest,
heated the earth all around and above their caves ;
but the two scouts persevered notwithstanding, and
brought away some of the apples.
When morning dawned, the birds left the island
and swam out to sea ; and the fiery animals, coming
forth from their caves, went among the trees as usual,
and ate the apples till evening. The crew remained
in their curragh all day ; and as soon as the animals
had gone into their caves for the night, and the birds
had taken their place, Maildun landed with all his
men. And they plucked the apples till morning, and
brought them on board, till they had gathered as much
as they could stow into their vessel.
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 131
CHAPTER XIL
THE PALACE OP THE LITTLE CAT.
After rowing for a long time, their store of apples
failed them, and they had nothing to eat or drink ; so
that they suffered sorely under a hot sim, and their
mouths and nostrils were filled with the briny smell
of the sea. At last they came in sight of land — ^a
little island with a large palace on it. Aroimd the
palace was a wall, white aU over, without stain or
flaw, as if it had been built of burnt lime, or carved
out of one unbroken rock of chalk; and where it
looked towards the sea it was so lofty that it seemed
almost to reach the clouds.
The gate of this outer wall was open, and a number
of fine houses, all snowy white, were ranged roimd
on the inside, enclosing a level court in the middle,
on which all the houses opened. Maildun and
his people entered the largest of them, and walked
through several rooms without meeting with any
one. But on reaching the principal apartment, they
saw in it a small cat, playing among a number of
low, square, marble pillars, which stood ranged in a
row ; and his play was, leaping continually from the
top of one pillar to the top of another. When the
men entered the room, the cat looked at them for a
moment, but returned to his play anon, and took no
further notice of them.
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132 OLD CELTIC EOMANCES.
Looking now to the room itself, they saw three
rows of precious jewels ranged round the wall from
one door-jamb to the other. The first was a row of
brooches of gold and silver, with their pins fixed in
the waU, and their heads outwards ; the second, a row
of torques of gold and silver ; and the third, a row of
great swords, with hilts of gold and silver.
Round the room were arranged a number of
couches, aU pure white and richly ornamented.
Abundant food of various kinds was spread on
tables, among which they observed a boiled ox and a
roast hog ; and there were many large drinking-horns,
full of good, intoxicating ale.
" Is it for us that this food has been prepared ? "
said Maildun to the eat.
The cat, on hearing the question, ceased from
playing, and looked at him ; but he recommenced his
play immediately. Whereupon Maildun told his
people that the dinner was meant for them; and
they all sat down, and ate and drank till they were
satisfied, after which they rested and slept on the
couches.
When they awoke, they poured what was left
of the ale into one vessel ; and they gathered the
remnants of the food to bring them away. As they
were about to go, Maildun's eldest foster brother asked
him —
" ShaU I bring one of those lai^e torques away
with me ? "
"By no means," said Maildun; "it is weU that
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 133
we have got food and rest. Bring nothing away,
for it is certain -that this house is not left without
some one to guard it."
The young man, however, disregarding Maildim's
advice, took down one of the torques and brought it
away. But the cat followed him, and overtook him
in the middle of the court, and, springing on him like
a blazing, fiery arrow, he went through his body, and
reduced it in a moment to a heap of ashea He then
returped to the room, and, leaping up on one of the
pillars, sat upon it.
Maildun turned back, bringing the torque with
him, and, approaching the cat, spoke some soothing
words; after which he put the torque back to the
place from which it had been taken. Having done
this, he collected the ashes of his foster brother, and,
bringing them to the shore, cast them into the sea.
They all then went on board the curragh, and con-
tinued their voyage, grieving for their lost companion,
but thanking God for His many mercies to them.
CHAPTER XIII.
AN ISLAND THAT DYED BLACK AND WHITE.
On the morning of the third day, they came to another
island, which was divided into two parts by a wall
of brass nmning across the middle. They saw two
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134 OLD CELTIC EOMANCES.
great flocks of sheep, one on each side of the wall ;
and all those at one side were black, while those at
the other side were white.
A very large man was employed in dividing and
arranging the sheep ; and he often took up a sheep
and threw it with much ease over the wall from one
side to the other. When he threw over a white sheep
among the black ones, it became black immediately ;
and in like manner, when he threw a black sheep
over, it was instantly changed to white.
The travellers were very much alarmed on witness-
ing these doings ; and Maildun said —
" It is very well that we know so far. Let us now
throw something on shore, to see whether it also will
change colour ; if it does, we shall avoid the island."
So they took a branch with black-coloured bark
and threw it towards the white sheep, and no sooner
did it touch the ground than it became white. They
then threw a white-coloured branch on the side of the
black sheep, and in a moment it turned black.
" It is very lucky for us," said Maildun, " that we
did not land on the island, for doubtless our colour
would have changed like the colour of the branches."
So they put about with much fear, and sailed
away.
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 135
CHAPTER XIV.
THE ISLAND OF THE BURNING EIVBR.
On the third day, they came in view of a large, broad
island, on which they saw a herd of gracefully shaped
swine ; and they killed one small porkling for food.
Towards the centre rose a high mountain, which they
resolved to ascend, in order to view the island ; and
Germane and Dinran Lekerd were chosen for this task.
When they had advanced some distance towards
the moimtain, they came to a broad, shallow river;
and sitting down on the bank to rest. Germane dipped
the point of his lance into the water, which instantly
burned off the top, as if the lance had been thrust into
a furnace. So they went no farther.
On the opposite side of the river, they saw a herd
of animals like great hornless oxen, all lying down ;
and a man of gigantic size near them : and Germane
began to strike his spear against his shield, in order to
rouse the cattle.
"Why are you frightening the poor young calves
in that manner ? " demanded the big shepherd, in a
tremendous voice.
Germane, astonished to find that such large
animals were nothing more than calves, instead of
answering the question, asked the big man where the
mothers of those calves were.
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136 OLD CELTIC EOMANCES.
"They are on the side of yonder mountain/' he
replied.
Germane and Dinran waited to hear no more ; but,
returning to their companions, told them all they had
seen and heard ; after which the crew embarked and
left the island.
CHAPTER XV.
THE MILLER OP HELL.
The next island they came to, which was not far off
from the last, had a large mill on it; and near the
door stood the miller, a huge-bodied, strong, burly man.
They saw numberless crowds of men and horses laden
with com, coming towards the mill ; and when their
com was ground they went away towards the west.
Great herds of all kinds of cattle covered the plain as
far as the eye could reach, and among them many
wagons laden with every kind of wealth that is
produced on the ridge of the world. All these the
miller put into the mouth of his mill to be groimd ;
and all, as they came forth, went westwards.
Maildun and his people now spoke to the miller,
and asked him the name of the mill, and the meaning
of all they had seen on the island. And he, tulning
quickly towards them, replied in few words —
" This mill is called the Mill of Inver-tre-Kenand,
and I am the miller of heE All the com and all the
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 137
riches of the worid that men are dissatisfied with, or
which they complain of in any way, are sent here to
be ground ; and also every precious article, and every
kind of wealth, which men try to conceal from Gtod.
All these I grind in the Mill of Inver-tre-Kenand, and
send them afterwards away to the west."
He spoke no more, but turned roimd and busied
himself again with his milL And the voyagers, with
much wonder and awe in their hearts, went to their
curragh and sailed away.*
CHAPTER XVI.
THE ISLE OP WEEPING.
After leaving this, they had not been long sailing
when they discovered another large island, with a great
multitude of people on it. They were all black, both
skin and clothes, with black head-dresses also ; and
they kept walking about, sighing and weeping and
wringing their hands, without the least pause or rest.
It fell to the lot of Maildun's second foster brother
to go and examine the island. And when he went
among the people, he also grew sorrowful, and feU to
weeping and wringing his hands, with the others.
* The incident of the big miller oconrs in the Voyage of the Sona
of O'Corra, as well as in the Voyage of Maildnn. The two acoonnts
are somewhat different $ and I have combined both here.
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138 OLD CELTIC EOMANCES.
Two of the crew were sent to bring him back ; but
they were unable to find him among the mourners ;
and, what was worse, in a little time they joined the
crowd, and began to weep and lament like all the
rest.
Maildun then chose four men to go and bring back
the others by force, and he put arms in their hands,
and gave them these directions —
" When you land on the island, fold your mantles
round your faces, so as to cover your mouths and noses,
that you may not breathe the air of the country ; and
look neither to the right nor to the left, neither at the
earth nor at the sky, but fix your eyes on your own
men till you have laid hands on them."
They did exactly as they were told, and having
come up with their two companions, namely, those who
had been sent after Maildun's foster brother, they seized
them and brought them back by force. But the other
they could not find. When these two were asked
what they had seen on the island, and why they began
to weep, their only reply was —
" We cannot tell ; we only know that we did what
we saw the others doing."
And after this the voyagers sailed away from the
island, leaving Maildun's second foster brother behind.
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THE VOYAGE OP MAILDUN. 139
CHAPTER XVII.
THE ISLE OP THE POUR PEECIOUS WALLS.
The next was a high island, divided into four parts
by four walls meeting in the centre. The first was a
wall of gold ; the second, a wall of silver ; the third, a
wall of copper ; and the fourth, a wall of crystal In
the first of the four divisions were kings ; in the second,
queens; in the third, youths; and in the fourth, young
maidens.
When the voyagers landed, one of the maidens
came to meet them, and leading them forward to a
house, gave them food. This food, which she dealt out
to them from a smaU vessel, looked like cheese, and
whatever taste pleased each person best, that was the
taste he found on it. And after they had eaten till
they were satisfied, they slept in a sweet sleep, as if
gently intoxicated, for three days and three nights.
When they awoke on the third day, they found them-
selves in their curragh on the open sea; and there was
no appearance in any direction either of the maiden or
of the island.
CHAPTER XVIIL
THE PALACE OP THE CRYSTAL BRIDGE.
They came now to a small island, with a palace on it,
having a copper chain in front, hung all over with a
number of little silver bells. Straight before the door
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140 OLD CELTIC KOMANCES.
there was a fountain, spanned by a bridge of crystal,
which led to the palace. They walked towards the
bridge, meaning to cross it, but every time they stepped
on it they fell backwards flat on the ground.
After some time, they saw a very beautiful young
woman coming out of the palace, with a pail in her
hand ; and she lifted a crystal slab from the bridge, and,
having filled her vessel from the fountain, she went
back into the palace.
" This woman has been sent to keep house for Mail-
dun," said Germane.
" Maildun indeed ! *' said she, as she shut the door
after her.
After this they began to shake the copper chain,
and the tinkling of the silver bells was so soft and
melodious that the voyagers gradually fell into a
gentle, tranquil sleep, and slept so till next morning.
When they awoke, they saw the same young woman
coming forth from the palace, with the pail in her
hand ; and she lifted the crystal slab as before, filled
her vessel, and returned into the palace.
" This woman has certainly been sent to keep house
for Maildun," said Germane.
" Wonderful are the powers of Maildun ! " said she,
as she shut the door of the court behind her.
They stayed in this place for three days and three
nights, and each morning the maiden came forth in the
same manner, and fiUed her pail. On the fourth day,
she came towards them, splendidly and beautifully
dressed, with her bright yellow hair bound by a
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 141
circlet of gold, and wearing silver-work shoes on her
small, white feet. She had a white mantle over her
shoulders, which was fastened in front by a silver
brooch studded with gold ; and under all, next her
sqft, snow-white skin, was a garment of fine white
silk.
" My love to you, Maildun, and to your companions,"
she said ; and she mentioned them all, one after another,
calling each by his own proper name. *' My love to
you," said she. " We knew well that you were coming
to our island, for your arrival has long been foretold
tons."
Then she led them to a large house standing by the
sea, and she caused the curragh to be drawn high up
on the beach. They foimd in the house a number
of couches, one of which was intended for Maildun
alone, and each of the others for three of his people.
The woman then gave them, from one vessel, food
which was like cheese; first of all ministering to
Maildun, and then giving a triple share to every
three of his companions; and whatever taste each
man wished for, that was the taste he found on it.
She then lifted the crystal slab at the bridge, filled
her pail, and dealt out drink to them; and she knew
exactly how much to give, both of food and of
drink, so that each had enough and no more.
" This woman would make a fit wife for Maildun,"
said his people. But while they spoke, she went from
them with her pail in her hand.
When she was gone, Maildun's companions said
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142 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
to him, "Shall we ask this maiden to become thy
wife?*'
He answered, " What advantage will it be to you
to ask her ? "
She came next morning, and they said to her,
" Why dost thou not stay here with us ? Wilt thou
make friendship with Maildun; and wilt thou tiake
him for thy husband ? "
She replied that she and all those that lived
on the island were forbidden to marry with the sons
of men; and she told them that she could not
disobey, as she knew not what sin or transgression
was.
She then went from them to her house ; and on
the next morning, when she returned, and after she
had ministered to them as usual, tiU they were
satisfied with food and drink, and were become
cheerful, they spoke the same words to her.
"To-morrow," she replied, "you will get an
answer to your question ; " and so saying, she walked
towards her house, and they went to sleep on their
couches.
When they awoke next morning, they found
themselves lying in their curragh on the sea, beside
a great high rock ; and when they looked about, they
saw neither the woman, nor the palace of the crystal
bridge, nor any trace of the island where they had
been sojourning.
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 143
CHAPTER XIX.
THE ISLE OP SPEAKING BIBDS.
One night, soon after leaving this, they heard in the
distance, towards the no^h-east, a confused murmur
of voices, as if from a great number of persons singing
psabns. They followed the direction of the sound,
in order to learn from what it proceeded; and at
noon the next day, they came in view of an island,
very hilly and lofty. It was full of birds, some
black, some brown, and some speckled, who were
all shouting and speaking with human voices ; and
it was from them that the great clamour came.
CHAPTER XX.
THE AGED HERMIT, AND THE HUMAN SOULS.
At a little distance from this they found another
small island, with many trees on it, some standing
singly, and some in clusters, on which were perched
great numbers of birds. They also saw an aged man
on the island, who was covered thickly aU over with
long, white hair, and wore no other dress. And when
they landed, they spoke to him, and asked him who
he was and what race he belonged to.
" I am one of the men of Erin," he replied. " On
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144 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
a certain day, a long, long time ago, I embarked in a
small curragh, and put out to sea on a pilgrimage ;
but I had got only a Kttle way from shore, when my
curragh became very unsteady, as if it were about
to overturn. So I returned to land, and, in order
to steady my boat, I placed under my feet at the
bottom, a number of green surface sods, cut from one
of the grassy fields of my own country, and began my
voyage anew. Under the guidance of God, I arrived
at this spot ; and He fixed the sods in the sea for me,
so that they formed a little island. At first I had
barely room to stand ; but every year, from that time
to the present, the Lord has added one foot to the
length and breadth of my island, till in the long
lapse of ages it has grown to its present size. And
on one day in each year, He has caused a single tree
to spring up, till the island has become covered with
trees. Moreover, I am so old that my body, as you
see, has become covered with long, white hair, so that
I need no other dress.
"And the birds that ye see on the trees," he
continued, " these are the souls of my children, and
of all my descendants, both men and women, who
are sent to this little island to abide with me according
as they die in Erin. God has caused a well of ale
to spring up for us on the island ; and every morning
the angels bring me half a cake, a slice of fish, and a
cup of ale from the well ; and in the evening the same
allowance of food and ale is dealt out to each man
and woman of my people. And it is in this manner
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 145
that we live, and shall continue to live till the end
of the world ; for we are all awaiting here the day of
judgment."
Maildun and his companions were treated hospitably
on the island by the old pilgrim for three days and
three nights; and when they were taking leave of
him, he told them that they should all reach their
own country except one man.
CHAPTER XXI.
THE ISLAIJD OF THE BIG BLACKSMITHS.
When they had been for a long time tossed about
on the waters, they saw land in the distance. On ap-
proaching the shore, they heard the roaring of a great
bellows, and the thundering sound of smiths' hammers
striking a large glowing mass of iron on an anvil ; and
every blow seemed to Maildun as loud as if a dozen
men had brought down their sledges all together.
When they had come a little nearer, they heard
the big voices of the smiths in eager talk.
" Are they near ? " asked one.
" Hush ! silence ! " says another.
" Who are they that you say are coming ? " in-
quired a third.
" Little fellows, that are rowing towards our shore
in a pigmy boat," says the first.
L
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146 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
When Maildun heard this, he hastily addressed the
crew —
" Put back at once, but do not turn the curragh :
reverse the sweep of your oars, and let her move stern
forward, so that those giants may not perceive that
we are flying ! "
The crew at once obey, and the boat begins to
move away from the shore, stem forward, as he had
commanded.
The first smith again spoke. "Are they near
enough to the shore ? " said he to the man who was
watching.
"They seem to be at rest," answered the other;
" for I cannot perceive that they are coming closer, and
they have not turned their little boat to go back."
In a short time the first smith asks again, " What
are they doing now ? "
" I think," said the watcher, '' they are fiying ; for
it seems to me that they are now farther off" than they
were a while ago."
At this the first smith rushed out of the forge —
a huge, burly giant — ^holding, in the tongs which he
grasped in his right hand, a vast mass of iron sparkling
and glowing from the furnace ; and, running down to
the shore with long, heavy strides, he flung the red-
hot mass with all his might after the curragh. It fell
a little short, and plunged down just near the prow,
causing the whole sea to hiss and boil and heave up
around the boat. But they plied their oars, so that
they quickly got beyond his reach, and sailed out into
the open ocean.
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 147
CHAPTER XXII.
THE CRYSTAL SEA.
After a time, they came to a sea like green crystal.
It was so calm and transparent that they could see
the sand at the bottom quite clearly, sparkling in the
sunlight. And in this sea they saw neither monsters,
nor ugly animals, nor rough rocks; nothing but the
clear water and the sunshine and the bright sand.
For a whole day they sailed over it, admiring its
splendour and beauty.
CHAPTER XXIII.
A LOVELY COUNTRY BENEATH THE WAVES.
After leaving this they entered on another sea, which
seemed like a clear, thin cloud ; and it was so trans-
parent, and appeared so light, that they thought at
first it would not bear up the weight of the curragh.
Looking down, they could see, beneath the clear
water, a beautiful country, with many mansions sur-
rounded by groves and woods. In one place was a
single tree ; and, standiug on its branches, they saw
an animal fierce and terrible to look upon.
Round about the tree was a great herd of oxen
grazing, and a man stood near to guard them, armed
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148 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
with shield and spear and sword ; but when he looked
up and saw the animal on the tree, he turned anon
and fled with the utmost speed. Then the monster
stretched forth his neck, and, darting his head
downward, plunged his fangs into the back of the
largest ox of the whole herd, lifted him off" the ground
into the tree, and swallowed him down in the twinkling
of an eye ; whereupon the whole herd took to flight.
When Maildun and his people saw this, they were
seized with great terror ; for they feared they should
not be able to cross the sea over the monster, on
account of the extreme mist-like thinness of the
water; but after much difficulty and danger they got
across it safely.
CHAPTER XXIV.
AN ISLAND GUAEDED BY A WALL OP WATEB.
When they came to the next island, they observed
with astonishment that the sea rose up over it on
every side, steep and high, standing, as it were, like a
wall all round it. When the people of the island saw
the voyagers, they rushed hither and thither, shouting,
" There they are, surely ! There they come again for
another spoil ! "
Then Maildun's people saw great numbers of men
and women, all shouting and driving vast herds of
horses, cows, and sheep. A woman began to pelt the
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THE VOYAGE OP MAILDUN. 149
crew from below with large nuts ; she flung them so
that they alighted on the waves round the boat,
where they remained floating*; and the crew gathered
great quantities of them and kept them for eating.
When they turned to go away, the shouting ceased ;
and they heard one man calling aloud, "Where are
they now ? " and another answering him, " They are
gone away ! "
From what Maildun saw and heard at this island,
it is likely that it had been foretold to the people that
their country should some day be spoiled by certain
marauders; and that they thought Maildun and his
men were the enemies they expected.
CHAPTER XXV.
A WATER-ABCH IN THE AIB.
On the next island they saw a very wonderful thing,
namely, a great stream of water which, gushing up out
of the strand, rose into the air in the form of a rain-
bow, till it crossed the whole island and came down
on the strand at the other side. They walked under
it without getting wet ; and they hooked down from
it many large salmon. Great quantities of salmon of
a very great size fell also out of the water over their
heads down on the ground ; so that the whole island
smelled of fish, and it became troublesome to gather
them on account of their abundance.
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150 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
From the evening of Sunday till the evening of
Monday, the stream never ceased to flow, and never
changed its place, but remained spanning the island
like a solid arch of water. Then the voyagers
gathered the largest of the salmon, till they had as
much as the curragh would hold; after which they
sailed out into the great sea.
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE SILVER PILLAR OF THE SEA.
The next thing they found after this was an immense
silver pillar standing in the sea. It had eight sides,
each of which was the width of an oar-stroke of the
curragh, so that its whole circumference was eight
oar-strokes. It rose out of the sea without any land
or earth about it, nothing but the boundless ocean;
and they could not see its base deep down in the
water, neither were they able to see the top on
account of its vast height.
A silver net hung from the top down to the very
water, extending far out at one side of the pillar;
and the meshes were so large that the curragh in full
sail went through one of them. When they were
passing through it, Diuran struck the mesh with the
edge of his spear, and with the blow cut a large
piece off" it.
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 161
" Do not destroy the net," said Maildun ; " for what
we see is the work of great men."
" What I have done," answered Diuran, " is for the
honour of my God, and in order that the story of our
adventures may be more readily believed ; and I shall
lay this silver as an offering on the altar of Armagh,
if I ever reach Erin."
That piece of silver weighed two ounces and a half,
as it was reckoned afterwards by the people of the
church of Armagh.
After this they heard some one speaking on the
top of the pillar, in a loud, clear, glad voice ; but they
knew neither what he said, nor in what language he
spoke.
CHAPTER XXVII.
A2J ISLAND STANDING ON ONE PILLAR.
The island they saw after this was named Encos ; *
and it was so called because it was supported by a
single pillar in the middle. They rowed all round it,
seeking how they might get into it ; but could find
no landing-place. At the foot of the pillar, however,
down deep in the water, they saw a door securely
closed and locked, and they judged that this was
the way into the island. They called aloud, to find
out if any persons were living there ; but they got
no reply. So they left it, and put out to sea once
more.
* Encos means "one foot."
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152 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE ISLAND QUEEN DETAINS THEM WITH HER MAGIC
THREAD-CLEW.
The next island they reached was very large. On one
side rose a lofty, smooth, heath-clad mountain, and
aU the rest of the island was a grassy plain. Near the
sea-shore stood a great high palace, adorned with
carvings and precious stones, and strongly fortified
with a high rampart all round. After landing, they
went towards the palace, and sat to rest on the
bench before the gateway leading through the outer
rampart; and, looking in through the open door,
they saw a number of beautiful young maidens in
the court.
After they had sat for some time, a rider appeared
at a distance, coming swiftly towards the palace ; and
on a near approach, the travellers perceived that it was
a lady, young and beautiful and richly dressed. She
wore a blue, rustling silk head-dress ; a silver-fringed
purple cloak hung jfrom her shoulders ; her gloves were
embroidered with gold thread ; and her feet were laced
becomingly in close-fitting scarlet sandals. One of the
maidens came out and held her horse, whUe she dis-
mounted and entered the palace; and soon after she
had gone in, another of the maidens came towards
Maildun and his companions and said —
" You are welcome to this island. Come into the
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 153
palace ; the queen has sent me to invite you, and is
waiting to receive you."
They followed the maiden into the palace ; and the
queen bade them welcome, and received them kindly.
Then, leading them into a large hall in which a plen-
tiful dinner was laid out, she bade them sit down and
eat. A dish of choice food and a crystal goblet of
wine were placed before Maildun ; while a single dish
and a single drinking-bowl, with a triple quantity of
meat and drink, were laid before each three of his
companions. And having eaten and drunk till they
were satisfied, they went to sleep on soft couches
till morning.
Next day, the queen addressed Maildun and his
companions —
"Stay now in this country, and do not go a-
wandering any longer over the wide ocean from island
to island. Old age or sickness shall never come upon
you ; but you shall be always as young as you are at
present, and you shaU live for ever a life of ease and
pleasure."
" Tell us," said Maildun, " how you pass your life
here."
"That is no hard matter," answered the queen.
"The good king who formerly ruled over this island
was my husband, and these fair young maidens that
you see are our children. He died after a long reign,
and as he left no son, I now reign, the sole ruler of
the island. And every day I go to the Great Plain^
to administer justice and to decide causes among my
people."
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164 OLD CELTIC BOMANCES.
" Wilt thou go from us to-day ? " asked Maildun.
" I must needs go even now," she repKed, " to give
judgments among the people ; but as to you, you will
all stay in this house till I return in the evening, and
you need not trouble yourselves with any labour or
care."
They remained in that island during the three
months of winter. And these three months appeared
to Maildun's companions as long as three years, for
they began to have an earnest desire to return to their
native land. At the end of that time, one of them
said to Maildun —
" We have been a long time here ; why do we not
return to our own country ? "
"What you say is neither good nor sensible,"
answered Maildun, " for we shall not find in our own
country anything better than we have here."
But this did not satisfy his companions, and they
began to murmur loudly. "It is quite clear," said
they, "that Maildun loves the queen of this island;
and as this is so, let him stay here; but as for us,
we will return to our own country."
Maildun, however, would not consent to remain
after them, and he told them that he would go away
with them.
Now, on a certain day, not long after this conversa-
tion, as soon as the queen had gone to the Great Plain
to administer justice, according to her daily custom,
they got their curragh ready and put out to sea. They
had not gone very far from land when the queen came
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 155
riding towards the shore; and, seeing how matters
stood, she went into the palace and soon returned
with a ball of thread in her hand.
Walking down to the water's edge, she flung the
ball after the curragh, but held the end of the thread
in her hand. Maildun caught the baU as it was
passing, and it clung to his hand; and the queen,
gently pulling the thread towards her, drew back the
curragh to the very spot from which they had started
in the little harbour. And when they had landed, she
made them promise that if ever this happened again,
some one should always stand up in the boat and
catch the ball.
The voyagers abode on the island, much against
their will, for nine months longer. For every time
they attempted to escape, the queen brought them
back by means of the clew, as she had done at first,
Maildun always catching the ball.
At the end of the nine months, the men held
council, and this is what they said —
" We know now that Maildun does not wish to
leave the island ; for he loves this queen very much,
and he catches the ball whenever we try to escape, in
order that we may be brought back to the palace."
Maildun replied, " Let some one else attend to the
baU next time, and let us try whether it will cling to
his hand/'
They agreed to this, and, watching their oppor-
tunity, they again put off towards the open sea. The
queen arrived, as usual, before they had gone very far.
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156 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
and flung the ball after them as before. Another man
of the crew caught it, and it clung as firmly to his
hand as to Maildun's ; and the queen began to draw
the curragh towards the shore. But Diuran, drawing
his sword, cut off the man's hand, which feU with the
baU into the sea ; and the men gladly plying their oars,
the curragh resumed her outward voyage.
When the queen saw this, she began to weep and
lament, wringing her hands and tearing her hair with
grief; and her maidens also began to weep and cry
aloud and clap their hands, so that the whole palace
was fuU of grief and lamentation. But none the
less did the men bend to their oars, and the curragh
sailed away; and it was in this manner that the
voyagers made their escape from the island.
CHAPTER XXIX.
THE ISLE OF INTOXICATING WINE-FEUITS.
They were now a long time tossed about on the great
billows, when at length they came in view of an island
with many trees on it. These trees were somewhat
like hazels, and they were laden with a kind of fiiiit
which the voyagers had not seen before, extremely
large, and not very different in appearance from
apples, except that they had a rough, berry -like rind.
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 157
After the crew had plucked all the fruit off one
small tree, they cast lots who should try them, and
the lot fell on Maildun. So he took some of them,
and, squeezing the juice into a vessel, drank it. It
threw him into a sleep of intoxication so deep that he
seemed to be in a trance rather than in a natural
slumber, without breath or motion, and with the red
foam on his lips. And from that hour till the same
hour next day, no one could tell whether he was living
or dead.
When he awoke next day, he bade his people to
gather as much of the fruit as they could bring away
with them ; for the world, as he told them, never pro-
duced anything of such surpassing goodness. They
pressed out the juice of the fruit till they had filled
all their vessels; and so powerful was it to produce
intoxication and sleep, that, before drinking it, they
had to mix a large quantity of water with it to
moderate its strength.
CHAPTER XXX.
THE ISLE OP THE MYSTIC LAKE.
The island they came to next was larger than most of
those they had seen. On one side grew a wood of
yew trees and great oaks ; and on the other side was
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158 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
a grassy plain, with one small lake in the midst.
A noble-looking house stood on the near part of the
plain, with a small church not far off; and numerous
flocks of sheep browsed over the whole island.
The travellers went to the church, and found in
it a hermit, with snow-white beard and hair, and all
the other marks of great old age. Maildun asked
who he was, and whence he had come.
He replied, " I am one of the fifteen people, who,
following the example of our master, Brendan of
Birra,^ sailed on a pilgrimage out into the great ocean.
After many wanderings, we settled on this island,
where we lived for a long time ; but my companions
died one after another, and of all who came hither,
I alone am left."
The old pilgrim then showed them Brendan's
satchel,^ which he and his companions had brought
with them on their pilgrimage ; and Maildun kissed it,
and all bowed down in veneration before it. And he
told them that as long as they remained there, they
might eat of the sheep and of the other food of the
island ; but to waste nothing.
One day, as they were seated on a hill, gazing out
over the sea, they saw what they took to be a black
cloud coming towards them from the south-west. They
continued to view it very closely as it came nearer and
nearer; and at last they perceived with amazement
that it was an immense bird, for they saw quite plainly
the slow, heavy flapping of his wings. When he
reached the island, he alighted on a little hillock over
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 159
the lake ; and they felt no small alarm, for they thought,
on account of his vast size, that if he saw them, he
might seize them in his talons, and carry them off over
the sea. So they hid themselves under trees and in
the crannies of rocks ; but they never lost sight of the
bird, for they were bent on watching his movements.
He appeared very old, and he held in one claw a
branch of a tree, which he had brought with him over
the sea, larger and heavier than the largest full-grown
oak. It was covered with fresh, green leaves, and was
heavily laden with clusters of fruit, red and rich-
looking like grapes, but much larger.
He remained resting for a time on the hill, being
much wearied after his flight, and at last he began to
eat the fruit off the branch. After watching him for
some time longer, Maildun ventiured warily towards
the hillock, to see whether he was inclined to mischief;
but the bird showed no disposition to harm him.
This emboldened the others, and they all followed
their chief.
The whole crew now marched in a body round the
bird, headed by Maildun, with their shields raised;
and as he still made no stir, one of the men, by
Maildun's directions, went straight in front of him,
and brought away some of the fruit from the branch
which he still held in his talons. But the bird went
on plucking and eatiug his fruit, and never took the
least notice.
On the evening of that same day, as the men sat
looking over the sea to the south-west, where the great
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160 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
bird first appeared to them, they saw in the distance
two others, quite as large, coming slowly towards them
from the very same point. On they came, flying at a
vast height, nearer and nearer, till at last they swooped
down and alighted on the hiUock in front of the first
bird, one on each side.
Although they were plainly much younger than the
other, they seemed very tired, and took a long rest.
Then, shaking their wings, they began picking the old
bird all over, body, wings, and head, plucking out the
old feathers and the decayed quill points, and smooth-
ing down his plumage with their great beaks. After
this had gone on for some time, the three began
plucking the fruit off the branch, and they ate till
they were satisfied.
Next morning, the two birds began at the very
same work, picking and arranging the feathers of the
old bird as before; and at midday they ceased, and
began again to eat the fruit, throwing the stones and
what they did not eat of the pulp, into the lake, till the
water became red like wine. After this the old bird
plunged into the lake and remained in it, washing
himself, till evening, when he again flew up on the
hillock, but perched on a different part of it, to avoid
touching and defiling himself with the old feathers
and the other traces of age and decay, which the
younger birds had removed from him.
On the morning of the third day, the two younger
birds set about arranging his feathers for the third
time ; and on this occasion they applied themselves to
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 161
their task in a manner much more careful and par-
ticular than before, smoothing the plumes tdth the
nicest touches, and arranging them in beautiful lines
and glossy tufts and ridges. And so they continued
without the least pause till midday, when they ceased.
Then, after resting for a little while, they opened their
great wings, rose into the air, and flew away swiftly
towards the south-west, till the men lost sight of them
in the distance.
Meantime the old bird, after the others had left,
continued to smooth and plume his feathers till even-
ing; then, shaking his wings, he rose up, and flew
three times round the island, as if to try his strength.
And now the men observed that he had lost all the
appearances of old age : his feathers were thick and
glossy, his head was erect and his eye bright, and he
flew with quite as much power and swiftness as the
others. Alighting for the last time on the hillock,
after resting a little, he rose again, and turning his
flight after the other two, to the point from which he
had come, he was soon lost to view, and the voyagers
saw no more of him.
It now appeared very dear to Maildun and his
companions that this bird had undergone a renewal of
youth from old age, according to the word of the
prophet, which says, " Thy youth shall be renewed as
the eagle." Diiuran, seeing this great wonder, said to
his companions —
"Let us also bathe in the lake, and we shall
obtain a renewal of youth like the bird."
M
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162 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
But they said, " Not so, for the bird has left the
poison of his old age and decay in the water."
Diuran, however, would have his own way; and
he told them he was resolved to try the virtue of the
water, and that they might follow his example or not,
whichever they pleased. So he plunged in and swam
about for some time, after which he took a little of
the water and mixed it in his mouth ; and in the end
he swallowed a small quantity. He then came out
perfectly sound and whole ; and he remained so ever
after, for as long as he lived he never lost a tooth
or had a grey hair, and he suffered not from disease
or bodily weakness of any kind. But none of the
others ventured in.
The voyagers, having remained long enough on
this island, stored in their curragh a large quantity
of the flesh of the sheep ; and after bidding farewell
to the ancient cleric,' they sought the ocean once
more.
Now onoe again, when winds and tide combine,
The flying onrragh cleaves the crested brine.
Far to the west an island rose to view.
With verdant plains, clear streams, and mountains bine.
An aged hermit, bred in Erin's land.
Welcomed aiid blessed the chieftain and his band ;
Bronght food and drink, and bade them rest awhile.
And view the wonders of that lovely isle.
Lo, from the sea, three birds of monstrons size,
With vast wings slowly moving, cleave the skies ;
And as they nearer drew, the sailors saw
One held a fmit branch firmly in his claw.
Down by the clear, mysterions lake they light.
Eat from the branch, and rest them from their flight.
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 163
The aged bird, witli plumes decayed and tbin,
Fansed on the brink awhile, then, plunging in,
He bath'd and smooth'd his feathers o'er and o'er,
Shook his great wings and rested on the shore.
Now while the other two his plumes arrange,
Throngh all his frame appears a wondrons change :
His eyes grow bright, his head erect and bold,
His glossy plumage shines like burnished gold ;
Free from old age, his glorious form expands ;
In radiant youth and beauty proud he stands !
Such was the gift that lake of wonder gave ;
Such was the virtue of its mystic wa?e.
CHAPTER XXXI.
THE ISLE OF LAUGHING.
They next came to an island with a great plain ex-
tending over its whole surface. They saw a vast
multitude of people on it, engaged in sundry youthful
games, and all continually laughing. The voyagers
cast lots who should go to examine the island; and
the lot fell upon Maildun's third foster brother.
The moment he landed he went among the others
and joined in their pastimes and in their laughter,
as if he had been among them all his life. His com-
panions waited for him a very long time, but were
afraid to venture to land after him ; and at last, as
there seemed no chance of his returning, they left
him and sailed away.
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164 OLD CELTIC BOMANCES.
CHAPTER XXXII.
THE ISLE OF THE BLEST.
They came now to a small island with a high wall of
lire all round it, and there was a large open door in
the wall at one side near the sea. They sailed back-
ward and forward many times, and always paused before
the door ; for whenever they came right in front of
it, they could see almost the whole island through it.
And this is what they saw : A great number of
people, beautiful and glorious-looking, wearing rich
garments adorned and radiant aU over, feasting
joyously, and drinking from embossed vessels of red
gold which they held in their hands. The voyagers
heard also their cheerftil, festive songs; and they
marvelled greatly, and their hearts were ftdl of glad-
ness at all the happiness they saw and heard. But
they did not venture to land.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
THE HERMIT OF THE SEA-ROCK.
A LITTLE time after leaving this, they saw something
a long way off towards the souths which at first they
took to be a large white bird floating on the sea, and
rising and falling with the waves; but on turning
their curragh towards it for a nearer view, they found
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 165
that it was a man. He was very old, so old that he
was covered all over with long, white hair, which
grew from his body ; and he was standing on a broad,
bare rock, and kept continually throwing himself on
his knees, and never ceased praying.
When they saw that he was a holy man, they
asked and received his blessing; after which they
began to converse with him; and they inquired who
he was, and how he had come to that rock. Then the
old man gave them the following account : —
"I was bom and bred in the island of Tory.*
When I grew up to be a man, I was cook to the
brotherhood of the monastery ; and a wicked cook I
was ; for every day I sold part of the food intrusted
to me, and secretly bought many choice and rare
things with the money. Worse even than this I
did; I made secret passages underground into the
church and into the houses belonging to it, and I
stole from time to time great quantities of golden
vestments, book- covers adorned with brass and gold,
and other holy and precious things.
" I soon became very rich, and had my rooms filled
with costly couches, with clothes of every colour, both
linen and woollen, with brazen pitchers and caldrons,
and with brooches and armlets of gold. Nothing was
wanting in my house, of furniture and ornament, that
a person in a high rank of life might be expected to
have ; and I became very proud and overbearing.
* Tory Island, ofE the coast of Donegal, where there was a
monastery dedioated to St. Columkille.
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166 OLD CELTIC BOMANCES.
" One day, I was sent to dig a grave for the body
of a rustic that had been brought from the mainland
to be buried on the island. I went and fixed on a
spot in the little graveyard; but as soon as I had
set to work, I heard a voice speaking down deep in
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 167
SO, and then you will know the truth of what I tell
you. And you will see that what I say will come to
pass, and that you cannot bury that man on me, even
if you should try to do so.'
" These words were scarce ended, when the grave
was turned into a mass of white sand before my face.
And when I saw this, I brought the body away, and
buried it elsewhere.
"It happened, some time after, that I got a new
curragh made, with the hides painted red all over ; and
I went to sea in it. As I sailed by the shores and
islands, I was so pleased with the view of the land
and sea from my curragh that I resolved to live
altogether in it for some time ; and I brought on board
all my treasiures — silver cups, gold bracelets, and orna-
mented drinking-horns, and everything else, from the
largest to the smallest article.
"I enjoyed myself for a time, while the air was
clear and the sea calm and smooth. But one day, the
winds suddenly arose and a storm burst upon me,
which carried me out to sea, so that I quite lost sight
of land, and I knew not in what direction the curragh
was drifting. After a time, the wind abated to a
gentle gale, the sea became smooth, and the curragh
sailed on as before, with a quiet, pleasant movement.
"But suddenly, though the breeze continued to
blow, I thought I could perceive that* the curragh
ceased moving, and, standing up to find out the cause,
I saw with great surprise an old man not far off,
sitting on the crest of a wave.
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1^8 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
*'He spoke to me; and, as soon as I heard his voice,
I knew it at once, but I could not at the moment call
to mind where I had heard it before. And I became
greatly troubled, and began to tremble, I knew not
why.
" ' Whither art thou going ? ' he asked.
"'I know not,' I replied; 'but this I know, I
am pleased with the smooth, gentle motion of my
curragh over the waves.'
" ' You would not be pleased,' replied the old man,
' if you could see the troops that are at this moment
around you.'
"'What troops do you speak of?' I asked. And
he answered —
"'All the space round about you, as far as your
view reaches over the sea, and upwards to the clouds,
is one great towering mass of demons, on accouit of
your avarice, yom: thefts, your pride, and your other
crimes and vices.'
"He then asked, 'Do you know why your
curragh has stopped ? '
"I answered, 'No;' and he said, 'It has been
stopped by me; and it will never move froia that
spot till you promise me to do what I shall ask
of you.'
" I replied that perhaps it was not in my power
to grant his demand.
" ' It is in your power,' he answered ; ' and if you
refuse me, the torments of hell shall be your doom.'
" He then came close^ to the curragh, and, laying
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 169
his hands on me, he made me swear to do what he
demanded.
" ' What I ask is this,' said he ; ' that you throw
into the sea this moment all the ill-gotten treasures
you have in the curragh.'
"This grieved me very much, and I replied, 'It
is a pity that all these costly things should be lost.'
" To which he answered, ' They will not go to loss ;
a person will be sent to take charge of them. Now
do as I say.'
"So, greatly against my wishes, I threw all the
beautiful precious articles overboard, keeping only
a small wooden cup to drink from.
'"You will now continue your voyage,' he said;
' and the first solid ground your curragh reaches, there
you are to stay.'
" He then gave me seven cakes and a cup of watery
whey as food for my voyage ; after which the curragh
moved on, and I soon lost sight of him. And now I
all at once recollected that the old man's voice was
the same as the voice that I had heard come from the
ground, when I was about to dig the grave for the
body of the rustic. I was so astonished and troubled
at this discovery, and so disturbed at the loss of all
my wealth, that I threw aside my oars, and gave my-
self up altogether to the winds and currents, not caring
whither I went; and for a long time I was tossed
about on the waves, I knew not in what direction
" At last it seemed to me that my curragh ceased
to move; but I was not sure about it, for I could see
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170 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
no sign of land Mindfiil, however, of what the old
man had told me, that I was to stay wherever my
CTirragh stopped, I looked round more carefully; and
at last I saw, very near me, a small rock level with
the surface, over which the waves were gently laugh-
ing and tumbling. I stepped on to the rock ; and the
moment I did so, the waves seemed to spring back,
and the rock rose high over the level of the water ;
while the curragh drifted by and quickly disappeared,
so that I never saw it after. This rock has been my
abode from that time to the present day.
"For the first seven years, I lived on the seven
cakes and the cup of whey given me by the man who
had sent me to the rock. At the end of that time
the cakes were all gone ; and for three days I fasted,
with nothing but the whey to wet my mouth. Late
in the evening of the third day, an otter brought me
a salmon out of the sea ; but though I suffered much
from hunger, I could not bring myself to eat the fish
raw, and it was washed back again into the waves.
"I remained without food for three days longer;
and in the afternoon of the third day, the otter
returned with the salmon. And I saw another otter
bring firewood; and when he had piled it up on the
rock, he blew it with his breath till it took fire and
lighted up. And then I broiled the salmon and ate
till I had satisfied my hunger.
" The otter continued to bring me a salmon every
day, and in this manner I lived for seven years longer.
The rock also grew larger and larger daily, tiU it
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. ^ 171
became the size you now see it. At the end of seven
years, the otter ceased to bring me my sahnon, and
I fasted for three days. But at the end of the third
day, I was sent half a cake of fine wheaten flour and
a slice of fish ; and on the same day my cup of watery
whey fell into the sea, and a cup of the same size, fiJiled
with good ale, was placed on the rock for me.
"And so I have lived, praying and doing penance
for my sins to this hour. Each day my drinking-
vessel is filled with ale, and I am sent half a wheat-
flour cake and a slice of fish; and neither rain nor
wind, nor heat, nor cold, is allowed .to molest me on
this rock."
This was the end of the old man's history. In the
evening of that day, each man of the crew received
the same quantity of food that was sent to the old
hermit himself, namely, half a cake and a slice of fish ;
and they found in the vessel as much good ale as
served them all.
The next morning he said to them, "You shall
all reach your own country in safety. And you,
Maildun, you shall find in an island on your way, the
very man that slew your father ; but you are neither
to kill him nor take revenge on him in any way.
As God has delivered you from the many dangers you
have passed through, though you were very guilty,
and well deserved death at His hands ; so you forgive
your enemy the crime he committed against you."
After this they took leave of the old man and
sailed away.
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172 * OLD CELTIC BQMANCES.
THE OLD HERMIT'S STORY.
The storms may roar and the seas may rage,
But here, on this bare, brown rock,
I pray and repent and I tell my beads,
Secure from the hurricane's shock.
For the good, kind God, in pity to me.
Holds out His protecting hand ;
And cold nor heat nor storm nor sleet,
Can molest me where I stand.
I robbed the churches and wronged the poor,
And grew richer day by day ;
But now on this bare, brown ocean rock,
A heavy penance I pay.
A bloated sinner died unshrived.
And they brought his corse to me —
" Go, dig the grave and bury the dead,
And pray for the soul set free."
I dug the grave, but my hands were stayed
By a solemn and fearful sound.
For the feeble tones of a dead man's voice
Came up from the hollow ground !
The dead monk speaks wp from the grave —
Place not that pampered corse on mine,
For my bones are weak and thin ;
I cannot bear the heavy weight
Of a body defiled by sin.
I was a meek and holy man ;
I fasted and watched and prayed ;
A sinner's corse would defile the clay
Where my wasted body is laid
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 173
The old Tiermit conUmies his story —
The voice then ceased, and I heard no more
Its hollow, beseeching tone ;
Then I closed the grave, and left the old monk
To rest in his oofi&n alone.
My onrragh sailed on the western main,
And I saw, as I viewed the sea,
A withered old man npon a wave ;
And he fixed his eyes on me.
He spoke, and his voice my heart's blood froze,
And I shook with horror and fear :
*Twas the very voice of the dead old monk
That sounded in mine ear !
The dead monk speaks again —
Far from my grave the sinner's corse
In nnhallowed clay lies deep ;
And now in my coffin, nndefiled.
For ever in peace I sleep.
Gro, live and pray on the bare, brown rock.
Far out in the stormy sea j
. A heavy penanc^ for heavy crimes,
And heaven at last for thee !
The old hermit ends his story —
And here I live from age to age ;
I pray and repent and fast ;
An otter brings me food each day.
And I hope for heaven at last.
The tempests roar and the billows rage.
But God holds forth His hand,
And cold nor heat nor storm nor sleet.
Can harm me where I stand.
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174 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
SIGNS OF HOME.
Soon after they saw a beautiful verdant island, with
herds of oxen, cows, and sheep browsing all over its
hills and valleys ; but no houses nor inhabitants were
to be seen. And they rested for some time on this
island, and ate the flesh of the cows and sheep.
One day, while they were standing on a hiU, a
large falcon flew by ; and two of the crew, who hap-
pened to look closely at him, cried out, in the hearing
of Maildun —
" See that falcon ! he is surely like the falcons of
Erin!"
"Watch him closely," cried Maildun ; "and observe
exactly in what direction he is flying ! "
And they saw that he flew to the south-east, with-
out turning or wavering.
They went on board at once; and, having un-
moored, they sailed to the south-east after the falcon.
After rowing the whole day, they sighted land in the
dusk of the evening, which seemed to them like the
land of Erin.
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THE VOYAGE OF MAILDUN. 175
CHAPTER XXXV.
MAILDUN MEETS HIS ENEMY, AND ARRIVES HOME.
On a near approacli, they found it was a small island ;
and now they recognised it as the very same island
they had seen in the beginning of their voyage, in
which they had heard the man in the great house
boast that he had slain Maildnn's father, and from
which the storm had driven them out into the great
ocean.
They turned the prow of their vessel to the shore,
landed, and went towards the house. It happened
that at this very time the people of the house were
seated at their evening meal ; and Maildun and his
companions, as they stood outside, heard a part of
their conversation.
Said one to another, " It would not be well for us
if we were now to see Maildun."
"As to Maildun," answered another, "it is very well
known that he was drowned long ago in the great
ocean."
"Do not be sure," observed a third; "perchance
he is the very man that may waken you up some
morning from your sleep."
"Supposing he came now," asks another, "what
should we do ? "
The head of the house now spoke in reply to
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176 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
the last question ; and Maildun at once knew his
voice —
"I can easily answer, that," said he. "Maildun has
been for a long time suflfering great afflictions and
hardships ; and if he were to come now, though we
were enemies once, I should certainly give him a
welcome and a kind reception."
When Maildun heard this he knocked at the door,
and the door-keeper asked who was there ; to which
Maildun made answer —
" It is I, Maildun, returned safely from all my
wanderings."
The chief of the house then ordered the door to be
opened ; and he went to meet Maildun, and brought
himself and his companions into the house. They
were joyfully welcomed by the whole household ; new
garments were given to them ; and they feasted and
rested, till they forgot their weariness and their
hardships.
They related all the wonders God had revealed to
them in the course of their voyage, according to the
word of the sage who says, " It wiU be a source of
pleasure to remember these things at a future time."
After they had remained here for some days,
Maildun returned to his own country. And Diuran
Lekerd took the five half-ounces of silver he had cut
down from the great net at the Silver Pillar, and laid
it, according to his promise, on the high altar of
Armagh.
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THE FAIEY PALACE OF THE
QUICKEN TREES.*
CHAPTER I.
OOLGA, KING OF LOCHLANN, INYADES ERIN,
AND IS SLAIN.
Once upon a time, a noble, warlike king ruled over
Lochlann,^ whose name was Colga of the Hard
Weapons. On a certain occasion, this king held a
meeting of his chief people, on the broad, green plain
before his palace of Berva.® And when they were
all gathered together, he spoke to them in a loud,
clear voice, from where he sat high on his throne ;
and he asked them whether they found any fault
with the manner in which he ruled them, and
whether they knew of anything deserving of blame
in him as their sovereign lord and king. They
repKed, as if with the voice of one man, that they
found no fault of any kind.
* The quicken tree, or qnickbeam, or moiintain ash, or roan-
tree; Gaelic, caerthamn. Many mystic virtues were anciently
attributed to this tree.
N
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178 OLD CELTIC KOMANCES.
Then the king spoke again and said, "You see
not as I see. Do you not know that I am called
King of the Four Tribes of Lochlann, and of the
Islands of the Sea? And yet there is one island
which acknowledges not my rule."
And when they had asked which of the islands
he meant, he said —
"That island is Erin of the green hiUs. My
forefathers, indeed, held sway over it, and many of
our brave warriors died there in fight. There fell
the great king, Balor of the Mighty Blows ;^ his son
Bres ^ also ; and his queen, Kethlenda of the Crooked
Teeth;® there, too, fell Irann and Slana, sisters of
the king; and many others that I do not name.
But though our hosts at last subdued the land and
laid it under tribute, yet they held it not long ; for
the men of Erin arose and expelled our army, re-
gaining their ancient freedom.
" And now it is my desire that we once more sail
to Erin with a fleet and an army, to bring it under
my power, and take, either by consent or by force, the
tributes that are due to me by right. And we shall
thereafter hold the island in subjection till the end
of the world."
The chiefs approved the counsel of the king, and
the meeting broke up.
Then the king made proclamation, and sent his
swift scouts and couriers all over the land, to muster
his fighting men, till he had assembled a mighty army
in one place.
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THE FAIRY PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TREES. 179
And when they had made ready their curve-sided,
white-sailed ships, and their strong, swift-gliding
boats, the army embarked. And they raised their
sails and plied their oars ; and they cleft the billowy,
briny sea ; and the clear, cold winds whistled through
their sails ; and they made neither stop nor stay, till
they landed on the shore of the province of XJlad.*
The King of Ireland at that time was Cormac Mac
Art,^ the grandson of Conn the Hundred-fighter.^®
And when Cormac heard that a great fleet had come
to Erin, and landed an army of foreigners, he straight-
way sent tidings of the invasion to Allen f of the
green hill-slopes, where lived Finn,^ and the noble
Feni^s of the Gaels.
When the king's messengers had told their tale,
Finn despatched his trusty, swift-footed couriers to
every part of Erin where he knew the Feni dwelt;
and he bade them to say that all should meet him
at a certain place, near that part of the coast where
the Lochlann army lay encamped. And he himself
led the Feni of Leinster northwards to join the muster.
They attacked the foreigners, and the foreigners
were not slow to meet their onset; and the Feni
were sore pressed in that battle, so that at one time
the Lochlanns were like to prevail.
Oscar, the son of Oisin,^ when he saw his friends
falling all round him, was grieved to the heart;
♦ Ulad, i.e, Ulster.
t The HiU of Allen, in the county Kildare, where Finn had his
palace. (See note 23 at the end.)
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180 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
and he rested for a space to gather his wrath and
his strength. Then, renewing the fight, he rushed
with fury towards the standard of Colga, the Loch-
lann king, dealing havoc and slaughter among those
foreigners that stood in his track. The king saw
Oscar approach, and met him; and they fought a
deadly battle hand-to-hand. Soon their shields were
rent, their hard helmets were dinted with sword-
blows, their armour was pierced in many places, and
their flesh was torn with deep wounds. And the end
of the fight was, that the king of the foreigners was
slain by Oscar, the son of Oisin.
When the Lochlanns saw their king faU, they
lost heart, and the battle went against them. But
they fought on nevertheless, till evening, when their
aimy entirely gave way, and fled from the field.
And of all the nobles and princes and mighty chiefs
who sailed to Erin on that expedition, not one was
left alive, except the youngest son of the king, whose
name was Midac. Him Finn spared on account of
his youth ; with intent to bring him up in his own
household.
After the Feni had rested for a time, and buried
their dead, they turned their faces southward, and
marched slowly towards Allen, bringing their sick
and wounded companions. And Finn placed Midac
among the household of Allen, treating him honour-
ably, and giving him servants and tutors. Moreover,
he enlisted him in the Feni, and gave him a high
post as befitted a prince.
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THE FAIRY PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TREES. 181
CHAPTER II.
MIDAC, THE SON OF COLGA, MEDITATES REVENGE.
After tins things went on as before, while Midac
grew up towards manhood, and hunted and feasted
with the Feni, and fought with them when they
fought. But he never lost an opportunity of making
himself acquainted with all their haimts and hunting-
grounds, their palaces and fortresses, and in particular
with their maimer of carrying on war.
It happened one day that Finn and some of his
leading chiefs were in council, considering sundry
matters, especially the state and condition of the
Feni ; and each chief was commanded by Finn to
speak, and give his opinion or advice on anything
that he deemed weighty enough to be debated by
the meeting.
And after many had spoken, Conan Mail, the son
of Moma, stood up and said —
" It seems to me, king, that you and I and the
Feni in general are now in great danger. For you
have in your house, and mixing with your people, a
young man who has good cause of enmity towards
you ; that is to say, Midac, the son of the king of
Lochlann. For was it not by you that his father and
brothers and many of his friends were slain ? Now I
notice that this young prince is silent and distant, and
talks little to those around him. Moreover, I see that
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182 OLD CELTIC KOMANCES.
day after day he takes much pains to know all matters
relating to the Feni ; and as he has friends in Lochlann
mighty men with armies and ships, I fear me the day
may come when this prince will use his knowledge to
our destruction."
The king said that all this was quite true, and he
asked Conan to give his opinion as to what should be
done.
'' What I advise in the matter is this," said Conan,
" that Midac be not allowed to abide any longer in
the palace of Allen. But as it is meet that he should
be treated in a manner becoming a prince, let him be
given a tract of land for himself in some other part of
Erin, with a home and a household of his own. Then
shall we be freed from his presence, and he can no
longer listen to our counsels, and learn all our secrets
and all our plans."
This speech seemed to Finn and the other chiefs
reasonable and prudent, and they agreed to follow the
advice of Conan Mail.
Accordingly Finn sent for the prince, and said to
him —
" Thou knowest, Midac, that thou hast been brought
up from boyhood in my household, and that thou hast
been dealt with in every way as becomes a prince.
Now thou art a man, and standest in no farther need
of instruction, for thou hast learned everything needful
for a prince and for a champion of the Feni ; and
it is not meet that thou shouldst abide longer in the
house of another. Choose, therefore, the two cantreds
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THE FAIRY PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TREES. 183
that please thee best in all Erin, and they shall be
given to thee and to thy descendants for ever as a
patrimony. There thou shalt build houses and a home-
stead for thyself, and I will help thee with men and
with cattle and with aU things else necessary."
Midac listened in silence ; and when the king had
done speaking, he replied in a cold and distant manner
and in few words, that the proposal was reasonable
and proper, and pleased him well. And thereupon he
chose the rich cantred of Kenri on the Shannon, and
the cantred of the Islands lying next to it on the
north, at the other side of the river.*
Nov Midac had good reasons for choosing these
two territories beyond all others in Erin. For the
river opens out between them like a great sea, in
which are many islands and sheltered harbours, where
ships might anchor in safety; and he hoped to bring a
fleet and an army into Erin some day, to avenge on
Finn and the Feni the defeats they had inflicted on his
countrymen, and above all, the death of his father and
brothers. And being bent on treachery, he could not
haTC chosen in aU Erin a territory better suited for
carrying out his secret designs.
So these two cantreds were bestowed on Midac.
Finn gave him also much cattle and wealth of all
kinds ; so that when his houses were built, and when
* The oantreds of Kenri and Islands are now two baronies : the
former the barony of Kenry, in Limerick, a little below the city j
the ".atter the barony of Islands, in Clare, on the opposite side of
the Shannon, including the month of the river Fergpis, with its
numerous islands, from which the barony has its name.
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184 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
he was settled in his new territory, with his servants
and his cattle and his wealth all round him, there
was no brugaid * in Erin richer or more prosperous
than he.
For fourteen years Midac lived in his new home,
growing richer every year. But the Feni knew
nothing of his way of life, for he kept himself apart,
and none of his old acquaintances visited him. And
though he was enrolled in the ranks of the Feni, he
never, during all that time, invited one of them to his
house, or offered them food or drink or entertainment
of any kind.
One day, Finn and the Feni went to hunt in the
district of Fermorc,t and over the plains of H7 Conall
Gavra.t And when all was arranged and the chase
about to begin, Finn himself, and a few of Ms com-
panions, went to the top of the hill of Knockfiema J to
see the sport ; while the main body of the Feni scat-
tered themselves over the plain with their dogs and
attendants, to start the deer and the wild boars and
aU the other game of the forest.
Then Finn's people pitched their tents, and made
soft couches of rushes and heather, and dug ccok-
ing-places^; for they intended the hill to be the
* Bmgaid, a sort of local officer, who was allowed a tract of land
free, on condition that he maintained a large establishment as a louse
of public hospitality. Many of the bmgaids were very rich.
f Fermorc and Hy ConaU Gavra are now the baronies of "Dpper
and Lower ConneUo, in the county Limerick.
J Knockfiema, a conspicuous hill, celebrated for its fairy lore,
near Croom, in the county Limerick; very near Kenri, Miiac's
territory.
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THE FAIKY PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TREES. 185
resting-place of all who chose to rest, till the chase was
ended.
After Finn and his companions had sat for some
time on the hill, they saw a tall warrior coming
towards them, armed in full battle array. He wore a
splendid coat of mail of Lochlann workmanship, and
over it a mantle of fine satin dyed in divers colours.
A broad shield himg on his left shoulder, and his
helmet glittered in the morning sun like polished
silver*. At his left side himg a long sword, with
golden hilt and enamelled sheath; and he held in
his right hand his two long, polished, death-dealing
spears. His figure and gait were wonderfully
majestic, and as he came near, he saluted the king
in stately and courteous words.
Finn returned the salutation, and spoke with him
for a while ; and at length he asked him whence he
had come, and if he had brought any tidinga
" As to the place I came from," he answered, " that
need not be spoken of; and for news, I have nothing
to tell except that I am a ferdana,* and that I have
come to thee, king of the Feni, with a poem."
"Methinks, indeed," replied Finn, "that conflict
and battle are the poetry you profess ; for never have
I seen a hero more noble in mien and feature."
" I am a ferdana nevertheless," answered the
stranger ; " and if thou dost not forbid me, I will prove
it by reciting a poem I have brought for thee."
" A mountain-top is hot the place for poetry," said
• Ferdana, a poet.
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186 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
Finn ; " and moreover, there is now no opportunity
either for reciting or listening. For I and these few
companions of mine have come to sit here that we may-
view the chase, and listen to the eager shouts of the
men, and the sweet cry of the hounds.
" But if you are, as you say," continued Finn, " a
ferdana, remain here with us till the chase is ended ;
and then you shall come with me to one of our
palaces, where I shall listen to your poem, and bestow
on you such gifts as are meet for a poet of your
rank."
But the strange champion answered, "It is not
my wish to go to your palace ; and I now put you
imder gesa,^ which true heroes do not suffer, that you
listen to my poem, and that you find out and explain
its meaning."
"Well then," said Finn, "let there be no further
delay ; repeat your poem."
So the hero recited the following verse : —
I saw a honse by a river's shore,
Famed through Erin in days of yore,
Badiant with sparkling gems all o'er,
Its lord deep skilled in magical lore ;
No conqneror ever defiled its floor ;
No spoiler can rive its golden store ;
Fire cannot bnm its battlements hoar ;
Safe it stands when the torrents ponr ;
Feasting and joy for evermore.
To all who enter its open door !
Now if then hast learned a champion's lore,
Tell me the name of that mansion hoar,
With roof of crystal and marble floor —
The mansion I saw by the river's shore.
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THE FAIRY PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TREES. 187
" I can explain that poem," said Finn. " The man-
sion you saw is Bruga of the Boyne,* the fairy palace
of Angus, the Dedannan prince, son of the Dagda,
which is open to all who wish to partake of its feasts
and its enjoyments. It cannot be burned by fire, or
drowned by water, or spoiled by robbers, on account
of the great power of its lord and master ; for there is
not now, and there never was, and there never shall
be, in Erin, a man more skilled in magic arts than
Angus of the Bruga."
'' That is the sense of my poem," said the stranger ;
" and now listen to this other, and explain it to me if
thou canst " —
I saw to the south a bright-faced qneen.
With conch of crystal and robe of green ;
A nnmerons offspring, sprightly and small,
Plain throngh her skin yon can see them aU ;
Slowly she moves, and yet her speed
Exceeds the pace of the swiftest steed !
Now tell me the name of that wondrous queen.
With her couch of crystal and robe of green.f
" I understand the sense of that poem also," said
Finn. "The queen you saw is the river Boyne,
which flows by the south side of the palace of Bruga.
Her couch of crystal is the sandy bed of the river ; and
her robe of green the grassy plain of Bregia, I through
* Bruga of the Boyne. (See note, page 62.)
f The poets were much given to proposing poetical puzzles of this
kind ; and it was considered a mark of superior education, and of
great acuteness in a champion to be able to ei^plain them. (For
another example, see the enigmatical yerse about the skin of the pig,
in the story of " The Children of Turenn," page 69.)
X Bregia or Magh Breagh, the ancient name of the plain extending
from the Liffey northwards to the borders of the county Louth. (For
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188 OLD CELTIC KOMANCES.
which it flows. Her children, which you can see
through her skin, are the speckled salmon, the lively,
pretty trout, and all the other fish that swim in the
clear water of the river. The river flows slowly indeed ;
but its waters traverse the whole world in seven years,
which is more than the swiftest steed can do."
"These are my poems," said the champion; "and
thou hast truly explained their meaning."
" And now," said Finn, " as I have listened to thy
poetry and explained it, tell us, I pray thee, who thou
art and whence thou hast come ; for I marvel much
that so noble a champion should live in any of the five
provinces of Erin, without being known to me and my
companions."
Then Conan Mail spoke. " Thou art, king, the
wisest and most far-seeing of the Feni, and thou hast
unravelled and explained the hard poetical puzzles of
this champion. Yet, on the present occasion, thou
knowest not a friend from a foe ; for this man is
Midac, whom thou didst bring up with much honour
in thine own house, and afterwards made rich, but
who is now thy bitter enemy, and the enemy of all
the Feni. Here he has lived for fourteen years,
without fellowship or communication with his former
companions. And though he is enrolled in the order
of the Feni, he has never, during all that time, invited
thee to a banquet, or come to see any of his old
friends, oi given food or entertainment to any of the
Feni, either master or man."
this name, see the author's "Irish Names of Places," Series 11.
Part IV. chap. 11.
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THE FAIRY PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TBEES. 189
Midac answered, "If Finn and the Feni have
not feasted with me, that is none of my fault ; for my
house has never been without a banquet fit for either
king or chief; but you never came to partake of it.
I did not, indeed, send you an invitation ; but that you
should not have waited for, seeing that I was one of
the Feni, and that I was brought up in your own
household. Howbeit, let that pass. I have now a
feast ready, in all respects worthy of a king; and I
put you under gesa that you and the chiefs that are
here with you, come this night to partake of it. I
have two palaces, and in each there is a banquet One
is the Palace of the Island, which stands on the sea ;
and the other is the Palace of the Quicken Trees, which
is a little way oflf from this hill ; and it is to this that
I wish you to come."
Finn consented ; and Midac, after he had pointed
out the way to the Palace of the Quicken Trees, left
them, saying he would go before, that he might have
things in readiness when they should arrive.
CHAPTER III.
FINN IS ENTRAPPED BY MIDAC, AND HELD BY ENCHANT-
MENT IN THE PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TREES.
Finn now held council with his companions, and they
agreed that the king's son, Oisin, and five other chiefs,
with their followers, should tarry on the hill till the
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190 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
hunting party returned, while Finn went to the palace
with the rest.
And it was arranged that Finn should send back
word immediately to the party on the hill, how he
fared; and that Oisin and the others were to follow
him to the palace when the himting party had
returned.
Those that remained with Oisin were Dermat
O'Dyna ; Fatha Conan, the son of the son of Conn ;
Kylta Mac Ronan ; Ficna, the son of Finn ; and Innsa,
the son of Swena Selga.
And of those who went with Finn to the Palace of
the Quicken Trees, the chief were Gaul Mac Moma ;
Dathkeen the Strong-limbed; Mac Luga of the Red
Hand ; Glas Mac Encarda from Beara ; the two sons
of Aed the Lesser, son of Finn ; Racad and Dalgus, the
two kings of Leinster ; Angus Mac Bresal Bola ; and
the two leaders of the Connaught Feni, namely, Mac-
na-Corra and Corr the Swift-footed.
As Finn and his party came nigh to the palace,
they were amazed at its size and splendour ; and they
wondered greatly that they had never seen it before.
It stood on a level green, which was surroimded by a
light plantation of quicken trees, all covered with
clusters of scarlet berries. At one side of the little
plain, very near the palace, was a broad river, with
a rocky bank at the near side, and a steep pathway
leading down to a ford.
But what " surprised them most was that all was
lonely and silent — ^not a living soul could they see in
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THE FAIRY PALACE OF THE QXHCKEN TREES. 191
any direction ; and Finn, fearing some foul play, would
have turned back, only that he bethought him of his
gesa and his promise. The great door was wide open,
and Conan went in before the others; and after
viewing the banqueting hall, he came out quite
enraptured with what he had seen. He praised the
beauty and perfect arrangement of everything, and
told his companions that no other king or chief in all
Erin had a banqueting hall to match the haU of
Midac, the son of Colga. They all now entered, but
they found no one — ^neither host nor guests nor
attendants.
As they gazed around, they thought they had
never seen a banquet hall so splendid. A gr^at fire
burned brightly in the middle, without any smoke,
and sent forth a sweet perfume, which filled the whole
room with fragrance, and cheered and delighted the
heroes. Couches were placed all round, with rich
coverlets and rugs, and soft, glossy furs. The curved
walls were of wood,* close-jointed and polished like
ivory; and each board was painted differently from
those above and below ; so that the sides of the room,
from floor to roof, were all radiant with a wonderful
variety of colours.
Still seeing no one, they seated themselves on the
couches and rugs. Presently a door opened, and
Midac walked into the room. He stood for a few
moments before the heroes, and looked at them one
* The honses of the ancient Irish were cironlar, and generally
made of wood.
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192 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
after another, but never spoke one word; then, turning
round, he went out and shut the great door behind
him.
Finn and his friends were much surprised at this ;
however, they said nothing, but remained resting aff
they were for some time, expecting Midac's return.
Still no one came, and at length Finn spoke —
"We have been invited here, my friends, to a
banquet; and it seems to me very strange that we
should be left so long without attendance, and without
either food or drink. Perhaps, indeed, Midac's attend-
ants have made some mistake, and that the feast
intended for this palace has been prepared in the
Palace of the Island. But I wonder greatly that such
a thing should have happened."
" I see something more wonderful than that," said
Gaul Mac Moma ; " for lo, the fire, which was clear
and smokeless when we first saw it, and which
smelled more sweetly than the flowers of the plain,
now fills the haU with a foul stench, and sends up
a great doud of black, sooty smoke ! "
" I see something more wonderful than that," said
Glas Mac Encarda ; " for the boards in the walls of
this banquet hall, which were smooth and close-
jointed and glorious all over with bright colours when
we came, are now nothing but rough planks, clumsily
fastened together with tough quicken tree withes, and
as rude and unshapen as if they had been hacked and
hewed with a blunt axe ! "
" I see something more wonderful than that," said
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THE FAIKY PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TREES. 193
Foilan, the son of Aed the Lesser; "for this palace,
which had seven great doors when we came in, all
wide open, and looking pleasantly towards the sun-
shine, has now only one small, narrow door, close
fastened, and facing straight to the north ! "
" I see something more wonderful than that," said
Conan Mail; "for the rich rugs and furs and the
soft couches, which were under us when we sat here
first, are all gone, not as much as a fragment or a
thread remaining; and we are now sitting on the
bare, damp earth, which feels as cold as the snow
of one night ! " *
Then Finn again spoke. " You know, my friends,
that I never tarry in a house having only one door.
Let one of you then, arise, and break open that
narrow door, so that we may go forth from this foul,
smoky den ! "
" That shall be done," cried Conan ; and, so saying
he seized hii^ long spear, and, planting it on the floor,
point downwards, he attempted to spring to his feet.
But he found that he was not able to move, and,
turning to his companions, be cried out with a groan
of anguish —
" Alas, my friends ! I see now something more
wonderful than all; for I am firmly fixed by some
druidical spell to the cold clay floor of the Palace of
the Quicken Trees 1 "
* " As cold as the snow of one night ; " "As white as the snow
of one night," ai'e usnal comparisons in Gaelic. The first night's snow
seems particnlarly cold and white when you see it in the morning,
on account of the contrast with the green fields of the day before.
O
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194 OLD CELTIC KOMANCES.
And immediately all the others found themselves,
in like manner, fixed where they sat. And they
were silent for a time, being quite confounded and
overwhelmed with fear and anguish.
At length Gaul spoke, and said, " It seems clear,
king, that Midac has planned this treachery, and
that danger lies before us. I wish, then, that you
would place your thumb under your tooth of know-
ledge,^ and let us know the truth ; so that we may
at once consider as to the best means of escaping from
this strait."
Whereupon Finn placed his thumb under his
tooth of knowledge, and mused for a little while.
Then suddenly withdrawing his thumb, he sank
back in his seat and groaned aloud.
" May it be the will of the gods," said Gaul, " that
it is the pain of thy thumb that has caused thee to
utter that groan ! "
" Alas ! not so,*' replied Finn. " I grieve that my
death is near, and the death of these dear companions !
For fourteen years has Midac, the son of the king of
Lochlann, been plotting against us ; and now at last
he has caught us in this treacherous snare, from which
1 can see no escape.
" For in the Palace of the Island there is, at this
moment, an army of foreigners, whom Midac has
brought hither for our destruction. Chief over aU
is Sinsar of the Battles, from Greece, the Monarch of
the World, who has under his command sixteen war-
like princes, with many others of lesser note. Next
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THE FAIKY PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TREES. 195
to Sinsar is his son, Borba the Haughty, who com-
mands also a number of fierce and hardy knights.
" There are, besides, the three kings of the Island
of the Torrent, large-bodied and bloodthirsty, like
three furious dragons, who have never yet jdelded to
an enemy on the field of battle. It is these who, by
their sorcery^ have fixed us here ; for this cold clay
that we sit on is part of the soil of the enchanted
Island of the Torrent, which they brought hither,
and placed here with foul spells. Moreover, the
enchantment that binds us to this floor can never
be broken imless the blood of these kings be sprinkled
on the clay. And very soon some of Sinsar's
warriors will come over from the Palace of the
Island, to slay us all, while we are fixed here help-
less, and unable to raise a hand in our own defence."
Full of alarm and anguish were the heroes when
they heard these tidings. And some began to shed
bitter tears in silence, and some lamented aloud.
But Finn again spoke and said —
"It becomes us not, my friends, being heroes, to
weep and wail like women, even though we are in
danger of death ; for tears and lamentations will avail
us nothing. Let us rather sound the Dord-Fian,*
sweetly and plaintively, according to our wont, that
it may be a comfort to us before we die."
So they ceased weeping, and, joining all together,
they sounded the Dord-Fian in a slow, sad strain.
* Dord-Fian, or Dord-Fiansa, a sort of musical war-cry, usually
performed by several persons in chorus.
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196 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
CHAPTER IV.
INNSA, FINN'S FOSTER SON, DEFENDS THE FORD LEADING
TO THE PALACE OP THE QUICKEN TREES.
Now let US speak of Oisin, and the party who
tarried with him on the hill of Knockfiema. When
he found that his father Finn had not sent back a
messenger as he had promised, though the night was
now drawing nigh, he began to fear that something
was wrong ; and he said to his companions —
" I marvel much that we have got no news from
the king, how he and his companions have fared in
the Palace of the Quicken Trees. It is dear to me
that he would have fulfilled his promise to send us
word, if he had not been hindered by some unforeseen
difficulty. Now, therefore, I wish to know who will
go to the palace and bring me back tidings."
Ficna, the son of Finn, stood forth and offered
to go ; and Finn's foster son, Innsa, the son of Swena
Selga, said he would go with him.
They both set out at once, and as they travelled
with speed, they soon reached the plain on which
stood the Palace of the Quicken Trees ; and now the
night was darkening around them. As they came
near to the palace, they marvelled to hear the loud,
slow strains of the Dord-Fian; and Innsa exclaimed
joyfully-
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THE FAIRY PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TREES. 197
"Things go well with our friends, seeing that
they are amusing themselves with the Dord-Fian ! "
But Ficna, who guessed more truly how things
really stood, replied —
"It is my opinion, friend, that matters are not
so pleasant with them as you think; for it is only
in time of trouble or danger that Finn is wont to
have the Dord-Fian sounded in a manner so slow
and sad."
While they talked in this wise, it chanced that
the Dord-Fian ceased for a little space; and Finn
hearing the low hum of conversation outside, asked
was that the voice of Ficna. And when Ficna
answered, " Yes," Finn said to him —
*' Come not nearer, my son ; for this place teems
with dangerous spells. We have been decoyed hither
by Midac, and we are all held here by the foul sorcery
of the three kings of the Island of the Torrent."
And thereupon Finn told him the whole story
of the treachery that had been wrought on them,
from beginning to end; and he told him also that
nothing could free them but the blood of those three
kings sprinkled on the clay.
Then he asked who the second man was whom
he had heard conversing with Ficna; and when he
wa^s told that it was Innsa, the son of Swena Selga,
he addressed Ficna earnestly —
" Fly, my son, from this fatal place ! Fly, and save
my foster child from the treacherous swords of the
foreigners ; for they are already on their way hither ! "
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But Innsa quickly answered, " That I will never
do. It would, indeed, be an ungrateful return to a
kind foster father, to leave thee now in deadly strait,
and seek my own safety/'
And Fiona spoke in a like strain.
Then Finn said, "Be it so, my sons; but a sore
trial awaits you. Those who come hither from the
Palace of the Island must needs pass the ford under
the shadow of these walls. Now this ford is rugged
and hard to be crossed ; and one good man, standing
in the steep, narrow entrance at the hither side, might
dispute the passage for a time against many. Go
now, and defend this ford ; and haply some help may
come in time."
So both went to the ford. And when they had
viewed it carefully, Ficna, seeing that one man
might defend it for a short time almost as well as
two, said to Innsa —
" Stay thou here to guard the ford for a little time,
while I go to the Palace of the Island to see how the
foreigners might be attacked. Haply, too, I may
meet with the party coming hither, and decoy them
on some oth-er track."
And Innsa consented ; and Ficna set out straight-
way for the Palace of the Island.
Now as to the Palace of the Island. When Midac
returned in the morning, and told how Finn and his
people were held safe in the Palace of the Quicken
Trees, the foreigners were in great joy. And they
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feasted and drank and were merry till evening ; when
an Irla* of the King of the World spoke in secret
to his brother, and said —
" I will go now to the Palace of the Quicken Trees,
and I will bring hither the head of Finn the son of
Cumal ; and I shall gain thereby much renown, and
shall be honoured by the King of the World."
So he went, bringing with him a goodly number
of his own knights; and nothing is told of what
befell them till they arrived at the brink of the ford
under the Palace of the Quicken Trees. Looking
across through the darkness, the Irla thought he saw
a warrior standing at the other brink ; and he called
aloud to ask who was there, and whether he belonged
to the noble or the ignoble races of the world.
And when Innsa answered that he belonged to the
household of Finn, the son of Cumal, the Irla said —
'' Lo, we are going to the Palace of the Quicken
Trees, to bring Finn's head to the King of the World ;
and thou shalt come with us and lead us to the door."
" That, indeed," replied Innsa, " would be a strange
way for a champion to act who has been sent hither
by Finn to guard this ford. I will not allow any foe
to pass — of that be sure ; and I warn you that you
come not to my side of the ford ! "
At this the Irla said to his knights, "Force the
ford: then shall we see if yonder hero can fight as
well as he threatens."
And at the word, they rushed through the water,
* Irla, i.e. an earl, a chief.
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200 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
as many as could find room. But only one or two at
a time could attack ; and the young champion struck
them down right and left as fast as they came up,
till the ford became encumbered with their bodies.
And when the conflict had lasted for a long time,
and when they found that they could not dislodge
him, the few that remained retired across the ford;
and Innsa was fain to rest after his long combat.
But the Irla, seeing so many of his knights slain,
was mad with wrath; and, snatching up his sword
and shield, he attacked Innsa ; and they fought a long
and bloody fight.
Now the Irla was fresh and strong, while Innsa
was weary and sore wounded; and at length the
young hero fell in the ford, and the Irla beheaded
him, and, exulting in his victory, brought the head
^way.
Finn and his companions, as they sat in miserable
plight in the Palace of the Quicken Trees, heard the
clash of arms at the ford, and the shouts and groans
of warriors ; and after a time all was still again ; and
they knew not how the fight had ended.
And now the Irla, thinking over the matter,
deemed it unsafe to go to the Palace of the Quicken
Trees without a larger body of knights; so he re-
turned towards the Palace of the Island, intending to
bring Innsa*s head to the King of the World. When
he had come within a little distance of the palace, he
met Ficna, who was then on his way back to the
ford ; and seeing that he was coming fi:om the Palace
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of the Island, he deemed that he was one of the
knights of the King of the World.
Ficna spoke to him, and asked whither he had
come.
" I come," replied the Irla, " from the ford of the
Palace of the Quicken Trees. There, indeed, on our
way to the palace, to slay Finn the son of Cumal, we
were met by a young champion, who defended the
ford and slew my knights. But he fell at length
beneath my sword ; and, lo, I have brought his head
for a triumph to the King of the World ! "
Ficna took the head tenderly, and kissed the
cheek thrice, and said, sorrowing —
"Alas, dear youth! only this morning I saw the
light of valour in those dim eyes, and the bloom of
^ youth on that faded cheek ! "
Then turning wrathfully to the Irla, he asked —
" Knowest thou to whom thou hast given the
yoimg warrior's head ? "
And the Irla replied, " Hast thou not come from
the Palace of the Island, and dost thou not belong to
the host of the King of the World ? "
"I am not one of his knights," answered Ficna;
" and neither shalt thou be, after this hour ! "
Whereupon they drew their swords, and fought
where they stood ; and the foreign Irla fell by the
avenging sword of Ficna, the son of Finn. Ficna
beheaded him and returned to the ford, bringing the
head, and also the head of Innsa. And when he had
come to the ford, he made a grave of green sods on
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the bank, in which he laid the body and the head
of Innsa, sometimes grieving for the youth, and some-
. times rejoicing that his death had been avenged.
Then he went on to the Palace of the Quicken
Trees, bringing the Irla's head ; and when he had
come nigh the door, he called aloud to Finn, who,
impatient and full of anxious thoughts, asked —
" Tell us, Ficna, who fought the battle at the ford,
and how it has ended."
"Thine own foster son, Innsa, defended the ford
against many foes, whose bodies now encumber the
stream."
" And how is it now with my foster son ? " asked
Finn.
" He died where he fought," replied Ficna ; " for
at the end, when he was weary and sore wounded,
the foreign Irla attacked him, and slew him."
" And thou, my son, didst thou stand by and see
my nursling slain ? "
" Truly I did not," answered Ficna. " Would that
I had been there, and I would have defended and
saved him ! And even now he is well avenged ; for I
met the Irla soon after, and lo, I have brought thee
his head. Moreover, I buried thy nursling tenderly
in a grave of green sods by the ford."
And Finn wept and said, " Victory and blessings
be with thee, my son ! Never were children better than
mine. Before I saw them, few were my possessions
and small my consideration in Erin ; but since they
have grown up around me, I have been great and
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prosperous, till I fell by treachery into this evil plight.
And now, Ficna, return and guard the ford, and
peradventure our friends may send help in time."
So Ficna went and sat on the brink of the ford.
CHAPTER V.
FIONA, THE SON OF FINN, DEFENDS THE FORD.
Now at the Palace of the Island, another Irla, whose
name was Kironn, brother to him who had been slain
by Ficna, spoke to some of his own followers —
"It is long since my brother left for the Palace
of the Quicken Trees; I fear me that he and his
people have fared iU in their quest. And now I
will go to seek for them."
And he went, bringing a company of knights weU
armed ; and when they had come to the ford, they saw
Ficna at the far side. Kironn called out and asked
who he was, and asked also who had made such a
slaughter in the ford.
Ficna answered, " I am one of the household
champions of Finn the son of Cumal, and he has sent
me here to guard this ford. As to the slaughter of
yonder knights, your question stirs my mind to wrath,
and I warn you, if you come to this side of the ford,
you will get a reply, not in words, but in deeds."
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Then Kironn and his men rushed through the
water, blind with rage, and struck wildly at Fiona.
But the young hero watchfully parried their strokes
and thrusts ; and one after another they fell beneath
his blows, till only a single man was left, who ran
back with all speed to the Palace of the Island to tell
the tale. And Ficna sat down on the brink, covered
all over with wounds, and weary from the toil of
battle.
When these tidings were brought to the palace,
Midac was very wroth, and he said, "These men
should not have gone to force the ford without my
knowledge ; for they were far too few in number, and
neither were they bold and hardy enough to meet
Finn's valiant champions. I know these Feni well,
and it is not to me a matter of surprise that the Irla
and his people fell by them.
" But I will now go with a choice party of my own
brave men; and I will cross the ford despite their
guards, and slay Finn and all his companions in the
Palace of the Quicken Trees.
" Moreover, there is one man among them, namely,
Conan Mail,^ who of all the men of Erin has the largest
appetite, and is fondest of choice eating and drinking.
To him will I bring savoury food and delicious drink,
not, indeed, to delight him with eating and drinking,
but that I may torment him with the sight and smell
of what he cannot taste."
So, having got the food, he set out with a chosen
band ; and when he had arrived at the ford, he saw a
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warrior at the far side. He asked who he was, and
finding that it was Fiona, he spoke guilefully to him.
" Dear art thou to me, Fiona, dearer even than all
the rest of Finn's household ; for during the time I lived
among the Feni, you never used me ill, or lifted a hand
to either man or dog belonging to me."
But Fiona spumed his smooth words, and replied,
"While you lived among the Feni, there was not a
man among them that had less to do with you than I.
But this I know, that you were treated kindly by all,
espeoially by my father Finn, and you have repaid
him by ingratitude and treachery."
When Midao heard this speeoh he was filled with
wrath, and no longer hiding his evil mind, he ordered
Fiona with threats to leave the ford. But Fiona
laughed with soom, and replied —
"The task is easy, friend Midao, to dislodge a
single champion ; and surely it is a small matter to you
whether I stand in this narrow pass or abandon my
post. Come forward, then, you and your knights ; but
here I will remain to receive you. I only regret you
did not come sooner, while my blood was hot, and
before my wounds grew stiff, when you would have
got a better welcome ! "
Then Midao ordered forward his knights, and they
ran eagerly across the ford. But Ficna overthrew
them with a mighty onset, like a hawk among a flight
of small birds, or like a wolf among a flock of sheep.
When Midao saw this, he buckled on his shield and
took his sword. Then, treading warily over the rough
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rocks, and over the dead bodies of his knights, he
confronted Ficna, and they attacked each other with
deadly hate and fury.
We shall now speak of those who remained on
Knockfiema. When Oisin found that the two heroes
did not return as soon as he expected, he thus
addressed his companions —
" It seems to me a long time, my friends, since
Ficna and Innsa went to the Palace of the Quicken
Trees ; methinks if they have sped successfully they
should have long since come back with tidings of
Finn and the others."
And one of his companions answered, " It is plain
that they have gone to partake of the feast, and it
fares so well with them that they are in no haste to
leave the palace/'
But Dermat O'Dyna of the Bright Face spoke and
said, " It may be as you say, friend, but I should like
to know the truth of the matter. And now I will
go and find out why they tarry, for my mind misgives
me that some evil thing has happened."
And Fatha Conan said he would go with him.
So the two heroes set out for the Palace of the
Quicken Trees ; and when they were yet a good way
off from the ford they heard the clash of arms. They
paused for a moment, breathless, to listen, and then
Dermat exclaimed —
" It is the sound of single combat, the combat of
mighty heroes ; it is Ficna fighting with the foreigners.
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THE FAIRY PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TREES. 207
for I know his war-shout. I hear the clash of swords
and the groans of warriors ; I hear the shrieks of the
ravens over the fairy-mansions, and the howls of the
wild men of the glens ! Hasten, Fatha, hasten, for
Fiona is in sore strait, and his shout is a shout for
help!"
And so they ran like the wind till they reached the
hill-brow over the river ; and, looking across in the dim
moonlight, they saw the whole ford heaped with the
bodies of the slain, and the two heroes fighting to the
death at the far side. And at the first glance they
observed that Ficna, being sore wounded, was yield-
ing and sheltering behind his shield, and scarce able
to ward off the blows of Midac.
Then Fatha cried out, " Fly, Dermat, fly ! Save our
dear companion ! Save the king's son from death."
And Dermat, pausing for a moment, said, as if
communing with himself —
" This is surely an evil plight : for if I run to the
other side, the foreigner, being the more enraged for
seeing me, will strike with greater fury, and I may not
overtake the prince alive ; and if I cast my spear, I may
strike the wrong man!"
But Fatha, overhearing him, said, " Fear not, Der-
mat, for you never yet threw an erring cast of a spear !"
Then Dermat, putting his finger in the silken loop
of his spear, threw a deadly cast with unerring aim,
and struck Midac, so that the iron spear-head went
right through his body, and the length of a warrior's
hand beyond.
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"Woe to the man," exclaimed Midac — "woe to
him whom that spear reaches : for it is the spear of
DermatO^Dyna!"
And now his wrath increased, and he struck at
Ficna more fiercely than before.
Dermat shouted to him to hold his hand and not
slay the king's son ; and as he spoke he rushed down
the slope and across the ford, to save the young
hero. But Midac, still pressing on with unabated
strength and fury, replied —
" Had you wished to save the prince's life, you
should have spared mine : now that I have been
wounded to death by your spear, Finn shall never see
his son alive!"
Even as he spoke, he raised his sword for a mighty
blow; and just as Dermat, shouting earnestly, was
closing on them, he struck the prince lifeless to the
earth, but fell down himself immediately after.
Dermat came up on the instant, and looked sadly
at his friend lying dead. Then, addressing Midac, he
said —
" If I had found thee dead, I would have passed
thee untouched ; but now that I have overtaken thee
alive, I must needs behead thee, for thy head will be
to Finn a worthy eric^® for his son."
And so saying, he struck off Midac's head with one
sweep of his heavy sword.
Dermat now repaired to the Palace of the Quicken
Trees, leaving Fatha to watch the ford till his return.
And when he had come near, he called aloud and
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THE FAIRY PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TREES. 209
struck the door with his heavy spear, for his wrath
had not yet left him ; but the door yielded not.
Finn knew the voice, and caUed out impatiently,
" Do not try to enter here, Dermat, for this place is
full of foul spells. But tell us first, I pray thee, who
fought that long and bitter fight ; for we heard the
clash of arms and the shouts of warriors, but we know
nothing more."
" Thy noble son, Ficna," returned Dermat, " fought
single-handed against the foreigners."
"And how fares it with my son after that battle ?"
"He is dead," answered Dermat; "first sore
wounded by many foes whom he slaughtered, and
afterwards slain by Midac, the son of Colga, But thy
son is avenged ; for though I came to the ford indeed
too late to save him, I have slain Midac, and here
I have brought thee his head as an eric."
And for a long time Dermat heard no more.
At last Finn spoke again and said —
" Victory and blessings be with you, Dermat, for
often before did you relieve the Feni from sore straits.
But never have we been in such plight as this. For
here we sit spell-bound, and only one thing can release
us, the blood of the three fierce kings of the Island of
the Torrent sprinkled on this clay. Meantime, unless
the ford be well defended, the foreigners will come and
slay us. In you, Dermat, we trust, and unless you aid
us well and faithfully now, we shall of a certainty
perish. Guard the ford till the rising of the sun, for
then I know the Feni will come to aid you."
P
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" I and Fatha will -of a certainty keep the enemy
at bay," repUed Dermat; and he bade them farewell
for a time, and was about to return to the ford : but
Conan Mail, with a groan, said —
"Miserable was the hour when I came to this
palace, and cold and comfortless is the clay on which I
sit — ^the clay of the Island of the Torrent. But *worst
of all to be without food and drink so long. And
while I sit here, tormented with hunger and thirst,
there is great plenty of ale and wine and of rich,
savoury food yonder in the Palace of the Island. I
am not able to bear this any longer ; and now, Dermat,
I beseech you to bring me from the palace as much
food as I can eat and a drinking-horn of wine."
"Cursed be the tongue that spoke these selfish
words ! " said Dermat. " A host of foreigners are now
seeking to compass your death, with only Fatha and
myself to defend you. Surely this is work enough for
two good men ! And now it seems I must abandon my
post, and undertake a task of much danger, to get
food for the gluttonous Conan Mail ! "
"Alas, Dermat-na-man ! " ^ replied Conan, "if it
were a lovely maiden, with bright eyes and golden hair,
who made this little request, quickly and eagerly you
would fly to please her, little recking of danger or
trouble. But now you refuse me, and the reason is
not hard to see. For you formerly crossed me four
times in my courtships ; and now it likes you well to
see me die of hunger in this dungeon ! "
"Well, then," said Dermat, "cease your upbraiding.
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THE FAIKY PALACE OP THE QUICKEN TREES. 211
and I will try to bring you food ; for it is better to
face danger than to suffer the revilings of your foul
tongue."
So saying, he went back to the ford to Fatha,
where he stood watching ; and after he had told him
how matters stood, he said to him —
" I must needs go to the Palace of the Island, to
get food for Conan Mail; and you shall guard the
ford till I return."
But Fatha told him that there was food and drink
enough at the other side of the ford, which Midac had
brought from the palace, and urged him to bring a
good meal of this to Conan.
" Not so," said Dermat. " He would taunt me with .
bringing him food taken from the hands of dead men ;
and though one may recover from his blow, it is not
so easy to recover from the venom of his tongue." *
So he left Fatha at the ford, and repaired to the
Palace of the Island.
As he drew nigh, he heard the noise of feasting
and revelry, and the loud talk and laughter of men deep
in drink. Walking tiptoe, he peered warily through
the open door, and saw the chiefs and the knights
sitting at the tables ; with Sinsar of the Battles and
his son Borba high seated over all. He saw also
many attendants serving them with food and drink,
each holding in his hand a large ornamented drinking-
horn, filled with wine.
Dermat entered the outer door softly, and stood
* A satirical allusion to Conan's well-known cowardice.
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in a dark part of the passage near the door, silent and
stem, with sword drawn, watching his opportunity.
And after a time one of the attendants, unsuspecting,
passed dose to him ; when Dermat, with «. swiffc, sure
blow, struck off his head. And he snatched the
drinking-horn from the man's hand before he fell, so
that not a drop of the wine was spilled.
Then, laying the drinking-horn aside for a moment,
he walked straight into the hall, and taking up one
of the dishes near where the king sat, he went out
through the open door, bringing with him both dish
and drinking-horn. And amidst the great crowd, and
the drinking, and the noise, no one took the least
notice of him, so that he got off without hindrance
or harm of any kind.
When he reached the ford, he found Fatha lying
fast asleep on the bank. He wondered very much
that he could sleep in the midst of such a slaughter ;
but knowing that the young warrior was worn out
with watching and toil, he left him lying asleep, and
went to the Palace of the Quicken Trees with the
food for Conan.
When he had come to the door, he called aloud to
Conan and said —
" I have here a goodly meal of choice food : how
am I to give it to thee ? "
Conan said, "Throw it towards me through
yonder little opening."
Dermat did so ; and as fast as he threw the food,
Conan caught it in his large hands, and ate it up
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THE FAIRY PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TKEES. 213
ravenously. And when it was all gone, Derniat
said —
" I have here a large drinking-horn of good wine :
how am I to give it to thee ? "
Conan answered, "There is a place behind the
palace where, from a rock, you may reach the lower
parapet with a light, airy bound. Come from that
straight over me, and break a hole in the roof with
your spear, through which you can pour the wine
down to me."
Dermat did so ; and as he poured down the wine,
Conan, with upturned face, opened his great mouth
and caught it, and swallowed it every drop.
After this Dermat came down and returned to the
ford, where he found Fatha still asleep; and he &at
beside him, but did not awaken him.
CHAPTER VI.
DERMAT O'DYNA SLAYS THE THREE KINGS OF THE
ISLAND OF THE TORRENT, BREAKS THE SPELL
WITH THEIR BLOOD, AND FREES FINN.
Tidings were brought to the Palace of the Island that
Midac and all whom he led were slain at the ford ;
and the three kings of the Island of the Torrent said —
" The young king of Lochlann did wrong to make
this attempt without asking our counsel ; and had we
known of the thing we would have hindered him.
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For to US belongs the right to behead Finn and his
companions, since it is the spell-venom of the clay
which we brought from the Island of the Torrent that
holds them bound in the Palace of the Quicken Trees.
And now, indeed, we will go and slay them aU."
So they set out with a strong party, and soon
reached the ford. Looking across in the dim light,
they saw Dermat, and called aloud to ask who he was.
" I am Dermat O'Dyna," he replied, " one of Finn's
champions. He has sent me to guard this ford, and
whoever you are, I warn you not to cross ! "
Then they sought to beguile Dermat, and to win
him over by smooth words ; and they replied —
" It is a pleasure to us to meet you, Dermat ; for
we' are old friends of yours. We are the three kings
of the Island of the Torrent, your fellow-pupils in
valour and all heroic feats. For you and we lived
with the same tutors from the beginning; and you
never learned a feat of arms that we did not learn
in like manner. Leave the ford, then, that we may
pass on to the Palace of the Quicken Trees."
But Dermat answered in few words, "Finn and
his companions are under my protection till morning ;
and I will defend the ford as long as I am alive ! "
And he stood up straight and tall like a pillar, and
scowled across the ford.
A number of the foreigners now rushed towards
Dermat, and raging in a confused crowd, assailed him.
But the strong hero met them as a rock meets the
waves, and slew them with ease as they came within
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THE FAIRY PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TREES. 215
the range of his sworA Yet still they pressed on,
others succeeding those that fell ; and in the midst of
the rage of battle, Fatha started up from his sleep,
awakened by the crashing of weapons and the riving
of shields.
He gazed for a moment, bewildered, at the com-
batants, and, seeing how matters stood, he was wroth
with Dermat for not awakening him ; so that he ran
at him fiercely with drawn sword. But Dermat
stepped aside, and, being angry, thus addressed him —
" Slake thy vengeance on our foes for the present :
for me, the swords of the foreigners are enough,
methinks, without thine to aid them ! "
Then Fatha turned and attacked the foe, and his
onset was even more deadly than that of Dermat ; so
that they fell before him to the right and left on the
ford.
And now at last the three kings, seeing so many
of their men falling, advanced slowly towards Dermat ;
and Dermat, tmterrified, stood in his place to meet
them. And their weapons clashed and tore through
their shields, and the fight was long and furious ; till at
last the chanpion-pride and the battle-fury of Dermat
arose, so thjit the three dragon-like kings fell slain
one by one lefore him, on that ford of red slaughter.
And now, though smarting with wounds, and breath-
less, and weiry, Dermat and Fatha remembered Finn
and the Feni ; and Dermat called to mind what Finn had
told him as to how the spell was to be broken. So he
struck off the heads of the three kings, and, followed
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216 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
by Fatha, he ran with them, all gory as they were, to
the Palace of the Quicken Trees.
As they drew nigh to the door, Finn, knowing
their voices and their footsteps, called aloud anxiously
to ask how it fared with the combatants at the ford ;
"For," said he, "the crashing and the din of that
battle exceeded all we have yet heard, and we know
not how it has ended."
Dermat answered, " King of the Feni, Fatha and
I have slain the three kings of the Island of the
Torrent ; and lo, here we have their heads all bloody ;
but how am I to bring them to thee ? "
*' Victory and blessings be with you, Dermat ; you
and Fatha have fought a valiant fight, worthy of the
Feni of Erin ! Now sprinkle the door with the blood."
Dermat did so, and in a moment the door flew
wide open with a crash. And inside they saw the
heroes in sore plight, all pale and faint, seated on the
cold clay round the wall Dermat and Faiha, holding
the gory heads by the hair, sprinkled the aarth under
each with the blood, beginning with Finn, and freed
them one by one ; and the heroes, as they found the
speU broken, sprang to their feet with exulting cries.
And they thanked the gods for having relieved them
from that perilous strait, and they and the two
heroes joyfully embraced each other.
But danger still threatened, and thej^ now took
counsel what they should do; and Finn, addressing
Dermat and Fatha, said —
" The venom of these foul spells has withered our
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THE FAIRY PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TREES. 217
strength, so that we are not able to fight ; but at sun-
rise they will lose their power, and we shall be strong
again. It is necessary, therefore, that you still guard
the ford, and at the rising of the sun we shall relieve
you."
So the two heroes went to the ford, and Fatha
returned with food and drink for Finn and the others.
After the last battle at the ford, a few who had
escaped brought back tidings to the King of the World
and his people, that the three kings of the Island of
the Torrent had fallen by the hands of Dermat and
Fatha. But they knew not that Finn and the others
had been released.
Then arose the king's son, Borba the Haughty, who,
next to the king himself, was mightiest in battle of aU
the foreign host. And he said —
" Feeble warriors were they who tried to cross this
ford. I will go now and avenge the death of our
people on these Feni, and I will bring hither the head of
Finn the son of Cumal, and place it at my father's feet."
So he marched forth without delay, with a large
body of chosen warriors, till he reached the edge of the
ford. And although Dermat and Fatha never trembled
before a foe, yet when they saw the dark mass draw-
ing nigh, and heard the heavy tread and clank of
arms, they dreaded that they might be dislodged and
overpowered by repeated attacks, leaving Finn and
the rest helpless and unprotected. And each in his
heart longed for the dawn of morning.
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218 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
No parley was held this time, but the foreigners
came straight across the ford — ^as many abreast as
could find footing. And as they drew near, Dermat
spoke to Fatha —
" Fight warily, my friend : ward the blows of the
foremost, and be not too eager to slay, but rather look
to thy own safety. It behoves us to nurse our strength
and prolong the fight, for the day is dawning, and
sunrise is not far off ! "
The foreigners came on, many abreast; but their
numbers availed them naught, for the pass was narrow ;
and the two heroes, one taking the advancing party
to the right, and the other to the left, sometimes
parried and sometimes slew, but never yielded an inch
from where they stood.
And now at last the sun rose up over the broad
plain of Kenri ; and suddenly the withering spell went
forth from the bones and sinews of the heroes who sat
at the Palace of the Quicken Trees, listening with
anxious hearts to the clash of battle at the ford. Joy-
fully they started to their feet, and, snatching up their
arms, hastened down to the ford with Finn at their
head ; but one they sent, the swiftest among them, to
Knockfiema, to take the news to Oisin.
Dermat and Fatha, fighting eagerly, heeded not
that the sun had risen, though it was now indeed
glittering before their eyes on the helmets and arms
of their foes. But as they fought, there rose a great
shout behind them ; and Finn and Gaul and the rest
ran down the slope to attack the foreigners.
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THE FAIRY PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TREES. 219
The foreigners, not in the least dismayed, answered
the attack; and the fight went on, till Gaul Mac
Moma and Borba the Haughty met face to face in the
middle of the ford, and they fought a hard and deadly
combat. The battle-fury of Gaul at length arose, so
that nothing could stand before him, and, with one
mighty blow, he cleft the head from the body of Borba.
And now the foreigners began to yield : but they
still continued to fight, till a swift messenger sped to
the Palace of the Island, and told the great king,
Sinsar of the Battles, that his son was dead, slain by
Gaul ; and that his army was sore pressed by the Feni,
with Finn at their head.
When the people heard these tidings, they raised a
long and sorrowful cry of lamentation for the king's
son ; but the king himself, though sorrow filled his
heart, showed it not. And he arose and summoned
his whole host ; and, having arranged them in their
battalions and in their companies under their princes
and chiefs, he marched towards the battle-field,
desiring vengeance on the Feni more than the glory
of victory.
CHAPTER VII.
THE FIGHT AT THE FORD, WITH THE FOREIGN ARMY.
All the Feni who had gone to the chase from Knock-
fiema had returned, and were now with Oisin, the son
of Finn. And the messenger came slowly up the hill-
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220 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
side, and told them, though with much difficulty, for
he was weary and breathless, the whole story from
beginning to end, of Finn's enchantment, and of the
battles at the ford, and how their companions at that
moment stood much in need of aid against the
foreigners.
Instantly the whole body marched straight towards
the Palace of the Quicken Trees, and arrived on the
hill-brow over the ford, just as the King of the World
and his army were approaching from the opposite
direction.
And now the fight at the ford ceased for a time,
while the two armies were put in battle array; and
on neither side was there any cowardice or any desire
to avoid the combat.
The Feni were divided into four battalions. The
active, bright-eyed Clann Baskin marched in front of
the first battalion; the fierce, champion-like Clann
Moma led the second ; the strong, sanguinary Mic-an-
Smoil brought up the third ; and the fourth was led
forward by the fearless, venomous Clann O'Navnan.
And they marched forward, with their silken
banners, each banner-staff in the hand of a tall, trusty
hero ; their helmets glittering with precious gems ;
their broad, beautiful shields on their left shoulders ;
with their long, straight, deadly lances in their hands ;
and their heavy, keen-edged swords hanging at the
left side of each. Onward they marched ; and woe to
those who crossed the path of that host of active, high-
minded champions, who never turned their backs on
an enemy in battle !
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THE FAIEY PALACE OF THE QUICKEN TREES. 221
And now at last the fight began with showers of
light, venomous missiles ; and many a hero fell even
before the combatants met face to face. Then they
drew their long, broad-bladed swords, and the ranks
closed and mingled in deadly strife. It would be vain
to attempt a description of that battle, for it was hard
to distinguish friend from foe. Many a high-souled
hero fell wounded and helpless, and neither sigh nor
groan of pain escaped them ; but they died, encouraging
their friends to vengeance with voice and gesture.
And the first thought of each champion was to take
the life of his foe rather than to save his own.
The great king Finn himself moved tall and
stately from battalion to battalion, now fighting in the
foremost ranks, and now encouraging his friends and
companions, his mighty voice rising clear over the
clash of arms and the shouts of the combatants. And
wherever he moved, there the courage of the Feni rose
high, and their valour and their daring increased, so
that the ranks of their foes fell back thinned and
scattered before them.
Oscar, resting for a moment from the toil of battle,
looked round, and espied the standard of the King
of the World, where he stood guarded by his best
warriors, to protect him from the danger of being
surroimded and outnumbered by his foes; and the
young hero's wrath was kindled when he observed
that the Feni were falling back dismayed wherever
that standard was borne.
Bushing through the opposing ranks like a lion
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222 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
maddened by dogs, he approached the king ; and the
king laughed a grim laugh of joy when he saw him,
and ordered his guards back ; for he was glad in
his heart, expecting to revenge his son's death by
slaying with his own hand Finn's grandson, who was
most loved of all the youthful champions of the Feni.
Then these two great heroes fought a deadly battle ;
and many a warrior stayed his hand to witness this
combat. It seemed as if both should fall; for each
inflicted on the other many wounds. The king's rage
knew no bounds at being so long withstood, for at
first sight he despised Oscar for his youth and beauty ;
and he made an onset that caused Oscar's friends, as
they looked on, to tremble ; for during this attack the
young hero defended himself, and no more. But now,
having yielded for a time, he called to mind the actions
and the fame of his forefathers, and attacked the king
in turn, and, with a blow that no shield or buckler
could withstand, he swept the head from the king's
body.
Then a great shout went up from the Feni, and the
foreigners instantly gave way ; and they were pursued
and slaughtered on every side. A few threw away
their arms and escaped to the shore, where, hastily
unmooring their ships, they sailed swiftly away to
their own country, with tidings of the death of their
king and the slaughter of their army.
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THE
PUESUIT OF THE GILLA BACKER
AND HIS HORSE.
CHAPTER L
AREIVAL OF THE GILLA DACKEE AND HIS HORSE.
One day in the beginning of summer, Finn, the son
of Cumal, the son of Trenmore O'Baskin,^ feasted the
chief people of Erin at Allen ^ of the broad hill-slopes.
And when the feast was over, the Feni reminded
him that it was time to begin the chase through the
plains and the glens and the wildernesses of Erin.
For this was the manner in which the Feni were
wont to spend their time. They divided the year
into two parts. During the first half, namely, from
Beltane to Samin,* they hunted each day with their
dogs ; and during the second half, namely, from Samin
to Beltane, they lived in the mansions and the betas f
of Erin ; so that there was not a chief or a great lord
or a keeper of a house of hospitality in the whole
coimtry that had not nine of the Feni quartered on
him during the winter half of the year.
* Beltane, the first of May j Samin, the first of November,
t Beta, a public house of hospitality.
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224 OLD CELTIC EOMANCES.
Finn and his chiefs now held council as to which
of the provinces of Erin they should begin with;
and they chose Munster for the first chase.
Next day they set out, both dogs and men ; and
.they travelled through Offaly,* and by one side of
Fera-call, and to Brosna of Slieve Bloma, and by
the Twelve Mountains of Evlinn, till they came to
Collkilla, which is now called Ejiockainy.
The chase was then set in order, and they scattered
themselves over the broad plains of Munster. They
began at Ardpatrick,-|- and they hunted over Kenii-
* Offaly, now the name of two baronies in the connty Eildare.
Fera-call, or Fircal, an ancient territory in the pregent King's
Connty.
Brosna, a small river rising in the Slieve Bloma, or Slieve Bloom
monhtains, which flows by Birr, and falls into the Shannon near
Banagher ; nsnally called the Little Brosna, to distingoish it from the
Great Brosna, which flows through King's Connty into the Shannon.
The Twelve Mountains of Evlinn. (See note, page 97.)
Knockainy, a small hill mnch celebrated in fairy lore, in the
connty Limerick, giving name' to the village of Knockainy at its
base. It appears from the text that it was more anciently called
Collkilla, or hazel-wood.
t Ardpatrick, a beantifol green hill, with a remarkable church
ruin and graveyard on its summit, two miles from Kilfinane, county
Limerick.
Kenn-Avrat was the ancient name of Seefin mountain, rising
over the village of Glenosheen, two miles from Ardpatrick. Slieve-
Keen, the old name of the hill of Carrigeennamroanty, near Seefin.
Fermoy, a well-known town and barony in the county Cork. It
appears from the text that the district was anciently known by the
name of Coill-na-drua, or the wood of the druids.
Lehan, the ancient name of the district round Castlelyons, in the
county Cork.
Fermorc, now the baronies of Connello, in Limerick. (See note,
page 184.)
Curoi Mac Dara, a celebrated chief who flourished in the time of
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THE PURSUIT OF THE GILLA BACKER. 225
Avrat of Slieve-Keen, and over CoiU-na-drua, which
is now called the district of Fermoy ; over the fruit-
ful lands of Lehan, and over the confines of Fermorc,
which is now called Hy Conall Gavra. Then south
to the patrimony of Curoi Mac Dara, and by the
shores of Loch Lein; afterwards along the blue-
stieamy Suir, by Caher-Dun-Isca, over the great
plain of Femin, and across the speckled summit of
Slieve-na-man-finn ; all over East Mimster and West
Munster, as far as BaUa-Gavran on the one side,
and on the other across the' Shannon to Cratloe,
near Limerick of the blue waters.
In short, there was not a plain or a valley, a wood
or a brake, a mountain or a wilderness, in the two
provinces of Munster, that they did not hunt over
on that occasion.
Now it chanced at one time during the chase,
while they were hunting over the plain of Cliach,*
that Finn went to rest on the hill of CollkiUa, which
the Red Branch Knights of Ulster, viz., in the first centiuy of the
Christian era. Curoi had his residence on a- mountain near Tralee,
still called Caherconree (the fortress of Curoi), and his "patrimony"
was South Munster. The remains of Curoi's great stone fortress
are still to be seen on Caheroonree.
Loch Lein, the Lakes of Killamey.
Caher-Dun-Isca, now the town of Caher, on the Suir, in Tipperary.
Femin was the name of the great plain lying to the south and west
of the mountain of Slievenaman, or Slieve-na-man-finn, near Clonmel,
in Tipperary.
Balla-G^vran, or the pass of Gkivran, an ancient road, which ran
by Gavran (now Gowran), in the county Kilkenny.
Cratloe, a well-known district on the Clare side of the Shannon,
near Limerick.
• Cliach, the old name of the plain lying round Knockainy.
Q
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226 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
is now called Knockainy; and he had his hunting-
tents pitched on a level spot near the summit. Some
of his chief heroes tarried with him ; namely, his son
Oisin ; the valiant Oscar, the son of Oisin ; Gaul Mac
Moma of the Mighty Deeds; Finn's shield-bearer,
Skeabrac; Kylta Mac Eonan; Dermat O'Dyna of
the Bright Face ; Ligan Lumina the Swift-footed ;
Conan Mail of the Foul Tongue ; and Finn Ban Mac
Bresal.
When the king and his companions had taken
their places on the Kill, the Feni unleashed their
gracefully shaped, sweet-voiced hounds through the
woods and sloping glens. And it was sweet music
to Finn's ear, the cry of the long-snouted dogs, as
they routed the deer from their covers, and the
badgers from their dens; the pleasant, emulating
shouts of the youths; the whistling and signalling
of the huntsmen ; and the encouraging cheers of the
mighty heroes, as they spread themselves through the
glens and woods, and over the broad, green plain of
Cliach. '
Then did Finn ask who of all his companions
would go to the highest point of the hill directly
over them, to keep watch and ward, and to report
how the chase went on. For, he said, the Dedannans^
were ever on the watch to work the Feni mischief by
their druidical spells, and more so during the chase
than at other times.
Finn Ban Mac Bresal stood forward and offered
to go ; and, grasping his broad spears, he went to the
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THE PURSUIT OF THE GILLA BACKER. 227
top, and sat viewing the plain to the four points of
the sky. And the king and his companions brought
forth the chess-board and chess-men,^ and sat them
down to a game.
Finn Ban Mac Bresal had been watching only
a little time, when he saw on the plain to the east,
a Fomor* of vast size coming towards the hill,
leading a horse. As he came nearer, Finn Ban
observed that he was the ugliest-looking giant his
eyes ever lighted on. He had a large, thick body,
bloated and swollen out to a great size ; cliunsy,
crooked legs; and broad, flat feet, turned inwards.
His hands and arms and shoulders were bony and
thick and very strong-looking; his neck was long
and thin ; and while his head was poked forward, his
face was turned up, as he stared straight at Finn
Mac Bresal. He had thick lips, and long, crooked
teeth ; and his face was covered all over with bushy
hair.
He was fully armed; but all his weapons were
rusty and soiled and slovenly looking. A broad
shield of a dirty, sooty colour, rough and battered,
hung over his back; he had a long, heavy, straight
sword at his left hip ; and he held in his left hand
two thick-handled, broad-headed spears, old and rusty,
and seeming as if they had not been handled for
years. In his right hand he held an iron club, which
* Fomor, a gigantic warrior, a giant j its primitive meaning is
" a sea-robber," commonly called a Fomorian. (See note 5 at the
end.)
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228 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
he dragged after him, with its end on the ground;
and, as it trailed along, it tore up a track as deep
as the fiirrow a farmer ploughs with a team of oxen.
The horse he led was even larger in proportion
than the giant himself, and quite as ugly. His
great carcase was covered all over with tangied,
scraggy hair, of a sooty black; you could count his
ribs, and aU the points of his big bones through
his hide; his legs were crooked and knotty; his
neck was twisted; and as for his jaws, they were
so long and heavy that they made his head look
twice too large for his body.
The giant held him by a thick halter, and seemed
to be dragging him forward by main force, the animal
was so lazy and so hard to move. Every now and
then, when the beast tried to stand still, the giant
would give him a blow on the ribs with his big iron
club, which sounded as loud as the thundering of a
great bUlow against the rough-headed rocks of the
coast. When he gave him a pull forward by the
halter, the wonder was that he did not drag the
animal's head away from his body ; and, on the other
hand, the horse often gave the halter such a tre-
mendous tug backwards that it was equally wonderful
how the arm of the giant was not torn away from
his shoulder.
Now it was not an easy matter to frighten Finn
Ban Mac Bresal ; but when he saw the giant and his
horse coming straight towards him in that wise, he
was seized with such fear and horror that he sprang
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THE PURSUIT OF THE GILLA BACKER. 229
from his seat, and, snatching up his arms, he ran down
the hill-slope with his utmost speed towards the king
and his companions, whom he found sitting round the
chess-board, deep in their game.
They started up when they saw Finn Ban looking
so scared ; and, turning their eyes towards where he
pointed, they saw the big man and his horse coming
up the hill. They stood gazing at him in silent
wonder, waiting till he should arrive; but although
he was no great way off when they first caught sight
of him, it was a long time before he reached the
spot where they stood, so slow was the movement of
himself and his horse.
When at last he had come up, he bowed his head,
and bended his knee, and saluted the king with great
respect.
Finn addressed him ; and after having given him
leave to speak, he asked him who he was, and what
was his name ; from which of the three chief divisions
of the world he had come, and whether he belonged
to one of the noble or ignoble races ; also what was
his profession or craft, and why he had no servant
to attend to his horse — if, indeed, such an ugly old
spectre of an animal could be called a horse at all.
The big man made answer and said, " King of the
Feni, I will answer everything you ask me, as far as
lies in my power. Whether I come of a noble or of an
ignoble race, that, indeed, I cannot tell, for I know not
who my father and mother were. As to where I came
from, I am a Fomor of Lochlann® in the north ; but I
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230 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
have no particular dwelling-place, for I am continually
travelling about from one country to another, serving
the great lords and nobles of the world, and receiving
wages for my service.
*' In the course of my wanderings I have often
heard of you, O king, and of your greatness and
splendour and royal bounty ; and I have come now to
visit you, and to ask you to take me into your service
for one year ; and at the end of that time I shall fix
my own wages, according to my custom.
" You ask me also why I have no servant for this
great horse of mine. The reason of that is this : at
every meal I eat, my master must give me as much
food and drink as would be enough for a himdred men ;
and whosoever the lord or chief may be that takes me
into his service, it is quite enough for him to have to
provide for me, without having also to feed my
servant.
"Moreover, I am so very heavy and lazy that I
should never be able to keep up with a company on
march if I had to walk ; and this is my reason for
keeping a horse at alL
" My name is the Gilla Dacker,* and it is not with-
out good reason that I am so called. For there never
was a lazier or worse servant than I am, or one that
grumbles more at doing a day's work for his master.
And I am the hardest person in the whole world to
deal with ; for, no matter how good or noble I may
* Gilla Dacker means "a slothful fellow" — a fellow hard to
move, hard to manage, hard to have anything to do with.
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THE PURSUIT OF THE GILLA BACKER. 231
think my master, or how kindly he may treat me, it is
hard words and foul reproaches I am likely to give
him for thanks in the end.
"This, O Finn, is the account I have to give of
myself, and these are my answers to your questions."
"Well," answered Fimi, "according to your own
account, you are not a very pleasant feUow to have
anything to do with; and of a truth there is not
much to praise in your appearance. But things may
not be so bad as you say ; and, anyhow, as I have
never yet refused any man service and wages, I will
not now refuse you,"
Whereupon Finn and the Gilla Backer made cove-
nants, and the GiUa Dacker was taken into service for
a year.
Then the big man turned to Conan Mail, and
asked him whether the foot-service or the horse-service
had the better pay among the Feni; and Conan
answered that the horsemen had twice as much pay as
the footmen.
"If that be so," replied the Gilla Dacker, "I will
join the horse-service, as I have a fine steed of my
own ; and indeed, if I had known this before, I would
certainly have come hither on horseback, instead of
walking.
" And now, as to this same horse of mine, I find I
must attend to him myself, as I see no one here worthy
of putting a hand near him. So I will lead him to the
nearest stud, as I am wont to do, and let him graze
among your horses, I value him greatly, however.
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232 OLD CELTIC BOMANCES.
and it would grieve me very much if any harm were to
befall him ; so," continued he, turning to the king, " I
put him under your protection, O king, and imder the
protection of all the Feni that are here present."
At this speech the Feni all burst out laughing, to
see the Gilla Dacker showing such concern for his
miserable, worthless old skeleton of a horse.
Howbeit, the big man, giving not the least heed to
their merriment, took the halter off the horse*s head,
and turned him loose among the horses of the Feni.
But now, this same wretched-looking old animal,
instead of beginning to graze, as every one thought he
would, ran in among the horses of the Feni, and began
straightway to work all sorts of mischief He cocked
his long, hard, switchy tail straight out like a rod, and,
throwing up his hind legs, he kicked about on this side
and on that, maiming and disabling several of the
horses. Sometimes he went tearing through the
thickest of the herd, butting at them with his hard,
bony forehead; and he opened out his lips with a
vicious grin, and tore all he could lay hold on, with
his sharp, crooked teeth, so that none were safe that
came in his way either before or behind. And the end
of it was, that not an animal of the whole herd
escaped, without having a leg broken, or an eye
knocked out, or his ribs fractured, or his ear bitten off,
or the side of his face torn open, or without being in
some other way cut or maimed beyond cure.
At last he left them, and was making straight
across to a small field where Conan Mail's horses were
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THE PURSUIT OF THE GILLA BACKER. 233
grazing by themselves, intending to play the same
tricks among them. But Conan, seeing this, shouted
in great alarm to the Gilla Dacker, to bring away his
horse, and not let him work any more mischief; and
threatening, if he did not do so at once, to go himself
and knock the brains out of the vicious old brute on
the spot.
But the Gilla Dacker took the matter quite cool ;
and he told Conan that he saw no way of preventing
his horse from joining the others, except some one put
the halter on him and held him, which would, of
course, he said, prevent the poor animal from grazing,
and would leave him with a hungry belly at the end
of the day.
He said, moreover, that as he had no horse-boy,
and must needs do everything for himself, he thought
it quite time enough to look after his horse when he
had to make ready for a journey. " But," said he to
Conan, " there is the halter ; and if you are in any fear
for your own animals, you may go yourself and bring
him away from the field."
Conan was in a mighty rage when he heard this ;
and as he saw the big horse just about to cross the
fence, he snatched up the halter, and running forward,
with long strides, he threw it over the animal's head
and thought to lead him back. But in a moment the
horse stood stock still, and his body and legs became
as stiff as if they were made of wood ; and though
Conan pulled and tugged with might and main, he
was not abl^ to stir him an inch from his place.
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234 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
He gave up pulling at last, when he found it was
no use ; but he still kept on holding the halter, while
the big horse never made the least stir, but stood as if
he had been turned into stone ; the Gilla Backer aU
the time looking on quite unconcernedly, and the
others laughing at Conan's perplexity. But no one
offered to relieve him.
At last Fergus Finnvel, the poet, spoke to Conan,
and said, " I never would have believed, Conan Mail,
that you could be brought to do horse-service for any
knight or noble in the whole world ; but now, indeed,
I see that you have made yourself a horse-boy to an
ugly foreign giant, so hateful-looking and low-bom
that not a man of the Feni would have anything to
say to him. As you have, however, to mind this old
horse in order to save your own, would it not be better
for you to mount him, and revenge yourself for all the
trouble he is giving you, by riding him across the
country, over the hill-tops, and down into the deep
glens and vaUeys, and through stones and bogs and aU
sorts of rough places, till you have broken the heart in
his big, ugly body ? "
Conan, stung by the cutting words of the poet, and
by the jeers of his companions, jumped upon the
horse's back, and began to beat him mightily with his
heels, and with his two big, heavy fists, to make him
go ; but the horse seemed not to take the least notice,
and never stirred.
*' I know the reason he does not go," said Fergus
Finnvel ; " he has been accustomed to carry a horseman
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THE PURSUIT OF THE GILLA BACKER. 235
far heavier than you, that is to say, the Gilla Backer ;
and he will not move till he has the same weight on
his back"
At this Conan Mail called out to his companions,
and asked which of them would mount with him, and
help to avenge the damage done to their horses.
" I will go," said Coil Croda the Battle Victor, son
of Criffan; and up he went. But the horse never
moved.
Dara Donn Mac Moma next offered to go, and
mounted behind the others; and after him Angus
Mac Art Mac Moma. And the end of it was, that
fourteen men of the Clann Baskin and Clann Moma ^
got up along with Conan ; and all began to thrash the
hoi*se together, with might and main. But they were
none the better of it, for he remained standing stiff
and immovable as before. They found, moreover, that
their seat was not at all an easy one — the animal's
back was so sharp and bony.
CHAPTER II.
CONAN AND FIFTEEN OF THE FENI ARE CARRIED
OFF BY THE GILLA DACKER'S HORSE.
When the Gilla Dacker saw the Feni beating his horse
at such a rate, he seemed very angry, and addressed
the king in these words —
" King of the Feni, I now see plainly that all the
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fine accounts I heard about you and the Feni are
false, and I will not stay in your servive — ^no, not
another hour. You can see for yourself the ill usage
these men are giving my horse without cause; and
I leave you to judge whether any one could put up
with it — any one who had the least regard for his
horse. The time is, indeed, short since I entered your
service, but I now think it a great deal too long ; so
pay me my wages, and let me go my ways."
But Finn said, " I do not wish you to go ; stay on
till the end of your year, and then I will pay you all
I promised you."
" I swear," answered the Gilla Backer, " that if this
were the very last day of my year, I would not wait
till morning for my wages, after this insult. So, wages
or no wages, I will now seek another master ; but from
this time forth I shall know what to think of Finn
Mac Cumal and his Feni ! "
With that the Gilla Backer stood up as straight as
a pillar, and, turning his face towards the south-west,
he walked slowly away.
When the horse saw his master leaving the hill, he
stirred himself at once and walked quietly after him,
bringing the fifteen men away on his back. And when
the Feni saw this they raised a loud shout of laughter,
mocking them.
The Gilla Backer, after he had walked some little
way, looked back, and seeing that his horse was
following,, he stood for a moment to tuck up his skirts.
Then, all at once changing his pace, he set out with
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THE PURSUIT OF THE OILLA DACKER. 237
long, active strides ; and if you know what the speed
of a swallow is, flying across a mountain-side, or the
dry, fairy wind of a March day sweeping over the
plains, then you can understand the swiftness of
the Gilla Backer, as he ran down the hill-side towards
the south-west.
Neither was the horse behindhand in the race ; for,
though he carried a heavy load, he galloped like the
wind after his master, plunging and bounding forward
with as much freedom as if he had nothing at all on
his back.
The men now tried to throw themselves off; but
this, indeed, they were not able to do, for the good
reason that they found themselves fastened firmly,
hands and feet and all, to the horse's back.
And now Conan, looking round, raised his big
voice, and shouted to Finn and the Feni, asking them
were they content to let their friends be carried off in
that manner by such a horrible, foul-looking old spectre
of a horse.
Finn and the others, hearing this, seized their arms
and started off in pursuit. Now the way the Gilla
Backer and his horse took was first through Fermorc,*
which is at the present day called Hy Conall Gavra ;
next over the wide, heathy summit of Slieve Lougher ;
* Fermorc, now the baronies of Connello, in Limerick. Slieve
Longher, a celebrated moimtain near Castle Island, in Kerry. Corca
Divna, now the barony of Corkaguiny, the long peninsula lying west
of Tralee, and containing the town of Dingle, and the mountain range
of Slieve Mish. Cloghan Kincat, now called Gloghan, a small village
on the northern coast of the peninsula.
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from that to Corca Divna; and they ran along by
Slieve Mish, till they reached Cloghan Kincat, near
the deep green sea.
During all this time Finn and his people kept
them in view, but were not able to overtake them ;
and Ligan Lumina, one of the swiftest of the Feni,
kept ahead of the others.
The horse now passed by Cloghan Kincat without
in the least abating his speed; and when he had
arrived on the beach, even at the very water's edge,
Ligan overtook him, and caught him by the tail with
his two hands, intending to hold him till the rest of
the Feni came up. He gave a mighty pull back ; but
the horse, not in the least checked by this, made no
more ado but plunged forward through the waves,
dragging Ligan after him hanging at his tail. And
Ligan now found that he could neither help his friends
nor free himself, for his two hands clung fast to the
tail of the horse.
And so the great horse continued his course with-
out stop or stay, bringing the sixteen Feni with him
through the sea. Now this is how they fared in the
sea, while the horse was rushing swiftly farther and
farther to the west : they had always a dry, firm strand
under them, for the waters retired before the horse ;
while behind them was a wild, raging sea, which
followed close after, and seemed ready every moment
to topple over their heads. But, though the billows
were tumbling and roaring all round, neither horse nor
riders were wetted by as much as a drop of brine or
a dash of spray.
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THE PURSUIT OF THE GILLA BACKER. 239
CHAPTER III.
PURSUIT.
Now as to Finn and the others. They stood on the
bank over the beach, watching the horse and men till
they lost sight of them in the sea afar off; and then
they sat them down, weary after their long chase, and
full of sadness for the loss of their companions.
After a long silence, Finn spoke and asked the
chiefs what they thought best to be done. But they
replied that he was far beyond them all in knowledge
and wisdom; and they told him they would follow
whatsoever counsel he and Fergus Finnvel, the poet,
gave them. Then Finn told Fergus to speak his mind ;
and Fergus said —
'•'My counsel is that we go straightway to Ben
Edar,* where we shall find a ship ready to sail. For
our forefathers, when they wrested the land from the
gifted, bright-complexioned Dedannans, bound them by
covenant to maintain this ship for ever, fitted with
aU things needful for a voyage, even to the smallest
article, as one of the privileges of B^n Edar ; so that
if at any time one of the noble sons of Gael Glas f
wished to sail to distant lands from Erin, he should
have a ship lying at hand in the harbour ready to
begin his voyage."
* Ben Edar, now Howth Hill, near Dublin.
f Grael Glas, the traditional ancestor of the Gaels.
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They agreed to this counsel, and turned their steps
without delay northwards towards Ben Edar. They
had not gone far when they met two noble-looking
youths, fully armed, and wearing over their armour
beautiful mantles of scarlet silk, fastened by brooches
of gold. The strangers saluted the king with much
respect ; and the king saluted them in return. Then,
having given them leave to converse, he asked them
who they were, whither they had come, and who the
prince or chief was that they served. And the elder
answered —
" My name is Feradach, and my brother's name is
Foltlebar; and we are the two sons of the king of
Innia. Each of us professes an art; and it has long
been a point of dispute between us, which art is the
better, my brother's or mine. Hearing that there is
not in the world a wiser or more far-seeing man than
thou art, king, we have come to ask thee to take
us into thy service among thy household troops for a
year, and at the end of that time to give judgment
between us in this matter."
Finn asked them what were the two arts they
professed.
" My art," answered Feradach, " is this : If at
any time a company of warriors need a ship, give me
only my joiner's axe and my crann-tavall,* and I am
able to provide a ship for them without delay. The
only thing I ask them to do is this — ^to cover their
* Crann-tav'all, a sort of sling for projecting stones, made of an
elastic piece of wood, and strung somewhat like a cross-bow.
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heads close, and keep tliem covered, while I give the
crann-tavall three blows of my axe. Then I tell them
to uncover their heads ; and lo, there lies the ship in
harbour, ready to sail ! "
Then Foltlebar spoke and said, "This, O king,
is the art I profess : On land I can track the wild duck
over nine ridges and nine glens, and follow her with-
out being once thrown out, till I drop upon her in her
nest. And I can follow up a track on sea quite as
well as on land, if I have a good ship and crew."
Finn replied, " You are the very men I want ; and
I now take you both into my service. At this
moment I need a good ship and a skilful pilot more
than any two things in the whole world. And
though our own track-men, namely, the Clann
Navin, are good, yet we now need some one still
more skilful, to follow the Gilla Backer thi-ough
imknown seas."
Then the two brothers asked Finn what strait he
was in at that moment, and why he wanted a ship
and pilot so much. Whereupon Finn told them the
whole story of the Gilla Backer's doings from begin-
ning to end. ''And we are now," said he, "on our
way to Ben Edar, to seek a ship, that we may follow
this giant and his horse, and rescue our companions."
Then Feradach said, "I will get you a ship —
a "^ship that will sail as swiftly as a swallow can
fly!"
And Foltlebar said, "I will guide your ship in
the track of the Gilla Backer till ye lay hands on
R
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him, in whatsoever quarter of the world he may have
hidden himself!"
And so they turned back to Qoghan Kincat. And
when they had come to the beach, Feradach told them
to cover their heads; and they did so. Then he
struck three blows of his axe on the crann-tavall ;
after which he bade them look. And lo, they saw a
ship, fully fitted out with oars and sails, and with all
things needed for a long voyage, riding before them
in the harbour !
Then Kylta Mac Ronan went to the top of a high
hiU ; and, turning his face inland, he uttered three
mighty shouts, which were taken up by the people of
the next valley, and after them by those of the next
vaUey beyond. And so the signal spread, till a shout of
alarm was heard in every plain and hill-side, glen and
valley, wood and wilderness, in the two provinces of
Munster. And when the Feni heard these shouts, they
ceased anon from their sports and pastimes ; for they
knew their king was in danger or strait of some kind.
And they formed themselves into ranks and troops
and battalions, and began their march ; and it is not
told how they fared till they reached Cloghan Kincat.
Finn told them the whole story of the Gilla
Dacker and his horse, and how he had carried away
Conan and fifteen others to some far-off island in the
Western Ocean. He also showed them the ship, and
told them that he himself and a chosen band of the
Feni were about to sail westward in quest of their
friends.
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And Oisin asked him how many of the chief men
of the Feni he wished to take with him.
Finn replied, " I foresee that this will be a perilous
quest; and I think all the chiefs here present few
enough to bring with me."
" Say not so, king," said Oisin; "too many have
gone already, and some must be left behind to guard
the country, and to keep order. If fifteen good men
go with you, and that you find the others, the whole
party will be a match for any foe you are like to meet
in these western lands."
And Oscar and Gaul Mac Moma spoke in like
manner.
To this Finn agreed. Then he picked out fifteen
men, the bravest and best, the most dexterous at the
sword, and the swiftest of foot among the Feni
The question then arose, who should lead the Feni
in the king's absence ; and what they agreed on was
that Oisin should remain behind and take command,
as he was the eldest and bravest and wisest of the
king's sons.
Of those who were chosen to go with Finn, the
chief men were Dermat O'Dyna; Gaul Mac Moma;
Oscar, the son of Oisin ; Aed Beg, the son of Finn ;
Fergus Finnvel, the poet ; the three sons of Encarda ;
and Feradach and Foltlebar, the two sons of the king
of Innia.
So the king and his party took leave of Oisin and
the rest. And sad, indeed, were they on both sides ;
for no one knew how far the king might have to sail
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among unknown seas and islands, or how long he
should be away from Erin, or the spells and dangers
he and his men might encounter in this pursuit.
Then they went on board, and launched their ship
on the cold, bright sea ; and Foltlebar was their pilot
and steersman. And they set their sail and plied
their slender oars, and the ship moved swiftly west-
ward till they lost sight of the shores of Erin ; and
they saw nothing aU round them but a wide girdle of
sea. After some days' sailing, a great storm came from
the west, and the black waves rose up against them,
so that they had much ado to keep their vessel from
sinking. But through all the roaring of the tempest,
through the rain and blinding spray, Foltlebar never
stirred from the helm or changed his course, but still
kept close on the track of the Gilla Dacker.
At length the storm abated, and the sea grew
calm. And when the darkness had cleared away,
they saw to the west, a little way off, a vast rocky cliff
towering over their heads to such a height, that its
head seemed hidden among the clouds. It rose up
sheer from the very water, and looked at that distance
as smooth as glass, so that at first sight there seemed
no way to reach the top.
Foltlebar, after examining to the four points of
the sky, found the track of the Gilla Dacker as far
as the cliff, but no farther. And he accordingly told
the heroes that he thought it was on the top of
that rock the giant lived; and that, anyhow, the
horse must have made his way up the face of the
cliff with their companions.
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When the heroes heard this they were greatly-
cast down and puzzled what to do; for they saw
no way of reaching the top of the rock; and they
feared they should have to give up the quest and
return without their companions. And they sat down
and looked up at the cliff, with sorrow and vexation
in their hearts.
CHAPTER IV.
DERMAT 0*DYNA, IN QUEST OF THE GILLA BACKER,
ENCOUNTERS THE WIZARD-CHAMPION AT THE WELL.
When now they had been silent for a time, Fergus
Finnvel, the poet, arose and said —
" My friends, we have here amongst us one who
has been fostered and taught from the child to the
man, by Mannanan Mac Lir^ in Fairyland, and by
Angus,^ the wisest of the Dedannans, at Bruga of the
Boyne. He has been carefully trained by both in
everything a warrior should learn, and in much
druidical lore besides ; so that he is skilled beyond
us all in manly arts and champion-feats. But now
it seems that all his arts and accomplishments go
for nought, seeing that he is unable to make use of
them just at the time that we stand most in need
of them. On the top of that rock, doubtless, the
Gilla Dacker lives, and there he holds Conan and
the others in bondage ; and surely this hero, who now
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sits idly with us here in our ship, should be able to
climb up the face of that cliff, and bring us back
tidings of our dear friends and companions."
When Dermat O'Dyna heard this speech, his
cheek grew red with shame, and he made this
reply—
" It is of me you have spoken these words, Fergus.
Your reproaches are just; and though the task is
hard, I will attempt to follow the track of the Gilla
Dacker, and find out some tidings of our friends."
So saying, Dermat arose, and girded on his
armour, and put on his glittering helmet. He hung
his sword at his left hip ; and he took his two long,
deadly spears, one in each hand, namely, the Crann-
boi and the Ga-derg ; * and the battle-fury of a warrior
descended on him, so that he looked a dreadful foe to
meet in single combat.
Then, leaning on the handles of his spears, after
the manner of skilful champions, he leaped with a
light, airy bound on the nearest shelf of rock. And
using his spears and his hands, he climbed from ledge
to ledge, while his companions watched him anxiously
from below; till, after much toil, he measured the
soles of his two feet on the green sod at the top
of the rock. And when, recovering breath, he turned
round and looked at his companions in the ship far
below, he started back with amazement and dread at
the dizzy height.
He now looked inland, and saw a beautiful country
* See note, page 302.
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spread out before him ; — a lovely, flowery plain
straight in front, bordered with pleasant hills, and
shaded with groves of many kinds of trees. It was
enough to banish all care and sadness from one's heart
to view this country, and to listen to the warbling of
the birds, the humming of the bees among the flowers,
the rustling of the wind through the trees, and the
pleasant voices of the streams and waterfalls.
Making no delay, Dermat set out to walk across
the plain. He had not been long walking when he
saw, right before him, a great tree laden with fruit,
overtopping aU the other trees of the plain. It was
surrounded at a little distance by a circle of piUar-
stones; and one stone, taller than the others, stood
in the centre near the tree. Beside this pillar-stone
was a spring well, with a large, round pool as clear
as crystal; and the water bubbled up in the centre,
and flowed away towards the middle of the plain in
a slender stream.
Dermat was glad when he saw the well ; for he
was hot and thirsty after climbing up the cliff*. He
stooped down to take a drink; but before his lips
touched the water, he heard the heavy tread of a
body of warriors, and the loud clank of arms, as if
a whole host were coming straight down on him.
He sprang to his feet and looked round; but the
noise ceased in an instant, and he could see nothing.
After a little while he stooped again to drink ;
and again, before he had wet his lips, he heard the
very same sounds, nearer and louder than before. A
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second time he leaped to his feet ; and still he saw no
one. He knew not what to think of this ; and as he
stood wondering and perplexed, he happened to east
his eyes on the tall pillar-stone that stood on the
brink of the well; and he saw on its top a large,
beautiful drinking-horn, chased with gold and
enamelled with precious stones.
"Now surely," said Dermat, "I have been doing
wrong ; it is, no doubt, one of the virtues of this well,
that it will not let any one drink of its waters except
from the drinking-horn."
So he took down the horn, dipped it into the
well, and drank without hindrance, till he had slaked
his thirst.
Scarcely had he taken the horn from his lips,
when he saw a tall wizard-champion* coming towards
him from the east, clad in a complete suit of mail,
and fully armed with shield and helmet, sword and
spear. A beautiful scarlet mantle hung over his
armour, fastened at his throat by a golden brooch;
and a broad circlet of sparkling gold was bended in
front across his forehead, to confine his yellow hair,
and keep it from being blown about by the wind.
As he came nearer, he increased his pace, moving
♦ The original word, which I have translated "wizard-champion,'*
is gruagach. This word literally means " hairy," ** a hairy fellow ; "
and it is often used in the sense of " giant." But in these romantic
tales it is commonly used to signify a champion who has always
something of the supernatural about him, yet not to such a degree
as to shield him completely from the valour of a great mortal
hero like Dermat O'Dyna.
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with great strides ; and Dermat now observed that he
looked very wrathful. He offered no greeting, and
showed not the least courtesy ; but addressed Dermat
in a rough, angry voice —
" Surely, Dermat O'Dyna, Erin of the green plains
should be wide enough for you ; and it contains abun-
dance of clear, sweet water in its crystal springs and
green bordered streams, from which you might have
drunk your filL But you have come into my island
without my leave, and you have taken my drinking-
horn, and have drunk from my well ; and this spot
you shaU never leave till you have given me satis-
faction for the insult."
So spoke the wizard-champion, ancf instantly
advanced on Dermat with fury in his eyes. But
Dermat was not the man to be terrified by any hero
or wizard-champion alive. He met the foe half-way ;
and now, foot to foot, and knee to knee, and face to
face, they began a fight, watchful and wary at first,
but soon hot and vengeful, till their shields and
helmets could scarce withstand their strong thrusts
and blows. Like two enraged lions fighting to the
death, or two strong serpents intertwined in deadly
strife, or two great opposing billows thundering
against each other on the ocean border ; such was the
strength and fury and determination of the combat
of these two heroes.
And so they fought through the long day, till
evening came, and it began to be dusk ; when sud-
denly the wizard-champion sprang outside the range
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of Dermat's sword, and leaping up with a great
bound, he alighted in the very centre of the well.
Down he went through it, and disappeared in a
moment before Dermat's eyes, as if the well had
swallowed him up. Dermat stood on the brink,
leaning on his spear, amazed and perplexed, looking
after him in the water; but whether the hero had
meant to drown himself, or that he had played some
wizard trick, Dermat knew not.
He sat down to rest, full of vexation that the
wizard-champion should have got oflF so easily. And
what chafed him still more was that the Feni knew
nought of ^ what had happened, and that when he
returned, he could tell them nothing of the strange
hero ; neither had he the least token or trophy to show
them after his long fight.
Then he began to think what was best to be done ;
and he made up his mind to stay near the well all
night, with the hope of finding out something further
about the wizard-champion on the morrow.
He walked towards the nearest point of a great
forest that stretched from the mountain down to the
plain on his left; and as he came near, a herd of
speckled deer ran by among the trees. He put his
finger into the silken loop oi his spear, and, throwing
it with an unerring cast, brought down the nearest of
the herd.
Then, having lighted a fire under a tree, he skinned
the deer and fixed it on long hazel spits to roast,
having first, however, gone to the well, and brought
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away the drinking-horn full of water. And he sat
beside the roasting deer to turn it and tend the fire,
waiting impatiently for his meal ; for he was hungry
and tired after the toil of the day.
When the deer was cooked, he ate till he was
satisfied, and drank the clear water of the well from
the drinking-horn ; after which he lay down under the
shade of the tree, beside the fire, and slept a sound
sleep tiU morning.
Night passed away and the sun rose, bringing
morning with its abundant light. Dermat started up,
refreshed after his long sleep, and, repairing to the
forest, he slew another deer, and fixed it on hazel
spits to roast at the fire as before. For Dermat had
this custom, that he would never eat of any food left
from a former meaL
And after he had eaten of the deer's fiesh and
drunk from the horn, he went towards the well. But
though his visit was early, he found the wizard-
champion there before him, standing beside the pillar-
stone, fully armed as before, and looking now more
wrathful than ever. Dermat was much surprised ; but
beforft he had time to speak the wizard-champion
addressed him —
" Dermat O'Djma, you have now put the cap on all
your evil deeds. It was not enough that you took my
drinking-horn and drank from my well: you have
done much worse than this, for you have hunted on
my grounds, and have killed some of my speckled
deer. Surely there are many hunting-grounds in
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Erin of the green plains, with plenty of deer in them ;
and you need not have come hither to commit these
robberies on me. But now for a certainty you shall
not go from this spot till I have taken revenge for
all these misdeeds.''
And again the two champions attacked each other,
and fought during the long day, from morning till
evening. And when the dusk began to fall, the
wizard-champion leaped into the well, and disappeared
down through it, even as he had done the day before.
The selfsame thing happened on the third day.
And each day, morning and evening, Dermat killed a
deer, and ate of its flesh, and drank of the water of the
well from the drinking-horn.
On the fourth morning, Dermat found the wizard-
champion standing as usual by the pillar-stone near
the well. And as each morning he looked more angry
than on the morning before, so now he scowled in a
way that would have terrified any one but Dermat
O'Dyna.
And they fought during the day till the dusk of
evening. But now Dermat watched his foe narrowly ;
and when he saw him about to spring into the well, he
closed on him and threw his arms round him. The
wizard-champion struggled to free himself, moving all
the time nearer and nearer to the brink ; but Dermat
held on, till at last both fell into the well. Down they
went, clinging to each other, Dermat and the wizard-
champion ; down, down, deeper and deeper they went;
and Dermat tried to look round, but nothing could he
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see save darkness and dim shadows. At length there
was a glimmer of light; then the bright day burst
suddenly upon them ; and presently they came to the
solid ground, gently and without the least shock.
CHAPTER V.
DERMAT O'DYNA IN TIR-FA-TONN.*
At the very moment they reached the ground, the
wizard-champion, with a sudden effort, tore himself
away from Dermat's grtisp and ran forward with great
speed. Dermat leaped to his feet; and he was so
amazed at what he saw around him that he stood
stock still and let the wizard-champion escape : a
lovely country, with many green-sided hills and fair
valleys between, woods of red yew trees, and plains
laughing all over with flowers of every hue.
Right before him, not far off, lay a city of great
tall houses with glittering roofs; and on the side
nearest to him was a royal palace, larger and grander
than the rest. On the level green in front of the
palace were a number of knights, all armed, and
amusing themselves with various warlike exercises
of sword and shield and spear.
Straight towards this assembly the wizard-cham-
* Tir-fa-tonn, literally "the country beneath the wave." (See
note 13 at the end.)
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pion ran; which, when Dermat saw, he set off in
pursuit, hoping to overtake him. But the wizard-
champion had too long a start, and when he reached
the exercise green, the knights opened to the right
and left, leaving a broad way through which he
rushed. He never halted or looked behind till he had
got inside the palace gate; and the moment he had
passed in, the knights closed their ranks, and stood
facing Dermat with threatening looks and gestures.
Nothing daunted, Dermat held on his pace towards
them ; and now those of the front rank started for-
ward with spears and swords, intending to crush him
at once, and hew his body to mincemeat. But it was
not terror nor weakness nor a desire of flight that* this
produced in Dermat, for his battle-fury was on him ;
and he rushed through them and under them and
over them, as a hawk rushes among a flight of spar-
rows, or like a whale through a shoal of little fishes,
or like a raging wolf among a flock of sheep, or like
a vast billow among a fleet of small vessels, or like a
great brown torrent rushing down the steep side of
a mountain, that sweeps everything headlong before it.
So did Dermat cleave a wide laneway through the
hosts, till, from a solid band of warriors, he turned
them into a scattered crowd, flying in all directions.
And those that did not fall by his hand, ran hither
and thither, some to hide themselves in the thick
forests and remote, wooded glens of the surrounding
country; while others rushed in through the outer
gate of the palace, and shut themselves up in the
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THE PURSXHT OF THE GILLA DACKER. 255
strongest part of the fortress, neither did they deem
themselves safe till they had shot home every bolt,
and securely fastened every strong iron lock.
At last not a living soul remained on the green,
and Dermat sat down, weary after his battle-toil, and
smarting all over with wounds. He was grieved and
downcast also, for he knew not where he was, and he
saw no chance that he should be able either to find any
tidings of the friends he was in search of, or to return
to his companions in the ship.
At length, being quite overcome, with weariness, he
fell into a deep sleep. After sleeping for some time, he
was awakened by a smart blow. He started up, and
saw a young man standing over him, tall, and of a
commanding appearance, with long, golden hair, and a
manly, open countenance. Now this young man had
come to Dermat, and finding him asleep in such a dan-
gerous place, he struck him with the fiat of his sword
to awaken him. In an instant Dermat sprang to his
feet and seized his arms ; but the youth addressed him
in a friendly voice, and said —
"Dermat O'Dyna, put up your arms; I am no
enemy, and I have come, not to harm, but to serve
you. This, indeed, is a strange place for you to fall
asleep, before the veiy door of the castle, and within
sight of your enemies. Come now with me, and I will
give you a better place to sleep in, where you will also
get a welcome and kindly entertainment."
This speech pleased Dermat very much ; and he
thanked the young man and went with him. After
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256 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
walking for some time, they came to a large splendid
house, and passing through the outer gate they entered
the banqueting hall. There they found a noble com-
pany of twelve score and ten knights, and almost as
many beautiful ladies, with their long hair falling on
their shoulders, shining like the golden flower of the
marsh-flag, and gentle and modest in their looks and
conversation. They wore mantles of scarlet satin,
and each mantle was fastened in front by a brooch
of burnished gold.
The company sat at tables round the walls of the
banquet hall, some feasting, some playing chess, and
some listening to the music of harps. When the two
heroes entered, all the knights and ladies rose and
received them with much respect, and they welcomed
Dermat and invited him to join their entertainment.
But the young prince--for he was in truth a prince
— pointing to Dermat's clothes and arms, all soiled
and stained, told them that he had endured much
toil that day, and that he wanted rest and refresh-
ment.
He then brought Dermat away, and ordered the
attendants to prepare a bath in a great caldron. He
put soothing balsams and healing herbs into it with
his own hands, and when Dermat had bathed he was
immediately healed of his wounds, and he came forth
refreshed and cheerful. The prince then directed that
his clothes should be put aside, and had him clad in
rich garments like the others.
Dermat now joined the company, and ate and
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THE PURSUIT OF THE GILLA BACKER. 257
drank, for he had taken neither food nor drink since
he had made his meal on the deer early that morning
near the well ; after which he talked and was cheerful
with the othera Then rose up the harpers, and the
professors of divers arts and sciences, and one after
another they played their sweet music, and recited
their poems and their tales of the heroes of the olden
time. And when they had ended, the knights gave
them gifts of gold and silver and jewels. At last the
company broke up, and Dermat was shown to a bed
richly ornamented, and soft with the red feathers of
wild fowl, and soon he fell into a sound sleep after his
long day's adventures.
Now Dermat marvelled much at all he saw and
heard; and he knew not what place he was in, or who
the people were, that had treated him with such kind-
ness. So next morning, when the company had again
assembled, he stood up, and addressed the prince with
gentle words and modest demeanour ; and this is what
he said —
" I am much surprised, O prince, at what I have
seen, and at aU that has befallen me in this land.
Though I am here a stranger, thou hast shown me
much kindness, and these noble knights and ladies
have permitted me to join their sports, and have
treated me with much gentleness and consideration.
I wish to know, then, who thou art, prince, and what
country this is, of which I have never before heard,
and who is the king thereof Tell me also, I pray
thee, the name of the champion who fought with me
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258 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
for four days at the well, till at last he escaped from
me at the palace."
The prince replied, " I will tell you all, Dermat, as
you have asked, concealiiig nothing. This country is
Tir-fa-tonn; the champion who fought with you is
called the Knight of the Fountain, and that very
champion is king of this land. I am the brother of
the king, and my name is the Knight of Valour.
Good reason indeed have I to be kind to you, Dermat
O'Dyna, for though you do not remember me, I spent
a year and a day in the household of Finn the son of
CumaL
" A part of this kingdom belongs by right to me.
But the king and his son have seized on my patrimony,
and have banished me from the palace, forcing me to
live here in exile with a few of my faithful followers.
" It is my intention, however, to make war on the
king for my part of the kingdom; and right glad I am
that you have come hither, for I would rather have
you on my side than all the other Feni put together,
for your nobleness of mind and your valour in battle.
" I have here in my household seven score and ten
heroes, all champions of great deeds ; and if you con-
sent to aid me, these shall be placed under your com-
mand. By day you shall fight against the king of
Tir-fa-tonn and his son, and by night you shall feast
and rest and sleep with me in this palace. If you
enter into friendship with me and fight on my side,
well I know that I shall win back my right without
delay."
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THE PURSUIT OF THE GILLA BACKER. 259
Dermat agreed to this. So he and the Knight of
Valour made a covenant; and, placing hand in hand,
they pledged themselves to observe faithfully the
conditions of the league of friendship.
CHAPTER VL
FINN, IN QUEST OF DERMAT, FIGHTS MANY BATTLES.
As to Finn Mac Cumal and those that remained behind
with him in the ship, I will now relate what befell
them.
It was now many days since Dermat had left them,
and they marvelled much that he did not return with
tidings of the Gilla Dacker. . At length, when they
began to be alarmed, the two sons of the king of Innia
oflFered to go in search of him; but Finn said no,
for that they should all go together.
So Feradach and Foltlebar took all the cables and
ropes they could find in the ship, and tied them end
to end in hard, sure knots, till they had a rope long
enough to reach from the top of the rock to the
bottom. Then they clambered up the steep face of
the cliff, bringing with them the end of the rope ; and
one by one they drew up Finn and the rest. And
when they looked round, they were as much surprised
and delighted as Dermat was at the look of the
country.
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260 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
Foltlebar now made a search, and soon found the
track of Dermat ; and the whole party set out to walk
across the plain, Foltlebar leading the way. Having
travelled some distance, they saw the great fruit tree
afar oflF; and, turning to the left, they found a place
where a fire had been lighted, and near it the remains
of several meals of deer's flesh. By this they knew
that it was here Dermat had slept, for aU were well
aware of his custom not to eat of what was left from
a meaL
They then went towards the tree, and there they
found the traces of deadly combat — ^the ground all
trampled and ploughed up, and a broken spear handle
lying at the brink of the well. While they stood
pondering on these things, with anxious hearts, they
saw a horseman at a distance, speeding towards them
across the plain. In a little while he came up and
reined in.
He was a young man of majestic mien, fair and
noble of countenance ; and he rode a beautiful chest-
nut steed, with a bridle of twisted gold, and a saddle
of surpassing splendour, ornamented all over with
gold and jewels.
He alighted and saluted Finn and the Feni, and
told them they were welcome to his country, for that
he was king ; and he put his hand on Finn's neck and
kissed his cheek three times. Then he invited them
to go with him, saying that the Plain of the Fountain
was a comfortless resting-place after a long journey.
Finn's heart was glad at this, for he and his com-
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THE PURSUIT OF THE GILLA BACKER. 261
panions were weary ; and they set out to walk across
the plain with the young king. Having walked a
good distance, they came in sight of a noble palace,
with tall towers and carved front. As they came near,
they were met by a company of knights on the level
green in front, who welcomed them with gentle words.
And so they passed into the palace. A bath was pre-
pared, and they bathed and were refreshed after their
toils. Then they sat down to supper ; and while they
ate and drank, the harpers played for them, and the
poets told their tales and sang their songs.
They slept that night in the palace; and next
day they mingled with the knights on the green,
and took part in their games and pastimes. In the
evening they sat down to a feast. The people of the
palace were ranged at tables according to rank and
inheritance, every man in his proper place.
Then the feast went on; and abundance of the
newest food and of the oldest drink was served out ;
and they ate of the savoury food, and drank of the
sparkling wines and of the strong ales, till they
became merry and gently intoxicated. And Finn
could not call to mind that he ever saw an entertain-
ment in the house of either king or chief better
ordered. In this manner they were feasted and
entertained for three days and three nights.
At the end of that time a meeting was held by
the king on the palace green. And Finn stood up
and said —
" Tell me, I pray thee, thy name and the name of
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262 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
this country, which I have never seen before, or even
heard of/'
" This country," replied the king, " is called Sorca,
of which I am king ; and although you know us not,
we know you well, for the fame of your deeds has
reached even to this land. But now I wish to know
why you have come hither ; also the reason why you
have brought so few companions, and where the rest
have tarried."
Then Finn told him the whole story from begin-
ning to end; how the Gilla Backer and his great
horse had carried off sixteen of their chief men ; " And,"
added Finn, " I and these fifteen companions of mine
are now in quest of them."
The king replied, "This is a dangerous under-
taking ; and you and your fifteen men, valiant even
as you are, are too few to venture into unknown lands,
where you may meet with many enemies. Now my
knights are brave and generous, and they love battle
and adventure. Wherefore I will place a band of them
under your command, who will follow you whither-
soever you go, and who will not be behindhand even
with the Feni in facing hardship and danger."
Finn stood up to thank the king; but before he
had time to speak, they saw a messenger speeding
towards them across the plain from the north-west,
breathless, and begrimed all over with mud and dust.
When he had come in presence of the company, he
bowed low to the king, and, standing up, waited
impatient for leave to speak.
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THE PURSUIT OF THE GILLA DACKER. 263
The king asked him what news he had brought ;
and he replied —
" Bad and direful news I have for thee, king. A
foreign fleet has come to our shores, which seems to
cover all the sea, even as far as the eye can reach ;
and untU the stars of heaven are counted, and the
sands of the sea, and the leaves of the woods, the hosts
that are landing from their black ships shall not be
numbered. Even already they have let loose their
plunderers over the country, who are burning and
spoiling the farmsteads and the great mansions ; and
many noble heroes and keepers of houses of hospi-
tality, and many people of the common sort, have
been slain by them. Some say that it is the King
of the World and his host, who, after conquering every
country he has yet visited, has come now to ravage
this land with fire and sword and spear, and bring it
under his power; but I know not if this be true.
And this, king, is the news I bring thee."
When the messenger had ended, the king spoke
nought, though his countenance, indeed, showed
trouble; but he looked earnestly at Finn. Finn
understood this to mean that the king sought his
help ; and, with clear voice, he spoke —
"Thou hast been generous to me and my people
in our day of need, king of Sorca ; and now thou
shalt not find the Feni lacking in grateful memory
of thy kindness. We will, for a time, give up the
pursuit of the Gilla Dacker, and we will place our-
selves under thy command, and help thee against
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264 OLD CELTIC ROKANCES.
these maiuuders. Neither do I fear the outcome of
this war; for many a time have we met these
foreigners on the shores of Erin and elsewhere, and
they have always yielded to us in the battle-fielA"
The king of Sorca was glad of heart when he
heard these words ; and he sent his swift scouts all
over the country to gather his fighting men. And
when all had come together, he arranged them in
fighting order, and marched towards the shore where
the foreigners were spoiling the land. And they met
the plundering parties, and drove them with great
slaughter back to their ships, retaking all the spoils.
Then they formed an encampment on the shore,
with ramparts and deep ditches and long rows of
pointed stakes all round. And each day a party of
the foreigners landed, led by one of their captains,
who were met by an equal number of the men of
Sorca, led by one of the Feni; and each time they
were driven back to their ships, after losing their best
men.
When, now, this had continued for many days,
the King of the World called a meeting of the chiefs
of his army, and asked their counsel as to what should
be done. And they spoke as one man, that their best
chiefs had fallen, and that they were in worse case
now for overcoming the men of Sorca than they were
at first ; that their sages and prophets had declared
against them; and that they had met with ill luck
from the day of their arrival. And the advice they
gave the king was to depart from the shores of Sorca,
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THE PURSUIT OP THE GILLA DACKER. 265
for there seemed no chance of conquering the country
as long as the Feni were there to help the king.
So the king ordered the sails to be set, and he left
the harbour in the night with his whole fleet, without
bringing the king of Sorca under subjection, and
without imposing tribute on the people.
CHAPTER VII.
FINN AND DERMAT MEET.
When the people of Sorca and the Feni arose next
morning, not a ship was in sight; and they began
to rejoice greatly, finding themselves freed from this
invasion. And while the king and Finn, with the
chiefs and people, stood eagerly conversing on all these
matters, they saw a troop at a distance coming towards
them, with banners and standards and arms glittering
in the morning sun. Now they wondered much who
these might be ; and Finn desired that some one might
go and bring back tidings.
So Fergus Finnvel went with a few followers, and
when he was yet a good way off, he knew Dermat
0*Dyna at the head of the troop, and ran forward
with joy to meet him. And they embraced, even as
brothers embrace who meet after being long parted.
Then they came towards the assembly ; and when the
Feni saw Dermat they shouted with joy and welcome.
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266 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
And Dermat, on his part, could scarce restrain the
excess of his joyfidness ; for, indeed, he did not expect
to meet his friends so soon; and he embraced them
one by one, with glad heart, beginning with Finn.
Then Finn inquired from Dermat all particulars,
what places he had visited since the day he had
climbed up the rock, and whether he had heard any
news of their lost companions ; and he asked him also
who were they — those valiant-looking fighting men —
he had brought with him.
Dermat told him of all his adventures from first to
last — of his long combat at the well with the Knight
of the Fountain, of his descent to Tir-fa-tonn, and how
the Knight of Valour had entertained him hospitably
in his palace. He related also how he headed the men
of the Knight of Valour, and made war on the king
of Tir-fa-tonn (who was also called the Knight of the
Fountain, the wizard-champion who fought with
Dermat at the well), whom he slew, and defeated his
army.
"And now," continued he, bringing forth the Knight
of Valour from among the strange host, " this is he
who was formerly called the Knight of Valour, but
who is now the king of Tir-fa-tonn. Moreover, this
king has told me, having himself found it out by his
druidical art, that it was Avarta the Dedannan (the
son of Illahan of the Many-coloured Raiment) who
took the form of the Gilla Dacker, and who brought
the sixteen Feni away to the Land of Promise,® where •
he now holds them in bondage."
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THE PURSUIT OF THE GILLA DACKER. 267
Finn and the young king then put hand in hand
and made covenants of lasting friendship with each
other. And the Feni were much rejoiced that they
had at last got some tidings of their lost companions.
CHAPTER VIII.
CONAN AND HIS COMPANIONS FOUND AND RESCUED.
Now after they had rested some days in the palace of
the king of Sorca, Fergus Finnvel told Finn that it
was time to begin once more their quest after Conan
and the others. They held council, therefore ; and the
resolution they came to was to return to the rock at
the spot where they had turned aside from the track
of the Gilla Dacker, and to begin their search anew
from that. And when both the king of Sorca and
the king of Tir-fa-tonn would have sent men with
them, Finn thanked them, but said that the small
party of Feni he had with him were quite enough for
that adventure.
So they took leave of the two kings, and went
back to the rock, and Foltlebar at once found the
track. He traced it from the very edge of the rock
across the plain to the sea at the other side ; and they
brought round their ship and began their voyage.
But this time Foltlebar found it very hard to keep on
the track ; for the Gilla Dacker, knowing that there
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268 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
were not in the world men more skilled in following
up a quest than the Feni, took great pains to hide
all traces of the flight of himself and his horse ; so
that Foltlebar was often thrown out ; but he always
recovered the track after a little time.
And so they sailed from island to island, and from
bay to bay, over many seas and by many shores, ever
following the track, till at length they arrived at the
Land of Promise. And when they had made the land,
and knew for a certainty that this was indeed the
Land of Promise, they rejoiced greatly; for in this
land Dermat O'Dyna had been nurtured by Mannanan
Mac Lir of the YeUow Hair.
Then they held council as to what was best to be
done ; and Finn's advice was that they should burn
and spoil the country, in revenge of the outrage that
had been done to his people. Dermat, however, would
not hear of this. And he said —
"Not so, O king. The people of this land are of all
men the most skilled in druidic art ; and it is not well
that they should be at feud with us. Let us ratber
send to Avarta a trusty herald, to demand that he
should set our companions at liberty. If he does so,
then we shall be at peace ; if he refuse, then shall we
proclaim war against him and his people, and waste
this land with fire and sword, till he be forced, even
by his own people, to give us back our friends."
This advice was approved by alL And then Finn
said —
" But how shall heralds reach the dwelling of this
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THE PURSUIT OF THE QILLA DACKER. 269
enchanter; for the ways are not open and straight, as
in other lands, but crooked and made for conceahnent,
and the valleys and plains are dim and shadowy, and
hard to be traversed ? "
But Foltlebar, nothing daunted by the dangers
and the obscurity of the way, offered to go with a
single trusty companion ; and they took up the track
and followed it without being once thrown out, till
they reached the mansion of Avarta. There they
found their friends amusing themselves on the green
Qutside the palace walls ; for, though kept captive in
the island, yet were they in no wise restrained, but
were treated by Avarta with much kindness. When
they saw the heralds coming towards them, their joy
knew no bounds; they crowded round to embrace
them, and asked them many questions regarding their
home and their friends.
At last Avarta himself came forth, and asked who
these strangers were ; and Foltlebar replied —
" We are of the people of Finn Mac Cumal, who
has sent us as heralds to thee. He and his heroes
have landed on this island, guided hither by me ; and
he bade us tell thee that he has come to wage war
and to waste this land with fire and sword, as a
punishment for that thou hast brought away his
people by foul spells, and even now keepest them in
bondage/'
When Avarta heard this, he made no reply, but
called a council of his chief men, to consider whether
they should send back to Finn an answer of war or
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270 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
of peace. And they, having much fear of the Feni,
were minded to restore Finn*s people, and to give him
his own award in satisfaction for the injury done to
him ; and to invite Finn himself and those who had
come with him to a feast of joy and friendship in the
house of Avarta.
Avarta himself went with Foltlebar to give this
message. And after he and Finn had exchanged
friendly greetings, he told them what the council had
resolved ; and Finn and Dermat and the others were
glad at heart. And Finn and Avarta put hand in
hand, and made a league of friendship.
So they went with Avarta to his house, where
they foimd their lost friends ; and, being full of glad-
ness, they saluted and embraced each other. Then a
feast was prepared; and they were feasted for three
days, and they ate and drank and made merry.
On the fourth day, a meeting was called on the
green to hear the award. Now it was resolved to
make amends on the one hand to Finn, as king of the
Feni, and on the other, to those who had been brought
away by the Gilla Backer. And when all were
gathered together, Finn was first asked to name his
award ; and this is what he said —
"I shall not name an award, O Avarta; neither
shall I accept an eric from thee. But the wages I
promised thee when we made our covenant at Knock-
ainy, that I will give thee. For I am thankful for the
welcome thou hast given us here; and I wish that
there should be peace and friendship between us for
ever."
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THE PURSUIT OF THE GILLA BACKER. 271
But Conan, on his part, was not so easily satisfied ;
and he said to Finn —
"Little hast thou endured, O Finn, in all this
matter ; and thou mayst well waive thy award. But
hadst thou, like us, suffered from the sharp bones and
the rough carcase of the Gilla Backer's monstrous
horse, in a long journey from Erin to the Land of
Promise, across wide seas, through tangled woods, and
over rough-headed rocks, thou wouldst then, methinks,
name an award."
At this, Avarta, and the others who had seen
Conan and his companions carried off on the back of
the big horse, could scarce keep from laughing; and
Avarta said to Conan —
" Name thy award, and I will fulfil it every jot :
for I have heard of thee, Conan, and I dread to bring
the gibes and taunts of thy foul tongue on myself and
my people."
" Well then," said Conan, " my award is this : that
you choose fifteen of the best and noblest men in the
Land of Promise, among whom are to be your own
best beloved friends; and that you cause them to
mount on the back of the big horse, and that you
yourself take hold of his tail. In this manner you
shall fare to Erin, back again by the selfsame track
the horse took when he brought us hither — through
the same surging seas, through the same thick thorny
woods, and over the same islands and rough rocks and
dark glens. And this, O Avarta, is my award," said
Conan.
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272 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
Now Finn and his people were rejoiced exceedingly
when they heard Conan's award — ^that he asked from
Avarta nothing more than like for like. For they
feared much that he might claim treasure of gold and
silver, and thus bring reproach on the Feni.
Avarta promised that everything required by
Conan should be done, binding himself in solemn
pledges. Then the heroes took their leave; and
having launched their ship on the broad, green sea,
they sailed back by the same course to Erin. And
they marched to their camping-place at Knockainy,
where they rested in their tents.
Avarta then chose his men. And he placed them
on the horse's back, and he himself caught hold of
the tail ; and it is not told how they fared till they
made harbour and landing-place at Cloghan Kincat.
They delayed not, but straightway journeyed over the
selfsame track as before, till they reached Knockainy.
Finn and his people saw them afar off coming
towards the hill with great speed ; the Gilla Backer,
quite as large and as ugly as ever, running before the
horse ; for he had let go the tail at Cloghan Kincat.
And the Feni could not help laughing heartily when
they saw the plight of the fifteen chiefs on the great
horse's back; and they said with one voice that
Conan had made a good award that time.
When the horse reached the spot from which he
had at first set out, the men began to dismount. Then
the Gilla Backer, suddenly stepping forward, held up
his arm and pointed earnestly over the heads of the
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THE PURSUIT OF THE GILLA DACKER. 273
Feni towards the field where the horses were standing ;
so that the heroes were startled, and turned round
every man to look. But nothing was to be seen
except the horses grazing quietly inside the fence.
Finn and the others now turned round again, with
intent to speak to the Gilla Backer and bring him
and his people into the tents; but much did they
marvel to find them all gone. The Gilla Backer and
his great horse and the fifteen nobles of the Land of
Promise had disappeared in an instant ; and neither
Finn himself nor any of his chiefs ever saw them
afterwards.
So far we have related the story of the pursuit of
the Gilla Backer and his horse.
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THE PUESUIT OF DERMAT AND
GRANIA.
CHAPTER L
FINN, THE SON OF CUMAL, SEEKS THE PRINCESS
GRANIA TO WIFE.
On a certain day, Finn, the son of Cumal, rose at early
mom in Allen of the broad hill-slopes, and, going forth,
sat him down on the green lawn before the palace,
without companion or attendant. And two of his
people followed him, namely, Oisin his son, and Dering
the son of Dobar O'Baskin.
Oisin spoke to him and asked, "Why, O king,
hast thou come forth so early ? "
" Cause enough have I indeed," replied Finn ; " for
I am without a wife since Manissa, the daughter of
Garad of the Black Ejiee, died ; and who can enjoy
sweet sleep when his life is lonely like mine, with no
wife to comfort and cheer him ? This, my fiiends, is
the cause of my early rising."
And Oisin said, "* Why should you be without a
wife if you desire one ? For there is not, within the
sea-circle of green Erin, a maiden that we will not
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THE PURSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 275
bring you, either by consent or by force, if you only
turn the light of your eyes on her."
Then Dering spoke and said, " I know where there
is a maiden, who in all respects is worthy to be thy
wife."
And when Finn asked who she was, Dering
replied —
"The maiden is Grania, daughter of king Cor-
mac,^ the son of Art, the son of Conn the Hundred-
fighter ; the most beautiful, the best instructed, and
the most discreet in speech and manner of all the
maidens of Erin."
" There has been strife between me and Cormac for
a long time," said Finn, " and it may happen that he
will not give me his daughter in marriage. But go ye
to Tara in my name, you and Oisin, and ask the
maiden for me : if the king should refuse, so let it be ;
but I can better bear a refusal to you than to myself."
" We will go," said Oisin ; " but it is better that no
man know of our journey till we return."
So the two heroes took leave of Finn and went
their way ; and nothing is told of what befell them till
they reached Tara. It chanced that the king was at
this time holding a meeting ; and the chiefs and great
nobles of Tara were assembled round him. And when
the two warriors arrived, they were welcomed, and
the meeting was put off for that day ; for the king
felt sure that it was on some business of weight they
had come.
After they had eaten and drunk, the king, sending
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276 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
away all others from his presence, bade the two chiefs
tell their errand. So Oisin told him they had come
to seek his daughter Grania in marriage for Finn the
son of CumaL
Then the king said, " In all Erin there is scarce a
young prince or noble who has not sought my daughter
in marriage ; and she has refused them all. And it is
on me that the ill feeling and reproach caused by her
refusals have fallen; for she has ever made me the
bearer of her answers. Wherefore now you shall
come to my daughter's presence, and I will not men-
tion the matter to her till she give you an answer
from her own lips: so shall I be blameless if she refuse."
So they went to the apartments of the women, at
the sunny side of the palace. And when they had
entered the princess's chamber, the king sat with her
on the couch and said —
" Here, my daughter, are two of the people of Finn
the son of Cumal, who have come to ask thee as a wife
for him."
And Grania, giving, indeed, not much thought to
the matter, answered, "I know not whether he is
worthy to be thy son-in-law; but if he be, why should
he not be a fitting husband for me ? "
The two messengers were satisfied with this answer,
and retired. And Cormac made a feast for them ; and
they ate and drank and made merry with the chiefs
and nobles of the palace ; after which the king bade
them tell Finn to come at the end of a fortnight to
claim his bride.
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THE PURSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA, 277
So the two heroes returned to Allen, and told how
they had fared in their quest. And as all things come
at last to an end, so this fortnight wore slowly away ;
and at the end of the time, Finn, having collected
round him the chief men of the seven standing
battalions of the Feni to be his guard, marched to
Tara. The king received him with great honour,
and welcomed the Feni, and they were feasted with
the nobles of Erin in the great banquet hall of
Micorta.* And the king sat on his throne to enjoy
the feast with his guests, having Finn on his right
hand, and on his left the queen, Etta, the daughter
of Atan of Corca; and Grania sat next the queen,
her mother, on the left. And all the others sat
according to their rarik and patrimony.
CHAPTER IL
DERMAT O'DYNA SECRETLY ESPOUSES THE
PRINCESS GRANIA.
Now while the feast went on, it chanced that Dara of
the Poems, one of Finn's druids, sat near Grania. And
he recited for her many lays about the deeds of her
forefathers ; after which c« pleasant conversation arose
between them. And when they had talked for some
time, she asked him —
» See fcx)t-note, page 55.
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278 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
"What means all this feasting? And why has
Finn come with his people on this visit to my father
the king ? "
Dara was surprised at this question, and answered,
" If thou dost not know, it is hard for me to know."
And Grania answered, " I wish, indeed, to learn
from you what has brought Finn to Tara."
" It is strange to hear thee ask this question," said
the druid. " Knowest thou not that he has come to
claim thee for his wife ? "
Grania was sUent for a long time after hearing
this. And again she spoke —
" If, indeed, Finn had sought me for his son Oisin,
or for the youthful Oscar, there would be nothing to
wonder at ; but I marvel much that he seeks me for
himself, seeing that he is older than my father."
Then Grania meditated in silence ; and after a time
she said to the druid —
" This is a goodly company, but I know not one
among them, except only Oisin, the son of Finn. Tell
me now who is that warrior on the right of Oisin."
" That knightly warrior," answered the druid, " is
Gaul Mac Moma the Terrible in Battle."
" Who is the youthful champion to the right of
Gaul ? " asked Grania.
" That is Oscar, the son of Oisin," said the druid.
" Who is the graceful and active-looking chief sit-
ting next Oscar ? " asked the princess.
" That is Kylta Mac Ronan the Swift-footed," said
the druid.
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THE PUESUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 279
" Next to Kylta Mac Ronan sits a champion with
fair, freckled skin, raven-black curls, a gentle, handsome,
manly countenance, and soft voice : pray who is he ? "
" That is Dermat O'Dyna of the Bright Face, the
favourite of maidens, and beloved of aU the Feni for
his high-mindedness, his bravery, and his generous
disposition."
" Who is he sitting at Dermat's shoulder ? " asked
Grania.
"That is Bering, the son of Dobar O'Baskin,"
replied the druid; "a valiant champion, and also a
druid and a man of science."
Then Grania called her handmaid, and said to her,
"Bring me the large jewelled, gold-chased drinking-
horn that lies in my chamber."
The handmaid brought the drinking-horn; and
Grania, having filled it to the brim, said —
" Take it now to Finn from me, and tell him that I
desire him to drink from it."
The handmaiden did so, and Finn took a full
draught. He passed the drinking-horn to the king,
and the king drank ; and after him the queen. Then
again Grania bade the handmaid bring it to Carbri of
the Liffey, the king's son; and she ceased not tiU all
she wished to drink had drunk from the gold-chased
horn. And after a little time, those who had drunk
fell into a deep sleep, like the sleep of death.
Then the princess rose from her seat, and, walking
softly across the hall, sat down near Dermat O'Dyna ;
and with downcast eyes and low voice, she said —
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280 OLD CELTIC BOMANCEa
" Wilt thou, Dermat> return my love if I give it
to thee?"
Dermat heard her at first with amazement and
alarm. Then for a moment, even before he was aware,
his heart leaped with joy ; but when he bethought him
of his duty to his chief, he hardened his mind, and
answered with cold looks and words —
"The maiden who is betrothed to Finn, I will not
love ; and even if I were so minded, I dare not."
And with eyes still cast down, Grania said, "I
know well it is thy duty, and not thy heart, that
prompts thee to speak so. Thou seest how it is with
me ; and I am forced to speak more boldly than a
maiden should. Finn has come to ask me for his
wife ; but he is an old man, even older than my father,
and I love him not. But I love thee, Dermat, and I
beseech thee to save me from this hateful marriage.
And, lest thou think that my love for thee is only a
passing fancy, hear now what befeU.
" Of a day when a hurling match was played on the
green of Tara, between Mac Luga and the Feni on the
one side, and Carbri of the Liffey and the men of Tara
on the other, I sat high up at the window of my sunny
chamber to see the game. Thou didst remain sitting
with some others that day, not meaning to take part
in the play. But at last, when the game began to go
against thy friends, I saw thee start up ; and, snatching
the hurlet from the man nearest to thee, thou didst
rush into the thick of the crowd ; and before sitting
down thou didst win the goal three times on the men
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THE PURSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 281
of Taxa. At that hour my eyes and my heart were
turned to thee ; and well I knew thee to-day in this
banquet hall, though I knew not thy name till the
druid told me. At that same hour, too, I gave thee
my love — what I never gave, and never will give, to
any other/'
. Then was Dermat sore troubled. He strove with
himself, but strove in vain ; for he could not help
loving the princess with his whole heart. Yet none
the less did he hide his thoughts ; for his duty to his
chief prevailed. And with looks and words cold and
stem, he replied —
" I marvel greatly that thou hast not given thy love
to Finn, who deserves it much better than any other
man alive. And still more do I marvel that thou hast
lighted on me beyond all the princes and nobles of
Tara; for truly there is not one among them less worthy
of thy love than I. But that thou shouldst be my
wife, by no means can this be ; for even were I to
consent, there is not in Erin a fastness or a wilderness,
however strong or remote, that could shelter us from
Finn's vengeance."
Then Grania said, "I read thy thoughts; and
I know thou art striving against what thy heart
prompts. And now, Dermat, I place thee under
gesa,^ and under the bonds of heavy druidical spells
— bonds that true heroes never break through, that
thou take me for thy wife before Finn and the others
awaken from their sleep; and save me from this
hateful marriage."
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282 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
And Dermat, still unyielding, replied, " Evil are
those gesa thou hast put on me ; and evil, I fear, will
come of them. But dost thou not know, priijcess, that
whenever Finn sleeps at Tara, it is one of his privileges
to have in his own keeping the keys of the great gates ;
so that even if we so wiUed it, we should not be able
to leave the fortress ? "
" There is a wicket gate leading out from my apart-
ments," said Grania, " and through that we shall pass
forth."
" That I cannot do," answered Dermat ; " for it is
one of my gesa^ never to enter a king's mansion, or
leave it, by a wicket gate."
And Grania answered, " I have heard it said that
every true champion, who has been instructed in all
the feats that a warrior should learn, can bound over
the highest rampart of a fort by means of the
handles of his spears ; and well I know that thou art
the most accomplished champion among the Feni I
will now pass out through the wicket gate ; and even if
thou dost not follow, I will fly alone from Tara."
And so she went forth from the banquet haU.
Then Dermat, much doubting how to act, spoke to
his friends and asked counsel of them. And first he
addressed Oisin, the son of Finn, and asked him how he
should deal with the heavy gesa-bonds that had been
laid on him by the princess ; and what he should do
in the case.
"You are blameless in regard to these bonds,"
answered Oisin; *'and I counsel you to follow Grania;
but guard yourself well against the wiles of Finn,"
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THE PURSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 283
" O dear fiiend Oscar," spoke Dermat again, " what
think you is best for me to do, seeing that these heavy
gesa-bonds have been put on me ? "
" I say you should follow Grania," answered Oscar ;
" for he, indeed, is but a pitiful champion who fears to
keep his bonds.'*
"What counsel do you give me, Kylta?" said
Dermat to Kylta Mac Ronan.
" I say," answered Kylta, " that I would gladly give
the world's wealth that the princess had given me her
love ; and I counsel you to foUow her."
Last of aU, Dermat spoke to Dering, the son of
Dobar O'Baskin, and said, " Give me your judgment in
this hard matter, fidend Dering."
And Dering answered, '' If you espouse Grania, I
foresee that your death wiU come of it, which grieves
me even to think of; but even so, I counsel you to
follow the princess rather than break through your
gesa."
And Dermat, doubting even stiU, asked for the last
time, " Is this, my friends, the counsel you all give ? "
And they aU answered, " Yes," as with the voice of
one man.
Then Dermat arose and put on his armour and his
helmet; and he took his shield, and his two heavy
spears, and his sword. And with tears he bade farewell
to his dear companions ; for well he knew that it would
be long before they should meet again ; and he foresaw
trouble and danger.
Then he went forth to where the steep side of the
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284 OLD CELTIC BOMANCES.
inner mound overlooked the outer rampart; and,
placing his two spears point downwards, and leaning
on them after the manner of skilful champions, with
two light, airy bounds he cleared rampart and ditch,
and measured the length of his two feet on the level
green outside. And there the princess met him ; and
he said to her, with voice and manner stiU distant and
stem —
"Evil will certainly come of this espousal, prin-
cess, both to thee and to me. Far better would it be
for thee to choose Finn and to pass me by ; for now
we shall wander without home or restj fleeing from
his ijrrath. Return, then, princess, return even now
through the wicket gate, for the sleepers have not yet
awakened; and Finn shall never learn what has
happened."
But Grania, gentle and sad indeed, but quite
unmoved, replied, " I will never return ; and imtil death
takes me I will not part from thee."
Then at last Dermat yielded and strove no longer ;
and putting off his sternness of manner arid voice, he
spoke gently to the princess and said —
"I will hide my thoughts from thee no more,
Grania. I will be thy husband, all unworthy of thee
as I am ; and I will guard thee and defend thee to the
death from Finn and his hirelings."
And they plighted their faith, and vowed solemn
vows to be faithful to each other as man and wife for
ever.
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THE PURSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 285
CHAPTER III.
FLIGHT AND PURSUIT.
Then Grania showed Dermat the fenced meadow
where her father's horses grazed, and bade him yoke
two horses to a chariot. And when he had done so,
he and Grania sat in the chariot and travelled with
all speed westward, till they reached Ath-Luan.*
And when they had come to the ford, Dermat said,
" Finn will doubtless pursue us, and it will be all the
easier for him to follow our track, that we have the
horses."
And Grania answered, " As we are now so far from
Tara, we may leave the chariot and horses here, and
I will fare on foot henceforward."
So they alighted from the chariot; and Dermat,
leading one of the horses across, left them both some
distance above the ford, one at each side of the river.
And he took up Grania in his strong arms, and
brought her tenderly across the ford, so that not even
the sole of her foot, or the skirt of her mantle was
wetted. Then they walked against the stream for
a mile, and turned south-west, till they reached the
Wood of the two Tents.f
* Ath-Lnan, now Athlone, on the Shannon. In ancient times the
river had to be crossed by a ford, where the bridge is now built.
t The Wood of the two Tents was situated in the territory of
Clanrickard, in the county Galway.
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286 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
In the midst of the wood, where it was thickest,
Dermat lopped off branches and wove a hut, where
they rested. And he brought Grania the wild animals
of the wood to eat, and gave her the water of a clear
spring to drink.
As to Finn, the son of Cumal, I will now tell what
befell him. When the king and his guests arose from
their sleep at early dawn next morning, they found
Dermat and Grania gone; and a burning jealousy seized
on Finn, and his rage was so great that for a time
all his strength left him. Then he sent for his track-
ing-men, namely, the Clann Navin ; and he commanded
them forthwith to follow the track of Dermat and
Grania. This they did with much ease as far as Ath-
Luan, while Finn and the others followed after ; but
when they had come to the ford, they lost the track.
Whereupon Finn, being now indeed easily kindled to
wrath, told them that unless they took up the track
again speedily, he would hang every man of the Clann
Navin on the edge of the ford.
So the trackers, being sore afraid, searched upwards
against the stream, and found the two horses where
they had been left, one on each side of the river. And
going on a mile further, they came to the spot where
Dermat and Grania had turned from the river; and
there they lighted on the south-west track, Finn and
the Feni still following. And when the Clann Navin
had pointed out to Finn the direction of the track, he
said —
" Well do I know now where we shall find Dermat
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THE PCTRSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 287
and Grania ; for of a certainty they have hidden them-
selves in the Wood of the two Tents."
Now it chanced that Oisin, and Oscar, and Kylta,
and Dering were present when Finn spoke these
words ; and they were troubled, for they loved Dermat.
And going aside, they held council among themselves*
and Oisin spoke —
"There is much likelihood, friends, that Finn
speaks truth ; for he is far-seeing, and judges not
hastily. It is needful, therefore, that we send Dermat
warning, lest he be taken unawares. My counsel is
that you, Oscar, find out Finn's hound. Bran, and tell
him to go to the Wood of the two Tents with a
warning to Dermat ; for Bran does not love his own
master Finn better than he loves Dermat.'*
So Oscar called Bran secretly, and told him what
he should do. Bran listened with sagacious eye and
ears erect, and understood Oscar's words quite well.
Then, running back to the rear of the host, so that
Finn might not see him, he followed the track with-
out once losing it, till he arrived at the Wood of the
two Tents. There he found Dermat and Grania
asleep in their hut, and he put his head into Dermat 's
bosom.
Dermat started up from his sleep, and seeing Bran,
he awakened Grania, and said —
" Here is Bran, Finn's hound ; he has come to warn
me that Finn himself is near."
And Grania trembled and said, " Let us take the
warning, then, and fly ! "
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288 OLD CELTIC BOMANCES.
But Dermat answered, " I will not leave this hut ;
for however long we fly, we cannot escape from Finn ;
and it is not worse to fall into his hands now than at
any other time. Howbeit, they shall not come into
this fastness imless I permit them."
Then great fear fell on Qrania ; but, seeing Dermat
gloomy and downcast, she urged the point no further.
Again Oisin spoke to his three companions and
said, " I fear me that Bran may not have been able to
baffle Finn, or that some other mischance may have
hindered him from finding Dermat ; so we must needs
send him another warning. Bring hither, therefore,
Fergor, Kylta's errand-man."
And Kylta brought forward Fergor.
Now this Fergor had a voice so loud that his shout
was heard over the three nearest cantreds.
So they caused him to give three shouts that
Dermat might hear. And Dermat heard Fergor*s
shouts, and, awakening Grania from her sleep, said to
her —
" I hear the shout of Fergor, Kylta's errand-man.
And he is with Kylta, and Kylta is with Finn; and I
know that my friends have sent me this warning, as a
sign that Finn himself is coming."
And again Grania trembled and said, " Let us take
this warning and fly ! "
But Dermat answered, "I will not fly; and we
shall not leave this wood till Finn and the Feni over-
take us. Howbeit, none shall come into this fastness
unless I permit them."
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THE PURSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 289
And Grania was in great fear; but this time
Dermat looked gloomy and stem, and she pressed the
matter no further.
CHAPTER IV.
THE FASTNESS OF THE SEVEN NARROW DOORS.
Now as to Finn. He and the others went forward
till they reached the Wood of the two Tents. And he
sent forward the Clann Navin to make search ; who
went, and having made their way to the thickest
part of the wood, they came to a fence which they
could not cross.
For Dermat had cleared a space round his hut, and
surrounded it with a fence that no man could pierce,
with seven narrow doors of strong poles woven with
saplings, to face seven different parts of the wood.
Then the Clann Navin climbed up to a high tree
branch, and looked over the fence; and they saw
Dermat with a lady. And when they had returned,
Finn asked them if Dermat and Grania were in the
wood. And they answered —
" Dermat, indeed, is there, and we saw a lady with
him; but whether she be Grania or not we cannot
tell, for we know not the princess."
" May ill luck attend Dermat, and all his friends for
his sake!" said Finn. "I know he. is in this wood;
and he shall never leave it till he give me quittance
for the injury he has done me."
u
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290 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
And Oisin said, " Certain it is, that you, Finn, are
blinded by jealousy ; else you would never think that
Dermat would await you on this plain, with no
stronger fastness to shelter him from your wrath than
the Wood of the two Tents."
To which Finn, being angry, replied, '' Your words
will profit you nothing, Oisin; neither will your
friendship for Dermat avail him aught. WeU I knew,
indeed, when I heard Fergor*s three shouts, that it
was ye who caused him to shout, as a warning signal
to Dermat; and I know also that ye sent my dog
Bran to him with another warning. But these warn-
ings will not avail you ; for he shall never leave this
wood till he pay me such eric^® as I seek for the
injury he has done me/'
Then Oscar spoke and said, " Surely, Finn, it is
mere folly to believe that Dermat would wait here for
you, knowing, as he does, that you seek his head."
As Oscar spoke these words, they arrived at the
fence; and Finn answered, "Who then, think you,
has cleared the wood in this manner, and fenced the
space with this strong, sheltering enclosure, and fitted
it with these narrow doors ? But indeed," added he,
" I will find out the truth of the matter in another
way." So, raising his voice a little, he called out,
" Tell us now, Dermat, which of us is telling truth,
Oscar or I."
And Dermat, who would not hide when called on,
answered from within, "You never erred in your
judgment, O king : Grania and I are here ; but none
shall come in unless I permit them."
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Then Finn placed his men around the enclosure, a
company at each narrow door ; and he said to each
company, "If Dermat tries to escape by this door,
seize him and keep him securely for me."
Now when Grania saw these preparations, and
overheard Finn's words, she was overcome with fear,
and wept and trembled very much. And Dermat had
pity on his wife, and comforted her ; and he kissed her
three times, bidding her be of good cheer, for that all
would be well with them yet.
And when Finn saw this — ^for he stood with some
others viewing the hut from a mound at a little
way off — a flame of burning jealousy went through
his heart ; and he said—
"Now of a certainty Dermat shall not escape
from me; and I shall have his head for all these
injuries ! "
Now Angus of Bruga,^ the wisest and most skilled
in magic arts of aU the Dedannan race, was Dermat's
foster father. For he had reared him from childhood,
and had taught him all the arts and accomplishments
of a champion ; and he loved him even as a father
loves his only son.
And it was revealed to Angus that Dermat was in
deadly strait. So he arose and travelled on the wings
of the cool, east wind, neither did he halt tiU he
reached the Wood of the two Tents ; and he passed
into the hut without being perceived by Finn and his
men. And when Dermat saw the old man his heart
leaped with joy.
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292 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
Angus greeted Dermat and Grania, and said,
" What is this thing thou hast done, my son ? "
And Dermat answered, "The princess Grania,
daughter of the king of Tara, asked me to take her
for my wife, putting heavy gesa-bonds on me ; and I
did so, and we fled from her father's house. And
Finn, the son of Cumal, has pursued us with intent to
kill me, for he sought the princess to wife for himself."
And Angus said, " Come now, children, imder my
ipantle, one under each border, and I will bring you
both away from this place without the knowledge of
Finn."
But Dermat answered, " Take Grania ; but for me,
I will not go with you. However, I will leave this
place; and if I am alive I will follow you. But if
they slay me, send the princess to her father, and tell
him to treat her neither better nor worse on account
of taking me for her husband.**
Then Dermat kissed Grania, and bade her be of
good cheer, for that he feared not his foes. And
Angus placed her under his mantle, and, telling Dermat
whither to follow, went forth from the enclosure with-
out the knowledge of Finn and the Feni. They
turned south then, and nothing is told of what befell
them till they came to the Wood of the two Sallows,
which is now called Limerick.
Now as to Dermat. After Angus and Grania had
Jeft him, he girded on his armour, and took his sharp
weapons in his hands; and he stood up tall and
straight like a pillar, meditating in silence for a space.
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THE PUBSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 293
Then he went to one of the seven narrow doors, and
asked who was outside.
" No enemy of thine is here, but Oisin and Oscar,
with the men of the Clann Baskin. Come out to us,
and no one will dare to harm thee."
" I must needs find the door where Finn himself
keeps guard,'' answered Dermat ; " so I will not go out
to you."
He went to the second narrow door, and asked who
was there.
" Kylta Mac Ronan with the Clann Ronan around
him. Come out at this door, and we will fight to the
death for thy sake."
" I will not go out to you," answered Dermat ; " for
I do not wish to bring Finn's anger on you for treating
me with kindness."
He went to another narrow door, and asked who
was there.
" Conan of the Grey Rushes and the Clann Moma.
We are no friends to Finn; but thee we all love.
Come out to us, then, and no one will dare to harm
thee."
" Of a certainty I wiU not go out at this door,"
answered Dermat ; " for well I know that Finn would
rather see you all dead than that I should escape ! "
He went to another narrow door, and asked who
was there.
"A friend and a dear comrade of thine is here;
Cuan, the chief of the Munster Feni, and his Munster
men with him. Thou and we come from the same
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territory; and if need be we will give our lives in
fight for thy sake."
" I will not go out to you," said Dennat ; " for it
would bring Finn's sure displeasure on you to act
kindly towards me."
He went to another narrow door, and asked who
was there.
" Finn, the son of Glore of the Loud Voice, chief of
the Feni of Ulster, and the Ulster men around him.
Thou and we come not from the same territory ; but
we all love thee, Dermat ; and now come forth to us,
and who wiU dare to wound or harm thee ? "
"I wiU not go out to you," replied Dermat ; "you
are a faithful friend of mine, and your father in like
manner ; and I do not wish you to earn the enmity of
Finn on my account."
He went to another narrow door, and asked who
was there.
" No friend of thine ! Here stand the Clann Navin
watching for thee ; namely, Aed the Lesser, and Aed
the Tall, and Gonna the Wounder, and Gothan the
Loud-voiced, and Cuan the Tracker, with all their men.
We bear thee no love ; and if thou come out at this
door, we shall make thee a mark for our swords
and spears ! "
And Dermat answered, "Lying and mean-faced
dogs ! It is not fear of you that keeps me from going
forth at this door ; but I do not wish to defile my
spear with the blood of your shoeless, tracking vaga-
bonds!"
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THE PURSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 295
And he went to another narrow door, and asked
who was there.
" Finn, the son of Cumal, the son of Art, the son of
Trenmore O'Baskin, and with him the Leinster Feni.
No love awaits thee here ; and if thou come forth we
will cleave thee, flesh and bones ! *'
" The door I have sought I have found at last ! "
cried Dermat; "for the door where thou, Finn,
standest, that, of a certainty, is the very door by
which I shall pass out ! "
Then Finn charged his men, under pain of death,
not to let Dermat pass. But Dermat, watching an
unguarded plice, rose by means of his two spears
with a light, airy bound over the fence, and alighted
on the clear space outside; and running swiftly for-
ward, was in a moment beyond the reach of sword and
spear. And so dismayed were they by his threaten-
ing look, that lot a man attempted to follow him.
Then, turniig southward, he never halted till he
came to the Wcod of the two Sallows, where he found
Angus and Graiia in a warm hut, with a boar fixed on
hazel spits roasting before a great flaming fire. Der-
mat greeted them ; and the spark of life all but leaped
from Grania's iBart with joy when she saw him.* So
he told them al that had befallen him ; and they ate
their meal and slept in peace that night, till the morn-
ing of next day filled the world with light.
Then Angis arose with the dawn, and said to
Original : '^ I was little but that the salmon of her life fled
throngh her montl with joy before Dermat."
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Dennat, " I will now depart, my son ; but Finn will
still pursue you, and I leave you this counsel to
guide you when I am gone. Go not into a tree having
only one trunk ; never enter a cave that has only one
opening; never land on an island of the sea that has
only one channel of approach ; where you cook your
food, there eat it not; where you eat, sleep not there ;
and where you sleep to-night, sleep net there to-
moiTOw night ! "
So Angus bade them farewell ; and tley were sad
after him.
CHAPTER V.
THE THREE SEA-CHAMPIONS AND THEIR THREE VENOM-
OUS HOUNDS ON THE TRACK OF DERMAT AND
GRANIA.
After Angus was gone, Dermat and Gnnia journeyed
westward, keeping the Shannon on their right, till they
reached the Rougji Stream of the Chanpions, which
is now called the Laune.* They resipd there; and
Dermat killed a salmon with his spear, &,nd fixed it on
a hazel spit to broil on the near bank ; and he crossed
the river with Grania, to eat it on the farther bank, as
Angus had told him. And after they lad eaten, they
sought a sleeping-place further west.
They rose early next morning, and journeyed still
* The river Laane, flowing from the Lakes of Killamey into
Dingle Bay.
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THE PURSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRiNIA. 297
wQst, till they reached the Grey Moor of Finnlia.*
There they met a man of great size, noble in gait and
feature, but with arms and armour not befitting his
appearance. Dermat greeted him, and asked who he
was ; and he replied —
"My name is Modan, and I am seeking a lord
whom I may serve for pay/*
" If I take you into my service," asked Dermat,
" what can you do for us ? "
" I will serve you by day and watch for you by
night," answered Modan.
Whereupon they entered into bonds of agreement
with one another, Modan to serve by day and watch
by night, and Dermat to pay him wages.
Then the three went westward till they reached
the river of Carra,t and Modan lifted Dermat and
Grania with the greatest ease, and bore them dry
across the stream. From that further west to Behaj!
and Modan bore them over this stream in like manner.
Here they found a cave, on the side of the hill over
that part of the sea called Tonn Toma,§ namely, the
* The Grey Moor of Finnlia (Bogach'FhinnUithe in the original)
was somewhere between the river Laime and the river Caragh, but the
name is now forgotten.
t The river of Carra, the Caragh river, flowing into Dingle Bay
from the beantifnl lake Caragh, twenty miles west of Eillamey.
J Beha, the river Behy, about a mile and a half west from the
Caragh, flowing through Glanbehy into Bossbehy creek.
§ Tonn Toma, the wave of Toma (a woman) . The word Tonn (a
wave or billow) was often applied to the sea- waves that break over
certain sandbanks and rocks with an exceptionally lend roaring.
Tonn Toma is the name of a sandbank at the head of Dingle Bay,
just outside the extreme point of Bossbehy peninsula; and in the
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hill of Curra-Kenn-Ammid ; aaid Modan prepared a
couch of soft rushes and birch tops in the innermost
part of the cave, for Dermat and Grania. After this
he went to the nearest wood and cut him a long,
straight quicken tree rod ; and, having put a hair and
a hook on the rod, and a holly berry on the hook, he
stood on the brink of the stream, and with three casts
he hooked three salmon. Then he put the rod by for
next day ; and, putting the hook and the hair under
his girdle, he returned to Dermat and Grania. And
he broiled the fish, and they ate their meal, Modan
giving the largest salmon to Dermat, the second in
size to Grania, and keeping the smallest for himself
After which Dermat and Grania went to sleep in the
cave, and Modan kept watch and ward at the mouth,
till morning arose with its abundant light.
Dermat rose early and set out for the nearest high
hill, to look round the country, telling Grania to keep
watch at the mouth of the cave while Modan slept.
Having come to the top of the hill, he viewed the coun-
try all round to the four points of the sky ; and after a
winter storms, the sea thunders on this sandbank, and indeed on the
whole length of the beach of the peninsula, so as often to be heard
twenty miles inland. This roaring is popularly believed to predict rain.
There is a chain of three hills, Stookaniller, Knockatinna, and
Knockboy, lying between Behy bridge on the east and Drung moun-
tain on the west, and isolated from the hills to the south-east by the
valley of Glanbehy. These hills rise directly over Tonn Toma ; and
the old Gaelic name, Currach-Cinn-Adhmuid (the moor of the head [or
hill] of timber) must have been anciently applied to one or all of them.
(See, for an account of the great historical torms of Ireland, the
author's "Origin and History of Irish Names of Places," series ii.
page 251.)
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little while, he saw a fleet of black ships approaching
from the west. When they had come near enough to
the shore, a company of nine nines landed at the very
foot of the hiU where Dermat stood. He went to
them, and, after greeting them, asked who they were,
and from what country they had come.
" We are three sea-champions from the Iccian Sea,*
who are at the head of this troop," replied they, " and
our names are Ducoss, Fincoss, and Trencoss;t and we
have come hither at the suit of Finn the son of Cumal.
For a certain chief named Dermat O'Dyna has rebelled
against him, and is now an outlaw, flying through the
country from one fastness to another. And Finn has
asked us to come with our fleet to watch the coast,
while he himself watches inland, so that this marauder
may no longer escape punishment We hear, moreover,
that this Dermat is valiant and dangerous to attack ;
and we have brought hither three venomous hounds to
loose them on his track, and scent him to his hiding-
place: fire cannot bum them, water cannot drown
them, and weapons cannot wound them. And now
tell us who thou art, and whether thou hast heard any
tidings of this Dermat O'Dyna."
" I saw him, indeed, yesterday," answered Dermat.
" I know him well too, and I counsel you to follow
your quest warily; for if you meet with Dermat O'Dyna
you will have no common man to deal with."
* Iccian Sea (Irish, Muvr nlcht), the Irish name for the sea
between England and France.
t Ducoss, Fincoss, and Trenooss, i.e. Blackfoot, Whitefoot, and
Strongfoot.
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Then he asked if they had got any wine in their
ships. They replied that they had ; so he asked that
a tun might be brought, as he wished to drink ; and he
told them he would show them a champion-feat after
he had drunk. Two men were accordingly sent on
board for a tun of wine. When they had brought it,
Dermat raised it in his arms and drank; and the
others drank in like manner till the tun was empty.
Then he said, " I will now show you a champion-
feat that Dermat O'Dyna taught me ; and I challenge
any man among you to do it after me. And from this
you may learn what manner of man you will have to
deal with, should you have the ill luck to meet with
Dermat himself"
So saying, he brought the tun to the crest of the
hill, and set it down at the edge of a steep cliff. Then,
leaping up on it, he turned it cunningly aside from
the cliff, and let it roll down the smooth slope of the
hill till it reached the very bottom, while he himself
remained standing on it the whole time. And three
times did he do this while the strangers looked on.
But they laughed, mocking him, and said, "Do
you call that a champion-feat indeed ? Truly, you
have never in your life seen a good champion-feat ! "
Thereupon one among them started up and brought
the tun to the top of the hill, intending to do the same
feat ; and, placing it on the edge of the cliff, he leaped
up on it. And while he stood on it, Dermat pushed it
with his foot to set it going. But the moment it
moved, the man lost his balance, and while the tun
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THE PURSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 301
went rolling down the face of the hill, he himself fell
over the cliff, and was dashed to pieces on the sharp
edges and points of the rocks.
Another man tried the same thing, and he in like
manner fell down and was killed among the rocks.
And the end of the matter was, that before they would
acknowledge themselves beaten, fifty of their men
attempted the feat, and every man of the fifty fell over
the cliff and was killed. So the others went on board
their ships, gloomy and heart-sore.
Dermat returned to the cave, and Grania's heart
was glad when she saw him. Modan went then, and
putting the hair and the hook on the rod as before, he
hooked three salmon; and he went back to the cave and
broiled them on hazel spits. And they ate their meal;
and Modan kept watch and ward, while Dermat and
Grania slept in the cave, till the pleasant morning
filled the world with light.
Dermat rose up with the dawn, and telling Grania
to keep watch while Modan slept, he went to the same
hill, and found the three sea-champions with their
men on the shore before him. He greeted them, and
asked whether they wished for any more champion-
feats. But they answered that they would much
rather he would give them some tidings of Dermat
O'Dyna. Whereupon he said —
" I have seen a man who saw him this very morn-
ing. And now I will show you a champion-feat he
taught me, in order that you may know what is before
you, should you meet with Dermat O'Dyna himself."
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When he had said this, he threw off hehnet and
tunic and armour, till only his shirt remained over his
brawny shoulders ; and, taking the Ga-boi,* the spear
of Mannanan Mac Lir, he fixed it firmly in the earth,
standing point upwards. Then, walking back some
little way, he ran towards the spear, and, rising from
the earth with a bird- like bound, he alighted softly on
the very point ; and, again leaping off it, he came to the
ground on his feet without wound or hurt of any kind.
Then arose one of the strange warriors and said,
" If you call that a champion-feat, it is plain that you
have never seen a good champion-feat in your life ! "
And so saying, he ran swiftly towards the spear
and made a great bound ; but he fell heavily on the
sharp point, so that it pierced him through the heart,
and he was taken down dead. Another man attempted
the feat, and was kiUed in like manner ; and before
they ceased, fifty of their men were slain by Dermat's
spear. Then they bade him draw his spear from the
earth, saying that no more should try that feat ; and
they went on board their ships.
So Dermat returned to the cave; and Modan
hooked three salmon; and Dermat and Grania ate
their meal and slept till morning, Modan keeping watch.
* Dermat had two spears, the great one called the Ga-derg or
Crann-derg (red javelin), and the small one called (ja-boi or Crann-
boi (yellow javelin) : he had also two swords : the Morallta (great
fory), and the Begallta (little fnry). These spears and swords he
got from Mannanan Mao Lir and from Angas of the Bmga. He
carried the great spear and sword in afEairs of life and death ; and
the smaller in adventures of less danger.
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THE PUKSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 303
Next morning, Dermat went to the hill, bringing
two strong forked pole scut from the wood. He found
the three sea-champions with their men on the shore ;
and he greeted them, and said —
" I have come to-day to show you a champion-feat I
learned from Dermat O'Dyna, that you may know what
to expect if you should meet with Dermat himself"
He then fixed the poles standing firmly in the
earth ; and he placed the Morallta, that is, the long
sword of Angus of the Bruga, in the forks, edge up-
wards, the hUt on one, and the point on the other,
binding it firmly with withes. Then, rising up with a
bound, he alighted gently on the edge ; and he walked
cimningly three times from hUt to point, and from
point to hilt, and then leaped lightly to the earth
without wound or hurt. And he challenged the
strangers to do that feat.
Then one arose and said, " There never yet was
done a champion-feat by a man of Erin, that one
among us will not do likewise."
And he leaped up, intending to alight on his feet ;
but he came down heavily on the sharp edge, so that
the sword cut him clean in two. Another tried the
same, and was killed also ; and, they ceased not till as
many were killed that day by Dermat's sword as were
killed on each of the two days before.
When they were about to return to their ships,
they asked him had he got any tidings of Dermat
O'Dyna ; and he answered —
" I have seen him this day : I will now go to seek
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him, and methinks I shall bring him to you in the
morning/'
Then he returned to the cave ; and he and Grania
ate their meal, and slept that night, while Modan kept
watch.
Next morning, Dermat arose with ihe dawn, and
this time he arrayed himself for battle. He put on
his heavy aimour — ^no man who wore it could be
wounded through it, or above it, or beneath it. He
hung the Morallta at his left hip, the sword of Angus
of the Bruga, which never left anything for a second
blow; and he took his two thick-handled spears, the
Ga-derg and the Ga-boi, whose wounds no one ever
recovered.
Then he awakened Grania, telling her to keep
watch till he returned, that Modan might sleep. And
when she saw him so arrayed, she trembled with fear,
for she well knew that this was his manner of pre-
paring for battle. And she asked him what he meant
to do to-day, and whether Finn's pursuers had found
them. But he, to quiet her fears, put off the matter
lightly, and said, " It is better to be prepared, lest the
enemy come in my way ; " and this soothed her.
So he went to the hill, and met the strangers on
the shore as before. And they asked him had he any
tidings to give them of Dermat O'Dyna.
He answered, " He is not very far off, for I have
seen him just now."
" Then," said they, " lead us to his hiding-place, that
we may bring his head to Finn the son of Cumal."
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THE PURSUIT OF DERMAT AND GBANIA. 305
" That would, indeed, be an ill way of repaying
Mendship," answered he. "Dermat O'Dyna is my
friend; and he is now under the protection of my
valour : so of this be sure, I will do him no
treachery."
And they replied wrathfuUy, " If thou art a friend
to Dermat O'Dyna, thou art a foe to Finn ; and now
we will take thy head and bring it to him along with
the head of Dermat."
"You might indeed do that with much ease/'
answered Dermat, " if I were bound hand and foot ;
but being as I am, free, I shall defend myself after my
usual custom."
Then he drew the Morallta from its sheath, and,
springing forward to meet them as they closed on him,
he clove the body of the foremost in two with one
blow. Then he rushed through them and under them
and over them, like a wolf among sheep, or a hawk
among sparrows, cleaving and slaughtering them, till
only a few were left, who hardly escaped to their ships.
CHAPTER VL
WHAT BEFELL' THE THREE SEA-CHAMPIONS AND THEIR
THREE VENOMOUS HOUNDS.
After this Dermat returned to the cave without
wound or hurt ; and he and Grania ate and slept, and
Modan watched till morning. Then he repaired to the
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hill, fully armed as before, and standing right over the
ships, he struck his hollow-sounding shield* with his
spear for a challenge, till the whole shore and the sur-
rounding hills re-echoed. And Ducoss straightway
armed himself and came ashore to fight Dermat single
hand.
Now Dermat by no means wished to slay his foe
immediately, being, indeed, intent on woi*se punishment.
So he closed with Ducoss; and the two champions,
throwing aside their weapons, seized each other round
the waists with their sinewy arms. Then they twisted
and tugged and wrestled in deadly silence ; and their
swollen sinews strained and crackled; and the earth
trembled beneath their feet ; like two great writhing
serpents, or like two raging lions, or like two savage
bulls that strive and struggle to heave each other with
horns interlocked. Thus did the heroes contend ; till
at last Dermat, heaving Ducoss on his shoulder, dashed
him helpless and groaning to the ground ; and instantly
seizing him, he bound him in hard iron bonds.
Fincoss came next against Dermat, and after him
Trencoss ; but he overcame them both, and bound them
with like bonds ; and then, leaving the three writhing
with pain, he said to them —
" I would strike ofi* your heads, but that I wish to
* A usual form of challenge among the ancient Irish warriors. It
is very cnrious that this custom is remembered to the present day in
the patois of the peasantry, even where the Irish language is no
longer spoken. In the south, and in parts of the west, they call a
distinguished fighting man a huailim adachf an expression which
means literally, " I strike the shield."
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THE PUBSUIT OF DEEMAT AND GRANIA. 307
prolong your torment ; for none can release you from
these bonds till you die ! "
Dermat then returned to the cave; and he and
Grania ate their meal and slept that night, Modan
watching. In the morning, Dermat told Grania all
that had happened from beginning to end ; how fifty
of the foreigners had been killed each day for the first
three days ; how he had slain a much greater number
on the fourth day; and how he had overcome and
bound the three sea-champions in hard iron bonds.
"I have left them bound on the hill," continued
he, " instead of killing them ; because I would rather
their torment to be long than short. For there are
only four men in Erin that can loosen the bonds I tie ;
that is to say, Oisin, and Oscar, and Mac Luga, and
Conan Mail; and I think no one of these will free
them. Finn will doubtless hear of their state, and the
news will sting him to the heart. But he will know
that we are here ; so we must now leave this cave, to
escape him, and also to escape the three venomous
dogs."
So they came forth from the cave, and travelled
eastward till they came to the Grey Moor of Finnlia ;
and whenever Grania was tired, or when they had to
walk over rugged places, Modan lifted her tenderly
and carried her, without ever being in the least tired
himself. And so they journeyed, till they reached the
broad, heathery slopes of Slieve Lougher ; * and they
* Slieve Lougher, a mountain near Castle Island. (See note,
page 237.)
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sat down to rest on the green bank of a stream that
wound through the heart of the mountain.
Now as to the sea-strangers. Those of them that
were left alive landed from their ships, and coming to
the hill, found their three chiefs bound tightly, hand
and foot and neck. And they tried to loose them, but
only made their bonds the tighter. While they were
so engaged, they saw Finn's errand-woman coming
towards them, with the speed of a swallow, or of a
weasel, or of the swift, cold wind blowing over a
mountain-side. When she had come near, she greeted
them, and, seeing the bodies of the slain, she asked
who it was that had made that fearful slaughter.
"Tell us first," said they, "who art thou that
makest this inquiry ? "
" I am Derdri of the Black Mountain, the errand-
woman of Finn the son of CumaV she replied ; " and
he has sent me hither to look for you."
And they said, "We know not who made this
slaughter; but we can tell thee his appearance, for
that we know well. He was a tall warrior, with a
fair, handsome, open countenance, and jet-black, curly
hair. He has been thi*ee days fighting against us;
and what grieves us even more than the slaughter ot
our men is that our three chiefs lie here bound by
him so firmly that we are not able to loose them from
their bonds."
" Alas, friends ! " said Derdri ; " you have sped but
badly at the very beginning of your quest ; for this
man was Dermat O'Dyna himself. And now loose
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THE PUKSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 309
your three venomous dogs on his track without delay ;
and I will return and send Finn to meet you."
Then they brought forth the three hounds, and
loosed them on the track of Dermat ; and leaving one
of their druids to attend to the three fettered chiefs,
they followed the hounds till they came to the cave,
where they found the soft, rushy bed of Dermat and
Grania. From that they fared east, and crossing the
Carra, and the Grey Moor of Finnlia, and the Laune,
they reached at length the broad, heathy Slieve
Lougher.
As Dermat sat by the mountain stream with
Grania and Modan, looking westward, he saw the
silken banners of the foreigners at a distance as they
approached the hiU. In front of all marched three
warriors with mantles of green, who held the three
fierce hounds by three chains. And Dermat, when he
saw the hounds, was filled with loathing and hatred
of them. Then Modan lifted Grania, and walked a
mile with Dermat up the stream into the heart of
the mountain.
When the green-clad warriors saw them, they
loosed one of the three hounds; and when Grania
heard his hoarse yelps down the vaUey, she was in
great dread. But Modan bade her not fear, for that
he would deal with this hound; and then, turning
round, he drew forth from beneath his girdle a small
hound-whelp, and placed it on the palm of his hand.
There it stood till the great hound came up raging,
with jaws wide open; when the little whelp leaped
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from Modan's hand down the dog's throat, and broke
his heart, so that he fell dead. And after that the
whelp leaped back again on Modan's hand ; and Modan
put him under his girdle.
Then they walked another mile up the stream
through the mountain, Modan bringing Grania. But
the second hound was loosed, and soon overtook them ;
and D^rmat said —
"I will try the Ga-derg on this hound. For no
spell can guard against the magic spear of Angus of
the Bruga ; and I have heard it said also that there
is no charm that can shield the throat of an animal
from being wounded."
Then, while Modan and Grania stood to look,
Dermat, putting his finger into the silken loop of the
spear, threw a cast, and drove the spear-head down
the hound's throat, so that the entrails of the brute
were scattered about; and Dermat, leaping forward,
drew the spear, and followed Modan and Grania.
After they had walked yet another mile, the third
hound was loosed ; and Grania, seeing him coming on,
said, trembling —
" This is the fiercest of the three, and I greatly fear
him; guard yourself, Dermat, guard yourself well
against this hound ! "
Even while she spoke, the hound overtook them
at the place called Duban's Pillar-stone ; and as they
stood looking back at him, Dermat stepped in front
of Grania to shield her. The hound rose with a great
spring over Dermat's head to seize Grania; but
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THE PURSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 311
Dermat grasped him by the two hind legs as he
passed, and, swinging him round, he struck his carcase
against a rock and dashed out his brains.
Then, putting his tapering finger into the silken
string of the Ga-derg, he threw the spear at the fore-
most of the green-clad knights, and slew him. He
made another cast of the Ga-boi and brought down
the second warrior; and, drawing the Morallta, he
sprang on the third, and swept off* his head.
When the foreigners saw their leaders slain, they
fled hither and thither in utter rout. And Dermat
fell upon them with sword and spear, scattering and
slaughtering them, so that there seemed no escape for
them, unless, indeed, they could fly over the tops of
the trees, or hide themselves under the earth, or dive
beneath the water. And when Derdri of the Black
Mountain saw this havoc, she ran, panic-stricken and
crazed with fright, off* the field towards the hill where
the three kings lay bound.
Now as to Finn. Tidings were brought to him of
what happened to the three sea-kings, and how they
were lying bound in hard bonds on the hill over Tonn-
Toma. So he set out straightway fi:om Allen, and
travelled by the shortest ways till he reached the hill.
And when he saw the three champions, he was grieved
to the heart ; for he knew of old that the iron fetters
bound by Dermat slew by slow torment, and that
none could loose them except Oisin, or Oscar, or Mac
Luga, or Conan Mail.
And Finn asked Oisin to loose the bonds and
relieve the kings.
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"I cannot do so," answered Oisin, "for Dermat
bound me under gesa^^ never to loose any warrior
that he should bind."
He next asked Oscar; but the young warrior
answered, " None shall be released by me who seeks to
harm Dermat O'Dyna. Fain would I indeed put
heavier bonds on them."
And when he asked Mac Luga and Conan, they
refused in like manner.
Now while they were speaking in this wise, they
saw the errand-woman, Derdri of the Black Mountain,
running towards them, breathless and with failing
steps, and her eyes starting from the sockets with
terror. And Finn asked her what tidings she had
brought.
"Tidings indeed, king, tidings of grievous
mishap and woe ! " Whereupon she told him all that
she had seen — ^how Dermat O'Dyna had killed the
three fierce hounds, and had made a slaughter of the
foreigners. ''And hardly, indeed," she cried, "hardly
have I myself got off scathless with the news ! "
The three kings, hearing this, and being worn out
with the straitness and torment of their bonds, died at
the same moment. And Finn caused them to be
buried in three wide graves; and flagstones were
placed over them with their names graved in Ogam ; *
and their funeral rites were performed. Then, with
heart full of grief and gall, Finn marched northwards
with his men to Allen of the green hill-slopes.
* See note, page 36.
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THE PUESUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 313
CHAPTER VII.
SHAEVAN, THE SURLY GIANT, AND THE FAIRY QUICKEN
TREE OF DOOROS.
Now touching Dermat and Grania. They travelled
eastward from SUeve Lougher, through Hy Conall
Gavra, keeping the Shannon on their left, till they
reached the Wood of the two Sallow Trees, which is
now called Limerick. Here they rested ; and Dermat
killed a wild deer, and they ate of its flesh, and drank
pure spring water, and slept that night. Next morn-
ing Modan bade them farewell, and left them. And
Dermat and Grania were sad after him, for he was very
gentle, and had served them faithfully.
On that same day they departed from the Wood of
the two Sallows; and nothing is related of what befell
them till they arrived at the Forest of Dooros, in the
district of Hy Ficra* of the Moy, which was at that
time guarded by Sharvan the Surly, of Lochlann.
Now this is the history of Sharvan the Surly, of
Lochlann. On a certain occasion, a game of hurley
was played by the Dedannans against the Feni, on the
plain beside the Lake of Lein of the Crooked Teeth, f
They played for three days and three nights, neither
side being able to win a single goal from the other
during the whole time. And when the Dedannans
* Hy Flora, now the barony of Tireragh, in Sligo.
t The Lake of Lein of the Crooked Teeth, i.e. Loch Lein, or the
Lakes of Killamey.
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found that they could not overcome the Feni, they
suddenly withdrew from the contest, and departed
from the lake, journeying in a body northwards.
The Dedannans had for food during the game, and
for their journey afterwards, crimson nuts and arbutus
apples and scarlet quicken berries, which they had
brought from the Land of Promise. * These fruits
were gifted with many secret virtues; and the De-
dannans were careful that neither apple nor nut nor
berry should touch the soil of Erin. But as they
passed through the Wood of Dooros, in Hy Ficra of
the Moy, one of the scarlet quicken berries dropped on
the earth ; and the Dedannans passed on, not heeding.
From this berry a great quicken tree f sprang up,
which had the virtues of the quicken trees that grow
in Fairyland. For its berries had the taste of honey,
and those who ate of them felt a cheerful flow of
spirits, as if they had drunk of wine or old mead ; and
if a man were even a hundred years old, he returned
to the age of thirty, as soon as he had eaten three of
them.
Now when the Dedannans heard of this tree, and
knew of its many virtues, they would not that any
one should eat of the berries but themselves ; and they
sent a Fomor J of their own people to guard it, namely,
Sharvan the Surly, of Lochlann ; so that no man dared
even to approach it. For this Sharvan was a giant of
* The Land of Promise, or Fairyland. (See note 8 at the end.)
t Quicken tree. (See note, page 177.)
X Fomor, a giant. (See note, page 227.)
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THE PUKStJIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 315
the race of the wicked Cain, burly and strong ; with
heavy bones, large, thick nose, crooked teeth, and one
broad, red, fiery eye^in the middle of his black forehead.
And he had a great club tied by a chain to an iron
girdle which was round his body. He was, moreover,
so skilled in magic that fire could not bum him, water
could not drown him, and weapons could not wound
him ; and there was no way to kill him but by giving
him three blows of his own dub. By day he sat at
the foot of the tree, watching ; and at night he slept
in a hut he had made for himself, high up among the
branches.
Into this land Dermat came, knowing well that he
should be safe there from the pursuit of Finn. For
Sharvan did not let any of the Feni hunt in Hy Ficra.
And neither they nor any others dared to come near
the great Wood of Dooros, for dread of the giant ; so
that the land around the quicken tree for many miles
was a wilderness.
Dermat, leaving Grania behind in safe shelter, went
boldly to the giant, where he sat at the foot of the
tree, and told him he wished to live amidst the woods
of Hy Ficra, and chase its wild animals for food.
Whereupon the giant, bending his red eye on him, told
him, in words few and surly, that he might live and
hunt where he pleased, as long as he did not take
and eat the berries of the quicken tree.
So Dermat built him a hunting-booth near a spring,
in the thick of the Forest of Dooros ; and, clearing a
space aU round, fenced it with strong stakes inter-
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316 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
woven with tough withes, leaving one narrow door
well barred and secured. And they lived in peace for
a time, eating the flesh of the wild animals of Dooros,
which Dermat brought down each day in the chase,
and drinking the water of the well.
Now let us speak of Finn, the son of Cumal. One
day, soon after his return to Allen, as he and his
household troops were on the exercise green before the
palace, a company of fifty horsemen were seen ap-
proaching from the east, led by two taller and nobler
looking than the others. Having come near, they
bowed low and greeted the king ; and when he asked
them who they were, and from whence they had come,
they answ-ered —
" We are enemies of thine, who now desire to make
peace ; and our names are Angus, the son of Art Mac
Moma, and Aed, the son of Andala Mac Moma. Our
fathers were present at the battle of Knocka,^ aiding
those who fought against thy father, Cumal, when he
was slain ; for which thou didst afterwards slay them
both, and didst outlaw us, their sons, though indeed
we were blameless in the matter, seeing that we were
not bom till after the death of CumaL However, we
have come now to ask this boon of thee : that thou
make peace with us, and give us the places our fathers
held in the ranks of the Feni"
*' I will grant your request," answered Finn, " pro-
vided you pay me eric for the death of my father."
" We would indeed pay thee eric willingly if we
could," answered they ; *' but we have neither gold.
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THE PURSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 317
nor silver, nor cattle, nor wealth of any kind to
give."
And then Oisin spoke and said, " Ask them not for
eric, king ; surely the death of their fathers should
be eric enough."
But Finn replied, " Of a truth, I think, Oisin, that
if any one should slay me, it woidd not be hard to
satisfy you in the matter of an eric. But, indeed, none
of those who fought at Knocka against my father, and
none of their sons, shall ever get peace from me, or join
the Feni, without such eric as I demand."
Then Angus, one of the two, asked, "What eric
dost thou require, king ? "
"I ask only one or the other of two things,"
answered Finn; "namely, the head of a warrior, or
the full of my hand of the berries of a quicken tree."
"I will give you counsel, ye sons of Moma, that
will stand you in good stead, if you follow it," said
Oisin, addressing the two strange chiefs; "and my
counsel is, that you return to the place from whence
you came, and seek this peace no longer. Know that
the head the king seeks from you is the head of
Dermat 0*Dyna, the most dangerous of all the Feni to
meddle with, who is well able to defend himself, even
if you were twenty times as many as you are ; and
who will certainly take your heads if you attempt to
take his. Know also that the berries Finn seeks from
you are the berries of the quicken tree of Dooros.
And it is hard to say if this be not a more perilous
quest than the other ; for the quicken tree belongs to
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318 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
the Dedaimans, who have sent Sharvan, the surly
giant of Lochlann, to guard it day and night."
But the two chiefs, unmoved by what they had
heard from Oisin, said that they woidd rather perish
in seeking out the eric than return to their mother's
country. So, leaving their people in the care of Oisin,
they set out on their quest. They travelled through
the Wood of the two Sallows, and from that to Dooros
of the Moy, where they found the track of Dermat
and Grania, and followed it till they came to the
hunting-booth. Dermat heard their voices and foot-
steps outside, and, snatching up his weapons, went to
the door and asked who was there.
" We are Aed, the son of Andala Mac Moma, and.
Angus, the son of Art Mac Moma," they replied. " We
have come hither from Allen of Leinster, to get either
the head of Dermat O'Dyna, or a handful of the
berries of the quicken tree of Dooros ; for Finn, the
son of Cumal, has demanded of us that we bring him
either the one or the other, as an eric for the killing
of his father,"
Dermat laughed when he heard this, and said,
" Truly this is not pleasant news for me to hear, for
I am Dermat O'Dyna. But however, friends, I am
not willing to give you my head, and you will find it
no easy matter to take it. And as for the berries,
these are quite as hard to get ; for you will have to
fight the surly giant Sharvan, who cannot be burned
with fire, or drowned with water, or wounded with
weapons. But woe to the man who falls under the
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THE PUESUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 319
power of Finn, the son of Cumal. And you have come,
methinks, on a bootless quest ; for even if you should
be able to bring him either of the two things he asks
for, he will not grant you the place or the rank ye
seek after alL And now," asked Dermat, ''which of
the two do ye wish to strive for first, my head or the
quicken berries ? "
And they answered, " We will do battle with thee
first."
So Dermat opened the door, and they made ready
for the combat. Now this is the manner in which
they agreed to fight : to throw aside their weapons,
and to use the strength of their hands alone. And if
the sons of Moma were able to overcome Dermat, they
should take his head to Finn; but if, on the other
hand, they were overpowered and bound by Dermat,
their heads should be in like manner forfeit to him.
But the fight was, indeed, a short one ; for these two
chiefs were even as children in Dermat's hands, and
he bound them in close and bitter bonds.
Now when Grania heard of the berries of the
quicken tree, she was seized with a longing desire to
taste them. At first she strove against it and was
silent, knowing the danger ; but now she was not able
to hide it any longer, and she told Dermat that she
should certainly die if she did not get some of the
berries to eat. This troubled Dermat, for he did not
wish to quarrel with the giant Sharvan ; but, seeing
that harm might come to Grania if she did not get the
berries, he told her he would go and get some for her,
either by good will or by force.
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320 OLD CELTIC BOMANCES.
When the sons of Moma heard this, they said,
" Loose these bonds, and we will go with thee and help
thee to fight the giant."
But Dermat answered, "Not much help, indeed,
could ye give me, as T think, for the mere sight of this
giant would be enough to unman you. But even were
it otherwise, I would not seek your help, for if I fight
at all I shall fight unaided."
And they said, "Even so, let us go. Our lives are
now forfeit to thee, but grant us this request before we
die, to let us see thee fight this giant."
And he consented to this.
So Dermat went straightway to the quicken tree,
followed by the two sons of Moma ; and he found the
giant lying asleep at the foot of the tree. He dealt
him a heavy blow to awaken him, and the giant,
raising his head, glared at him with his great red eye,
and said —
" There has been peace between us hitherto ; do
you now wish for strife ? "
" I seek not strife," answered Dermat ; " but the
Princess Grania, my wife, the daughter of king
Cormac Mac Art, longs to taste of these quicken
berries ; and if she does not get them she will die.
This is why I have come ; and now I pray you give
me a few of the berries for the princess."
But the giant answered, "I swear that if the
princess and her child were now dying, and that one
of my berries would save them, I would not give it ! "
Then Dermat said, " I do not wish to deal unfairly
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THE PURSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 321
with you ; and I have accordingly awakened you from
your sleep, and made my request openly, wishing for
peace. But now understand that before I leave this
spot, I will have some of these quicken berries, whether
you will or no."
When the giant heard this, he rose up, and, seizing
his club, dealt Dermat three great blows, which the
hero had much ado to ward oflF; nor did he escape
without some hurt, even though his shield was tough
and his arm strong. But now, watching narrowly,
and seeing that the giant expected to be attacked with
sword and spear, he suddenly threw down his weapons
and sprang upon him, taking him unguarded. He
threw his arms round his body, and, heaving him
with his shoulder, hurled him with mighty shock to
the earth ; and then, seizing the heavy club, he dealt
him three blows, dashing out his brains with the
last.
Dermat sat down to rest, weary and breathless.
And the sons of Moma, having witnessed the fight
from beginning to end, came forth rejoiced when they
saw the giant slain. Dermat told them to drag the
body into the wood and bury it out of sight, lest
Grania might see it and be affrighted ; and when they
had done so, he sent them for the princess. When she
had come, Dermat said to her —
"Behold the quicken berries, Grania: take now
and eat."
But she answered, "I will eat no berries except
those that are plucked by the hands of my husband."
Y
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322 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
So Dermat stood up and plucked the berries ; and
Grania ate till she was satisfied. And he also plucked
some for the sons of Moma, and said —
" Take these berries now, friends, as much as you
please, and pay your eric to Finn ; and you may, if
you are so minded, tell him that it was you who slew
Sharvan the Surly, of Lochlann."
They answered, " We will bring to Finn as much
as he demanded, one handful and no more; and we
grudge even so much."
Then they thanked Dermat very much ; for he
had given them the berries, what they should never
have been able to get for themselves; and though
their lives were forfeit to him, he had not so much as
mentioned the matter, but had allowed them to return
freely. And after bidding Dermat and Grania fare-
well, they went their ways.
After that Dermat left his hunting-booth, and he
and Grania lived thenceforth in Sharvan's hut among
the branches. And they found the berries on the top
of the tree the most delicious of all; those on the
lower branches being as it were bitter in comparison.
When the sons of Moma reached Allen, Finn
asked them how they had fared, and whether they
had brought him the eric : and they answered —
" Sharvan, the surly giant of Lochlann, is slain; and
here we have brought thee the berries of the quicken
tree of Dooros as eric for the death of thy father,
Cumal, that we may have peace from thee, and be
placed in our due rank among the Feni."
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THE PURSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 323
Finn took the berries and knew them; and he
smelled them three times, and said —
" These, indeed, are the berries of the quicken tree
of Dooros ; but they have passed through the hands of
Dermat O'Dyna, for I smell his touch. And sure I
am that it was Dermat, and not you, who slew
Sharvan, the surly giant. It shall profit you nothing,
indeed, to have brought me these berries ; neither will
you get from me the peace you seek, nor your place
among the Feni, till you pay me fair eric for my
father's death. For you have gotten the berries not
by your own strength ; and you have, besides, made
peace with my enemy. And now I shall go to the
Wood of Dooros, to learn if Dermat abides near the
quicken tree."
After this he gathered together the choice men
of the seven battalions of the Feni, and marched with
them to Dooros of Hy Ficra. They followed Dermat's
track to the foot of the qidcken tree, and found the
berries without any one to guard them ; and they ate
of them as much as they pleased.
Now it was noon when they had come to the
tree ; and the sun shone hot, and Finn said —
" We shall rest under this tree till evening come,
and the heat pass away ; for well I know that Dermat
0*Dyna is on the tree among the branches."
And Oisin said, " Truly your mind must be
blinded by jealousy, if you think that Dermat O'Dyna
has waited for you on that tree, since he knows well
that you seek his head.''
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324 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
Finn answered nothing to this speech, but called
for a chess-board and men.^® And he and Oisin sat
down to a game; while Oscar and Mac Luga and
Dering, the son of Dobar O'Baskin, sat near Oisin
to advise him ; for Finn played against them all.
They played on for a time warily and skilfully, till
at last Oisin had only one move to make ; and Finn
said —
" One move more would win you the game, Oisin,
but I challenge all your helpers to show you that
move." And Oisin was puzzled.
Dermat had been viewing the game from the
beginning, where he sat among the branches ; and he
said, speaking to himself —
" Pity that you should be in a strait, Oisin, and I
not near to advise your move."
Grania, sitting near, overheard him, and said, " It
is a small matter whether Oisin win or lose a game ;
far worse is it for you to be in this hut, while the
men of the seven battalions of the Feni are round
about you, waiting to kill you."
Then Dermat, not giving heed to Grania's words,
plucked a berry, and, flinging it down with true aim,
struck Oisin's chess-man — the man that should be
moved. And Oisin moved the man, and won the
game against Finn.
The game was begun again, and it went on till it
came to the same pass as before, Oisin having to make
only one move to win, but that move hard to make
out. And again Dermat threw a berry and struck
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THE PUESUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANU. 325
the right man; and Oisin made the move, and won
the game.
A third time the game went on, and Dermat struck
the chess-man as before ; and Oisin won the game the
third time. Whereupon the Feni raised a mighty shout.
" I marvel not that • you should win the game,
Oisin," said Finn, "seeing that you have the best
help of Oscar, and the zeal of Dering, and the skill
of Mac Luga ; and that, along with all, you have been
prompted by Dermat 0*Dyna."
" It shows a mind clouded by great jealousy," said
Oscar, "that you should think that Dermat O'Dyna
is in that tree waiting for you to kill him."
"Which of us tells truth, Dermat," said Finn,
looking up, " Oscar or I ? "
" You, Finn, have never yet erred in your judg-
ment," answered Dermat from the tree ; " for indeed
I am here with the princess Grania, in the hut of
Sharvan, the surly giant of Lochlann."
And, looking up, Finn and the others saw them
plainly through an opening in the branches.
But now Grania, seeing the danger, began to
tremble with great fear, and to weep; and Dermat,
taking pity on her, comforted her and kissed her
three times.
And Finn, seeing this, said, " Much more than this
did it grieve me the night you espoused Grania, and
brought her away from Tai-a before all the men of
Erin; but even for these kisses you shall certainly
pay quittance with your head ! "
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326 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
Whereupon Finn, being now bent on killing
Dermat, arose, and ordered his hirelings to surround
the tree, catching hand in hand, so as to leave no gap ;
and he warned them, on pain of death, not to let
Dermat pass out. Having done this, he offered a suit
of armour and arms, and a high place of honour among
the Feni, to any man who would go up into the tree,
and either bring him the head of Dermat O'Dyna, or
force him to come down.
Garva of Slieve Cua* started up and said, "Lo,
I am the man ! For it was Dermat*s father, Donn,
that slew my father ; and I will now avenge the deed."
And he went up the tree.
Now it was revealed to Angus of the Bruga that
Dermat was in deadly strait ; and he came to the tree
to his aid, without the knowledge of the Feni ; and
Dermat and Grania were filled with joy when they
saw the old man.
And when Garva, cUmbing from branch to branch,
had come near the hut, Dermat dealt him a blow with
his foot, which dashed him to the ground among the
Feni. And Finn s hirelings cut off his head on the
spot, for Angus had caused him to take the shape of
Dermat; but after he was slain he took his own
shape, so that all knew that it was Garva of Slieve
Cua that had been killed.
Then Garva of Slieve Crotf said, "It was Der-
* Slieve Cua, the ancient name of the highest of the Knockmeal-
down monntains, in Waterford.
t Slieve Orot, the ancient name of the Q<y moontains.
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THE PURSUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 327
mat's father, Donn, that slew my father; and I will
now avenge the deed on Dermat."
So saying, he went up the tree. But Angus gave
him a blow which hurled him to the ground under
the shape of Dermat, so that the hirelings fell on him
and slew him. And then Finn told them that it was
not Dermat they had kiUed, but Garva of Slieve Cua.
Garva of Slieve Gora* next started up, and said
that his father had been slain by Dermat's father ; and
he began to climb up the tree to take Dermat's head
in revenge. But Dermat flung him down like the
others, while Angus gave him for the time the shape
of Dermat, so that the hirelings slew him.
And so matters went on till the nine Garvas had
fallen ; namely, Garva of Slieve Cua, Garva of Slieve
Grot, Garva of Slieve Gora, Garva of Slieve Mucka,t
Garva of Slieve-more, Garva of Slieve Luga, Garva
of Ath-free, Garva of Slieve Mish, and Garva of
Drom-more. And full of grief and bitterness was the
heart of Finn, witnessing this.
Then Angus said he would take Grania away from
that place of danger. And Dermat was glad, and
said —
" Take her with thee ; and if I live till evening I
* Slieve Gora, a monntamoTis district in the barony of Clankee,
County Cavan.
t Slieve Mncka, now Slievenamuck (the mountain of the pig), a
long mountain ridge in Tipperary, separated from the Galties by the
Glen of Aherlow. Slieve Luga, a mountainous district, formerly
belonging to the O'Gkiras, in the barony of Costello, county Mayo.
Slieve Mish, a mountain range west of Tralee.
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328 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
will follow you. But if Finn slays me, send her to
Tara to her father, and tell him to use her well."
Then Dermat kissed his dear wife; and Angus,
having thrown his mantle round her, passed out from
the tree without the knowledge of the Feni, and went
straightway to Bruga of the Boyne.
After Angus and Grania had gone, Dermat,
addressing Finn from the tree, said —
" I will now go down from this tree ; and I will
slaughter many of thy hirelings before they slay me.
For I see that thou art resolved to compass my death ;
and why should I fear to die now more than at a
future time ? There is, indeed, no escape for me, even
should I pass from this place unharmed ; since I can
find no shelter in Erin from thy wrath. Neither have
I a friend in the far-off countries of this great world
to give me protection, seeing that I have from time to
time dealt defeat and slaughter among them, every
one, for thy sake. For never have the Feni been
caught in any strait or danger, that I did not venture
my life for them and for thee. When we went to
battle, moreover, I was always in front of you ; and I
was always behind you when leaving the field. And
now I care no longer to seek to prolong my life ; but
of a certainty thou shalt purchase my death dearly,
for I shaU avenge myself by dealing destruction
among thy hirelings."
" Dermat speaks truly," said Oscar ; " and now let
him have mercy and forgiveness ; for he has suffered
enough already."
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THE PUESUIT OF DERMAT AND GRANIA. 329
" I swear that I will never grant him peace or
forgiveness to the end of my life," answered Finn,
" till he has given me the eric I seek from him for the
injury he has done me ; that is to say, his head."
" Shame it is to hear thee say so, and a sure mark
of jealousy," answered Oscar. " And now I take the
body and life of Dermat under the protection of my
knighthood and valour ; and I pledge the word of a
true champion, that sooner shall the firmament fall on
me, or the earth open up and swallow me, than that
I shall let any man harm Dermat O'Dyna ! "
Then, looking upwards, he said, " Come down now,
Dermat, and thou shalt certainly go in safety from
this place ; for as long as I am alive, no man will dare
to oflFer thee hurt ! "
Then Dermat, choosing that side of the tree where
the men stood nearest to the trunk, walked along a
thick branch unseen, and, leaning on the shafts of his
spears, he sprang forward and downward with a light,
airy bound, and alighted outside the circle of those
who stood round with joined hands ; and in a moment
he was beyond the reach of sword and spear. And
Oscar joined him, looking back threateningly, so that
no man of Finn's hirelings durst follow.
So the two heroes fared on together, crossing the
Shannon ; and nothing is told of what befell them till
they reached Bruga of the Boyne, where they met
Angus and Grania. And Grania was almost beside
herself with joy when she saw Dermat without wound
or hurt of any kind. And the two champions were
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welcomed by Angus ; and Dermat related to him and
Grania the whole story, how he had escaped from
Finn and his hirelings, Oscar helping. And as Grania
listened, her spirit almost left her, at the deadly
peril Dermat had passed through.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE ATTACK OF THE WITCH-HAG.
Now as regards Finn. After the departure of Dermat
and Oscar, his heart was filled with anger and bitter-
ness, and he vowed he would never rest tiU he had
revenged himself on Dermat. And, leaving the Wood
of Dooros, he marched eastward till he reached Allen.
Making no delay, he ordered his trusted servants to
make ready his best ship, and to put therein food and
drink for a voyage. Then going on board, he put out
to sea ; and nothing is told of him till he reached the
Land of Promise,® where his old nurse lived.
When he appeared before her, she gave him a joyful
welcome. And after he had eaten and drunk, she
asked him the cause of his journey, knowing that
some weighty matter had brought him thither. So he
told her the whole story of what Dermat O'Dyna had
done against him ; and said that he had come to seek
counsel from her how he should act. '* For," he said,
" no strength or cunning of men can compass his death;
magic alone can overmatch him."
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Then the old woman told him that she would go
with him next day and work magic against Dermat.
Whereupon Finn was much rejoiced, and they rested
that night.
Next day, they set out, Finn and his people and
his nurse ; and it is not told how they fared till they
reached Bruga of the Boyne. And the men of Erin
knew not that they had come thither, for the witch-
hag threw a druidical mist round them, so that no
man might see them.
It chanced that *Dermat hunted that day in the
forest, alone ; for Oscar had gone from Bruga the day
before. When this was known to the witch-hag, she
caused herself to fly into the air by magic, on a water-
lily, having by her spells turned the yellow flower
into a broad millstone with a hole in the middle.
And, rising over the tops of the trees, she floated on
the clear, cold wind, till she had come straight over
the hero. Then, standing on the flat millstone, she
began to aim deadly poisoned darts at him through
the hole. And no distress Dermat ever suffered could
compare with this; for the darts stung him even
through his shield and armour, the witch having
breathed venomous spells on them.
Seeing at last that there was no escape from
death unless he could slay the witch-hag, he seized
the Ga-derg, and, leaning backwards, flimg it with
sure aim at the millstone, so that it went right
through the hole, and pierced the hag ; and she fell
dead at Dermat s feet. Then he beheaded her, and
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brought the head to Angus of the Bruga; and he
related to him and to Grania how he had escaped that
great danger.
CHAPTER IX.
PEACE AND REST AT LAST.
Angus arose next morning, and, going to Finn, asked
him whether he would make peace with Dermat.
Finn, seeing that he was worsted in every attempt
against the hero, and that moreover he had lost his
nurse and many of his men, told Angus that he was
weary of the quarrel, and that he was fain to make
peace on whatever terms Dermat should choose.
He next went to Tara to the king, Cormac, the
grandson of Conn. Him he asked in like manner
whether he was willing to grant Dermat peace and
forgiveness ; and Cormac answered that he was quite
willing.
Then he came to Dermat and said, " Peace is better
for thee : art thou willing now to be at peace with
Finn and Cormac ? "
And Dermat answered, " Gladly will I make peace,
if they grant me such conditions as befit a champion
and the husband of the princess Grania."
And when Angus asked what these conditions
were, he answered —
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" The cantred which my father had, that is to say,
the cantred of O'Dyna,* without rent or tribute to the
king of Erin ; also the cantred of Ben-Damis,"|' namely,
Ducam of Leinster. These two to be granted to me
by Finn ; and he shall not hunt over them, nor any
of his Feni, without my leave. And the king of
Erin shall grant me the cantred of Kesh-Corran, J as
a dowry with his daughter. On these conditions will
I make peace."
Angus went to Finn, and afterwards to the king,
with these conditions. And they granted them, and
forgave Dermat all he had done against them during
the time he was outlawed. So they made peace.
And Cormac gave his other daughter to Finn to wife.
Dermat and Grania went to live in the cantred of
Kesh-Corran, far away from Finn and Cormac; and
they built a house for themselves, namely, Rath-
Grania, in which they abode many years in peace.
And Grania bore Dermat four sons and one daughter.
And his possessions increased year by year, insomuch
that people said that no man of his time was richer
than Dermat, in gold and silver and jewels, in sheep,
and in cattle-herds.
* The cantred of O'Dyna, now the barony of Corkaguiny, in Kerry.
(See note, page 237.)
f The cantred of Ben-Damis, or Dncam of Leinster, probably the
district round Donee mountain, in the county Wicklow.
J The district round the mountain of Kesh-Corran, in Sligo.
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CHAPTER X.
THE DEATH OF DEEMAT.
Now when many years had passed. Crania said one
day to Dermat —
*' It is surely a thing unworthy of us, seeing the
greatness of our household and our wealth, and the
number of our folk, that we should live in a manner
so much removed ifrom the world. And in a special-
manner it is unbecoming that the two most illustrious
men in Erin have never been in our house, namely,
my father the king, and Finn the son of CumaL"
For indeed she had not seen her father since the
night she had left Tara with Dermat, and her heart
yearned for him.
*' Wherefore say you this. Crania ? " answered
Dermat; "for though there is indeed peace between
us, they are both none the less enemies of mine ; and
for this reason have I removed my dwelling far apart
from them."
And Crania said, "Their enmity has surely
softened with length of time : and now I woidd that
you give them a feast : so shall we win back their
friendship and love."
And in an evil hour Dermat consented.
For a full year were they preparing for that great
feast, and when it was ready, messengers were sent to
invite the king, with his house-folk, and Finn, with
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the chief men of the seven battalions of the Feni. So
they came, with their attendants and followers, their
horses and dogs ; and they lived for a whole year in
Rath-Grania, hunting and feasting.
It chanced one night, at the end of the year, long
after all had gone to rest, that Dermat heard, through
the silence of the night, the distant yelping of a
hound ; and he started up from his sleep. But Grania,
being scared, started up also, and, throwing her arms
round him, asked him what he had seen.
" I have heard the voice of a hound," answered
Dermat ; " and I marvel much to hear it at midnight."
"May all things guard thee from harm!" said
Grania. " This is surely a trap laid for thee by the
Dedannans, unknown to Angus of the Bruga : and now
lie down on thy bed again."
Dermat lay down, but did not sleep, and again he
heard the hound's voice. He started up, and this time
was fain to go and look to the matter; but Grania
caught him and kept him back a second time, saying
that it was not meet for him to seek a hound whose
voice he heard in the night.
A gentle slumber now fell on Dermat, and he slept
through a good part of the night But the yelping of
the hound came a third time, and awakened him, so
that he started up ; and it being now broad day, he
told Grania that he would go to seek the hound, and
find out why he was abroad in the night.
And though Grania consented, she felt, she knew
not why, ill at ease ; and she said —
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"Bring with you the Morallta, the sword of
Mannanan Mae Lir, and the Ga-derg,* Angus's spear ;
for there may be danger/'
But Dermat, regarding the matter lightly, and
forced by fate to the worse choice, answered —
" How can danger arise from such a small aflFair ?
I will bring the Begallta and the Ga-boi;* and I will
also bring my good hound Mac-an-coill, leading him
by his chain."
So Dermat went forth, and he delayed not till he
reached the summit of Ben-Gulban,t where he found
Finn ; and Dermat, offering him no salute, asked him
who it was that held the chase. Finn answered —
" Some of our men came out from Rath-Grania at
midnight with their hounds ; and one of the hounds
coming across the track of a wild boar, both men and
dogs have followed it up. I indeed would have held
them back, but the men were eager, and left me here
alone. For this is the track of the wild boar of
Ben-Gulban, and they who follow him are bent on a
vain and dangerous pursuit. Often has he been
chased ; and he has always escaped, after killing many
men and dogs. Even now thou canst see in the
distance that the Feni are flying before him ; and he
has slain several this morning. He is coming towards
this hillock where we stand ; and the sooner we get
out of his way the better."
But Dermat said he would not leave the hillock
through fear of any wild boar.
* See note, page 302.
t Now Benbulbin, a monntiEdn five miles north of the town of Sligo.
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"It is not meet that thou shouldst tarry here,"
answered Finn. " Dost thou not know that thou art
under gesa ^ never to hunt a boar ? "
Dermat answered, " I know nothing of these gesa ;
wherefore were they placed on me ? "
And Finn said, " I will tell thee of this matter, for
well do I remember it. When thou wert taken to
Bruga of the Boyne, to be fostered by Angus, the son of
Angus's steward was fostered with thee, that he might
be a companion and playmate to thee. Now the
steward, being a man of the common sort, agreed to
send each day to Bruga, food and drink for nine men,
as a price for having his son fostered with thee — thy
father, Donn, being one of the nobles of the Feni.
And thy father was accordingly permitted to visit the
house of Angus when it pleased him, with eight
companions, and claim the food sent by the steward ;
and when he did not come, it was to be given to
Angus's house-folk.
" It chanced on a certain day that I was at Allen
of the broad hill-slopes, with the chief men of the
seven battalions of the Feni. And Bran Beg O'Bucan
brought to my mind, what indeed I had forgotten,
that it was forbidden to me to sleep at Allen more
than nine nights one after another, and that the next
would be the tenth.
" Now this restriction had not been placed on any
of the Feni save myself, and they all went into the
hall except thy father and a few others. Then I
asked where we should get entertainment for that
z
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night. And thy father, Donn, answered that he wonld
give me entertainment at Bruga of the Boyne ; where
food and drink awaited himself and his companions
whenever he visited Angus. Donn said, moreover,
that he had not been to see his son for a year, and
that we were sure to get a welcome.
" So Donn and I and the few that were with us
went to the house of Angus, bringing our hounds ; and
Angus welcomed us. And thou and the steward's son
were there, two children. After a while we could see
that Angus loved thee, Dermat, very much, but that
the house-folk loved the son of the steward ; and thy
father was filled with jealousy, that the people should
show fondness for him and not for thee.
*' After night had fallen, it chanced that our hoimds
quarrelled over some broken meat we had thrown to
them, and began to fight in the court ; and the women
and lesser people fled from them hither and thither.
The son of the steward happened to run between thy
father's knees, who, calling now to mind how the
people favoured him more than thee, gave him a sudden
strong squeeze with his knees, and killed him on the
spot. And, without being seen by any one, he threw
him under the feet of the hoimds.
" When at last the dogs were put asunder, the child
was found dead; and the steward uttered a long,
mournful cry. Then he came to me and said —
"'Of all the men in Angus's house to-night, I
have come worst out of this uproar ; for this boy was
my only child. And now, Finn, I demand eric
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from thee for his death; for thy hounds have slam
him.'
" I told him to examine the body of his son, and
that if he found the mark of a hound's tooth or nail, I
would give him eric. So the child was examined, but
no hurt — either bite or scratch — was found on him.
"Then the steward laid me under fearful bonds
of druidical gesa,^ to find out for him who slew his
son. So I called for a chess-board and some water, and,
having washed my hands, I put my thumb under my
tooth of knowledge \^^ and then it was revealed to
me that the boy had been slain by thy father. Not
wishing to make this known, I now offered to pay eric
for the boy ; but the steward refused, saying that he
should know who killed his son. So I was forced to
tell him : whereupon he said —
" ' It is easier for Donn to pay me eric than for any
other man in this house. And the eric I demand is
that his son be placed between my knees : if the lad
gets off safe, then I shall follow up the matter no
further.'
" Angus was very wroth at this ; and thy father
would have struck off the steward's head if I had not
come between and saved him.
" The steward said no more, but went aside and
brought forth a druidical magic wand, and, striking his
son with it, he turned him into a great bristly wild
boar, having neither ears nor tail. And, holding the
wand aloft, he chanted this incantation over the
boar —
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" By this magical wand,
By the wizard's command,
I appoint and decree,
For Dermat and thee,
The same bitter strife,
The same span of life :
In the pride of his strength,
Thon shalt slay him at length :
Lo, Dermat CDyna
Lies stretched in his gore ; ,
Behold my avengers.
The tasks of the boar !
And thns is decreed.
For Donn's cmel deed,
Sore yengeanoe to come —
His son's bloody doom ;
By this wand in my hand.
By the wizard's command !
'"The moment he had ended the incantation, the
boar rushed out through the open door, and we knew
not whither he betook himself.
" When Angus heard the steward's words, he laid
a command on thee never to hunt a wild boar, that so
thou mightest avoid the doom foretold for thee.
" That same boar is the wild boar of Binbulbin ;
and he is now rushing furiously towards us. Come,
then, let us leave this hill at once, that we may avoid
him in time ! "
*' I know nothing of these incantations and pro-
l^bitions," replied Dermat ; " or if, as thou sayest, they
were put on me in my boyhood, I forget them all now.
And neither for fear of this wild boar of Ben-Gulban
nor of any other wild beast will I leave this hillock.
But thou, before thou goest, leave me thy hound, Bran,
to help and encourage my dog, Mac-an-coill.'*
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" I will not leave him," answered Finn ; " for often
has Bran chased this boar, and has always barely
escaped with his life. And now I leave ; for lo, here
he comes over yonder hill-shoulder."
So Finn went his ways, and left Dermat standing
alone on the hilL And after he had left Dermat
said —
"I fear me, indeed, that thou hast begun this chase
hoping that it would lead to my death. But here will
I await the event ; for if' I am fated to die in this spot,
I cannot avoid the doom in store for me."
Immediately the boar came rushing up the face of
the hill, with the Feni following far behind. Der-
mat loosed Mac-an-coill against him, but to no profit ;
for the hound shied and fled before him at the first
glance. Then Dermat said, communing with him-
self—
" Woe to him who does not follow the advice of a
good wife ! For this morning Grania bade me bring
the Morallta and the Ga-derg ; but I brought instead
the Begallta and the Ga-boi, disregarding her counsel."
Then, putting his white taper finger into the silken
loop of the Ga-boi, he threw it with careful aim, and
struck the boar in the middle of the forehead ; but to no
purpose, for the spear fell harmless to the ground,
having neither wounded nor scratched the boar, nor
disturbed even a single bristle.
Seeing this, Dermat, though indeed he knew not
fear, felt his courage a little damped. And thereupon,
drawing the Begallta from its sheath, he dealt a blow
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on the boar s neck, with the full strength of his
brawny arm. But neither did he fare better this
time ; for the sword flew in pieces, leaving the hilt in
his hand, while not a bristle of the boar was harmed.
And now the boar rushed on him as he stood
defenceless, and with furious onset hurled him head-
long to the earth ; and, turning round, he gashed the
hero's side with his tusk, inflicting a deep and ghastly
wound. Turning again, he was about to renew the
attack, when Dermat flung the hilt of the sword at
him, and drove it through the skull to his brain, so
that the brute fell dead on the spot.
Finn and the Feni now came up, and found Dermat
lying pale and bleeding, in the pangs of death. And
Finn said —
"It likes me well, Dermat, to see thee in this
plight ; only I am grieved that all the women of Erin
cannot see thee also. For now, indeed, the surpassing
beauty of thy form, that they loved so well, is gone
from thee, and thou art pale and deformed ! "
And Dermat answered, " Alas, Finn ! these words
surely come from thy lips only, and not from thy heart.
And indeed it is in thy power to heal me even now if
thou wilt."
" How should I heal thee ? " asked Finn.
" It is not hard for thee to do so," answered Der-
mat. . " For when, at the Boyne, the noble gift of fore-
knowledge was given to thee,^^ this giffc also thou didst
receive — that to whomsover thou shouldst give a drink
of water from the closed palms of thy two hands, he
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should be healed from sickness or wounds, even though
he stood at the point of death."
"Why should I heal thee by giving thee drink
from my hands ? " replied Finn. " For of a certainty
thou of all men dost least deserve it from me."
"Thou surely speakest hastily, not remembering
past services," answered Dermat. " Well, indeed, do I
deserve that thou shouldst heal me. Dost thou forget
the day thou didst go with the chiefs and nobles of
the Feni, to the house of Derca, the son of Donnara, to
a banquet ? And even as we sat down, and before the
feast began, Carbri of the Liffey, son of Cormac,
with the men of Tara, and of Bregia, and of Meath,
and of Carmna, surrounded the palace, intent on slay-
ing thee and all thy people. And they uttered three
great shouts, and threw firebrands to bum the palace
over our heads. Then thou didst arise and prepare to
issue forth, but I put thee back and bade thee enjoy
thy feast ; and, leaving the banquet untasted, I rushed
forth with a chosen few of my own men, and quenched
the flames. Thrice we made a circuit of the palace,
dealing slaughter amongst thy foes, so that we left
fifty of them dead after each circuit. And having put
Carbri and his men to flight, we returned to join the
feast. Had I asked thee for a drink that night, gladly
wouldst thou have given it to me. And yet, not more
justly was it due to me then than it is now."
*" 111 dost thou deserve a healing drink from me, or
any other favour," said Finn ; " for it was thy part to
guard Grania the night we came to Tara ; but thou
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didst espouse her secretly, and didst fly with her from
Tara, knowing that she was betrothed to me."
" Lay not the blame of that on me/' said Dermat ;
" for Grania put me under heavy gesa, which for all the
wealth of the world I would not break through — no,
not even for life itself. Neither did I rest on my own
judgment in the matter ; for well thou knowest that
Oisin, and Oscar, and Bering, and Mac Luga counselled
me to the course I took.
" And now, O Finn, I pray thee let me drink from
thy hands, for I feel the weakness of death coming on
me. And thou wilt not gainsay that I deserve it, if
thou wilt only remember the feast that Midac, the son
of Colga, made for thee in the Fairy Palace of the
Quicken Trees.* To this feast Midac invited thee and
thy companions ; while to the Palace of the Island he
brought secretly the King of the World with a great
host, and the three kings of the Island of the Torrent,
with intent to slay thee and all thy Feni
** Now Midac caused some of the clay of the Island
of the Torrent to be placed under you, with foul spells,
in the Palace of the Quicken Trees, so that your feet
and your hands clove to the ground. And it was
revealed to thee that the King of the World was about
to send a chief with a troop of warriors, to slay you,
helpless as you were, and to bring him your heads to
the Palace of the Island.
" But at that same time, I came to thee outside the
Palace of the Quicken Trees ; and thou didst make
* See this story told at length, page 177.
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known to me your deadly strait. Then did I take
thee, Finn, and those who were with thee, under the
protection of my knighthood and valour ; and I went
to the ford to defend it against the foreigners.
"And after a little time the three dragon-like
kings of the Island of the Torrent came towards the
palace: but I defended. the ford, and, venturing my
life for thee, I bore their attack and slew them all
three. And I swept off their heads, and brought them,
all gory as they were, in the hollow of my shield, to
the palace where you lay miserably bound ; and, sprink-
ling the clay with the blood, I broke the speU and set
you free. And had I asked thee for a drink on that
night, O Finn, of a surety thou wouldst not have
refused me.
" And many another deadly strait did I free you
from, since the day I was admitted among the Feni,
always putting myself forward to the post of danger,
and perilling my life for your safety ; and now why
dost thou requite me with this foul treachery ?
" Moreover, many a king's son and many a brave
warrior hast thou slain; and thou hast earned the
enmity of powerful foes : neither is there yet an end of
it. For the day will come — I see it even now — a day
of direful overthrow and slaughter,* when few, alas! of
the Feni will be leffc to tell the tale. Then thou shalt
sorely need my help, O Finn, and sorely shalt thou
rue this day. I grieve not, indeed, for thee, but for iny
* A prophetic aUusion to the battle of Gravra. (See note 28 at
the end.)
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dear, faithful companions — ^for Oscar and Mac Luga
and Bering, and more than all for Oisin, who shall long
outlive the others in sad old age.* Alas ! how deadly
shall be their strait when I am not near to aid
them!"
Then Oscar, moved with pity even to tears,
addressing Finn, said, " Although I am nearer akin to
thee, king, than to Dermat, yet I cannot suffer that
he die, when a drink from thy hands would heal him.
Bring him, then, a drink without delay."
And Finn answered, " I know of no well on this
mountain from which to bring drink."
" Therein thou speakest not truth," said Dermat ;
" for thou knowest that not more than nine paces from
thee, hidden under yonder bush, is a well of crystal
water."
Thereupon Finn went to the weU, and, holding his
two hands tightly together, he brought up some of the
water, and came towards Dermat; but after he had
walked a little way, he let it spill through his fingers,
saying that he was not able to bring water in his
hands so far.
'' Not so, Finn," said Dermat. " I saw thee that of
thy own will thou didst let it spill. And now, O king,
hasten, for death is on me."
Again he went to the well, and was bringing the
water slowly, while Dermat followed the dripping
hands with his eyes; but when Finn thought of
* A prophetic allusion to the events related in the story of " Oisin
in Timanage," page 385.
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Grania he let the water spill a second time. And .
Dermat, seeing this, uttered a piteous sigh of anguish.
And now was Oscar no longer able to contain his
grief and rage ; and he said, " I swear, O king, if thou
dost not bring the water, that only one of us two —
thou or I — shall leave this hill alive ! "
Hearing Oscar's words, and seeing the frowning
looks of the others, Finn dipped up the water a third
time, and was hastening forward ; but before he had
got half-way, Dermat's head dropped backwards, and
his life departed.
And all the Feni present raised three long loud
cries of sorrow for Dermat O'Dyna.
Then Oscar, looking fiercely on Finn, spoke and
said, " Would that thou thyself lay dead here instead of
Dermat ! For now indeed the noblest heart of the Feni
is still ; and our mainstay in battle and danger is gone.
Ah ! why did I not foresee this ? Why was I not told
that Dermat's life was linked with the life of the wild
boar of Ben-Gulban ? Then would I have stayed this
chase, and put off the evil day ! "
And Oscar wept ; and Oisin, and Dering, and Mac
Luga wept also, for Dermat was much loved by alL
After a time, Finn said, "Let us now leave this
hill, lest Angus of the Bruga overtake us. For
although we had no hand in Dermat's death, never-
theless he may not believe us."
So Finn and the Feni departed from the hill, Finn
leading Dermat's dog, Mac-an-coill. But Oisin, and
Oscar, and Dering, and Mac Luga turned back, and
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348 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
with tears, threw their mantles over Dermat; after
which they followed the others.
Grania sat that day on the highest rampart of
Rath-Grania, watching for Dermat's return ; for a dark
fear haunted her mind on account of this chase. And
when at last the Feni came in view, she saw Dermat's
dog led by Finn ; but not seeing Dermat himself, she
said —
"Ah me ! what is this I see ? Surely if Dermat
were alive, it is not by Finn that Mac-an-coill would
be led to his home ! "
And as she spoke she fell forward off the rampart,
and lay long in a swoon as if her spirit had fled,
while her handmaid stood over her, weeping and dis-
tracted. And when at last she opened her eyes, then
indeed they told her that Dermat was dead ; and she
uttered a long and piteous cry, so that her women and
all the people of the court came round her to ask the
cause of her sorrow. And when they were told that
Dermat had perished by the wild boar of Ben-Gulban,
they raised three loud, bitter cries of lamentation,
which were heard in the glens and wildernesses
around, and which pierced the clouds of heaven.
When at length Grania became calm, she ordered
that five hundred of her people should go to Ben-Gulban,
to bring home the body of Dermat. Then, turning to
Finn, who still held Mac-an-coill in his hand, she
asked him to leave her Dermat's hound; but Finn
refused, saying that a hound was a small matter, and
that he might be allowed to inherit at least so much
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THE PURSijlT OF DEKMAT AND GRANIA. 349
of Dermat's riches. When Oisin heard this, he came
forward and took the hound from the hand of Finn
and gave him to Grania.
At the time that the men left Rath-Grania to go
for the body of Dermat, it was revealed to Angus that
the hero was lying dead on Ben-Gulban. And he set
out straightway, and travelling on the pure, cool wind,
soon reached the mountain; so that when Grania's
people came up, they found him standing over the
body, sorrowing, with his people behind him. And
they held forward the wrong sides of their shields in
token of peace.
Then both companies, having viewed the dead
hero, raised three mighty cries of sorrow, so loud and
piercing that they were heard in the wastes of the
firmament, and ovei* the five provinces of Erin.
And when they had ceased, Angus spoke and said,
" Alas ! why did I abandon thee, even for once, my
son ? For from the day I. took thee to Bruga, a
tender child, I have watched over thee and guarded
thee from thy foes, until last night. Ah ! why did I
abandon thee to be decoyed to thy doom by the guile-
ful craffc of Finn ? By my neglect hast thou sufiered,
O Dermat ; and now, indeed, I shall for ever feel the
bitter pangs of sorrow ! "
Then Angus asked Grania's people what they had
come for. And when they told him that Grania had
sent them to bring the body of Dermat to Rath-
Grania, he said —
"I will bring the body of Dermat with me to
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350 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
Bruga of the Boyne ; and I will keep him on his bier,
where he shall be preserved by my power, as if he
lived. And though I cannot, indeed, restore him to
life, yet I will breathe a spirit into him, so that for
a little while each day he shall talk with me."
Then he caused the body to be placed on a golden
bier, with the hero's javelins fixed one on each side,
points upwards. And his people raised the bier and
carried it before him; and in this manner they
marched slowly to Bruga of the Boyne.
Grania's people then returned ; and when they had
told her the whole matter, though she was grieved at
first, yet in the end she was content, knowing how
Angus loved Dermat.
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE CULLINN.
IN WHICH IT IS BELATED HOW FINN'S HAIR WAS CHANGED IN ONE DAY
FROM THE C0L0X7B OF GOLD TO SILVEBY OBEY.*
CuLAND, the smith of the Dedannans/ who lived at
Slieve Cullinn,f had two beautiful daughters, Miluera
and Aina. They both loved Finn,^ and each sought
him for her husband.
As they walked together one evening near Allen,J
they fell to talking of many things ; and their con-
versation turning at last on their future husbands,
Aina said she would never marry a man with grey
hair.
When Miluera heard this, she resolved with herself
that if she could not get Finn, she would plan so that
he should not marry her sister Aina. So she departed
immediately, and, turning her steps northwards, she
summoned the Dedannans to meet her at Slieve
* It is necessary to remind the reader that this story and the two
following are related by Oisin, in his old age, to St. Patrick. (See
the prefatory note to the story of " Oisin in Tirnanoge," p. 385 ; and
see also note 23 at the end.)
t Now Slieve Gullion, a lofty, isolated monntain in the sonth of
the cotinty Armagh, celebrated in legendary lore.
t The Hill of Allen, in Kildare, where Finn had his palace. (See
note 23 at the end.)
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352 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
Cullinn. Having brought them all together, she
caused them to make her a lake* near the top of
the mountain ; and she breathed a druidical virtue on
its waters, that all who bathed in it should become
grey.
On a morning not long after this, Finn happened
to be walking alone on the lawn before the palace
of Allen, when a doe sprang out from a thicket, and,
passing quite dose to him, bounded past like the
wind. Without a moment's delay, he signalled for his
companions and dogs ; but none heard except his two
hoimds. Bran and Skolan. He instantly gave chase,
with no other arms than his sword, Mac-an-Lona, and
accompanied only by his two dogs; and before the
Feni^ knew of his absence, he had left Allen of the
green slopes far behind.
The chase turned northwards ; and though the
hoimds kept close to the doe, the chief kept quite
as close to the hounds the whole way. And so they
continued without rest or pause, till they reached
Slieve Cullinn, far in the north.
Here the doe made a sudden turn and disappeared ;
* The little lake for whioh this legendary origin is assigned lies
near the top of Slieve Gullion. There were several wells in Ireland
which, according to the belief of old times, had the property of tam-
ing the hair grey. Giraldns Camtrensis tells ns of such a well in
Munster ; and he states that he once saw a man who had washed a
part of his head in this well, and that the part washed was white,
while the rest was black!
It is to be observed that the peasantiy of the district retain
to this day a lingering belief in the power of the lake of Slieve
Gnllion to turn the hair grey.
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE CULLINN. 353
and what direction she took, whether east or west,
Finn knew not, for he never caught sight of her after.
And he marvelled much that any doe in the world
should be able to lead Bran and Skolan so long a
chase, and escape jfrom them in the end. Meantime
they kept searching, Finn taking one side of the hill
and the dogs another, so that he was at last left quite
alone.
While he was wandering about the hill and
whistling for his hounds, he heard the plaintive cry
of a woman at no great distance ; and, turning his
steps towards the place, he saw a lady sitting on the
brink of a little lake, weeping as if her heart would
break. Never before did the chiefbain see a maiden
so lovely. The rose colour on her cheeks was
heightened by her grief; her lips were like ruddy
quicken berries; the deKcate blossom of the apple
tree was not more white than her neck ; her hair fell
in heavy golden ringlets on her shoulders ; and as she
looked up at the chief, her eyes beamed like stars on
a frosty night
Finn accosted her ; and, seeing that she ceased her
weeping for a moment, he asked her had she seen
his two hounds pass that way.
"I have not seen thy hounds," she replied, "nor
have I been at all concerned in the chase; for, alas,
there is something that troubles me more nearly, a
misadventure that has caused me great sorrow ! '*
And as she spoke these words, she burst out
weeping and sobbing more bitterly than before.
2a
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354 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
Finn was greatly moved at this, so much so, that
he quite forgot all about his hounds and his own
troubles ; and he asked her —
"What is the cause of this great grief, gentle
lady? Has death robbed you of your hasband or
your child, or what other evil has befallen you ? I am
much concerned to see a lady in such distress; and
I wish you to tell me if anything can be done to
lighten your sorrow, or to remove the cause of it ? "
She replied, "I had a precious gold ring on my
finger, which I prized beyond anything in the world ;
and it has fallen from me into the water. I saw it
roll down the steep slope at the bottom, till it went
quite out of my sight. This is the cause of my sorrow,
and thou canst remedy the mishap if thou wilt. The
Feni are sworn never to refuse help to a woman in
distress ; and I now put on thee those gesa^ that true
heroes dare not break through, to search for the ring,
and cease not till thou find it and restore it to me."
Though the chief had indeed at the moment no
inclination to swim, he could not refiise a prayer urged
in this manner. So he plimged in without a moment's
hesitation, and examined the lake on all sides, diving
and searching into every nook and cranny at the
bottom.
After swimming in this manner three times roimd
and round the lake, he found the ring at last ; and,
approaching the lady, he handed it to her from the
water. The moment she had got it she sprang into
the lake before his eyes, and, diving down, disappeai'ed
in an instant.
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE CULLINN. 355
The chief, wondering greatly at this strange be-
haviour, stepped forth from the water ; but as soon as
his feet had touched the dry land, he lost all his
strength, and fell on the brink, a withered, grey old man,
shrunken up and trembling all over with weakness.
He sat him down in woful plight; and soon his
hounds came up. They looked at him wistfully and
sniffed and whined around him ; but they knew him
not, and, passing on, they ran round the lake, searching
in vain for their master.
On that day the Feni were assembled in the
banquet hall of the palace of Allen ; some feasting and
drinking, some playing chess, and others listening to
the sweet music of the harpers. While all were in this
wise pleasantly engaged, Kylta Mac Konan^ stood
up in the midst, and said in the hearing of all —
" I have observed, friends, that our master and king,
Finn the son of Cumal, has not been amongst us to-
day, as is his wont; and I wish to know whither he
has gone."
This speech caused a sudden alarm amongst us ;
for no one knew aught of the chief, or was aware till
that moment that he was absent at all ; and we knew
not wherefore he had disappeared or whither he had
gone. In the midst of our anxious tumult, the
envious and foul-mouthed Conan Mail ^ stood up, and
said —
"I have never heard sweeter music than your
words, Kylta ! The Feni are now about to seek for
their king ; and my only wish is that their quest may
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356 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
last for a whole year, and that it may prove a vain
search in the end! Be not cast down, however, O
Feni ; if you should fail to find the son of Cumal, you
will not be so ill otf as you think ; for I will under-
take to be your king from this time forth ! "
Though we were at the time more inclined to be
sad than mirthful, being weighed down with much
anxiety, we could not help laughing when we heard
the loud, foolish talk of Conan Mail; but we took
no further notice of him.
Inquiring now from the lesser people about the
palace, we found that the chief and his two dogs had
followed a doe northwards. So, having mustered
a strong party of the Feni, we started in pursuit.
Kylta and I took the lead, the rest keeping close
behind; and in this order we followed the track,
never taking rest or slackening speed till we reached
Slieve Cullinn.
We began to search round the hill, hoping to find
either the chief himself or some person who might
give us tidings of him. After wandering among
brakes and rough, rocky places, we at last espied a
grey-headed old man sitting on the brink of a lake.
I went up to him to ask a question, followed by the
rest of the Feni. At first I thought he might be a
fisherman who had come up from the plains to fiish ;
but when we came near him, he seemed so wretched
an old creature, all shrivelled up, with the skin
hanging in wrinkles over the bare points of his bones,
that I felt quite sure he was not a fisherman, and that
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE CULLINN. 357
he was reduced to that state more by sickness and
want than by old age.
I asked the poor old man if he had seen a
noble-looking hero pass that way, with two hounds,
chasing a doe. He never answered a word, neither
did he stir from where he sat, or even look up ; but at
the question, his head sank on his breast, and his
limbs shook all over as with palsy. Then he fell into
a sudden fit of grief, wringing his hands and uttering
feeble cries of woe.
We soothed him and used him gently for a time,
hoping he might speak at last ; but to no purpose, for
he still kept silent. Then at last growing impatient,
and thinking that this might be a mere headstrong
humour, we drew our swords, and threatened him
with instant death if he did not at once tell us aU he
knew of the chief and his hounds — ^for we felt sure he
had seen them. But he only lamented the more, and
still answered nothing.
At last, after this had gone on for some time, and
when we were about to leave him, he beckoned to
Kylta Mac Ronan ; and when Kylta had come near,
the old man whispered into his ear the dreadful secret.
And then we all came to know the truth. When we
found that the withered old man was no other than
our beloved king, Finn, himself, we uttered three
shouts of lamentation and anger, so loud and pro-
longed that the foxes and badgers rushed affrighted
from their dens in the hollows of the mountain.
Conan now stepped forward, looking very fierce;
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358 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
and, unsheathing his sword with mighty bluster, he
began in a loud voice to revile Finn and the Feni
with the foulest language he could think of. And he
ended by saying that he meant to slay the king that
moment —
"Now, O Finn Mac Cumal, I will certainly strike
off your head ; for you are the man that never gave me
credit for valour, or praised my noble deeds in battle.
Ever since your father, Cumal of the Hosts, was slain
on the field of Knocka * by the Clann Moma ^ of the
Golden Shields, you have been our bitter foe ; and it is
against your will that any of us are now alive. I am
very glad to see you, Finn Mac Cumal, brought down
to what you now are ; and I only wish that the rest of
the Clann Baskin ^ were like you. Then should I
very soon make short work of them all ; and joyful to
me would be the task of raising a great cam to their
memory 1 "
To which Oscar replied with great scorn, "It is
not worth while drawing a sword to punish thee,
Conan Mail, vain and foolish boaster as thou art ; and
besides, we have at present something else to think of.
But if it were not for the trouble that now lies heavy
on us on account of our king, I would of a certainty
chastise thee by breaking all the bones of thy mouth
with my fist ! "
"Cease, Oscar," returned Conan, in a voice still
louder than before ; " cease your foolish talk ! It is
actions and not words that prove a man; and as to
* Knocka, now CaBtleknock, near Dublin. (See note 27 at the
end.)
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE CULLINN. 359
the noble warlike deeds done in past times by the
Feni, it was by the Clann Moma they were performed,
and not by the chicken-hearted Clann Baskin ! "
The fiery Oscar could bear this no longer. He
rushed towards Conan Mail; but Conan, terrified at
his vengeful look, ran in amongst the Feni with great
outcry, beseeching them to save him from the rage of
Oscar. We straightway confronted the young hero,
and checked him in his headlong career; and after
much ado, we soothed his anger and made peace be-
tween him and Conan.
When quietness was restored, Kylta asked Finn
how this dread evil had befallen him, who was the
enchanter, and whether there was any hope of re-
storing him to his own shape. Finn told him that it
was the daughter of Culand the smith who bad trans-
formed him by her spells. And then he recounted
how she had lured him to swim in the lake, and how,
when he came forth, he was turned into a withered
old man.
We now made a framework litter of slender poles,
and, placing our king on it, we lifted him tenderly
on our shoulders. And, turning from the lake, we
marched slowly up-hill till we came to the fairy palace
of Slieve Cullinn, where we knew the daughter of
Culand had her dwelling deep imder ground.^^ Here
we set him down, and the whole troop began at once
to dig, determined to find the enchantress in her cave-
palace, and to take vengeance on her if she did not
restore our chief.
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360 OLD CELTIC EOMANCES.
For three days and three nights we dug, without a
moment's rest or pause, till at length we reached her
hollow dwelling ; when she, aflWghted at the tumult
and at the vengeful look of the heroes, suddenly
started forth from the cave and stood before us. She
held in her hand a drinking-horn of red gold, which
was meant for the king. Yet she appeared unwilling,
and .held it back, notwithstanding the threatening
looks of the Feni But, happening to cast her eyes on
the graceful and manly youth, Oscar, she was moved
with such admiration and love for him that she wavered
no longer, but placed the fairy drinking-horn in the
hands of the king. No sooner had he drunk from it,
than his own shape and features returned, save only
that his hair remained of a silvery grey.
When we gazed on our chief in his own graceful
and manly form, we were all pleased with the soft,
silvery hue of the grey hairs. And, though the en-
chantress appeared ready to restore this also, Finn
himself told her that it pleased him as it pleased the
others, and that he chose to remain grey for the rest
of his life.
When the king had drunk from the horn, he
passed it to Mac Keth, who drank from it in like
manner and gave it to Bering. Bering, after drink-
ing, was about to hand it to the next, when it gave a
sudden twist out of his hand, and darted into the
loose earth at our feet, where it sank out of sight.
We ran at once to recover it ; but, though we turned
up the earth deeply all round, we were not able to
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE CULLINN. 361
find the driiiking-hom. This was a disappointment
that vexed us exceedingly, for if we had all drunk
from it, we should have been gifted with a foreknow-
ledge of future events.
A growth of slender twigs grew up afterwards
over the spot where it sank into the ground ; and this
little thicket is still gifted with a part of the virtue of
the golden drinking-horn. For any one who looks on
it in the morning fasting, will know in a moment all
things that are to happen that day.
So ended the Chase of Slieve Cullinn ; and in this
wise it came to pass that Finn's hair was turned in
one day from golden yellow to silvery grey.
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE FUAD.
IN WmOH IT IS BELATED HOW AILNA, THE WIFE OF MEBOAH OF THE
8HABP 8PEABS, IN OBDEB TO BE BEYENOED ON THE FENI FOB
THE DEATH OF HEB HUSBAND, TBANSFOBMED HEBSELF INTO A DEEB,
AND DECOYED THEM TILL SHE GOT THEM INTO THE POWEB OF HEB
BBOTHEB, DBTANTOBE, A OL^NT AND AN ENCHANTEB ; HOW HE
THBBW THEM INTO A DUNGEON, WITH INTENT TO KILL THEM ;
AND HOW THEY WEBE IN THE END SET FBEE BY OONAN MAIL.*
Finn and the Feni ^ went one day to hunt at Slieve
Fuad.t When they had come very near to the top
of the mountain, a deer suddenly boimded from a
thicket right before them, very large and fierce, with
a great pair of sharp, dangerous antlers. At once they
loosed their dogs and gave chase ; and those who were
scattered here and there about the hill gave up
the pursuit of smaller game to join the main body ;
for it was very seldom they fell in with a deer that
promised better sport.
She led them through rugged places, over rocks
and bogs, and into deep glens. The hoiuids several
times surrounded her ; but she fought her way with
* This story is told by Oisin to St. Patrick. (See the prefatory
note to the next story, " Oisin in Timanoge," page 385.
f Slieve Fnad was the ancient name of the highest of the Fews
monntains, near Newtown Hamilton, in Armagh ; bat the name is
now lost.
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE FUAD. 363
SO much strength and fury that she always escaped,
after killing many of the dogs and disabling some
of the men.
Soon she left Slieve Fuad behind, nor did she
slacken speed till she reached the green hill of Lidas,
while the hunters and dogs followed in full chase
close behind. She then made her way across the
open country to a rugged and bushy hill — the hill of
Carrigan;* and here they suddenly lost her among
the rocks and thickets. They searched round the hill
without avail, north, south, east, and west, till all, both
men and dogs, were quite scattered; and Finn and
Dara the Melodious were left alone.
At length Finn's dog, Skolan, started the deer once
more, and again the chase began. Back over the self-
same course she ran, by the hill of Lidas, and straight
on towards Slieve Fuad, Finn and Dara close on her
track ; while the main body of the > Feni followed far
behind, guided by the cries of the dogs.
When the deer reached Slieve Fuad, she again took
cover and disappeared at the very spot where they
had first started her ; and the two chiefs, after beating
the thickets on every side, were at length forced to
give up the search.
A druidical mist now rose up, darkening the air,
and enfolding them on every side ; so that they lost
their way. They tried many times to regain the
path, but to no purpose ; for they only lost themselves
♦ Now probably the village of Carrigans, on the river Foyle, five
miles south-west of Londonderry.
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364 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
more and more among the quagmires and thickets.
At last they sat down to rest, weary and baffled ; and
Dara played a mournful strain on his timpan; after
which they sounded the Dord-Fian,* as a signal to
their friends.
When the Feni heard the Dord-Fian sounding afar
off, they felt sure that their leader was in trouble
or strait of some kind ; and they started to his relief,
making northwards straight towards the point from
which they thought the signal came. But they had
not gone far when they heard it sounding from the
east, and altered their course accordingly. Again it
changed to the west; and no sooner had they set
forward in that direction than it seemed to come from
the south. In this manner were they led hither and
thither, till they became quite bewildered ; and they
found themselves no nearer to those they were in
search of, for every time they heard the Dord-Fian,
it seemed as far off as ever.
Meantime Finn and Dara, after resting for a time,
again started off, intent on trying once more to reach
their friends ; for they heard their shouts, and knew
they were seeking them. As they were making their
way through the thick fog, they heard a voice at a
little distance, as if from one in distress ; and, turning
their steps that way, they met a young woman, very
beautiful, and very pleasing in manner, but looking
weary and sore perplexed, and all over in sad plight
from the bogs and brambles.
• Dord-Fian, a sort of musical war-cry. (See note, page 195.)
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE FUAD. 365
Finn accosted her in a gentle voice, asking how
she came to be alone in a place so wild
She replied, " I and my husband were journeying
along over the plain, when we heard the melodious
cry of hounds; and he left me to follow the chase,
telling me to continue along the same path, and
promising to rejoin me without delay. But this fairy
fog has risen aroimd me, and I have lost my way,
so that I know not now in what direction to go."
Finn then asked her name and the name of her
husband.
"My husband's name is Lavaran, and mine is
Glanlua. But I perceive that you are one of the
Feni ; and indeed I think, from your arms and from
your noble mien, that you must be the great chief
Finn himself If this be so, I place myself imder
your protection ; and I know well that you will lead
me safely out of this place to my husband; for the
Feni never yet refused their help to a woman in
distress."
Finn replied, " You are quite right, lady, for I am
Finn; and this chase that has parted you and your
husband belongs to me. We will certainly take you
under our protection, and we will neither abandon
you on this mountain, nor suffer any one to harm you.
But as to leading you to your husband, it is not at
present in our power to do that ; for you must know,
lady, that we also have been set astray by this magical
fairy fog. Nevertheless, we will do the best we can ;
and now you had better come with us."
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366 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
So the three set forward in the direction they
thought most likely to lead to the open plain.
After walking for some time, they heard a low,
sweet strain of fairy music; and they stopped to
listen. It seemed to be near them and aroimd them
in the fog, so that Finn thought it came from the spot
where the lady stood; and she thought it came from
Finn or Dara : and the music was followed by shouts
and noise, as if from a great company. When the
noise ceased, the music began again more sweetly than
before ; so that they felt heavy, and as if inclined to
sleep. Still more drowsy and powerless they became
as they listened; and at last they all three sank on
the ground, in a trance deep and deathlike.
After a time they awoke, and slowly regained their
senses; though they were so weak that they could
scarcely move. The fog had cleared away, leavijig
the air bright and warm ; and when they were able to
look around, they foimd themselves on the margin of a
blue lake. The part of the lake that lay in front
of them was narrow, and quite calm and smooth ; but
on each side, to the right and left, it opened out into
two broad, green-bordered seas, with great waves
tumbling wUdly about, as if the waters were torn up
by whirlwinds. But where they sat, not a breath was
blowing. And looking across the narrow part, they
saw a stately palace right before them on the opposite
shore.
As they were gazing at all these strange things,
silent and much astonished, they saw a warrior coming
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE FUAD. 367
forth from the palace, in size like a giant, rough and
fierce-looking, with a beautiful woman by his side.
The two walked quickly down to the shore, and,
plunging in, they swam straight across the middle
of the lake. And Dara and Glanlua, turning to Finn,
said —
"Of a surety, it is not for our good yonder
strangers are approaching ; but to work us treachery
and mischief!"
This forecast turned out to be true. The large
warrior and the beautiful lady had no sooner gained
the land than they came up to Finn and his two
companions ; and without speaking a word, the giant
seized them roughly, and led them down to the shore
of the lake. For the two heroes were still so weak
from the spell of the fairy music that they were not
able to raise a hand to defend either the lady or them-
selves.
The giant and his companion, making no delay,
plunged in, and swam back towards the palace,
bringing the three with them ; and as soon as they
had reached the shore, the strange warrior, addressing
Finn in a fierce and surly manner, said —
" For a long time have I sought Finn Mac Cumal,
the evil-minded and crafty; and now, Finn, now
that thou hast been by a well-laid plan cast under
my power, I will take good care that thou shalt not
escape till I take revenge, even to the full, for all
the injuries thou hast done to me and to my sister ! "
Finn listened to this speech with much surprise.
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368 OLD CELTIC BOMANCES.
for he could not call to mind that he had ever seen the
hero before ; and he said —
" Tell me, I pray thee, who thou art ; for I know
thee not ; neither do I know of any injury thou hast
suffered at my hands. Thou art, indeed, large of body,
and fierce and boastful in speech ; but know that
to take revenge on a foe who is unable to defend
himself, is a deed quite unbecoming a hero ! "
The large man replied, " Do you not remember the
treachery you practised on Mergah of the Sharp
Spears, and on my sons, two fair youths, whom you
slew by unfair means, at the battle of Knockanare ? *
Well indeed do I know thee, Finn, for I am Dryantore,
and this is Ailna my sister, the wife of Mergah. She
is left without her husband, and I without my sons,
by your cruel wiles; for it was by fraud and foul
play, and not by fair fighting, that you gained the
battle of Knockanare, and slew Mergah and his host ! "
"I remember well," said Finn, "that they all fell
on the battle-field; but it was not by craft or
treachery. Mergah of the Sharp Spears came with
a mighty host to conquer Erin, and lay it under
tribute. But they "v^^ere met at Knockanare, and every
man of them slain in fair, open fight, though not
without sore loss to the Feni."
* Knockanare (the hill of slaughter), where a great battle was
fonght between the Feni nnder Finn, and the foreigners under
Mergah of the Sharp Spears, in which Mergah was defeated and
slain. This battle forms the subject of a poetical romance. It may
be as well to observe that this hill is not Knockanore in Kerry, near
the mouth of the Shannon, as some say.
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE FUAD. 369
"You may say what you please on the matter,"
said Dryantor^; "but it is quite enough for me that
you have slain Ailna's husband and my two sons.
And now, indeed, I shall take revenge — of that be
sure — both on you and' on aU the Feni that come
within my reach."
And having so spoken, he began without more
ado to bind Finn, Dara, and Glanlua in strong fetters ;
and having done so, he threw them into a dungeon,
where he left them without food or drink or comfort
of any kind.
Meantime the Feni ceased not to search for their
king. They knew, by the sad strain they had heard
in the distance, and by the strange manner in which
the music had shifted from place to place, that he was
caught under some druidic spell ; and they vowed they
would never rest till they had found him and punished
the enchanter, whoever he might be.
Next day, Ailna visited the dungeon; and Finn
addressed her —
" Hast thou forgotten, Ailna, that when thou didst
come to Erin after the death of thy husband, Mergah
of the Sharp Spears, the Feni received thee hospitably,
and, pitying thy distress, treated thee with much
kindness ? But for this thou hast indeed given us an
ungrateful and unbecoming return ; for thou hast shut
us up in this dungeon, without food or drink, having,
by guileful druidical spells, taken away our strength."
"I remember very well," said Ailna, "that you
treated me kindly. But you killed my husband ; and
2b
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370 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
I am well pleased that it has now come to my turn
to avenge his death. I do not feel the least pity
for you ; and I only wish that the whole of the Feni
were with you in that dimgeon, to be dealt with by
my brother/*
Then, casting her eyes on Glanlua, she began to
upbraid her in bitter words for having been in the
company of Finn and Dara. But Glanlua explained
the matter, saying that she had never seen either
of the chiefs before, and that it was only by chance
she had fallen on them when she had lost her way
in the fog."
*'If that be so," said Ailna, "it is not just that you
should be punished for the evil deeds of the others/'
And she went and told Dryantore, who came forth-
with to release the lady.
Glanlua took leave of Finn and Dara, and left the
prison, grieving much for their evil plight; for she
was grateful for their kindness on the mountain.
Ailna led her to the palace ; and, having placed food
before her, bade her eat. But Glanlua, being overcome
by weakness, suddenly fell into a swoon, and re-
mained for a long time without sense or motion, like
one dead. When at last she opened her eyes, she saw
Ailna standing near, holding in her hand a golden
drinking-horn. And Ailna gave her to drink, and
immediately the spells lost their power; and she
regained her strength; and the bloom and beauty of
her countenance returned.
But now she bethought her of the two heroes ;
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE FUAD. 371
and, remembering their dismal plight in the dungeon,
she became sorrowfiil, and began to sigh and weep.
And when Ailna and Dryantore came to know the
cause of her te*ars, they told her with much severity
that Finn and Dara deserved their punishment ; and
that both should stay in prison till the time had come
to put them to death.
" I seek not to release them from prison or to save
them from death," said Glanlua ; " but that they are
left without food and drink — this it is that moves me
to pity."
And Dryantore said, " If only that has caused your
tears, you may, if you so please, bring them food.
Besides, I do not mean to put them to death imme-
diately. I shall let them live yet awhile, that I may
decoy by them the other Feni, who are now wandering
hither and thither in quest of their chief And it is
my firm belief that in a little time I shall have them
all in that dungeon."
So Glanlua went to the prison, bringing food and
drink, and Ailna went with her. They found the
heroes sitting on the floor, sorrowing, their strength
and activity all gone; for the music-spell still held
them, and they suffered also from want of food. And
when they saw the two ladies, they shed bitter tears.
Glanlua, on her part, wept with pity when she looked
on the wasted face of the chief But not so Ailna ;
she was pleased at their distress, for her heart was
hardened with vengeance, and she longed for the time
when they should suffer death. Howbeit, Glanlua
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372 OLD CELTIC BOMANCES.
placed food and drink before them, and they ate and
drank and were strengthened for the time.
When the two ladies returned, Dryantore asked
Glanlua if it were true what he had h^ard, that Dara
was a favourite among the Feni ; and why it was that
they loved him so.
Glanlua replied, "I only know that he is a very
skilful musician; for I never heard melody sweeter
than the strains he played yesterday, when I met
himself and Finn in the fog."
" I should like very much to hear this music," said
Dryantore, " if it be so melodious as you say ; " and as
he spoke these words he went towards the dungeon.
And when he had come to the door, he said to
Dara, in a loud, harsh, surly voice —
" I have heard that you are a skilful musician, and
can play very sweet strains. I wish you to play for
me now that I may know if this be true."
To which Dara replied, " If I had the Feni around
me, I could delight them with the melody of my
timpan ; but as for you, guileful and cruel as you are,
I do not believe that you can take any pleasure in
music. Moreover, how can you expect that I should
play sweet music for you, seeing that I am shut up
here in this dismal dungeon, and that all manly
strength and cheerfulness of mind have left me
through your foul speUs ? "
"I will take oflF the spells if only you play for
me," said Dryantore ; " and if your strains be as de-
lightful as I have heard reported, I will bring you
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE FUAD. 373
forth from your prison, and I will keep you for ever
in my castle, and you shall play for me whensoever I
wish for music."
"I shall never consent to be released, neither will
I play any music for you, so long as my chief lies in
bondage and under enchantment," said Dara; "for I
grieve not indeed for myself, but for him."
Dryantore replied, " I will lift the spells from both
of you for a time ; but as to releasing Finn, that is a
matter I do not wish to talk of now."
Whereupon Dryantore removed the spells, and the
heroes regained their strength and courage.
Dara then played a low, sweet tune ; and Dryan-
tore, who had never before heard such music, listened
with delight and wonder. He was so charmed that
he called Ailna and Glanlua, that they also might
hear ; and they were as much delighted as the giant.
But what pleased Glanlua most was to see the heroes
restored to their wonted cheerfulness.
Now all this time the Feni were seeking among
the glens and hollows of the mountain for Finn and
Dara. After walking for some time over a stony
and rugged way, a faint strain of music struck on
their ears. They stopped to listen, breathless ; and
every man knew the sound of Dara's timpan; and
they raised a shout of gladness, which reached Finn
and Dara in their dungeon. At the same moment
they came in view of the palace, and they drew their
swords and put their shields and spears in readiness.
as men do going to battle. And they went forward
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374 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
warily, for they feared foul play, and their hearts had
a forecast that a foe was near. But, indeed, they little
deemed what manner of foe they should meet.
When Dryantore heard the shouts, he hid himself
from the view of the Feni, and foi*thwith betook him
to his magic arts. And again the spell fell on the two
heroes, and their strength departed ; and Dara's hand,
losing its cunning, trembled on the strings, so that his
music became dull and broken.
And when Dara's music ceased, the Feni heard
a low, hoarse murmur, which, growing each moment
louder, sounded at last like the hoUow roar of waves.
And anon their strength and their swiftness left
them, and they fell to the ground every man, in a
deep trance as if they slept the sleep of death.
Then Dryantore and Ailna came forth, and having
bound them one by one in strong, hard fetters, they
roused them up and led them helpless and faltering to
the dungeon, where they shut them in with Finn and
Uara.
The Feni looked sadly on their king ; and he, on
his part, shed bitters tears to think that he had
decoyed them — though, indeed, he had done so
unwittingly — ^into the hands of their foe.
In the midst of their sighs and tears they heard
the loud voice of the giant, who, looking in on them
from the open door, addressed them —
" Now at last, ye Feni, you are in my safe keeping.
Truly you have done great deeds in your time, but
yet, methinks, you will not be able to escape from this
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE FUAD. 375
prison till I have taken just vengeance on you for
slaying Mergah of the Sharp Spears, and my two
sons, at the battle of Knockanare ! "
And having so spoken, he shut the door and went
his way.
When he came to the palace, he found that Glan-
lua's husband. La varan, had been there. Upon which
he fell into a mighty rage ; for he feared to let any
man know the secrets of the palace ; and he feared also
that Lavaran might try to aid Finn and the others.
He inquired of the two ladies whither he had gone ;
but they replied they did not know. He then began
to search through the rooms, and, raising his voice, he
called aloud for Lavaran ; and the Feni, even in their
dungeon, heard the roar quite plainly.
Lavaran, hearing him, was sore afraid, and an-
swered from a remote part of the palace. And as he
came forward, the giant placed him under his spells,
and, having bound him, flung him into the dungeon
with the others.
Dryantore's fury had not in the least abated ; and,
entering the dungeon, he struck off* the heads of
several of the Feni with his great sword, saying he
would visit them each day, and do in like manner till
he had killed them alL
During this time the Feni were unable to defend
themselves ; for, besides that their strength had gone
out from their limbs on account of the spells, they
found that from the time the enchanter entered the
prison, they were all fixed firmly in their places, every
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376 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
man cleaving to the ground, in whatsoever position he
chanced to be, sitting, lying, or standing. And Finn
shed tears — even tears of blood in sight of all — seeing
his men fall one by one, while he had to look on with-
out power to help them.
After Dryantore had in this manner slain several,
he approached Conan Mail,^ with intent to end that
day's work by cutting off his head ; and as it chanced,
Conan was lying full length on the floor. Now Conan,
though he was large-boned and strong, and very boast-
ful in his speech, was a coward at heart, and more
afraid of wounds and death than any man that ever
lived.
So when he saw Dryantore coming towards him
with his sword in his hand all dripping, he shouted
aloud —
" Hold thy hand, Dryantore ! Hold thy hand for a
little while, and be not guilty of such treachery ! "
But the giant, not heeding in the least Conan's
words, raised his sword with his two hands and rose
on tiptoe for a mighty blow. Then Conan, terrified
beyond measure, put forth all his strength to free
himself, and bounded from the floor clear outside the
range of the sword ; but left behind him, clinging to
the floor, all the skin of his back, even from the points
of his shoulders to the calves of his legs.
When he saw the giant still making towards him
in a greater rage than ever for missing his blow, he
again cried aloud —
" Hold your hand this time, Dryantore ! Is it not
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE FUAD. 377
enough that you. see me in this woful plight ? For
it is plain that I cannot escape death. Leave me,
then, to die of my wounds, and slay me not thus
suddenly ! "
Dryantore held his hand ; but he told Conan that
he would for a certainty kill him next time he came,
if he did not find him already dead of his wounds.
Then he stalked out of the dungeon, and, shutting
close the door, left the Feni in gloom and sadness.
Though Lavaran had been only a little while in
the palace, he made good use of his time, and now
approaching Finn, he whispered in his ear —
"There is that in yonder palace which would
free us from those accursed spells if we only could
get at it."
And when Finn asked what it was, he replied,
" A magical golden drinking-horn of wondrous virtue.
I saw it in the palace among many other precious
jewels."
And when Finn again questioned him how he
knew of its secret power, he said —
" Glanlua, my wife, told me. For she said that,
being herself at the point of death, Ailna fetched this
drinking-horn and bade her drink. And when she
had drunk, she was immediately freed from spells and
sickness. She told me, moreover, that it would remove
the spell from the Feni, and bring back their strength
and heal their wounds, if they could get to drink
from it."
Conan, being near, overheard this conversation;
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378 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
and he inwardly resolved that he would try to secure
the drinking-horn, if perchance he might be able to
heal his wounds by means of it.
Not long after, the giant again came to the prison,
sword in hand, and addressed Conan in these words —
" Come forward now, O big, bald man, for I am
about to fulfil my promise to you ! Come forward,
that I may strike off your large head ; for I see that
your wounds have not killed you ! "
But Conan, instead of coming forward, fell back
even to the farthest part of the dungeon, and replied —
"You must know, Dryantore, that I, of all men
alive, am the most unwilling to die any death un-
worthy of a brave hero. You see my evil plight, all
wounded and faint from loss of blood ; and, being as I
am a valiant warrior, it would surely be a shameful
thing and a foul blot on my fame, to be slain while in
this state. I ask only one favour — that you cure me
of my wounds first. After this, you may put me to
death in any manner that is most agreeable to you."
To this Dryantore consented, seeing that Conan
was secure ; and he called to Ailna and bade her fetch
him the magical golden drinking-horn. "For I wish,'*
said he, " to heal the wounds of yonder big, bald man."
But Ailna replied, "Of what concern are his
wounds to us ? Is it not better that he should die
at once, and aU the other Feni with him ? "
Conan spoke out from where he stood, "Lovely
Ailna, I seek not to escape death. I ask only to be
healed first and slain afterwards ! "
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE FUAD. 379
Ailna went to the palace and soon returned, bring-
ing, not the drinking-horn, but a large sheepskin,
covered all over with a long growth of wool. Dryan-
tore took it from her, and doing as she told him, he
fitted it on Conan's back, where it cleaved firmly, so
that his wounds were all healed up in an instant.
As long as Conan lived afterwards, this sheepskin
remained on his back; and the wool grew upon it
every year, even as wool grows on the back of a living
sheep. And from that time forth, the other Feni were
always mocking him and laughing at him and calling
him nicknames.
As soon as Conan felt his wounds healed, he again
spoke to the giant —
" It is my opinion, Dryantore, that it would be a
very unwise thing for you to put me to death. I see
plainly you want a servant. Now, although I am
large of bone and strong of body, and very brave
withal, still I am very harmless. And if you let me
live, I shall be your servant for ever, and you will find
me very useful to you."
The giant saw the force and wisdom of Conan's
words; and he felt that he wanted a servant very
much, though he never perceived it till that moment,
when Conan reminded him of it.
So he said, ''I believe, indeed, Conan, that your
words are trutL Wherefore, I will not put you to
death. You are now my servant, and so shall you be
for the rest of your life."
He then led Conan forth from the dungeon towards
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380 OLD CELTIC BOMANCES.
the palace ; and he was in such good humour at having
got a servant, that he forgot to kill any of the Feni on
that occasion.
He called to him Ailna and Glanlua, to tell them
of what he had done. And he said to them —
'•' I find that I need a servant very much. Where-
fore, I have made Conan my servant. And I am now
about to free him from the spell and give him back
his strength by a drink from the golden drinking-
horn, so that he may be able to wait on me and do my
work."
For Conan, though his wounds were healed, was
still so weak from the spell that he was scarce able
to walk.
"I do not at all approve what you have done,"
said Ailna. " It would be, methinks, much better to
put him straightway to death along with all the
others. As long as he is with us as our servant, I
shall never think myself free from danger; for the
Feni are treacherous all alike."
" As for the other Feni," replied Dryantore, " you
need not be in any trouble on theit account, for their
time is short. As soon as I have got Conan free from
the spell, I will go straight to the dungeon and kill
them, every man. And when they are fairly put out
of the way, it seems to me that we need not fear
danger from this big, bald man with the sheepskin on
his back."
When Mba heard that the death of the Feni was
near at hand, she no longer gainsaid her brother. So
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE FUAD. 381
Dryantore led Conan to the palace ; and placing the
magical drinking-horn in his hand, bade him drink.
And Conan drank ; and immediately his strength and
his spirits returned.
Now it so happened, while these things went on,
that Finn asked Dara to play one of his sweet, sad
tunes, that they might hear the music of histimpan
before they died. And Dara took his timpan, and
began to play ; and historians say that no one either
before or since ever played sweeter strains.
At the very moment that Conan had finished
drinking, he and Dryantore heard the music sounding
faintly in the distance ; and the giant opened the door
and stood on the threshold to listen. He was so
charmed that he quite forgot all about Conan and the
drinking-horn; and finding that he could not hear
the music plainly enough where he stood, he walked
hastily towards the dungeon, leaving Conan behind
with the drinking-horn in his hand.
No sooner had he gone out than Conan hid the
drinking-horn under his cloak, and went to the
dungeon after him.
And when the giant saw him he said, " Why have
you followed me ; and what business have you here ?
Are you not my servant ; and why have you come
without being bidden by me ? "
"I thought," replied Conan, "that you were about
to put the Feni to death ; and I came to look at them
once more before they died.'*
Then suddenly Dryantore bethought him of the
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382 OLD CELTIC KOMANCES.
drinking-horn, and he said, "Where is the golden
drinking-horn I gave you ? "
" I left it," said Conan, "just where I found it in
the palace."
The giant ran hastily towards the palace to secure
the drinking-horn ; and no sooner was he out of sight
than Conan, drawing forth the horn, put it to the lips
of each to drink, beginning with Finn. Only Finn
and Oscar had drunk, when they heard the heavy-
steps of the giant running towards the dungeon ; and
now they saw that he was indeed inflamed with fury.
Oscar seized his great, polished spear, and sprang to
the door; and the others raised a mighty shout of
joy; while Conan went on releasing the heroes one
by one.
When Dryantore saw Oscar, he uttered a roar of
rage and disappointment; and then called aloud to
Ailna to come to him. And she came forth; and
when she saw how matters stood, she was seized with
such grief and terror that she dropped down and died
immediately. Glanlua was standing near at hand,
rejoicing at the release of her husband and friends ;
but when she saw Ailna fall to the ground dead, she
became sad, and, stooping down, wept over her.
All this Oscar saw from where he stood ; and it
was with much ado he checked his tears. For though
my son was the bravest of the heroes, and the most
terrible in battle, he had a gentle heart, and never saw
a woman or a child in distress without being moved
to pity.
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THE CHASE OF SLIEVE FUAD. 383
But Conan felt not the least pity. On the con-
trary, he was very glad to see Ailna dead ; and he told
Oscar that it was very well she was out of the way,
for that she was a vicious woman, and had wrought
the Feni much trouble and woe.
And now Oscar, casting his eyes again on Dryan-
tore, hardened his heart for battle, and addressed the
giant in these words —
"It has at last come to pass, O Dryantore, that
you are in the power of the Feni ; and there is no
escape for you, though you are a large and strong giant,
and a druid with powerful magical spells. But the
Feni never yet treated an enemy ungenerously. You
indeed dealt unfairly and treacherously with us ; and
meant to kill us all, after havipg taken away our
strength and valour by your black, guileful magic.
But even so, we give you your choice ; and we chal-
lenge you now to single combat with any of our
champions you may wish to choose."
To which Dryantore replied, " It is very true that
the Feni have prevailed over me; and it is a just
punishment for my folly in releasing Conan the Bald
from my spells. I desire single combat. I will fight
the Feni one after another, till I either fall myself
or slay them all ; and I will begin with you ! "
Oscar then took his shield and made ready for
battle. Meantime the giant, harbouring great wrath
against Conan, approached him unawares; and when
he had come near enough, he sprang suddenly on him,
and aimed a blow with all his might at his head. But
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384 OLD CELTIC KOMANCES.
Conan, springing aside, barely escaped the edge of the
sword; and, running in great fear, called to Oscar
with great outcry to save him from the giant.
Then Oscar ran between; and he and the giant
fought a long and fierce fight, while we looked on
with anxious hearts. The giant was furious and
strong; but my son was active and watchful and
fearless of heart ; and Dryantore at length fell at the
door of liis own palace, pierced through and through
by the long, smooth spear of Oscar.
When the Feni saw the giant fall, they raised
three mighty shouts of joy. And Glanlua brought
the magic drinking-horn to Oscar, from which he
drank, so that his wounds were healed, and his
strength straightway returned to him.
The Feni then went into the palace, where they
found food in great plenty, with wine and mead in
golden bowls and drinking-horns. And they ate and
drank and made merry; after which they rested that
night on soft beds and couchea
When they awoke in the morning, all was changed.
The palace and the lake were gone ; and the heroes
found themselves lying on the heathy side of Slieve
Fuad, at the selfsame spot where they had first
started the deer; with the morning sun shining
brightly over their heads.
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OISIN IN TIRNANOGE;*
OR,
THE LAST OF THE FENI.
[According to an ancient legend, Finn's son, Oisin, the hero-poet,
survived to the time of St. Patrick, two hundred years (the
legend makes it three hundred) after the other Feni. On a
certain occasion, when the' saint asked him how he had lived
to such a great age, the old hero related the following story.]
A SHORT time after the fatal battle of Gavra,t where
so many of our heroes fell, we were hunting on a dewy
morning near the brink of Lough Lein,J where the
trees and hedges around us were all fragrant with
blossoms, and the little birds sang melodious music on
the branches. We soon roused the deer from the
thickets, and as they bounded over the plain, our
hounds followed after them in full cry.
We were not long so engaged, when we saw a
rider coming swiftly towards us from the west ; and
we soon perceived that it was a maiden on a white
* Timanoge, the Land of Youth. (See note 19 at the end.)
t Gavra, now Garristown, in the north-west of the county Dublin.
(For an account of this battle, see note 28 at the end.)
J Lough Lein, the Lakes of Killarney.
2 C
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386 OLD CELTIC KOMANCES.
steed. We all ceased from the chase on seeing the
lady, who reined in as she approached. And Finn and
the Feni were greatly surprised, for they had never
before seen so lovely a maiden. A slender golden
diadem encircled her head ; and she wore a brown robe
of silk, spangled with stars of red gold, which was
fastened in front by a golden brooch, and fell from
her shoulders till it swept the ground. Her yellow
hair flowed far down over her robe in bright, golden
ringlets. Her blue eyes were as clear as the drops of
dew on the grass; and while her small, white hand
held the bridle and curbed her steed with a golden
bit, she sat more gracefully than the swan on Lough
Lein. The white steed was covered with a smooth,
flowing mantle. He was shod with four shoes of pure
yellow gold, and in all Erin a better or more beautiful
steed could not be found.
As she came slowly to the presence of Finn, he
addressed her courteously in these words —
" Who art thou, O lovely youthful princess ? Tell
us thy name and the name of thy country, and relate
to us the cause of thy coming."
She answered in a sweet and gentle voice, " Noble
king of the Feni, I have had a long journey this day,
for my coimtry lies far off in the Western Sea. I am
the daughter of the king of Timanoge, and my name
is Niam of the Golden Hair."
" And what is it that has caused thee to come so
far across the sea ? Has thy husband forsaken thee ;
or what other evil has befallen thee ? "
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OISIN IN TIRNANOGE. 387
"My husband has not forsaken me, for I have
never been married or betrothed to any man. But I
love thy noble son, Oisin ; and this is what has brought
me to Erin. It is not without reason that I have
given him my love, and that I have undertaken this
long journey ; for I have often heard of his bravery, his
gentleness, and the nobleness of his person. Many
princes and high chiefs have sought me in marriage ;
but I was quite indiflFerent to all men, and never con-
sented to wed, 'till my heart was moved with love for
thy gentle son, Oisin."
When I heard these words, and when I looked on
the lovely maiden with her glossy, golden hair, I was
all over in love with her. I came near, and, taking
her small hand in mine, I told her she was a mild star
of brightness and beauty, and that I preferred her to
all the princesses in the world for my wife.
" Then," said she, " I place you under gesa,^^ which
true heroes never break through, to come with me on
my white steed to Tirnanoge, the land of never-ending
youth. It is the most delightful and the most re-
nowned country under the sun. There is abundance
of gold and silver and jewels, of honey and wine ; and
the trees bear fruit and blossoms and green leaves
together all the year round. You will get a hundred
swords and a hundred robes of silk and satin, a
hundred swift steeds, and a hundred slender, keen-
scenting hounds. You wiU get herds of cows without
number, and flocks of sheep with fleeces of gold; a
coat of mail that cannot be pierced, and a sword that
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388 OLD CELTIC KOMANCES.
never missed a stroke and from which no one ever
escaped alive. There are feasting and harmless pas-
times each day. A hundred warriors fully armed
shall always await you at call, and harpers shall
delight you with their sweet music. You will wear
the diadem of the king of Timanoge, which he never
yet gave to any one under the sun, and which will
guard you day and night, in tumult and battle and
danger of every kind. Lapse of time shall bring
neither decay nor death, and you shall be for ever
young, and gifted with unfading beauty and strength.
All these delights you shall enjoy, and many others
that I do not mention ; and I myself wiU be your wife
if you come with me to Timanoge."
I replied that she was my choice above aU the
maidens in the world, and that I would willingly
go with her to the Land of Youth.
When my father, Finn, and the Feni heard me say
this, and knew that I was going from them, they
raised three shouts of grief and lamentation. And
Finn came up to me and took my hand in his, saying
sadly —
"Woe is me, my son, that you are going away
from me, for I do not expect that you wiU ever return,
tome!"
The manly beauty of his countenance became quite
dimmed with sorrow; and though I promised to
return after a little time, and* ftdly believed that I
should see him again, I could not check my tears, as
I gently kissed my father^s cheek.
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OlSm IN TIENANOGE. 389
I then bade farewell to my dear companions, and
mounted the white steed, while the lady kept her seat
before me. She gave the signal, and the steed galloped
swiftly and smoothly towards the west, till he reached
the strand ; and when his gold-shod hoofs touched the
waves, he shook himself and neighed three times. He
made no delay, but plunged forward at once, moving
over the face of the sea with the speed of a cloud-
shadow on a March day. The wind overtook the
waves and we overtook the wind, so that we straight-
way lost sight of land; and we saw nothing but
billows tumbling before us and billows tumbling
behind us.
Other shores came into view, and we saw many
wonderful things on our journey — ^islands and cities,
lime- white mansions, bright greenans* and lofty
palaces. A hornless fawn once crossed our course,
boimding nimbly along from the crest of one wave
to the crest of another ; and close after, in full chase,
a white hound with red ears. We saw also a lovely
yoimg maiden on a brown steed, with a golden apple
in her hand ; and as she passed swiftly by, a young
warrior on a white steed plunged after her, wearing a
long, flowing mantle of yellow silk, and holding a gold-
hilted sword in his hand.
I knew naught of these things, and, 'marvelling
much, I asked the princess what they meant; but
she answered —
" Heed not what you see here, Oisin ; for all these
* Greenan, a STumner-house ; a lionse in a bright, Bonny spot.
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390 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
wonders are as nothing compared with what you
shall see in Timanoge.'*
At last we saw at a great distance, rising over the
waves on the very verge of the sea, a palace more
splendid than all the others ; and, as we drew near, its
front glittered like the morning gun. I asked the
lady what royal house this was, and who was the
prince that ruled over it.
" This country is the Land of Virtues," she replied.
" Its king is the giant, Fomor of the Blows, and its
queen the daughter of the king of the Land of Life.^^
This Fomor brought the lady away by force from her
own country, and keeps her in his palace ; but she has
put him under gesa^ that he cannot break through,
never to ask her to marry him till she can find a
champion to fight him in single combat. But she still
remains in bondage ; for no hero has yet come hither
who has the courage to meet the giant."
"A blessing on you, golden-haired Niam," I re-
plied ; " I have never heard music sweeter than your
voice; and although I feel pity for this princess, yet
your story is pleasant to me to hear ; for of a certainty
I will go to the palace, and try whether I cannot kill
this Fomor, and free the lady."-
So we came to land ; and as we drew nigh to the
palace, the* lovely young queen met us and bade us
welcome. She led us in and placed us on chairs
of gold; after which choice food was placed before
us, and drinking-horns filled with mead, and- golden
goblets of sweet wine.
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OISIN IN TIKNANOGE. 391
When we had eaten and drunk, the mild young
princess told us her story, while tears streamed from
her soft, blue eyes ; and she ended by saying —
" I shall never return to my own eoimtry and to
my father's house, so long as this great and cruel giant
is alive!"
When I heard her sad words, and saw her tears
falling, I was moved with pity; and telling her to
cease from her grief, I gave her my hand as a pledge
that I would meet the giant, and either slay him
or fall myself in her defence.
While we were yet speaking, we saw the giant
coming towards the palace, large of body, and ugly and
hateful in appearance, carrying a load of deerskins on
his back, and holding a great iron club in his hand.
He threw down his load when he saw us, turned a
surly look on the princess, and, without greeting us
or showing the least mark of courtesy, he forthwith
challenged me to battle in a loud, rough voice.
It was not my wont to be dismayed by a call
to battle, or to be terrified at the sight of an enemy ;
and I went forth at once without the least fear in my
heart. But though I had fought many battles in Erin
against wild boars and enchanters and foreign in-
vaders, never before did I find it so hard to preserve
my life. We fought for three days and three nights
without food or drink or sleep ; for the giant did not
give me a moment for rest, and neither did I give
him. At length, when I looked at the two princesses
weeping in great fear, and when I called to mind my
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392 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
father's deeds in battle, the fury of my valour arose ;
and with a sudden onset I feUed the giant to the earth ;
and instantly, before he could recover himself, I cut
oflf his head.
When the maidens saw the monster lying on the
ground dead, they uttered three cries of joy ; and they
came to me, and led me into the palace. For I was
indeed bruised aU over, and covered with gory wounds ;
and a sudden dizziness of brain and feebleness of body
seized me. But the daughter of the king of the Land
of Life applied precious balsam and healing herbs to
my wounds ; and in a short time I was healed, and
my cheerfulness of mind returned.
Then I buried the giant in a deep and wide grave ;
and I raised a great cam over him, and placed on it
a stone with his name graved in Ogam.
We rested that night, and at the dawn of next
morning Niam said to me that it was time for us
to resume our journey to Timanoge. So we took
leave of the daughter of the king of the Land of Life ;
and though her heart was joyftd after her release, she
wept at our departure, and we were not less sorry at
parting from her. When we had moimted the white
steed, he galloped towards the strand; and as soon
as his hoofs touched the wave, he shook himself and ,
neighed three times. We plunged forward over the
clear, green sea with the speed of a March wind on a
hill-side; and soon we saw nothing but billows tumbling
before us and billows tumbling behind us. We saw
again the fawn chased by the white hound with red
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OlSm IN TIRNANOGE. 393
ears ; and the maiden with the golden apple passed
swiftly by, followed by the young warrior in yellow
silk on his white steed. And again we passed many
strange islands and cities and white palaces.
The sky now darkened, so that the sun was hiddep
from our view. A storm arose, and the sea was'
lighted up with constant flashes. But though the
wind blew from every point of the heavens, and the
waves rose up and roared around us, the white steed
kept his course straight on, moving as calmly and
swiftly as before, through the foam and blinding spray,
without being delayed or disturbed in the least, and
without turning either to the right or to the left.
At length the storm abated, and after a time the
sun again shone brightly; and when I looked up,
I saw a country near at hand, all green and full of
flowers, with beautiful smooth plains, blue hills, and
bright lakes and waterfalls. Not far from the shore
stood a palace of surpassing beauty and splendour.
It was covered all over with gold and with gems of
every colour — ^blue, green, crimson, and yellow ; and on
each side were greenans shining with precious stones,
built by artists the most skilful that could be found.
I asked Niam the name of that delightful country, and
she replied —
" This is my native country, Timanoge ; and there
is nothing I have promised you that you will not find
in it."
As soon as we reached the shore, we dismounted ;
and now we saw advancing from the palace a troop
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394 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
of noble-looking warriors, all clad in bright garments,
who came forward to meet and welcome us. Following
these we saw a stately glittering host, with the
king at their head wearing a robe of bright yellow
satin covered with gems, and a crown that sparkled
with gold and diamonds. The queen came after,
attended by a himdred lovely young maidens ; and as
they advanced towards us, it seemed to me that this
king and queen exceeded aU the kings and queens of
the world in beauty and gracefulness and majesty.
After they had kissed their daughter, the king
took my hand, and said aloud in the hearing of the
host —
"This is Oisin, the son of Finn, for whom my
daughter, Niam, travelled over the sea to Erin. This
is Oisin, who is to be the husband of Niam of the
Golden Hair. We give you a hundred thousand
welcomes, brave Oisin. You will be for ever young
in this land. All kinds of delights and innocent plea-
sures are awaiting you, and my daughter, the gentle,
golden-haired Niam, shall be your wife ; for I am the
king of Timanoge."
I gave thanks to the king, and I bowed low to
the queen; after which we went into the palace,
where we found a banquet prepared. The feasting
and rejoicing lasted for ten days, and on the last
day, I was wedded to the gentle Niam of the Golden
Hair. *
I lived in the Land of Youth more than three
hundred years ; but it appeared to me that only three
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OISIN IN TIRNANOGE. 395
years had passed since the day I parted from my
friends. At the end of that time, I began to have a
longing desire to see my father, Finn, and all my old
companions, and I asked leave of Niam and of the
king to visit Erin. The king gave permission, and
Niam said —
"I will give consent, though I feel sorrow in
my heart, for I fear much you will never return to
me."
I replied that I would surely return, and that she
need not feel any doubt or dread, for that the white
steed knew the way, and would bring me back in
safety. Then she addressed me in these words, which
seemed very strange to me —
"I will not refuse this request, though your
journey afflicts me with great grief and fear. Erin
is not now as it was when you left it. The great
king Finn and his Feni are all gone ; and you will
find, instead of them, a holy father and hosts of priests
and saints. Now, think well on what I say to you,
and keep my words in your mind. If once you
alight from the white steed, you will never come back
to me. Again I warn you, if you place your feet on
the green sod in Erin, you will never return to this
lovely land. A third time, O Oisin, my beloved
husband, a third time I say to you, if you alight from
the white steed, you will never see me again."
I promised that I would faithfully attend to her
words, and that I would not alight from the white
steed. Then, as I looked into her gentle face and
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396 OLD CELTIC KOMANCES.
marked her grief, my heart was weighed down with
sadness, and my tears flowed plentifully; but even
so, my mind was bent on coming back to Erin
When I had mounted the white steed, he galloped
straight towards the shore. We moved as swiftly as
before over the clear sea. The wind overtook the
waves and we overtook the wind, so that we straight-
way left the Land of Youth behind ; and we passed
by many islands and cities, till at length we landed
on the green shores of Erin
As I travelled on through the country, I looked
closely aroimd me; but I scarcely knew the old
places, for everything seemed strangely altered. I saw
no sign of Finn and his host, and I began to dread
that Niam's saying was coming true. At length, I
espied at a distance a company of little men and
women,* all mounted on horses as small as themselves ;
and when I came near, they greeted me kindly and
courteously. They looked at me with wonder and
curiosity, and they marvelled much at my great size,
and at the beauty and majesty of my person
I asked them about Finn and the Feni ; whether
they were stUl living, or if any sudden disaster had
swept them away. And one replied —
" We have heard of the hero Finn, who ruled the
Feni of Erin in times of old, and who never had an
equal for bravery and wisdom. The poets of the
Gaels have written many books concerning his deeds
* The gigantic race of the Feni had all passed away, and Erin
was now inhabited by people who looked very small in Oisin's eyes.
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OISIN IN TIBJTANOGE. 397
and the deeds of the Feni, which we cannot now
relate ; but they are all gone long since, for they lived
many ages ago. We have heard also, and we have
seen it written in very old books, that Finn had a son
named Oisin. Now this Oisin went with a yoimg
fairy maiden to Timanoge, and his father and his
friends soErowed greatly after him, and sought him
long ; but he was never seen again."
When I heard all this, I was filled with amaze-
ment, and my heart grew heavy with great sorrow. I
silently turned my steed away from the wondering
people, and set forward straightway for Allen of the
mighty deeds, on the broad, green plains of Leinster.
It was a miserable journey to me; and though my
mind, being full of sadness at all I saw and heard,
forecasted further sorrows, I was grieved more than
ever when I reached Allen. For there, indeed, I found
the hill deserted and lonely, and my father's palace all
in ruins and overgrown with grass and weeds.
I turned slowly away, and afterwards fared
through the land in every direction in search of my
friends. But I met only crowds of little people, all
strangers, who gazed on me with wonder ; and none
knew me. I visited every place throughout the
country where I knew the Feni had lived; but I
found their houses all like Allen, solitary and in
ruins.
At length I came to Glenasmole,* where many a
♦ Glenasmole, a fine valley abont eeven miles south of Dublin,
through which the riyer Dodder flows.
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398 OLD CELTIC ROMANCES.
time I had hunted in days of old with the Feni, and
there I saw a crowd of people in the glen. As soon as
they saw me, one of them came forward and said —
" Come to us, thou mighty hero, and help us out
of our strait ; for thou art a man of vast strength."
I went to them, and found a number of men trying
in vain to raise a large, flat stone. It was half lifted
from the ground ; but those who were under it were
not strong enough either to raise it further or to free
themselves from its weight. And they were in great
distress, and on the point of being crushed to death.
I thought it a shameful thing that so many men
should be unable to lift this stone, which Oscar, if he
were alive, would take in his right hand and fling
over the heads of the feeble crowd. After I had
looked a little while, I stooped forward and seized the
flag with one hand ; and, putting forth my strength,
I flung it seven perches from its place, and relieved
the little men. But with the great strain the golden
saddle-girth broke, and, bounding forward to keep
myself from falling, I suddenly came to the ground
on my two feet.
The moment the white steed felt himself free, he
shook himself and neighed. Then, starting off with
the speed of a cloud-shadow on a March day, he left
me standing helpless and sorrowful. Instantly a
woeful change came over me : the sight of my eyes
began to fade, the ruddy beauty of my face fled, I lost
all my strength, and I fell to the earth, a poor,
withered old man, blind and wrinkled and feeble.
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OISIN IN TIRNANOGE. 399
The white steed was never seen again. I never
recovered my sight, my youth, or my strength ; and I
have lived in this manner, sorrowing without ceasing
for my gentle, golden-haired wife, Niam, and thinking
ever of my father, Finn, and of the lost companions of
niy youth.
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NOTES.
Note 1. — The Dedannans.
According to the old bardic legends, the first man who led a
colony to Ireland after the Flood was Parthalon. Next came Nemed
and his people ; and after these the Firbolgs, who were conquered
and succeeded by the Dedannans.
The legend relates that the Dedannans, in the course of their
wanderings, spent some time in Greece, where they learned magic
and other curious arts. From this they migrated to Lochlann, in
the north of Europe (see note 6), from which they came through
Scotland to their final resting-place, Ireland.
From the three queens of their three last kings, Ireland got the
three names, Erin, Fcla, and Banba.
After the Dedannans had held sway in Ireland for about two
hundred years, they were in their turn conquered by the last and
greatest colony of all, the people of Miled or Milesius, who are
commonly known by the name of Milesians, and who are the
ancestors of the leading Gaelic families of Ireland. The Milesians
defeated the Dedannans in two great battles : one fought at TaUl-
tenn^ now Teltown, on the river Blackwater, between Navan and
Kells, in Meath ; and the other at Druim-Lighean, now Drumleene,
about three miles from Liflford, in Donegal.
In the legendary and romantic literature of Ireland, the
Dedannans are celebrated as magicians. By the Milesians and
their descendants they were regarded as god^ and ultimately, in
the imagination of the people, they became what are now in Ireland
called " fairies."
2d
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402 NOTES.
After their defeat by the Milesians, they seem to have retired to
remote and lonely places ; and their reputation as magicians, as
well as the obscure and mysterious manner in which they lived,
gradually impressed the vulgar with the belief that they were
supernatural beings.
The Dotion was that they lived in splendid palaces in the
interior of pleasant green hills. These hills were called sidh (pro-
nounced shee) ; and hence the Dedannans were called Daoine'Sidhe
(Deena-shee), or people of the fairy hills ; Marcronsidhe (Markra^
8hee)t fairy cavalcade ; and Sluagh-sidJie {Sloo-shee), fairy host.
Of this mysterious race, the following are the principal charac-
ters mentioned in these tales.
Mannanan Mac Lir, the Gaelic sea-god. In " Cormac's Glossary **
(written a.d. 900), we are told that he was a famous merchant who
resided in, and gave name to, Inis-Manann, or the Isle of Man ;
that he was the best merchant in Western Europe ; and that he
used to know, by examining the heavens, the length of time the
fair and the foul weather would last.
The Dagda, whose name some interpret to mean " the great
good fire," so called from his military ardour, who reigned as king
of Ireland from a.m. 3370 to 3450.
Angus or Angus Oge, the son of the Dagda, who lived at Brugh
or Bruga, on the north shore of the Boyne, a little below the village
of Slane. Angus is spoken of as the wisest and the most skilled
in magic of all the Dedannan race.
Nuada of the Silver Hand. (See note 4.)
Lir of Shee Finnaha, the father of the four " Children of Lir,"
and Bove Derg of Shee Bove, of whom we know little more than
what is told of them in the " Fate of the Children of Lir." Shee
Finnaha is supposed to have been situated near Newtown Hamil-
ton, in Armagh ; and Shee Bove was on the shore of Lough Derg,
on the Shannon.
Luga of the Long Arms, who imposed the eric-fine on the three
sons of Turenn for slaying his father Kian. (See note 7 for a
further account of this Luga.)
Dianket, the great physician, of whose powers of cure extra-
ordinary stories are told. He had a son Midac, and a daughter
Armedda, more skilful than himself. The old legend relates that
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NOTES. 403
Midac took off the silver arm which his father Dianket had put on
Nuada (see note 4), and, having procured the bones of the real arm,
he clothed them with flesh and skin, and fixed the arm in its place
as well as ever " in three moments." Dianket was so enraged at
being outdone by his son that he slew him. After Midac had been
buried for some time, three hundred and sixty-five healing herbs
grew up from his grave, one from every joint and sinew of his body
— each herb to cure disease in that part of the human body from
which it grew — all which were gathered by his sister Armedda,
and placed carefully in her cloak in their pro^r order. But before
she had time to study their several virtues fully, her father
Dianket mixed them all up in utter confusion. (O'Ourry, Atlantis^
vii. and viii. 168.) Were it not for this churlish proceeding,
Armedda would have found out, and we should now know, the
exact herb to cure each particular disease of the human frame.
Note 2,— The Feast of Age.
This was also called the Feast of Gobnenn the Dedannan smith.
It was instituted by Mannanan Mac Lir, and whoever was present
at it, and partook of the food and drink, was free ever after from
sickness, decay, and old age.
Note 3. — The Druids.
The ancient Irish druids do not appear to have been priests in
any sense of the word. They were, in popular estimation, men of
knowledge and power — *'Men of science," as they were often
designated; they knew the arts of healing and divination; and
they were skilled above all in magic. In fact, the Irish druids were
magicians, neither more nor less ; and hence the Gaelic word for
" druidical " is almost always applied where we should use the term
" magical " — to spells, incantations, metamorphoses, etc. (See
O'Curry, " Lectures on the Manners and Customs of the Ancient
Irish," Lecture ix.)
Note 4. — Nitdda of the Silver Hand.
Nuada of the Silver Hand was king of Ireland, according to the
chronology of the Four Masters, from a.m. 3311 to 3330. He com-
manded the Dedannans in the first battle of Moytura (see note 11),
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404 NOTES.
where his ann was cut off with a sword-blow by Sreng, the great
Firbolg champion. Afterwards Credne the artificer made him a
silver arm with a hand, which was fixed on by Dianket, the physi-
cian (see note 1). Nuada was slain in the second battle of Moytura,
by Balor of the Mighty Blows (see note 11).
Note 5. — The Fomorians.
** Fomor," the simple form of this word, means, according to
the old etymologists, a sea-robber, from /o, on or along, and mwir,
the sea. The word is also used to denote a giant, or a gigantic
champion.
The Fomorians of Irish history were sea-robbers, who infested
the coasts, and indeed the interior, of Ireland, for a long series of
years, and at one time fortified themselves in Tory Island. They
are stated to have come to Ireland from Lochlann, in the north of
Europe (for which see next note) ; but they were originally from
Africa, being, according to the legend, the descendants of Ham the
son of Noah.
Note 6. — Lochlann: The Lochlanns,
Lochlann was the Graelic designation of the country from which
came the people who are known in European history as Danes, i.e,
the country round the southern shores of the Baltic, including the
south part of Sweden. The Lochlanns, or Lochlannachs, or Danes,
it need hardly be said, make a very conspicuous figure in our early
history, and in our mediaeval romantic literature.
In the Graelic tales, the chief city of Lochlann is always Berva ;
but whether this represents a real name, or is merely an invention
of the old story-tellers, I cannot tell.
Note 7. — Ltiga of the Long Arms : The Hdana,
Luga of the Long Anns was the son of Ethlenn, daughter of the
Fomorian king, Balor of the Mighty Blows (see note 9). His
father, Kian (who was slain by the three sons of Turenn), was a
Dedannan ; so that Luga was half Fomorian and half Dedannan.
But he always took the side of the Dedannans against the
Fomorians.
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NOTES. 405
Luga is often called The Hdana, the Man of many sciences, to
signify his accomplishments as a warrior and a man of general
knowledge.
It had been foretold that Balor would be slain by his own
grandson. Accordingly, when Luga was bom, Balor sent him off to
be drowned. But Luga escaped, and lived to revenge the unnatural
conduct of his grandfather, whom he slew in the second battle of
Moytura (see note 11), after Balor had slain the Dedannan king,
Nuada of the Silver Hand. Luga succeeded Nuada as king of
Ireland, and reigned, according to the chronology of the Four
Masters, from a.m. 3330 to 3370.
It was by Luga that the celebrated' yearly assembly of Tailltenn
was instituted, in honour of his foster mother Taillte, after whom
the place was called. (See note page 93, supra.)
Note 8. — The Land of Promise : Fairyland,
In ancient Gaelic romantic tales, mention is often made of Tir
Tairrngire, the Land of Promise, Fairyland, as being one of the
chief dwelling-places of the Dedannans or fairy host. In many
passages this Land of Promise is identified with Inis-Manann, or
the Isle of Man, which was ruled over by Mannanan Mac Lir, the
sea-god, and named from him.
Note 9. — Balor of the Mighty Blows,
Balor was king of the Fomorians from Lochlann in the north ;
his wife was Kethlenda ; and his son, Bres. Balor is often called
Balor of the Mighty Blows ; and also Balor of the Evil Eye, for
he had one eye which would strike people dead or turn them into
stone, so that he kept it covered, except when he wished to use it
against his enemies. Balor is remembered very vividly in tradition
by the peasantry of Ireland, especially in Donegal and in Tory
Island, where a very high, tower-like rock is called to this day
Balor's Castle.
Note 10. — Eric,
The eric was a fine paid as compensation for murder or homicide.
The friends of the murdered person might accept an eric, or they
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406 KOTES.
might refuse it and seek instead the death of the murderer. An
eric was often paid for other crimes or injuries against the indi-
vidual, as well as for homicide.
Note 11. — Battle of Moytura.
There were two great battles, each called the battle of Moytura.
First Battle of Moytura, When the Dedannans came to invade
Erin, they found the country occupied by the Firbolgs, who were
by no means inclined to give up quiet possession to the new-
comers. After some parleying and manoeuvring, a great battle
was fought between them, a.m. 3303, at Moytura, near Cong, in
Mayo, lasting for four days, in which the Firbolgs were defeated
with great slaughter, and their king slain ; after which the
Dedannans took possession of the country, leaving Connaught,
however, to a powerful remnant of the Firbolgs who survived the
battle. This is called the First Battle of Moytura, or the
Battle of the Southern Moytura. On the plain where it was
fought, there are still great numbers of mounds, cromlechs, and
other sepulchral monuments. (See Sir William Wilde's "Lough
Corrib," page 210.)
Second Battle of Moytura. King Nuada, who led the Dedan-
nans in the first battle of Moytura, had his arm cut ofF by
Sreng, one of the Firbolg champions. He was under cure for
seven years ; during which time Bres, the son of Elatha, who was
a Fomorian by his father and a Dedannan by his mother, ruled
Ireland as regent. But at the end of the seven years, Bres had to
retire in favour of Nuada. Whereupon he repaired in anger to
his father in Lochlann ; and at his instigation an army of Fomorians
was raised, after some years, for the invasion of Ireland, and placed
under the command of Balor of the Mighty Blows.
Luga of the Long Arms seems to have foreseen this invasion.
He knew that Bres would have to abdicate whenever Nuada's arm
came to be healed, and he conjectured truly that he would not
resign the sovereignty without a struggle. But the old tales would
lead to the inference that Luga had some preternatural fore-
knowledge of the battle. Anyhow, the legend says that for many
years he made preparations for the coming struggle ; and it was
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NOTES. 407
with tin's intention tliat lie imposed the celebrated eric-fine on the
sons of Turenn.
The Fomorians landed, and were met by the Dedannan army
at the Northern Moytura, or, as it is often called, Moytura of the
Fomorians, situated in the parish of Kilmactranny, barony of Tirerrill,
county Sligo. The battle was fought on the eve of Samin, ».e. on
the last day of October, a.m. 3330 ; and the Fomorians were defeated
with the slaughter of their principal men and the best part of their
army. In the course of the battle, Nuada of the Silver Hand, the
Dedannan king, was slain by Balor ; but soon after, Balor himself
was killed by his grandson, Luga. Luga, we are told, flung a
stone at him from a crann-tavall or sling (see note, page 240), and
struck him in the evil eye with so much force that the stone went
clean through his head and out at the back.
The site of this battle, like that of the Southern Moytura,
abounds to this day in sepulchral monuments.
These two battles of Moytura form the subjects of two historic
tales, which are still in existence, though they have never been
published.
Note 12. — Gesa,
"Gesa" (pronounced gessa, the g hard, as in get) is plural:
singular geis, plural geasa or gesa, Gesa means solemn vows, con-
jurations, injunctions, prohibitions. " I put you under gesa " means,
I adjure you solemnly, so solemnly that you dare not disobey. It
would appear that individuals were often under gesa or solemn
vows to observe, or to refrain from, certain lines of conduct — the
vows being either taken on themselves voluntarily, or imposed on
them, with their consent, by others. Thus Dermat O'Dyna was
under gesa never to pass through a wicket gate when entering or
leaving a palace (page 282) ; Finn was under gesa not to sleep at
Allen more than nine nights in succession (page 337) ; Dermat put
Oisin under gesa not to loose any one whom he bound (page 312).
It would appear, also, that if one person went through the form of
putting another under gesa to grant any reasonable request, the
abjured person could not refuse without loss of honour and reputa-
tion. Thus Midac places Finn under gesa to come to the banquet
in the Fairy Palace of the Quicken Trees (page 189); and the
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408 NOTES.
witch-lady places gesa on Finn to search for the ring in the lake
(page 354). And sometimes, on very solemn or urgent occasions,
the gesa seem to have been imposed with spells, so as to draw down
ill luck as well as loss of honour on the person who disregarded the
injunction (page 281).
Qeia or gesa also means a charm or spell.
Note l^.—Tir-fa-tonn.
The Gaelic tales abound in allusions to a beautiful country
situated under the sea — an enchanted land sunk at some remote time,
and still held under spelL In some romantic writings it is called
Tir-fa-tonny the land beneath the wave ; and occasionally one or
more of the heroes find their way to it, and meet with many strange
adventures (page 263). Sometimes it is O'BrasU, that dim land
which appears over the water once every seven years — ^"on the
verge of the azure sea ** — ^and which would be freed from the spell,
and would remain permanently over water, if any one could succeed
in throwing fire on it. (See Gerald Griffin's beautiful ballad,
" O'Brasil, the Isle of the Blest.") The Island of Fincara (page 87),
and the beautiful country seen beneath the waves by Maildun
(page 147), are remnants of the same superstition.
This very old Celtic tradition is obviously the same as the
legend of the continent of Atlantis, mentioned by Plato, which at
some remote time was overwhelmed and sunk under the Atlantic
Ocean. And it would seem that they have the same shadowy
tradition in the East; for in "Lalla Rookh" Moore makes the
Peri say, in her soliloquy :
^* I know where the Isles of Perfume are,
Many a fathom down in the sea,
To the south of sun-bright Araby."
Note 14.— r^ Enchanted Well.
Bes autem sic revera evenit. Cum Angus magus equum
giganteum Eochaidio et popularibus traderet, monebat homines
nee stabulandi neque omnino requiescendi copiam equo facien-
dam ; ne forte quiescendo urinam demitteret, quod si fieret exitio
omnibus fore. Postea vero quam at Planitiem SilvulaB Cinereaa
pervenissent, intentl adeo sarcinis ingentis equi dorso detrahendis
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NOTES. 409
incumbebant, ut monitorum Angi obliviscerentur ; restitit autem
equus, et subinde urinam demisit. Extemplo hinc fons ortus ;
qui cum scaturiisset, submersit omnes, sicuti in historic, narratur.
Note 15. — Condi Cama of the Bed Branch,
The Eed Branch Knights of Ulster, a sort of militia in the ser-
vice of the monarch, much like the Feni of later date (see note 23),
flourished in the first century of the Christian era. Their home
was the palace of Emania, near the city of Armagh; and they
received their name from one of the houses of the palace in which
they resided, which was called Craebh-ruadh, or Ked Branch.
They attained their greatest glory in the reign of Conor Mac Nessa,
king of Ulster in the first century ; and Conal Carna, mentioned
in the story of "Liban the Mermaid,*' was one of their most
illustrious champions.
Note 16. — Ecca the 8<m of Marid : Comgall of Bangor.
This Marid was king of Munster about the beginning of the
second century of the Christian era. St. Comgall, one of the greatest
saints of the early Irish Church, flourished in the sixth century, and
was the founder of the celebrated monastery of Bangor in the
county of Down.
Note 17. — Curragh,
It would appear that in Ireland, and indeed in England and
Scotland as well, navigation was carried on in ancient times chiefly
by means of curraghs. The curragh was a boat or canoe, con-
sisting of a light framework of wood, covered over with the skins of
animals. Curraghs are still used on many parts of the western
coast of Ireland; but they are now covered with tarred canvas
instead of skins.
Note 18. — Conn the Sundred-fighter,
Conn Ced-cathach ot Conn the Fighter of a Hundred (not
Conn of the Himdred Battles, as the name is generally translated),
was king of Ireland from a.d. 123 to 168.
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410 NOTES.
NoTK 19. — Land of the Living : Land of Life, etc.
The ancient Irish had a sort of dim, vague belief that there was
a land where people were always youthful, and free from care and
trouble, suffered no disease, and lived for ever. This country they
called by various names: — Tir-na-mbeOythe land of the [ever-]living;
Tir-nonnog, the land of the [ever-]youthful ; Moy-MeU, the plain of
pleasure, etc. It had its own inhabitants — fairies ; but mortals were
sometimes brought there ; and while they lived in it, were gifted
with the everlasting youth and beauty of the fairy people them-
selves, and partook of their pleasures. As to the exact place where
Tirnanoge was situated, the references are shadowy and variable ;
but they often place it far out in the Atlantic Ocean, as far as the
eye can reach from the high cliffs of the western coast. And here
it is identical with O'Brasil, of which mention has been made in
note 13.
I have already remarked (see note 1) that the fairies were also
supposed to live in palaces in the interior of pleasant green hills,
and that they were hence called Aes-shee or Deena-shee, i.e. people of
the shee or fairy hills ; and hence also the word " banshee " t .e. a
woman (bean) of the fairy hills. Tirnanoge was often regarded as
identical with these bright, subterranean palaces. In my boyhood
days, the peasantry believed that the great limestone cavern near
Mitchelstown, in the county Cork, was one of the entrances to
Tirnanoge.
NoTB 20. — St. Brendan of Birra,
I have already, in the preface (page xiii.), spoken of the celebrated
voyage of St. Brendan of Birra (Birr, in King's County), undertaken
in the sixth century. He set out from near Brandon Mountain, in
Kerry, sailing westwards into the Atlantic Ocean, and, according to
the belief of some, landed on the shore of America. He had many
imitators, who ventured out on the great ocean in their curraghs as
pilgrims ; but none were so enterprising as himself, or met with
such a variety of strange lands, if we except Maildun and the three
sons of O'Corra, whose adventures are quite as surprising as those
of Brendan.
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NOTES. 411
Note 21. — Brendan^s Satchel.
The ancient Irish saints, when on their missionary journeys
through the country, kept their precious books, as well as the
portable sacred utensils, in leather satchels, which they brought
with them from place to place. These satchels were often highly
ornamented, and, like other relics, were held in extraordinary vene-
ration after the death of the owners. The Gaelic term for this
kind of satchel is polaire. (See Petrie, " Round Towers," page 336.)
Note 22. — Cormac Mac Art
Cormac Mac Art, the most illustrious of the Irish kings, who
began his reign a.d. 226, was the son of Art the Lonely, who was
son of Conn the Hundred-fighter. During his reign flourished the
Feni or militia, spoken of in the next note ; and the old chroniclers
never tire of dwelling on the magnificence of his court at Tara, and
the prosperity of the country during his reign. He was renowned
for learning and wisdom, and he wrote a book called Tegusc-righ, or
instruction for kings, copies of which are extant in the Books of
Leinster and Ballymote. He also caused the records of the king-
dom to be collected and written down in one great book called
the Psalter of Tara, but no portion of this book is now known to
exist ; and he established three schools at Tara— one for military
science, one for law, and one for history and chronology. He spent
the last years of his life in retirement and study at Cletty on the
Boyne, and died a.d. 266, forty years after he had ascended the
throne.
Note 23. — Finn and the Feni,
The Feni or " Fe^i of Erin '* were a sort of militia or standing
army, permanently maintained by the monarch for the support of
the throne, and regularly trained to military service. They
attjdned their greatest glory in the reign of Cormac Mac Art (see
previous note). Each province had its own militia under its own
captain, but all were under the command of one general-in-chief.
Their most renowned commander was Finn the son of Cumal, who
of all the heroes of ancient Ireland is most vividly remembered in
popular tradition. Finn had his palace on the top of the Hill of
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412 NOTES.
Allen, a remarkable flat-topped hill, lying about four miles to the
right of the railway as you pass Newbridge and approach Kildare,
rendered more conspicuous of late years by a tall pillar erected
on the top, on the very sit^ of Finn's palace. Before the erection
of the pillar, there were considerable remains of the old fort on the
hill, but at present nearly every vestige is obliterated, cleared away
partly to make room for the foimdation of the pillar, and partly by
cultivation ; for the land has been tilled and cropped to the very
summit. The whole neighbourhood, however, teems with living
traditions of Finn and the Feni.
The Feni were divided into distinct tribes or clanns, belonging
to the several provinces, each under its own commander. Of
these, the Clann Baskin of Leinster, under the immediate command
of Finn ; and the Clann Moma of Connaught, commanded by Gaul
Mac Moma, were rival tribes, and, for reasons stated in note 27,
regarded each other with hatred and distrust.
The following are some of the principal characters celebrated in
the romantic literature of the Feni.
Finn the son of Cumal, commander-in-chief of the Feni under
king Cormac Mac Art (see note 22) ; brave, wise, and far-seeing, a man
of supreme military ability. His foresight seemed so extraordinary,
that the people believed it was a preternatural gift of divination,
and the shanachies invented a legend to accoimt for it (see note 25).
Like many great commanders, he had a little of the tyrant in his
character, and was unforgiving to those who injured him. But in
the story of Dermat and Grania, he is drawn in too unfavourable
a light. In his old age he was killed by a fisherman at a place
called Athbrea on the Boyne, a.d. 284, as recorded in the Armals
of Tighernach, of the Four Masters, and of Innisfallen.
Oisin or Ossian, Finn's son, the renowned hero-poet, to whom
the bards attribute many poems still extant.
dscar, the son of Oisin, youthful and handsome, kind-hearted,
and one of the most valiant of the Feni.
Dermat O'Dyna, noble-minded, generous, of untarnished honour,
and the bravest of the brave. He was as handsome as he was
valiant, whence he is often styled Dermat of the Bright Face,
Dermat of the White Teeth, etc. He was the idol of the ladies of
Ireland, and hence he is often called Dermat-na-man, or Dermat of
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NOTES. 413
the Women (p^ge 210). The Munster traditions represent him
as a native of Kerry ; but he was in reality a Leinsterman, though
his descendants migrated to Munster at a very early period.
Mr. O'Grady, in his edition of the story of Dermat and Grania
(page 294), has given an ancient poetical genealogy of Dermat.
This hero is equally celebrated in popular story in the Highlands
of Scotland. According to Highland tradition, the great and
illustrious Clann Campbell, represented by the Duke of Argyll,
descend from him ; and their crest is a boar's head, in memory of
the manner of Dermat's death.* Dermat O'Dyna is, on the whole,
the finest type of hero among the Feni — as fine indeed as can be
found in any literature ; and his noble character is very well
maintained throughout the Ossianic tales.
Kylta Mac Ronan, Finn's nephew, renowned for his fleetness
of foot.
Dering, the son of Dobar O'Baskin, who was not only a brave
warrior, but also " a man of knowledge," gifted with some insight
into futurity,
Ligan Lumina, also celebrated for swiftness of foot.
Fergus Finnvel, poet, warrior, and frequent adviser of the Feni.
Gaul Mac Morna, the leader of the Clann Morna or Connaught
Feni, one of the mightiest of all the heroes. He served under Finn,
but the two chiefs bore no love to each other, for Gaul had slain
Finn's father, Cumal, in the battle of Knocka (see note 27).
Conan Mail or Conan the Bald, the best-marked and best-sus-
tained character in the Ossianic romances; large-bodied, a great
boaster, a great coward, and a great glutton. He had a venomous
tongue, and hardly ever spoke a good word of any one. He be-
longed to the Clann Morna, and was always reviling the Clann
Baskin. He was the butt for the gibes and mockery of the Feni,
but they dreaded his foul tongue. The story-tellers never lose an
opportunity of having a fling at Conan, and of turning him into
ridicule for his cowardice, his big talk, and his gluttony.
* For a foil account of the Highland traditions regarding Dermat,
aaid of the Highland monuments that commemorate his name, see
" Loch Etive and the Sons of Uisnach" (p. 266), a very valuable and
interesting book, recently published, which came into my hands after
I had written the above.
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414 NOTES.
Note 24. — Cooking-Places.
The Feni, as related in the beginning of the story of the Gilla
Backer, were quartered on the principal householders during the
winter half-year ; and maintained themselves chiefly by the chase
during the summer months. When they were on their himting
expeditions, we are told that they ate only one meal a day ; and
for this meal they cooked the flesh of the animals brought down in
the chase, in the following manner. They first dug a deep pit in
the earth near their camping-place, and, having lighted a great fire
beside it, they heated a number of round stones. They next
covered the bottom of the pit with the hot stones, on which they
placed the meat, bound up with sedge and grass ropes, and on this
again they put another layer of heated stones ; and, having closely
covered up the whole with branches, they let it stand till the meat
was sufficiently cooked. The remains of these old earth-ovens are
still to be seen, and are called by the peasantry /w?acAto-7ia-6A^nn,
the cooking-places of the Feni.
Note 25. — JEHnrCs Tooth of Knowledge.
It had been prophesied of old that a man named Finn would
be the first to eat of the salmon of knowledge, which swam in the
pool of Linn-Fee, in the Boyne (near the present village of Slane) ;
and that he would thereby obtain the gifts of knowledge and of
divination. A certain old poet named Finn, knowing this, hoped
that he might be the lucky man ; so he took up his abode on the
shore of Linn-Fee ; and he fished in the pool every day from mom
till night, in the hope of catching the salmon of knowledge. At
this time, Finn the son of Cumal was a boy, fleeing from place
to place from his hereditary enemies, the Clann Morna, disguised,
and bearing the assumed name of Demna ; and, happening to come
to Linn-Fee, the old poet took him as his servant.
After long watching and waiting, Finn the poet hooked the
salmon at last, and gave it to Demna to broil, warning him very
strictly not to eat or even taste of it. Demna proceeded to broil
the fish ; and soon the heat of the fire raised a great blister from its
side, which the boy pressed with his thumb to keep it down, thereby
scalding himself so severely that he unthinkingly thrust his thumb
into his mouth.
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NOTES. 415
When the salmon was cooked, the poet asked Demna had he
eaten of it. " No," replied the boy ; " but I scalded my thumb on
the fish, and put it into my mouth." " Thy name is not Demna,
but Finn," exclaimed the poet : " in thee has the prophecy been
fulfilled ; and thou art now a diviner and a man of knowledge I "
In this manner Finn obtained the gift of divination, so that
ever after, when he wished to look into futurity, he put his thumb
under his tooth of knowledge, as he did when cooking the salmon
of Linn-Fee, and the whole future was revealed to him. There
appears to have been some sort of ceremony used, however (see
page 339, supra) ; and it would seem that the process was attended
with pain (page 194), so that it was only on very solemn and
trying occasions he put his thumb under his tooth of knowledge.*
Note 26.— The Game of Chess.
Chess-playing was one of the favourite amusements of the
ancient Irish chiefs. The game is constantly mentioned in the
very oldest Gaelic tales ; as, for instance, in the ** Cattle-Spoil of
Cooley," in "The Book of the Dun Cow" (a.d. 1100). (See
O'Donovan's " Introduction to the Book of Rights," page Ixi.)
Note 27.— Battle of Enocha.
The battle of Knocka or Cnucha (now Castleknock, near Dublin)
was fought in the reign of Conn the Hundred-fighter (see note 18).
* The above legend is taken from '* The Boyish Exploits of Finn
Mac Carnal," published, with translation, by John O'Donovan, Ltj.D.,
in the fourth volume of the Ossianic Society's Transactions, from a
MS. transcribed in X453, now lying in the Bodleian Library at Oxford.
But the internal evidence of the language shows that the piece is far
more ancient than the fifteenth century. The legend of Finn and
the Salmon of Knowledge is still current among the peasantry ; and
a modern popular version of it may be seen in the Dublin Penny
Journal, Vol. I. page 110.
As to the process of putting his thumb under his tooth of know-
ledge, even the English-speaking peasantry of the south still retain
a tradition that it was painful j for they say that Finn " chewed his
thumb from the skin to the flesh, from the flesh to the bone, from
the bone to the marrow, and from the marrow to the snioosgah."
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416 NOTES.
The contending parties were, on the one side, Conn with his royal
forces, and the renowned hero, Gaul Mac Moraa, with his Connaught
Feni, the Clann Moma ; and on the other side, Cumal, the father of
Finn, with the Clann Baskin and the Leinster forces in general, aided
by Owen More, heir to the throne of Munster, with a large army of
Munstermen. The Leinster and Munster armies were defeated,
chiefly through the valour of Gaul, who slew Cumal with his own
hand. This was the cause of the irreconcilable enmity that existed
ever after between the Clann Baskin and the Clann Moma.
When Finn the son of Cumal grew up to man's estate, he
succeeded to the position held by his father as leader of the Feni.
But though he made peace with Gaul Mac Moma, and though Gaul
submitted to his command, there was always a feeling of ill-concealed
hatred and distrust between them.
Note 28. — Battle of Gavra,
When Carbri of the Liffey, son of Cormac Mac Art, ascended
the throne of Ireland, one of his first acts was to disband and outlaw
the Clann Baskin ; and he took into his service in their place their
rivals and deadly enemies, the Clann Morna from Connaught.
Whereupon the Clann Baskin marched southwards, and entered
the service of Fercorb, king of Mimster, Finn's grandson, in direct
disobedience to king Carbri's commands. This led to the bloody
battle of Gavra, celebrated in Ossianic literature, which was fought
A.D. 284, at Garristown, in the north-west of the county Dublin,
where the rival clanns slaughtered each other almost to annihilation.
In the heat of the battle, Carbri and Oscar met in single combat ;
and, after a long and terrible fight, the heroic Oscar fell pierced by
Carbri's spear, and died on the evening of the same day. But
Carbri himself was dreadfully woimded ; and, while retiring from
the field, his own kinsman, Semeon, whom he had previously
banished from Tara, fell on him, and despatched him with a single
blow.
This battle is the subject of a poem which the bards ascribe to
Oisin, and which has been published, with translation, in the first
volume of the Ossianic Transactions. In this poem there is an
affecting description of the death of Oscar, surrounded by his few
surviving companions, and in presence of his father Oisin,
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LIST OF PROPEJEl NAMES.
417
Alphabetical List of the Principal Pboper Names occubeing
IN this Volume, with their Original Gaelic Forms, and,
IN MANY cases, THEIR MEANINGS.
Every writer who attempts to popularise the Gaelic literature of
Ireland and Scotland, finds the proper names a serious difficulty.
If they are given in their original Gaelic forms, they are not un-
frequently unpronounceable and repulsive to the English reader ;
if they are written phonetically, they are often strange and barbarous
looking. In this book, I have not followed any general principle
in reducing the names to forms suitable to readers of English. I
have dealt with each, as it were, on its own merits. Sometimes —
very often, indeed — I have given the original spelling; some-
times I have given the names phonetically ; and frequently I have
mixed the two modes. But all through I have avoided any great
departure from the original forms, as will be seen by a glance
at the following list.
In all cases the names occurring through the book may be
pronounced just as the letters would indicate to the English reader.
Aed) Aedhi a flame of fire.
AhacleO) Ath-cUath, hurdle-ford.
Ailna, Ailne, beauty, joy.
Aina, Aine.
AUil, AilioU, Ailell, or Oilioll.
Allil Gear Aga, AUell Ochair Aga,
Alva, AiJbhe.
Balor, Balar.
Baskin, Baoiscne.
Begallta, BeagalUach, little fury.
Ben-Damifl, Beann-Damhuis.
Beoc, Bedc, Ddbhedc, and Beodn.
Berva, Berhhe.
Borba, Borh, proud.
Bran, Bran, a raven.
Bres, Breas,
Brian, Brian.
Briokna, Briccne,
Bruga of the Boyne, Brugh-na'
Boinne,
Oanta, Cainte.
Cam-Arenn, Carnn-Airmn.
Carricknarone, Carraic-norrdn,
the rock of the seals.
Clann Navin, Clann-Neamhuinn.
Cloghan Kincat, Clochan-chinn-
chatty the stepping-stones of the
cat*s head.
Coil Croda, Cael-crodha, the
slender valiant [man].
Colga, Colga,
Golman, Colvnan, little dove.
Comgall, ComhghaU,
Conal Carna, Conall Cemach,
Gonan Mail, Conan Mael, Conan
the Bald.
2 E
Digitized hy Vj'OOQIC
418
LIST OF PROPER NAMES.
Conang, Conaing.
Conn the Hundred-fighter (not
Conn of the Hundred Battles,
as it is usually translated),
Ckmn-Ckdcathach,
Connla, Connla,
Coran, Coran.
Cormac Mac Art, Cormac Mac
Airt,
Corr the Swift-footed, Ck>ir Cos'
luath.
Cuan, Caan or Cuadhan.
Culand, Culand,
Curnan the Simpleton, Caman
Onmit.
Curoi Mac Dara, Curoi Mac
Ddire.
Dagda, Dagda.
Dara Donn, Ddire Donn.
Darvra, Lake, Loch Dairhhreachj
the lake of oaks.
Dathkeen, Dathchaoiiif bright-
complexioned.
Decca, Deoch.
Dedannans, Tuatha Be Danann.
Derdri of the Black Mountain,
Deirdre Duihhshleibhe,
Bering, Diorraing.
Dermat 0*Dyna, Diarmait
O'Duibhne.
Blanket, Dianceclit.
Diuran Lekerd, Diuran Lecerd.
Dobar, G'Baskin, Dohhar
G'BaoUcne.
Dooclone, DuhhcJiluain, dark-
coloured meadow.
Dord-Fian, Dord-Fiann,
Dryantore, Draoigheantdir.
Ducoss, Dttbhchosach, black-foot.
Eas-Dara, Eas-Dara.
Ebb, Eah.
Ebliu, Mliu.
Ebric, Atbhric.
Ecca, Eochaidhf a horseman.
Enbarr, Aenhharr, splendid mane.
Encoss, AenchoSf one foot.
Ethnea, jEt^nc, sweet nut-kemeL
Etta, mtche.
Eva, Aeife,
Eve, Aebh,
Failinis, Failinis.
Fatha Conan, Fatha Chonain.
Femin, Feimeann,
Feni, Fianna.
Ferdana, Fearddna,
Fergor, Fearghoir, manly or
strong voice.
Fergus, Fearghusym&nly strength.
Fiaca Findamnas, Fiacha Fin-
damnais,
Fiona, Fiachnay little raven.
Ficra, Fia^hra,
Fincara, Fianchaire.
Fincoss, Finnchosach, white-foot.
Finn, Finn or Fionn^ fair-haired.
Finnin, FingMn, fair offspring.
Finola, Fionnghualay white shoul-
der.
Flidas, Flidas.
Foltlebar, Folt-leabhar, long hair.
Frevan, Freamhainn,
Ga-boi, Ga-huidhe, yellow javelin.
Ga-derg, Ga-dearg^ red javelin.
Gael Glas, GaodJial-Glas,
Garva, Garbhy rough.
Gaul Mac Moma, GoU Ma/:
Morna.
Germane, Germane.
Gilla Backer, GioUa Deacairy
lazy fellow.
Glanlua, Glanluadh, pure-spoken.
Glas Mac Encarda, Glas Mac
Aeinchearda,
Glore, Gldr, a voice.
Ilbrec, IWhreach.
Ildana, loldhanach.
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
LIST OF PROPER NAMES.
419
Xnis Glora, Jnis Gluaire,
Innia, Innia,
Innsa, Inse,
Inver-tre-Kenand, Inhher-Tre-
Cenand,
Iraun, Irann.
Iroda, loruaidhe,
Irros Domnann, lorrm Domnann.
Island of the Torrent, Jnis Tuile.
Kemoc, Caemhoe or Mochoemhoc,
Kenn-Avrat, Ceann-Abhrat
Kenri, Caenraighe,
Kothen, Cethen.
Kethlenda, Ceithleann or Ceith'
hand,
Kian, Cian,
Eylta Mac Eonan, Caeilte Mao
Bonain,
Largnen, Lairgnen,
Lavaran, Loliharan.
Liban, Liban»
Lidas, lAadhas*
Ligan Lumina, Liagan Luaim-
neach, Ligan the Bounding.
Lir, Lir,
Lobas, Ldbais,
Lochlann, Lochlann,
Loskenn of the Bare Knees,
Loiscinn Lomghluineach.
Luath, Imaithf swift.
Luga of the Long Arms, Lugh
Lamh-fada.
Mac-an-Lona, Mac-aU'Luin,
Mac Luga, Mac Luigheach.
Mac-na-Corra, Mac-na-Corra.
Maildun, Mail Duin, chief of the
fort.
Manissa, Maighneis,
Mannanan Mac Lir, Manannan
Mac Lir,
Marid Mac Carido, Mairid Mac
Cairedo,
Mergah, Meargach,
Micorta, Miodhchuarta.
Midac, Miodhach or Mioch, •
Midir, Midhir.
Midkena, Miodhchaoin,
Milucra, Miluchradh.
Modan, Muadhan.
Morallta, Moralltachf great fury.
Moyle, Mael, a bare hill.
Moy-Mell, Magh-Mell, plain of
pleasures.
Moytura, Magh-tuireadh, plain
of towers.
Muman, Mumha, gen. Mumhan,
Muridach, Muridach.
Murthemna, Muirfhemhne,
Niam, Hiamh, beauty.
Nuada of the Silver Hand,
Nuadha Airgeatlaimh,
Nuca, Nuca,
Oisin, Oisin (pronounced Isheen'
in Munster, and Osh'in in
Ulster and in Scotland).
Oscar, Oscar,
Owenaght, Eoghanacht, descend-
ants of Owen.
Pezar, Pisear,
Eacad, Bachadh,
Eib, Bib,
Sencab, Seanchah, old mouth.
Sharvan, Searhhan, a surly
person.
&hee¥iD.niiha,Sidh'Fionnac1iaidh.
Skeabrac, Sciath-hhreaCy speckled
shield.
Skolan, Sceolaing,
Slana, Sldnach, healthy.
Sorca, Sorcha,
Sotal of the Large Heels, Sotal
Sdlmhdr,
Taillkenn, Tailcenn,
Tinna the Mighty, Tinne Mdr.
Tir-fa-tonn, Tir-fa-thuinn, country
beneath the wave.
Digitized by VjOOQ IC
420
LIST OF PROPER NAMES.
Tirnanoge, Tir na n-dg, land of
yo«thB.
Trencoss, Treunchosachy strong-
foot.
Trenmore O'Baskin, Treunrndt
O'Baoucne,
Triscadal, Triseadah
Tuis, Tuts,
Turenn, Tuireann,
Ur, Uar.
Urcar, TJrchar.
THE END.
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